Beyond Here Lies Nothin', Episode 12

Well, we finally made it to the Season Finale -- I was really starting to miss everyone after a two week hiatus! Now it'll be almost a year hiatus as Season 3 doesn't start until June 2010. I loved how the image of the wedding was recycled at the end of the episode and how we saw an evil wedding and then later a noble proposal. I also admired the recycling of seeing Andy next to a murder by his car. Remember in this season's episode 1 that our characters found Ms. Jeannette in drunk Andy's car? We have some very clever writers here. This episode was written by the talented Alexander Woo and directed by Michael Cuesta. In the second half of the show I noticed a familiar-looking woman seated at the bar -- it was none other than Charlaine Harris herself! (the book creator behind all things Bon Temps and Sookie Stackhouse).

The first part of the episode opened with Sookie stripping from the dress she has been wearing for two days straight into a very tasteful bridemaid's gown. As Lafayette claps in the background, Sookie can't believe her eyes that Mariann is dressed in her Gran's bridal gown! The nuptials proceed on the front lawn as Bill convinces Sam he must "sacrifice" himself for the town. Sookie doesn't think Bill knows what he's doing, but he does...Sam shifts into a beautiful white bull and yanks Mariann's wicked black heart. Bill is stunned after Sam has drank his blood -- now do they have a blood bond? How does this work? In any case, the town wakes up and wonders why they're all in orgy attire at Sookie's house.

Andy gets his badge back since Bud concedes, "At least you're wearing pants," and Jane Bodehouse finds her lost finger. Eggs isn't doing so well and I knew at this moment that this episode might be Eggs's last. I won't miss him. He only served Mariann and he was BORING! He wants Andy to kill him (he could have really hurt Andy) and Jason does his hero thing.

I know Team Eric fans are still mad that he got about 2 minutes of airtime, but they were a good 2 minutes (he's so much better to watch than the Queen!). We find out that he's in league with the Queen on the selling of the V - very interesting. So the Book people are wrong about Bill and the conspiracy theory that Bill works wit h the Queen so that she can get Sookie. Bill is good -- deal with it! Alan Ball is definitely diverging from the source materials and it's a grand thing.

I was surprised that the boxed dress Sookie receives is from Bill -- wow, they actually can go on a date? I thought the dress may have been from Eric. And Jessica? She sure can act so innocent, but now she's a truck stop vamp whore -- did Maxine's rants change her and lower her self esteem even more? Poor Hoyt...that scene where he leaves the roses at the Compton house was heartbreaking.

I certainly wasn't expecting Bill to propose to Sookie (just like in real life when Stephen Moyer proposed to Anna Paquin --- I wonder if Alan Ball changed his original story to suit this development?). So much has happened in so short a time and it was very realistic that Sookie needs to take a moment and soak it all in. Bill was very gracious during her indecision (Go, Bill! you're always the gentleman) and then he got yanked by the silver garrot. I know he wishes he hadn't reserved the restaurant.

What a cliffhanger, right? And you knew there would be one, just like at the end of Episode 12, Season 1. What a season? I know I'll need to think about everything that has happened since June 12th, but can firmly say that "I Will Rise Up" (the death of Godric) and "Timebomb" were the best episodes.

Lorena or Eric is behind Bill's kidnapping and it was cool that Sookie was there when it happened so that she stays that more involved. Alan Ball says we'll meet Debbie Pelt and the werewolves -- should be lots of fun.

Are you sad about the end of Season 2? What did you think of the Season Finale? Was it satisfying enough?

till next time!

Frenzy, Episode 11

"Finding your frenzy" is definitely the theme of this episode. In the scene outside Lafayette's house when Sookie is describing to Lafayette what was inside Tara's mind, she says it feels like your insides are being queezed out. Lafayette replies, "That would be nice." Some foreshadowing? Hmmmm....

The frenzy also takes place at Queen Sophie Anne's palace. The Queen played by Evan Rachel Wood (come on, ERW, do better next time -- you're a better actress than this!) is drinking Cousin Hadley's blood (Sookie's first cousin mentioned in Epi 6 of Season 1 as having disappeared after her drug rehab paid for by Gran) and teasing Bill by not giving him the 411 on defeating the Maenad Marianne right away. I was so nervous that we would find out that Bill was a double agent or he fell in love with Sookie under the Queen's orders but unless I'm missing something, I could see no such thing. This is a big departure from the books! Yay! The only juice Eric could pin on Bill was that he knew about him giving Sookie is blood in Epi 2, Season 1. How did he know? Perhaps he was flying through Bon Temps? Spies? So with much relief, Bill is still a good guy and wants to save the town. He even lets Sookie know where he is via text. I wonder what his text said? Soookie, it is required that I must stay an extra day. Miss you, Love Bill :< Is Eric the one who works for the Queen? They're doing some wheeling and dealing next episode.

