IMDb user comments for
"Big Love" (2006)

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43 comments in total

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58 out of 69 people found the following comment useful :-
Very original and well done, 26 April 2006
Author: craigman from United States

I'm surprised no one has written about this great show yet! I've always liked HBO's original programming, from Video Jukebox back in the early 80's (before Mtv!), to Taxicab Confessions, OZ, Sopranos, and Six Feet Under. I really had little interest in watching a show about Mormons and polygamy in Utah, but I knew HBO would make it interesting. I love the cast! Bill Paxton is perfectly cast as the lead. He was always an underrated actor. Same goes with Jeanne Tripplehorn as his first (and favorite) wife. Chloe Sevigney is almost unrecognizable as the manipulative second wife, with her long hair and prairie outfits. I first noticed her in Kids. Newcomer Gennifer Goodwyn is quite good as the overwhelmed and lonely youngest third wife. She reminds me of a young Sherilyn Fenn. It doesn't hurt that all of the wives and eldest daughter are quite attractive!

One would think Bill's character would be envied, but the more we see into his everyday life, the more I say "No thanks!" Imagine dealing with three moody wives and children coming out of the woodwork! Everything has to be written in a daily planner, otherwise things get extremely chaotic. On top of dealing with his huge family, living in three adjacent houses with one back yard, he also has to run a growing chain of Home Depot-type stores, deal with the rest of his oddball family (parents and brother) still living on a polygamist compound run by an evil Harry Dean Stanton who keeps extorting money from Bill and harassing him and his family. Oh, and they also try to keep their polygamy secret from the nosy neighbors, and one of the wives has run up huge credit card debts! Plus almost everyone the family deals with is an over-religious meddler! I also like the relationship with the eldest daughter and her straight laced but good hearted friend, who played Napolean Dynamite's love interest. Overall, I really like this show and hope it becomes as popular as the other great HBO series.

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47 out of 51 people found the following comment useful :-
Surprisingly good, 23 May 2006

Author: jollieewok from United States

I will admit I didn't think that I would be at all interested in watching a show about polygamy because I find it bizarre and degrading but I was pleasantly surprised by how good this show is. I love the cast. Bill Paxton as "Bill Hendrickson" is the head of this crazy household and he makes you sympathize with him more than criticize him for the lifestyle he chose. His life is so stressful trying to run an expanding business, 3 households, appeasing 3 wives, hiding the fact that he is a polygamist from his neighbors and employees, dealing with the constant stress brought on by a man called the "prophet" who runs the polygamist compound Bill grew up in (his parents still live on this compound)who is trying to extort money out of his business and recently blocked it's expansion,and dealing with the stress that his brother and parents cause(i.e.his father played by Bruce Dern is a complete jerk and loves to pee in Bill's kitchen sink and his mother allegedly poisoned his father). I also love that he has a favorite wife,his 1st and only legal wife played by Jeanne Tripplehorn, because I love her character (she tries hard to be a good wife, mother, and support to the other wives) and the jealousy that the other wives feel make it that much more dramatic. His conniving 2nd wife played by Chloe Sevigny is so much fun to hate, not to mention she is the prophet's daughter and is loyal to him. And Gennifer Goodwin as his young 3rd wife is so cute and lovable. Though this show is chocked full of jealousy and emotion,you really get the sense that this family of 3 wives, 1 husband, and 7 children (with another 1 on the way)really do love each other. They're just having a hard time dealing with the stress that arises from this very unique lifestyle. Each week I wonder if the prophet is going to win his battle with Bill, if one of the wives are going to say forget it and leave, if this family is going to be exposed for what they are (a few characters have gotten close to discovering their secret), or if Bill is going to have a nervous break down. This show is jam packed with good actors and good acting with such interesting plots that you don't get caught up in feeling conflicted over liking this show because you think polygamy is wrong. You get caught up in the chaos that is this family's life and it is so much fun to watch. I highly recommend giving it a shot.

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44 out of 54 people found the following comment useful :-
A tricky premise, handled with charm, 30 April 2006

Author: Rogue-32 from L A.

I was curious about this series because I like Paxton, Sevigny and Tina Majorino in particular, and also Harry Dean Stanton (whom I got to see play blues at the Mint, in L.A., a couple of years ago - got his autograph that night as well, which was very cool). I don't agree with 'the principle', but I do like the series.

