Big Love Finale Review: A Major Letdown Comments (Page 2)
35 Comments
Kelly
March 21st, 2011 2:47 PM
I thought the finale was very moving and thought provoking. But, I could just as easily have seen the scene where the three wives are driving off in Barb's new convertible as the ending. Unlike many other women I know, I didn't turn off to the show just because Bill seemed to be a man who had his cake and ate it three. The writers and actors took situations that were truly bizarre to a contemporary American audience and made me empathize with them, while sometimes laughing out loud. (For example, who remembers the scene a few seasons ago where Barb confesses to a friend that she is "having an affair" with Bill and her friend tells her "he'll never leave his wives for you.")
How much different are the lives of these three wives (and their daughters) to women who grow up in oppressive cultures where their worth is linked to their pre-marital virginity, their ability to bear children, their selfless contributions to the family unit, and their ability to repress abuses they have endured
chris
March 21st, 2011 2:21 PM
It would have been better if Bill's "4th wife" - Home-Plus partner Dom Embry - pulled the trigger. This poor sap was just another road-kill under the wheels of the family station wagon Bill was so attached to and pissed about losing. Bill Hendrickson thrived on controlling the weak.
Even better - Bill goes to jail for the statuatory rape, which he knew he was doing (didn't Margene once work at Home-Plus?), and Don winds up taking Margene to South America where they start their own health juice scam and send pictures of themselves to Bill who now showers in the same cellblock as Alby!!!!!!!!!!!
DaveB14
March 21st, 2011 1:50 PM
The show jumped the shark when Bill ran for State Senate. After that the objective seemed to be to see how many untenable situations Bill and the Wives could get into. Other than seeing Marjean develop into a deep, compassionate character, I was very disappointed with this season. Nikki remained Nikki (or did she? - Yeah, she did.) , Barb's tangent was not credible and the Lois and Frank, Alby, Cara Lynn, Ben/Rhonda/Heather etc. storylines were all almost unnecessary throw ins when each could and should have been more central and better developed. Of yeah, HomePlus failed too?!? Then they insult us by having Carl - a tangential character through the entire series - kill Bill? Lazy writing, plain and simple. So sad for such a great show.
jd
March 21st, 2011 1:44 PM
Corolyn was at the end. She was standing behind Nikki. They showed her for about 5-10 seconds.
Diane
March 21st, 2011 1:15 PM
I think the writers took the easy wayout. I was shocked they killed off Bill. Too many loose ends left open. I think the Margene ending was bad. She leaves her kids to go off and help the poor and deprived. Ugh!! I think they should have killed off Nikki. She never changed throughout the whole show. Selfish and mean. Just like her father and brother. I was disappointed.
Robbi
March 21st, 2011 12:38 PM
I think there was a lot of closure on big storylines. The only thing that would have made it better with Lois and Frank would have been Lois and Frank on the beach again. So glad nothing happened to the wives - I liked them all and was worried all that gun purchasing would backfire on one of them. Of course Nicki, being the one who stuck to her guns on the principle was seen 11 months later the same flawed but convicted gal she always was and reminding Marge to return to her family, the only thing you can count on. The family that gave Marge roots and then wings (and free childcare for life). Too bad they didn't do a 2 hour finale - that might have made the stories sew up better because who didn't want to see Alby and Adeline one more time? It had seemed like Ben was grappling with being able to love Heather but still take care of Rhonda - that could have been interesting to see how it played out. The Cara Lynn/Bill discussion was odd But was that Cara Lynn singing God Only Know
Che Che
March 21st, 2011 12:27 PM
I got it! Heather embraces polygamy, but only where she gets to marry both Ben, Sarah and Scott, Sarah's husband. Ben doesn't get any sister wives but a brother husband in Scott. It's all about Heather and her bi-horny-ness. That's why she came back. Barb officiates the weddings. After a while, Ben and Scott get it on too - after all, Ben is "In the Navy!" (queue Village People song).
Che Che
March 21st, 2011 11:31 AM
I only stayed with this season because I wanted to see it out - an emotional investment waiting for a payoff. Sort of like Barb, hoping things would get better but too afraid to step away when it became obvious they weren't. Like her, it was bittersweet to say the least but at least I knew it was going to end, one way or another.
