Roush Review: 'Big Love' Finale

If HBO were to do a sequel to Big Love, it would have to be called something like The Three Sister-Wives. Not exactly Chekhov, but I'd probably watch. Barb, Margene and Nicki carrying on without Bill: That's already a home plus.

I had drifted a while ago from the flock of followers of this weird and lately quite preachy series about polygamy and family and faith, but did a marathon catch-up over the last week in time to watch the final chapter, which aimed for transcendence and at times achieved it. The hour-plus finale thankfully shucked much of the grotesque Utah-Mormon-Gothic melodrama (murderously mad prophet Alby was taken care of last week, shot down but not killed when he tried to storm the statehouse with the Henricksons inside) and stressed the themes of an unorthodox family and marriage unit fighting for acceptance and survival in a judgmental and often violently unforgiving world. (If you want to see this as a metaphor for the ongoing fight for gay marriage equality, I won't stop you.

' Big Love' finale ends in death: Watch the final moments and weigh in

Sunday's "Big Love" finale concluded with a change: its theme song, the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," was re-recorded by the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines. The choice to have the song sung by a woman -- with the iconic lyrics, God only knows what I'd be without you -- became particularly poignant as the events unfolded.

Spoiler alert: After a surprisingly successful launch of a new church, Bill Hendrickson is shot and killed by a disgruntled neighbor. The family that he leaves behind is in a state of transition, as Barb seeks female empowerment, Margene considers a long trip to South Africa, and Nicki clings to the roots of tradition.

As so often happens on television, the death is followed by a celebration of life: Sarah and Scott's baby is christened in Bill's church. "It breaks my heart that Bill can't see this," Margene says, sporting a new look and, more importantly, a new outlook. We then cut to a touching shot of Bill, watching from his usual place at the kitchen table.

What did you think of the sister wives being left husbandless in the final scenes of "Big Love"? Weigh in below on the series finale.

Bruce Pearl Fired at Tennessee

The winningest era in Tennessee Basketball history is over.

According to Jimmy Hyams from Knoxville radio station WNML, the University of Tennessee has fired head basketball coach Bruce Pearl, six months and one basketball season after a press conference last September which revealed an NCAA investigation into the basketball program.  Even though he was working without a contract, Pearl will receive a buyout from the university, the details of which reportedly caused the decision to be delayed through the weekend.  Hyams also reports the call was made by university chancellor Jimmy Cheek.  If/when there is a press conference, we will update with that information here.

For all of our jokes about timelines, here it is one more time:  Pearl committed a violation by hosting a high school junior recruit at his house for a BBQ, then lied about it to the NCAA.  Tennessee docked $1.5 million from Pearl's salary, and took him and his assistant coaches off the road in recruiting in staggered amounts, up to a year for Pearl.

But in what will stand as one of the most ill-advised decisions in this entire process, the university allowed Pearl and his coaches to stay on the road in recruiting for two weeks after the September press conference, before the suspensions began.  Four days after the press conference, Pearl committed a bump violation with a recruit in Virginia.  Though bump violations are very common and considered secondary, the timing and the fact that Pearl did not self-report it - believing it not to be a violation at all - put him in further trouble with the university and the NCAA.  Mike Slive suspended Pearl for the first eight games of SEC play this year after finding out about the bump.

As the Vols' season went into a flat spin after a 7-0 start and a blowout win at #3 Pittsburgh, so too did Pearl's future.  The public did not learn about the bump violation until the NCAA's letter arrived in late February, and three weeks later athletic director Mike Hamilton gave a radio interview in which he said that Pearl would be evaluated at the end of the season.  It is certainly possible that Pearl's future had already been decided at that point, and that the 30 point loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament (which Hamilton's interview certainly had an impact on) nor the massive support Pearl has received from the fanbase over the last 72 hours made any difference in the end.

So here we are now at the end.  And if Pearl's first five years brought the greatest joy Tennessee Basketball fans have ever known, this ending brings us our greatest tragedy.

Star-divide

It's not a tragedy simply because Pearl is gone - it remains to be seen what the NCAA will do to the program, especially now that Pearl is out.  It remains to be seen, and will be discussed here and everywhere over the next several days/weeks, who the Vols will hire next, and what kind of job he will do.  We may look back in a few years and see exactly how far we have fallen.  Or we may look back with great appreciation for the good job the next guy is able to do.

