Big Love Recap

I have a bad feeling. Know why? Because I genuinely like Potential Fourth Wife Ana. And if I genuinely like Potential Fourth Wife Ana (PFWA), then it's only a matter of time before somebody does something stupid or crazy to drive her away. I'm looking at you, Nicki...and Joey...and Wanda...and Rhonda...and Alby...and Roman. Man, this crew is unstable when you think about it.

Let's be honest. We all knew that the fourth wife plot line was going to come along eventually. I just didn't think it would happen this soon. So, yes, Bill meets PFWA at a diner where he and Don are discussing their big purchase. Ana is Serbian, has the most endearing smile, is quite possibly the sweetest person ever, and, as Bill notices as she walks away after clearing his dishes, has a cute butt.

But enough of that lovey-dovey stuff. Let's get back to The Crazy. Lois pulls up to Joey's house and gets out with the baby. Joey inquires about his wife's whereabouts and Lois replies in that nonchalant way that makes me love Lois, "Oh...I had her committed." Joey freaks and gets in the car, presumably to go to the hospital. Now, I can understand him being upset about Lois committing his wife, but really he should have been on top of that...uh, the first time she served up an antifreeze cocktail. Joey has his problems but he usually seems to have been able to recognize that Wanda was a little off. He has his wits about him more or less. I guess the risk of exposing their residence on Juniper Creek might have contributed to their reluctance to treat Wanda, but come on now. Joey could have gone to jail for attempted murder. That alone should have been enough for him to put his foot down. Thank god for Lois.

Anyway, Sarah is engaging in some rather ungodly behavior with her liberal heathen Democrat boyfriend when her cell phone rings. It's those jerks she works with and they tell Sarah that her grandma is at the restaurant. Sarah arrives at the restaurant and is greeted by Rhonda, who has been spending her nights on the streets. But apparently the novelty of homelessness has worn off and she needs Sarah's help, otherwise she'll be sent back to the compound and forcibly impregnated. Ew. The next day, Sarah probes her mom for answers about what she would do if they found Rhonda. Barb finally spills the beans that Rhonda was behind their exposure, but that they have a responsibility to her. Ugh. I guess so, since they seem to be the only people on earth who aren't interested in exploiting her. She just seems so dangerous. Sarah then confesses to Ben that she knows where Rhonda is. Ben pressures her to tell Barb, but Sarah snaps back with her knowledge of Ben and Brynn's indiscretions (read: banging). That shuts Ben up.

At Nicki's house, she finds Wayne playing with a rosary that was given to him at his summer school. Here is where I feel like a flunkie parent, because apparently you can send your preschoolers to summer programs at Catholic schools where they wear uniforms and everything. I was not aware. Nicki gets pretty upset over what she views as indoctrination and tosses the rosary in the trash. Margene scolds Nicki and picks the rosary out of the trash where it has landed on some old spaghetti. Ick. It seems like any time there is a scene in a movie or a TV show where garbage is involved, like where someone falls into a Dumpster or has to dig through one for like evidence or something, there is always some spaghetti and some wilted lettuce. It's some subtle but effective mise-en-scene.

Joey catches Barb on her way out the door and I'm beginning to wonder how Barb is going to fare this semester at school. I understand that her family is all a mess right now, but I'm thinking she needs to do a little brushing off and focus on getting her learn on. Joey wants Barb to talk to the psych hospital and convince them to let Wanda out. Barb doesn't really see how that's going to work, since Barb isn't a doctor and Wanda is, um, insane. But she does tell Joey that they need to move off of the compound. Joey insists that he can't make it in the outside world, especially with his record, but Barb tells him that they can help him out. I mean, duh, Bill does own two home supply stores. Why hasn't he hooked Joey up before now?

Nicki goes to the church of Wayne's school and confronts one of the nuns about the rosary and the Catholic faith in general. The nun gives her a rundown about Catholicism, particularly the receiving of the body and blood of Christ. Nicki is grossed out. Oh, come off it, Nicki. Your 80-year-old dad was going to make a 16-year-old girl his 15th wife. Let's live and let live, mkay?

