Big Love

It is obvious from the first couple of scenes what TV station is responsible for this series. It carries almost all of the “trademarks" of an HBO series. Unfortunately this series had the bad luck that it was made to replace the phenomenal Six Feet Under after a five-season run. There is great potential hidden in Big Love. It’s excellently cast and acted - no question about that. But it is missing what is always HBO’s greatest asset: the polished dialogs. This isn’t a bad series, but it tries too obviously to be on the same wave as the Fishers and it doesn’t work. A solid average, but for an HBO series that’s too darn little. (11/01/2007)

These extraordinary HBO series are a big deal. This time the starting point is a polygamous family in Utah. Those who enjoy or are generally interested in Mormons, the Amish, and other specialties of the U.S. are in the right place. There are reality shows about the Amish, but this is the first time I've seen a serious Mormon drama. Fortunately, the drama is written in the style of a family gangster movie à la The Godfather, which makes it much easier to navigate all the offshoots of strange communities like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Community of Christ (fundamentalist or unorganized). Interesting names from the 90s like Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, and newcomer Ginnifer Goodwin appear in the lead roles. #hbo (08/04/2019)