According to the source, the critically acclaimed polygamist drama series has been up in the ratings this season, even holding its own against live Grammy Award and NFC Championships telecasts. The website furthermore asserts that, with the exception of Amanda Seyfried, the “core cast” will be returning for the upcoming season. This is great news! More from Reuters.com:

HBO still has lots of love for the Mormon drama Big Love. Four episodes into the series’ fourth season, the cable network has ordered a fifth.

Love, which centers on Utah native Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) as he balances the needs of his three wives (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, Ginnifer Goodwin) and their broods, drew 1.7 million viewers for its season premiere last month. That was up 49% from Season 3’s opener. Despite facing the NFC Championship and the Grammys the past two Sundays, the series is tracking 13% higher than last season.

Love, whose current story line centers on Henrickson running for office, will be getting “deeper and darker” in the second half of the season, according to creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer. With four eventful seasons, the fifth cycle will take a breather, “settling into the stortytelling,” Olsen said.

Added Scheffer, “We want to take the temperature of the marriages.” With the exception of the departing Amanda Seyfried, the series’ core cast will come back for Season 5, with Olsen and Scheffer also mulling a possible return for new additions Zeljko Ivanek and Sissy Spacek.

Love earned its first best series Emmy nomination last year.

As many of you will know, Chloë Sevigny received her first ever Golden Globe this year for Best Supporting Actress (Television) for her portrayal of second wife Nicolette “Nicki” Grant on the show. Co-star Bill Paxton has also received numerous award nominations throughout the span of the show for his role as Bill Henrickson, including a 2010 Golden Globe Lead Actor nom. Congratulations on landing another season, Big Love team!

“No, mama, you do not have to be a lamb for slaughter, you can choose your own path.”
- Nicolette “Nicki” Grant

As always, we hope you were able to tune in last Sunday to the season’s fourth episode of Big Love, the critically acclaimed HBO polygamist drama series starring Chloë Sevigny in her Golden Globe-winning role of Nicolette “Nicki” Grant opposite Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin. Here’s our recap of last Sunday’s episode, 4.04 “The Mighty and Strong” (under the cut), please mouseover to read:

After last night’s live broadcast, Margene is confronted by Barb about Ben being announced on television as “Mr. Margene Heffman”, and Margie confesses the two kissed, though only “accidentally”. Barb tells Margie she needs to sort this our right away before the matter reaches Bill, but Margie eventually tells him about the blurb (if not the kiss) anyway, and an upset Bill compels her to correct the misinformation on camera, regardless of the nay from her production company. At a later dinner at the Henricksons’, Margie and Ben’s tension around one another is more than apparent, and an unwitting Nicki begins to ask embarrassing questions. Ben and Margie finally confront one another privately about the kiss, and Margie confesses to him the kiss did actually mean something. She then, however, breaks from her scripted monologue during the next live telecast in an attempt to set the record straight about Ben not being her husband, and ends up breaking down about her broken home and a “husband, who has abandoned her”. When Teeny reveals to Bill and Barb that she knows of a love letter Ben wrote to Margie (last season), Bill confronts the two about what’s going on between them, but before Margie gets the chance to explain any part of it, Ben takes the blame for everything, including Margie’s kiss. Margie is devastated.

Back in Juniper Creek, Joey and Wanda, thinking they are off the hook for Roman’s murder, are rattled to their roots when Nicki’s ex-husband and Wanda’s brother JJ reveals he has some highly incriminating photographs of the two burning Roman’s body in fear of DNA evidence, and uses the photos to blackmail the two to do what he wants. A frightened Wanda begins to harbor murderous thoughts. It also isn’t the only surprise JJ is packing, as he makes the unexpected announcement to Alby about wanting to marry Alby and Nicki’s mother, Adaleen. Alby, surprised but pleased with the proposition and the thought of being rid of Adaleen, breaks the news to her, after which he places her in JJ’s care. When Nicki comes to pick up Cara Lynn at JJ’s for school, Adaleen’s upcoming sealing to JJ is revealed, and Nicki is furious, compelling her mother to leave JJ while she still can. When her mother refuses to do so, a disgusted Nicki fumingly vows she will not let either of them ruin the life she has just gotten back on track.

Back at the Henricksons’, Tommy lectures Barb about “whites taking in Indians” when he hears a rumor about Sarah harboring Leyla and her baby. Meanwhile, Sarah finds Leyla has disappeared on her and Scott one morning, and has left them with her baby. Tommy soon finds out that Sarah is actually Barb’s daughter, and is furious at Barb when Leyla claims Sarah has taken her baby, though she actually abandoned the child in Sarah’s care. A stressed out Barb has no other option than to lay it all on Bill, and when Barb and Bill confront Sarah about the baby she seems unwilling to let him go. Scott, however, convinces her otherwise.

Meanwhile, Bill and Barb have been planning Bill’s upcoming political campaign for the state senate seat, but they soon realize Bill is up against some stiff competition when his political opponent tries to stage one scandal after another around him. When Bill faces further political complications he decides to push up the announcement of his candidacy by three days. He then sends Nicki on a “recon mission” to the headquarters of his political opponent, Colburn, where she finds out that Colburn knows “there is polygamy” in Bill’s camp. Bill then asks Don Embry, on who the campaign has already taken its toll, to take the bullet for him. Don takes the fall, but not lightly.

