I (Big) Love HBO
August 2nd, 2007 by screenwriterguy
I didn’t get into Big Love when it first came out. I tried watching the pilot a couple of times, but didn’t connect with it. Then a couple of weeks ago my housemate started renting the first season. By about episode five, I was hooked.
I guess it’s fair that the show would need some time to build, given the need to develop their protagonist’s romantic life thrice over.
We ate through the first season, then watched the backlog of season two from the DVR, and finally tonight I caught up. While Big Love may never be my favorite, it has to be just about the strongest character-driven show on television today, and grows richer with every episode. Certainly it’s the sharpest summer fare available.
Without spoiling, let me just say that this week’s episode, in particular, was stellar. The writers explored the dynamics of Bill’s marriages, highlighting the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between his wives, better than they’ve ever done. And this was while examining his relationships with his two oldest children to great effect, all set against an ultimate political power struggle in the polygamist community. Big Love is definitely a show worth considering for your watchlist. Through polygamy it contemplates family, love, and relationship of all kinds.
Meanwhile, Entourage has been delivering as well. I’ve enjoyed this latest season as much as I ever have, and this week was a classic. (It was written by show creator Doug Ellin, so maybe there’s a reason it so effectively got to the core of each of the characters.) Turtle in a bunny suit, combined with Drama’s last-minute decision… It was a funny, ribald one-off episode that made me really glad our HBO free trial was extended, thanks to poor service from a certain cable company serving the L.A. area.
HBO brings the goods. I was trying to think of an original program they’ve offered that I didn’t like, and I couldn’t. Of course other networks provide quality programming. NBC gets credit, in my mind, for sticking with shows like Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock. I have to admit, I would have given Tina Fey’s sitcom the axe, but it pulled through, so kudos to NBC. (One wonders if FOX will become the network that gives shows a chance, with Kevin Reilly now situated there; it may have been something he could only afford to do from atop the 4th place network.) FX earns my esteem with The Shield and The Riches, and I hear great things about Nip/Tuck. Still, edgy as FX is, to me they don’t compare with HBO. A show like the new Damages is quality, but derivative. It felt like Devil Wears Prada told as a (predictable) John Grisham novel. HBO seems to generate the truly original, and be consistent in delivering it.
Now if someone could help me appreciate Flight of the Conchords to me, I would be all set.
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Posted in Television | 2 Comments »
Aug 2nd 2007 at 2:21 pm
I have to agree with you that HBO is at the top of my list of Best Networks but you missed one major kudos, which for me makes them better than all the rest by far—-They create great TV without any commercials and shows are actually an hour or half an hour respectively. Half of the time I give up on shows because I cant stomach the commercials. Now, I do have Tivo, but when I did not—I ALMOST LOST MY MIND! I also have to give a bit of respect to Showtime for trying to follow in HBO’s footsteps—Weeds is pretty damn good and now Californication—interesting…..
Aug 5th 2007 at 9:59 pm
Of course the no-commercials thing is fantastic, but that’s countered by the fact that, well… you have to pay for it. So no commercials is least on my least of great aspects of HBO, well behind smart storytelling.