When did we revert to the maudlin, brooding vampire? I thought we had moved past that. Even at its worst, True Blood never had mopey emo vampires like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Twilight. But Bill was insufferable this week. Somehow every conversation he had seemed disingenuous. I know Stephen Moyer isnt the best actor, but even in the scenes with his own wife, all I could do was roll my eyes.
Basically, Bill is getting worse. Eric, who had found Sarah at the end of last weeks episode, took a long hit of her blood and was cured instantly. Eric visits Sookie at the Compton house to let her know that he is going to be okay, not knowing that Bill is on his death bed. Sookie begs him for the cure for Bill, and Eric is hesitant. He promises to return tomorrow night, but Sookie cant wait and follows Eric back to Fangtasia. Mr. Gus informs Eric and Pam that they were able to synthesize a cure for Hep-V within hours – but there is no money in that. So they are working on a healthy addiction that will make the disease better, but not cure it. Pam and Eric seem more or less okay with this.
Sookie is greeted by Yakuza when she gets to Fangtasia, They threaten her, but eventually go in and alert Mr. Gus to her arrival. He allows her entry, but threatens her. Eric claims she is just another fangbanger he fucked a couple years ago and keeps coming around for more, but it is best not to kill her because her brother, the cop, would come looking. He tells Mr. Gus he will glamour her away, and Sookie plays along. While he speaks, Sookie reads Mr. Gus mind and hears that there is something important in the basement. Glamouring over, Sookie leaves. She doesnt get very far when she turns around and decides to check out the mystery in the basement.
Entering through the secret back door, Sookie discovers Sarah bound and gagged. Sarah promises she will tell her why she is important – after she helps her escape. She then starts spouting off all that messiah bullshit, and Sookie gags her again. She goes into Sarahs brain and sees her recent memories – and sees that Sarah is the cure. She races back home to get Bill and assure Jessica that Bill will live.
Yes, Jessica is safe and sound. Violet captured her and held her hostage in her sex dungeon, along with Adilyn and Wade. She sends photos to Jason, who is with Hoyt and Bridget at the time. The couple are having a fight, so when Jason leaves, Bridget insists on going with him. Jason doesnt have time to reason with her, so he lets her tag along, but makes her wait in the car (with a gun). Anyway, Jason goes inside and Violet attacks, tying him up with the other three. She spouts off on how awesome she is, and how no one has ever wanted out once they have been let in. She is the epitome of a woman scorned, and has all sorts of heinous tortures planned for her victims. (She plans on pulling off Wades fingers before crushing his skull; using a breast ripper on Adilyn before draining her slowly; and popping Jessicas cherry with a red-hot dildo every ten minutes.) Suddenly a shot rings out and Violet crumples into a goo pile. Hoyt had followed and shot Violet dead.
So that is how Jessica is safe and sound and joins with Sookie in saving Bill. The three of them travel to Fangtasia and sneak in the back way. Mr. Gus has left for a brief trip to Dallas, but left some of his men behind to make sure Eric doesnt get into any funny business. He and Pam go downstairs, intending on taking some blood to Bill, but discover he is already there. Eric isn’t happy, but lets Bill drink. Bill stands there, staring at Sarah for a long, long, long time. Then he pulls this bullshit martyr crap and decides he doesnt want her blood. No further explanation before the episode ends. He just doesnt want it. I dont care what the reason is, it is fucking stupid. This single scene, more than anything in this episode, pissed me off. What does Bill hope to prove by not taking the cure? That he wont take the help of this woman who enslaved the vampires? That he doesnt deserve to live? Just thinking about it pisses me off.
Meanwhile, the reverend comes to collect Lettie Mae and Lafayette from the home of the genuinely scared residents. James arrives to dose them, and Lettie Mae finally convinces the reverend to come on their trip. Tara appears and takes them back to her seventh birthday, when her dad comes home, drunk and angry, and starts beating Lettie Mae – then goes for his gun. Tara had hidden the gun in her dresser, and as her parents fight in the other room, Tara takes aim at daddy dearest. She cant do it, and instead runs outside and buries the gun in the yard. This is the day that her father left them for good. Back in the current timeline (but still in druggy dream land), the reverend finds the gun, and Tara and Lettie Mae have a genuinely touching moment (made all the more touching after Bills nonsense), in which Tara tell her mom to forgive herself, and to let her go.
And finally, Hoyt is taken with Jessica, which seems to hint at an its fate storyline. Despite the fact that he is with Bridget, he is clearly drawn to Jessica, and she to him.