They've taken a potentially combustible premise and managed to make it charming and almost 'normal' - after a few episodes, it didn't seem odd at all that Bill has more than one wife. I like the interaction between the characters, the women in particular, and the side-story involving Bruce Dern is hilarious and tragic at the same time. They're walking a fine line here, and I would say, after viewing 2 seasons' worth of episodes now, they're pulling it off magnificently.

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41 out of 50 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent Drama, 23 May 2006

Author: blackeyedsuzy from United States

I cannot honestly remember when I enjoyed a television show quite so much. There are so many well developed characters in this show, yet there is still so much we do not know about them. We get a few hints each episode. I love the complex relationships these intriguing characters are involved in. The plot is intricate and moves at a fast pace without sacrificing believability.

There are a lot of insider references made to Mormon culture and religion. But you do not have to know a lot about the LDS church to enjoy the show.

Bill and his family live in nice suburban style Salt Lake City neighborhood. In many ways they seem so normal, they make polygamy seem normal. But when the story takes place in the polygamous compound things seem anything but normal. Two sides of polygamy, as different as night and day.

Bill and his family have a difficult time keeping their lifestyle a secret, this creates moral dilemmas as well as making the average nosy neighbor or coworker a very real threat. But Bill's biggest antagonist is Roman, the leader and prophet of the polygamist compound he was raised in.

Bill's wives are very different in about every way. His first wife is really the typical Mormon wife and mom, very down to earth, modestly dressed but fashionable and very kind. His second wife, Nicki, is from the compound. She dresses in the prairie style of the compound, she is very manipulative and self centered. She is the daughter of Roman and her allegiance to her husband is questionable. The third wife, Margie, is the youngest. She is ditsy and insecure. By the way she dresses it appears that she may not be Mormon. She also provides the comic relief for the program.

This show is definitely thought provoking as well as entertaining. I can hardly wait till next season. It is definitely worth catching up on the episodes if you haven't seen it, you won't regret it.

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25 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
Love this series, 19 May 2006

Author: dunning96 from United States

I find myself rushing to put the kids to bed on Sunday nights so that I can watch all of Big Love without interruption. I love how some of the characters struggle with being a polygamist and come to terms in their own way. Also, Nicki's character is one of those you love to hate. She drives me crazy most weeks with her behavior and then makes me really respect her in others. My experience in life is that most people are this way, where they do really dumb or selfish things majority of the times and then they surprise you with something wonderful, which is why you keep them in your life. Although the main theme of polygamy is not something I deal with in my life a lot of the other issues they face are things that can happen to any of us.

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14 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
A new approach of the family concept by HBO, 23 October 2006

Author: gharbinour from France

"The Sopranos", "Six feet under", and now "Big Love". Hbo offers us a totally new outlook of family, this time by describing the harsh quotidian of a successful polygamist. The family according to Hbo is always subject of greater afflictions than the regular family. In "The sopranos", the father's profession was the issue (the mafia), in "Six feet under", the father's profession was once again the issue (death itself), and in "Big love", the father chose to live against the rules of society, he chose to be a polygamist and that's a big problem because it takes a lots of responsibilities to have three houses, three wives and plenty of children. Somehow, in all these TV series, everything rotates around the problematic of being a father and in a larger sense HBO talks to us about MORALITY. The way of life of these men is really the main idea. "Big Love" is a really great and profound show. As always, HBO prefers the realistic treatment of his subject rather than the inner and comical sense of polygamy. The cast is unbelievable, and the score is great. In spite of the dramatic aspect of this show, I find it really entertaining. Anyway, if you like HBO's shows, you will love "Big Love".

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18 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Big Love is another HBO Home Run!, 3 June 2006

Author: sydgallaher from United States

When I first saw the ads for this show I said, "huh. Really weird premise to base a show on. Not to mention towing the line on being patently offensive. How good can it possibly be?" Well not only is it good, it's beyond wonderful. This is a series of many layers. It is at different turns screamingly hilarious, poignant to the point of tears and thought-provoking. Most of all though, it is just... human.

Think it's easy to be Poly?

