True Blood Review: Those Who Can
Chris O'Hara
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Somewhere, Steve Newlin's spirit shed a tear as Eric made his return on True Blood Season 7 Episode 2 ... via Jason's steamy dream.
Having been brought back from the brink of death by everyone's favorite Viking, Jason's subconscious showed it was still under the influence of Eric's blood.
Jason: But I can't get you out of my head. You probably hear that a lot don't you.
Eric: For a thousand years, only twice have I felt it in return.
Right about the moment I swore to never eat another carb, Jason woke up in a church pew (of all places), bringing the episode back to Bon Temps.
Sam and the others struggled to figure out their next move with regard to the infected vampires who attacked them. Interestingly enough, when we caught back up with the nesting nasties at Fangtasia, it became apparent that they were actually pretty organized compared to those they terrorized the night before.
Despite their hopeless situation and absolute disregard for human life, the infected vamps actually had worked out a pretty 'civil' arrangement amongst themselves. Their division of labor, so to speak, provided a glimmer of hope for Arlene and the others held captive when they recognized the new reaper Betty.
Persuading Betty to let them go was a long shot, but Arlene was not about to die in that basement after everything she had already been through.
I did not survive four lousy husbands, a serial killer boyfriend and the sort of suicide of my love Terry, to die in the dingy basement of a fucking vampire bar.
Arlene
This was one of Arlene's best episodes. My hope grew along with hers that she would make it out. That was, of course, until Betty turned into a pile of goo while feeding on her. The Hep-V claimed another victim and possibly Arlene and the others's best chance for escape.
Team Sookie could still save the day, especially with Jason on the case.
Sookie: I hate to be morbid but you think she's got any fingerprints left?
Jason: It's not necessary. Sometimes not being clever makes you a good detective.
Andy: This is a Starbucks card.
That was vintage Stackhouse, as was the scene in Saint Alice where he showed off his pizza/forensic skills. I loved how he kept eating the slice of pizza as they continued to search the house.
Sookie reading the diary was a good idea, but with time of the essence, it would have been prudent to start with the last entry and then work backward if needed.
Then, of course, we would not have learned about the similarities between the two women and/or had reason to flashback to the night Bill took Sookie to Fangtasia.
What really struck me about the scene, though, was the entry where Mary Beth talked about crushing up some pills and dying alongside her baby. She noted her doubts that her daughter's life would be spared. This entry - along with the various messages we saw written around the town - did well to paint a picture of the utter despair and desperation that gripped Saint Alice in its final hours.
The images also brought back to mind similar ones seen during Hurricane Katrina; a reminder of how many felt their government abandoned them in that time of need as well.
Lettie Mae was in need of something all together different and went to extreme measures to get it after her visit with Lafayette proved fruitless.
I loved hearing him call her a drug addict through and through and a trifling bitch to boot... but did he miss what sounded like a confession by his strung out Auntie? It sure sounded to me as if she admitted to killing Tara right there.
While one mom was reminding me why she is my least favorite character on the show, another started making some sense and snuck in the most surprising performances of the episode.
Yes, Maxine Fortenberry stole the supporting role spotlight with a number of scenes. My two favorite were her NyQuil distorted account of Sam their "dog bear" mayor outside her home and her comment about Adilyn being a newborn the last time she checked.
Lastly, we got the reunion we had all been waiting for. There have been many theories as to how Eric may have escaped the predicament we last saw him in. Part of me thought we were going to see a crispy bacon version of him being nursed back to health... or perhaps Pam would find him buried deep beneath the snow in need of a serious shampoo and facial.
However, seeing the signature Hep-V roadmap making its way up his chest was not one of the scenarios I had envisioned and absolutely floored me.
Jessica also appeared to be suffering some bizarre symptoms as the bite marks on her arm had not healed as they should have. Bon Temps is going to Hell in a hand basket and no one may be safe. Not even our supes.
What do you think? Will Sookie end the series with Bill?