During the announcement event for Bill’s candidacy, Margie finally breaks down crying in a private conversation with Bill, and tells him how she feels lonely and neglected by him and that it was in fact she who kissed Ben. Later that evening, Bill catches Ben in his room packing his things, and agrees with him that it would be best if he left the family for a while.

As I’m sure many of you noticed, there was a lot less of Nicki in this episode than usual, and the focus was more on Bill’s political aspirations and Margie and Ben’s respective emotional struggles. Personally, though, I really liked this episode as well, and Bill Paxton and Ginnifer Goodwin were particularly great in this one. Definitely worth checking out, if you haven’t yet!

Media-wise, we’ve updated the gallery with 237 screen captures of Chloë Sevigny on the show; like last time, we were happy to be able to add these in HD. We’ll be sure to upload video clips from this episode as soon as possible. Enjoy, and don’t forget to tune in again next Sunday for episode 4.05 “Sins of the Father”!

New Photo Albums:

• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Episode 4.04 Screen Captures

If anyone is able to send in scans from this issue, please do so as we are unlikely to be able to obtain this magazine in our country. Your help would be most appreciated. Thank you!

New Photo Albums:

• Magazines in 2010 > ‘Harper’s Bazaar’ (Kr) February 2010 Scans

All clips are in .MOV format, which is playable in e.g. VLC and QuickTime. Please remember you must be a registered and logged in media archive user to access our collection of video clips; unlogged users will not be able to view said material. Registration at our media archive is free and only takes a moment. Thank you.

New Media Albums:

• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Episode 4.01 Video Clips
• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Episode 4.02 Video Clips
• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Episode 4.03 Video Clips
• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Season 4 Opening Credits

In a later report, TV Guide brings up the possibility of former child star Macaulay Culkin, best known for the 90’s Home Alone films, joining the cast next season (though please bear in mind a 5th season remains to be confirmed by the HBO). According to the source, Culkin has been spotted visiting the set of the show and he also shares the same agent with actress Sissy Spacek, who currently has a regular guest role on Big Love as lobbyist Marilyn Densham:

Mac, who (believe it or not) turns the big 3-0 this summer, was recently spotted on the Big Love set, where he visited with pal Chloë Sevigny (Nicki) and cocreator Will Scheffer. “We’re interested in him,” Scheffer says. “He watches the show and we can see him fitting into either the compound or the Mormon world.”

Turns out Macaulay shares the same agent with Sissy Spacek, who’s on the series this season as a powerful lobbyist and may return for Season 5. So who would Mac play? With plans to “expand our show’s youth franchise” in 2011 (pending a renewal from HBO), Scheffer says Macaulay would be “an interesting person to add to that mix.” Star Bill Paxton’s suggestion: “He’d make a great young evangelist.” Amen!

Finally, as usual, here is the trailer for next Sunday’s Big Love episode, 4.04 “The Mighty and Strong”, courtesy of HBO:

“That is not true! I’m trying to do everything that I can so you won’t become like me! I don’t want you to be afraid of yourself, to be afraid of the world!”
- Nicolette “Nicki” Grant

As always, we hope you were able to tune in last Sunday to the newest episode of Big Love, the critically acclaimed HBO polygamist drama series starring Chloë Sevigny in her Golden Globe-winning role of Nicolette “Nicki” Grant opposite Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin. Here’s our coverage of last Sunday’s episode, 4.03 “Strange Bedfellows”; the recap is another long one and therefore hidden under the cut. Please mouseover to read:

Margene is excited about her producer having the confidence in Margie to move her to primetime, but is unable to share her joy with her busy and largely absent family. Nicki arrives in Washington D.C. for a romantic weekend with Bill, where she is to be his public wife, but surprises Bill by bringing Cara Lynn along with her. While in D.C., Bill runs into obstacles seeking an endorsement from Utah Congressman Paley, when he butts heads with the congressman’s strongwilled head lobbyist, Marilyn Densham. His situation isn’t exactly aided by Cara Lynn’s presence, and Bill urges Nicki to dress her less conservatively. Unfortunately, Cara Lynn begins to feel increasingly uncomfortable in her new robes and the “liberal” atmosphere of the city.

