Block Party (Big Love)

Last updated
"Block Party"
Big Love episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 1
Directed by Dan Attias
Written by
Cinematography by Anette Haellmigk
Editing byByron Smith
Original release dateJanuary 18, 2009 (2009-01-18)
Running time56 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Oh, Pioneers"		Next →
"Empire"
List of episodes

"Block Party" is the first episode of the third season of the American drama television series Big Love . It is the 25th overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by Dan Attias. It originally aired on HBO on January 18, 2009.

Contents

The series is set in Salt Lake City and follows Bill Henrickson, a fundamentalist Mormon. He practices polygamy, having Barbara, Nicki and Margie as his wives. The series charts the family's life in and out of the public sphere in their suburb, as well as their associations with a fundamentalist compound in the area. In the episode, Bill tries to sign a new client, while Nicki tries to help Roman by working at the DA's office.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.16 million household viewers and gained a 0.6 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received very positive reviews from critics, who praised the new storylines and performances.

Plot

Bill (Bill Paxton) and Margie (Ginnifer Goodwin) have welcome their child, Nell. Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) is also starting a new job, unbeknownst to her family, at the DA's office to find any evidence against Roman (Harry Dean Stanton), who is facing rape charges. Nicki also faces backlash at her own block, as the neighbors are aware of her connection to Roman. Barbara (Jeanne Tripplehorn) believes her cervical cancer might be back, and starts getting tests.

Bill is still dating Ana (Branka Katić), despite knowing she does not plan to marry him. Bill and Don (Joel McKinnon Miller) are also trying to convince Jerry Flute (Robert Beltran), a Native American businessman, to partner in a Mormon-friendly casino outside the city. While Jerry is interested, he does not believe Bill has the experience to pull it off. At his car, Bill is surprised to find his half-brother Frankie (Mark L. Young), who has been kicked out of Juniper Creek by Frank (Bruce Dern). Bill takes Frankie with Frank, who has married Kathy's twin sister Jodean (Mireille Enos), but Frank refuses to let Frankie back. As they return to the city, Frankie flees from Bill's car. That night, Bill helps Nicki in cleaning her house when they find that some neighbors covered it in toilet papering. After learning of a potential fourth wife, Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) considers leaving Utah for college, disappointing Heather (Tina Majorino).

Alby (Matt Ross) meets up with a man to have sex at a bathroom, but the man suddenly attacks him and drowns him. Before he can finish the job, pedestrians enter, forcing the assailant to flee. He deduces Bill was responsible, but Nicki claims they were not involved. Nicki finds two key witnesses on Roman's case and informs Adaleen (Mary Kay Place), who does not feel bad for Alby's assault. Bill falls into temptation and has sex with Ana, prompting him to break up with her. Seeing that the neighbors now are ignoring the family, Bill decides to take his family to a block party, where he gets aggressive when a neighbor makes a poor comment on his family. However, they realize that no one knows about their lifestyle due to a simple misunderstanding. Nicki then proclaims herself as Roman's daughter and asks the neighbors to respect the Henricksons for their support. As the family reunites, Ana shows up, willing to accept everything to become Bill's fourth wife.

Production

Development

The episode was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by Dan Attias. This was Olsen's 14th writing credit, Scheffer's 14th writing credit, and Attias' second directing credit. [1]

Reception

Viewers

In its original American broadcast, "Block Party" was seen by an estimated 1.16 million household viewers with a 0.6 in the 18–49 demographics. This means that 0.6 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. [2] This was a massive 60% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by an estimated 2.88 million household viewers with a 1.4 in the 18–49 demographics. [3]

Critical reviews

"Block Party" received very positive reviews from critics. Amelie Gillette of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A–" grade and wrote, "One of the reasons that the show holds such dramatic weight is that it allows us to peek over the fence(s) of a practicing polygamist family, and watch as they try to assimilate into the culture at large. But as Season Three begins, the dark side of polygamy casts a shadow over any sun-bleached suburban vision of "the principle" that the Hendricksons might have created." [4]

Nick Catucci of Vulture wrote, "With this premiere, we dive deep into season three, and even deeper into this gender-polarized world, from Anna, whom “we want to formally date,” to matriarch Barb, secretly confronting cancer." [5] Emily St. James of Slant Magazine wrote, "It isn't a perfect episode (it's not a perfect show), but it is a good one and a very entertaining one (which, again, would describe the show itself)." [6]

Mark Blankenship of HuffPost gave the episode an "A–" grade and wrote, "The claustrophobia makes me deliciously uneasy. With all this energy in such a tiny space, something is going to blow. One of these closed-off communities will either open up or get totally decimated, or else the show's going to get so limited that it will get stale." [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Big Love</i> American drama television series

Big Love is an American drama television series created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer that aired on HBO from 2006 to 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a fundamentalist Mormon family in contemporary Utah that practices polygamy, with Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin portraying his wives. The series charts the family's life in and out of the public sphere in their Salt Lake City suburb, as well as their associations with a fundamentalist compound in the area. It features key supporting performances from Amanda Seyfried, Grace Zabriskie, Daveigh Chase, Matt Ross, Mary Kay Place, Bruce Dern, Melora Walters, and Harry Dean Stanton.