But this is tragic because the whole situation was so unnecessary.  Bruce Pearl is responsible for Bruce Pearl, and at the end he is no longer the coach here because of his own actions.  Obviously the two violations were wrong, but had Pearl just been honest, it seems likely the Vols would have been dealing with only secondary violations.

It's tragic because even though Pearl will be labeled a "cheater" by some, all of his on-court success is valid.  This isn't a situation where we found out after the fact that all of the great moments we've enjoyed over the last six years were tainted because Pearl cheated and affected the outcome.  Pearl's record will stand as the best of any Tennessee Basketball coach, ever.  One year ago this Friday, we beat Ohio State to make the program's first ever Elite Eight.  And one year later, it's over.

The timing of all the events of the last few weeks are tragic - Hamilton's interview killed a team that was playing in the NCAA Tournament.  And yet, there have certainly been plenty of rumors (plus Hyams' report today) that this decision was made over Hamilton's head, by higher-ups in the university including Chancellor Jimmy Cheek.  It's believed by many that Hamilton fought for his basketball coach, but if that information never fully comes to light, the majority of the fanbase is going to go after Hamilton.  Regardless of your opinion of Mike Hamilton, stay classy, Tennessee.

And it's obviously not that Hamilton had everyone's support before last September.  But if Hamilton fought for Pearl and still ends up getting outed by an outraged but misinformed fanbase, that too would be tragic.

Tennessee Basketball and Bruce Pearl (and his staff) needed each other.  The Vols will go on with someone new and we'll see what happens, but Pearl and his staff will almost certainly receive show-cause letters that will keep them out of the college game for a number of years.  Pearl would do an excellent job on television if he so chooses, and having just turned 51, will probably still have his pick of schools when the show-cause penalty is up.  I hope none of them are in the SEC.

Tennessee Basketball will go on, but will do so without the coach who stands on tables in the university center and paints his chest for the Lady Vols.  Someone else may win here - though it would be an absolute miracle if the next guy pulls off what Pearl did in his first five years - but they will be a different person.  The next hire can't be Bruce Pearl, they'll have to be who they are.  And hopefully, we will grow to love them.

But we'll always miss Bruce Pearl.

Bruce Pearl Fired As Tennessee Basketball Coach

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee wanted to stick with the coach who led the Volunteers program to its greatest achievements. In the end, the university fired Bruce Pearl for too many transgressions away from the court.

Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton said in a statement released late Monday that school officials decided to dismiss Pearl, who has been charged by the NCAA with unethical conduct, after learning of additional violations committed on Sept. 14, 2010, and in March 2011.

"Upon receipt of our NCAA Letter of Inquiry in September, we made the difficult decision to forego common national opinion and forge ahead with Bruce and his staff pending any further major infractions or issues that would preclude our basketball program from representing the University of Tennessee in the right manner," Hamilton said. "The cumulative effect of the evolution of the investigation combined with a number of more recent non-NCAA-related incidents have led to a belief that this staff cannot be viable at Tennessee in the future."

Hamilton did not offer any more detail on the March violation or incidents not related to the NCAA investigation. He said the search for a new coach will begin immediately and named video scouting coordinator Houston Fancher, a former Appalachian State coach, as interim coach until Pearl's replacement is hired.

Tennessee will pay Pearl $948,728 worth of salary and benefits as part of his dismissal agreement. His assistants will be paid at their current salary rate through July 31.

Pearl acknowledged in a tearful press conference on Sept. 10 that he had given investigators false information when asked about a cookout at his home attended by high school juniors. The NCAA has since charged the Tennessee basketball and football programs with a dozen violations.

He failed to notify Tennessee of another possible recruiting violation that occurred Sept. 14. Instead, the NCAA informed Tennessee that Pearl had violated its "bump rule" after speaking with a high school junior on a recruiting trip to Georgia that day.

"In September, I said that Bruce Pearl was our coach and I expected him to be our coach for a long time," UT-Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek said. "I am disappointed with the events that have brought us to this point today, events that I would call "the cumulative effect of evolving circumstances.'"'

Pearl has not commented publicly, but after a 75-45 loss to Michigan on Friday in the second round of the NCAA tournament said that he planned to be accountable for the mistakes he had made but his "goal and desire is to be the basketball coach at Tennessee next year and for a long time."

