I survived The Emmys.

Somewhere in the midst of the show, someone paid Neil Patrick Harris a compliment in stating he was doing an outstanding job overseeing everything. And all I could think was: “Really?”

Oh … there were moments. There were the briefest moments of intrigue and comedy here and there. But, when the best part of the show is Sarah McLachlan (“Harbinger Of Death”) singing her signature “I Will Remember You” during the In Memorium segment showcasing those that have been lost, one would think there’s something not quite right with the telecast.

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I figure you’re thinking one of two things: either “What?” or, “Their having multiple sexual partners is not the same thing.” Well, I suppose some of you might be thinking how Bill is worse as a polygamist than Henry is as an adulterer (I’m looking at you, Sebastian).

But, either way, you’re all wrong. So, ha!

There actually is a bond that Henry VIII of The Tudors, and Bill Henrickson of Big Love share, and it’s not how often they get to simulate sex in front of their respective show’s crew. I’ll give you one hint: old guy, white beard, long flowing robes.

That’s right, it’s their relationship to God. What’s that, you say? Henry was a Reformed Catholic, while Bill is a Mormon who believes in the Principle (is that how you’d explain it, Jen?). There isn’t a lot of theology that overlaps between the two beyond the basics.

Okay, so let’s move beyond what anyone reared in a Judeo-Christian society knows and focus instead on our actual overlap: each man led his own church. Didn’t see that one coming, did you? Read the rest of this entry »

Appearing on House can be good for your career, even if you’re just a fellow who got fired during Season 4. Actors don’t get cast on House because they’re lame. Even though obviously people like Dave Matthews have lucrative careers outside of House, what about other minor characters, especially those who have had recurring roles? What happens after House?

This weekend, I was watching House re-runs with some friends when one of them told me that Edi Gathegi (Big Love) also appeared in the movie Twilight. The conservative doc traded in his stethoscope for dreadlocks and a sexy torso to play semi-evil vampire Laurent. As Laurent, he is completely unrecognizable. I usually have a pretty good memory for work actors have done, but I thought my friend was wrong until I looked it up.

Anne Dudek, who played Amber (aka Cutthroat Bitch) has also continued working. She has appeared on both Mad Men as Francine Hanson and Big Love as Alby’s first wife, Laura. Of course, my first love is Amber, but I am always happy to see her working. I think Anne Dudek really deserves her own show. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have not yet seen the Season Finale of Big Love’s fourth season, then you might want to consider not reading this post. I want to start by saying that I was delighted to find that I had accurately called some of the results of the letter sales storyline. I predicted that if Alby were making forgeries, the story could mimic the Mark Hoffman murders of the 1980s. This explosive finale did not disappoint.

In theory, I have claimed to be a fan of vigilante justice. However, seeing the Big Love crew take matters into their own hands was disturbing to watch. How broken do children have to be to determine that their parents have to die? And when your mother is trying to have you killed, is it revenge or self-defense to have your wife make a bomb that you hand-deliver to your mother’s [motel room] front door? Read the rest of this entry »

As I said in a recent post, about Big Love, even though I was raised Mormon, I still don’t know what occurs in the temple endowment ceremony. From what I’ve read about Mormon reactions to the “Outer Darkness” episode, people seemed to think that the details were accurate, but the lack of context makes what was depicted meaningless to outsiders. I had thought along similar lines while watching the episode.

I wasn’t disturbed by what was shown in the temple scenes of the episode. However, for the first time since watching the show, my Mormon background positively bristled with the inconsistencies and inaccuracies in this episode. Ultimately, to viewers who care more about the integrity of the story than the integrity of the religious details, these inaccuracies probably don’t matter. However, in the context of the characters and the story, I’d like to set the record straight. Read the rest of this entry »

Tracy Morgan is back! Not that he ever really left the building, as he just moved to a different floor to star in 30 Rock, but he’s back on SNL. Going into this episode, I was curious about how Morgan would do, because, frankly, he was never really that prominent when he was a cast member.

Morgan did an adequate job, even if he spent most of the time blatantly reading cue cards. I thought it was kind of charming, like when Christopher Walken does it. I thought the material in this episode was pretty good. There was a great digital short, a good Weekend Update, live animals on live TV, a Tina Fey sighting, lots of Tracy Morgan in drag, and most importantly: there were no poop jokes! Only a few of the sketches fell flat for me.

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I was raised in the Mormon Church. I was baptized and attended Brigham Young University for two years. I have entered Mormon temples to be sealed to my parents and brother. I have performed baptisms for the dead. However, I never took part in the endowment ceremony that is going to be depicted on Big Love on March 15. Therefore, I am curious about what parts of the ceremony will be shown on this week’s show.

You might think that, as a former Mormon (I removed my name from the church’s records in 1997), I would know about the endowment ceremony. However, not only are the temple ordinances not spoken of with non-members; they are also not discussed outside the temple, or among members who have not yet attended. Even though I have read accounts written by former members and have spoken with Mormon friends and family members, I couldn’t honestly tell you what happens in those ceremonies. The fact that Mormons hold these ceremonies to be sacred and not appropriate for casual conversation are one of the reasons that Mormons are angry that this subject matter will play any role in any television show, period — not just Big Love. Read the rest of this entry »