If you happen to're like us, you had been hooked on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives over the previous yr.
However in case you're lacking the women of MomTok and their scandalous tales, we suggest trying out one other present about Mormon wives — albeit a gaggle who're very completely different from the MomTok crew.
And no, we don't imply TLC's Sister Wives — we're speaking about HBO's acclaimed drama collection Large Love. Watch With Us recommends you stream this gripping drama present in July 2025 — right here's why it is best to test it out on HBO Max.
It's a Advanced, Non-Judgmental Take a look at Polygamy
Large Love revolves round Invoice Henrickson (Bill Paxton), a person who was excommunicated by his excessive Fundamentalist sect (the United Effort Brotherhood, or UEB) as a youngster. In Salt Lake Metropolis, he met and married Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), a extra modernized Mormon lady, and didn't intend to comply with “the precept” of plural marriage — however when it appeared that Barb would die of most cancers, he married Nicki (Chloë Sevigny), one of many daughters of the UEB prophet, who helped care for her.
Miraculously, Barb went into remission, leaving Invoice with two wives. A couple of years later, Invoice fell in love with Margene Heffman (Ginnifer Goodwin) and added her to the household as effectively. When the collection begins, Invoice, Barb, Nicki and Margene dwell in neighboring homes with adjoining backyards, with their many kids rising up as siblings.
The backstory of Large Love's polygamist household units up a whole lot of fascinating storytelling, however probably the most fascinating parts is the case of Barb and Nicki. Their marriage to Invoice presents a uncommon case by which viewers who don't apply or help polygamy may nonetheless perceive how somebody may genuinely fall in love with multiple particular person. Although Large Love doesn't precisely encourage polygamy, it doesn't condemn it both — so long as it's carried out by consenting adults, not like most of the abusive and coercive marriages portrayed within the UEB compound.
At present, non-monogamous relationships are extra mainstream than ever, although not usually within the context of marriage and faith. If you happen to've seen Large Love earlier than, it's value rewatching to see the parallels the present attracts between polygamy and different “nontraditional” relationship kinds, similar to same-sex marriage (which was nonetheless unlawful in most states when the present premiered in 2006).
The Big Forged of Characters Is Engrossing
Harry Dean Stanton in Large Love HBO
4 adults and eight kids — and that's simply Invoice's rapid household. Large Love balances their tales, in addition to these of the prolonged households that Nicki and Invoice left behind on the UEB compound, expertly. Nicki's power-hungry father Roman (Harry Dean Stanton) and devious, closeted brother Alby (Matt Ross) overlap with tales about Invoice's growing older and impoverished dad and mom, Frank (Bruce Dern) and Lois (Grace Zabriskie), in addition to Invoice and Barb's teenage youngsters Ben (Douglas Smith) and Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) and extra
HBO Max is having a terrific 2025. From the debut of The Pitt in January to the latest return of The Gilded Age and And Simply Like That, the Warner Bros.-owned streamer has been cranking out hit after hit. That's not going to cease in July. HBO Max simply unveiled subsequent month's content material lineup, and […]
It will be dishonest to say that Large Love by no means feels crowded, nevertheless it's a testomony to the ability of the performances that every one the storylines are genuinely engrossing. It's just like Sport of Thrones within the scope of its world-building, regardless of happening in a way more grounded actuality.
‘Large Love' Doesn't Shy Away From Darkness — or Gentle
Regardless of the aforementioned non-judgmental angle towards consensual polygamy, Large Love is a pointy and well-researched take a look at among the worst abuses of Fundamentalist Mormon sects. The location of underage ladies whose dad and mom imagine they're prepared for marriage in a “Pleasure Ebook,” a type of catalog of potential wives, is a serious plot level for Nicki's arc in season 3. The “Pleasure Ebook” is straight out of the headlines about Warren Jeffs, a Fundamentalist chief who was arrested in 2006. (Large Love premiered that very same yr.)
HBO Max 2.0 is off to a fantastic begin, having added a gripping new anthology collection referred to as Rage, which Watch With Us extremely recommends trying out in July 2025. Favor actuality TV? Don't miss season 15 of Expedition Unknown, the place host Josh Gates explores fascinating legends all over the world. Thank You! You've got efficiently subscribed. […]
Whereas Large Love's drama is darkish, it additionally emphasizes the real love and acceptance among the many members of the Henrickson household, regardless of their many disagreements and variations. The Large Love within the present's title is a real presence within the story, inflicting the viewer to query their assumptions about love and household.
Large Love is an advanced, messy and, appropriately, huge present — and that's what makes it nice. If you happen to've seen it earlier than, it's value revisiting within the context of fixing cultural attitudes about monogamy, and if it's new to you, then you definitely're in for some actually charming tv.
