True Blood, 3x03, “It Hurts Me Too”

Episode Title: It Hurts Me Too
Writer: Alexander Woo
Director: Michael Lehmann
Originally Aired: 06/27/2010
Grade: B-

I said last week that I wasn’t looking forward to this episode, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite this bad, either. I didn’t hate the entire hour from start to finish, but there were a lot of really stupid, over-the-top moments.

The Bad

-The opening scene was incredibly dumb. If Eric knows that weres on V are extremely volatile and dangerous, why did he take a bullet right in front of one? Oh right, because they needed to interrogate the were, so Eric couldn’t take the chance of Sookie killing him. But really, Sookie is an idiot—what are the chances she could actually kill the thing with one shot? And yet it was obvious from the CGI that the wolf was going to jump right into that bullet. So basically, Sookie was a good shot and/or the werewolf was really stupid because the plot needed them to be, then Eric ended up ripping the guy’s throat out with little fanfare anyway.

-I also don’t understand Eric telling Sookie that these weres on V could be trouble even for him, yet Bill took on four of them at once in the previous episode and came away unscathed. We know Eric is an older, stronger vampire than Bill by nearly a millennium, so either Eric was lying or exaggerating, the writers didn’t catch the discrepancy, or the there’s a valid reason for the discrepancy and the writers dropped the ball on conveying it to the audience. I came up with a few fanwanks, but most of them don't hold up because when it comes to badassery, Eric being 1000-ish years old should trump Bill having just fed.

-Also, if Eric wants into Sookie’s panties so badly, why did he send the hottest werewolf in the entire world, a.k.a. Alcide, to be her bodyguard? I realize the guy’s dad is indebted to Eric, but unless this is somehow part of Operation: Woo Sookie, Eric has still stacked the deck against himself. I guess Eric might be well aware of the possibility of a Sookie/Alcide hookup but care more about protecting Sookie than boinking her, in which case, awwwww. (I can’t decide if I’m being sarcastic or not…)

-Speaking of Alcide, what exactly was the plan at Lou Pine’s? Because it didn’t seem like they had one. They couldn’t come up with anything on the drive over? Or did Alcide just assume Sookie actually had a brain and was capable of coming up with her own plan, since she’s affiliated with Eric? If that’s the case, I hope he learned his lesson… (And though I adore Eric Northman, I think “Lou Pine’s” is a better pun than “Fangtasia.”)

-Ugh at most of Tara’s storyline here. She did seem more relaxed post-coital, which was nice to see, until Mott started asking questions and she remembered her shitty life. Tantric vampire sex and more mind control are probably the last things Tara needs. In fact, she needs a little more compassion from the writers and a little less “Let’s torture Tara some more because it makes for such fabulous DRAMAAAAA!” Did the writers even make the connection between Maryann’s mind control of Tara and Mott’s? Does it mean anything? Is it going anywhere?

-I’m really tired of the Bill/Lorena flashbacks, but I was actually empathizing with Bill’s past experiences. I understood how those memories, combined with his conversations with Edgington and the presence of Lorena, might influence him to concede to the King’s wishes in order to keep Sookie safe. Then Bill tried to rape Lorena, failed because you can’t rape the willing, and twisted her head around backwards mid-coitus. I loathe Lorena, but I was more horrified by that than I was by anything I’ve ever seen Eric do, including ripping Royce apart with his bare hands. I’m sure Eric has done worse that I haven’t seen, but that’s just it—I haven’t seen it. So in addition to being annoyed and grossed out, I instinctively want Bill nowhere near Sookie ever again. Which is probably exactly what the writers intended, and the obviousness of it annoys me all the more.

-They were doing so well with the past couple of episodes, but in this episode alone: puppetry with a decapitated and rotting head, Arlene is pregnant with a serial killer’s baby, Tara is mind-controlled yet AGAIN, and Bill and Lorena have the most unnecessarily brutal hate sex I’ve ever seen on television. And those are just the highlights! Two lovely episodes followed by this sensationalist trash makes the show feel incredibly uneven.

The Good

-While I thought the action itself was on the dumb side, I once again enjoyed Eric and Sookie’s scenes together. I talked last season about how Sookie is becoming increasingly interested in the vamp world, and Eric doesn’t try to hide that part of himself from her the way Bill does. We definitely saw that dynamic here. Sookie was clearly stunned by Eric ripping that werewolf’s throat out on Gran’s antique rug, but she also didn’t look away, nor did Eric act ashamed or try to hide his bloody face from her. (He was also significantly less brooding in this episode, which I appreciated.)

-I was happy that Sookie paid for Eggs’ funeral (presumably with the money Eric paid her for the Dallas trip), and that Tara had worked through enough of her shit to forgive Sookie. The downside is that the two of them have spent so much time apart since the first season that scenes like this feel like lip service, although that’s probably another casualty of the show’s condensed timeline.

-Tara and Jason’s conversation at Merlotte’s was incredibly sweet, until he (and I) remembered that he killed her boyfriend. And while I’m bummed that Jason’s well-intentioned killing is standing in the way of he and Tara reconnecting, I’m glad to see that their conversation seemed to help Jason realize that becoming a deputy isn’t a great idea right now.

-I also enjoyed the scene in which Eric gifted Lafayette with a car (the ho-yay, it is divine), but I have a bad feeling about what Eric’s up to. Lafayette suddenly owning a luxury sports car is going to raise some eyebrows, and I really hope one of them doesn’t belong to the Magister.

-I’m tentatively placing Sam’s family storyline in the “good column” because it hasn't annoyed me yet. This episode further reinforced my view of them as the True Blood version of the Sackville-Bagginses. It’s pretty obvious that they followed Sam back to Bon Temps in order to check out Sam’s “cushy” life and case the bar. It’s also pretty clear, from the way Mama Mickens calls both her son and her husband “boys” and bosses Joe Lee around despite his apparent temper, that she’s the mastermind of their cons. I’m guessing that Tommy will be torn between feeling contempt for the clueless mark and feeling gross about taking advantage of the only family member who gives a damn about him (as evidenced by Sam scolding Joe Lee for allowing Tommy’s underage drinking).

Other Stuff

-I got a kick out of Sookie trying to doe-eye Eric into agreeing to come to her rescue in Mississippi. It could have come off as gross user behavior, sort of like accepting a gift or a favor from someone you don’t even like, but she seems to have given up on hating his guts post-Godric, so it didn’t annoy me nearly as much as it could have.

-I sort of love the idea of Jessica working at Merlotte’s, but maybe it’s too fanfic-y to actually happen.

-Fans were pretty thrilled by Sheriff Dearborn’s quitting speech, but if Bud Dearborn is no longer Sheriff, is William Sanderson even still on the show?

-Re: Alcide’s ex, I have seen Alcide, and I have seen Cooter. Cooter is actually somewhat handsome, but still, any woman who prefers him to Alcide must be a V junkie.

Quotes

Pam: “Did you call the hypothetical hardware store and buy a theoretical chainsaw?”

Terry: “It’s not you, it’s me? If I had a nickel for every time a… I’d have fifteen cents.”

True Blood, 3x02, “Beautifully Broken”

Episode Title: Beautifully Broken
Writer: Raelle Tucker
Director: Scott Winant
Originally Aired: 06/20/2010
Grade: A+

I can’t even remember the last time I enjoyed an episode of True Blood this much! Every single established character was in this one, and they all had something interesting and/or fun to do. The funny moments didn’t fall flat, the sweet moments weren’t too saccharine, some moments were both funny and sweet (especially anything involving Terry), suspense and gore abounded, and the screen time was once again finely balanced. Sometimes I wonder if Raelle Tucker works harder than some of the other writers to achieve these levels of perfection, or if it just comes naturally to her.