Not surprisingly, Bill and Don's purchase of the gaming company is careening downhill. The company is suddenly not so interested in their offer, unless they can seal the deal in the next few days. Bill offers to give the owner a 7% (I think) down payment and that placates him for the moment. Don, ever the source of levelheadedness in this operation, points out to Bill that, uh, they don't have that kind of money. Bill, ever the Indiana Jones "I don't know, I'm making this up as I go along" in this operation, says that he'll think of something.

Sarah has brilliantly stashed Rhonda at the house of one of her co-workers who openly disapprove of and mock polygamy and that arrangement, not surprisingly, isn't going so well. The co-workers are mainly interested in teasing Rhonda and Rhonda is getting very Princess and the Pea about the whole thing.

When Joey gets back to his house, he finds Kathy, a recently widowed Juniper Creeker, holding Joey Jr. Lois is all wink-wink-nudge-nudge how's about a new wife to supplement your batshit original? I guess Joey has only confessed to Bill that he thinks he's monogamous. Lois doesn't seem like the type to be thrilled about that revelation. Hey! That reminds me. Where's Frank, Lois?

Bill's brilliant plan for saving the gaming business purchase is to hit up his uncle Eddie for the cash. Eddie would be happy to oblige...but only for a significant chunk of ownership in the business. This doesn't really seem too out of line to me, especially since Eddie is saving Bill's ass. But Bill points out that he's doing this partially to get back at Roman who, among other things, apparently killed Bill's grandfather. Hmm...

Bill goes back to the diner to get Margene some pie and to visit with PFWA. This time, he actually slips his wedding ring off. Interesting. He stalkerishly obtains PFWA's work schedule and they giggle back and forth. Bill tells Don about PFWA and Don is all giddy and asks about testimonies and whatnot. Don is so cute!

At dinner, Nicki complains about Wayne's school. The other spouses are frustrated because they tried so hard to get Wayne into that school and it's far enough away that Nicki, Bill, and Wayne can be a nuclear family in public. Aww. Nicki is still fired up about the whole Catholic aspect and I'm wondering what her deal is all of a sudden. She knew the school was Catholic, right? Why is it a huge problem now? And they're in Utah, of all places. Couldn't they find a Mormon school or even a non-denominational school? Nicki obviously has some deeper issues...and I really can't wait to find out what they are. Later on that evening, Don calls Bill to confess that he's uncomfortable with the gaming business sale and wants no part of it. He believes that Bill's motives are purely revenge against Roman and not so much the insurance for their families that Bill keeps pointing to. Don has a point and if Bill were at all smart, he would listen.

Joey calls Barb and asks about Kathy's sudden appearance at his house and whether or not Bill had anything to do with it. He states that he thinks any man who lives the principle is selfish and Barb points out that he's trashtalking on her husband. But something in Barb's voice indicates that maybe a tiny part of her feels the same way. Maybe Joey is playing on that. Barb again promises to help him through this rough time and Joey is thankful. But then he says, "You're the only thing keeping me going," and there's a long awkward silence because what exactly does Joey mean by that? Is he suddenly getting weird and attempting to hit on Barb to get back at Bill? Eh? Barb waits for Bill outside of Nicki's house the next day and tells him about her plight to help Joey. Bill says that Joey has to make it on his own, especially since he's still really pissed about that accessory to murder thing. Barb totally ignores all of that and goes to visit Wanda at the hospital. She breaks the news that Lois is trying to get Joey to take a second wife, but Wanda surprises Barb by telling her that she thinks that's for the best since she could probably be in and out of mental hospitals all of her life. Wanda is disturbingly lucid for all of the crazy crap that she does.

Nicki takes Wayne to school and here's where I really feel for her. She has made a real effort to blend in with the other parents, trading her braid for a more relaxed hair style and her Juniper Creekish garb for something more modern. She attempts to join in a conversation but the other mothers just glance at her with mild disgust before continuing to ignore her. Aw, been there, Nicki! Not able to endure the wrongness of it all, Nicki pulls Wayne away from his friends and takes him home. Margene walks in on Nicki homeschooling Wayne and asks her what the big deal is. Nicki goes on another anti-Catholic tirade, calling it a "gutter religion." Oooh, what is UP? This is getting downright fascinating. But I wonder if Nicki is just feeling the sting of being disowned by the Juniper Creek crew. Messed up as they were, that was a place where she would always belong. Maybe seeing another religious community just stirs up all of that hurt?

