Nicolette Grant

Nicki is the eighth daughter of Roman Grant, patriarch of the compound of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists where Bill Henrickson was also raised,[8] and Adaleen (née Hallstrom),[8] the sixth of Roman's fourteen wives, with whom Nicki has a tense relationship, and who both loves and resents Nicki. Nicki's father, Roman, is revered as "the Prophet" on the compound.[10]

A season one plot line, reprised at the end of season two, showed Nicki to be a compulsive shopper who incurred nearly $60,000 in credit card debt, unbeknownst to her husband or sister wives.[8][9]

Although Nicki is frequently portrayed as cold and unsympathetic, there are many instances where she is shown to be quite passionate about her beliefs and towards her loved ones.[8][11][12] Although she has a strained relationship with her family at the Juniper Creek Compound, she is fiercely loyal to them.[9][13] She has been shown going to some lengths to be a part of their lives and keep them a part of hers, much to the dismay of Bill and Barb.[14][9][15]

Nicki is shown to be such a favorite of her father's that it upsets her husband Bill.[8][16] One example: during the 5th-birthday party of her and Bill's elder son Wayne, Bill walks in on her and Roman holding hands and laughing together on her bed.[16][17]

It is revealed that Nicki has been taking birth control pills secretly for years.[2][3][18] She is ostracized from the Grant family before her father is shot, and she steals from them to get revenge.[18] Though it goes against their rules of morality, Nicki starts gambling at a gaming establishment to which Bill introduced her in an effort to share his new business venture with his wives.[18] She soon begins gambling online at home as well.

Nicki is also very handy—she re-roofs her own home without assistance—and is able to nimbly move large appliances from one area of a home to another.[18][19] Bill gives Nicki a power tool as an anniversary gift.[15]

Bill, Barb, and Margie become concerned about the fact that Nicki has not conceived and question her.[20] Barb and Margie escort her to the fertility clinic thinking it's a medical issue; it's been 4 years since her younger son's birth and it's technically her turn to have another baby for the family.[20] At the clinic, she gets a prescription for her next supply of birth-control pills.[21]

On a family vacation, Barb finds Nicki's pills and assumes they are her daughter Sarah's. This forces Nicki to confess that they are hers and she's been on birth control for 4 years.[21] Bill, Barb, and Margie are furious; Bill tells her this is the worst thing she could have ever done to him.[22][21] But Nicki refuses to stop taking the pills.[21]

When Nicki's father, Roman, is in jail awaiting his trial, she is temping at the District Attorney's office (as "Margene Heffman").[2] The family believes she's working there part-time to help pay off her debts, but Nicki hopes to glean inside information on her father's trial to help her family on the compound.[23][24] More than that happens, though; she catches her boss's eye and also attracts the Assistant District Attorney, who's set to go up against her father.[22] More shatteringly, the evidence reveals to her that she was in "The Joy Book".[25] She'd always assumed that being the Prophet's daughter put her above most of the women on the compound. She is crushed to discover that her beloved father willingly put her in a book that auctioned off her virginity.[23][25][26] She rips her pictures out of "The Joy Book" so the attorneys will not realize who she is.[23][27] When she quits the job, her former boss, Ray Henry, kisses her goodbye.[25]

Nicki goes on a date with her former boss but fails to tell him her real identity.[25] He discovers her deception after tracking her down at the Henrickson homes in an effort to declare his romantic feelings for her.[25]

It is revealed that Nicki was married to an older man named J.J. Walker (Wanda's brother) when she was fifteen and still living at Juniper Creek.[28][22][25] Wanda reminds Nicki of this and how when they were girls Nicki, would tell Wanda how she "hated" J.J. and that the thought of him "made her skin crawl."[29] Nicki and J.J. had a daughter named Cara Lynn,but when Roman finally allows her to become "unsealed," Nicki left her infant daughter behind with J.J.[30][23][1] In the Season Three finale, Nicki brings Cara Lynn into the Henrickson household.[22][30]

Also, in the Season Three finale, Bill helps Nicki pack her belongings as she prepares to move with her kids into an apartment owned by Don, Bill's friend and business associate.[30] Bill wants out of the marriage because of the danger she inflicted on it.[31] She pleads with Barb and Margie to save her from the unsealing ceremony, but both sister-wives are on Bill's side and refuse to help her. Elsewhere, the finale shows Alby and Nicki plotting jokingly to kill Roman.[30]

Nicki discovers that her father died and takes time to grieve.[31] She tries to rebuild intimacy with Bill after the family forgives her for having been on birth control.[31] She goes undercover to prevent Bill's political opponent from winning the Republican state senate nomination.[32][6] After she goes off the pills, she has trouble conceiving; later she discovers that her mother is pregnant.[33] She decides to visit a fertility specialist, the son of her ex-husband J.J, who is now sealed to her mother.[33][32][28] The specialist breaks the news that she is infertile, but he assures her they will attempt to work through it so that she may conceive.[33] This sends Nicki into an identity crisis, wondering if her sole role in life is providing Bill with children and further expanding the Henrickson family.[34] She drastically alters her appearance breaking away from her compound fashion by wearing normal clothes.[35] In the season finale, she cuts her hair, which was always in a compound style braid.[6][35] Also in the finale, she goes against her characteristically cold demeanor when she informs her sister-wives that she wants Bill all to herself and will stand by him even if they do not.[36]

Due to J.J.'s demise, Cara Lynn goes to live with Nicki and the Henricksons.[35] Bill wants to adopt Cara Lynn, but the only way to do so is if Nicki and Bill are legally married.[37][38] Barb initially resists seeing that she'd have to divorce Bill, but eventually gives in with hopes that Nicki, Barb, Marge, and Bill can have a resealing ceremony.[39][37] After Nicki and Bill's wedding,[40] Bill, Nicki, and Marge go into a bedroom and seal themselves, with Barb eavesdropping outside the door.[38]

Nicki is kidnapped by Alby and Verlan in order to execute Nicki to punish Bill.[40] However, Verlan pleads with Alby not to kill his own sister. Nicki reminds Alby he saved her when they were younger.[37] Alby kills Verlan and cries with Nicki.[37]

When Nicki returns home, she discovers Cara Lynn has an inappropriate relationship with her math teacher and tries to send her to boarding school.[40][37] Cara Lynn runs next door and tells everyone Nicki's plans.[41] Cara Lynn ends up staying, but Nicki tells her that the math teacher was relieved to end the relationship and he "got what he wanted from her."[40][41] Cara Lynn cries as Nicki tells her she's incapable of giving or receiving love.[42][41] Nicki breaks down after Cara Lynn has a meltdown in the backyard while burning her textbooks, but Bill busts into Nicki's locked bedroom door to comfort her.[40][42][41]