When I break this episode down into individual scenes and storylines, I find that I actually liked a lot of this episode of True Blood. But the stuff that I had to wade through to get to the good stuff was just terrible.
Sookie plays councilor to everyone in Bon Temps. She calls Alcides dad to tell him of his sons death. She checks in with Arlenes kids. She uses her powers to get Holly to remember where the H-vamps were keeping them. She gets Jessica to break her stupid vampire anorexia (although it was Lafayette who actually gets her to drink).
I suppose my beef doesnt lie with the episode itself; it lies with Sookie. Holy fuck she is annoying. I dont care for the mushy stuff, but the mushy stuff that doesnt involve Sookie was really good. When Jason calls Hoyt to inform him of his moms death, it was nearly heartbreaking – the glamour on Hoyt is still holding strong and Jason is clearly hurt that Hoyt doesnt remember him.
Pam and Eric are on a mission to kill a Christian (Sarah Newlin). Pam wants to start off in Baton Rouge, but Eric redirects the plane to Shreveport so he can say goodbye to WIlla. Pam hates Shreveport, and we flash back to 1986 to see why. As a punishment, the Magister is forcing Eric and Pam to run a shitty video rental store. He is also naming Eric sheriff of Shreveport, so they can keep an eye on him – and take 80% out of his profits. Both are miserable but they dont have much of a choice. They are still stuck there in 1996, when Ginger – then a grunge university student with an obsession with vampires and no clue they are real – comes in looking for a copy of Roman Polanski’s The Fearless Vampire Hunters, David Cronenberg’s Rabid and Guillermo del Toro’s Cronos. She falls in love with Eric when he comes into the shop, in what is an over-the-top, ridiculous portrayal that I think was meant to be genuine. Eric looked like a Beverly Hills 90210 cast-off (about five years too late); I cant take that seriously. They hire her for the day shift. Anyway, we next see them in 2006. Ginger is gothed-out, driving a hearse, and comes to the shop with a hideous old chair, meant to be Erics throne. Now that vampires are out of the coffin, she comes to Pam with the idea of turning the video shop into a nightclub called Fangtasia. Pam is surprised that she loves the idea – even the name – and takes credit for the idea.
Sookie, Jason, and Sam have some counseling to do before they can continue looking for the kidnapped townspeople. The important bits: Sookie uses her power to help Holly recover memories of where they were being held. I still cant believe no one thought of this before. From there, they go round up the uninfected vampires. Jessica hasnt eaten in weeks as a form of punishment for killing Andys daughters. She is not healing, and she is getting angry. Sookie gives her a tough love speech but she still refuses to drink. She does agree to let Lafayette come visit. It takes some sweet talk, and the admission that he killed Jesus, but she drinks from Lafayette, heals, and joins the other vampires to plot the takedown.
Bill and Sookie assemble a team that includes Jessica, James, Jason, Sam, Violet, and a couple newbies: Keith and Michael. Eric and Pam show up, and Eric summons the missing Willa. She is pissed off to be called back to Bon Temps, but she helps. And off to Fangtasia they go.
The building which now holds Fangtasia was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, so there is a secret tunnel that leads into the basement. This is their way in. Sam goes in first, in rat form, to inform the hostages that a team of vampires is on the way in, trust them. He is barely out the tunnel before the H-vamps come down for another meal. They take Arlene. Pam takes the others to safety while Bill sneaks upstairs to get Arlene. Before he can make himself known, there is a knock at the door.
Eric is there as an infected vampire seeking sanctuary. He assures the H-vamps he has his own food source, and will share. The vamps sniff out Sookies special blood and allow them to enter. Bills team files in through the back and gets in place. Before they can attack, Vince and his angry mob lob molotov cocktails and set the place alight. Gunfire breaks out, and the vampires and H-vamps take the fight to the street. Sookie and Eric stay behind to help Arlene, who has lost a lot of blood. Sookie screams for a clean vampire to come heal her, but every time Bill tries to enter, he is distracted by someone else in immediate danger. Sookie is getting worried because Arlene is talking to Terry. She sees Terry. She is ready to join him. Sookie is too distracted with Arlene to notice that the skeezy head H-vamp is there, ready to fang-rape Sookie. Jason blasts the H-vamp into a puddle, and Keith is there to feed Arlene.
When the dust settles, all the H-vamps are puddles, and it seems most of the angry mob is dead, too. Bill stabbed Vince in the head, and Eric feeds on Rosie.
I really like that they are bringing back everyone who was ever in True Blood. They are doing a good job: Hoyt and Jackson come back for their dead loved ones; Ginger appears in flashbacks; Terry appears as a vision (cheesy, yes, but I dig Todd Lowe so it was nice to see him again).
I want to see Jesus, Russell Edgington, and Renee return. Who do you hope cameos?
