"Big Love"
Take Me as I Am (2007)

Director:

Jim McKay

Writers:

Mark V. Olsen (creator) &
Will Scheffer (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Big Love" (2006)

Original Air Date:

19 August 2007 (Season 2, Episode 11)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Father Child Relationship | Sex | Working Class Family | Viagra | Husband Wife Relationship

Cast

Bill Paxton	...	Bill Henrickson
Jeanne Tripplehorn	...	Barb Henrickson
Chloë Sevigny	...	Nicolette Grant
Ginnifer Goodwin	...	Margene Heffman
Amanda Seyfried	...	Sarah Henrickson
Douglas Smith	...	Ben Henrickson
Melora Walters	...	Wanda Henrickson
Joel McKinnon Miller	...	Don Embry
Daveigh Chase	...	Rhonda Volmer
Jolean Wejbe	...	Tancy Henrickson
Grace Zabriskie	...	Lois Henrickson
Matt Ross	...	Alby Grant
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Roman Grant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ellen Burstyn	...	Nancy Davis Dutton
Anne Dudek	...	Laura Grant
Mireille Enos	...	Kathy Marquart
Hayley Erin	...	Jennifer
Caroline Fogarty	...	Leslie
Philip Baker Hall	...	Ned Johanssen
Mark Hames	...	Cousin Howard
Judith Hoag	...	Cindy
Keaton Tyndall	...	Sissy Marquart
Kylie Tyndall	...	Penny Marquart
Audrey Wasilewski	...	Pam

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Nicki is at the bingo parlor, she is hoping the caller will call I32. The I column only has numbers from 16-30. 32 is a number in the N column.

Extremely Powerful and effective

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Wow. 'Take Me as I Am' is an excellent addition to the sensational Season 2 of Big Love, and it is extremely powerful and emotional throughout. Barb tries to reconcile things with her mother and family, and things spiral out of control at her mother's wedding. Alby receives false information from the Greenes, and relays that information to Nicki; he is told that Bill said that they needed to kill Roman. Barb goes through lots of inner conflict and has to face the choices that she has made with her life. She knows that she is practicing polygamy not because she approves of it, but because she loves Bill so deeply. Thus, it is completely natural that she would be concerned when Ben starts dating twins, both of whom wish to get married by the time they are 17.

Barb shows that she really loves her mother and cares deeply about her family. It is appalling just how much her family seems to disapprove of polygamy, and her sister continues to be just as evil as always. Alby continues emerging as a huge threat. Barb's relationship with her mother is revealing to her character and her personality. She clearly has problems with her past, and wants to make things better. Her dialogue with her mother is perfectly written, and Jeanne Tripplehorn gives one of her most unforgettable performances yet. She brings such believability and personality to the character of Barb that, coupled with the fantastic writing, makes this a truly memorable episode.

Nicki must ultimately make a choice between which family she cares about the most. From all the information she gets from Alby, she seems torn in some cases, and seems to make some of her decisions based solely on her life in the compound. She also displays many selfish behaviors, and is truly a deep and complex character.

The final scene is just as unforgettable as the rest of the episode, and it just goes to show how much of a threat Alby has become. One of the best episodes of Big Love so far, and I can't wait for the season finale.