This is a short note to commemorate the ending of one of my favorite shows on TV, Big Love, which airs its series finale tonight on HBO. On one hand I'm glad that the showrunners decided to leave the show on its own terms, during what seems to be one of its best seasons (seriously, if you haven't watched last week's episode "Exorcism", you only have yourself to blame), but I'm of course disappointed not to see a continuation of the Henricksens' fascinating story, which to me feels by no means finished (in the TV sense, that is).
I’m also really disappointed that this brilliant show is ending with no Emmys and only one major acting award (Chloe Sevigny rightfully upset Jane Lynch at the Golden Globes in 2010), but maybe it’s a testament to the complexity of the drama that it didn’t appeal to everyone. For me, the most fascinating thing about this show is the way it managed to take an “icky” topic like polygamy and turn it into a catalyst for the kind of anti-hero family drama that makes BL so gripping. The show was never about polygamy. In the broader sense it's about the First Amendment, but perhaps more compellingly, it focused the relationships at the center of the drama and on the wonderfully multifaceted characters at the heart of the show. Last week's episode "Exorcism" demonstrated this as well as any episode we've seen, in that in the midst of the Henricksen's social and political isolation, the show focused on the personal struggles of each main character. I don't know about you, but the more I learn about these characters, the more I feel like there's more to learn.
I'll probably post something about the finale later this week, when I get past my BL-is-ending-oh-no! depression. It feels like a TV conspiracy that we're losing Friday Night Lights, LOST, and Big Love in the span of a year. If Fringe or Southland gets canceled, I'm gonna freaking lose it, y'all!
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I kind of can't wait to see how they end it, but it's sad to see another good show go. Thanks again for turning me onto the show before it ended.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like both Fringe and Southland are safe, but we won't breathe easy until it's official.
I'm so glad you got into it! It's always been a really hard show to convince people to watch. Their loss.
ReplyDeleteBoth Fringe and Southland are looking good for next year, and Parks and Rec has already been renewed, so all that's hopeful. What's your favorite family-centered drama, now that FNL is done?
Dexter, The United States of Tara, or Parenthood? None of those are as good as FNL though.
ReplyDeleteWe hear Sons of Anarchy is great, and we're both going to get into that eventually. Also, Brothers and Sisters is on Instant Netflix (we share an account), so we will be watching that together.
Stuff like FNL and Gilmore Girls is rare though.
I agree about FNL and Gilmore Girls. I still watch Gilmore Girls in its entirety almost annually.
ReplyDeleteLOVE Parenthood, but it's not at FNL levels yet. I hope eventually it will amount to some Emmy love for Lauren Graham. I need to get into Dexter. US of Tara bummed me out last season! I'm sticking with it, but I did not care for its season 2 antics.
I've heard good things about Sons of Anarchy, but I've been putting it off because apparently there's a big gang rape at some point. Ick. I used to really like B&S, but it turns out that Rob Lowe was the best thing about it after all!