Dancing With The Stars: Hines Ward Set To Make Debut on Popular Reality TV Show

Is tonight the night that I tune in to ABC's Dancing With The Stars for the first time? The 12th season of the immensely popular reality show debuts tonight, and my favorite Pittsburgh Steeler, Hines Ward, is a contestant. Hmm, we'll see, my docket is looking fairly full this evening, but I certainly plan on checking out how Hines does on the dance floor in upcoming weeks.What about you all? Any interest? Is the show's format entertaining?

Ward, who I mentioned had been practicing as many as five hours a day in preparation for the contest, is eager to see how he'll stack up against the diverse range of celebrity contestants.

Hines Ward and Kym Johnson conquer the Cha Cha on 'Dancing with the Stars'

And we're back "Dancing with the Stars" fans!

Welcome to Season 12, where in a not-so-surprising twist, a professional athlete is one of the early frontrunners for the coveted title and mirror ball. Same story, different season? So it seems.

Football star Hines Ward made his "Dancing" debut on Monday, Mar. 21, where he took on the Cha Cha with his partner Kym Johnson.

So what did the judges have to say about the all-pro Pittsburg Steeler's dance moves? Len Goodman said, "You continue the tradition of good footballers who can dance," Carrie Ann Inaba called it the "sparkliest Cha Cha" and Bruno Tonioli complimented the timing. All of the judges gave them a 7 for a total score of 21 points. Not bad for your first try, Hines!

Is Derek Hough from Dancing With The Stars married?

Nope.

Hough dated actress and former DWTS partner, Shannon Elizabeth for more than a year. on August 7, 2009, via their Twitter accounts, both Derek and Shannon announced their breakup. Derek later revealed they broke up in July. Previously, Hough dated British actress/singer/songwriter India de Beaufort for several years. In February 2010, Hough met up with British pop-star Cheryl Cole during her visit to Los Angeles, after rumours that she was to be splitting with footballer husband Ashley Cole. there has been speculation that the pair were romantically involved after Hough and his pet dog spent seven hours in her hotel room one evening. Hough was again seen meeting Cole at a Los Angeles hotel on 3 April 2010.[6]

Nope he's single

Is Derek Hough from Dancing With The Stars married?

Derek Hough Is M.I.A. From DWTS, But Catch Him Tomorrow On GMA!

Did you catch the season 12 premiere of Dancing With The Stars tonight? This is the first season that I watched without a favorite…I’m keeping an open mind and hoping to see some new favorites step forward.

And there was no elimination this week, which means that the newbie couples who didn’t shine tonight at least have one more chance to redeem themselves – and I’m sure they are all hoping to avoid next week’s elimination as well.

If you haven’t been watching, some big-named-stars stepped forward to compete: Kendra Wilkinson, Wendy Williams, Ralph Macchio, and Kirstie Alley, just to name a few.

But a couple notable Dancing With The Stars faces are missing….where are Derek Hough and Julianne Hough this season?

Derek Hough isn’t on the show, because get this, he wanted to hang out with his British-uber-hot girlfriend Cheryl Cole. Wow! Interesting reason, isn’t it?

Also missing is Julianne Hough, Derek Hough’s sister. No word on where she’s disappeared to – wonder if she’s too busy hanging out with her boyfriend Ryan Seacrest?

Derek Hough is appearing on Tuesday, March 22nd’s Good Morning America.wonder if we’ll get more details then......

VCU wins 3rd NCAA game, routs Purdue 94-76

CHICAGO AP  The question is no longer whether Virginia Commonwealth belongs. Instead, it’s: Who can stop the Rams?

Bradford Burgess scored 23 points and 11th seeded VCU made it three victories in five days Sunday night, routing third-seeded Purdue 94-76 to earn a trip to the Southwest regional semifinals.

VCU’s remarkable run sends the Rams to the round of 16 for the first time in school history.

With their fans chanting “VCU, VCU” as the final seconds ticked off the clock, they’ve now ousted Southern Cal, Georgetown and Purdue since Wednesday night.

Deep, fast and talented, VCU (26-11) will play Florida State on Friday in San Antonio in the first NCAA tournament game matching a No. 10 seed against a No. 11 seed, according to STATS LLC.

