HBO really took a gamble back in 2006. They decided to air a show about a polygamist family in suburban Utah, and somehow, they made it one of the most relatable dramas on television. It wasn't just the shock value of a man with three wives. It was the people. The characters of Big Love aren't just archetypes of a fringe lifestyle; they are deeply flawed, occasionally hypocritical, and fiercely loyal human beings trying to navigate a world that doesn't want them to exist.
Bill Henrickson started it all. He's the guy you want to root for until he does something so incredibly selfish that you have to turn the TV off for a minute. He’s a hardware store mogul with a messiah complex. Bill represents the tension between modern capitalism and ancient religious tradition. He wants the big house—well, three big houses—and the political power, but he also wants to be the righteous patriarch of a kingdom. It’s a lot for one guy in a polo shirt to handle.
Barb Henrickson and the Weight of the First Wife
Barb is the glue. Honestly, without Barb, the whole experiment would have imploded in the first season. Played by Jeanne Tripplehorn, Barbara Henrickson is the "First Wife," the one who was there before the principle of plural marriage even entered the chat. She’s an educator, a former Miss Ohio, and a woman who constantly wrestles with her Mormon roots and her evolving feminist identity.
What makes Barb one of the most fascinating characters of Big Love is her journey toward self-actualization. She didn't sign up for this because she loved the idea of sharing her husband; she did it because she believed it was a divine calling that saved her life during a bout with cancer. But as the years go by, you see the toll it takes. The way she looks at Bill when he brings home a new whim or a new rule tells you everything you need to know about the cost of "The Principle."
She’s the only one who can really challenge Bill. When Barb decides she wants to be priesthood-held or seeks her own spiritual path, it rocks the foundation of the family more than any external threat from the Juniper Creek compound could. She represents the viewer’s skepticism.
Nicki Smith: The Chaos Factor
If Barb is the order, Nicki is the pure, unadulterated chaos. Chloe Sevigny played Nicolette Grant with such a specific, prickly energy that you almost forgot she was a victim of the system she defended so fiercely. Born and raised on the Roman Grant compound, Nicki is a shopaholic with a secret credit card debt problem and a manipulative streak a mile wide.
She’s complicated.
Really complicated.
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Nicki is often the antagonist within the home. She’s the one who spies, the one who stirs the pot, and the one who remains most tethered to the toxic polygamist culture of the compound. Yet, her arc is heartbreaking. You realize that her behavior is a survival mechanism. She was raised in a place where information was currency and affection was a reward for obedience. Watching her try to be a "normal" suburban mom while fighting the impulses she learned at Juniper Creek is some of the best writing in the series.
Margene Heffman and the Loss of Innocence
Then there’s Margie. Ginnifer Goodwin brought a bubbly, almost childlike energy to the third wife. Margene was the outsider, the girl who stumbled into the Henrickson family looking for a place to belong. She was young—maybe too young, as the show later reveals in a bombshell plot point regarding her age when she married Bill.
Margene’s growth is the most drastic. She goes from being the "babysitter" wife to a successful jewelry entrepreneur on a home shopping network. She finds her voice outside the home, which, naturally, drives Bill crazy. Her character highlights the power dynamics of polygamy. She’s often treated like a child by Barb and Nicki, but she’s frequently the most emotionally honest person in the room.
The Villains of Juniper Creek
You can’t talk about the characters of Big Love without mentioning the "Prophet," Roman Grant. Harry Dean Stanton was terrifying in this role. He didn't play Roman as a mustache-twirling villain; he played him as a businessman who truly believed he had a direct line to God. He was the "Seal" of the community, a man who used religion to justify greed, pedophilia, and total control.
Then you have Alby Grant.
Man, Alby.
Matt Ross turned in a performance that was equal parts chilling and pitiable. Alby is Roman’s son, a man repressed by his father’s regime and his own hidden sexuality. He wants to be the Prophet, but he’s also a broken human being who lashes out at everything he touches. The rivalry between Bill and Alby isn't just about business or religion; it’s a battle between two different versions of patriarchy.
The Henrickson Children: Collateral Damage
The kids are where the show gets really grounded. Sarah and Ben Henrickson have to grow up in a world where they can’t tell their friends the truth about their parents.
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- Sarah (Amanda Seyfried): She is the moral conscience of the show. She hates the lifestyle. She sees the pain it causes her mother and wants out. Her struggle to leave the family while still loving them is a universal story of growing up.
- Ben (Douglas Smith): Ben goes the opposite way for a while. He tries to follow in Bill’s footsteps, even briefly entertaining the idea of plural marriage himself. It’s a classic case of a son trying to earn his father’s approval by adopting his flaws.
Why These Characters Matter Today
Looking back on the show now, it feels less like a documentary about polygamy and more like a study on the American family. The characters of Big Love are essentially arguing about the same things every family argues about: money, chores, who gets the most attention, and how to raise the kids. They just happen to have a lot more people involved in the argument.
The show, created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, didn't take the easy way out. It didn't make the polygamists look like monsters, nor did it make them look like saints. It showed the mundane reality of the lifestyle. The logistical nightmare of scheduling nights between three houses. The jealousy that never quite goes away, no matter how many prayers you say.
The Realism of the Writing
The dialogue in Big Love often feels like a real family dinner. People talk over each other. They use shorthand. They have inside jokes that the audience doesn't always get. It’s messy.
When Bill decided to run for the State Senate, the show shifted. It became about public perception versus private reality. This is where the characters really had to face themselves. Could they live in the light? Did they even want to? The tension of that final season, as the world closed in on them, was earned because we had spent so many years seeing their small, private moments.
Moving Beyond the Screen
If you are looking to dive deeper into the world that inspired these characters, there is plenty of real-world context to explore. The show drew heavily from the history of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), though it made sure to distance the Henricksons from the more extreme elements of that group.
To understand the nuances of the characters of Big Love, it helps to look at the following:
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Examine the History of the FLDS
Research the real-life "Short Creek" community. While the Henricksons were "independent" polygamists, the character of Roman Grant and the setting of Juniper Creek are heavily influenced by the history of leaders like Rulon and Warren Jeffs. Seeing the real-life parallels makes Nicki’s trauma and Alby’s desperation much clearer.
Read "Under the Banner of Heaven"
Jon Krakauer’s book (and the subsequent miniseries) provides a grim, factual look at the violent extremes of Mormon fundamentalism. It provides the "dark" context that Bill Henrickson was constantly trying to separate himself from. It explains why Barb was so terrified of her husband's family history.
Re-watch with an Eye on Wardrobe
It sounds simple, but the costume design in this show is brilliant. Watch how Nicki’s clothing changes when she goes to the compound versus when she’s at home. Notice Margene’s transition from T-shirts to professional blazers. The visual arc of these characters tells a story of identity and assimilation that is just as important as the dialogue.
The legacy of these characters isn't that they made polygamy look good or bad. It’s that they made it look human. They showed that no matter how many wives you have or what religion you follow, you can’t escape the basic human needs for validation, autonomy, and love. That is why, even years after the finale, we are still talking about the Henricksons. They weren't just a social experiment; they were a family, as broken and beautiful as any other.
The next time you revisit the series, pay close attention to the silent moments between the wives. In those glances, you see the real heart of the show—the complicated, non-romantic love that kept them together when everything else was falling apart.