Shake and Fingerpop, Episode 4

In this episode written by Alan Ball and directed by Michael Lehman (who also directed Episode 2) we have a nice flow going of the serious and of the humorous -- probably more than in any previous episode, thanks to Mr. Ball. The show starts off with Jason stumbling into a slasher scene at his dorm after arriving from dinner with the Newlins. Turns out it's fake, but not the lip wound that resembles the lips after our cold-blooded friends have had dinner. Things look like they're heating up between Jason and Sarah Newlin. Jason's trying so hard to stay good and not be like Jason from Season 1 -- a horny toad -- perhaps he thinks God's testing him. But Sarah may be too much for him now he's living in their house and he's been recruited to be their top Soldier of Light.

In the final moments of Episode 3 (from 2 weeks ago) we found Hoyt and Jessica engaged in amorous activities just as Bill and Sookie walk in. Bill tells him to get out and Sookie tells Bill to be understanding (good cop, bad cop -- just like any normal parents). Hoyt leaves without too much fuss and that's it for him in this episode and probably for a while since Sookie convinces Bill to take Jessica with them to Dallas. Sookie says, "You don't like other vampires, do you?" I have to scratch my head on this one since one of the reasons she loves Bill is because he's not like the other vampires (see Malcolm, Diane and Liam from Episode 7, Season 1). There's not too much romance between Bill and Sookie in this episode since they are either getting to Dallas (Sookie's almost kidnapped) or getting interrupted by Eric, who can really fly without going on a plane.

Speaking of Eric -- he wants Lafayette to stay healthy, so he perches himself at Lafayette's house and makes him drink from him. He appealed to Lafayette's desire to keep his limbs intact since he told him that he could smell his infected leg which he may soon lose. Eric likes Lafayette and wants to keep tabs on him because he's Sookie's friend, too, and we all know that Eric has the hots for Sookie. The funniest moment in the episode was when Eric is having a serious conversation with Bill and in the background, Lafayette is bouncing, dry-humping, pumping and gyrating because he's Healed! I love Lafayette even though I thought he was a bit much in Season 1 -- he's grows on you because Nelsan Ellis is a 8th Wonder in this part.

Poor Andy Bellefleur. He's getting drunker by the minute since he doesn't want to go home to his grandma and sister who all live with him in the family house. Andy is a direct descendant of Bill's and I hope we learn more about this connection by the end of Season 2. Andy swears he's seen the pig that distracted Tara and made her run off the road last season since he's seen that same pig in Maryann's dollhouse. Of course no one believes him and he has to turn in his badge to Sheriff Dearborn.

I love Chris Bauer's portrayal of Andy and hope he turns things around for himself, but how can he with Maryann around? She's laying waste to the whole town and laying waste to Sookie's house while Sookie is in Dallas with Bill and Jessica. (I love Bill's line, "She's new," referring to Jessica while they are getting checked into the vamp hotel). I'm getting tired of her vibrating thing and hope that next week we'll see that she is the Maenad from the books. All she wants to do is party and spread her love vibrations around. Apparently Eggs and Tara caught some of these vibrations....

While at the party Daphne reveals that she knows who Sam is -- very interesting indeed. Perhaps she's a shapeshifter too. I love how this show references past episodes and last season. For instance, Sookie told Sam in this show that she didn't mean to lead him on after her grandmother died and she thought Bill wasn't coming back (from Episode 11). Grandma is still very much a strong memory in Sookie's heart and this is evident when Sookie gives Tara a framed photo of all three of them for her birthday. We may never know what Lettie Mae (Tara's mom) gave her for her birthday since Maryann chucked that present in the bushes. Now, that wasn't very nice.

Another strong episode that ends with Sookie meeting Barry, another telepath. Next episode we'll have more confrontations between the Fellowship and the vampires and more on Mariann.

You can be sure I'll be viewing this episode at least 2 more times since I missed a few key lines and it's an Alan Ball episode with too many things going on at once to catch them the first time.

To life immortal,

Alice