Big Love Robo-Watch: You Have the Floor

Spoiler Alert: Check under your covers and watch Big Love before reading this comment.

I'm already of the opinion that Big Love boasts the best ensemble cast of any series on TV, and adding Ellen Burstyn and Philip Baker Hall almost seems unfair. It's hard not to see Burstyn as Sarah Goldfarb from Requiem for a Dream, but she excelled in her role as Barb's mother (and she was on screen for more than 17 seconds, so she'll probably get an Emmy nod). And Baker Hall, like Melora Walters (Wanda), is a Paul Thomas Anderson company member -- but I'll always remember him as Bookman the library cop from Seinfeld.

This episode exemplified everything I, uh, love about Big Love, as all of the season's myriad storylines came together. It was also the funniest episode I can remember (Ben introducing the twins: "These are my girlfriends"; Bill telling his self-righteous niece to shut up; Wanda briefly considering substituting cleaning powder for powdered sugar on a cake for her new sister-wife, etc.)

I'm almost ready to put Big Love in the pantheon of great HBO dramas with The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood and Six Feet Under. HBO series have a track record of making the penultimate episode of the season better than finale, and this one will be hard to top. Can’t wait for next week.

Interesting new Sarah storyline. And I'm getting sick of Alby.

I wonder if the writers knew of the nod for season three before this episode was in the can. I'm hoping they did.

It makes aboslutely no sense, but I'd like to see a flashback scene to Bill and Barb's wedding, just so Ellen Burstyn and Grace Zabriske could maybe have a scene together. That would be fun.

I think jim has a lot of nerve going away during the final episode! I am anticipating blood atonement next week...following in the tradition of all great cliff hangers something will happen that leaves us unsure of a beloved characters fate.
I'm going to hate waiting for Season 3.