Review: True Blood "Radiation"

Non Spoiler Review:

Radiation brings the season to a close as Warlow's bargain with Sookie comes to a head, forcing Bill and Jason to act. As the immediate threat of Hep V appears to have been overcome, a new danger presents itself.

This was a mediocre finale, falling victim to the usual cliches the writers have been indulging in for several years. Major villains resolved with little effort, major characters in so-called peril, but not really, and change for the sake of change.

Perhaps the threads started at the close of Radiation will lead into an exciting final act for True Blood, but the last few seasons don't lend much promise to that. I'm not really sure if Alan Ball's departure sealed the show's descent, as it was getting pretty bad while he was still in the driver's seat, but it's definitely not been an improvement. Time to put this tired show out to pasture before it really ruins its beloved characters.

Spoilers Now!

Alcide walks with Sookie after the funeral, but they're interrupted by the daylight appearance of Bill's vampire entourage returning to his mansion. Sookie realizes Bill was right about everything, and spies Jason among them. Sookie assures Alcide she's safe and then joins their revelry. She finds Violet feeding on Jason and interrupts.

Violet leaves them alone to catch up. Jason understands how she used to feel with Bill. Elated Pam gives Sookie a big hug, as does Tara, while Bill watches from his window. Sookie leaves them and rejoins Warlow who has been preparing their wedding ceremony. Sookie warns him a lot has changed since she left him and her friends are no longer in danger. She wants a life of eternity to be based on more of a bargain so instead wants to date him. He slaps her across the face and asks her who she thinks she's talking to.

Back at the mansion, Tara realizes Pam is going to go after Eric. She tells her to take care of Willa and flies off. Meanwhile, Bill finds his telekinetic powers have left him and no longer feels like Lilith. He admits to Jessica that the price they paid for the daylight came at a price for Sookie to be made vampire. Jessica tells him he needs to go after her. Bill explains the situation to Jason to enlist his aid. Only Adeline can get them to the fairy plane to rescue them. Bill then frees the True Blood scientist after glamoring him to forget his ordeal, while Jason goes to see Andy to explain they need Adeline to save Sookie. She agrees to help, as does Andy, who stocks up on firepower.

Warlow has no desire to share Sookie with her friends or community. Sookie summons her light and threatens to throw it away, but he stops her, binds her and begins to feed off her.

Andy, Adeline and Jason meet Bill at the cemetery. Adeline can hear Sookie. Bill manages to tutor her to use her abilities to get them across to the fairy plane. Bill attacks Warlow while Jason frees his sister. Bill tells them to leave and impales Warlow. The others vanish. Warlow frees himself and transports both of them back to the real world, then flies off.

Jason gets Sookie home where Violet gives her her blood. Warlow attacks, stopping everyone, including Bill who is about to stake him. Warlow locks them up in the cubby beneath the house, except for Violet, who remains knocked out. Warlow searches for Sookie who is hiding in the bathroom. A portal opens and Niall comes through to grab him. Jason appears and stakes Warlow. He dies. Jason and Sookie manage to pull Niall back into the real world.

Bill wakes up and suddenly glows fae, as does Jessica and James, and in Sweden, Eric is reading in the mountains in the daylight when the magic leaves him too, and he begins to burn.

Six months later (!)—a mutated Hepatitis V (thanks to the supplies stolen in Honolulu) is now an epidemic. Bill has written a bestselling book which exposed all that happened, including his murder of the governor. The governor dreamed up Hep V that has spread into one eighth of the world vampire population. The intent of the book is to end all the secrets between vampires and humans.

Sookie watches the interview with Alcide, who she's now with. Jason is still with Violet but they've yet to have sex. She tells him it will happen in due time.

Sam is now mayor and warns Andy that no one trusts the government anymore and the church is what's keeping the town together. Sookie and Alcide find Jason inside where blood samples are being taken to see who is a carrier for Hep V. 

Reverend Daniels warns of the roving bands of sick vampires and urges they all work together. Sam takes the pulpit to explain the blood tests. Any human can be a carrier for Hep V. He and Bill Compton have a plan. The Bellefleur Bar and Grille (now owned by Arlene) is hosting a social which will have the results of the blood tests for everyone. He asks every non-infected human enter into a monogamous blood sharing arrangement with an uninfected vampire who will provide them protection. 

At the social Alcide and Sookie are both negative. The decide to endure the event for an hour before leaving. Meanwhile, Tara's mother wants to make peace with her daughter. She wants to apologize for how she handled everything her whole life—for forgetting to feed her—so wants to make it right by letting her feed on her now.

Jessica arrives at Andy and Adeline's, asking why they didn't come to the social. She offers protection for both of them, but he thinks she's got a lot of nerve. The only thing she can give them is some kind of peace of mind that the two of them will be safe. Andy closes the door on her.

Sookie and Alcide are about to leave when Bill asks for a moment alone with her. Alcide says Bill can say anything to him. Bill explains Alcide isn't good enough protection for Sookie so he offers to provide that. He says he's changed and can be trusted again. But she could never really trust him, she replies. Alcide suddenly smells something—a large pack of Hep V vampires are approaching the social.

The Verdict:
Radiation brought a ho-hum ending to a similarly toned season. Like previous finales, the first half resolved everything pretty quickly—Warlow was dispatched ridiculously easy (but then so was Russell Edgington), Bill is conveniently free of Lilith (who shall never be mentioned again), and the daywalking is over (no surprise). Once again we get a time jump to shake up the status quo because not enough time actually passes over the course of a season.

Unfortunately these jumps are now a big plot device for the writers who can't (or aren't willing) to develop characters organically and feel the need to force the audience to catch up with all the neat things they think they've thrown at them. The Hep V epidemic looks sort of interesting with its zombie-like vampires, but it feels very apocalyptic with just the microcosm of BonTemps to play out. Such a dramatic worldwide crisis would bring a giant social upheaval, but we've been spared nothing more than a hint of that. Instead the situation is so dire that humans have to pair up with clean vampire protectors?

This has been a season of poor writing which has thrown away good characters in favor of easy replacements—Luna for Nicole, a new love interest for Jason and Jessica, as well as the waste of the only intriguing addition, Warlow. And after so much teasing, viewers now have a shake and bake Alcide/Sookie pairing without seeing any of the drama of its evolution. I won't even start on Alcide's wasted storyline as I've beaten that to death.

I guess I should make a list right now of characters I should remember to care about when next we rejoin True Blood—Violet, who has been wedged into the storyline out of nowhere, Nicole, who is apparently a fixture in Sam's life now, and the little girl who Sookie says hello to in the church (obviously relevant). And not to forget Alcide's new haircut...

Next year is True Blood's final season, which is appropriate given the series feels exhausted in many respects. I'm hopeful the writers strive to wrap up the storylines of these favorite characters in a satisfying manner. True Blood has gone from an anticipated series in summer, to the one that follows the hangover of Game of Thrones. Time to end things on a good note.

Review: True Blood "Life Matters"

Non Spoiler Review:

The internment camp storyline comes to an end as Eric and Bill both converge on the facility. Meanwhile, Sookie returns to the real world as Bon Temps gathers for Terry's funeral.

Life Matters was a decent wrap up to a lot of the season's story, if not particularly surprising in any way. Terry's funeral took up a huge amount of the episode and was quite self-indulgent, but long term fans will definitely enjoy the send off for the character. It wasn't memorable by any means, and everything pretty much flowed as any viewer might predict, leaving the final episode to hopefully rescue a mundane season.