Bill never redeemed himself; I'm sure he felt like he died a martyr in the end ("I felt a grace descend upon me"). He didn't reveal this to his wives, but to his son and business partner. Misogynistic to the end. Barb finally had the guts to reveal her feelings about their marriage ("I followed you into polygamy!" "You're just going to walk away?") and Bill still wouldn't acknowledge what a sham it had become - they lived as mainline Mormons for years until he forced polygamy down her throat at her weakest moment, when she was recovering from cancer. Yet the writers only touch on this point at the very, very end of the series, when it should have tak
JDS
March 21st, 2011 10:58 AM
Finally this soap opera ends. What a waste of time. Too bad they didn't do more to really expose this "religion" for what it is: a system of control concoted by a horny con man with its main purpose providing many young women to service a few old men. The portrayal was much too kind for me. Do some research on this "religion." It's neck and neck with Scientologly for the Bull Goose Looney award. Just "Google Mormons baptize dead Jews" for some fun.
The last time I cheered so loudly watching something on a screen was when Robert DeNiro turned the Russian Roulette gun on his Viet Cong captors in The Deer Hunter. Bill truly got what he deserved, the meddling, deluded fool.It took him no more than a split second to begin abusing the authority of his political power. What a loser.
GREGGY
March 21st, 2011 10:48 AM
great finale, some things left us hanging but that always good to leave things in the open, for the fans to decide. the last scene when all three wives are hugging and bill was in the background was the best way to end the series, knowing hes always watching over them. very sad, but great ending
Donna
March 21st, 2011 10:44 AM
I was hoping Nikki would be the one shot and killed! The ending was ok but yeah we needed some story closures. I think Frank holding Lois as she slipped away was awesome! That is how they were writing this season, finding out Lois had dementia was an awakening for Frank. I really thought Alby should have tried to shoot Bill and Nikki step in, now that would have been a great ending, as always endings are disappointing because we don't want something to end. I was pissed they changed the song this season so I was happy to hear it at the end!
Sticky-n-Sweet
March 21st, 2011 10:41 AM
I wanted to see Alby die. And who did Ben marry?
chrissy
March 21st, 2011 10:30 AM
All I can say was. I was crying my eyes out. I was a good ending,a very sad ending but good. I am really going to miss Big Love. One of my favorite shows.
Amy
March 21st, 2011 10:22 AM
Natalie Maines was the voice of "God only Knows". I'd recongize that Bush hating singer anywhere. Ha! So sad that this show has ended. Granted, sometimes HBO made us wait FOREVER for it to return, but I would always look forward to it. Like "LOST" (Which I stopped watching once it became to 'sci-fi' for me) "Big Love" did as well (I can't wait to watch the Series Premiere again just to reinforce how much I feel this show changed). I've always been fascinated with Polygamy, and tried to really understand it via The Hendricksons. Barb was always a comforting presense on this show for me. As crazy as they can all be, Barb seemed the most 'normal'. Margene, I'm "Angry At" today. Those babies need her! And oh, Nikki. I am worried for you. In that final scene, it was you I felt most sad for. I also agree with Eric Vincent. Amanda S. didn't need to return, after turning her back on "BL" IMO. But she did, whatever. Now she can return to being that Cheating Ryan Phillipe HAG, helping his sort o
Lynn Mathis Rank: New User
March 21st, 2011 9:47 AM
Several seasons back, when Margene's mother was upset about their "illegitimate children" Bill told her that he had insurance policies and mortgage insurance on the houses in each wife's name and funds for each child, so they would always be protected. They may not have been left wealthy but probably would be secure.
I don't see Margene as leaving the family any more than any parent who travels as part of their work. Remember, these children have multiple mothers -they are not alone.
Nikki has always been my favorite because she is a survivor. She may be damaged and dysfunctional due to her upbringing but she can replace a garbage disposal, butcher a pig or decorate a living room. She has had to find her own way in the real world and has failed often, but she has found creative ways in the process. She was never dull. Perhaps she took the lead in reforming the compounds?
Shan
March 21st, 2011 9:38 AM
I disagree about Bill's rationale behind asking for a blessing. Bill was always most concerned about himself, but you can't blame a dying man for worrying about himself. He wanted a blessing plain and simple, and he realized in that moment that Barb could give it to him. It's something that he denied during life but in the desperation of death he knew that he it was his last chance and he couldn't waste any time worrying about the details.
