(S02E03) I was reading Meredith's post from last week's episode, along with the comments. Boy y'all must have really loved this episode! Lots of time spent on the compound this week, with Nikki and Bill there for a big family reunion. I was thinking about this because even though the compound parts of the plot line are also not my favorite, it's not because the compound creeps me out. I just prefer the dynamics of the three households. There isn't anything particularly familiar about the compound to me either, though I love the scenery they show of Utah. That is the scenery of my childhood memories.There was one thing that definitely struck me about the comments as something that divides someone who used to be a Latter-Day Saint who is watching from those who don't have any background in this religions. It was the comments about how self-delusional Bill is for saying that he just wants to live a normal life. What struck me as funny is that there wasn't anything funny to me about him saying that. It's amazing how normal I consider all of this-- probably because even though polygamy is no longer a principle of the Mormon Church-- plural marriage is an eternal principle.
This means that while polygamy isn't practiced here on earth, it is not out of the question in the afterlife. When you grow up with something (as I did, as Bill has, as we all have), of course it is normal to you. I think the point of what i am trying to say is something I think the show does very effectively: Bill doesn't know he isn't normal. He really doesn't. He lived normally with Barb for many years, but he grew up with polygamy. This IS normal.
That being said, I don't condone polygamy, and I feel as squeamish about it as many people have expressed that they do. The scene with Roman and Rhonda in which he assured her that angels would sing for them absolutely creeped me out-- but somehow, the scene in which Adaleen describes the family's genealogy to a younger family member creeped me out just as much. It's not just polygamy she is gleefully describing: It's so much intermarriage that the ability to marry someone you are not related to is non-existent. It's incest.
Another scene that really creeped me out is when Bill lay Nikki down with the laundry and sang, "Jesus Wants You for a Sunbeam." I grew up with that song-- it's for three-year-olds. It's not a pre-coitus song. And do you think Nikki knows that Alby is gay? How can she tell him she'll leave being a girl to him and then tell him to get back to his wives? (The theological answer to this is: Homosexuality is a sin only in so far as you are practicing. It would have been totally acceptable to know that maybe he had certain femme tendencies and yet accept the fact that he was married to a woman, or in this case, women.)
On the other hand, I didn't find Barb's conversation with Margie to be out of line at all. Margie says she knows there is only a five year age difference between her and Ben, and she knows she is attractive-- but she is really kidding herself if she thinks Ben considers her to be a mother figure. The conversation Ben has with his friend getting tattooed speaks to that-- how Margie is always running around half-dressed. Their relationship IS inappropriate. I think Margie is completely as innocent as she seems-- but she needs to be told that their relationship is dangerous because Ben is an adolescent boy and Margene is NOT his mother.
By the way, I have no idea why that boy was engraving sXe on is back. I have never heard of an organization of teenage boys getting tattooed and pledging to live a clean life. That is either new, unique to Utah, or fictional. But the fact that Ben is having sex is a big, big, big deal. Chastity is very important to regular Mormons, so I can only imagine how important it is to the fundamentalists (and we get big clues in the conversation between Rhonda and her manipulative mother).
I like Brian Kerwin (Bill's young uncle), though aren't their lives and storylines complicated enough without introducing more subplots and more characters?
I sincerely felt sorry for Nikki when Alby told her about how Roman betrayed Barb and their entire family. Nikki isn't so one-note evil this season. The is growing more compassionate, and it's very interesting that at the same time she is wondering how families can stay together with "only love" holding them together (and not the principle), I think she is starting to love her family more and more deeply. I think that is what truly frightens her. Adaleen cries "Shame" and she and Roman both lecture Bill and Nikki about family-- when family is exactly what Nikki is cleaving to. When she was only concerned with the principle, she didn't have so much to lose.
One additional note about theology: When Ben and Sarah are talking about his sex life, it was accurate when Sarah said the line about how it's better to be dead than to give up your chastity (I've definitely heard that kind of rhetoric before, but I can't say that ANYBODY would condemn a woman for being raped). However, it was not accurate for Ben to ask if Sarah thought he was going to hell. There is no hell in Mormon theology. There are three kingdoms of heaven, and the lowest would be sort of equivalent to a traditional idea of hell. But nobody how had been raised Mormon as these two kids were would use that kind of phrasing about going to hell, unless they were joking, re: "Oh, we are so going to hell for this."
I'm not overlooking Rhonda-- there just isn't much to say about her big escape so far except, "Well done!"
p.s. The excellent closing song was sung by Neko Case. Meredith has the next two weeks, so see you in July!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
6-26-2007 @ 1:53AM
Josh Feinauer said...
Not really sure why the mormon church needs to talked about in this review. That being said I really enjoyed this eps. And I am Mormon.
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6-26-2007 @ 3:35AM
Mike Davis said...
No one cares that you're Mormon.