Jamie Skeen added 13 points in a balanced scoring attack as the Rams led by as many 20, shutting down the Boilermakers (26-8) and, for most of the night, quieting a large contingent of Purdue fans at the United Center.

Speedy floor leader Joey Rodriguez scored 12 points and had 11 assists, controlling the tempo.

VCU shot 57 percent and had 26 assists to just four turnovers.

Big Ten Player of the Year JaJuan Johnson scored 25 in his final game for the Boilermakers to go with 14 rebounds. But Purdue’s other star, E’Twaun Moore, struggled and managed just 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting

Ryne Smith had 20 points for Purdue, hitting 6 of 8 on 3/pointers.

VCU led by 10 at the half. Freshman Juvonte Reddic added 12 points, six early in the second half when the speedy Rams foiled a comeback by the Boilermakers by consistently getting open for short shots inside.

And after a timeout and a Boilermakers miss, Rodriguez didn’t hesitate from way beyond the top of the key, sinking an NBA-length 3-pointer and putting the Rams up 59-44. VCU hit seven of its first eight shots in the second half to keep up what it started in the first.

When Burgess drove for a layup and then got open and sank a 3/pointer he put the Rams ahead by 19 with just more than 11 minutes left.

The Rams shot 50 percent in the first half, had a 13/0 run, were up by as many as 13 and held on for a 42-32 cushion at intermission behind 10 points each from Burgess and Brandon Rozzell.

Playing at a frenetic pace, the Rams didn’t look like a team playing their third game in five nights, proving early that their quickness, tenacity and deep bench would pose problems for the Boilermakers. Moving the ball to the open man, they let the shifty Rodriguez direct play on the floor with his dribble.

Moments after the Boilermakers Lewis Jackson had his layup attempt blocked by Burgess, bringing the crowd to its feet, Rozzell hit another 3-pointer, pushing the lead to nine.

VCU had knocked off Southern Cal in Dayton on Wednesday night arrived in Chicago during the wee hours Thursday and then blew out Georgetown on Friday.

Smith, who took an elbow to the head and missed two practices last week found the range early, sinking his first four shots — three of them 3-pointers — in the first seven minutes. He had 11 points early and nearly doubled his average of 5.8. He finished the half with 14 points, keeping Purdue from being run out of the United Center even earlier........

VCU Beats Purdue 94-76, Wins 3rd NCAA Tournament Game

CHICAGO  Oh yeah  VCU belongs in the NCAA tournament. The real question now: Who can stop the Rams?
Fresh, fast, furious and at times flawless, VCU didn't look a bit like a team playing its third game in five nights. The Rams pressured Purdue, broke through its defense for numerous layups, and overwhelmed the third-seeded Boilermakers of the Big Ten 94-76 Sunday night to earn their first trip to the round of 16.
As their fans chanted "VCU, VCU," players hugged and celebrated on the floor of the United Center. What a trip – what a week – it has been. Now it's on to San Antonio for the 11th-seeded Rams (26-11) to play the winner of Notre Dame-Florida State on Friday in the Southwest regional semifinals.

It was just a week ago the Rams received an at-large bid to the disbelief of some critics. Shuttled off to Dayton for a first-round game, they beat Southern Cal on Wednesday, got into Chicago in the wee hours Thursday, routed Georgetown on Friday and then did the same to the Boilermakers.

"A week ago, we thought we were done," said the relentless point guard Joey Rodriguez, who had 12 points, 11 assists and no turnovers in 34 minutes.

"And now, we're here in the Sweet 16. Anything can happen now."

Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose Boilermakers 26-8 were denied a third straight trip to the round of 16, agreed."If you watched VCU a certain time in the season you wouldn't see what you just watched out there," Painter said. "Then you watch them during a four- or five-game stretch and you literally think, `They can beat any team in the country. I made that statement   VCU can beat any team in the country on a neutral court. And I believe that. I was hoping that team wouldn't show up, but that team from VCU did show up.
Bradford Burgess scored 23 points to lead a balanced offense, and the Rams' depth wore the Boilermakers down in the second half when the lead reached 20 points.

Marquette University Advances to NCAA Sweet Sixteen

The Marquette University men’s basketball team defeated Syracuse 66-62 Sunday night to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Darius Johnson-Odom’s three-pointer with 27 seconds left snapped a tie. The Golden Eagles will play the University of North Carolina Friday, March 25, at the Prudential Center in Newark.

