Sacrament (Big Love)
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| "Sacrament" | |
|---|---|
| Big Love episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 10 |
| Directed by | Dan Attias |
| Story by | Coleman Herbert |
| Teleplay by | Victoria Morrow |
| Cinematography by | Alan Caso |
| Editing by | Chris Figler |
| Original release date | March 22, 2009 |
| Running time | 53 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"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.
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 and Roman collaborate to save a young girl, while Sarah makes a big announcement.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.73 million household viewers and gained a 1.3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics, who praised the closure to Roman's character, writing, performances and pacing.
Bill (Bill Paxton) and Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) begin their separation, with Nicki preparing to leave the house. Later, Bill meets with Ray (Charles Esten) and Roman (Harry Dean Stanton), preparing for their operation to save Ted's and Cindy's daughter from the Greenes. Bill asks Ray to delay Roman's arrest until a certain time, so he cannot flee, which he reluctantly accepts.
While heading to the meeting, Bill discovers that Roman will deviate from their plan, and the meeting will take place in a different location. A confident Roman is certain his plan will work, and gives them the document, but Hollis (Luke Askew) suspects the document is false. When Roman refuses to bow before them, the Greenes refuse to release the daughter and leave the scene. Bill forces Roman to contact Selma (Sandy Martin), who agrees to meet with him to give him the daughter. Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) surprises Scott (Aaron Paul) by proposing marriage, but Barbara (Jeanne Tripplehorn) cannot give them her blessing before consulting with Bill. She is aghast when Bill actually gives them his blessing, expressing her uncertainty over their future.
At the compound, J.J. (Željko Ivanek) surprises Nicki by bringing along a young girl, Cara Lynn (Cassi Thomson), introducing her as their daughter. When Barbara visits, Nicki states that she abandoned Cara Lynn when she ended her marriage to J.J., and she is feeling lost with her new life. Margie (Ginnifer Goodwin) gets a new job as a TV pitchwoman and decides to sell her car to boost her business, angering Bill. To build awareness, she brings Nell to her TV appearance, which makes for a great impression. Bill discovers that the letter was fake, and Ray warns him to stick to the plan or he could face criminal charges.
En route to Selma's location, Bill reveals Ray's plan to Roman and gets him to leave their car to go into Bill's car. Alby (Matt Ross) decides to proceed with his plan in killing Roman, and leaves a bomb outside his hotel room, unaware that he is not inside. As Adaleen (Mary Kay Place) prepares to open, the bomb is accidentally turned on by a maid, fatally hitting Alby. Realizing that Bill knows Roman killed Kathy, she calls Roman, who in turn takes Bill hostage in the car. After getting the daughter back, Roman gets Selma to flee, unaware that Don (Joel McKinnon Miller) is following her and leading to her arrest. Roman flees back to Juniper Creek, and Alby's family quickly leaves the property.
In the aftermath, Bill tells Ted (Patrick Fabian) that he is cutting ties with him on the casino after consulting with the church. In custody, Selma testifies against Roman, finally allowing Ray to charge him with murder. At his home, Roman is shocked to find Joey awaiting him. Joey then suffocates him with a pillow, avenging Kathy's death. Bill returns home, where he gives a statement where he proclaims they are "a new church." Suddenly, Nicki arrives with Cara Lynn, and the family is delighted to see them.
Production
Development
The episode was written by Victoria Morrow from a story by Coleman Herbert, and directed by consulting producer Dan Attias. This was Morrow's first writing credit, Herbert's first writing credit, and Attias' fifth directing credit.[1]