I watch big love. It's almost on the level of "appointment television" for me at this point (or at least as close as a show can become now that I have a DVR). However, i don't think i like it, per se. I'm curious, for sure, but I'm just not connecting with it. And i think I finally figured out the problem. It's no longer a show about religious people....Maybe it never was. Originally, my problems with the show was that I couldn't relate to any of the characters. But, there was a morbid curiousity to see how religious people live. In the second season, these people have lost all sense of a religious faith, though.

One by one, i cross off the characters with a dismissive "Ok, he doesn't REALLY believe in God". Aby (i'm guessing at names here), can't really believe in God, b/c he faked having a 'testimony' with his father's hat. That was a manipulative power struggle, which i found interesting on the surface, but ultimately confirms that Aby can't really believe in God.

Then, Nicky steals from the compound. Stealing is wrong, and goes against God. Sure, people have an amazing ability to rationalize their own bad behavior, but the 10 comandments are pretty clear on this issue (hmm, do they even believe in the 10 comandments? i have to assume so). Barb seems to use religion as a synonym* with morality; she believes in religion in so much as it is the foundation to teach her kids right from wrong. *[5 minutes to get a spelling close enough for the computer to suggest the correct spelling. FIVE MINUTES].

I want to watch a show where an otherwise normal person actually believes that Abby is having a conversation with a hat. THAT'S interesting. Instead, Big Love is just a morally confused family trying to justify their own suspect behavior. Since we've already seen that done to perfection with the Sopranos, Big Love is redundant. I'll still watch, because my life is that boring, but I'm not pleased.