***Warning! This post contains major spoilers on Sunday's

episode of Big Love.***

It was obvious that Alby Grant's secret gay affair with the

government appointed Juniper Creek trustee, Dale Tomasson (Benjamin Koldyke) wasn't going to end well. Still, I was sort of

hoping it would last for a bit longer. Unfortunately, disaster struck this past

Sunday night in what might possibly be Big

Love's gayest and saddest episode ever.

Lately the villainous Alby (Matt

Ross) has been positively giddy about his secret affair with Dale, and it's

been interesting watching the romance light up Alby's usually dead eyes

and black heart. To me, it seems like the most normal, "human" thing we've

ever seen of Alby has been his newfound realization that he can love another

man.

Unfortunately, Dale, though equally taken with Alby, has been

wracked with religious guilt about giving in to his "homosexual

tendencies." He attends ex-gay support groups and tearfully seeks advice

from his Mormon pastors. Fat lot of good that's going to do him.

This episode Alby rents an apartment for them to meet secretly. Unfortunately,

his suspicious and calculating wife Laura follows them to the love nest. Rather

than confronting Alby, she first goes to Bill to get Dale fired as trustee. Then she goes to

Dale's home, where presumably she spills the beans to Dale's wife.

Bill confronts Dale about his relationship with Alby. When

Dale tearfully admits to it, Bill actually seems empathetic: "I think I

can understand how difficult this must be... keeping a secret."

You could always read the polygamy on this show as an allegory

for being gay, but I think Bill's statement in that car is the first time that

a character within the show has noticed the parallel.

Later on in the episode, Bill takes his three wives to a

huge house with a "for sale" sign in front of it. It's the home he wants to buy

for them.

"This is what the campaign

[and plan to come out publicly as polygamists] is about. In just over a month

this could be ours. A place where we can be ourselves. Together under one roof.

No more hiding. A place where we can love each other. To be proud of who we

are."

In almost perfect symmetry the scene cuts to the hallway of

Alby's rented apartment. He's on his cell and leaving a message for Dale.

"I need to see you. We can't

let them destroy us. They're envious of what we have. Everything will be all

right as long as we're together here."

You can see what is coming from a mile away of course. Alby

enters the apartment and finds Dale dead and hanging from a rafter.

Just

because the tragic ending could be predicted didn't make it any less powerful.

Alby's shattered reaction to finding Dale dead was incredibly moving. 

My reaction as a viewer to Dale's suicide was: "What a

waste." I think that was exactly the reaction the show was aiming for.

These two characters could have been happy together, but their society and

their f**ked up religion made it impossible. What a sad and terrible waste. And bravo to Big Love for making that case so eloquently.

What did you think of Sunday night's episode? (Please avoid show spoilers in comment titles!)