Well, it took me a while to banish from my mind the image of Bill (’scuse me: “Guillaume”) sitting at a piano in 1926 Chicago crooning this week’s episode title-song, “Hard-Hearted Hannah” — surely the least sexy/appealing poses we’ve ever seen Bill in, and yes, I remember those stiff Civil War flashbacks. What finally replaced that image (Bill looked sort of like early Billy Joel crossed with Marvin Hamlisch — shudder) was True Blood’s two climactic scenes this week. (Do I need to write it?: Spoiler alert if you didn’t watch tonight’s episode yet.)
I’m talking about Sookie and Hugo (Isabel’s human boyfriend) being dragged down screaming into Rev. Steve’s basement of terror, and Maryann’s wildest whipped-up orgy yet, which included Tara and Eggs going at it like rabbits, but rabbits with dead-ghoul eyes. Eek and eek, respectively. Yes, the danger is becoming more harrowing with each week, so that now one of True Blood’s pleasures is its churning suspense, so far kept under an artistic control that’s so confident on the part of Alan Ball and his directors that it hasn’t gone over the top.
What has become a bit of a repetitive drag is the vampirism as metaphor for homosexuality. Or as Luke spelled it out as only Luke can (thick-headedly, in words of mostly one syllable): When a Christian man (and by Luke’s standards therefore a straight dude) “does it to a vampire, or to a dude, or to a vampire-dude, that’s the cream de la cream [sic] of sin!” Okay, okay, we get it: some evangelical Christians are homophobic. And some have hotsy blonde wives who warn muscular guys to whom they gave bathtub-hand-jobs last week that their husbands want to “start a war” against gays — I mean, vampires.
Now back to the more subtle stuff. I liked the clever pairing of Sookie with Hugo to infiltrate the Light of Day camp. Their conversations about the nature of vampire love were sweet and poignant. Loved all the Hoyt-Jessica stuff; I know it’s just there for comic relief, but Hoyt’s squabbling with his mama over cell-phone texting is still funny to me, as was Jessica’s blurted-out “I’m so happy I could cry but I don’t wanna ’cause it’s really gross when I do!”
And more seriously, I really liked the Lafayette scenes, his mental torture at flashing-back to his real torture; his being forced to once again sell “V,” but this time for the vampires’ profit; and the way Terry gently cradled and comforted him.
But the core dangers were cliffhanger doozies. Sam is at once horrified and trapped in Maryann’s Dionysian freak-out. Sookie is going to need all her telepathic powers to get Bill to come help rescue her. (Will Eric help?)
And I’m guessing that, very soon, Jason is going to tumble to the fact that his sister is endangered by an anti-vampire war-in-the-making that will shatter Jason’s faith. The kid’s gonna have to grow up, man-up, fast. Because True Blood can only become more baroquely, violently exciting. Remember the days when the biggest problem in Bon Temps was Tara’s mother drinking too much? How far we have come. Check out this new preview of the rest of the season, shown at Comic-Con:
Did you watch tonight’s True Blood? What do you think is going to happen next?
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This was a great episode! So the Rev knows about Sookie? I was so surprised by it! The orgy scene was scary (okay, and hot). I thought, “Finally! Tara is going to open her eyes!” Boy, how wrong was I? Girl, eye went all black as she and Eggs… well, jacked-hammered it.
I haven’t read the books, but I am betting that Lorena called the Rev and anonymously told him about Sookie and Hugo.
That’s a good idea, but if they follow it the way they do in the books then it turns out Hugo is the one who betrays them, because he works for the vampires, but is a spy for LODI.
And what was up with that place that Eggs and Tara found? That was seriously creepy too!
It must have been the site of another orgie.
Maybe MaryAnn cut out that woman’s heart at the spot Egg found? The dead woman had the same marks on her back that Sookie had.
Tonights episode was the most crazy yet. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
Thanks for the speedy recap, Ken. So much action and plot development this week! It just might be my favorite episode yet.
Was that Eric with Sookie IN BED in the promo? YESSS!! I hope that’s the season finale.
I’m on the edge of my seat every week. No complaints here.
If anyone has read the series they will know where the story lines are going with each character. saw season one and it was the same as the book except for a couple of items and people who didn’t disappear.
This episode was perfect. I can’t wait until next week. The suspense is killing me already and there’s a whole weeks worth of waiting to do. And that preview seems like the forthcoming episodes of this season are gonna be the sh*t!!! I definitely can’t wait until Evan Rachel Wood joins the cast.
That trailer was awesome, much more details than the trailer following tonights episode…which by the way was quite good.
Hands down, best episode of the season! Bill and his ex, f**king on that blood filled bed, while that half dead girl watched? Brilliant!
WOW, I think maybe Eric is having Lafayette sell his blood to be able to track down all the V-addicts and clean house. I think I’m liking bad-ass bill a lot more than weepy woman Bill. I love Terry more every episode. I think there’s too much of the Tara/Eggs/MaryAnn crap and not NEARLY enough Eric and Pam. I think that the Viking better appear naked at some point in this season or I might take some hostages. If they can send that old fat guy at the orgy running around flopping his ancient junk, they better ante up with some Eric naked yumminess. I’m thinking I LOVE this show. And I need fireproof underwear.
