The newest and last season of ‘Big Love’ just kicked off on HBO this week and everyone is talking about it. (Don’t worry: no spoilers here if you haven’t yet watched episode one.) I’m still undecided about whether I’m committed or not this year to the soap opera-like drama about a polygamous Mormon family and their offspring, doing their best to maintain a “normal” life while living in fear of being found-out by their neighbors and even close friends.I was skeptical about this series when I first heard about it, but quickly became addicted, watching faithfully episode to episode through seasons one and two, loving the gripping storyline, characters, and the fantastic acting by an all-star cast (Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, among others), fascinated by this nontraditional family (to put it mildly) and the complications they faced daily. But about mid-way into season three, I began to sour on the show–the storylines became so dark and so out of hand, I almost couldn’t watch the characters careening head-first into disaster, much as I’d grown to love them. Season four I couldn’t even begin to process, it was so out of control.But HBO is no stranger to sending its shows and their characters up the river. ‘True Blood,’ one of HBO’s other mega-hit series about vampires, werewolves, and every other demon you could think of–while on the surface seems utterly unlike ‘Big Love,’ is not really that far off when you look at moods and themes. ‘True Blood’s’ motto seems to be: the more deranged, the more depraved, the darker, the better–an issue that bothers me enough that I can barely watch the show. This has become a familiar feeling to me with HBO series, good as they are, since this has happened to me three times now–first with The Sopranos, then with Big Love, and most recently with True Blood.Yet, I still want to know how Big Love ends. Are you still watching? If so, what do you think of the way that Bill, Barb, and company have unraveled over the last couple of seasons? Do you like the show better than before, or has it gotten almost too upsetting and dark for you to watch, too?Episode two airs on HBO, this Sunday. The new season and most of the last two seasons are available on demand. Watch the final season’s trailer here: