Big Love (2006–2011)

A polygamist and his relationship with his three wives.

Creators:

Mark V. Olsen, Will Scheffer

Stars:

Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Bill Paxton	...	Bill Henrickson (53 episodes, 2006-2011)
Jeanne Tripplehorn	...	Barb Henrickson (53 episodes, 2006-2011)
Chloë Sevigny	...	Nicolette Grant (53 episodes, 2006-2011)
Ginnifer Goodwin	...	Margene Heffman (53 episodes, 2006-2011)
Douglas Smith	...	Ben Henrickson (53 episodes, 2006-2011)
Grace Zabriskie	...	Lois Henrickson (53 episodes, 2006-2011)
Matt Ross	...	Alby Grant (49 episodes, 2006-2011)
Keegan Holst	...	Wayne Henrickson (49 episodes, 2006-2011)
Joel McKinnon Miller	...	Don Embry (46 episodes, 2006-2011)
Amanda Seyfried	...	Sarah Henrickson (44 episodes, 2006-2011)
Shawn Doyle	...	Joey Henrickson (43 episodes, 2006-2010)
Melora Walters	...	Wanda Henrickson (43 episodes, 2006-2010)
Mary Kay Place	...	Adaleen Grant (41 episodes, 2006-2011)
Garrett Gray	...	Raymond Henrickson (38 episodes, 2007-2011)
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Roman Grant (37 episodes, 2006-2010)
Daveigh Chase	...	Rhonda Volmer (31 episodes, 2006-2011)
Bruce Dern	...	Frank Harlow (29 episodes, 2006-2011)
Jolean Wejbe	...	Tancy Henrickson (26 episodes, 2006-2009)
Tina Majorino	...	Heather Tuttle (26 episodes, 2006-2011)
Mireille Enos	...	JoDean Marquart (25 episodes, 2007-2010)

Storyline

A polygamist and his relationship with his three wives.

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Plot Keywords:

polygamist | utah | debt | sex | sex with multiple partners | 

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Taglines:

Do you think that being married with 3 women is a dream? Think again!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

HBO [ca] HBO [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Amor Imenso

Filming Locations:

Mentryville, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anima Sola Productions, Playtone Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Amanda Seyfried, Kyle Gallner and Tina Majorino were series regulars on Veronica Mars. Amanda and Tina didn't share any scenes, but Kyle and Tina played a couple.

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Goofs

Barb has a list of everyone's birthdays and social security numbers that she uses to find out information about one of her sister-wives. However, in some episodes the birth years listed do not match the ages given for the characters. At least two of the birthdays [for Nicolette and Margene] are the actual birthdays of the actresses and not the characters. The birth year given for Barb would make her the same age as Nikki, but she is clearly portrayed as being about 10 years older.

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Connections

Spoofed in Saturday Night Live: Tracy Morgan/Kelly Clarkson (2009)

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Soundtracks

"God Only Knows"
Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher
Performed by The Beach Boys

User Reviews

Starts Off Very Well

"Big Love" begins as a gripping exploration of a family that attempts to walk the tightrope between polygamy and normalcy. Bill Paxton stars as Bill Henrickson, a straitlaced family man with three wives: Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), Marge (Ginnifer Goodwin), and Nicolette (Chloe Sevigny).

Season 1 allows the audience to step inside the Henrickson homes (there are three, right next to one another). We see Bill struggle to please all three wives as he faces problems at work. We see Barb struggle to rise to her duty as "First Wife." We see Marge struggle to find her place in the family. We see Nikki struggle to cling to her conservative roots. At the same time, the show hints at doubts and serious questions concerning Sara and Ben, Barb's children. Season 1 works as a compelling dysfunctional family drama: 10/10 Season 2 doesn't flow quite as well. It picks up just as Season 1 ends, and it doesn't bring much new content to the table. Conflicts with Nikki's father, Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) escalate, which pushes the show out of the house and into Roman's compound. The compound scenes are repetitive and bland, as well as over-the-top. Season 2 gets a 6/10.

Season 3 is a huge step up from Season 2. The show returns more to its roots at the Henrickson household, and it introduces new conflicts of exposure, family ties, and possible expansion. 8/10.

On the whole, "Big Love" is a solid show with one very weak season. It would do best to abandon the compound scenes altogether. Still, each character and performer gets his/her due. Paxton is solid as the patriarch, Tripplehorn shines throughout as the questioning mother, Goodwin shines in Season 2 as she finally gains some responsibility, and Sevigny carries the show in its third season.