Eric is not a nice fellow and I don't what you Team Eric people think (although he's a great antagonist to Bill) Eric's form in Lettie Mae's dress terrorized poor Lafayette as we also learn Laf is having some sexy Eric dreams and he was nasty to Arlene's kids. One of the best lines of the show was Eric saying "teacup humans" when referring to Cody and Lisa who accompany Sam to Fangtasia to ask for Eric's help. I hope it'll soon be revealed why Eric is making Laf sell v-blood.

Can you believe Jason and Andy know Sam's secret and they all act like it's no big "thang." I just love the way Andy pronounces "thang." I know you all are also wondering why Andy's not affected by Marianne. I believe he's also a supe and perhaps Jason is as well (part were-panther, according to the book lore). I also loved Jason and Andy's exchange in the truck when they talked about pussy, Jason's popularity and Jason's knee issues. Good stuff. I loved the part about Jason wondering if Sam would eat his own egg if he turned into a chicken. (more foreshadowing!)

The show did drag a bit when Sookie and Laf go after Tara and Andy and Jason raid the sherrif's office for weapons. How stupid is Tara? and how stupid is Sookie and Laf for going after her? I guess that's what you do for your friends. You go into a stinky, vile house with guys playing with intestines in your sink. I have to say I didn't feel bad when Karl got the ricocheted bullet when Marianne pulled a "Darth Vader" and when Jane Bodehouse cut off her finger. Poor Laf -- he's now under the influence just like he wanted to be at the top of the episode.

So what's up with the giant egg in Gran's room? From the preview, we know that Bill has made Sam the sacrificial dog and Jason shoots someone he doesn't mean to. Marianne is wearing a wedding dress and Sookie has on a bridemaid's gown. Can't wait till the 13th -- a little less than 2 weeks and then we won't see a new episode till June 2010 -- it's almost as bad as waiting for Lost to start.

Till next time!

A New World in My View, Episode 10

In last week's too-short episode (45 minutes -- come on, Alan Ball! So that means this post will be short as well), we saw what happened when Sookie returned home and when Bill tried to fight off Mariann. Sookie has some sort of zapping power (could be from a fairy..hmmm....) and when Bill bit into the maenad, he vomited black bile -- not good. We also had the cliffhanger of Jessica biting Maxine Fortenberry as Hoyt is flung aside like an old gym sock - will Maxine be drained? Will Hoyt want to save his mom? Good stuff. Also, Jason goes Rambo to save Bon Temps at Merlotte's where everyone is gathered for another orgy. Jason temporarily saves Sam by faking the "God who comes" and after Sam shifts into a fly and then extinguishes the flare's flames only wearing an apron, Andy declares, that's the last drink I'll have.

Then after Bill and Sookie work in tandem to save Tara's soul Bill tells Sookie he knows of a vampire who might help them defeat Mariann. Our last scene has Bill strutting (he's gotten his mo jo back!) to see a naked leg full of blood inside the Queen's palace.

I can't wait for tonight episode to reveal Bill's relationship with Queen Sophie-Anne and I know this relationship will do something to wreck Bill and Sookie's relationship. I guess it has to happen in order for the show to stay interesting. I just hope Bill will return for Episode 12.

I took an image of the figurine that seems to hold Mariann's power. This blog has done an excellent job of researching this figure and its meaning in the show -- Enjoy!

I Will Rise Up, Episode 9

This episode completed the cliffhanger from last time -- the bomb does go off and everyone is OK, except for Stan the Dallas Sheriff (no great loss) and Sookie's independence from Eric. Now that Eric has tricked Sookie into drinking his blood they are forever linked. I know that the Team Eric fans are loving this and that they can't wait for Eric to be Sookie's boyfriend. Now wait a minute: this is still the same Eric that imprisoned and tortured Lafayette and who called Bill's maker to torture him so he couldn't rescue Sookie. Still, Eric is very charming and he's fun to watch, but that doesn't mean I want Bill to stand aside. TV Bill is the good guy and is the moral force of the show. He is the guy who could be us if we turned into a vampire; he was turned against his will and he is fighting tooth and nail for love and for his humanity. Book Bill is not the same as TV Bill and I think almost everyone out there knows that. Book Bill wasn't as developed as Book Eric and he doesn't think of Sookie's feelings when his own needs come first. If we had a main character of wishy washy morals (wait, that's Eric) we'd have another Mad Men and Don Draper on our hands and one is enough, thank you. Our Bill played by Stephen Moyer is a gentleman who didn't yell at Sookie when she drank Eric's blood. He could have! Instead, he says, you did so because you are so tender-hearted and Eric took advantage of that. Book Bill kills the humans after the lair bombing, while TV Bill shows mercy. I hope that Bill continues to fight hard for Sookie's love and humanity. I believe that Eric wants to turn Sookie into vampire.

