The Henricksons' Exposure

[Joey]

Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out this possible plot hole, and maybe I'm missing something. In the end of season 4, Bill is desperately trying to keep the fact that he is a polygamist under wraps until he is elected. In the season finale, he announces that he believes in plural marriage and thus sets off a whole scandal in the state senate, at HomePlus, etc.

BUT, shouldn't they have been exposed long before that? Early in the series, Barb is disqualified from the Mother of the Year competition because the Governor's office learns that she is a polygamist. Later, Barb is excommunicated from the LDS church because they learn that she is a polygamist. Yet, during Bill's campaign no one makes any mention of this, even though Barb is seen publicly appearing as his only wife. If she was expelled from the church in such a way, it seems like Bill would have been implicated from the get-go.

Overall, this is one of my biggest gripes in the series. They are "exposed" over and over again, but each time they seem to gloss over the time before.

Thoughts?

[withay]

I agree, sort of. I can see the family getting away with the general public not knowing of their plural marriage right up until Bill announced his run for office. There would have been rumors but in most cases where they have been "found out" the other party had an interest in not letting the secret out also due to the negative publicity. But in political campaigns, it usually seems that "the gloves are off" and any available mud will be slung. I cannot believe Bill would have been able to get through a whole campaign without his opponent finding out about and exposing the Henrickson's plural marriage.

[bigluvjunkie]

Yeah it's totally ridiculous that they wouldn't have been exposed. The AG and other law enforcement agencies knew Bill was a polygamist. People outside of Barb's immediate family were aware.

Surely someone in the know would have been concerned that electing a polygamist would compromise the Utah GOP and be bad publicity for LDS and drop a dime to the newspapers. If not that, well Bill's opponent knew the dude came from a polygamist background and was shameless enough to bring up crimes Bill committed as a teen....you'd think if he's digging up dirt then go for the more substantial thing...

They should have focused on Church of Bill during Season 4 and have them come out to the public sometime during that season.

[violet]

I was literally looking online to discuss this and just this, as I never binge watched this show before, only swallowed the endorsement of exposure after exposure.... until I was just binge watching NOW, and after watching Barn get thrown over for mother of the year , thought, wait a moment.....remembering the scene from layer in the series where they're all gathered on the capital steps polygamous and proud "for the first time" publicly exposed...
I'm not really sure how to feel about his glaring plot hole... love this show, but, daym...
Also, the FLDS references are so heavy handed I wonder if they've been sued...