OMG this episode was one of the best. I too was at the edge of my seat. So many bad things happened to some of our beloved characters and I was stunned. Stunned by crazy-ghoulish eyed orgy, sookie screaming as she’s pulled down to the basement and screaming for bill, the platform that will fry a vampire, Sam screaming after seeing the sacrificial knife, the girl bleeding to death as bill and his maker make love right next to her.. Thank God hoyt travels to dallas to surprise jessica– absolutely romantic.. And that trailer is action-packed.. And was that the beautiful Evan Rachel Wood at the end.. Damn I love my True Blood!!
is that evan rachel wood at the end? omg.
Yep, she plays sophie-ann.
Gahhh it looks so good! Can’t wait for the love triangle to pick up between Sookie/Bill/Eric. Hbo released the plots of the next 5 shows and let me tell you people that Sookie will be sucking a bullet out of Eric and getting some of his blood! Bring it on!
Evan Rachel Wood is playing Sophie Anne. In the books we don’t meet her till later but I have to admit as much as I’ve disliked some of the changes this show is a whole lot of fun. Also trying to figure out how brining in Lorena in this season will change the events from the third book. Jessica has become my favorite character. I’m not sure why they changed Stan so much though. He’s this big macho texan and he’s supposed to be a computer nerdy kind of guy. Also trying to figure out why they made Godric the sheriff and took out the other dude that was kidnapped but I guess we’ll see. Was that Eric in bed with Sookie? Can’t wait! Still can’t stand Tara and anything having to do with her. Love having Lafayette back even though it’s not in the books. And I like making Terry an iraq vet instead of nam vet. Can’t wait for next week
I love the show. I can’t wait to see the next part.I think eric will try to end up with sookie but bill won’t allow it.What is up with maryann ? What is she? anwhy doesshe want sam so bad? well, I’ll just have to keep watching. I do think bill will finilly turn sookie. til nxet time.
I know its not relevant, but anyone watch NBC Kings finale? This show should have more people to talk about.
I saw it. Writing was almost as good if not as good as true blood.
wow. i wish i hadnt seen that.. soo full of spoliers..
but has got me so excited!
I could not disagree more with the statement that Bill was unappealing as the 1920s piano-playing version of himself. Perhaps it’s just me, but I find the idea of 20s era vampires extremely sexy.
The actor who plays Lafayette absolutley cannot pull-off “scared” and “mentally tortured”. Whereas he’s able to play “fabulously gay” to a tee, his attempts at the former colors in the emotional pallett I found to be stiff, bland, weak and utterly unconvincing. I saw no terror, felt none of his supposed pain. He basically just became kind of blank-faced, ie. his acting has became quite bad.
How can you not mention the scene that showed Bill’s murderous past?
I could not take my eyes off the t.v. screen! Keep it coming! Can’t wait until next Sunday’s episode!!!
I’m so tired of the lame soft-core porn week after week after week. I felt the first season had far less sex than this one.
Every week, I sit there and count the minutes wasted on sex when there’s more story to be driven. The “handjob-in-the-bathtub” scene could have been FAR more subtle. Instead, I had to sit there and look at Jason Stackhouse’s awkard orgasm face for a few minutes. They could have cut when her hand went into the tub and (gasp!) let us put two and two together.
If I wanted to watch soft-core I’d switch over to Cinemax. Sex does nothing to the show, let’s just move on.
The episode rocked! And the trailer looks awesome. Don’t die, Sam! I wonder whose going to save Sookie and worthless Hugo. Can we see Godric soon? Please? Eric misses his daddy, me thinks.
LOVED it!
The orgy a week thing is getting more than a little dull, too (what is it, three weeks running now?). The show works only when its relationships are working…..and Sookie, Tara, and Jason are all separate now. Sam is off in his own line and so, apparently, is Lafayette. At least some of these threads need to be coming together.
I love Tru Blood, but… it is really starting to stray from the book series. As a fan of the series and of the books I hope that the writers of Tru Blood can pull it together and become more true to the book series.
That is not going to happen. Time to get used to it. It will differentiate more than ever now that they have made minor characters in the books into major characters in the series. Enjoy them both for what they are. Charlaine Harris has said that she will not be writing with the series in mind, either and that she approves of Ball’s different take on her books. Besides-it would be a BORING show if they really cleaved to the books-it would all be from Sookie’s POV and we would have to be in her head all the time. Dull to watch.
preach. very well-said.
Awesome trailer. Bring it on.
I can not wait! It looks great. I am not sure what is going happen because it is so different from the second book. Oh and last night Bill and Lorene on thE bed with all thE blood-GROSS!
Never have I been on the edge of my seat as I have been with TRUE BLOOD. It’s the fastest hour on television and the most enjoyable thing you can do with clothes on.