On Trial
Big Love (LWM) | Season 3 | Episode 4

On Trial

TV-MA | 56 MIN

Written by Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer
Directed by David Knoller

As coverage of Roman's trial heats up, so do tensions at the Henrickson households. Nicki feels everyone is against her and her father. But Barb announces she and Margene have decided to give Nicki their nights with Bill until the trial is over - for the greater good of the family. Neither Bill nor Nicki appear thrilled. They spend most of their nights playing "Go Fish."

Newly determined that he must stand up against Roman, Bill tells Rhonda he was wrong to send her away and he will support her in any way to testify against Roman. He even reaches out to Alby, inviting him to talk and offering to help him with business connections in order to get him on board with fighting Roman. Meanwhile, Nicki and Adaleen visit Roman in jail as he persuades Nicki to go back to work and continue her spying.

Ana goes grocery shopping with Nicki and Margene, asking about Roman. When Nicki snaps at Ana, Margene demands to know why Nicki is so angry with everyone. Nicki tells Margene she's just showing her true feelings, not hiding them like Margene is (regarding her mother's death).

At work, Ray flirts with Nicki - who doesn't know that Bill has come to Ray to urge him to protect the Jane Does. Ray is suspicious of Bill's help, but he puts Kathy and Rhonda in protective custody. When Roman's attorney gives him the news that Rhonda is testifying after all, he urges him to take a plea but Roman refuses: No deal. Meanwhile, with opening arguments in less than 24 hours, Ray laments to Nicki that even Kathy Marquart and her family, trying to do the right thing by testifying, will never truly be free of the "cesspool" that is Juniper Creek. Nicki finds out the name of the hotel where they're in protective custody and passes the information to Adaleen, who uses the information to threaten Bill to back off.

Having learned from Don just how stretched they are with the new gaming business, Barb turns to her mother. When Nancy calls, Barb tells her mother that Bill's been subpoenaed to testify in Roman's case - everything could come crashing down on them. She asks for help take care of her children financially.

Struggling with the decision of what to do regarding her pregnancy, Sarah brings Heather and Ben with her for moral support to meet with a couple who wants to adopt. The husband explains that he is gay and the wife admits she's OCD - but they explain they have found guidance for dealing with their issues through the church and each other. Sarah rejects the couple as prospective parents. Ben urges her to give the baby to Bill and Barb to raise. Heather yells at her for wanting to run off to Arizona.

Nicki spots Bill in Ray's office urging him to bring in Adaleen for questioning. Bill also tells Ray he thinks he can get Alby to publicly denounce his father. Nicki warns her mother and Adaleen and Nicki go digging for money that Adaleen buried. When Nicki admits she didn't want to get married the first time, showing a chink in her armor, Adaleen chastises her, insisting Nicki was happy on that day. Adaleen demands Nicki dig up the rest of the money she took from the UEB to bribe Rhonda and get her out of town before the trial.

Fed up with being on the lam, Lois comes to Bill, asking for protection from Frank (but not explaining the whole story). Bill and Barb take her in. Bill then begs Barb to allow Alby to come to dinner, insisting they can swing him. At dinner, Alby promises he'll prevent attempted murder charges from being filed against Lois (Bill covers the fact he doesn't know what Lois did). Bill advises Alby to take a strong and decisive public stand against his father before Roman's conviction. Later than night, Bill calls Roman in jail and tells him Alby is going to denounce him the next morning. Roman counters that he has Nicki in his corner, and she'll never love Bill the way she loves him. He urges Bill, again, to stop Kathy from testifying but Bill refuses.

Adaleen sneaks into Rhonda's hotel room with a bag full of cash: $30,000 to run away tonight. She tells Rhonda that Roman has turned against her because of all of her betrayals.

Bill, dozing off in his bedroom with Nicki, gets a call from Joey alerting him that Rhonda's vanished. The next morning, the news reports speculate whether the remaining witness will take the stand. Nancy calls Barb from outside the house again, to alert her to the basket of homemade muffins on her front porch. When Nancy spots Lois outside, she runs after her, insisting she's always had sympathy for her -- but admits she was furious when Lois went back to Roman after Nancy had tried to help her escape life at Juniper Creek years ago. Lois wants none of her sympathy. Inside, Bill confronts Lois about what really happened with Frank but she refuses to talk about it.

Nancy surprises Barb and Bill by coming inside to let Barb know that Ned (her husband) counseled against setting up the trust funds right now for Ben, Sarah and Tancy. Nicki enters, causing an awkward moment with Nancy, followed by Ana and Margene, who has dyed her hair bleached blonde in honor of her mother. When Nicki accuses Margene of looking like a whore, Margene lets loose with what she really thinks of Roman and reveals that the whole family is doing all they can to take him down. Meanwhile, Nancy keeps pressing about who Ana is and when she finally reveals she's dating to become a fourth wife, both Lois and Nancy are appalled. Barb and Bill defend their belief, ending in a group proposal to Ana.

At the court house, Bill accompanies Joey, Kathy and Wanda to the trial. Nicki shows up and Bill orders her to go home, but she refuses. In the courtroom, Kathy's twin sister Jodean is badgered on the stand to admit she believes she was 19 when she and Kathy married Ron - not 16. The judge demands to see everyone in chambers. Outside the courtroom, Bill begs Alby to talk to the DA, but seeing the case collapsing, Alby plans to fight another day. The charges of suborning rape are dropped and Roman pleads to lesser charges of false imprisonment. He has to attend victim empathy counseling and cannot return to the compound for six months. As he marches out with his followers, victorious, he spots Nicki and thanks her for making it possible. Seized with anger, Nicki pushes him down the stairs. He gets up, shaken, but okay.

On a dark highway, Rhonda gets a ride from a trucker headed to Los Angeles. As she plays him her demo tape, tears rolling down her cheeks, he invites her to come sit by his side.

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