The End of 'Big Love'

The End Of Days Show

I’m unhappy that Big Love is ending its run, though based on the way the last episode went – an unbelievable mess – it may be a good time for the show to end before the writers pull something even more outrageous out of their hats than they already have.

Still, I miss the early days, when the show was really an examination of the meaning of family and marriage by looking through the lens of a complex polygamist family. The first couple seasons were so strong, provocative and deftly crafted, the quality of those seasons made the ham-handedness from the last two seasons starkly stand out as aberrations.

This final season has had its moments – LOVED Barb’s foray into feminist, independent thought and action, enjoyed seeing Margene try to resurrect herself as a businesswoman – but the finer moments have been overshadowed by silly theatrics: Did Cara Lynn REALLY have to have an affair with a 37-year-old teacher? Did Alby REALLY have to try to have Don killed in an ice fishing shack? Did Ben REALLY have to sleep with Rhonda, who's now a stripper? Did Bill REALLY have to stand in front of a Juniper Creek building in full view of a bank of news cameras, as it was implausibly being destroyed, in insane short order, per orders of the state?

The 25-minute video above, featuring interviews with the show’s stars and creators, reminds me of some of the drama’s better days as we head into the series finale on Sunday. HBO released a couple of clips from scenes from the finale including the one below, which at least indicates that they'll be a little lightheartedness in the episode.

Ep. 53: Scene Clip - On the Road