Spoilers Now!

Sookie bites her arm to feed and rejuvenate Warlow while impatient Bill wants to usher him off to save the vampires. Sookie warns him Eric has more of Warlow's blood in him than he does. Warlow tells Sookie to use her powers, so she fires Bill back into the real world. 

Warlow slowly recovers but Sookie wants to get on to Terry's funeral. He asks if she's still prepared to be his, and she vows to honor her promise. He sends her on her way but she wonders if he's okay.

Arlene arrives at Terry's military funeral and Sookie joins them. She's surprised to find Alcide there. Andy delivers one of the eulogies and flashbacks to Terry's troubled times isolating himself in the woods after he returned from Iraq. He brings Sam to meet him and get him a job at Merlotte's. Sookie ends the eulogies by revealing she read Terry's mind the first time he saw Arlene and he always loved her.

Eric arrives at the facility and proceeds to massacre the guards and kills the scientist responsible for the Hep V, then into male general population to set them free. Bill comes upon the trail of carcasses and the ensuing bloodbath as the vampires run rampant and torture the surviving scientists. 

Eric enters the female section and frees them. Jason is left there to Eric's surprise. Jason explains the guards took all the others away. Eric heals him so he can aid in finding his way around the camp. Eric finds the psychiatrist and tells him he forgot to ask him something—how he was going to die. The psychiatrist explains he'll die happy given he had sex with his progeny. Eric rips out his contacts and glamors him to tell the truth, so he explains everything about Pam's deal. Eric brings him with them and finds Ginger along the way.

Sarah has hidden under the bodies and makes her escape to the top of the building to open the sun room door. When it opens it's Bill lying among them, and all of them are feeding on his blood. Newlin gets pushed to the back. Jason and Eric arrive into the adjacent room and watch, and Eric grabs Newlin to have his revenge on him. Sarah stares down at the scene and watches Eric hold him in the sun as he professes his love for Jason. 

Eric is reunited with Pam and tells her the therapist is hers. She kills him. High on the fairy blood, the rest of the vampires bask in the sunlight for the first time. Jason realizes Sarah is still at large. Violet holds Bill in her arms and leaves him on the floor as he sees Lilith appear to him. They tell him his time on earth is over, but Bill says he's not going anywhere. 

Jason runs down Sarah, and as she warns him he'll damn himself he nearly shoots her in the head, but stops because he doesn't want anymore blood on his hands and tells her to leave. She drives off. 

The rest of the vampires destroy the True Blood stockpiles (except for a van in Honolulu which is robbed of its True Blood contents). Jessica hears her maker and she and James return to his side. Bill tells her Lilith is coming for him, so James feeds him. 

James and Jessica emerge with Bill who is hailed as their saviour. Violet finds Jason and tells him he feeds only her. Pam looks for Eric and sees him standing alone. She tells him not to leave her but he flies off.

The Verdict:

A decent wrap up for this storyline, Life Matters didn't bring any surprises. The threat to Bill's mortality was short-lived and brushed off in the final scene as he emerged safe and sound

Terry's funeral was a nice moment for fans, and quite indulgent. The flashback scenes slowed everything down quite a bit, and would have worked better earlier in the series. And here is Alcide, back to square one with his character, as if the entire last two seasons never happened (we wish).

The Honolulu scene shows that the Hep V threat is assured to be around for awhile. While I'm not happy to see Sarah live to fight another day, it was at least satisfying to say good-bye to Newlin's character.

One wonders if Warlow's hybrid blood means permanent daywalking for the vampires? Unlikely, given so many of them are background characters. But that probably means an unsuspecting return to regular darkness hours sometime next week.

Review: True Blood "Dead Meat"

Non Spoiler Review:

Dead Meat resolves Alcide's pack struggles and brings some surprising news for Sam. Arlene prepares for Terry's funeral. Bill attempts to get both Eric and Sookie in line for his plan to save vampire kind.

True Blood is hitting a bit of a stride right now because the last few episodes' quality has remained relatively high. Not the highs of season two by any means, but generally exciting and full of interesting new developments.

The big change is that all the annoying little subplots have been eliminated—Terry, the fairy kids, and now Alcide appears to be rid of his baggage. It wasn't all perfection—Jason seems drawn into an odd side story with new vampire Violet that has come out of nowhere.

Spoilers Now!

An angry Eric challenges Bill he should have known Nora was going to die and accuses him of still being in love with Sookie. Bill insults Godric and orders him out of his house. 

Alcide demands Rikki release the women but she openly challenges his authority. Rikki doubts Alcide can fight her to the death. He accepts the challenge and serves up a beating, but can't bring himself to kill her.

Vampire Violet takes Jason under her protection. He explains he has a history with Sarah. She tells him that he is hers and she'll feed off him as she sees fit.

Sookie returns to Warlow and asks the favor for Bill, promising to ensure his safety. In exchange he wants her to be his forever. She needs some time to consider it, so returns to the real world where Eric watches her depart the cemetery.

James and Jessica enjoy one another's company. The guards finally arrive to take them back to their cells, but Jessica encounters Pam on the way. Back in general population, she watches the guards hand out True Blood. Newlin joins James and introduces himself. James advises him not to drink the supply that's being passed around to all the vampires.

Back at Merlotte's Sam cleans out Terry's locker and runs into Alcide outside. Alcide confesses his pack days are behind him but explains the women are in his trailer after he freed them from Rikki. Sam apologizes to them for what they've been through. When Sam embraces Nicole he smells something on her. He joins Alcide at Merlotte's to share a drink. Alcide says he caught Sam's scent as well on her...that Nicole is carrying his child. 

Tara, Willa and Jessica convince Pam to attempt to get Violet to share Jason, but she refuses. 

With Arlene feeling better, Lafayette explains the life insurance policy he and Sookie found from Terry. Two million dollars worth, and just four days before. Holly's boys take Adeline out for some fun.

Sookie visits Bill's mansion and negotiates the terms for turning over Warlow. Bill wants him to feed all the vampires in the white room his blood, and vows no harm will come to him as he still needs to synthesize it. She explains Warlow wants to turn her and has given her an ultimatum that she agrees to be his vampire bride. Bill doesn't care to listen and thinks it's a fair exchange for what he's doing for them. Sookie storms off.

Sarah arrives at the facility and is advised some vampires are not drinking the True Blood. She grills her exhusband for information and he finally confesses they know it has Hep V in it and gives up James. He and James are brought into the circular room. 

Sam asks Nicole to stay because he loves her so she agrees. Sookie interrupts and confides in him that she could give up her fairy powers if she chose to exhaust them, and her life with vampires would be behind her. Part of her always thought the two of them would wind up together. Sam is exasperated that she suddenly decided to take him up on his desire for her now that Nicole is pregnant. Sookie leaves him alone.

Arlene freaks out on Terry's family for wanting full military honors at his funeral, declaring it's all a lie. Arlene doesn't want to take the money either and thinks she knows who killed Terry. Andy warns her that if she does that the only one who will win is the insurance company.

Sookie's anger at her mother and father solidifies her decision to go through with Warlow's offer rather than spend eternity with her parents.

The True Blood executive arrives at the facility upset and demanding to speak with Burrell. Sarah intercepts her. She demands to know what the facility is being used for and forces her way past her, discovering the contamination of her product. When she tries to call the FDA Sarah tries to kill her. She flees into the experimentation area and Sarah catches up. Above the male prison section, Sarah beats her to death and the men feed on her blood. 