The women’s team came from behind to beat Texas 68-65 Saturday and will play Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA tournament Monday night. Tatiyiana McMorris hit a three-point shot in the final 10 seconds for the win.

Coronary artery bypass grafting for Kawasaki disease

Background  Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of pediatric ischemic heart disease. The incidence of serious coronary sequelae is low and about 2–3 of patients with KD, but once myocardial infarction occurs in children, the mortality is quite high and 22 at the first infarction.This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with KD.
Methods  Eight patients with a history of KD underwent CABG between October 1997 and July 2005. The number of bypass grafts placed was 2 to 4 per patient (mean 2.5±0.8). Various bypass grafts were used in patients, i.e. the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) in 3 patients, bilateral internal mammary artery (IMA) in 2 patients, LIMA plus gastroepiploic artery (GEA) in 1 patient and total saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) in 2 patients. The combined procedures included ventricular aneurysmectomy in 1 patient, mitral valve plasty in 1 and right coronary aneurysmectomy in 1. One patient was not able to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass CPB, after being supported with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), the patient was weaned from CPB successfully.
Results  One patient died of low cardiac output syndrome and acute renal failure 19 days after operation. Other patients recovered and were discharged uneventfully. During the follow-up that ranged from 3 to 57 months mean 27 months, clincal angina disappeared or improved. Cardiac function was in Class I,II NYHA.
Conclusion  CABG is a safe and effective procedure for Kawasaki coronary artery disease. However long term results need to be followed up.

Kawasaki Disease: No Link to Travolta Death

Jan. 5, 2009 -- Jett Travolta's childhood brush with Kawasaki disease is highly unlikely to have caused the seizures that may have led to his death, a Kawasaki expert tells WebMD.

Jett Travolta, the 16-year-old son of actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston, died on Jan. 2. The teen, known to have suffered frequent seizures, struck his head against the bathtub in the hotel where his family was staying, according to media reports.

Kawasaki disease is a mysterious and frightening illness. Might Kawasaki disease have caused Jett Travolta's seizures?

WebMD asked Kawasaki disease expert Nathan Litman, MD, chief of infectious disease and director of pediatrics at New York's Montefiore Medical Center.

"I am unaware of any association of Kawasaki disease with seizures," Litman tells WebMD.

Kawasaki disease can leave a person with an abnormally narrow coronary artery, and this can lead to a future heart attack. Early reports suggest Jett Travolta did not suffer a heart attack; an autopsy is under way.

Kawasaki disease, Signs and Causes

Kawasaki disease, Signs and Causes: Kawasaki disease also known as Kawasaki syndrome is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of small- and medium-sized arteries throughout the body, including the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle. Kawasaki disease is also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome because it also affects lymph nodes, skin, and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose and throat.

Signs of Kawasaki disease, such as a high fever and peeling skin, can be frightening. The good news is that Kawasaki disease is usually treatable, and most children recover from Kawasaki disease without serious problems.

No one knows what causes Kawasaki disease, but scientists don't believe the disease is contagious from person to person. A number of theories link the disease to bacteria, viruses or other environmental factors, but none has been proved. Certain genes may increase your child's susceptibility to Kawasaki disease.

You can visit mayoclinic.com to know more about Kawasaki disease, Symptoms, Treatments and drugs.

Big Love Series Finale Review: "When Men and Mountains Meet"

To

night's series finale episode, "When Men and Mountains Meet," had some shocking scenes, but overall I felt disappointed with how the show ended. This was the final episode after all and I felt that the writers held out in some areas, while rushed to complete some storelines as well.

For example, it was left for us to believe that Lois is killed by Frank.

Big Love Finale Photo

Throughout the years, Frank and Lois had been each others worst nightmare, but as the series dwindled down, they became closer than ever. Lois made Frank promise to end her life when things got really bad, but I was shocked to actually see him go through with it. I felt that the writers needed to prove that Lois and Frank really loved each other so very much after all, but really it just made these characters past storylines seem fake.

I knew that Carl would play a role larger than the minor cameos we had seen, but it wasn't until the final scene with Bill unexpectedly meeting him in the street that I knew what was going down. The writers added a layer here primarily for shock value because we all knew it was Alby that we expected to be holding that gun.

