The Special Relationship (Big Love)
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Episode 5
| "The Special Relationship" | |
|---|---|
| Big Love episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | David Petrarca |
| Written by | Patricia Breen |
| Cinematography by | Rob Sweeney |
| Editing by | Chris Figler |
| Original release date | February 13, 2011 |
| Running time | 59 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Special Relationship" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 48th overall episode of the series and was written by supervising producer Patricia Breen, and directed by David Petrarca. It originally aired on HBO on February 13, 2011.
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 realizes that adopting Cara Lynn will require him to divorce Barbara, while Verlan acts as an enforcer for Alby.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.99 million household viewers and gained a 0.4/1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the storylines and performances.
Bill (Bill Paxton) begins his Senate duties. Barn (Gregory Itzin) is willing to move past their previous arguments over the impeachment if Bill avoids another PR disaster. Bill agrees, and also asks for funds for Safety Net, which Barn immediately obtains. Bill decides to let Margie (Ginnifer Goodwin) talk to the press on behalf of their family, confident that she can handle it.
Verlan (Kevin Rankin) visits Alby (Matt Ross) for help, as he is facing a possible manslaughter charge. Alby agrees to help him, but he needs to work as an enforcer for him. To legally adopt Cara Lynn (Cassi Thomson), Bill needs to divorce Barbara (Jeanne Tripplehorn), as he and Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) cannot adopt as they are not legally married. Nicki is delighted upon hearing the news, and despite Bill forbidding her from influencing Barbara, she explains that she needs to stay close to Cara Lynn as she fears that Rhonda (Daveigh Chase) will be a bad influence on her.
On Alby's orders, Verlan attacks Don (Joel McKinnon Miller) during a fishing trip with his family, but Verlan realizes that his job is not finished yet. Lois (Grace Zabriskie) refuses to accept her dementia diagnosis, and calls Frank (Bruce Dern) to get her out of the house. Bill interferes and reveals her diagnosis to Frank, who subsequently leaves without her. Despite her complaints, Bill refuses to let her stay alone or unsupervised. Fearing that her mother is not considering her feelings, Cara Lynn decides to move in with Greg (Christian Campbell). Bill is asked by LDS officials to refrain from referring to himself as a Mormon, as they fear he is tainting their image by linking it to polygamy, but Bill refuses. At an intern mixer, Barbara finally tells Bill that she will agree to the divorce.
Production
Development
The episode was written by supervising producer Patricia Breen, and directed by David Petrarca. This was Breen's third writing credit, and Petrarca's seventh directing credit.[1]