BIG LOVE: FREE AT LAST {FOURTH SEASON PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The fourth season premiere in this drama series about polygamist Bill Henrickson, who has three wives, three families, and three houses in a Salt Lake City suburb. In this episode, Bill and his wives attend church, with Nicki offering a formal apology for her deceit, while elsewhere the FBI raids the compound and demands Roman's whereabouts, though Adaleen swears ignorance. Barb urges Sarah to bring Scott into the church so that they may marry there, and Alby, out "birdwatching" in the park, has a private encounter with an unknown man. With the casino opening only three days away, Bill, Barb and Margie scramble to make last-second preparations as the FBI again questions Nicki, revealing that Roman has apparently returned and opened a secret bank account in her name. Nicki swears to know nothing about it, and Bill defends her against their interrogation, though the Feds make clear that they are not fooled by his claims of their "extremely close" friendship. Nicki frets that Barb and Margie do not trust her, but Bill reminds the family not to let the investigation divide them. Elsewhere, Lura frantically tells Alby of Roman's "return," but Alby, returning from his "hike," tells her not to take action yet, as the state-appointed trustee will soon freeze the UEB's assets.
Beverly scolds Margie for an on-air slip-up, ordering her not to be distracted by her work with the casino, and Lois, barricaded in her house in the hopes of avoiding Roman, gives Ben his latest cut from their bird-smuggling business. Nicki happily tells Cara Lynn that she is a "math whiz" and has been placed in senior high school because of her tests, and Tommy Flute confronts Bill about the FBI's questions, saying that the council has been accused of money laundering. Bill blames Roman and promises to handle the Feds, but then learns that Barb is also causing trouble by demanding crab legs for the casino, believing that Mormons generally dislike salmon. Bill pleads with Margie to spend more time at the casino and then tries to reason with Ray Henry, who vows that he will not leave the UEB group alone until Roman is arrested. Nicki overhears Barb's questions to Bill about the current state of his relations with Nicki, and Ben happily announces that his band has been hired to play the casino opening as their first paid gig. J.J. barges onto the Henricksons' property and demands to see Cara Lynn, but Nicki refuses to let her go, determined that her daughter will go to school, and Bill eventually intervenes and compromises with J.J., promising that he can see his daughter on weekends.
Lois encounters Frank and apologizes for trying to "hasten his demise," and – holding him at gunpoint – suggests that they begin to rebuild their relationship in a "civilized" manner. The sister-wives debate their roles in the casino and Nicki calls Barb out for asking Bill private questions about their relationship, and Margie adds that she is "picking up Nicki's share" with their husband. Alby accuses Bill of being the "mastermind" behind the state's involvement with UEB, and he is shocked to find that the state-appointed trustee, Dale Tomasson, is in fact the man from the park. Adaleen calls Nicki in a panic and begs her to locate a generator, as she has experienced a blackout, and when Nicki arrives and demands answers, Adaleen reveals Roman's frozen corpse in the basement. She tells a horrified Nicki that he died of natural causes, well short of his professed life span of 126 years, and that she hid him to protect his "image." Adaleen refuses to turn him over to the FBI, and Alby and Lura are openly thrilled to learn that Roman is "really, really dead," feeling that Alby's "destiny" to assume the prophet role is finally coming to pass. Bill talks to his casino staff about "righting the wrongs" of history regarding Native people, and when Frank attempts to attack Lois again, she bargains with him to leave her alone for a percentage of her "neat little business."
Bill is stunned to find that Roman's body has been placed at the unfinished casino construction site, and Nicki reveals that she knew of her father's demise as she furiously accuses Alby of moving the body in order to frame them. The FBI receives an "anonymous" tip about the fugitive, though Bill tells the angry Flutes that it is merely a hoax, and Barb asserts herself as she tells them to deal with her directly in the future. With Kenny's plane delayed, Margie and Barb are forced to handle the casino opening on their own as Nicki and Bill drive into the desert to dispose to Roman once and for all, and Barb overcomes her stage fright as she offers introductory comments in Bill's place. Bill returns with Nicki and, learning that the opening was a success, proclaims that they are "truly free" now, though he is discomfited to receive Roman's signature hat from the Flutes.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: January 10, 2010 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:56:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 110170
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Mormons and Mormonism; Marriage; Polygamy; Indigenous Peoples Collection
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2006-2011
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Tom Hanks … Executive Producer
- Gary Goetzman … Executive Producer
- David Knoller … Executive Producer
- Bernadette Caulfield … Executive Producer
- Will Scheffer … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Mark V. Olsen … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Paul Redford … Co-Executive Producer
- Peter Friedlander … Producer
- Patricia Breen … Producer
- Dan Attias … Producer, Director
- Seth Greenland … Co-Producer
- Julie Antonelli … Co-Producer
- Don Bensko … Co-Producer
- Byron Smith … Associate Producer
- Peter Phillips … Associate Producer
- Blair Fetter … Associate Producer
- Anton Sanko … Music by
- Bill Paxton … Cast, Bill Henrickson
- Jeanne Tripplehorn … Cast, Barb Henrickson
- Chloe Sevigny … Cast, Nicki Grant
- Ginnifer Goodwin … Cast, Margene Heffman
- Zeljko Ivanek … Cast, JJ Percy Walker
- Amanda Seyfried … Cast, Sarah Henrickson
- Shawn Doyle … Cast, Joey Henrickson
- Melora Walters … Cast, Wanda Henrickson
- Grace Zabriskie … Cast, Lois Henrickson
- Matt Ross … Cast, Alby Grant
- Mireille Enos … Cast, Kathy Marquart
- Bruce Dern … Cast, Frank Harlow
- Mary Kay Place … Cast, Adaleen Grant
- Joel McKinnon Miller … Cast, Don Embry
- Douglas Smith … Cast, Ben Henrickson
- Adam Beach … Cast, Tommy Flute
- Anne Dudek … Cast, Lura Grant
- Harry Dean Stanton … Cast, Roman Grant
- Cassi Thomson … Cast, Cara Lynn
- Charles Esten … Cast, Ray Henry
- Robert Beltran … Cast, Jerry Flute
- Ben Koldyke … Cast, Dale Tomasson
- Katherine LaNasa … Cast, Beverly Ford
- Wendy Phillips … Cast, Peg Embry
- Tim Griffin … Cast, Ralph
- Hank Cheyne … Cast, Austin Buttercup
- Van Epperson … Cast, Smiley
- Mel Fair … Cast, News Anchor
- Keegan Holst … Cast, Wayne Henrickson
- Garrett Gray … Cast, Raymond Henrickson
- Todd Royal … Cast, Agent
- Pattie Tierce … Cast, Court Protester
- Adrian Alvarado … Cast
- Joel Spence … Cast