Okay, I think I've more-or-less processed it now.


I think it was a good ending. I mean, I've been thinking about it for two days, want to re-watch the entire series, and feel the urge to loop "God Only Knows" over and over. Sounds like a success to me.

I have to say, though, that Bill didn't go out looking good, at least not in my eyes. He didn't want to let Margene go on missions...you know, until he thought he was going to wind up in jail. (Can't help but read that as, she can't leave him for short periods, but he can leave her.) He refused to grant Barb the priesthood until he was dying. (Comes off selfish.) And when things got rough with Barb, he went running to Nicki, who's been agreeing with him the most lately.

All season, I just kept thinking, most of the family's strife can be traced back to Bill. Lo and behold, once he died, each of the wives were finally able to grow in the ways they've been craving to. Notably, none of them are relegated to the home: Barb's running the church, Margene's going on missions, and Nicki is continuing her work at the shelter. Barb is finally able to find a home in a church that accepts both polygamy and women holding the priesthood; Margene is expanding her horizons by the seeing more of the world; and Nicki learns that she really, really does have unconditional love in this family.

Margene at the end saying she wishes Bill could have seen this day was rather ironic; if he had lived, this day wouldn't have come at all. Bill definitely loved his wives, but held on to them too tightly.