Oh dear, what a shame you have all had such a terrible viewing experience! All I can say is that the BBC coverage here in the UK was brilliant. Admitedly we were allowed to see the whole thing (unlike you in the US): there was quite a lot of symbolism within the tableaux, which was probably lost with another network coverage.
Both the opening and closing ceremonies were terrific, but it was such a shame that NBC particularly cut some of the coverage, making it appear disjointed.