"Affair" is the fifth episode of the American drama television series Big Love. The episode was written by co-executive producer Alexa Junge and series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer from a story by Junge, and directed by Alan Taylor. It originally aired on HBO on April 9, 2006.

"A Barbecue for Betty" is the ninth episode of the American drama television series Big Love. The episode was written by producer Jill Sprecher and series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer from a story by Sprecher and Karen Sprecher, and directed by Julian Farino. It originally aired on HBO on May 7, 2006.

"The Ceremony" is the twelfth episode and first season finale of the American drama television series Big Love. The episode was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by Julian Farino. It originally aired on HBO on June 4, 2006.

"Damage Control" is the first episode of the second season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the thirteenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by Daniel Minahan. It originally aired on HBO on June 11, 2007.

"The Writing on the Wall" is the second episode of the second season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the fourteenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by Sarah Pia Anderson. It originally aired on HBO on June 18, 2007.

"Oh, Pioneers" is the twelfth episode and season finale of the second season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 24th overall episode of the series and was written by Dustin Lance Black, Eileen Myers and series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by Julian Farino. It originally aired on HBO on August 26, 2007.

"Empire" is the second episode of the third season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 26th overall episode of the series and was written by co-producer Dustin Lance Black and series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer from a story by Black, and directed by Jim McKay. It originally aired on HBO on January 25, 2009.

"Prom Queen" is the third episode of the third season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 27th overall episode of the series and was written by Eileen Myers, and directed by David Petrarca. It originally aired on HBO on February 1, 2009.

"On Trial" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 28th overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by executive producer David Knoller. It originally aired on HBO on February 8, 2009.

"For Better or Worse" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 29th overall episode of the series and was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and directed by Julie Anne Robinson. It originally aired on HBO on February 15, 2009.

"Rough Edges" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 32nd overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by consulting producer Dan Attias. It originally aired on HBO on March 8, 2009.

"Sacrament" is the tenth episode and season finale of the third season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 34th overall episode of the series and was written by Victoria Morrow from a story by Coleman Herbert, and directed by consulting producer Dan Attias. It originally aired on HBO on March 22, 2009.

"Free at Last" is the first episode of the fourth season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 35th overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by producer Dan Attias. It originally aired on HBO on January 10, 2010.

"Strange Bedfellows" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 37th overall episode of the series and was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and directed by Adam Davidson. It originally aired on HBO on January 24, 2010.

"Under One Roof" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 40th overall episode of the series and was written by Coleman Herbert, and directed by producer Dan Attias. It originally aired on HBO on February 14, 2010.

"End of Days" is the ninth episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 43rd overall episode of the series and was written by Eileen Myers, and directed by David Petrarca. It originally aired on HBO on March 7, 2010.

"Winter" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 44th overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by David Petrarca. It originally aired on HBO on January 16, 2011.

"D.I.V.O.R.C.E." is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 49th overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by Howard Deutch. It originally aired on HBO on February 20, 2011.

"When Men and Mountains Meet" is the series finale of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the tenth episode of the fifth season and the 53rd overall episode of the series. The episode was written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, and directed by Dan Attias. It originally aired on HBO on March 20, 2011.

References

  1. ↑ "Big Love – WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending January 18, 2009". Ratings Ryan. July 24, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending August 26, 2007". Ratings Ryan. January 10, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  4. ↑ Gillette, Amelie (January 18, 2009). "Big Love: "Block Party"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  5. ↑ Nussbaum, Emily (January 20, 2009). "Big Love Season Premiere: The Hot-Dog Man, Back on the Job". Vulture . Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  6. ↑ St. James, Emily (January 19, 2009). "Big Love Recap: Season 3, Episode 1, "Block Party"". Slant Magazine . Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  7. ↑ Blankenship, Mark (January 19, 2009). ""Big" Review: Big Love Season 3, Ep. 1. (Spoilers!)". HuffPost . Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.