True Blood Sucker Punch: Episode 7
Note: This post contains spoilers
Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week's episode of True Blood.
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(We begin with an argument already in progress)
Are you serious, True Blood? Are you really going to spring Godric on me in the last moment of Episode 7 ("Release Me") and then cut to the credits? Don't you realize that I have to wait an entire week to see what happens next? God! Why are you... it's just... selfish!
Oh... hey everyone. Sorry. True Blood and I are having a lovers' quarrel. I mean, we've been dating for a while, and even though he's not the perfect boyfriend -- don't you roll your eyes at me! You're not! -- um, anyway, even though he's not the perfect boyfriend, we usually get along great. But then he pulls this crap, where he teases me with things I love -- chocolate covered peanuts, flavored seltzer, the long-awaited emergence of a vampire sheriff -- and then hides them for days. It's mean, and I hate it. That's why I acted like I forgot his birthday last year.
You heard me! I was pretending I forgot! How did you like it? Wait... what? You're walking away? Where are you... ? I can't leave! I'm talking to these...
Okay. I'll deal with him in a second. Sorry.
The point is, this week's episode had some character inconsistencies, but in the end, it gave me an hour of zippy entertainment.
Like, I have to applaud when Hoyt seduces Jessica by decorating her hotel room with blood-scented candles and playing "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. "Bleeding Love!" Even if Jessica were human, that's the exact song a softie like Hoyt would play for her. But because it mentions blood, he probably thinks cranking it on the stereo makes him extra smooth. Can't you just imagine a rack of "Bleeding Love" CD singles in the vampire hotel gift shop, and Hoyt buying one with a shy little grin? That's exactly who he is.
Speaking of welcome touches, I love the return of Lafayette's attitude. His descent into fear has given him new depth, but it's even more intriguing to watch him cloak his fear in sasstalk. When he tells Tara that Eggs is "Satan in a Sunday hat," we smile at the top-notch zinger, but we also see the deadness in Nelsan Ellis' eyes. He's a time bomb, y'all. When do you think he'll go off?
On the other hand, I'm frustrated with the Maryann storyline, since it highlights the show's tendency to turn smart characters momentarily stupid. Is Tara really such a moron that she can't see how dangerous Maryann is? Because let me tell you this: If I blacked out, and my fellow waitress blacked out, and the town deputy came in screaming that everyone was at an orgy in the woods, and my weirdly witchy new mentor rolled up with bloody feet and a dead rabbit in her arms, then I might just put it together.
And Tara's smart enough to put it together, so why insist on keeping her in the dark? She deserves a story that lets her take action instead of being victimized, and her passivity is even more irritating because the writers have to ignore her well-established shrewdness in order to keep her ignorant.
Likewise, can Sam Merlotte take an action? Any action? I appreciate getting some clear information from Daphne about Maryann -- she's an immortal Maenad who can control everyone but "supernaturals" -- but when Daphne tells Sam the truth, why doesn't he do anything? And why doesn't he talk to Andy after the poor man hollers about the orgy that Sam also saw? Again, this is inconsistent with a character who is hungry to open up about himself. His perpetual inaction suggests the writers see him as a character who gets "told things," and not as a central part of the story.
That said, I don't hate these scenes. I could watch Michelle Forbes' loopy performance as Maryann all day, and that scene where she chases Sam in her Minotaur head, and he escapes by turning into an owl, literally puts me on the edge of my sofa. Bravo to director Michael Ruscio (and his editing team) for crafting such a nail-biting moment.
And bravo to Raelle Tucker, the episode's chief writer, for doing such clever work with the Fellowship segments. The crisscross of loyalty and deception gives emotional heft to the mounting danger for Sookie and Jason. Granted, I wish Sookie could save herself from getting raped, instead of needing some vampire man to rescue her, but I can let that go. Overall, I enjoy learning who cares for whom in the shadow of this church. Hugo's shifting loyalty to his vamp girlfriend, the Fellowship's shifting loyalty to Hugo, and Reverend Steve's wild mood swings are all good fun.