How do you satisfy three wives without taking viagra? What are the risks of losing your eyesight - especially if you're taking a teensy bit more than prescribed. Is it really cheating if you're meeting one of the wives on the side in a hotel room without the knowledge of the others? Is the prairie skirt still a fashion statement? Who gets the kids if one of the wives dies? How long will your neighbors believe that your "babysitter" never has a boyfriend and conveniently has a house bordering your backyard? Who controls the money?

This show takes a subject which many of us have often wondered about, polygamy, and looks at both the bad and the good. It turns it around and examines all of the angles. Then very quickly it twists it into a Rubik's Cube of a puzzle and let's us watch a very talented cast including Jeanne Tripplehorn and Bill Paxton as they try to work it out under a very unconventional set of circumstances.

A MUST WATCH of a new series and definitely another home run for HBO!

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11 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Wicked!, 1 May 2006

Author: UlisesGirl from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is such an amazing show. It has all the elements that make it as fantastic as it is - comedy, intrigue, action, sex - everything coming together in a delightful mix. The characters all have such depth, each with their own problems despite the "shiny" exterior of their lives. In a polygamist Mormon family live three wives and their husband, Bill. Barb is the first wife and sometimes longs to be the only one, though doesn't show her true feelings to her husband, nor the other wives. Nicki is a compulsive shopper, having growing up in an illegal polygamist compound. She is in thousands of dollars of credit card debt, unbeknownst to her husband. Her father, Roman, is the leader and "prophet" of the polygamist sect Nicki comes from. Margene, the youngest of the wives, longs for a life she once had, where she could freely befriend the neighbors and often struggles with being a young mother with her little boys. Because of their precarious situation, the family has to hide the fact they are polygamists, a practice outlawed not only by the Mormon church but the U.S Government as well. Roman, Nicki's father, gave Bill money to start a hardware store, Henrickson Home Plus. However, Roman has become greedy, insisting that he get a cut of all the profits made not only from the first store, but the second as well. The conflict between Bill and Roman has come to the point that one or both of them may lose their lives at the others hand. Bill makes attempts to bring Roman down along with all his underhanded business deals, but Bill's mothers, his father and much of his extended family would be punished along with Roman for practicing polygamy. Will Bill have to choose between the family that raised him and the family he has now? We have yet to find out. I have become thoroughly addicted to this show! It's sexy, it's funny, it's exciting and it's flat out great. I don't get HBO, but I go out of my way to make my parents record it so I can watch it when I visit them. It's rare I'll make that much of an effort for a TV show. This one is different. I highly suggest, that if you're longing for a fresh, inventive story, that you check this one out. You won't be disappointed!

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11 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
What I truly LOVE about BIG LOVE!, 18 June 2007

Author: hobbyhob from Sacramento

Yes, it has a nice complexity of characters, who are ever being revealed to us. Yes, you really don't need to know much about the Mormons to get this show. But what I really love is how it points out how very few people in our supposedly "free society" are truly free to be who they are without fear of judgment, or worse, legal hassles and entanglements. Little by little, our freedoms have been whittled down by those among us who think they know best for ALL of us. If you don't believe me, go find a cancer patient who wants to smoke pot for their nausea and pain. Go ask the Californian who adores their pet ferrets but must hide them from the dept of fish and game. Ask the person who exclusively prefers the company of someone of their own sex yet fears losing their job if the wrong people find out.

This show is for anyone who enjoys great television, but it is mostly for those of us who know what its like to not be truly free to be who and what we are without fear.

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15 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
This is a very good show, 16 May 2006

Author: triogre from United States

I think this is a really good show. There are few shows that I can actually keep watching after a few episodes without getting bored, and this is one of them. I am a straight man, and to me this does seem kind of like a show aimed towards women, but the characters bring this show to interest of me. The actors are able to make it look so believable. Even though this is about a polygamist family, a lot of the things that happen on the show can happen in real life, especially the problem Bill is having with Roman. I'm sure that happens a lot in business, especially small businesses, people just do not hear about it. My overall rating is a nine, and I also have to add that the protests the Mormons have with this show really is not true. I hope that there are several more seasons to come, and I really hope that the next will not be as long as HBO is thinking it is going to be.

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