The introduction of Russell Edgington, the vampire King of Louisiana, was fabulous. I couldn’t help but snicker at him galloping up on a white horse in what looked like an English fox-hunting getup, but I was snickering a good way. This, along with the courtly-with-an-edge musical track, was the perfect level of campiness. And yet despite the campiness, and despite the King’s genteel persona, he has a dark undercurrent. I definitely wouldn’t mess with this guy.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the three-course dinner at the King’s estate, during which Edgington’s effete Greek houseboy served up “chilled, carbonated blood” with a “citrus-y finish,” “warm blood bisque infused with rose petals,” and blood gelato. The idea that vampires would want to add a little variety to their unchanging diet was a nice detail, though these tame, domesticated blood dishes grossed me out more than any of the gory vampire feeding scenes ever have.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Sookie asking Eric, “You think I’m that stupid?” when he told her that her reckless pursuit of Bill would put her in danger. I certainly think she’s that stupid, and I feel justified in that opinion considering that the first things she did after Eric’s warning to be careful and keep the werewolf info on the downlow was to a) run off into the woods after the seriously creepy guy who was obviously a were, and b) clue both Terry and Jason in to the existence of werewolves (though they both handled it pretty calmly). The other annoying Sookie-ism of the episode: bestowing a precious kiss on Terry’s cheek.

I have a hard time taking this new vulnerable Eric at face-value. He seemed to slip up and let down his guard around Sookie several times, and while I understand that her support and sensitivity re: Godric meant a lot (plus the blood bond connection, whatever that’s worth), but it still feels like too much too soon. I think of Eric as a very controlled, cautious person, for the most part, so it’s hard for me to accept that his awkward pauses, near-reveals, and softened expressions aren’t part of a manipulative attempt to woo Sookie into boinking him. He also feels more like Sookie’s dream version of him, but I’ll wait a bit longer and see how that pans out before I offer up any criticism.

I may be a bit weirded out by vulnerable Eric, but I did enjoy his flirty porch scene with Sookie. For one thing, I thought Paquin and Skarsgård finally had some chemistry. For another, I loved the eleven minutes of missing time in their conversation. He told her to invite him in, she refused and put him off by flashing her engagement ring, then we were whisked off to another scene. When we finally came back to Sookie and Eric eleven minutes later, they were still on the porch arguing about marriage! Hee, they’re both so stubborn.

We also met a new vampire named Franklin Mott in this episode, and I’m guessing he’s a spy for Edgington, as well as responsible for Jessica’s missing dead body. The scene with Mott pawing through Bill’s personal papers threw me off, because the room he went into was to the left of the front door. I didn’t even know there was a room there because we’ve never seen that side of the house before, so I had to rewind and look again to figure out that it was Bill’s house.* If I remember correctly, the Queen heavily implied last season that she sent Bill to Bon Temps to keep an eye on Sookie, and the fact that Mott found a hidden file on Sookie in Bill’s house certainly backs that up.

*(Minor nitpick, but I also thought the already-lit kerosene lamps in that room were odd. I can’t imagine Jessica having any interest in lighting that room, so I have to fanwank that Bill lit the lamps before he left for his date with Sookie in the finale, and Jessica just hasn’t bothered to put them out in the day or two since then. If they are indeed kerosene lamps, she may not even know how.)

Sam’s blood family is like the Southern redneck shapeshifter version of the Sackville-Bagginses. They seem nicer on the surface, but they’re definitely just as trashy. I’m betting they’re also expert manipulators, and thus just as greedy as the Sackville-Bagginses under the surface. Maybe Tommy won’t turn out to be as much of an ass as Lotho, at least, although it did look like he might have tried to lure Sam to his death.

I don’t really blame Tucker for this, but I’m incredibly tired of the world of shit Tara’s life has become, and the way that affects her behavior. She’s always sad, depressed, or mean, and it’s getting old. I really liked her in the first season, but the girl hasn’t had a real reason to even smile since then. Now it looks like they’re going to hook her up with Edgington’s Brit spy vamp, who is most likely bad news. If she absolutely must have a love interest, or a sex interest, or whatever, can’t he at least have some semblance of decency and/or a personality? I’d even accept Jason at this point, even if he did kill her last boyfriend.

Or even better, leave her single for a while and let her find some happiness simply from reconnecting with Lafayette and rebuilding her identity. Tara was in transition for most of last season, and Ball has said that this season is about identity, so I’m really hoping that she’ll finally have the time and energy to work on healing and grounding herself this season. I hope Lafayette’s love and determination helps her do so, and that’s a storyline I’d like to see, because it might balance out some of the other craziness.