T
March 21st, 2011 8:34 AM
How sad that one of my favorite shows has ended. I have mixed feelings about the ending but I'm really glad Bill asked Barb to bless him. I also found it interesting that Lois and Bill both got taken out on the same day...the comment the dad made when he reminded Lois that when Bill was born she said he was the "light of her life" made it seem right that Bill be with his mum in the end.
Leigh Raines Rank: Staff Member
March 21st, 2011 3:53 AM
I'm still in shock. The oranges comment is a good point, I didn't pick up on that the first time. The second I saw the way Carl was standing, I knew something was about to happen. It's ironic that for all the precautions this family took, that it was someone as unimportant as their neighbor who ends up killing Bill. I wish we would've seen some of the storylines wrapped up a bit more, but was glad for the cameos. Anyone know why they chose for it to be 11 months later? Kind of seemed like a random amount of time?
kim
March 21st, 2011 2:20 AM
In the last scene you do see CaraLynn, she walks in the door behing Margene. Her hair is also different it is down now. And Ben is Married. I also cried when you see Bill sitting at the end of table. But I agree they didn't wrap up everyone's story as well they could have but at least we got an ending I remember thinking the show would be canceled once so at least we have an actual completion.I think they summed as best they could with the time limit they gave themselves.
Eric Vincent
March 21st, 2011 1:32 AM
This Was a series that deserved another season.
Let me get this straight, soprano lives , bill dies.
I don't presume to speak for fans at large,
But bill should have gone to jail, not died from a triple
Tap from a nano character.(I get the symbolism)
Nobody expects perfect finales, and this one
Did bring tears to my eyes, while livig down to expectatio
And Amanda tnx for the cameo at the end
Of the show that made your pseudo career.
See u on Hollywood Sqare ( new versio) in 20154
bernynhel
March 21st, 2011 1:08 AM
Got here by mistake, actually. Geez was it ever! Except for Carmen Wright's asshole-licking-fetish comment: yeah you go girl!
Bryn
March 21st, 2011 12:43 AM
Michelle, I cannot agree with your assessment more. I am exceedingly disappointed with the ending. We knew someone from the family would probably die, but everything was tied up with a happy little bow at the end? Another point: If my husband were shot to death outside on the street outside our home, I could no longer stand to live there. Not to mention: Was Bill's murderer (Carl) ever caught? Ever do jail time? Nobody was around on Easter Sunday on one of the biggest family "gathering" times of the year as a witness? Where were all the children when the shots were fired? AND: If Home Plus is gone, the Casino money is gone, Margene's money from the juice company and the jewelry line is gone, how are the wives and kids now supported? Do they work? Did they get a huge insurance settlement? Nikki and Alby's mother was a core figure through all the seasons. What happens to her? Does she continue to enable Alby behind bars? Don't get it. And Hollis and Roman's sister? Not
Carmen Wright
March 21st, 2011 12:41 AM
I just wanted to lick each wife's asshole every week of the year!!
Elizabeth Bradbury
March 21st, 2011 12:37 AM
It was mentioned in the final scene that Teeny was upstairs putting on mascara.
The obvious use of the symbolic oranges, made even more obvious when Bill put an orange peel over his teeth, to tell us he was going to die (much talked about as percursor symbol for death in The Godfather 1 and many films since) seemed like a cheap ploy. The audience is smarter than that. After the oranges it was just a matter of waiting for him to be killed or die of a heart attack. Wonder if Barb is going to put a stop to all of the underage marriages among the fundamentalist polygamists who showed up at the church.
theblakeness Rank: Guest Star
March 21st, 2011 12:31 AM
It was a touching end, i didn't see the neighbor being the one to kill him. i knew something was going to hapen to one of the main four. I like how the somber clothing makes you think it is a funeral or something but it is really a thing for sarah's child. It seemed to wrap up nicely, and still left us wanting more. I am a person who doesn't get choked up easily but the finale scene between the three wives and with bill's ghost actually made me get a lump in my throat. It was nice to see them still together even after bill had left. That even though they were wives of the same man their bond was deeper than that. Barb said it best toward the end that what they went through made them into extraordinary people. agree or disagree with what they practiced you can't deny they were a family. A sign of a good show, you can think of the characters as people not just things living in the magic box with moving pictures.