At the cemetery Adeline is messing around with one of Holly's boys when Eric finds them and needs to borrow her. Eric glamors the two boys and then goes after Adeline and feeds off her. 

Pam, Willa, Jessica and Tara are brought into the circular room with Newlin and James. Jessica realizes Bill's vision is about to come to pass.

Andy finds Adeline running down the road. He sees a vampire has fed on her. 

Sookie tries to call Jason to tell him about Terry and wonders where Niall is. She then calls Bill to tell him to pick her up in an hour, gets ready and brings him to the cemetery. She tells him she's not fighting destiny anymore and takes him to Warlow, only to find him drained and still bound to the tree. Bill realizes it was Eric.

The Verdict:
Someone on the writing staff at True Blood doesn't care about werewolves. That whole mess has been a waste of time just to get Alcide back to sitting with Sam and sharing a drink. But at least that happened. I'm surprised Nicole is pregnant, because I was sure she was going to become a werewolf given her wound. I don't have any affection for the character yet, given how quickly Luna was ushered off the show, and for what reason? It was also a nice twist to have Sookie confess her attraction to Sam as her last hope for a normal life (though he is a shifter), before making her decision.

I hope James sticks around and survives this. What I don't get is Violet. The way she was introduced I felt I should know who she is, but she's just come out of nowhere and doesn't fit the situation at all.

Finally, I'm enjoying Bill's aloofness, but I don't think he's going to tolerate Eric's rebellion at all. Is Warlow dead? I hope not! As intriguing as the possibility is, I don't think the show will take Sookie down the vampire path.

Review: True Blood "In The Evening"

Non Spoiler Review:

In the Evening deals with the fallout from Terry's death as Sookie returns home to console her friends. Bill seeks help in his attempt to prevent his visions from coming to pass, finding an ally in Eric desperate to save Nora. Sam and Nicole part ways. Within the vampire camp Jason moves to save Jessica.

Another good one, In the Evening continues to accelerate developments with the Hep V and it looks like that whole plotline is reaching its climax soon. Eric and Bill working together is always fun, as well as Sookie returning to the real world to help out her friends. Alcide...well, the werewolf storyline looks like it's come full circle, unless it yields a surprise, which is doubtful.

Spoilers Now!

Eric sends Willa back in to find Pam and advise them of the True Blood contamination while he takes off with Nora. Their escape is discovered and as the facility goes on lockdown Jason is sent to general population. Eric and Nora hide beneath one of the True Blood trucks and drive out.

Willa advises Pam of the Hep V situation. Pam wants Tara and Jessica in on the scoop, but tells her to keep it to themselves given the humans mustn't suspect they're on to them. She sends Willa back into gen pop .

Eric arrives at Bill's mansion with Nora, begging him to heal her if he can. Nora refuses to take Lilith's blood and Bill will honor her dying wish despite Eric's protests. He leaves them alone.

Sarah arrives at the governor's mansion to find the house open and Burrell's head at the foot of his statue. She vows his death won't be in vain. She calls in the state senator to tell him they're very close to bringing their ultimate goal to light. She needs his help to keep the governor's death a secret and announce he is in a safe location while the senator covers for him in the legislature. Sarah will assume control of the facility. The Hep V will not take long to spread. 

Warlow and Sookie wake up in the daylight. She warns him he shouldn't get ahead of himself thinking they're going to get married. Sookie hears Arlene's voice from the cemetery crying over Terry and realizes something terrible has happened. She appears back in the real world and goes to her side to console her. Arlene doesn't know who shot him, but explains what she did. She takes Arlene home to Holly to tell the kids. Lafayette, Sookie and Holly decide to check out Terry's safety deposit box. What they find is a letter to Arlene that holds a life insurance policy issued three days before. They realize he knew it was coming and had it all planned. 

Lafayette and Sookie return to Arlene's only to find her drunk. Sookie reads Adeline's mind and the two of them communicate. Holly's boys show up, as does Bill, walking in the daylight. Andy goes ballistic but Bill tells Arlene how sorry he is for her loss. He then addresses Andy that he's very sorry for his loss, as well. As a father they are both bound to protect their children, and wishes him the best, taking his hand. Bill speaks to Sookie, asking her for Warlow in order to save his progeny. He reminds her Tara is in jeopardy in the death camp and asks her to put her anger with him aside. 

Sam checks in with Lafayette, only to learn Terry's dead. He tells Nicole to go home to her mother as he's returning to Bontemps despite Alcide's warning. She decides to join him in the shower instead. Her mother later arrives and Nicole says her goodbyes to Sam, promising to keep the truth secret and to call her if he needs anything. 

Jessica is brought in to see Jason who explains he's getting her out of there. She's resigned to her own fate, though, but does want to thank vampire James for being so nice to her. Jason brings him in and she asks him for some privacy. She wants to know how James could have been so selfless. He explains he believes vampires choose to forfeit their souls and he made a different choice. She tells James they're all going to die in there and they're putting Hep V in the True Blood and not to drink it. Jessica wants him to make love to her as she's never been with a vampire, never mind one with such humanity.

Alcide drops his father off at home. He tells Alcide the pack life isn't for them and one day he'll realize it. Alcide returns to the pack and announces Sam and Nicole are dead. Rikki tells him he's lying and has Nicole and her mother brought out. 

Eric confronts Bill and promises to do anything he asks if he saves Nora. He believes in him. Bill explains the visions he's been having, and the one that has yet to come true—the death of Pam, Jessica, Tara and Eric. He needs to get Warlow so they can take him with them so they can stop it. Eric vows to go back with him if he helps Nora. Bill does so, getting her to feed from him. Nora doesn't feel any different so Eric thinks Warlow's blood might work. Nora tells him it won't be able to heal her. 

Pam is brought into her psychiatrist for her session. She proceeds to seduce him on the condition she gets back into general population.

Sarah finds Jason outside the door, telling him the governor is dead so any leverage he had is gone. She has him taken away and thrown in the female general population, cutting his wrist so the vampires smell his blood. Tara tells them to back off. But another vampire declares he's hers. 

Eric prays to Godric as Nora begins to succumb. A flashback to 1665 reveals Eric was asked to find the Lady Gainsborough (who enjoys the company of the king) from plague infested London. Eric tracks her down but not before she's already afflicted. Eric promises to take her somewhere more peaceful but she doesn't want to die in his presence. Instead he took her to Godric, who made her a vampire. In the present, Nora tells Eric to let the others walk beside him. She dies in his arms.

The Verdict:

In the Evening was another strong one, though the flashback at the end seemed a bit overdrawn and unnecessary given Nora was already on the verge of death. Nice to see Eric and Bill working together again, and it looks like Bill's vision of the sun room could actually unfold with all of them enjoying Warlow's sun-tolerant blood.

If Alcide's arc all this time has been to get him pushed out of the pack, then it's been a ridiculous waste of screen time to go through the endurance test of having his character immerse himself within werewolf society for nothing. So I have no idea what the writers are planning for him, but it would be nice to see Alcide get some direction to his life. He's been wasted for two seasons.

Andy took Bill's apology a bit too easy. Unless he's secretly planning to strike back at Bill it didn't ring very true at all. Their reactions to Bill walking in sunlight were fun, though.

