Okay, so I finally caught up on Season Two of HBO’s “Big Love“–a series that I became addicted to in my efforts to critique the show’s treatment of women (whoops)–and this week’s episode, “Vision Thing,” had an interesting twist.
We’re all used to critiquing polygamy from our armchairs at home while watching Bill and company critique those Mormons who don’t “live the principle,” versus their neighbors critique those who do. But so far the series has done little in the way of showing how Bill and his three wives feel about other religious traditions.
That is until “Vision Quest” gave us a window into sister-wives Nicki and Margene’s feelings about Catholicism.
In this latest episode we find out that Wayne, Nicki and Bill’s son, attends a Catholic elementary school–not only because it’s an excellent school but because it’s far enough away from home that Bill can publicly claim Wayne as his son. But when Nicki finds Wayne playing with a rosary at home, she freaks out (to put it mildly) about this devil’s plaything, snatches it from him and dangles it over the garbage can while Margene (who we find out went to Catholic school all her life) yells that Nicki can absolutely not throw away something so sacred to another faith tradition.
Nicki–in typical Nicki fashion–harrumphs in response and drops it into the trash. The following day finds Nicki walking into the beautiful school cathedral–suddenly surrounded by its stained glass windows, its statue of Mary, the giant crucifix, the reverant silence–only to then shatter this peace and admonish one of the nuns for indoctrinating her son. Between her anger at all things Catholic and Wayne’s comments at the dinner table about celebrating the Feast of the Assumption (when Mary ascends into heaven) with a school pageant, Nicki decides Wayne must be homeschooled.
Needless to say, Nicki isn’t exactly a competent tutor, and between the whole family’s intervention about Nicki getting over the fact that Wayne’s school is excellent and Catholics are not so bad, the end of the episode has Wayne dressed as an angel with proud Mom Nicki and Papa Bill there to watch the pageant.
Very interesting. And very amusing.
posted July 12, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I am a practicing Catholic and LOVE this show. This episode was interesting and entertaining. I wonder how this is going to play out!?
posted November 7, 2007 at 8:42 am
I hope this show can shine some light on catholism. Many don’t believe we are Christian. We believe that Christ came, and was crusified and died for our sins. However, many faiths believe we are some sort of cult. We don’t worship Mary. We honor her with the highest reguard. She was our Lord and Savior’s mother. When the rosary is prayed it is for example, like one is talking to their mother, asking for help and guidence, and having mother talk to our Father. I hope everyone realizes that Catholics are Christians too, in fact, your protistant religion stems from that of the Catholic faith. I think more people should actually learn more about the faith before juding. I haven’t seen the show, however, from what I have read, I believe many react to the Rosary as the lady in the show. I don’t like that Hollywood always puts crime with the catholic faith. Everyone is human, however, it seems we take the blunt of all the violence and hardships in religion. If it weren’t for Mel Gibson, many would not realize that Catholics are Christian too. Thank you Mel.