Despite the disturbing parallels between the married life of HBO’s Mormon family in Big Love and gay families, living in secrecy, wishing for legal recognition, I’m starting to get a bit annoyed by the show. Queerty considers it to be giving “shoutouts” to gays. But the ridiculousness of getting business help from religious loan sharks and then complaining about the cost of supporting 3 suburban mansions and 7 children just does not apply to most gay couples I know. Of course, most gay shows aren’t particularly reflective of those I know, but I don’t give them props for accuracy so I refuse to give any to Big Love either. Worse, though, for Love is the complete lack of likeability of the wives, especially 2nd wife Nikki (even though she’s played by Chlow Sevigny, whom I adore), and continual stupidity of the main character, both of which make it scarcely entertaining.
I could certainly admit to a certain amount if distaste with the attitudes and content within the show but I know that bias is not completely responsible for my boredom. Big Love has an incredible timeslot after morally corrupt The Sopranos (though this doesn’t seem to be helping its ratings). And though the characters of that 6 season show are also often not easy to like, the content is so compelling I was sucked in from the moment I visited that ugly suburban home. So too, could my interest be piqued in 3 ugly suburban homes in Utah, if the writing was decent. Instead, my interest continues to wane.
