Margene was raised by a single mother, a lush with the serial, abusive boyfriends who are part of the alcoholic package. She didn’t receive much guidance growing up and is used to a lot of time alone. It’s easy to see why Margene would fall for the whole package of Bill and wives. She probably feels safer with Barb than she ever did with her own mother. Her greatest fear is that Barb might leave the family. “I don’t know if I can be married to Bill and Nicki if I’m not married to you,” she tells her.
In tense situations between the women, they rush to say, “I love you,” thereby initiating a round-robin of identical responses.
Back to love again.
“I don’t know that a marriage based on love can go the distance ... how do we survive the bad times with just love?” Nicki asks. This is a question many a monogamist has asked. In this instance, she’s talking about faith in the sacred holiness of the institution of marriage, and specifically referring to and pitying the couples — most of us — who only have each other, and no other spouse to lean on.
These women are separated and isolated from their mothers. Because they live a closeted existence, keeping their polygamy secret, they are also shut off from developing new friends outside of the family. Who else do they have?
Article comments
1 - Saskia Vogel
Always nice to read a well-rounded perspective on alternative relationships!
2 - Alyse
I would actually argue that Barb is the mother-type and Nicki is the crone-type. For Barb is truly a nurturer and Nicki certainly acts like an old woman (crotchety, stern, conservative, etc)
3 - Ellen Horwitz
Good clear summary and analysis, makes sense to me and I've seen most of this season.