On that note, a friend and I have been debating whether True Blood respects its Fellowship characters. I think Sarah Newlin proves the writers want to do more than take potshots at conservatives. Her tortuous moral code lets her find holy love in her affair with Jason, so long as she confesses her indiscretions to her husband. To me, that reads as the effort of a very devout woman to somehow balance her faith with her human weakness. She's really trying to believe in something, which makes her more than a cheap joke.
Plus, who knows what her need to feel pure will make her do next? At the beginning of the episode, did any of us think Steve was going to tell her something that would make her shoot Jason in the chest?
And that's why Sarah's gunshot is our Sucker Punch of the Week. It's more than just the advancement of a plotline: It's a metaphor for a woman's desperate attempt to keep a grip on her faith. She's so confused that she can love a man in the morning and shoot him that night... all in an effort to get closer to God. If we find out next week that she plugged him with one of those Holy Water bullets that Steve's been showing off, then her gunshot will be even more operatic.
There's more I could talk about, of course, but I've got to get True Blood out of the bathroom. He's sulking about the stuff I said earlier, and if I don't calm him down, then I'll have to sleep on the porch.
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i hope this observation doesnt get me in trouble.. but am i alone in thinking that jason looks like a young george w. bush? 'specially when he has that gaze of questioning wonderment?
Please, you flatter George Bush. I think he looks more like a young Brad Pitt. Please, don't ruin it for me!
Everyone keeps saying Andy isn't affected by Maryann... but at like the 34th orgy, didn't he smash cake in his face along with the others??
For some reason, I still don't think Tara is going to 'get it' where Eggs & Maryann are concerned. She'll have the evidence slapping her in the face, but still won't get the hell out of dodge.
When Eggs tells her "Just because you got high don't make you your mama." I could have pimpsmacked her for falling for it.
One more comment, I'm hoping that Tara finally has a clue and will soon be back to her old self.
That was the best episode of the series this far! I was SO upset to see those credits!!!! Ive read all the books and will not be a spoiler but suffice to say their treatment of the material is BRILLIANT. There are all sorts of FUN surprises yet to come.
I'm starting to think that Sookie is a supernatural, do anyone remember from last season. The Rattree's were about bleed Bill dry, and Sookie displayed some super hero moves to save him, and Eric, told Bill's maker that he did not know what Sookie was, but she's was'nt just human, and Marianne has not taken over Sookie once. Is Sookie just clairvoyant or bit more?
I think she's something more and I can't wait to find out what. I think it would be terrific if she turned out to be a valkyrie, or something like that.
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Hey everyone... Thanks for the great comments.
GetOfftheCross makes a good point about Sookie not reading Hugo's mind. Why DIDN'T she know more about his connection to the Fellowship?
Also, since Andy Bellefleur didn't go all black-eyed at the orgy, does that mean that's he a supernatural? Or did Maryann just not notice him? And if Andy is a super, do you think he knows it?
Andy showed up late to the party, so I think him not being effected had more to do with him being drunk and obsessing about the pig.
Remember in Season 1 when Tara blocked Sookie by thinking one thought over and over? When Sookie was actually trying to read Hugo he was thinking about how much he loves Isabel because he already knew who Sookie was and why she was there because of being in the nest and having overheard stuff, or maybe there was a bug in the room where they were talking. Anyway, Steve Newlin knew about Sookie, knew to think thoughts that wouldn't alarm Sookie before they could spring the trap.
It's interesting about Andy, but I think there just wasn't time for him to become affected, although, this makes several orgies that he's been to where he didn't join in, so maybe he is supernatural.
To the commenter who says that "Sookie isn't a supernatural being." I don't know, but I wouldn't bet on it. Bill asked Sookie what are you? And Eric has also wondered what she is. To Bill she answered that she was a waitress, only telling him later about being a telepath. Eric also has wondered what Sookie is, he's intrigued with her.
