Dating Game
Just when I thought that there couldn't possibly be anyone creepier and more deluded than Roman Grant, we meet Hollis Greene, leader of a debauched, undercover polygamist group that makes the folks at Juniper Creek look like the Waltons. Apparently when Bill poached Weber Gaming from Roman, he was unaware that he was dealing in pre-stolen property. Frankly, these are not the kind of people you want to steal from. They are the kind who brand you with a hot poker when they think you are standing in the way of something they want. Ouch.
For me, this show just seems to get better week after week. I really feel like the investment I made in the first season is paying off in dividends as the story continues to unfold. Last season really laid the groundwork for all of the drama and intrigue that is coming to the fore now, and each week I find myself increasingly anxious to see what happens next.
I know it seems odd to mention this at this stage of the game, but tonight, for the first time, Bill's polygamy really made me uncomfortable. Bill's ongoing flirtation with the waitress Ana got me thinking about the actual repercussions of these families' lifestyle. (Nobody does a unique family living a life that is based on a morally dubious foundation better than HBO.) What bothers me the most from an outsider's perspective is that polygamy seems to leave a lot of room for interpretation... on the man's side. By living "the Principle," Bill is not expected to fight the urges that all other married men are faced with at some point. Instead, he needs to sift through these potential spouses and attempt to sort out those pesky "Holy Spirit sucker punches." Sounds like a pretty sweet deal if you have the stomach for it.
Poor Ana. She seemed like a really nice, lonely woman who was looking for a little companionship. While Bill tried to fight his carnal urges and listen for a "celestial calling," it seemed that Margene heard hers loud and clear. Funny that in the end it was harder for her to "break up" with Ana than for Bill. I thought it was a great touch that she was the one who caught on to Bill's secret since her connection to the faith is really more tenuous than those of Nicki or Barb. I also loved her exchange with Bill when he realized what she had been doing: "She loves you, she loves me, she'll love Barb.... She'll grow to love Nicki." Amen to that.
Speaking of that prickly sister-wife, every time I begin to empathize with Nicki and think that she is working in the best interests of the family, she seems to do something stupid and reactionary. Tonight she stepped over the line and created a dangerous situation by confronting a very untrustworthy Rhonda at her foster home. It was bad enough that Nicki all but outed herself to ex-polygamist activist April Blessing. But my heart sank as Sarah stood in front of Heather's state-trooper father and learned that Rhonda had spilled the beans.
Amanda Seyfried is turning in stellar work this season as the conflicted Sarah, and her performance in this episode was heartbreaking. (Who would have thought that this former
Mean Girl had real acting chops?) Having to deal with the burden of her family's secret life is definitely taking its toll.
Daveigh Chase is equally good as the manipulative, destructive Rhonda. Is there anyone out there tonight who didn't want to reach into the television and slap her face when she showed her true colors to Barb?
Each episode is just packed with so much juicy stuff it is hard to capture it all every week. If I missed anything, please be sure to comment!
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