HOLLYWOOD—On Sunday night’s episode of “Big Love” titled “The Noose Is Tightened” things went from bad to worse for the Henrickson family. The series that is only two episodes away from ending has fans totally engrossed in the drama, which surrounds a Utah polygamous family that has decided to reveal to their shocked neighbors, friends and co-workers that they have an alternative lifestyle that today is considered heretical by the Latter Day Saints Church.

Bill (Bill Paxton) looked to Alby’s (Matt Ross) past in an effort to thwart his ambitions, leading Alby to concoct yet another diabolical scheme to bring down the Henricksons. Alby committed a cold-blooded murder, just moments after agreeing not to murder his sister Nicki. After kidnapping her and having his male lover dig a grave under pretenses that it was for Bill, Nicki’s fears of an early death almost came to fruition.

Meanwhile, in the wake of a festering investigation into Bill’s private life, an incredulous Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) found herself targeted as her husband’s accomplice to possible statutory rape charges for procuring Margene as her husband’s third sister-wife. Nicki’s (Chloë Sevigny) “rescue” of a skittish compound wife complicated life at home, and landed her in hot water at Juniper Creek. Stung by an assertion by Michael Sainte (Grant Show), Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) found herself at the crossroads in her business with Goji Blast. Don (Joel McKinnon Miller) suffered severe emotional aftershocks that could have a lasting impact on Home Plus; Cara Lynn’s (Cassi Thomson) secret affair with her teacher leaded out; Heather (Tina Majorino) apologized for spilling the beans about Margene.

With the show counting down the episodes until it becomes a thing of the past this dramatic episode was an exciting prelude to the series finale. The episode was written by Seth Greenland and directed by David Knoller.

“Big Love” is produced by HBO Entertainment in association with Playtone and Anima Sola Productions; created by Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer; executive producers, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, David Knoller, Bernadette Caulfield and Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer; supervising producer, Patricia Breen; producers, Seth Greenland and Peter Friedlander; co-producers, Dauri Chase, Don Bensko, Melanie Marnich and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa; executive story editor, Julia Cho; story editor, Jami O’Brien; staff writer, Aaron Allen; casting, Junie Lowry Johnson, C.S.A., Libby Goldstein and Lisa Soltau.

Photograph is Courtesy: Isabella Vosmikova/HBO.