Sarah doesn't have the chops to be the new big bad, so I think she'll likely be dispatched when everything goes down in the facility. Hopefully that will allow the writers to clean house of a lot of annoying characters like the Newlins. 

Review: True Blood "Don't You Feel Me"

Non Spoiler Review:

Don't You Feel Me brings several plotlines to their climax, as Bill takes drastic measures to save his progeny. Sookie deals with her feelings for Warlow. Jason embarks on his plan to rescue Jessica, as well. Eric realizes all his planning hasn't amounted to much.

After a contrived episode last week, Don't You Feel Me really picked up the pace. As usual, Alcide's plotline struggles, and as yet there is no clear indication what sort of direction the werewolves are going. However, the big surprise was the developments for Terry and Arlene, but even that didn't bring the dramatic impact one might expect.

I have the feeling the season is going to shift into a different direction, given Burrell's plot against the vampires is quickly reaching its peak. That leaves the question of who is the season's ultimate big bad?

Spoilers Now!

Bill hears Sookie's screams but it's Warlow who arrives to pull Lafayette off her. Sookie stops him from killing Lafayette so Warlow uses his fairy powers to throw her father out of his body. Lafayette regains his senses and Sookie orders daddy Stackhouse out of her life forever. 

Lafayette gets filled in on Warlow's abilities, but the latter is called back by Bill. Sookie tries to prevent him from going and asks him to trust her, vanishing with him. Bill is alarmed when he loses his connection and goes to find Jessica, only to realize she's been taken. He seeks out the scientist to induce a coma so he can communicate with Lilith—which means removing nearly all his blood to bring him close to death.

Pam and Eric face each other off as she grows incensed he made another vampire. But instead of fighting, both strike at the snipers positioned behind the the grates and kill them both. Eric spies Newlin behind the glass, who protests his innocence in the matter. More soldiers arrive to disarm them.

At the LAVTF centre Jason impresses the recruiter with his vampire-killing history. He's brought to the internment camp, only to run into Sarah. Jason acts like they've just met, and she asks to speak to their new recruit in private. Jason warns her he's getting Jessica out of there, and if she tells them, he'll reveal what a whore she is. She later turns the tables on him and brings him in to view the copulation study, looking at what drives the vampire libido, which in this case involves Jessica. He watches her brought in to James, who explains what they're supposed to do. James refuses to commit rape, so he's shot with ultraviolet light. Jessica acquiesces but he's adamant he won't go through with it, so Jessica is taken away.

Nicole warns Sam that Emma is terrified about not seeing her grandmother. She doesn't think the solution is to run. As night falls, Alcide shows up at his father's motel room, who reveals Sam is there. He and Alcide go to the room but it's empty. Alcide plans to go after them but orders his father to stay. Sam has taken Nicole's advice and arranged a meeting with Martha as long as she doesn't take her back to the pack. Sam tells them to take care of one another. Later, Alcide finds Sam and faces him down, but Sam is tired of fighting. Alcide lets them go, but warns Sam if he shows his face anywhere that his pack can find him he's a dead man.

Andy's daughter recovers and asks for a real name. He calls her Adeline.

In their refuge, Warlow asks Sookie to tie him up before his blood lust comes upon him. When darkness falls he is no longer a creature of light. On the previous occasions they'd encountered one another he'd already fed. Sookie binds him to a tree and waits, allowing Warlow to lament how she found out the truth about her parents. She's the only one of them that is blameless in the matter. He fills her in on his origin and has waited so long for her because she's special. If she had agreed to be his, his pain as a vampire would be over. Sookie allows him to feed from her, and then feeds from Warlow, as well, then proceeds to have sex with him. 

The governor goads Eric that his death is imminent. They bring in Nora, who was offered up by Newlin, as well. Burrell wants him to feel the same loss he has and plans to inject her with a new creation called Hepatitis V. Eric rages as they do so. Burrell then visits Willa to reveal they're searching for a cure to vampirism, but she doesn't want to be treated any different.

Bill achieves his meeting with Lilith, who only annoys him with riddles. He challenges her wisdom for choosing the wrong fairy and dying the true death. She counters that the time to act is now and he can't come to her seeking answers again. 

Bill is revived and realizes he's out of time, so he drinks Warlow's blood. Bill steps out into the sun, unharmed. He arrives at the governor's mansion to a hail of bullets that do nothing, and instead controls the minds of the guards to shoot themselves, leaving just Burrell. He demands to know about the camp and the whereabouts of Jessica, then Bill rips his head off.

Terry shows up at Lafayette's giving him a safety deposit box key. He in turn alerts Arlene who tells Holly she thinks Terry is going to kill himself. Holly has an idea to get a vampire to glamor Terry. She knows one who owes her a favor. Holly arranges it and the vampire glamors him to forget the marines and the war. Terry wakes up, content. At work the next day Terry is quite cheery, but when he goes to take out the garbage he's shot. Everyone rushes out to the back to find him shot in the neck. Lafayette tries to hold Arlene back but she rushes to his side. She consoles him as he dies in her arms. 

Caged Eric watches Nora suffer, so calls upon Willa. She gets a word alone with a guard and glamors him to bring her to them. They make their escape through the prison and Eric (posing as a guard) enters the True Blood factory, which is being contaminated with Hepatitis V for release on the vampire population. 

The Verdict:

Don't You Feel Me was pretty good, and second best of the season, in my opinion. Most notable, of course, is Terry's death, which came fast and furious. It wasn't as touching as I thought it might be, but as soon as he was glamored I was certain the plot would play out over a few episodes, so at least it got resolved quickly. I have a feeling that means he's coming back via Lafayette's channelling at some point. I'm thinking that leaves only Andy and Arlene and Holly as characters who are still human.

I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering what is the purpose of Sam and Alcide's plotlines, which have sputtered along so lazily so far. Now it looks like it's being brushed off in a half-resolved manner. 

This is the first time the Warlow/Sookie pairing felt like it was working. I highly doubt she's going to get turned into a vampire/fairy, but who knows at this point?

Wouldn't all the guards in the internment camp be wearing the special glamor-proof contact lenses? Or did I miss an explanation?

The vampire plotline with the Hep V is also moving fast, and a surprise that Burrell was dispatched so quickly. Will Bill retain the benefits of Warlow's blood, or will it fade? I'm wondering what will happen once they eventually stop the True Blood distribution. Is there another, more dangerous threat waiting to carry the rest of the season?

Review: True Blood "F**k The Pain Away"

Non Spoiler Review:

Bill cleans up Jessica's mess at the mansion, and secures what he believes to be the final element in his plan to save vampire kind. Sookie attempts to get some answers via Lafayette. Jason meets an old flame. Eric embarks on a questionable plan. Pam gets some therapy.

While F**k the Pain Away was not as solid as last week, its saving grace was Bill and Warlow's interaction. What didn't work was Eric's ridiculous decisions, more useless Terry and Arlene subplots and the continued waste of Alcide. There was also a series of contrived events that were there for no other reason to advance the plot.

What I did enjoy was the backstory stuff—Warlow flashbacks tying the vampire/fairy storylines together, as well as more insight into Sookie's parents that provided answers to some questions going back to the beginning of the series.

Spoilers Now!

Warlow claims Sookie is his intended, and he's wandered the earth looking for her. On the night her parents were killed they were trying to kill Sookie, he adds. She strikes out at him. A distraught Jessica realizes she's killed all five girls. Bill detects something has happened with Sookie, tells Jessica to sleep it off and heads off to her house. Warlow warns Bill he best leave before he kills him. Instead Bill tells him, as his maker, that he commands him to come with him. And Warlow does.

Andy shows up at the mansion looking for Bill and walks in to find his dead kids as Jessica hides. He finds one still alive and takes her back to the sheriff's department where he searches the evidence room for some V. It manages to heal her and she reveals it was Jessica who did it.

Tara finds Eric to tell him Pam's been taken. They follow the authorities to the camp and walk over with hands up to surrender (because this is the extent of Eric's planning these days). Inside Pam is led by an assortment of brutal experiments. After he's processed, Eric and three other vampires are brought into a circular room. They become part of a battle to the death which Eric manages to win. Later in the common room Eric asks if anyone has seen Pam, but gets no response.

Pam is being interviewed by a scientist for her cooperation in their study. They have a more intellectual interest in her—how and what she thinks about. She opts to cooperate in order to be fed by a living donor. She explains most humans are just food to her. On the subject of makers, she reveals hers released her, but she feels nothing about it. Humans love their pain, she says. Pain is a worthless emotion. For a time her maker was everything to her, he released her and it hurt. But she's over it. He's not sure he believes her.

Bill brings Warlow down to the lab and explains Lilith is guiding him. There is a flashback to 3500 BC when Warlow was visited by Lilith outside his village. She was drawn by his fairy blood and had sex with him. She told him he was destined to save vampire kind, and turned him into one. Bill extracts some of his blood, explaining he was made into their salvation.

Willa is alive, but Burrell plans to take her to the camp himself. Sarah advises him to move on and suggests they should have a baby. He refuses to have that conversation. Jason comes home to find Sarah waiting for him. She manages to seduce him again. Jason is then woken up by a frantic and scattered Jessica who has no where else to go. Jason admits he did love her. Jessica wonders if Bill might actually be the devil. Sarah walks out and realizes Jason had a vampire girlfriend. She calls Jessica a demon. Jessica pins her down but Sarah manages to renounce Jessica's invitation to the house and she's sent right into the hands of the authorities waiting outside, as Sarah called them too.

Alcide finds his father in a bar while he's searching for Sam. Alcide tells him to get out of his life and gives him some cash to send him on his way. Nicole and Sam wake up in their hotel but he won't let her call her parents for fear the werewolves will kill them too. Coincidentally enough, Alcide's father is at the same hotel and hears them arguing.

Back in vampire Oz, Jessica finds Tara in general population. Jessica is still struggling with her actions, and wonders if vampires deserve to survive. Willa is brought by them and recognizes Tara but they won't let her mix with them. Willa is taken to her own cell.

Terry calls up an old army buddy, Justin, and asks him to kill him. Terry can't pull the trigger, but he feels he deserves to die. Justin says he will. Terry wants a few days to get his affairs in order and doesn't want to know when it's coming.

Andy plans to kill Bill but Holly warns him Bill is stronger than him and he needs to look after his daughter. Deciding to save Jessica, Jason goes to the vampire police recruitment center to make things right.

Sookie tells Lafayette everything about Warlow. She needs to find her way back to the truth, and asks his help to communicate with her parents. Lafayette prepares for the seance and manages to summon Corbet and Michelle Stackhouse. Sookie learns that Warlow had spoken with her parents when she was a child, asking for Sookie and revealing she was fae. He showed them the contract their ancestor made and promised to make her a princess. He also revealed he was a vampire and intended to make Sookie immortal to protect her forever, horrifying Corbet. They told him to leave them alone, but Warlow warned he was coming back when she was of age. Corbet decided to end it so Warlow could never turn her into a vampire. Despite Michelle protests, she drove off with him.

Meanwhile, Warlow threatens to kill the Japanese scientist. He accuses Bill/Lilith of ruining his life by having him massacre his entire village. In a flashback Warlow returned home after many years and was welcomed by his father. They quickly saw he was different and he lost control and killed them all, except for Niall whose mother had hidden him. He left him alive. Warlow then found Lilith sleeping in her cave and used his fairy powers to bring in the sunlight and burn her. Warlow has no desire to save the vampire race.

Sarah has a surprise for Burrell and brings him to see Newlin. Newlin reveals they have Eric. Burrell rails against him for what he's done to her, forcing him to intern her there. Eric realizes his plan didn't work, and he's given a stake. Sarah has Pam brought out, revealing that's his progeny. The doctor tells Pam to prove how little he means to her. 

Sookie realizes her father was going to kill her. Corbet takes over Lafayette and explains he still loves her, but she's fallen for Warlow already. He grabs her and puts Sookie in the trunk of the car. At the river he takes her into the water and pushes her head under.

The Verdict:

F**k the Pain Away had some decent Warlow backstory that made sense of the tales Niall and Lilith have told, and puts everything in perspective. It was novel to have Bill be able to command him around, and despite the loss of his fairy blood supply, he seems to have the perfect hybrid sample in Warlow. If Warlow is being completely honest that he wants Sookie for altruistic means, that doesn't completely align with his massacre of the fairy night club. But speaking of massacring faeries, I was pleased to see that four out of the five fairy kids are out of the picture, and that actually made for a nice dramatic scene for Andy rather than his usual comic relief.

Now on to the ridiculous—Eric's idea that getting captured and imprisoned is the best way to get to Pam? Really. That worked out great for everyone, and the maker-on-progeny battle at the end could be seen coming a mile away. And where was Nora?

I do hope this storyline means the end of Sarah once and for all. While it was good to see Jason interacting with Jessica again, and possibly heading off on a rescue mission, it's time to ship off the Newlins to the true death. As for Terry, I don't think the writers intend a sigh of relief from the audience when he enlists his friend's aid to kill him. What is the point of this continued torture? It's been six seasons of this. Just get it done already.

The sole purpose for Alcide this week was to contrive to get his dad staying at the same hotel with Sam. I didn't realize he and Alcide were having that many problems that he would take a hissy fit on him the moment he finds him in the backwoods werewolf bar (are there any other normal establishments in Louisiana aside from Merlotte's?). It's really sad to see the same thing week after week with Alcide.

Then there's Sookie and Lafayette. The true story of what happened to her parents is welcome, but how on earth could Sookie get led out of the house, thrown in the trunk, driven to the river, escorted down to the water and dumped in without once using some fairy blasts (that she can now conjure at will)? Come on.

Review: True Blood "At Last"

Non Spoiler Review:

At Last indeed! At last a pretty damn good episode of True Blood that covered a lot of ground and advanced everyone's storyline. Ben reveals a secret, while Sookie plans the perfect date. Eric has grand plans for Willa. Alcide and his pack continue to be ornery. Bill and Jessica team up to carry out his plan to save vampirekind.

Definitely the best of the season so far, At Last moved briskly with plenty of interesting developments. Some may have predicted the twists, but I still found them enjoyable and left with the impression that the season is moving with a sense of direction.

Not all is repaired—the werewolves continue to run around in search of a storyline, Jason's actual role this season keeps attaching itself to various characters, and Terry and Arlene continue to take up unnecessary screentime. 

Spoilers Now!

Niall catches up with Nora and demands an explanation. She fills him in about Lilith and the need to destroy her. The mistranslation she discovered is that the progeny led Lilith to the sun. She gets excited by the scent of his fairy blood so he tosses her away—directly into a bunch of the governor's soldiers who capture her.

