'Big Love': All balls in the air

Maybe it's HBO's new ad campaign -- which, more than ever, seems intent on evoking the latter days of "The Sopranos" in its intensity -- but "Big Love" appears to have taken a big leap forward in these last couple of episodes, not only creatively but dramatically. With its multiple plot threads beginning to fully develop, the series has reached a fever pitch.

In Monday night's episode, at least four major subplots were given due attention, some of which have been stewing since the series' earliest days. First and most intriguing, there was the rapidly escalating turf war between competing creepy old polygamists Roman Grant and Hollis Greene (Harry Dean Stanton and Luke Eskew). Just when Roman's strong-arm approach was beginning to seem almost as familiar as family, we were given an even more disturbing cult leader -- one who issues videotaped declarations of supremacy with all the thuggish panache of Osama bin Laden. Standing with his wife in front of a map of the world was one of the episode's greatest touches.

No less disturbing was the sudden reappearance of Bill Henrickson's dad, Frank Harlow (Bruce Dern), who showed up to terrorize Bill's mother, Lois (Grace Zabriskie), and attempt to claim half her profits in a laundromat business. He also used his visit to terrorize his daughters-in-law Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and Wanda (Melora Walters).

For a show whose main concern is domestic misadventures, "Big Love" has been surprisingly adept at shifting gears into an uneasy dread. Take for example, the scene in Wanda's lonely home on the compound, with the screaming wind blowing under the eaves, the power going out and god knows what lurking outside with a flashlight and heading toward the door. At the very worst, it would have been Frank (it wasn't), which, come on, isn't all that scary. But somehow, the way the scene was built and shot would have made it an easy fit into an episode of David Lynch's creepfest "Twin Peaks."

Then Bill was given the chance to protect his daughter Sarah (Amanda Seyfried, pictured) from her stalker uncle, Alby (Matt Ross). Bill's beat-down, delivered behind closed doors, was reminiscent of Tony Soprano's similar defense of Meadow earlier this year.

With all this going full-bore, it seemed like a distraction to have Margene's mother, Ginger (Bonnie Bedelia), come to visit. Though her initial impression of "March of the Penguins" was amusing, Ginger was a typical drunk, full of self-pity, manipulations and accusations. Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) got to be less naive, which was probably a welcome relief for Goodwin, but Ginger seemed like just one more disapproving family member in a show crammed full of them.

HBO just announced the series will be returning for a third season, so don't expect complete resolution to any of these plot threads any time soon, but in the life of every series there comes a sweet spot -- sometimes it lasts just a season, or a handful of episodes; sometimes it goes on for years -- where the creative magic appears to flow with ease. It's safe to say that "Big Love" just entered its own.

-- Patrick Day

(Photo courtesy HBO)