And speaking of craziness, Alfre Woodard was perfect as Lafayette’s institutionalized mother, Ruby Jean. Between the accent and the affect, the character could have easily come off as too cartoonish and over-the-top, but Woodard dialed back the batshit crazy and emphasized the character’s sincerity. I was happy to see Kevin Alejandro as her nurse, too, and I’m assuming they will both be back.

Overall, this was a wonderful episode, from beginning to end, big moments to little moments. I don’t have high hopes for next week, though, because I find that Alexander Woo’s scripts tend to focus heavily on the show’s campy/trashy/over-the-top aspects and rarely have much in the way of subtlety. At least I have the introduction of that ginormous hunk of manbeef Alcide to look forward to!

Other Stuff

-Hee at Jessica’s googy-eyed glance at Eric before being dragged away by Pam. Yes, he is dreamy.

-I loved Tucker’s meta teasing in having Jessica call Bill “Beel” and having Sookie imitate Bill’s “Sookeh” pronunciation of her name.

-We’re supposed to assume that Edgington was the head of the Nazi werewolf crew in Eric’s flashback, yes? Considering that the werewolf Eric and Godric killed in the ‘40s said that her leader was a vamp, and that Edgington is in charge of the branded werewolves in the present, I don’t think the writers are tossing us a red herring.

-I can’t help but agree with Edgington’s assessment of Sophie-Anne’s incompetence, at least so far. Although to be fair, we still don’t know why she sent Bill after Sookie or why she’s having Eric distribute vampire blood. Maybe she’ll be proven a brilliant mastermind in the end.

-I wonder if Jason stabbing his burger with the handle of his fork was a Ryan Kwanten ad-lib? Poor Jason, he’s such a fuck-up that he can’t even stab his food with the right end of the fork.

-Terry’s list of reasons why Arlene should trust him around her kids was one of those aforementioned funny and sweet moments. He has a baby armadillo named Felix who sleeps under his bed? LOVE!

-I have no idea what to make of Jason seeing that strange girl near the meth lab, but she’s probably going to be his new love interest, and considering the way his last few romances went, I’m not dying to find out what’s up…

True Blood, 3x01, “Bad Blood”

Episode Title: Bad Blood
Writer: Brian Buckner
Director: Daniel Minahan
Originally Aired: 06/13/2010
Grade: A-

I have to admit that my thorough enjoyment of the first season of The Vampire Diaries really dampened my enthusiasm for the return of True Blood. I went into the third season premiere with pretty low expectations, but I ended up pleasantly surprised. Sookie is less annoying, Bill is sexier, Eric is still Eric, the werewolves are actually wolves, and Maryann is gone (though the aftershocks are definitely still wreaking havoc in Bon Temps). I also thought the screentime felt pretty equally parceled out amongst the cast, which I hope can continue.

I’ll start where the episode does, with Sookie. She was surprisingly, and admirably, restrained while talking to Kenya about Bill’s disappearance. I expected her to be downright hysterical, but she was really rather calm (for Sookie, anyway). She’s continuing to adjust to the craziness that is her life, and my eardrums are grateful. I also liked the classic Sookie hair toss and flounce after Jessica told Sookie there’s a head ‘possum under Bill’s house. I’ve always said I was fine with her having flaws but wanted it toned down—have her act like a twat once per episode, not three times per episode, y’know? This episode felt like they got that balance right, for the most part.

Bill was sexier in general in this episode, but Sam’s sexy blood bond dream with Bill was awesome. Stupid me, I was actually sitting there thinking, “What’s up with all this weird hoyay? Does Bill have a bisexual streak that we’re only just now finding out about?” Most vampire fictions have some homoerotic kink to them by nature, but this was undeniably blatant, so I probably should have known it was a dream. Then again, I think about 50% of the casting info and minor spoilers for this season involve homosexual relationships or experiences, so I’m not too terribly embarrassed to have fallen for it. And damn, Stephen Moyer really, really went for it.