Ben and Sookie tend to Jason, who is far more wounded than they thought. While she calls for help, Ben sprouts fangs and cuts open his arm to give Jason his blood. Sookie comes back to find Jason alive and well. Niall returns and suggests this is a family matter, so Ben leaves.

Martha alerts Alcide that Sam took Emma. Sam reaches the bitten Nicole and carries her off as Lafayette arrives to drive them to safety. In the morning Nicole comes to terms that her friends are dead. Sam tells Lafayette to go home and watch out for himself, then turns into a horse to carry Nicole and Emma.

The governor's men break into Ginger's house but find no one else. Burrell has her taken to camp. Meanwhile, Pam attempts to summon Tara, who returns but refuses to reveal where she has Willa. Eric intimidates her to confess she's at the fairgrounds and he goes off. Eric finds Willa  waiting for him. She reminds him she's on his side, but she feels she deserves to taste his blood. Eric takes her to an open grave in a cemetery and makes her a vampire, his second progeny.

Andy's girls can read Terry's mind about killing Patrick, which unsettles him and Arlene. The girls go through another growth spurt into teenagers and they sneak out in the night to party. Bill and Jessica are watching the house and follow after they steal the sheriff's car. At the liquor store the girls try to buy beer as Jessica steps forward and glamors the clerk. She introduces herself and invites them over to her place to party. They admit she smells kind of funny and isn't like them. Jessica confesses she's a vampire but can control herself. They head off together. Andy is frantic to find the girls missing, but has no idea how old they might be now.

Back home, Bill takes a sample of one of the girl's blood and heads down to the lab he's set up with the Japanese scientist. Bill reveals his hope to save everyone and asks him to map the genetic code of the blood and synthesize it. Bill adds that failure is not an option.

Sookie finds a drop of blood on the floor and concludes something is up with Jason's renewed strength. She uses her fairy powers to discern it's vampire. She goes to see Ben at his hotel to apologize for Niall's behaviour and invite him for dinner, then off to get groceries, as well as some silver that she plans to sprinkle on the meal.

Jason has an erotic dream about Ben given the vampire blood and confesses it to Niall, who makes a  huge intuitive leap that a vampire could have turned a fairy and created a creature with both powers. They conclude Ben is a vampire who walks in daylight and is, indeed, Warlow.

The two of them stake out the hotel as Ben gets in the shower. But Ben is waiting for them and disables Niall and glamors Jason to forget he ever came there, and to say good-bye to his grandfather. Jason leaves and Ben begins to drink from Niall.

Research on the blood has turned up plenty of anomalies, but the scientist finds it so unstable that it reduces itself to human blood outside its host. He can't replicate it. Bill reveals he has his donors upstairs and threatens the scientist to continue his work.

New vampire Willa is dazzled by her senses, but Eric is sending her home to show her father what he fears the most. Furious, she calls Eric a monster, but he wants her to prove to her father they were all once human and not to be hunted. He did not make her into a vampire on a whim.

Pam and Tara are on the search for food but have (another) argument. Tara runs off just as the governor's men capture Pam. The governor is still waiting for word about Willa—with new lover Sarah Newlin. They're interrupted with news that his daughter is home, but had to be invited in. Willa says she's still his child, but she finds herself drawn to his bloodied hand and Sarah shoots her.

Ben hasn't killed Niall but has drank most of his blood. He admits his family lived beside Niall's before he was born, and he was turned into a vampire. He spared Niall so that their line could continue and will spare him again. He opens up a portal and throws Niall through it. 

Sam takes Emma and Nicole to a hotel. As they commiserate over their losses they end up making out.

Ben shows up late at Sookie's, bearing flowers. She watches him eat but realizes the silver is having no effect. He asks why her previous relationship went south. Sookie doesn't want to be betrayed again and questions him what it is about her that he wants. He explains she understood him when they met. 

The girls want to go home but Jessica tries to get  them to stay until her father is finished his important stuff. They gang up on her and try to leave, provoking Jessica to lose control and feed on one of them. Andy tries to interview the dense liquor store clerk and Jason suggests a vampire glamored him. Andy asks if they can sniff out fairies, and Jason explains they're like catnip to them. Andy rushes off. Bill hears the screams from upstairs and finds a distraught Jessica has fed on all the girls. 

As Ben and Sookie make out on the couch, she abruptly tells him to get off her. She knows he's Warlow and she holds her glowing hand above him.

The Verdict:

The fairy girl plot finally got interesting. I doubt they're all dead, but that would actually be quite a cool development if that's the case. I didn't really see Ben turning out to be Warlow and I'm a bit confused about the whole vampire/fairy powers mix and how all that sorted out. But the twist was well-executed, as well as a humorous Jason dream sequence. There's been no real definition of fairy abilities like we've had with vampires, so it still feels like they're being written for storyline convenience (Sookie's potential vampire WMD, for example). Curious that he left Niall alive, and something tells me he's not as evil as we've been led to believe.

Sam's sudden make out session with Nicole is more than a tad contrived, but I'll let it pass given the rest of the episode was good. I was enjoying the team up with Lafayette so I hope they continue together. Lafayette doesn't have much left to do except channel spirits when plotlines require it.

Speaking of not having much to do, that includes all vampires unless you're Bill, Jessica and Eric. Pam and Tara used to be fun but they're just outright boring now. The capture of Nora and Pam came off as equally contrived, and not much of a surprise as we can assume Bill can see the future and accurately foresaw all of them imprisoned in Burrell's camp. I'm not sure if Willa is heading for true death soon, or not. She hasn't had a chance to grow as a character and might be easy cannon fodder to force Burrell to even further extremes.

Alcide and the werewolves continue to suck. That's all that needs to be said.

Review: True Blood "Hide and Seek"

Non Spoiler Review:

Eric grabs a bargaining chip in his fight against the governor. Bill makes a terrible error interpreting Lilith's messages, but gets a few ideas how he might save everyone. Niall stumbles upon a new ally.

Hide and Seek didn't offer anything that much new and exciting as the season gets underway. There's still plenty of running around without any apparent direction. In particular, the Eric, Pam, Tara, Nora constant bickering has grown tiresome already, the angry werewolf plot is spinning in circles, and, as usual, I'm enjoying the Bill and Jessica scenes more than anything. There is a glimmer of hope of the season's direction by the end of it, and an innovative idea from Bill.

Spoilers Now!

Willa is a vampire sympathizer and fills Eric in on her father's plans—he's created a concentration camp for their vampire prisoners. Eric realizes she's their only bargaining chip and takes her with them as they go on the run and leave Fangtasia behind, apparently forever, despite a heated argument with Tara and Pam over their plans. They take refuge at Ginger's where he calls the governor to inform him he has his daughter. The governor successfully traces the call and Eric prepares to flee, only to find Tara has made off with Willa.

Reverend Newlin is now a prisoner of Burrell's camp, and has a reunion with wife Sarah who is pleased to find him in his current condition. She's also discovered politics is more of a means to her end.

Niall investigates the fairy club in the woods, only to find it's been massacred by Warlow, who appears to exhibit some startling abilities he hadn't anticipated. Leaving, he runs into Ben, who recognizes him as the fairy leader and offers to join his army. They return back to Sookie's, who is surprised to see Ben again. When Niall senses something outside, he finds Nora instead and takes off after her. Jason, meanwhile, is acting much saner and tells Sookie the strange things the ghosts of their parents told him.