By the way, great episode.
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6-26-2007 @ 5:24AM
KelsBerry Crawdad said...
I think it was important for us NON MEMBERS that the actual Mormon religion be talking about in this review. I think it gives US a reference as to how things are in "their world" because things in the Big Love world are not as they are in the traditional Morman church. I feel Jen is more or less seperating the two worlds so people who have misconceptions about the Mormon religion understand that this is not the Norm for them. Although I did not see the show, sadly my husband felt it was important to cancel the HBO subscription with out telling me, this was a great review. I can still sortof enjoy the show thru these words... Thank you
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6-26-2007 @ 5:45AM
Krooie said...
The sXe tattoo is in reference to the straight edge movement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_edge
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6-26-2007 @ 7:59AM
Kristin said...
To echo above, straight edge is not a new concept and has been around for a very long time (well around 1980 or so). There is no fiction or state boundries to it.
This episode was great in the way that it seems to be setting up a lot for the rest of the season.
Did anyone notice the look on Rhonda's face when she hugged Barb? That was quite a devious look. It looked more like she is going to have other intentions besides being away from the compound. I wouldn't be surprised if she isn't going to try to make her way into becoming the 4th wife. She looks at Bill in a such a way that would make me think that. Only time will tell though.
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6-26-2007 @ 3:20PM
KenMo said...
@ Josh Feinauer & Mike Davis
Are you just being Trolls, or are you really ignorant about why the LDS Church is not a valid discussion point for this program?
The show is about people involved in Polygamist living, which is very dominantly a Mormon phenomenon in the United States.
The show or this article is not trying to convert anyone so please simmer down.
Pretend you can be tolerant of other’s beliefs or lifestyles.
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6-26-2007 @ 9:26AM
Dan said...
Since you all seem interested, here’s another insight into Mormons, folks.
Right now there are ordinary church members spending their spare time trying to contact **Jen Creer** to personally invite her back to church and extend a hand of friendship. Typically, they don't have a current address or phone number.
If they only read TVSquad.com…
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6-26-2007 @ 11:49AM
Amelia said...
This season just keeps me guessing. I can not wait for the next episode!!! I do not get creeped out by the compound at all, I think that it is interesting to see glispes of how they live their lives, although I prefer to see bill and the fam back in Sandy. I was pretty creeped out by the Rhonda and Roman thing, I would be running away if I were Rhonda too!
I wonder if Nikki believed Roman when he said that he didn't out Barb. I think that this is going to make for a very interesting storyline, because Nikki loves her PAPA. Will she tell Bill the news or keep it to her self?
Straight Edge to a group throughout all the states, however they were talking about giving up sex and all that I do not believe that this is a ''requirement". Been should run away from that and qucikly...I guess he learned his lesson, as it looked as though he had been beat up a bit.
I also can not wait to see what Rhonda has up her sleeve!
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6-26-2007 @ 9:44AM
Gordy said...
Jen, I really enjoy your recaps. Hurry back.
At 7PM(EST) HBO did a documentary which compared Big Love to traditional poligamist families, advocates, and detractors. It was a good lead in to the episode. I noticed things I would not have noticed otherwise.
Nikki told Alby that he was Roman's favorite daughter at one point. Bam! I'm sure that's why he took so much joy in going to the sheriff, then telling her personally.
Kudos to Rhonda for doing the poligamist version of 'Hell to the no' and getting out of there. No way was she giving it up to that old man with a lump on his forehead...'Angel singing' my ass. It was cool to see that Roman had not slept with her, and that it was up to her to come to him when she was ready. It's still creepy.
I see Ben breaking up with his girl, and Margene's arc taking an awkward turn as the season develops. I hope I'm wrong.
I enjoyed Nikki this episode. Maybe she seemed normal this week because all of her scenes were on the Compound. Hmm.
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6-26-2007 @ 10:51AM
Jancis Andrews said...
What is so creepy about people who insist their "Christian" religion requires polygamy is that both Jesus and St. Paul forbade a man to have more than one wife. Read Matthew 19, 3 - 9; First Epistle of Paul to Timothy, 3, 1 - 2 and 12; and the Epistle of Paul to Titus, 1, 4 - 7. These chapters state clearly a man must be "the husband of one wife." Polygamists follow the violent, Jewish Old Testament, not the Christian New Testament, and take as their role models such murderers and adulterers as Solomon, Abraham and David. Solomon slit the throats of his 1000 concubines, Abraham shoved his concubine Hagar into the desert to die after she'd borne him a son, while David sent the husband of his mistress Bathsheba into battle so that he would be killed. Yes, lovely people, all of them, I don't think! And to think polygamists build their religion around psychopaths like these! I guess polygamists can't read. They certainly are a bunch of blasphemers.
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6-26-2007 @ 10:53AM
Jancis Andrews said...
