| "Empire" | |
|---|---|
| Big Love episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Jim McKay |
| Story by | Dustin Lance Black |
| Teleplay by |
|
| Cinematography by | Alan Caso |
| Editing by | Chris Figler |
| Original release date | January 25, 2009 |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Empire" is the second episode of the third season of the American drama television series Big Love. It is the 26th overall episode of the series and was written by co-producer Dustin Lance Black and series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer from a story by Black, and directed by Jim McKay. It originally aired on HBO on January 25, 2009.
The series is set in Salt Lake City and follows Bill Henrickson, a fundamentalist Mormon. He practices polygamy, having Barbara, Nicki and Margie as his wives. The series charts the family's life in and out of the public sphere in their suburb, as well as their associations with a fundamentalist compound in the area. In the episode, Ana tries to get used to Bill's family, while the wives also face different challenges.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.40 million household viewers. The episode received positive reviews from critics, although some expressed mixed reactions to the Juniper Creek subplot.