The police come to Martha's looking for Emma. Alcide and Rikki stall until Martha comes out. Rikki then threatens Emma to the breaking point so she shifts into a wolf, and when the police come inside they're fooled (despite the puppy wearing clothes).

Nicole and her friends show up at the werewolf camp with their message of coexistence, only to instigate a massacre as everyone shifts and takes them down one by one. Nicole escapes into the woods, wounded. Meanwhile, Sam has been watching the situation as an owl and takes the opportunity to run off with Emma, but realizes he has to help out Nicole.

Bill thinks Lilith's plan for him is to walk in the sun, only to be horribly mistaken. After he recovers from his wounds he sends Jessica to retrieve the Japanese scientist responsible for True Blood. He then goes to see Sookie to ask a big favor. She won't invite him in, but he is able to come in anyway, immobilizes Jason, and asks her for a sample of her blood in the hopes that they can make a synthetic version. She absolutely refuses, and he tells her she's dead to him.

On the way home Bill is stopped by Andy, who warns him of the curfew, but also fills him in on his daughters. Bill can detect the fairy scent on their teddy bear and suddenly has a new idea.

The Verdict:

A mediocre episode, Hide and Seek did reveal an innovative aspect to Bill's plan to try to synthesize fairy blood, which is one of the more logical moves on the series so far. And that suddenly brings Andy's annoying family to the forefront.

The werewolf plot isn't living up to my expectations yet, and as I've mentioned every week, Rikki in particular appears to be drastically out of character from what we saw of her last season. Even Alcide is meaner and crazier. It's just not making any sense.

Niall is growing on me, too, and it was nice to see a saner acting Jason, some promise that there's an explanation for his odd behaviour, and leads to a mystery of who and what might be the apparitions he's seeing as his parents. It's unfortunate that he's missed out on the fairy bloodline, because that would add a little bit to his struggling character right now much more than his werepanther plot ever did.

Review: True Blood "The Sun"

Non Spoiler Review:

Eric risks capture to learn the truth of the governor's agenda, while Bill attempts to decipher his dreams of Lilith. Sookie meets a fellow fae as Jason gets a family history lesson from his travelling companion. Alcide and Martha pay a visit to Sam.

The Sun was an okay episode. It's refreshing to get back to some of the supernatural origins for the characters like we do this week, rather than the boring subplots of the Bellefleurs and others, and Rutger Hauer's revelation was a nice little surprise. 

There's still plenty of character problems to sort out—Alcide and Jason, to name a couple. Bill and Jessica remain the strong points of the show for me. 

Spoilers Now!

Jason confronts the mystery man on the side of the road, and he explains he's not Warlow, but his fairy grandfather, Niall. He tells Jason several things about his early life, convincing him he's genuine. Warlow is probably the oldest vampire still walking and Jason is no match for him. He needs to straighten up.

Tara is in agony. Eric and Nora arrive and realize the police have new weapons. He digs out the slug and finds it's a silver bullet that emits UV light. Nora reminds them the general said they were developing new weapons. Eric says they'll give them war. 

Jessica wakes up to Bill's screams. He can feel the pain of all the vampires and lapses into a vision where he's brought to see Lilith in the sun. She explains events have been set in motion—and Bill must complete her work. There is no god but god. He asks what he's supposed to do. Jessica wakes him up and has a human volunteer over for Bill to feed on. However the woman's body is completely taken over and emptied of blood without Bill touching her.

Arlene angrily calls Sookie that she has a shift at Merlotte's. Terry is alarmed when Patrick's wife walks in. She thinks Patrick ran off with another woman so they opt to go with that story. Some tourists from LA arrive looking for Sam. They know he's a shifter, but they want to start a dialogue between humans and supernatural creatures. Sam takes Nicole into his office and she explains she's a founder of the Vampire Unity Society. They want him to come out as a shifter because the government won't stop their war at vampires. 

On the way to work Sookie finds an injured man, Ben, in the bushes. She realizes he's half-fae and was injured by a vampire. She brings him back home to recover and after awhile he's ready to go on his way. She tells him there's a safe place for faeries and leads him to the meadow.

Jason returns home with his grandfather, who asks where Warlow tried to break through. He brings him up to the bathroom where Sookie first saw him. Niall jumps through the portal, leaving Jason behind. The he abruptly reappears, wet.

Andy takes his four girls out to the meadow calling for Mirella to take them, but gets no response.

Rereading the Book of Lilith, Nora realizes a passage has been mistranslated. Nora tells Pam that Eric never revealed her existence because that knowledge could have gotten Pam killed, and he's more proud of Pam than anyone.

Eric spies on the governor's mansion and intercepts a man with an appointment. The governor's daughter Willa escorts him in for his meeting with her father. Eric reveals he's a vampire and orders him to stop his persecution. He attempts to glamor him to love all vampires, but Burrell is unaffected and calls his guards. They've figured out the glamoring trick and have special contact lenses to protect them. He has him taken away to camp but Eric takes flight and makes his escape.

Sookie returns home to find Jason and an introduction to her grandfather. He reveals Warlow was already there sometime in the last day. Warlow has been obsessed with their family for thousands of years, as they are the original fae and he's king of their tribe. Warlow massacred their village, and Niall never saw him when he murdered his parents. He tracked him over the centuries until Claudene banished him to a dark realm the night he killed Sookie's parents. He reveals there's a secret in their bloodline—they can channel their light into a single ball of energy that will kill any vampire it touches. It's a last resort for Sookie, given she is only part fae and can only use it once before being fae nolonger. He tutors her on how to practice her light. 

Sam goes home where Lafayette is looking after Emma. Martha shows up looking for her and learns Luna is dead. Alcide explains Luna's actions mean the government will be looking for all of them. Alcide thinks it's best Emma comes with them given she's a werewolf. Sam forbids it and argues with the group. Martha grabs Emma and Sam and Alcide begin to fight, leaving Sam and Lafayette both unconscious. The Vampire Unity group are watching from the trees.

Willa is in her room and removes her contact lenses just as she gets a visit from Eric who glamors her to invite him in. 

Jessica has disposed of the body, then she says a prayer over Bill. Lilith tells Bill he will know what to do and trust what he sees. Bill wakes up and watches a news report of a vampire being dragged behind a truck. Jessica is relieved to find him awake, but both realize it's the vampire Bill saw before. He can see the future. Bill then has a vision of Jessica, Pam and Tara in a prison, being burnt in the sun. They're all going to burn, he says.

The Verdict:
The Sun was decent episode, and the fairy stuff surprisingly isn't as annoying and silly as it has been in the past. Ben is somewhat intriguing, but obviously a potential love interest for Sookie. I'm impressed more with Niall's character so far, but they seem to have left the big opening of freeing Sookie of her supernatural nature by using up all her power in one blast (to probably kill Warlow). While I'm pleased to learn Niall isn't Warlow, I'm not entirely sure we can trust him just yet.

We certainly can't trust Burrell, whose true agenda is apparent now. The novelty vampire weapons are a nice touch, and it's interesting to see the humans actually taking the offensive and winning against what has always been perceived as a stronger enemy.

Alcide and Rikki continue to act completely out of character, which is tough to get passed. I just can't see him treating Sam and Lafayette that way, unless becoming pack leader gives him a big dose of werewolf hormones to turn him into a complete ass.

I'm not sure yet what to make of the Vampire Unity Group, except that they'll likely bring a host of trouble on everyone rather than solving anything. 