Alby twistedly got what he was after - for Bill to be dead.

Speaking of Alby, besides the quick mention of him and Adaleen, we never got to see any closure to his story.

How much time will Alby spend behind bars? What will happen to Juniper Creek? Who became the new prophet in his absence? It was odd that the writers would leave his storyline filled with so many holes and unanswered questions, especially since Alby was one of the main characters on this show.

Barbara's mission to become a priesthood holder almost tore the entire family apart. It took finally getting the chance to have the power she so desperately wanted, for her to realize that it wasn't worth a dime without her family being there.

Out of all that happened in tonight's episode, having Bill request Barb to give him a dying blessing was by far the most memorable scene.

He knew how important it was for her to be taken seriously, especially by him, and this action caused quite the reaction as we found out eleven months later that Barb took over Bill's church. In an odd way, Barb finally got the freedom in her religion that she yearned for.

Margene figured out that her life's purpose wasn't just to be Bill's third wife. She mentioned to him that as time passes she would want to go on missions to help the poor and unfortunate. At first, you can see Bill struggle with this idea, but eventually he was willing to accept her life's choice. He even told Nikki to be supportive.

Margene was by far my favorite character, but I wasn't happy to see that after eleven months since Bill's death that she cut off all her hair and left her children to go help others. A part of me believed that if Bill was alive, he wouldn't want the mother of his children to be gone for such long periods of time.

Nikki didn't get any closure to her character's storyline. After eleven months from Bill's death, she was still the same old Nikki. Maybe the writers were trying to show that she was the glue that held this crazy family together.

Cara Lynn was completely absent in the final minutes, only leaving us to guess where she could be. The meeting that Bill had with Cara Lynn was super strange and felt like he was trying to show her that he was okay wither her relationship with her teacher.

We all knew something had to happen before Bill got rushed off to jail and dethroned from the Senate, but I wasn't expecting him to open up a can of worms about making Polygamy legal. It was strange to watch him be so proud of what he created by imagining himself speaking to his forefathers. The writers never let us know what he was writing outside in his patio and if anything ever happened with the amendment.

As great as it was to see Sarah and her beau, whatever happened to Joey and Wanda? What about Tinny? All season long these people remained MIA, but I was certain that they would have made a cameo for the finale. Oh well. I guess the writers didn't deem them worthy enough for the send off.

It was sad to say good-bye to such a beloved show, but I am happy that it ended with the sister-wives together and the original song revamped and sung by a woman. God only knows what we'll be without you, Big Love.

Big Love's 12 Most Memorable Moments

When Big Love began in 2006, the Henrickson family's problems were at first limited to the challenges facing four adults in a plural marriage: questions of sharing, solidarity, and personal secrets. They were an ordinary family in some extraordinary circumstances and creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer opened a window into a world that few of us will ever see: one of compounds, fundamentalists, intense faith, and vengeful adversaries.

Article - Lacob Big Love The cast of Big Love on the set of their season finale. (Photo by Chuck Zlotnick / HBO)

Over the course of the show's groundbreaking run, the family was besieged by both external and internal threats as the four main characters—Bill (Bill Paxton), Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), Nicki (Chloë Sevigny), and Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin)—and their ever-expanding brood of children attempted to find their way, to grab hold of those fleeting moments of joy, and to struggle with the pain of loss, betrayal, and ignorance.

In its final episode, Big Love pushes the Henrickson clan to their breaking point, as Bill faces both a lengthy prison sentence for statutory rape charges and the loss of the family's business. But Bill also receives his true testimony in his church—a nod from Mormon founder Joseph Smith's wife Emma (Rebecca Wisocky)—and he restores the true balance that had been thwarted at Juniper Creek. Bill can now lead his flock of believers into the light.

Or he would have—if his life hadn't been so brutally taken from him by a former friend. But Bill's death accomplishes something that Barb, Nicki, and Margene had struggled with for the past five seasons: it finally unifies the three sister wives in an unbreakable bond. In the final minutes of the show—11 months after Bill's shooting—these three find the common ground they've been fighting for throughout the entire series. And Barb, who struggled with her questions of faith, gains the priesthood she's long sought after and leads the righteous into a new beginning.