Back home, JJ continues with his veiled threats to Wanda about knowing of Joey’s involvement in Roman’s death. Wanda panics and tells Joey, and in fear of Roman having Joey’s DNA under his fingernails, they decide to exume his body. This is revealed to have been JJ’s intention all along. At Margie’s, Jodean Marquart mourns her dead sister, whom she betrayed last season in court, and she bonds unexpectedly with the lonely Margie. But their evening is abruptly interrupted by an enraged JJ, who has finally realized Nicki has run off to Washington with Cara Lynn. When JJ tries to get violent with Margie, Ben suddenly steps up as her protection and shoves JJ out of the house. Before he leaves, however, JJ tells Ben he has just made a mistake. After the incident, a distraught Margie calls Nicki to tell her what’s happened and to compel Bill to return home just as Nicki and he are having a romantic dinner and Nicki begins to feel she is making progress with him, and instead of putting Bill on the phone she hangs up on Margie, infuriating the latter. A frightened Margie then asks Ben to stay for the night on the sofa, to which he agrees. Nicki’s romantic evening with Bill is regardlessly short-lived when JJ calls up Bill and tells him off. Nicki swears she thought JJ had been told about Cara Lynn joining them for their D.C. trip, but Bill seems unconvinced. It seems, however, that Nicki is telling the truth, as she later confronts Cara Lynn about not asking JJ for permission to go.

Elsewhere, Alby and the state-appointed Juniper Creek funds trustee Dale continue to seek each other’s attentions. Alby is aggressive in his pursuits, while Dale has strong doubts, unwilling to continue his “sinful” and “unethical” relationship with Alby. Alby reveals he doesn’t consider himself gay, that he believes homosexuality is a sin, and that he’s simply “likes fooling around” with Dale. After a night together, while Dale is asleep, Alby takes a photo with his phone of the two together in bed. The implications of this remain to be seen. Meanwhile, Sarah joins her mother at the casino, where Barb runs a course for the staff on improving working relationships and cultural understanding, but the Indian workers are not quite as ready to sympathize with Barb as she thinks. Leaving the casino, Barb runs into an Indian woman with her car. Although the woman survives with minor injuries, Tommy suggests the incident might lead to a deeper rift in the relations of Barb and the casino staff. Sarah, however, feels guilty, and offers her a job at the casino. When Barb hesitantly agrees, Tommy tells her the woman is a meth addict and a defeated Barb lets go of the idea, unaware that Sarah has taken the woman and her child under her roof.

Back in Washington, Bill is unrelenting in his hunt for an introductory meet with Congressman Paley, and is able to squirm his way into a political fundraiser, much to Densham’s dismay, when Nicki and Cara Lynn make a surprise appearance at the venue. Eager to advance Bill in Densham’s eyes, Nicki introduces herself to Densham in the women’s bathroom as “Daphne Curtis”, someone working for Bill. Though initially disinterested in Nicki’s praise of Bill, when Nicki lets it slip that he has recently opened a casino back in Utah, Densham suddenly makes an U-turn in her disposition towards Bill, even going as far as recommending him to Paley at the fundraiser, much to Bill’s amazement, and with Densham’s help he is able to secure something of Paley’s support. When Nicki then returns to Cara Lynn, waiting in the lobby, Cara Lynn, tired of Nicki’s lifestyle, angrily confronts Nicki about abandoning her. Back at the hotel, a mortified Nicki cries to Bill about wanting a different life for her daughter than the one she’s had, and the two seem to be on a path to reconcile their differences.

Back in Utah, where Margie is about to make her primetime TV debut, Ben unexpectedly shows up on the location of the shoot to support her. The situation gets a lot more complicated, however, when an exhilarated Margie, in the spur of the moment, kisses Ben passionately backstage. Having caught a glimpse of the kiss and from there making conclusions of her own, Margie’s producer suddenly zooms in the camera on Ben mid-live broadcast, citing him as “Mr. Margene Heffman”. Barb and Teeny observe via their home TV, astonished.

Well, that was some episode! I hope you enjoyed it. Unlike with the previous episode, this week’s focus was somewhat shifted from Nicki, but Chloë was nevertheless nothing short of terrific in her role. Personally, I’m really glad the writers have chosen to pick up on certain storylines introduced Season 3, because it brings about a nice sense continuity to the overall series and showcases the writers’ attention to detail. I was also really pleased with Harry Dean Stanton’s cameo appearance; was almost beginning to miss him. Though I am slightly concerned we might not see DA Ray Henry again. I hope we do. Oh, and we shan’t forget the wonderful Sissy Spacek in her guest role of Marilyn Densham!

Media coverage-wise, we have a great set of new Big Love photos for you today. Today, we’ve updated the gallery with 579 HD screen captures of Chloë’s appearance on the show + some great new Season 4 promotional stills and other photos. Hopefully, we’ll be able to add more of those Season 4 stills as the series progresses this year. We’re kind of behind in episodic video clips at present, but we’ll be sure to upload those soon as well. Also, check out our screen captures of the new opening credits, now in HD.

Finally, don’t forget to tune in again next Sunday for episode 4.04 “The Mighty and Strong”!

New & Updated Photo Albums:

• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Episode 4.01 Promotional Stills
• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Episode 4.02 Promotional Stills
• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Episode 4.03 Promotional Stills
• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Episode 4.03 Screen Captures
• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Season 4 Opening Credits Screen Captures
• Television Work > ‘Big Love’ Season 4 Posters & Promotional Photography

Alternatively, you can check out the below trailer for next Sunday’s episode, 4.03 “Strange Bedfellows”, guest starring Sissy Spacek. The new episode airs January 24 @ 9 PM on HBO.