True Blood Review: Stay Away From The Light!

It’s hard not to feel something for all the characters in the series. In this episode, Tara (Rutina Wesley) is forced to send Naomi back to New Orleans after they are both nearly killed by Pam (Kristen Bauer Von Straten). Pam is seeking revenge for her decomposing body and for Eric’s (Alexander Skarsgard) amnesia. Since she can’t get to Marnie/Antonia (Fiona Shaw) and Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) are out of town, Tara is the only one she can get her hands on. Marnie/Antonia is pissed off because the vampires in her past tortured and raped her, so she’s hell bent on revenge. Tara see’s no choice but to accept Marnie/Antonia’s offer of getting rid all of the vampires because they have only made her life a living nightmare.

The ruthlessness that Bill (Stephen Moyer) has been exhibiting this season so far seems to be softening a bit as we see his continued interaction with Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). They have a wonderful scene where Jess tells her maker how she has lived so much more with him as a vampire than she did when she was human. It mirrors the bond that Pam and Eric have as well as Eric and Godric. Its nice to see that for the most part at least, the relationship between maker and progeny is a very strong and loving one, the exception of course being between Bill and his maker Lorena (how can we forget last season’s sexorcist scene??).

Bill, Eric, and Sookie continue to have uncomfortable interactions together. It’s nice to see Bill being the bigger man and not letting his own feelings get in the way of Sookie’s happiness with Eric. Eric and Sookie engage in some graphic physical intimacies and it is still amazing to see the complete transformation of the sheriff of Area 5. The pair share a tender scene as well where the Viking tells the telepath that he doesn’t want to remember his former self and his memories because he won’t be the same and he fears that she won’t want him. Sookie answers that she doesn’t know, but she hopes that she will. AAHH!!! My heart is already breaking at the inevitability of this short-lived coupling. SIGH. It’s wonderful that Sookie is able to fall in love again, but it isn’t going to be an easy road. I’m just hoping that they get a real chance at a relationship, if that’s even possible when all is said and done.

Bill comes to visit Eric and Sookie to warn them about Marnie/Antonia’s plans. All the vampires in his territory will be silvering themselves during the daytime because the witch intends to put a spell on them, forcing them to walk out into the daylight and burn. Marnie/Antonia, Tara, and the other volunteers they’ve gathered chant out a spell and true enough the vampires are overcome with the need to go out into the sun. Jessica breaks through her bonds and is about to open the front door of Bill’s house.

Jason (Ryan Kwanten) is racing across the cemetery from Sookie’s to try and stop her. He’s been struggling with the effects of Jess’s vampire blood in his system and trying not to think sexual thoughts about his best friend’s girl. It’s definitely an unexpected pair, but it’ll be interesting to see where it goes.

In other supernatural events, Jesus and Lafayette return from Mexico learning the Lafayette is a medium. How exactly that solves their problems still isn’t made clear. Now that he’s experienced his first possession though, Lafayette is able to see the ghost who’s haunting baby Mikey. It must have something to do with the creepy doll. I’m guessing the doll belonged to the ghost’s baby or something and now she wants a replacement baby.

Sam (Sam Trammell) also discovers that Tommy (Marshall Allman) shifted into him and had sex with Luna. The two of them confirm it when Sam comes to confront her at school after being confused by the rebuke he got over the phone. He goes back to his trailer and nearly chokes Tommy to death, but restrains himself and tells his brother to be gone in 10 minutes. I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of Tommy. Both guys can’t seem to catch a break.

Finally poor Pam! She pays Doctor Ludwig to give her shots to rejuvenate her skin’s healing but it comes at a very painful and expensive price. First she her decomposing skin needs to be ripped off and then she has to have six very large injections every four hours, forever. Yikes. To top it all off, as she finally begins to heal, she has to have silver chainmail cover her body insider her coffin to prevent her from going out into the sun when the witches cast their spell. Trusty Ginger is there to help her out!

I’m really enjoying how character driven these episodes have been and how we’re seeing multiple sides of our main characters. We see that each supernatural creature, whether witch, vampire, were, or shifter have their good and bad sides. And it doesn’t matter if you’re the undead or the living because it’s whether or not you give in to your darker impulses that make you a monster.

True Blood Season 4 Episode 7: Cold Grey Light of Dawn (Originally Aired August 7, 2011)

Images Courtesy of HBO