I also found it interesting that this episode drew parallels between Bill and past villains. We see Bill clawing his way out of the earth, followed a few minutes later by a backlit silhouette shot reminiscent of our first glimpse of Maryann in maenad form in “Scratches.” Bill preying on the old woman was also reminiscent of the flashback to Lorena turning Bill, except Bill was playing both himself and Lorena this time. He was much kinder than Lorena could ever dream of being, but I do wonder if the writers are trying foreshadow an exceptionally dark Bill arc this season. Whatever they have planned, I’m looking forward to it, because Bill is already ten times more interesting out on his own, away from Sookie. (And the same is potentially true of Sookie, although I’ll be satisfied if she can just remain likable.)

I’m curious to know what was up with Pam’s insincere effort to stop Sookie from stomping into the Fangtasia basement looking for Eric. Did she really want a glimpse of naked Yvette that badly? Does she feel threatened by Eric and Sookie’s growing closeness, and thus hoped that seeing Eric jackhammering away at a silicon-enhanced dancer* would repel Sookie? Did she just want to see Sookie’s reaction, either to gauge it or because she thought it would be funny? Or were Eric and Pam working a plan?

I can imagine Eric sensing through the blood bond that an upset Sookie might be paying him a visit and thus setting up the little vamp sex display. Overloading Sookie with that imagery is kind of genius, because it keeps her at a distance emotionally, but also forcefully inserts his sexual presence into her waking thoughts (he's already in her sexy dreams, thanks to their blood bond). Personally, I think getting fucked at warp speed for six hours sounds incredibly boring, and I doubt Sookie found it attractive, per se, but still. You don’t witness that and not think about it later. I also think that scene supports what I thought the writers were doing last season with her mushy Eric dreams—her DreamEric isn’t RealEric, at least not yet, in any sort of tangible way.

I’m also intrigued by why Eric got so upset about Bill’s kidnapping. Was his blood bond with Sookie making him feel hysterical and crabby about it? Was he simply devastated that someone stole his favorite squeaky toy? Was he afraid of what the Queen might do if she finds out?

*(Considering that Yvette was introduced in one of the pre-season minisodes, and that Eric even bothered telling Sookie her name, I'm wondering if there's more to her than meets the eye. Eric, Pam, and even Queen Sophie-Anne were all enamored of her as soon as they laid eyes on her, which reminds me of Sookie's seemingly magical ability to attract supernaturals.)

And speaking of the Queen, she’s even more annoying this season. Both times we’ve seen her, she was putting on an act, but she’s a terrible actress. Which kind of makes Evan Rachel Wood seem like a terrible actress, but I don’t think she is. It usually takes a good actor to pull off a character who is a bad actor. Still, my ears almost bled at, “An act of self-loathing. So shameful. That whoever is responsible. Should fall on his own stake.” Sophie-Anne’s bad acting doesn’t endear her to me, because she’s a spoiled, petulant, pretentious, overly-dramatic twat. She’s kind of like early Blair Waldorf as a vampire queen, with all her worst qualities magnified by super-strength and political power.

A few other bits and pieces:

Everything with Jason and Andy was hilarious, as usual, especially Andy crawling in through Jason’s window to throw off anyone tailing him. Of course, I expect that storyline to get increasingly darker, but then again, maybe it won't.

On the one hand, I’m sad about Jessica’s first kill, but on the other hand, it was such an inevitability that I’m not exactly worked up over it. She’ll probably dwell on it enough for the both of us, so why bother?

Lettie Mae was her usual misguided, dense, self-absorbed self, seeing Tara’s devastation as a way to bind her daughter to her, and putting all her faith in the healing power of Jesus rather than dealing with reality.

And finally, using real wolves for the transformed werewolves was a fabulous idea. I love my Buffy and Being Human, but I’m not fond of the hybrid man-wolf creature. I much prefer the True Blood/Twilight take. Yes, I just complimented Twilight, although I think True Blood comes out on top because these werewolves actually look real. Because they are.

Overall, this was a good start to the season, and I hope they can keep it up. (Knowing this show, that sounds like a bad pun. It was unintentional, I swear!)