At her house, Lois is busy stuffing large wads of cash into pea cans. Ooohhhh, so that's what was up with the cans of peas. Eddie chuckles at the bounty and ponders what kind of dough they could rake in if they actually opened the door to the laundromat. Quoi? Eddie asks Lois if he can borrow some of her share to help out Bill, but Lois says no. Bill finally offers Eddie 8% of the business and we next see Eddie stuffing some cash into a bag over the protests of one of his wives, who is telling him that they can't use that money yet. Eddie insists that they'll have it back in 30 days and the entire viewing audience says, "Ohhhhh nooooo. This can't be good." What do you think? The mob? Loan sharks?

Sarah shows up at Scott's where Rhonda has locked herself in a room and is screaming, claiming that Scott tried to rape her. Really? Rhonda insists that she has to go to Heather's. When Sarah finally calls Heather to come over, Heather says that she's tired of being Sarah's last option. It kind of sounds like Heather is breaking up with Sarah, but this seems kind of rash on Heather's part. Her dad is a state trooper, so having someone like Rhonda, who has a history of exposing Sarah's family, at their house seems especially risky.

Bill stops at the diner again to visit PFWA and this time they exchange phone numbers. As Bill is getting his face dabbed with a napkin by Ana, Margene happens to pull up and spy them. She is vaguely freaked out and rushes back home.

Barb arrives home late from school and finds Joey asleep on her couch. Barb goes over to Margene's house where Margene is snoring loud enough to rattle the windows. Barb wakes up Bill and asks him how he can sleep with all the racket that Margene is making. Bill, irritated, looks over his shoulder and yells, "Sweetie! Stop snoring!" Hee! That works...for about five seconds. Bill turns back to Barb who says that Bill must tell Joey about Wanda's polygamous revelations. In the morning, Bill and Joey hash things out over the whole sordid affair and Joey says that he just wants to have a job and support Wanda and their son. Bill finally offers Joey a job which Joey sheepishly accepts. Nicki rushes in to say that Wayne has run away. Nicki, Margene, and Bill canvas the neighborhood. Creepy neighbor Pam tells Bill that she hasn't seen Wayne but will call around and compliments Bill for being such a good neighbor. Ugh. Margene starts praying under her breath which causes Nicki to freak out and slap her. Margene asks Nicki what her damage is and points out that Wayne likes the school and isn't that what's important? Not wanting to get into it, Nicki runs off just as Margene spots Wayne jumping on a trampoline in a nearby yard. Margene whispers her thanks. So...does Catholicism win this episode?

Later, Bill tells Don that he's going ahead with the business purchase, insisting to Don and himself that it's not totally about revenge. Nicki seems to have relaxed a bit about the school as she waits with Wayne, dressed as an angel, for a school pageant. Nicki, Wayne, and Bill are able to enter the school as a family. And Margene goes to check out PFWA...and is smitten. Aww.

Comments

[Theresa]

Bill pissed me completely off this episode. What an idiot.

[Neena]

Did Margene (who I absolutely ADORE, btw) go to check out the PFWA? It appeared to me as if she pulled up to the diner and was going to go in and get some pie, when she saw Bill and PFWA accidentally.

[Cathy A]

Is it possible that Nikki is having a crisis of faith? Seemed that she was sort of impressed by what she saw in the Catholic church before the nun came out to speak to her.

[Diandra]

Oh, I love how crazy Nikki became around the Catholic faith. It was so interesting to watch, especially since many feel the same way about Mormonism. What an interesting way to turn it around.

[Mandy]

Great recap Kelly! I am excited to watch tonight.

[Kelly]

Neena, Margene initially pulled up and saw them and left but went back by herself at the end of the episode to check out Ana. Her pregnant pie cravings will facilitate Bill's courtship nicely, methinks!

[Neena]

Ah, thanks...the wine must have kicked in by then! Yet another reason why I love these recaps!

[Rhonda]

I love your recaps - Thanks! Have ya'll checked out Margene's blog? It's a really fun insite. http://boards.hbo.com/forum.jspa?forumID=700000143