Barb: I'm sorry I can't. If my families not here, than I can't be here.
March 21st, 2011 2:47 PM
I thought the finale was very moving and thought provoking. But, I could just as easily have seen the scene where the three wives are driving off in Barb's new convertible as the ending. Unlike many other women I know, I didn't turn off to the show just because Bill seemed to be a man who had his cake and ate it three. The writers and actors took situations that were truly bizarre to a contemporary American audience and made me empathize with them, while sometimes laughing out loud. (For example, who remembers the scene a few seasons ago where Barb confesses to a friend that she is "having an affair" with Bill and her friend tells her "he'll never leave his wives for you.")
How much different are the lives of these three wives (and their daughters) to women who grow up in oppressive cultures where their worth is linked to their pre-marital virginity, their ability to bear children, their selfless contributions to the family unit, and their ability to repress abuses they have endured
March 21st, 2011 2:21 PM
It would have been better if Bill's "4th wife" - Home-Plus partner Dom Embry - pulled the trigger. This poor sap was just another road-kill under the wheels of the family station wagon Bill was so attached to and pissed about losing. Bill Hendrickson thrived on controlling the weak.
Even better - Bill goes to jail for the statuatory rape, which he knew he was doing (didn't Margene once work at Home-Plus?), and Don winds up taking Margene to South America where they start their own health juice scam and send pictures of themselves to Bill who now showers in the same cellblock as Alby!!!!!!!!!!!
March 21st, 2011 1:50 PM
The show jumped the shark when Bill ran for State Senate. After that the objective seemed to be to see how many untenable situations Bill and the Wives could get into. Other than seeing Marjean develop into a deep, compassionate character, I was very disappointed with this season. Nikki remained Nikki (or did she? - Yeah, she did.) , Barb's tangent was not credible and the Lois and Frank, Alby, Cara Lynn, Ben/Rhonda/Heather etc. storylines were all almost unnecessary throw ins when each could and should have been more central and better developed. Of yeah, HomePlus failed too?!? Then they insult us by having Carl - a tangential character through the entire series - kill Bill? Lazy writing, plain and simple. So sad for such a great show.
March 21st, 2011 1:44 PM
Corolyn was at the end. She was standing behind Nikki. They showed her for about 5-10 seconds.
March 21st, 2011 1:15 PM
I think the writers took the easy wayout. I was shocked they killed off Bill. Too many loose ends left open. I think the Margene ending was bad. She leaves her kids to go off and help the poor and deprived. Ugh!! I think they should have killed off Nikki. She never changed throughout the whole show. Selfish and mean. Just like her father and brother. I was disappointed.
March 21st, 2011 12:38 PM
I think there was a lot of closure on big storylines. The only thing that would have made it better with Lois and Frank would have been Lois and Frank on the beach again. So glad nothing happened to the wives - I liked them all and was worried all that gun purchasing would backfire on one of them. Of course Nicki, being the one who stuck to her guns on the principle was seen 11 months later the same flawed but convicted gal she always was and reminding Marge to return to her family, the only thing you can count on. The family that gave Marge roots and then wings (and free childcare for life). Too bad they didn't do a 2 hour finale - that might have made the stories sew up better because who didn't want to see Alby and Adeline one more time? It had seemed like Ben was grappling with being able to love Heather but still take care of Rhonda - that could have been interesting to see how it played out. The Cara Lynn/Bill discussion was odd But was that Cara Lynn singing God Only Know
March 21st, 2011 12:27 PM
I got it! Heather embraces polygamy, but only where she gets to marry both Ben, Sarah and Scott, Sarah's husband. Ben doesn't get any sister wives but a brother husband in Scott. It's all about Heather and her bi-horny-ness. That's why she came back. Barb officiates the weddings. After a while, Ben and Scott get it on too - after all, Ben is "In the Navy!" (queue Village People song).
March 21st, 2011 11:31 AM
I only stayed with this season because I wanted to see it out - an emotional investment waiting for a payoff. Sort of like Barb, hoping things would get better but too afraid to step away when it became obvious they weren't. Like her, it was bittersweet to say the least but at least I knew it was going to end, one way or another.