I'm enjoying the series, but am I the only one who finds it inconsistent that Sookie hadn't read even an inkling of Hugo's connection to the Fellowship before they were locked up together (and after several hours, no less)? I also saw no reason for Maryann to gut Sam's new squeeze (forget the name, Sarah maybe?). Seems very short sited for someone with centuries of manipulating experience. Just sayin'.
She decided that she wanted a blood sacrifice, a human blood sacrifice. One of the first ones was Tara's voodoo lady, what's-her-name.
Did anyone notice that Bill was reading "Gods and Monsters of Ancient Greece," when Lorena came in during the flashback? I wonder if that will somehow play into the MaryAnne/Maenad story line when he and Sookie get back to Bon Temps.
I noticed that and thought the same thing. There has to be some connection.
What I don't understand is that in a previous episode, didn't Sookie say that vampires don't know she's telepathic and yet Eric knows, Bill of course knows and so do the Texas vampires. Doesn't make any sense.
Eric is the one that hired her to find Godric, so of course he knows she's telepathic. However, Sookie can't read vampire minds. Maybe that's what is confusing you.
Aha! Thanks. That's makes sense.
It was in the first season when Sookie warned the patrons at Fangtasia that the cops were coming to raid the place and they all escaped, the vampires and Sookie, I mean.
I can live without the singing and piano playing.
Tara ius getting as boring as Maryanne was. It's not just the dead rabbit but Maryanne walking in, her feet bloody and all Tara has to say is something like "Where have you been? Duh.
Nothing complicated about Sarah; she's just dense wanting to reveal an affair to her husband who she clearly knows is whacko. That's pretty dumb.
I'm with you all the way Mark. This episode did leave you seriously wanting more! Godric is just as I had imagined him. This is my favorite show and the best one on TV. Cant wait till Sunday even if it means work the next day! LOL!
There was such a difference in Godrick's appearance that I thought he was played by another actor. Wasn't Godrick originally a dark-haired guy? I remember posting something about him from the episode where he becomes Eric's maker and said that he looked like John Leguizamo (sp?). The actor in this last episode looked nothing like him.
Maybe he did have dark hair back then, but then we also saw Eric getting highlights done in a previous episode, so it's possible to change the hair color of vampires. If you'll recall this is why his new haircut is a short one (btw, I prefer the longer haired Eric. I just can't seem to get used to short haired Eric).
The scene where Hoyt tells Jessica he's a virgin did me in. He admits that's his status, and Jessica says, "You mean you've never done it?" and he answer "well, not with a woman." Her comeback was perfect: "What did you do it with?" They have become two wonderful characters, and she's always just a quarter step away from doing ... '... bad things...' to someone. We never know what she's going to do, because she has no clue, either.
It was a good episode, but I do agree with you, Mark, about having to wait till we see more of Godric. Teasing can be fun, but this wait's going to be downright painful. /TotallyAmazed
Excellently snarky analogy, Mark! True is being such a..a..well, 'tease' is part of the word I was thinking of (lol). And am I the only one who thinks Eric wasn't being completely honest when he said he has "..no interest.." in Sookie? Now I'm half-inclined to give a Eric-Sookie storyline a chance (confession time: meant to, but haven't read the series yet). I'll even admit to almost feeling sorry for Lorena, and how much Bill's lack of reciprocal desire has hurt her (but everything he said to her was true..she has lost whatever was left of her humanity). And huzzah - Hoyt and Jessica finally got some real 'intimate time', which, I think, is well deserved for both of them (although, I fear Bill won't be pleased about this development)..! ;) ...
I feel like telling Lorena "Girl he just not that into you. Move on."
I think it's more of a hurt pride sort of thing for Lorena at this point. She can't believe that Bill could actually prefer a human over her.
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