Review: True Blood "Who Are You, Really?"

Non Spoiler Review:

Who Are You, Really? kicks off the mystery of who and what is the resurrected Bill Compton. As Louisiana turns against the vampires, Jason sets off on his own when it seems Sookie remains loyal to them. Alcide sees the benefits of being pack leader, while Andy and Sam both tackle child rearing.

As True Blood premieres go, this wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. I find the Bill storyline the most interesting, but it runs the risk of quickly derailing if the whole Lilith mythology doesn't hold up. Sam, Andy and Alcide all got short shrift given the vampire-centric opening.

It used to be that I really anticipated the series premiere. But after a couple of sketchy seasons, the series really needs to pull things together and go for some solid storytelling over the rampant craziness that has become its trademark. There are still great characters here—Bill and Jessica, Alcide, Lafayette, Sam, and Pam and Tara that can sustain the series, if only the writers treat them seriously.

Spoilers Now!

Eric and Sookie run to the elevator but the power goes off as a resurrected Bill goes on a rampage. The two of them climb up the shaft. Jason, Pam, Jessica, Tara and Nora make their way outside as Bill sets the building on fire. Eric and Sookie drive up and everyone piles in as the building explodes. They watch as Bill emerges from the flames and stares after them. It's not Bill anymore, Sookie says, and he flies into the sky.

Eric believes he let them get away. They hear on the radio that Louisiana Governor Burrell has declared a vampire curfew and is closing all vampire businesses in his state given over two hundred people have died since the True Blood bombings.

Pam is offended Eric never mentioned Nora in all the time they knew one another. Eric shoots back that there are more important things going on at the moment. He asks Nora if anything could explain what they just saw but she's at a loss to understand it. If Lilith is walking the earth they have to destroy her. Nora needs to talk to Jason and wonders how he knows about Warlow. Eric has never heard the name before.

Sookie consoles Jessica. They're both afraid that whatever rose from the dead isn't Bill. She thinks they have to let him go.

Nora attempts to glamor Jason for his knowledge on Warlow. Jason explains he murdered his parents, but he pulls a gun on her when he recovers himself and demands to know where Warlow is. Nora admits she's never laid eyes on him, but he's in the Book of Lilith—Lilith's progeny and one of the first vampires. Sookie demands he put the gun down and steps in between them.

Jason declares she loves the vampires more than her own blood and says she's dead to him too. He runs off. Jessica abruptly turns around, feeling Bill is summoning her and unable to stop it. Eric tries to hold her back but she vomits blood and faints. Jessica is in agony so Sookie decides she's taking her to Bill with or without them. She and Sookie go off. Tara wants to follow but Eric stops her and orders Pam to return to Fantasia while he flies off with Nora.

Luna lays dying and asks Sam to look after her daughter. Sam returns to the bar to find Lafayette, who comments on Luna transforming from Newlin on television and creating alarm there are other kinds of supernaturals. 

As the pack eats the body of J.D., Alcide's father urges him to partake if he's to become pack master. He does so. Martha warns Rikki that power is more of a drug than the vampire blood and will wear away at his decency. Alcide receives the fealty of his new subjects and they run off together as wolves.

Sookie and Jessica arrive at Bill's mansion, following a trail that ends with a pile of dried blood. They find Bill on the porch looking his old self. He just wants to talk. Nora and Eric attack but he easily restrains them. Sookie shoves a wooden stake through his back. Bill turns to her and pulls it out, suggesting they talk now.

Bill explains he brought them there because he's no monster nor wishes them any harm. He says he is Bill Compton, but clearly something more. He sees everything differently now. The man who put fear in their eyes is gone. Sookie says she felt Bill die and doesn't believe it's him, asking him to prove it. She wants him to stay away from all of them. Jessica disagrees. She wants Bill to stay and tells the rest to leave. All they want to do is kill and ask questions later, and she accuses Sookie of betraying her trust by trying to stake Bill. The earth shakes as Bill orders them away, leaving just the two of them.

The governor meets with one of the True Blood producers, offering a government bailout—a partnership with True Blood. Her clients are vampires and she doesn't want to partner with him. He reveals he has an old oil refinery that has been refurbished as a bottling plant, something she can use free of charge until her facilities are back up and running. The partnership can be a silent one. Once the vampires have their True Blood he hopes they will return to peaceful law abiding members of society. Louisiana needs revenue and so does he if he wants to be re-elected. That's what's in it for him. 

Alcide changes back to human form with his new follower Danielle and proceeds to make out with her until Rikki shows up. He apologizes but she takes over and tells Danielle to join in. She informs Alcide she's his number one bitch and don't ever forget it.

Back at Fantasia, Tara can't understand why Pam keeps taking orders from Eric. Pam tells her she can't ever replace him. The police arrive to close down the bar and Tara threatens them, only to be shot.

Eric offers Sookie money so she can start a new life, but she realizes Bill will find her if he wants. She knows she's changed but he says she'll always be the girl who walked into his bar. At her home he gives the deed back to her. It's the least he can do. She admits she wants her old life back so she can be that girl again, and rescinds his invitation to her house. He tells her goodnight. Eric and Nora then conspire to find Bill's weakness, but he insists they stay away from Sookie from now on. 

Arlene tells Andy he has to look after his new litter of fairy babies. He admits he doesn't know how to take care of them. Later as he sleeps Andy, Terry and Arlene are woken up by the rapidly aged children, now young girls.

Bill tends to Jessica, but when she drops her glass it suspends in mid air, thanks to Bill's new found abilities. He didn't know he could do that and he admits he doesn't have answers. He explains that during the war General Sherman started out as a good man but as the years passed and he grew more powerful he turned mad. He needs Jessica to keep him honest and tell him as it is. She's the only one he trusts. He lets her sleep.

Jason is picked up on the side of the road by an older man. He explains he was in Bontemps a long time before and asks about Jason's family to pass the time. Jason recounts the tale of what's transpired. The driver finally suggests he can't keep Warlow away from Sookie. Jason fires his gun, but the man has vanished and the car veers off the road.

As Sookie sleeps the scroll next to her begins to glow. Bill, meanwhile, has painful visions and hears his name. He finds Lilith standing in his study. He asks who she is and she flies into his body.

The Verdict:
There's not much to say at this early juncture about the direction of the series. Who Are You, Really? keeps Bill and Jessica's relationship as one of the strong points of the story. I really enjoy that these two continue to be at its core. As for the rest of the bunch, I don't care about Andy's babies, nor does Eric and Nora really inspire me all that much.

Luna was dispatched so quickly I didn't even have time to remember what happened to her in the finale. I'm not sure I want to see Sam as a father at this point. Which could mean Emma is passed on to her grandmother. Martha's speech doesn't portend well for Alcide. But I'm guessing Sookie is done with vampires and might move on to werewolves, which could likely save him from going to the dark side. I realize Alcide is currently high on V, but he's in danger of becoming a caricature of himself like Jason has.

The introduction of Warlow hopefully will prove to be an inspired storyline, and maybe he won't even figure as a villain despite the ominous introduction. And it remains to be seen if the Louisiana governor has everyone's best interests at heart as he professes.

So an apathetic review at this point. Given so many other series have overshadowed True Blood's former greatness in the last few years, the writers can either pull the show out of the doldrums or let it fade out. It would be nice if they could somehow recapture the fun and excitement of season two.