Bill never redeemed himself; I'm sure he felt like he died a martyr in the end ("I felt a grace descend upon me"). He didn't reveal this to his wives, but to his son and business partner. Misogynistic to the end. Barb finally had the guts to reveal her feelings about their marriage ("I followed you into polygamy!" "You're just going to walk away?") and Bill still wouldn't acknowledge what a sham it had become - they lived as mainline Mormons for years until he forced polygamy down her throat at her weakest moment, when she was recovering from cancer. Yet the writers only touch on this point at the very, very end of the series, when it should have tak
March 21st, 2011 10:58 AM
Finally this soap opera ends. What a waste of time. Too bad they didn't do more to really expose this "religion" for what it is: a system of control concoted by a horny con man with its main purpose providing many young women to service a few old men. The portrayal was much too kind for me. Do some research on this "religion." It's neck and neck with Scientologly for the Bull Goose Looney award. Just "Google Mormons baptize dead Jews" for some fun.
The last time I cheered so loudly watching something on a screen was when Robert DeNiro turned the Russian Roulette gun on his Viet Cong captors in The Deer Hunter. Bill truly got what he deserved, the meddling, deluded fool.It took him no more than a split second to begin abusing the authority of his political power. What a loser.
March 21st, 2011 10:48 AM
great finale, some things left us hanging but that always good to leave things in the open, for the fans to decide. the last scene when all three wives are hugging and bill was in the background was the best way to end the series, knowing hes always watching over them. very sad, but great ending
March 21st, 2011 10:44 AM
I was hoping Nikki would be the one shot and killed! The ending was ok but yeah we needed some story closures. I think Frank holding Lois as she slipped away was awesome! That is how they were writing this season, finding out Lois had dementia was an awakening for Frank. I really thought Alby should have tried to shoot Bill and Nikki step in, now that would have been a great ending, as always endings are disappointing because we don't want something to end. I was pissed they changed the song this season so I was happy to hear it at the end!
March 21st, 2011 10:41 AM
I wanted to see Alby die. And who did Ben marry?
March 21st, 2011 10:30 AM
All I can say was. I was crying my eyes out. I was a good ending,a very sad ending but good. I am really going to miss Big Love. One of my favorite shows.
March 21st, 2011 10:22 AM
Natalie Maines was the voice of "God only Knows". I'd recongize that Bush hating singer anywhere. Ha! So sad that this show has ended. Granted, sometimes HBO made us wait FOREVER for it to return, but I would always look forward to it. Like "LOST" (Which I stopped watching once it became to 'sci-fi' for me) "Big Love" did as well (I can't wait to watch the Series Premiere again just to reinforce how much I feel this show changed). I've always been fascinated with Polygamy, and tried to really understand it via The Hendricksons. Barb was always a comforting presense on this show for me. As crazy as they can all be, Barb seemed the most 'normal'. Margene, I'm "Angry At" today. Those babies need her! And oh, Nikki. I am worried for you. In that final scene, it was you I felt most sad for. I also agree with Eric Vincent. Amanda S. didn't need to return, after turning her back on "BL" IMO. But she did, whatever. Now she can return to being that Cheating Ryan Phillipe HAG, helping his sort o
Rank: New User
March 21st, 2011 9:47 AM
Several seasons back, when Margene's mother was upset about their "illegitimate children" Bill told her that he had insurance policies and mortgage insurance on the houses in each wife's name and funds for each child, so they would always be protected. They may not have been left wealthy but probably would be secure.
I don't see Margene as leaving the family any more than any parent who travels as part of their work. Remember, these children have multiple mothers -they are not alone.
Nikki has always been my favorite because she is a survivor. She may be damaged and dysfunctional due to her upbringing but she can replace a garbage disposal, butcher a pig or decorate a living room. She has had to find her own way in the real world and has failed often, but she has found creative ways in the process. She was never dull. Perhaps she took the lead in reforming the compounds?
March 21st, 2011 9:38 AM
I disagree about Bill's rationale behind asking for a blessing. Bill was always most concerned about himself, but you can't blame a dying man for worrying about himself. He wanted a blessing plain and simple, and he realized in that moment that Barb could give it to him. It's something that he denied during life but in the desperation of death he knew that he it was his last chance and he couldn't waste any time worrying about the details.
