Episode Overview: Alby and Bill have a seesaw battle for control of the UEB. Roman is brought to Bill’s house for safe haven. Anna, the Serbian waitress, returns, adding complications to all of the sister wives
Bill Henrickson is complaining about Alby to the UEB because, as we saw last week on Big Love, he’s had it with those motherf***ing snakes in his motherf***ing bed. The attempted coup is short-lived as Alby shows up to boot Bill from the meeting. Bill’s solution is to go to the feds and try to get them to take down Alby.
Margene tries to get out of being a surrogate for that annoying, nosy neighbor, but as soon as the neighbor starts crying about how her husband will leave her if she can’t produce a family, Margene crumbles and agrees. She’s now 0-47 on making good decisions. Margene talks about her problems to the only person who wll listen – the Serbian waitress Bill dated a few episodes back. Make that 0-48. The other wives find out, and the obvious Margene bashing ensues. Margene drops the bomb on Nikki that Bill actually dated the waitress, to which she responds, “Our husband’s dating life is none of our business.” Another gem for the Nikki Quote Vault.
Sarah and Heather try talking Ben into abandoning his wacky polygamist beliefs. Ben is so indoctrinated he refuses to accept that they’re trying to help him. Throughout the episode, nothing changes in this dynamic. Ben is still obsessed with becoming a polygamist, and Sarah rebels against it, finally agreeing to go all the way with her creepy older boyfriend.
Nikki’s mother does the smartest thing she’s ever done, kidnapping Roman and bringing him to Nikki’s house to stop Alby from keeping him doped up. She’s strongly against Alby ruining her family’s good name. Things have certainly changed from the start of this show, as Bill is now taking in his enemy, Roman. Bill sees this as the perfect opportunity to get the UEB to vote for an interim trustee, and Joey informs him the next day that’s exactly what they did, and, of course, Bill is that new chairman.
When Roman wakes up, he’s crazed at first, then calms down and has an interesting conversation with Bill in which the two dance around the truth. Bill tries to convince Roman that Alby is wholly responsible for his downfall, while Roman still suspects Bill of something.
Lois stops by to let her son Bill know that she’s the one who orchestrated his election, naturally. She also has a present for Wanda – some drain cleaner to use on Roman. Hilarious and evil, as always, and I’ll say it one last time this season: Grace Zabriskie is the single best reason to watch Big Love, sometimes the only reason. It comes out that Lois essentially pushed her into all Wanda’s poisonings. Heather and Sarah wander into sleeping Roman’s room and mock his love of young girls, when Nikki sees them and demands they be punished.
That turns into a massive fight between Bill and Nikki about trying to get Roman out of power. Bill walks outside right into Barb who, armed with the knowledge of the waitress, lays down the law that there will not be a fourth wife, not ever. Bill says they’ll cross that bridge when the come to it, but Barb says absolutely not. Then she rats out Margene for agreeing to be the neighbor’s surrogate. Cut to Bill fighting with the last wife.
Alby gives Bill a call to let him know the council voted again, and this time, Alby was elected the chairman of the UEB. Never underestimate the power of intimidation. Bill’s solution is to team up with Roman to help the old man get back in charge, in exchange for letting Bill keep the gaming business he stole from Roman. It’s the unholiest of alliances, and it’s hard to trust either side.
Barb sees the waitress, who Margene invited to their party, and she just kind of snaps. Barb takes Margene by the hand, storms over to the neighbor’s house, and lets her know that Margene can’t be her surrogate, because she’s also married to Bill, as is Nikki. Oh, snap! I love it when Barb kicks ass. Afterwards, she’s nearly in tears, drained by the emotional strength is took to tell the truth. When she tells Bill, she lays it all on the line – she is THE wife, the one that always comes first. He agrees and lets her be on the board of directors for the gaming business.
When Joey is driving Roman back to Juniper Creek, the cops pull them over and arrest Roman, with Alby watching on and Nikki’s mother calling Alby a traitor. And that’s where we end Big Love season 2: the Henrickson’s are outed on their block, Roman is arrested, Alby is in charge and Barb is taking control.
-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of HBO)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