One more comment...Mother Nature made the sexes almost equal in number. Where are all these extra "wives" going to come from? There aren't even two women for every one man. When Bill helps himself to a harem of three women, he's robbed two other men of a chance for a family and children of their own. If he dies, his estate will have to be shared among all his concubines and children, reducing them to poverty, because insurance does not cover concubines, only the legitimate wife. Bill seems too dumb to even consider this. Polygamy is merely an excuse for a sex-fest at the expense of women, and should have been kicked into the garbage can of history centuries ago. It's a Third-World practise that has no place in a modern world where men and women -- or so we are told! -- are equal.
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6-26-2007 @ 10:59AM
Kristin said...
Jancis Andrews:
This is about a show, not personal politics about a religion or belief. Just wanted to point that out.
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6-26-2007 @ 11:28AM
Gordy said...
Janis, what do you really think?
Really, this is just a TV show, and an entertaining one at that. I am impressed that they have shown a wide range of this lifestyle's modern applications. From the compound to the suburbs. Who knew?
One doesn't need to quote scripture [I so LOVE people who do that] to know that there is something wrong with polygamy. I think that's apparent, even on the show. Also, several Christian denominations ignore the New Testament, not just polygamists, so that argument doesn't fly on those merits alone.
Regarding the 1:1 man/woman correlation: I won't be needing one, so some polygamist is welcome to my allotment :-)
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6-26-2007 @ 11:28AM
Amelia said...
I also wanted to say that I enjoy insight to your morman background. I enjoy your reviews!
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6-26-2007 @ 11:32AM
summer said...
Yeah, this is getting uncomfortable. Talking about the LDS religion in the reviews invites nasty comments about the religion, when the review and the comments should be about the show.
It bothered me when you first started reviewing and mentioned that because of how youwere raised you would have all this insight, which I understand may be helpful to some, but it's going to open up the comments to debating the religion, which is ANNOYING to the people who just enjoy the show, want to discuss the show and aren't trying to find new ways to see how weird the Mormons are.
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6-26-2007 @ 12:39PM
KelsBerry Crawdad said...
Once again I think it is important that you (and I) as non members understand that LDS does not support poligamy. And that Jens knowledge of the church helps us to understand this as she does her reviews. From what I understand Jen is not an active member so there is really no need for religious debates. She is not "pushing" her views on us, she is simply reviewing a show that all of you are chosing to watch. No one is forcing you to read her review and to read the information that she is including regarding the church.
And in case you didnt know I am not a Mormon.
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6-26-2007 @ 4:00PM
Keli said...
Kristen, I noticed that too! Rhonda definitely had a look on her face when she hugged Barb that looked like she was there for more than just getting away from Roman. Maybe she wants to steal more than just an ipod this time?
As for the reviewer's commentary on her morman background... it's nice to have the explanations about different things, but I definitely don't need or want to have that much insight into your own personal views and opinions of the religion.
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6-26-2007 @ 8:52PM
Josh Feinauer said...
KenMo-
Not really sure where you are seeing this anger from me.... I said
"Not really sure why the mormon church needs to talked about in this review. That being said I really enjoyed this eps. "
Not a lot of anger there and no need for me to simmer down :) I do agree with one point about him singing Jesus wants me as a sunbeam. That was just borderline creepy to me.
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6-26-2007 @ 9:18PM
Borat said...
This show is definitely getting better...great acting throughout the show which gives a realistic feel to it. I also love Nicki's mom...
"I'm my own grand-mother". Hahahaha!
Btw I love the commentary on the religion because most of us here are uninformed when it comes to the LDS church and it helps gain an insight. I myself come from a Muslim background and Islam allows polygamy (limited to 3 or 4 wives...can't remember). Nobody I know practices it though...also I don't have a problem with whatever consenting adults do. I like the reviews...keep it up.
I have to say it did disappoint me when Bill decided to invest in the gambling machines...what's next, investing in strip clubs?
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6-26-2007 @ 10:58PM
Ryan said...
I really do like this show. The compound does creep me out but I don't really have any problems with the Henricksons...until I got to thinking. Hopefully someone can find a fault in my logic here:
Margene has two children with bill. The youngest is a baby but not an infant, it has therefor been anywhere from 2 to 4 years since she first got pregnant (she had her last baby not long before the start of season 1). She also apparently dated Bill for a little while before they got married. Let's say dating, getting married, and then getting pregnant took anywhere from 1 to 2 years. We also now know that she is 5 years older than Ben who was turning 16 during this ep. That makes her 20 or 21.
Put that all together and Margene was 18 at the OLDEST and 14 at the youngest when her an Bill started dating.
That makes Bill (being in his late 40's or early 50's) at BEST a dirty old man and at worst a pedophile just like Roman. I hope I'm wrong because I'd like to go back to thinking of the "fam" as at least semi-normal and as good people.
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