March 21st, 2011 8:34 AM
How sad that one of my favorite shows has ended. I have mixed feelings about the ending but I'm really glad Bill asked Barb to bless him. I also found it interesting that Lois and Bill both got taken out on the same day...the comment the dad made when he reminded Lois that when Bill was born she said he was the "light of her life" made it seem right that Bill be with his mum in the end.
Rank: Staff Member
March 21st, 2011 3:53 AM
I'm still in shock. The oranges comment is a good point, I didn't pick up on that the first time. The second I saw the way Carl was standing, I knew something was about to happen. It's ironic that for all the precautions this family took, that it was someone as unimportant as their neighbor who ends up killing Bill. I wish we would've seen some of the storylines wrapped up a bit more, but was glad for the cameos. Anyone know why they chose for it to be 11 months later? Kind of seemed like a random amount of time?
March 21st, 2011 2:20 AM
In the last scene you do see CaraLynn, she walks in the door behing Margene. Her hair is also different it is down now. And Ben is Married. I also cried when you see Bill sitting at the end of table. But I agree they didn't wrap up everyone's story as well they could have but at least we got an ending I remember thinking the show would be canceled once so at least we have an actual completion.I think they summed as best they could with the time limit they gave themselves.
March 21st, 2011 1:32 AM
This Was a series that deserved another season.
Let me get this straight, soprano lives , bill dies.
I don't presume to speak for fans at large,
But bill should have gone to jail, not died from a triple
Tap from a nano character.(I get the symbolism)
Nobody expects perfect finales, and this one
Did bring tears to my eyes, while livig down to expectatio
And Amanda tnx for the cameo at the end
Of the show that made your pseudo career.
See u on Hollywood Sqare ( new versio) in 20154
March 21st, 2011 1:08 AM
Got here by mistake, actually. Geez was it ever! Except for Carmen Wright's asshole-licking-fetish comment: yeah you go girl!
March 21st, 2011 12:43 AM
Michelle, I cannot agree with your assessment more. I am exceedingly disappointed with the ending. We knew someone from the family would probably die, but everything was tied up with a happy little bow at the end? Another point: If my husband were shot to death outside on the street outside our home, I could no longer stand to live there. Not to mention: Was Bill's murderer (Carl) ever caught? Ever do jail time? Nobody was around on Easter Sunday on one of the biggest family "gathering" times of the year as a witness? Where were all the children when the shots were fired? AND: If Home Plus is gone, the Casino money is gone, Margene's money from the juice company and the jewelry line is gone, how are the wives and kids now supported? Do they work? Did they get a huge insurance settlement? Nikki and Alby's mother was a core figure through all the seasons. What happens to her? Does she continue to enable Alby behind bars? Don't get it. And Hollis and Roman's sister? Not
March 21st, 2011 12:41 AM
I just wanted to lick each wife's asshole every week of the year!!
March 21st, 2011 12:37 AM
It was mentioned in the final scene that Teeny was upstairs putting on mascara.
The obvious use of the symbolic oranges, made even more obvious when Bill put an orange peel over his teeth, to tell us he was going to die (much talked about as percursor symbol for death in The Godfather 1 and many films since) seemed like a cheap ploy. The audience is smarter than that. After the oranges it was just a matter of waiting for him to be killed or die of a heart attack. Wonder if Barb is going to put a stop to all of the underage marriages among the fundamentalist polygamists who showed up at the church.
Rank: Guest Star
March 21st, 2011 12:31 AM
It was a touching end, i didn't see the neighbor being the one to kill him. i knew something was going to hapen to one of the main four. I like how the somber clothing makes you think it is a funeral or something but it is really a thing for sarah's child. It seemed to wrap up nicely, and still left us wanting more. I am a person who doesn't get choked up easily but the finale scene between the three wives and with bill's ghost actually made me get a lump in my throat. It was nice to see them still together even after bill had left. That even though they were wives of the same man their bond was deeper than that. Barb said it best toward the end that what they went through made them into extraordinary people. agree or disagree with what they practiced you can't deny they were a family. A sign of a good show, you can think of the characters as people not just things living in the magic box with moving pictures.