Be careful what you wish for.
Fans of True Blood—and those watching out of habit—have been wondering who Sookie might end up with by series’ end and we might have gotten an answer last night. But since we’re three episodes from the final episode, is this love meant to last? And, moreover, did it have to be so sad and…veiny? But there were plenty of other fan service nuggets that didn’t satisfy either. So maybe last night’s theme wasn’t nostalgia so much as frustration.
At least Arlene was suffering from the good kind of frustration.
Spoilers and salty language after the cut.
Sookie and Bill
Sookie started the hour firmly in the denial stage of grief over Bill’s impending demise. If we really do think Bill will succumb to Hep V before a cure is found. Watching a main love interest die of a wasting disease isn’t the most satisfying of endings to a once red-hot couple. But if last night’s big reunion scene was any indicator, Bill and Sookie aren’t the same people who once made passionate love in a cemetery. There was definitely a sadness and vulnerability to their sex, but it was also kind of gross and depressing and not the kind of thrills I once looked to True Blood for.
So instead of heat, we get a few smiles from a majorly overacting Dr. Ludwig. I didn’t miss her character, but it was cute enough to have her reappear. Rutger Hauer reprising his role as Sookie’s great-times-a-thousand grandpa Niall imparted a poignant lesson on the miracles within ordinary life and death. Yet both guest stars seemed to be in this episode more to just preemptively answer some potential plot hole questions than to really propel the story forward. And that was mainly my issue with this episode—I watched tonight’s and last week’s episode back-to-back and felt like the second hour didn’t really move the story forward in any meaningful way. And with only three hours left ever, that’s a big concern.
Sam
Speaking of guest stars with nothing much to do, Sam may as well not even be on the show anymore. So, yeah, he should definitely leave Bon Temps to be with Nicole and his damn child. How is this even a question? I know how things ended for Sam in the books, but it’d be insane if Sam sticks around for Sookie. He hasn’t expressed any interest in her like that since the first season and few people in town really appreciate him. So, the question is, will Sam ride off into the sunset next week and not even be in the last episode? Or will he die tragically in some convoluted way because that seems to happen to expectant parents on convoluted dramas. The circle of life n’ all that. I hope not.
Jason
I kind of wish we didn’t see Hoyt again. I felt we got just enough closure when Jason called him to inform him of his mama’s death. And for Jason to then leer at Hoyt’s ridiculously long-legged girlfriend? Hasn’t Jason matured since the first season when he was just sleeping around town? It doesn’t feel like Jason’s grown much as a character, unless Jason not once again fucking his best friend’s girlfriend is supposed to be progress.
But I enjoyed his shirtless vacuuming immensely.
Lafayette
Dammit, he was doing so well with his Jason/Jessica love triangle, but now he’s caught up in Lettie Mae’s Tara boringness. Since Tara is officially dead, let her stay dead. We don’t have time for this lame mystery.
Pam and Eric
Wow, Will Yun Lee’s character is awful. Bad accent, bad tactical assaults, and bad dealings with untrustworthy vampires. I don’t care how appealing Eric is as a spokesmodel for New Blood—or will it be Nü Blood?—a smart businessman would never give Eric and Pam multiple chances to capture a fugitive. Does no one remember how things ended up with Russell Edgington? Sarah’s hallucinations were just kind of silly and definitely a bit more fan service. Remember how great it was when Jason first slept with the dorky reverend’s sexy wife way back when? Yeah, I do. And Sarah’s outstayed her welcome just a smidge. I never would’ve guessed Sarah and the Yakuza were going to be the big final pieces of True Blood. Will Eric get healed and be the last vampire standing? Maybe he’d have a sexier reconciliation with Sookie.
Arlene
I can’t believe how much I’ve loved Arlene this season. Talk about a turnaround and character growth. Her unexpected attraction to a kindly (and hot) vampire seems natural. And it’s super fun to watch. Team Keith all the way.
But I still maintain that Blue Velvet had the best use of Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams.” Hearing it on True Blood was super distracting. Keith is no Frank Booth, to put it mildly.
Violet
First I gave her credit for not immediately breaking down the door when she overheard Jason having sex with Jessica. If anyone seemed like the jealous crime of passion-type person, it would have been her. But she’s so much more devious than that. Hurting Adilyn is the best, most evil way to hurt Jessica. I… kind of admire that level of evil in a villain.
Also, her portrait above the door of her sex dungeon is spectacular.
Next week: Violet stops the foreplay and possibly goes on some sort of rampage.
True Blood airs Sunday nights at 9 PM E/PT on HBO.
Theresa DeLucci is a regular contributor to Tor.com, covering TV and gaming news. She’s also a guest on the latest episode of Wired.com’s Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast discussing Game of Thrones. And the resident Hannibal fannibal at Boing Boing. Follow her on Twitter @tdelucci
After a couple of halfway-decent episodes, these last two episodes were lame and disappointing. They no longer really have time left to wrap everything up in a satisfactory manner; my guess is that we get a massacre where most of the remaining characters are killed.
At the beginning of the season, the whole world was suffering from the Hep-V scourge, sick vampires attacking everywhere. Now it seems to be mostly Bon Temps that’s affected, and life elsewhere is pretty much normal.
I had been looking for a review of last week’s episode, because I wanted to comment that the show appeared to be heading in the right direction as it moved toward the end.
I also wanted to brag, because I told my wife before the episode that we were going to find out that Sarah had a cure to Hep-V, and it turned out I was right. (Although I missed the fact that SHE would be the cure.)
I also like what they are doing with Violet, as it grew organically out of the story. She was a sociopath, whose only brake on her behavior was the affection she felt for Jason, and now that she feels betrayed, she has no inhibition at all about staying away from Adilyn and her fairy blood.
I am hoping that there is a big payoff to all these young Bill diversions, because right now, that plot thread just seems like a meaningless diversion from everything else that is going on.
Like you, Theresa, I thought the appearances by Grandpa Naill and Dr. Ludwig were kind of wasted, and I am not liking the whole “using V to communicate with Tara” plotline. And not liking the cowboy Yakuza, who just doesn’t ring true, or smart enough to be a key part of a successful crime family.
I do like Arlene’s story, and Andy continues to be a delight. And I like the return of Sarah to the church camp, as that is the scene of a lot of great moments in the show’s history. There are a lot of things going on that are promising, but we will see.
But like Gardner said, the season has been very uneven in where they are going, and the whole premise. I have my fingers crossed for a good finish, but right now, I would say chances of that happening are 50/50.
I didn’t think this show could get any dumber after the episode 6. Sunday night proved me wrong.