True Blood: You know that I could use somebody li. . .

Sunday’s True Blood picked right back up where it left us last week, but brought us a definite change of pace. The theme of the night was making connections-connections between people, vampires, telepaths, beast monster witches or however Maryann declares herself on official forms.

The episode started with Daphne revealing to Bill her shape shifting abilities. “You’re not alone anymore” she coos seductively. For the rest of the episode these two continue to feed the flames of their budding romance, while I contemplate how cute their kids will be. A family of shifters-mind blowing! Though that scar on Daphne’s back worries me. (What reason would Maryann have for attacking her?) Boy I hope she doesn’t die. But this is True Blood. Every minor/supporting character is fair game.

In Dallas, Sookie and Bill find themselves in dangerous new territory, where the bad-assedness of the Dallas vamps (sound’s like a 70s basketball team, no?) continues to comes up. Barry, the antisocial bellboy, makes it very clear that he wants nothing to do with the ever persistent Sookie. She, of course, doesn’t take no for an answer. Her enthusiasm is understandable given this is her first encounter with another telepath. Barry, however, is far less eager to share stories or learn to control his powers, given his employment at a hotel for vampires who might just kill him if made aware of his gift. In the end, he quits his job and disappears into the ether. Poor Sookie has such bad luck making/keeping friends.

Back at the Light of Day Institute Jason begins boot camp as part of his training to become a Soldier of the Sun. (Boy do these Jesus freaks know how to hammer in a message. We get it already. The dichotomy of light and dark, good and bad, blah blah blah.) Once again he shows that valiant boy-scout streak by helping out his nemesis Luke when he’s given up on himself. His reward? A little below the belt action from the ever neglected Sarah Newlin. The sexual tension between the two of them bubbles over when she walks in on him in the tub and offers her assistance as well a lesson in God’s love.

After Tara’s first good birthday, she finds herself in yet another predicament. Maryann, Eggs and that butler guy need a place to stay and can of course think of no better place than Sookie’s.  Tara does the right thing and puts her foot down, before Maryann uses her voodoo power to have everyone at the bar turn on her. When she gets back home after a hard night at work, Tara finds Maryann (dressed like Sookie’s grandma-subtle and creepy) once again playing the understanding motherly role. There’s no way she can kick them out now.

Before Sookie can fret about the loss of her would-be bosom buddy, Bill tries to scramble up a game plan with Godric’s squabbling top peeps. While they bicker amongst themselves, we learn through a potent flashback that the missing sheriff  was Eric’s maker. As a great Norse warrior on the brink of death, Godrick, some sort of wild Lord of the Flies adolescent, decides to save Eric and take him as a companion through time. In the end it is decided that Sookie will infiltrate the LDI and try to figure out what, if anything, they had to do with his disappearance using her mind reading powers,.

This weeks episode layered the foundation for loads of drama to come. There are so many unanswered questions and new bonds forged or reinforced. The scenes between Bill and Sookie were especially touching this week as we got a more multi-dimensional glimpse into their unique relationship. Spending the night in a vamp motel was the first time she woke up without finding Bill gone. It’s easy to forget how important the simple things are in a relationship, and how many of them are nearly impossible in an intra-species relationship. On the coupling front we had more from Hoigh and Jessice as well as Terry and Arlene. Plus Lafeyette (more somber than usual) was back! So is Bill’s maker (dun, dun, dunnn!).

Season 2, Episode 5: Never Let Me Go (originally aired July 19, 2009)

For another take on this episode, read Shapeshifter Sex by Inisia Lewis.

For more on True Blood, click here.

Sundays at 9pm on HBO

Photographs courtesy of HBO, IMDbPro, and Jaimie Trueblood