It is an unfortunate fact of life in the peculiar world of television programming that a once successful series will be kept around long after it has pasted its creative peak. The term, ‘Jump the shark’ has been coined to describe this frequently lamentable phenomenon. Most times it is a case of the network executives wanting to squeeze every last penny out of a show to argument the all important bottom line. With such a mercenary motivation striving to maintain the quality or imagination that propelled the show to being a hit falls to the wayside resulting it a loss of everything that made the series worthwhile. In some rare cases the network demonstrates the proper respect for the creative people on both sides of the camera and, more importantly, consideration for the fans that generated the income in the first place. Shows with loyal, even obsessive fans like ‘Lost’ or ‘Smallville’ were given an opportunity to wrap up the loose ends leaving the fans satisfied. HBO earned its reputation in innovative original programming with series like ‘The Sopranos’ were the fans demanded the series had a formal conclusion. Well at least the show runner, David Chase, did proved a final episode although with one of the most enigmatic finales in TV history. After five successful years another HBO series has come to the end of the road, ‘Big Love’. True to the precepts guiding the network’s programming was exceptionally well crafted, superbly presented and suitably controversial. The initial premise of the show was a peak into the lives of a polygamous marriage; specifically a man, Bill Hendrickson (Bill Paxton) and his three wives; Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), Nikki (Chloë Sevigny) and Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) as well as their assorted children ranging in age from infants to young adult. At first blush some men may think this is a fantasy realized but over the five year duration of the series’ run it becomes painfully obvious that Bill has to routinely cope with far more than three times the pressure and anxiety. The series was sufficiently popular to engender a ‘reality’ series on a basic cable station that employed a term brought into the collective consciousness of the public, ‘Sister Wives’. This term refers to the social construct maintained between the polygamist male’s co-wives. In any case the series had just begun to show some signs of digressing from the original themes.

At the start of the series Bill supported his extended family by means of the very successful hardware store, Henrickson's Home Plus. The first season detailed the expansion of that single store to the beginnings of a chain. Demands of a growing family and more than the usual issues with his relatives back home on the ‘Compound’, not to mention three times the usual in-law problems; Bill has to search for additional sources of income. This resulted in him branching out to slot machines and eventually partnering with a group of Native Americans to open a Mormon friend casino. This greatly increased his public presence leading to the disclosure of his polygamous religious beliefs. Facing being socially ostracized Bill decides to face the illegality of these family circumstances by running for the Utah State Legislature. This fifth and final season begins with Bill facing the dissolution of his political career and general public ruination of his life. It is little wonder that Bill was suffering from several manifestations of extreme anxiety and depression. His employees at the store are not prone to embrace the concept of multiple marriages. His political career is about to implode as he and his family are forced to deal with aggressive threats. Back at the compound where he and Nikki were born is psychotic brother-in-law Alby Grant (Matt Ross) pushes to consolidate his leadership of the Latter Day Saints’ splinter faction, ‘The United Effort Brotherhood’. He tries his best to sabotage Bill’s efforts to create a group called ‘Safety Net’, a collaboration of various polygamist leaders. Even within Bill’s immediate family circumstances appear to conspire against him. One of the most heinous aspects of polygamy in the public’s perspective is the marriage of underage girls to older men. Bill always felt safe from this sort of charges until Margene disclosures she lied about her age when she married Bill. Instead of the nicely legal 18 she was only 16 making Bill guilty of statutory rape. A natural question that can be directed towards the men that had fantasies of three women in rotation take a look at the state of Bill’s life at this point.

The core of the series has always been divergence from the mainstream Mormon community. The Latter Day Saints officials have always stated the practices shown here is not part of their religious beliefs. HBO has always been mindful of this publically stating Bill and the other polygamists are acting outside the established tenants of their religious beliefs. In this season Barb takes on a different variation of their faith feeling she has received the calling for a priesthood holder position which is traditionally restricted to men. It is the culmination of five years of growth for the character progression of Head Wife (the one with a legal marriage license) to a return to the university and eventually a very strong, independent woman. Similar character arcs were established for all the principle characters particularly the wives. This was at the heart of the success of the series. It was able to draw the audience in not through audience familiarity on a situational level but by depicting honest and eminently relatable emotions. The Henrickson clan may have many issues directly relatable to the plural marriage but the response is direct from the very foundation of humanity. The writing never diminished throughout the run. This was attributable to the way each season manifested a different major story arc supported by several ones that span a few episodes. This gave ample opportunity for the incredible cast to reinvent their characters instilling in them a different vantage point. It is a shame the series is gone now but it went out as it deserved, with a bang.

Inside the Episode - Step Inside Each Episode with In-Depth Commentary On your Favorite Characters and The Multiple Plot Twists of the Final Season of Big Love
Big Love: The End Of Days