True Blood Review: Howl Be Thy Name
Chris O'Hara
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Sookie asked Bill if they were at war this week on True Blood Season 7 Episode 3 - and, like war, this installment was rather chaotic.
After Pam finally caught up with Eric to close out True Blood Season 7 Episode 2, I hoped we would get some clarity as to how he landed himself in his current predicament.
Instead, we got a series of disjointed flashbacks that I guess were supposed to explain why Eric had seemingly given up on being immortal.
We were introduced to Sylvie, who Eric was apparently in love with back in 1986. Their moonlit coitus was interrupted by Nan Flanagan. With Tru Blood set to make its debut, she was there to rein in freewheeling vampires like Eric.
The partnership with the corporation stood to make The Authority a fortune, but only if vampires fell in line and ceased feeding on humans in plain sight.
In typical Eric fashion, he told Nan what he thought of her warning, but Pam could read the writing on the wall. She pleaded with him to run away with her and not jeopardize their life together for a silly girl. Now where have I heard that before?
I am as big a fan of the French vagina as you are Eric, but come back to Earth. She's just a human.
Pam
Eric, of course, did not listen and was forced to choose between his progeny and his human lover when they were taken by surprise. Sylvie lost her life and Eric was taken away in silver, along with Pam. My guess is from there he walked the line The Authority set forth for him, took his place as sheriff and opened Fangtasia to usher in the sale of Tru Blood.
The Eric we saw in 1986 was more reminiscent of the Eric we have grown to love... who served as a stark contrast from the one we saw back in modern day. Pam, however, was (thankfully) unwavering as ever. She did acknowledge that she felt Tara met the true death, but did not falter from her search to find Eric.
In one last effort, she mentioned the one name that would rekindle her maker's fire. The knowledge that Sarah Newlin was still alive did the trick. Just prior to that, though, as Pam begged Eric to fight for his life, Eric said something to her that was muffled by her own pleadings.
I can't be sure, but I got the feeling he may have released her. Did anyone else sense that? Pam put a hand to her stomach in the moments after, as if her entire being had be ripped out by what he said.
Either way, she did what she set out to do and, as Eric rose from his chair, my hopes for the season were also lifted. Oysters anyone?
Back in Bon Temps, Violet gave a pep talk of her own to Jason. It's all well and good that he wants a family some day, but his timing could not have been worse to broach the subject.
At first I thought Violet's answer to him was rather cold, but she was right to tell him he needed to man up. She called to mind the men of her past in times of war, imploring her lover to be a warrior as they were in the face of adversity.
Jason didn't totally abandon his point, but his overall response was I'm sure what she was going for.
Well I hate to break it to you Violet, but I'm a modern man. I think and I feel. And I'm still a bad ass motherfucker of a warrior.
Jason
Violet wanted him to put aside human emotion in this time of crisis and that is just what she herself did when she agreed to shelve her beef with Jessica until they made sure Sookie was safe. She then took that commitment to another level when she defended Jason and Jessica by disemboweling Mrs. Fortenberry.
While everyone else was confronting reality head on, Lafayette and James were coming up with ways to escape it. As much as I loved seeing Lafa dancing in all his glory and playing chemist with James, it was scenes like this - along with others like the conversation between Willa and the reverend - that made the episode very choppy.
The result of which left little time at the end to see Sookie's poorly thought out plan backfire and result in yet another major death.
Last thing I need is anybody else dying because of me.
Sookie
Well, Sookie, you should have thought about that before you snuck off with Bill. I don't care how well Bill covered their tracks, Sookie should have known Alcide was going to come looking for her. And fearing the worse, you know his head was going to be clouded, leaving him vulnerable.
Case in point: he was arguing with Bill about Sookie the moment he was shot. Had Sookie appealed to the man she knew loved him and made him see her point of view, Alcide could have been part of the plan and might very well still be alive.
Jessica offered to turn him, but she herself was also nearly lost. She still was not healing and I wonder if that has something to do with the transfusion she gave Bill to save his life.
Regardless, I am a seller of the entire Sookie and Bill reunion. The same goes for Bills's familial flashbacks as he sat perched in that tree while he and Sookie played Edward and Bella.
Alcide will be missed, certainly in the ongoing fight against the infected vampires, but also in the hearts of fans everywhere. Weigh in with your thoughts below:
Will you miss Alcide Herveux on True Blood?