For a show that, at its core, has been about families and faith, it was a perfect way to end the remarkable series, as heartbreaking as it was. The 12 scenes selected below from Big Love's five seasons exemplify the way that the show shifted effortlessly from domestic drama to faith-based vision quest, and from the mundane to the divine.

Big Love, American Style

Tonight is the series finale of Big Love, one of the key shows of what we might call the HBO interregnum — the period after the first generation of drama hits went away (it was a year after the end of Six Feet Under and a year before the end of The Sopranos) and it seemed unable to come up with new shows of the same impact.  Big Love is sort of a transitional show. It follows the pattern of those HBO successes: a stylish melodrama with a sense of humour and a commitment to showing the dark side of a typical TV genre (in this case, the family drama). But it got broader and soapier than they did, and seemed to use stories as metaphors for topical issues almost in the way that science fiction shows do. That’s a format that True Blood would eventually use, but Big Love arguably got caught in the middle of that transition, never quite sure if it wanted to be a serious drama or a crazy soap.

This all came to a head in the controversial fourth season, which tried to cram an incredible amount of craziness into only nine episodes. Bill Paxton, who defends the season for its ambition (though ambition, as always, doesn’t equal achievement), seems to think that the negative reactions cost the show the chance to have a longer run:

    I grant you that last season may have tried to put too big a foot in too big a shoe, but they were cramming those episodes chock full of great stuff. I was surprised that we were so taken to task for it. And it did not help us keep the show going. If [people] would just watch it again, they’d realize that we put too many ingredients in the stew, but the show’s always been so ambitious and so well written and so full of stuff. I personally grew to resent that whole brouhaha and I think that it ultimately killed the show. Again, I don’t know the political ins and outs of that, but I know that it didn’t help us going into Season 5.

Of course it could be that the show was simply unlucky that there wasn’t a polygamy craze in pop culture to compare with the vampire craze that helped lift True Blood to smash hit status. In any case, in preparation for tonight’s finale, Jace Lacob collects together 10 memorable moments from the run of Big Love, most of them from the third season.

Happy Purim

Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.

The story of Purim is told in the Biblical book of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.

The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech that is all too familiar to Jews, Haman told the king, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's, and they do not observe the king's laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them." Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.

Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman and his ten sons were hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.

Jim Tressel Leaving Ohio State

On Christmas holiday, and two sources close to the recruitment of the most prominent universities confirm that Jim Tressel Tressel will coach football at the University of Ohio after the Sugar BUniversity of Ohio after the Sugar Bowl againstfter the Sugar Bowl against Arkansas.

And saw the state of Ohio before the suspension five key pas.

And saw the state of Ohio before the suspension hio before the suspension five key playo before the suspension five key players, including top running back Dan "Boom" Herron and theefore the suspension five key play back Dan "Boom" Herron and theefore the slay back Dan "Boom" Herron and theefore the suspension five key players, includisuspension five key players, including top running back Dan "Boom" Herron and the Heisman - hoping the player Terrelle Pryor for the first five games of the 201 games of the 2011 season eames of the 2011 season earlier this week.

The sourcesk.

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The sources pointed out that no recruits, he said Buckeye coach Tressel will return to the teareturn to the team, and allowed to consd allowed to consider other options.
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Ohio is one of the largest departments in the country to comply, but said 375 violations oftry to comply, but saiations oftry to comply, but said 375 violations of thesaid 375 violations of the NCAA from 2000 to 2009, mations of the NCAA from 2000 to 2009, most of the country.

In2000 to 2009, most off the country.

In2000 to 2009, most of the c 2009, most of the count, most of the c 2009, most of the country.

In the early periost of the country.

In thhe country.

In the early period of Tressel in Ohio State University, he to deal with a disaster Clarrett Morris, suspended Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith for two games Troy Smith for two games Troy Smith for two games for ach for two games for accepting mogames for accepting money from the booster. Recent crime is just a black page in the modern history of the Buckeye program.

This is big news in college football, especially after the University of Miami was a change of coach immediately after the regular season. The idea that Tressel would be rich working for Rodriguez in Michigan is staggering.

Xbox is a place where the alternative is a guess. Should coach TCU Gary Patterson is the probability? A number of professional jobs available to come in early January, could cast a shadow over the appointment process in Columbus.

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