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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Big Love Ends

I liked everything about the series finale of Big Love, just on HBO, except one thing.   If you haven't seen it, don't read on ...

The shocker near the end of last episode of Big Love was certainly not satisfying, and only appropriate if one values metaphor above the lessons of real life.  After surmounting most of the obstacles facing him - keeping his family together, starting his church, which has nearly 500 people coming to its opening after Bill stands up in the Utah Senate and introduces an amendment which would legalize polygamy - after doing all of that, Bill is shot dead by his off-balance neighbor.

Yes, you could say that this was appropriate, given that Bill had completed his mission here on Earth.  Yes, this ending gives us the O'Henry-esque twist of not being able to escape one's fate.   Bill dodged Alby's intent on shooting him, last week, only to succumb to the deranged neighbor's bullet tonight.

Yes, you can say all of that, and it would be true and well-taken, but I still would have preferred an ending that left Bill alive.  Had Bill been convicted and gone off to prison, the excellent very last scenes could have been exactly same:  Sarah and her husband and baby back home, Barb presiding over the christening, Margene about to leave on another trip, and everyone with tears in their eyes because Bill wasn't there.

But I thank Big Love, its writers and producers and performers, for a great run.  The show will go down as one of the best ever on television.

See also Big Love's Back and North to Alaska ... Big Love 5.3: Grim Christmas ... Big Love 5.5: Barb's Deal ... Big Love 5.6: "I'll Be There" ... Big Love 5.7: Couples ... Big Love 5.8: Casting First Stones ... Penultimate Big Love

See also Big Love Season 4 Start with Casino, Psycho, and Birds ... Big Love 4.2: Politician or Prophet?  ... Big Love 4.3: Super-Compressed, Super-Fine ...  Big Love 4.4:  Bill and Don
... The Potential for Brilliance in Big Love 4.5 ... Big Love 4.6: Barb Ascendant ... Nearly Gunfight at the OK Corral for Big Love 4.7 ... Big Love Breakout Season 4 Finale

See also: Big Love, Season 3 ... 1. a 4th ... 2. Two Issues Resolved, Two Not So Much ... 6. Exquisite, Perfectly Played ... Big Love Season 3 Finale: Bigger Love ...

And from Season 2: 2: Oh, Happy Day, and Not ... 3: Sons and Mothers ... 4. Help Me, Rhonda ... 5. The Waitress and More... 6. Just Lust ... 7. Margene's Mama ... 8. Polygamy and Misgivings ... 9. Swing Vote Margene ... 10. Polygamy as the Ultimate Cool/Bad ... 11. Family in Crisis ... Big Love Season 2 Concludes



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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more. Unnecessary to have Bill die. We get enough to that in real life. Unneeded for the storyline. The writers never consider the investment of feelings by the fans after several years.

Feathers Atlanta said...

If you look back now at some of this seasons episodes, it's been building up to Bill's death.

I was sad that he died, but I also felt sort of "proud" of Barb who took his place in many ways.

I don't think they could have just ended the show without a major event. After all the twists and turns, turmoil, drama and shock...the series needed a huge ending. And we got that.

Needless to say, it left me feeling sort of empty and bummed.

I'm going to miss this show.

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