Another great point in the episode was when Lafayette and Lettie Mae confronted Marianne to get Tara back. Lafayette: "I'm feeling you and you a soulless bitch!" Again, Nelsan Ellis was beyond perfect and I was mad he didn't get enough screen time. I also loved Jason and Sookie's heart-to-heart and Hoyt's confrontation with his mom who hates everyone, especially women who wear red shoes. Just when you think this show is too crazy, the real emotions the characters feel ground everything. Way to go, Alan Ball, et al! Of course, the greatest catharsis was Godric's death by sun at the episode's conclusion. Thanks to Sookie's courage to stand by his side till the end, Godric is still surprised after 2,000 years and he meets the sun without fear.

Next week: our good guys return to Bon Temps and find it's been hit by Hurricane Marianne (not Bill!). I guess everyone will regroup at Bill's or Jason's house since Marianne has taken over Sookie's place. Next episode will also bring the characters who don't spend a lot of time together in the same frame -- as usual, can't wait till Sunday!

Timebomb, Episode 8

This was the episode where our favorite characters finally came together (OK, minus Lafayette and the vampires) and interacted. Godric saves Sookie and Eric must do his maker's bidding. A great line from Eric in tonight's episode was him telling Sookie, "Don't use words I don't understand," in reference to love. Sookie must be wondering why Bill didn't swoop in and save her, but she knows something's amiss. It seems she's smartened up since last season (and she's definitely not like Book Sookie).

Godric, the goodwill vampire ambassador in action tells Eric there will be no bloodshed and Eric complies, as do the rest of the cast of characters who come trouping into the FOTS sanctuary: Bill, Jason, Stan and his vampires, and lastly Godric who stops the madness. Jason has the best lines in the whole show, especially after he tells Rev Steve where he's seen heaven, "inside your wife!" HA HA!!! Good going, Jason. I didn't like you very much last season (well, I liked you better after you gave Vampire Eddie Tru Blood), but Jason is becoming more layered this season -- let's hope it lasts. Once everyone gathers at the nest we have more juicy conflict as Bill touches Eric to let him know Sookie is his and that he didn't appreciate being held against his will by that witch Lorena. Then we have a conversation between Eric, Bill and Sookie. Then Sookie wants to talk to Bill about why he's been withdrawing from her and then Jason interupts them to take Bill away and apologize to him for being anti-vampire. THEN we get the Lorena/Sookie confrontation the preview clips have been teasing us with. Sookie fights Lorena off and then Godric tells the pathetic creature to pack her bags out of Dallas. Bill has to escort her out, so he's safe when the Lukeinator joins the party with a ton of explosives. Not good...not good....

We can't forget about poor Sam. He gets caught with Daphne's body and the cops are looking for him. How's he going to get out of this one? Maybe Bill will come to his rescue. After eating Daphne's heart in the Hunter Souffle, Tara and Eggs are ready to kill each other (in a good way) while Mariann admires her work. Disgusting.

And Jessica can't get a break. She'll be a virgin forever, but Hoyt will be by her side, unless Mama Fortenberry decides to seriously intervene and you all know she will!

In the next episode Sookie and Eric will share a blood bond (it has to happen, I guess), Bill (or maybe it'll be Stan to prompt the Nan Flanagan visit) will fly into a rage and then they'll get to Bon Temps and find it in tatters. I can't wait to see the confrontation between Mariann and Bill.

till next Sunday, Trubies!

Alice

Release Me, Episode 7

At the end of last week's episode, I predicted that Andy Bellfleur would come and save the day since he was the only human in Bon Temps not "glamoured" by Mariann. And, yes, Andy distracted Sam long enough for him to fly high like an owl.
Great beginning to a very strong episode that gave us more background into the Bill/Lorena relationship, which happily ended in LA in 1935 after 70+ years. The show is named after Bill telling Lorena to "Release me," from her chains of love. The maker/makee relationship is apparently that strong. The maker wants her progeny, she can have him. Bill can't get out of his hotel room to save Sookie, thanks to Lorena's detention skills, but the good news is that Bill finds out who's behind all of this duplicity: Eric! The cad! He wants Sookie all to himself and doesn't want Bill to rescue her if she falls into danger. He also wants to insinuate doubt in Sookie's mind that Bill wasn't there to rescue her. I suppose Eric is OK with Sookie getting hurt, or believes that he can help her in the nick of time. Or maybe he thinks that the Fellowship of the Sun isn't that powerful, but, wait, they have Godric, the 2K-old vampire and I know that bugs him. I like Godric; he saves Sookie from an attempted rape by Gabe.
Back to Sam: He confronts Daphne at the swimming hole and sure says the F word a lot. We viewers really learn what Mariann is if we didn't know already: a maead, or a follower of Dioniysus. There is a Ancient Greek thread running through tonight's episode since Bill was reading "A History of Ancient Greece" in his 1935 flashback. Very interesting.
One of the funniest scenes tonight was when Andy comes storming into Merlotte's all mud-stained and stinky telling everyone that they are all devil-worshippers and orgy followers. They look at him blankly because Mariann has blacked out their memories of orgy. But, Arlene knows she had sex with the celebate Terry and Tara can't figure out how she and Eggs ended up on the couch after walking in the woods following the clothes trail.
Meanwhile in Dallas, Hoyt and Jessica make love for the first time for both of them as they listen to Leona Lewis's "Bleeding Love." How sweet! This interlude provides a little breather between scenes before we jump into Jason's escape from Gabe who calls Sookie a vampire whore. Unfortunately, Sarah stuns Jason. Rev. Steve makes the connection between Sookie and Jason, so that means Hugo the traitor never gave Sookie's name to them.
Barry the telepath catches Sookie's message and goes to Bill's room to rely the message that she's in danger. Eric hears the news and rushes out 200-mph to the FOTC church.

