Big Love - When Men and Mountains Meet - Series Finale Recap

The Series Finale of Big Love kicks off with Alby rotting in jail and Bill trying his hardest once again to preserve the life he believes to be true. He's holding on to his family for dear life while they continue to drift apart. Margene wants to go on a mission on some medical ship to Central America and Barb wants to be baptized in her new church. Bill is furious that Barb can't find a place in his church that he worked so hard to build. He throws a fit and goes to stay with Nicki. Nicki is struggling to hang on to Cara Lynn who voices her desire to move in with her relatives. Nicki is able to express how much she loves her daughter and how she understands that a first love can be dangerous. Shout out to Ray?

Barb tries to gain her independence by finally getting rid of that crappy station wagon she's been driving for the entire series. She gets a cute new car and goes on a drive with her sister wives. It's a beautiful poignant scene. Bill is pissed (what else is new) that Barb would get rid of the car that he got her. Perhaps all this anger and hostility from him is the reason for Barb's actions later in the episode. After the family loses Home Plus, their future is up in the air with the uncertainty that Bill could be going to prison. Nicki is slowly cracking over the possibility of Barb, Bill and Margene could all leave her. She doesn't want to be alone. In this scene, Nicki's true feelings and emotions come out and the love she has for her family is all that matters. Give her another Emmy.

Bill once again turns to the Senate and proposes a bill to legalize Polygamy once and for all. It doesn't go over too well with the suits but on Easter Sunday he gets all the support he needs. As he drives up to his church with his family (minus Barb who is off getting baptized) hundreds of polygamists turn up to show their support. Bill is stunned at the turn out. I half think they're setting him up to be the new Prophet during this scene. When Bill asks for a sign for the new Prophet, Barb walks in. She couldn't go through with her baptism. He then has a vision, once again showing figures from the past nodding in encouragement. What did you take this scene to mean?

Lois has been slowly deteriorating throughout the episode and when Barb said she excused herself from Easter dinner to go do something with Frank, I knew it wasn't good. The camera pans to Frank and Lois reliving memories while lying together on their bed. A few empty vials and syringes are shown. While happily listening to her husband relive the past, Lois drifts away. Did Frank die with her? There were a lot of vials there and his speech was pretty slurred at the end. Did they die together?

And then..it starts. Bill walks outside to get into his car to go pick up Lois when he's greeted by Carl, the bitchy neighbor with the huge mole. He comes over bitching to Bill about his grass and how Bill is making him look like a fool. Cut to the wives in the kitchen hearing gunshots. They run outside and find Bill lying in the street, gunshots to his chest. OMG OMG OMG. Did that just happen? Surely they won't?? They panic, Margene calls 911, but Bill only has eyes for Barb. He looks into her eyes and asks her to give him a blessing. AWWWWWWWW! I can't handle it. She assumed the role and gives him the blessing he so desperately wants.

11 months later.

The family is all wearing black. (Oh no!) Sarah is sitting at the table with Heather, who has gotten married to Ben. Sarah's husband walks in with her child who has just been baptized by Barb. Nicki is running around frazzled, so obviously not over the death of Bill. Margene is leaving on another Mission and is heartbroken that Bill isn't there to see his family together and living their dreams. The sister wives share one last hug as the ghost of Bill watches on happily from his seat at the dining table.

I can't believe it's over. I can't say I'm thrilled with the ending. If you had asked me for years how I would have wanted it to go, I would have said I wish Bill would die or rot in prison for everything he's selfishly done to his family. But the way his death happened, over an unhappy neighbor, with no resolution for his struggles, is a shame. I would have preferred Bill walking through the kitchen at the end, holding his new grandchild and happily allowing Barb the chance to baptize it and congratulating Margie on her work.

What did you think of the ending?