“I despise myself. I’m so angry. I’m so sorry for who I’ve become.”
– Nicolette “Nicki” Grant

Hopefully, everyone was able to tune in to last Sunday’s exciting Season 3 finale of HBO’s critically acclaimed polygamist drama series, Big Love, on which Chloë Sevigny stars as Bill Henrickson’s second wife Nicolette “Nicki” Grant opposite Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin. Here’s our recap of episode 3.10 “Sacrament”, please highlight to read:

Following the announcement of Nicki and Bill’s separation, Margene as a child of divorce is not happy to see Nicki move out. As Nicki packs her belongings and moves to the Big House with Alby, Nicki asks if this marks the end of their marriage, a “one way ticket out”, to which Bill responds saying he can’t promise her anything. At the Big House, Alby and Nicki half-jokingly discuss the demise of their parents, with Nicki being unaware of Alby’s intention to actually follow through with his veiled threats on their lives. Alby and Laura then assemble a letter bomb, which Alby delivers to Adaleen’s doorstep, but is himself injured when the bomb goes off earlier than planned. When news of his accident reaches the Big House, the fear of Roman’s return has everyone clearing out with speed. Meanwhile, Nicki’s first husband JJ imposes Nicki’s daughter Cara Lynn on Nicki, and the two eventually bond. When Nicki hears of JJ’s plans to include Cara Lynn in the Joy Book, Nicki, given the opportunity, confesses to a compassionate Barb, and the two flee the compound to the Henricksons with Cara Lynn. Back at the house, Scott accepts Sarah’s proposal of marriage and Bill gives the two their blessing, much to Barb’s surprise and dismay, and Barb, obviously struck by a personal, emotional crisis, tells Bill she wants more children with him, even if she has to go to a rented womb in India to get them. Meanwhile, Margie sells her car in order to be able to afford the new clothing as required by her new home shopping network endeavor, and when Bill loudly expresses his doubts about her prospects of success, Margie is outraged, wishing Bill had more faith in her.

Elsewhere, Bill and a most suspicious District Attorney Ray Henry arrange through Roman a meeting with the Greenes, in which the document legalizing polygamy within the LDS church is to be traded for the life of the adoptive daughter of Bill’s brother-in-law, Ted, their plan being to get both Roman and the Greenes for their respective crimes. However, things do not turn out as planned when Roman takes a detour to the planned location of the meet, and Hollis Greene rejects the document, indeed soon revealed a fake, as false when Roman refuses to bow down to him as proof of its legitimacy, and the Greenes make an exit with the kidnapped Kim Lee. Despite the hick-up, a new meet-up is arranged through Selma Greene, eager to be rid of the girl. Outraged by the recent turn of events, Ray does his best to tie Bill’s hands in the matter, threatening him with legal action should he deviate from their new plan. Bill, however, refuses to comply, and informs Roman of a tracking device on their car, but Roman’s suspicions towards his motives gain new strength when Adaleen calls to warn him of Bill’s true intentions. Holding Bill at gunpoint, Roman orders Selma to let go of the girl and make a run for it, and an angered Bill accuses him of being a false prophet. Selma, however, is caught despite Roman’s effort thanks to Bill’s friend Don Embry, and Ray announces to Bill he’s filing a murder charge against Roman for the death of Kathy Marquart. While Bill returns home to his family, where he meets Cara Lynn for the first time, Roman returns to an empty Big House where his overtaken by Bill’s grief-struck brother, Joey. As Bill announces the formation of his new church to his three wives, Joey suffocates Roman with a pillow, possibly fatally.

Chloë Sevigny deserves a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Nicki. I’m just sayin’. What did you think of the finale? Personally, I was quite happy to see Nicki’s daughter quite receptive of her real mother, despite Nicki having abandoned her. I do wish the writers would pursue the Nicki-Ray storyline, though, I really thought they had something there. Check out our 417 medium-res screen captures of Chloë’s appearance on the show at our gallery, or alternatively our 6 site-exclusive video clips at our media archive.

Unresolved questions: Since Season 3 is now complete, I thought I might sum up some of the questions we might be facing during Season 4 (which HBO has confirmed for the series, by the way). These are just some of my suggestions:

• How will the Juniper Creek compound, not to mention the menacing JJ, react to Nicki’s daughter’s disappearance? How soon before Nicki’s, not to mention the Henricksons’, involvement in her disappearance is revealed?
• How will Cara Lynn affect Bill and Nicki’s cooled down relationship? Is there any future for District Attorney Ray Henry and Nicki? What kind of a person is Cara Lynn really?
• What effect will Bill’s new “church” have on the family? How will it be received by the excommunicated Barb, and Nicki, whose father is the self-proclaimed “prophet” Roman Grant? To what extent, if at all, will Bill himself move towards becoming a self-proclaimed prophet? What kind of further tensions will this add to Bill’s connections with Juniper Creek? What kind of practical issues will this cause?
• How serious was Barb in her suggestion to rent a womb from India in order to carry more children for Bill?
• Will Sarah and Scott go through with their marriage plan? Will their engagement last, and what strain will that put on Bill and Barb’s relationship?
• Is Roman Grant really dead, and how will Joey’s involvement in the assault affect the Henricksons’, not to mention Joey himself and his first wife Wanda (if or when his involvement is revealed)?
• How seriously was Alby injured in the failed letter bomb assault on Adaleen? With Alby and Roman out of the Big House, who will be taking charge?
• What consequences will there be for Selma Greene for returning Kim Lee to Bill’s brother-in-law, Ted, presumably without Hollis’ blessing?
• When will Margie’s inner frustrations regarding the continuous patronizing treatment she gets from her family, reach a peak, and what will result of it? Will success(?) in her new business endeavor set off a desire for (greater) independence?
• Will the Ben-Margie storyline introduced in “Come, Ye Saints” be continued in any way?

Feel free to discuss the season in any way in the comments section! This wraps up our recaps of the Spring.

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