what will next week bring? Sookie gets out, Eric changes places with Godric, and hopefully Sookie has some choice words for Lorena. Can't wait for Sunday, Aug. 9th!

Tell me what your favorite scene was in Episode 7.

Hard-Hearted Hannah, Episode 6

Episode 6, "Hard-Hearted Hannah" could be called the turning point episode or perhaps the "hook up" episode. Episode 6, Season 1 "In Cold Ground," was also the turning point/hook up episode for Tara/Sam, Jason/horny bar woman and of course, Bill and Sookie. In this episode (written by Brian Buckner and directed by Michael Lehmann) we saw matches between Lorena/Bill (Ackk!), Daphne/Sam, Sarah/Jason and Jessica/Hoyt.

We begin the episode at the Hotel Camilla with Lorena wondering why Eric summoned her. Eric says that Bill has something he wants. Now why would Eric do this when he's trying to rescue Godric? Is Eric really that selfish that he would restrict Bill's access to Sookie while her life is in danger? Which by the way, he placed her in? I hope this turn and twist isn't a plot hole and that more will be revealed...

Eric is also not gaining any sympathies if you also like Lafayette. Instead of seeing Andy questioning him in the kitchen about this three-week absence from Merlotte's, Lafayette sees Eric. It may be the one of the most touching moments in the series when Terry kicks his cousin Andy out and goes to comfort Lafayette. Terry tells him to close his eyes and imagine a big ball of warmth. Terry now has a fellow PTSD brother-in-arms.

As Lorena lies in wait at the hotel for the perfect moment to pounce on Bill, she caresses a necklace he gave her in a bloody ramage. It was Chicago 1926 and Bill is singing "Hard-Hearted Hannah" (yes, that's really Stephen Moyer singing and playing the piano) which is this episode's title. Lorena and Bill are lovers, which is unusual in a maker/makee relationship and they've been together 70+ years. They're grifters in the vampire way and take no prisoners with their victims: they will seduce and kill a man in his forties and his blonde flapper mistress. After Bill nashes and gashes the flapper he ceremoniously gives Lorena the girl's necklace. So now we have a peek into Bill's violent past, which he's trying very hard to shed (Bill: "I'm a vampire, I'm supposed to be tormented") Sookie knows that he hung around cruel vampires such as Liam, Diane and Malcolm, but he hasn't told her anything about Lorena and why would he? It's not pleasant and he's trying to regain his humanity now. Stay tuned for more Lorena/Bill/Sookie/Eric dynamics.

Speaking of humanity, Jessica and Hoyt are falling in love and the best line in tonight's episode was from Hoyt who told his mom, Maxine, that the reason Jessica only calls at night is because she's a vampire! Go Hoyt! He then drives to Dallas to spend the night with Jessica -- how sweet.

And now in this episode Eggs has something more to do than swoon over Tara. Looks like he's been glamoured and while on a road trip to get a new pump for the water heater, he makes Tara stop at a wooded enclave he's been before. There is a circle and a blood on a rock. Not good. Eggs doesn't know what's going on. When they return to Bon Temps all is then revealed at a wild orgy in Sookie's backyard: Daphne is the pig that Andy's been chasing (as well as Marianne's familiar) and Sam may be Marianne's sacrificial dog. Tara and Eggs are shocked but then we see them later naked and enjoying themselves around the orgy's bonfire. Andy may come back to save the day since he's the only one left not at the party. And Andy needs some redemption bad.

Next week, Bill's mad as hell, Sookie is in the Fellowship of the Sun dungeon with Hugo the traitor, Jason is brought before Steve, and Sam is in a jam. This episode had plenty of action and definitely was both a set-up show and also furthered the action and Episode 7 promises more good stuff.

Can't wait!