Big Love – the literal death of Roman Grant’s empire

If you have not yet seen the Season Finale of Big Love’s fourth season, then you might want to consider not reading this post. I want to start by saying that I was delighted to find that I had accurately called some of the results of the letter sales storyline. I predicted that if Alby were making forgeries, the story could mimic the Mark Hoffman murders of the 1980s. This explosive finale did not disappoint.

In theory, I have claimed to be a fan of vigilante justice. However, seeing the Big Love crew take matters into their own hands was disturbing to watch. How broken do children have to be to determine that their parents have to die? And when your mother is trying to have you killed, is it revenge or self-defense to have your wife make a bomb that you hand-deliver to your mother’s [motel room] front door?

I could actually believe that Alby would try to kill his parents. What surprised me was that he felt the need to blab everything to Adalene about what Bill knows about Roman. Can’t anybody on this show keep their mouth shut? Bill spent the whole episode broadcasting his plans on his cell phone, just so God could laugh at him. I think Alby’s confession shows that even though he hates his parents for how they have mistreated him, deep down, he still simply wants their approval and love. He wants to be the favored son, and if he can’t be it, apparently no one can.

Considering how clever Roman is and how crafty and sneaky he is, it was disturbing to see him finally stilled. I suppose it was inevitable. A couple of years ago, I speculated that Bill wanted control of Juniper Creek. I said at the time that only Roman’s removal would allow that to happen. Without even knowing that Joey was squeezing the life out of Roman, Bill established his own church. After Roman had told him to claim authority from God, Bill did exactly that. He conferred upon himself the authority to establish his own church because the other churches (Latterday Saint and Juniper Creek) were corrupt.

It was interesting that he administered the Sacrament to his family to seal his new religion; I would have thought they would need to be baptized into the new church. The Sacrament is to remind you of those baptismal covenants. Oh well, at this point, I guess he can do what he wants. Despite the fact that it creeps me out to see people running around starting their own churches like that, within the storylines of Big Love, I think it’s exciting.

Apart from the fact that maybe Barb will take heart from having a new faith, Bill’s placing himself at the head of a new church is going to cause a splinter to occur at Juniper Creek. Citizens there who have been exposed to first Roman’s and then Alby’s reigns of terror are going to want Bill to save them. Adaleen is still a force to be reckoned with. With Roman gone, her only hope for power lies through Alby. As we know, Alby and Adaleen are both prone to violence; will Bill rise to meet them?

In the war for power, I think it’s going to be important for Bill to hold onto Nicki as his wife. Even though she undermines him at every turn, it’s still safer for him and his family not to have Nicki actively siding with her mother and brother.

These events also shed new light on Barb’s ex-communication. Barb made the ultimate choice: She chose Bill and her family over her eternal salvation. She is taking a leap of faith in a new church, with a new leader. The fact that she chose Bill means that she isn’t going to turn back now. She has to demonstrate to herself that she made the right choice, that her sacrifice matters. I think we will see Barb seize the reigns of her own power as first wife in the next season. At least, I really hope so.

Clacked by Jen Creer
on Mar 25, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT