TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 7, EPISODE 10 (SERIES FINALE) - THANK YOU

And with that, True Blood's seventh and final season has come to an end. Who lived? Who died? Who suddenly became a lesbian cage fighter?

Sink your fangs into our recap, and share your thoughts on the series finale.

We pick up right where we left off last week, with Bill (Stephen Moyer) darkening the doorstep of Sookie (Anna Paquin). He gives her the rundown on why he thinks it’s a super swell idea for him to not take the cure. She deserves a normal life and she can’t have that while he’s still around. Sookie, however, ain’t buying it. He wants to die just because she has low self-esteem? Not a great pitch.

But that’s not all! Not only does he want to die, he wants her to kill him! And not just kill him, but to use her Mortal Kombat “Finish Him” special move, and kill him with her magic faerie light ball, rendering her human. Sookie has hopped around half the laps in Bon Temps, mated with most of the encyclopedia of supernaturals, put almost all of her loved ones in nearly daily peril, but this actually might be the most selfish thing to ever happen on this show. Sookie takes it under advisement.

Across the cemetery, at Chez Compton, Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) have returned. Jessica has a very sweet message for Bill: She’ll be fine. He doesn’t have to worry about her. But Bill’s still on his All About Me World Tour. So, he’s like, “You know what? That’s great that you decided to be the bigger person and come home and try and make me feel better, but you know what would really make me feel better? If you and Hoyt — despite him not remembering you beyond the last few days — just go ahead and get married.”

Jessica calls Bill into her room so she can be all “Dad! You’re embarrassing me!” But hear him out! He only wants to rush Jessica off to marriage because he missed his daughter’s wedding. In that case, Jessica is totally on board. Let’s do it right now!

She calls Sookie (who’s seeking council from her brother about the whole kill Bill thing) and asks her if she’s got a white dress she could borrow. While they’re on the phone, Hoyt calls Jason (Ryan Kwanten) to ask him to be his best man.

Arlene (Carrie Preston), Holly (Lauren Bowles) and Andy (Chris Bauer) also made the guestlist. Once they arrive, Father of the Bride Bill calls Andy into his office. Since Andy is Bill’s last living relative (remember they’re related?), he’ll inherit Bill’s estate. Bill asks Andy to rent his house to Jessica and Hoyt for a dollar a month, (but maybe not even that much sometimes), and Andy agrees, and then we watch them run a credit check and get Hoyt’s references and sign the lease because, oh god, this is boring. Wasn’t there a way to leave Jessica the house without having to dive into Vampire estate law? Did we really need some kind of sloppy, heavy-handed Edie Windsor-ish metaphor?

And speaking of heavy-handed metaphors! This ceremony! It’s sweet up until Andy, who is officiating, gives a little “even though vampire-human marriages aren’t recognized … “ You guys. We get it. WE GET IT. Regardless, now Hoyt and Jessica are kind-of, sort-of married. Mazel.

The real interesting thing about the ceremony is that Sookie can hear Bill’s thoughts. That’s odd! Less surprising: He’s just thinking a lot of lovey-dovey things about Sookie.

In addition to going to her brother for advice (he didn’t have any to offer), Sookie also talked to her pastor and had a vision of Gran. The flashback featured a young Sookie and Tara talking about boys, when Gran interrupts to tell Sookie she can have whatever kind of life she wants. After dropping off Jason with Brigette, she calls Bill to tell him she’s made her decision.

(By the way, Sookie tells Jason to sleep with Brigette. Brigette turns up for her “ride to the airport” with no luggage and wearing a short skirt, even though she’s supposed to go back to Alaska. Girlfriend knew what she was doing*.)

Her mind made up, Sookie meets Bill in the graveyard. He climbs in the grave, opens his coffin, and marvels at the old photo of him and his daughter. He lies in the coffin, while Sookie stands over the grave mustering up her faerie ball. At this point, I’m convinced that Bill is actually just becoming human. That’s why Sookie heard his thoughts, and I’m pretty sure I’ve talked myself into believing that his tears over his daughter’s photo were a little more human-like tear than just blood-like tear. Maybe it was Lillith’s blood or Sookie’s, but I was sure Bill was going to be human, Sookie’s vampire-killing faerie ball wasn’t going to work and they would live happily, humanly ever after.

Nope.

Once she conjures her glowball, she has an independent woman moment and realizes she doesn’t want to give up who she is for some man, even if that man is a vampire/former god/her true love/whatever. Bill still wants to die, though. Sookie grabs a shovel, cracks it into a stake and climbs into the coffin. She places it over Bill’s heart, he places his hands on hers and drives it in. Goodbye, Bill! You were pretty important!

Now, what of Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgård)? After giving up Sookie’s address to the Yakuza, Eric has himself a plan. He’s going to release Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp), give her a little of Pam’s blood so they can track her, and set her free out the Underground Railroad tunnel in Fangtasia. Then, once Mr. Gus (Will Yun Lee) goes into the tunnel after her, they send a fireball in after him and that’s the end of that. They kill the Yakuza guards at Fangtasia, and then Eric makes short work of the crew waiting at Sookie’s.

Pam hunts down Sarah and finds her eating garbage while hiding in a carousel. Sarah tries to win Pam over by offering to become her lesbian vampire sex slave. Pam is smarter than that. She’s smarter than all this. No deal.

One year later, Pam and Eric are hawking New Blood on an infomercial. Three years after that, they are successful tycoons ringing the (nighttime?) bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

But don’t think they’re sell-outs. Just because they look like fat cat one-percenters, doesn’t mean they’ve lost all their edge. They’ve still got Fangtasia, and they keep Sarah Newlin in the basement, charging $100,000 for a minute drinking her blood. Pam turned her out just like she promised. Once the room clears, and Sarah is left alone, we see that she’s lost her damn mind and is constantly haunted by the ghost of her ex-husband, Steve Newlin (Michael McMillian).

Then we get a little epilogue, featuring a Thanksgiving dinner with all our friends. Jason ended up having a mess of kids with, ugh, Brigette. Hoyt and Jess are still together. As are Holly and Andy, Wade (Noah Matthews) and Adilyn (Bailey Noble), Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and James (Nathan Parsons) and Arlene and her vampire friend. Sam (Sam Trammell) shows up with Nicole (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and their kid. And then there’s Sookie. Pregnant Sookie! Talking to her man! But who is it? Is it Eric? Ghost Alcide? (Don’t put it beyond them.) Nope! It’s just some dude we barely see. A nobody. Probably not a werepanther or nothing.

I get it. Sookie is about more than the men she sleeps with. #YesAllFaeries, #shewokeuplikethis, etc. It’s a good message (I guess), but when you’ve built seven seasons around the love triangles (and squares and trapezoids and octagons), it’s a little cheap (and lazy) to then be like IT WAS REALLY ABOUT HER FINDING HERSELF without actually, you know, telling a complete story about her finding herself. If you really want to make a show about her journey, then why didn’t we spend more time showing her acting like an empowered woman and less watching her throw herself into the arms of Bill, Eric, Alcide, Sam and Warlow? It’s not very impressive to declare this character isn’t defined by her relationships in the last 10 minutes of a series that was almost exclusively defined by those very relationships.

And that will be my last formal complaint about True Blood probably ever.

Farewell, True Blood. I will look back on your first season (and any time Jason Stackhouse was shirtless) fondly.

What did you think of the finale?

SOURCE: TOWLEROAD

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 7, EPISODE 9 - LOVE IS TO DIE

I'm as happy as anyone to see that fan-favorite couple reunited on True Blood, but could the show have served up a more tepid, boring penultimate episode otherwise? 

How a season that started (loosely) with the premise of "Zombie Vampires" managed to not only thwart that potentially thrilling plotline, but also townsfolk uprisings, undead undead-daughters and homicidal ancient vampire sex goddesses is completely beyond me. Despite all of season seven's wild ideas, has anything really panned out? The first few times True Bloodbuilt up a big bad only to dispense with them without much fanfare felt like clever little twist. But once it became de rigueur for this show, it just got lazy.

Before we head into next week's series finale, let's discuss what little did happen in tonight's episode.

All our friends are in the basement of Fangtasia, and Bill (Stephen Moyer) is still standing firm on his decision not to take the cure. Everyone is like Dude. Take the cure. But Bill is unmoved. Sookie (Anna Paquin) tries to slap some sense into him, but it’s no good. Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) attempts reasoning with him. No dice. And so Jessica demands Bill release her as her maker, which seems unnecessary since he’s going to be dead soon anyway. But sure. Point taken.

With her newfound independence, she marches right on over to the home of Hoyt (Jim Parrack). His current gf, Brigette (Ashley Hinshaw) isn’t too thrilled to see her, but then, again, who cares? Like, who even are you, Brigette? It is the second to last episode of the series and we have spent more time with you than we have with Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) this season. (More on that in a bit.) Anyway, Brigette issues Hoyt an ultimatum: He can go out and hear Jessica’s sob story and end their relationship for good, or … you know what? Does the second option even matter? He chooses Jess. She tells him the story of their love and how she needed time to explore her own dark side.

In the midst of their heart-to-heart, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) arrives. It takes all of about three seconds before Hoyt knocks him out. Jess and Hoyt go inside, where she heals his wounded hand and tells him that she’s had time to figure out who she is. Then they make the sweet, sweet love they were meant to have. Hooray!

Meanwhile, Brigette (ugh, her again) has whisked away an unconscious Jason Stackhouse in his squad car. When he wakes, he instructs her to take him back to his place, but he will NOT have sex with her. She does’t understand why he thinks she would want to (which is insane; I mean, just look at him). When they arrive at his apartment, he helps her switch her flight by charming the ticket agent on the phone. He decides to bring up how just crazy-in-love Hoyt, Brigette’s ex-boyfriend as of about five minutes ago, is meant to be with Jessica. Brigette responds by inviting Jason to bed with her. Just hold on! It’s not what you think! They’re just going to lay on opposite sides of the bed and giggle and tell each other secrets. It’s her way of teaching Jason Stackhouse how not to have sex with people, which should be a crime.

So, Sam. Sam, Sam, Sam. Sam left Bon Temps. The letter he left for Sookie basically just said “Yup, I’m leaving. I love Nicole (Jurnee Smollett-Bell). I want to see my baby born.” I mean, yeah, the reasoning is sound enough, but I think we could have figured it out with the letter reading scene. That’s it. That’s the whole Sam story for the night. Bye, Sam! Even though you've been here since the first season, we need more time for Brigette.

After the whole death wish thing, Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) visits Bill to have something of an intervention. But Bill actually has a pretty good reason for wanting to succumb to the Hep-V. He recently had a fever dream in which Sookie had given birth to a black void. To death. It made Bill realize that death is all he has to offer her, and, no matter how much terrible stuff he puts Sookie through, she’ll always come back, as long as he should live. So that’s why he doesn’t want to live anymore. He asks Eric to tell Sookie he wants to talk, and Eric escorts Sookie home to meet him.

With Sookie safely dropped off at home, Eric heads back to Fangtasia. First things first, he grants Ginger (Tara Buck) her dream and agrees to bang her. The whole ordeal lasts minutes (if that), before she’s overcome with joy and pleasure. He heads downstairs to find the Yakuza holding Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) hostage under some sort of stake/pendulum Bond-villain contraption. Mr. Gus (Will Yun Lee) wants to know: Does Sookie know about the cure? He gets Eric to spill the truth, before Mr. Gus asks a follow-up: “Where does Sookie live?”

That doesn’t exactly seem like a positive turn for the series finale. Will the Yakuza come in and just murder Sookie and Bill and maybe even Brigette?

What are your finale predictions?

SOURCE: TOWLEROAD

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 7, EPISODE 8 - ALMOST HOME

If there was even a tiny, lingering hope that True Blood would stick the landing of its final season, that likely evaporated in tonight's episode. In what's become commonplace on True Blood, several storylines (of the show's many, many storylines) reached fairly unsatisfying conclusions. To put it in Chekhov terms: When True Blood introduces a gun in the first act, rest assured that gun will shoot a little "Bang!" flag and be forgotten in the second.

Let's rehash the latest goings-on in Bon Temps together.

Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp) is still in the throes of her ghosts of relationships past meltdown when Eric (Alexander Skarsgård), Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) and the Yakuza arrive. While going full-tilt crazy, she convinces herself she is the Messiah and needs to die to rise again. Her wish is almost granted when she goes out and is snatched up by Eric. Resisting the urge to slaughter her immediately (and with pressure from Pam), he instead takes a drink and is cured of his Hep-V.

With Sarah in tow, they return to Fangtasia. The Yakuza scientists are able to synthesize Sarah’s blood into a cure buuuuuuuuut it’ll be better for sales if it’s not exactly the best cure. It’s a stronger business model if sick vamps need a steady stream of New Blood to stay well. Bill and Pam can’t tell anyone there’s a real cure available. Thanks a lot, Big Vampire Pharma.

Someone who needs no encouragement to get hooked on a blood product? Lettie Mae (Adina Porter). The family who lives in the home she was digging up with Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) called the Rev. Daniels (Gregg Daniel) to come pick them up. I guess the family wasn’t really excited about these two tripping balls in their front yard. James (Nathan Parsons) arrives, ready to send Lettie and Lala on their next trip, and, somehow, Lettie Mae convinces the Reverend to join them.

All three share a vision of Tara (Rutina Wesley) while hopped-up on V. It’s a flashback to one of Tara’s early birthdays. During the celebration, her father shows up, and he’s enraged that Lettie spent so much money on a party and didn’t invite him. When he starts to beat Lettie, lil’ Tara runs upstairs to fetch the gun she stole from him. She comes down and takes aim at her abusive father, but then reconsiders and buries the gun in the yard. That was the day her dad left her mom and Lettie fell apart.

Back in the present day/reality-ish, ghost Tara and her mom do the same “I’m sorry!”/“No, I’m sorry!” routine they’ve been doing for seemingly ever. But this time, it’s for real, once and for all. Everyone forgives everyone and Tara moves on to the ghost world and alright already, geez. Goodbye, ghost Tara. Off you go to that cage fight in the sky.

Elsewhere in Bon Temps, Hoyt (Jim Parrack) is getting sauced while going through his mother’s things. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) is there too, for some reason, but he’s got to jet once he receives a text from Violet (Karolina Wydra) featuring a bound and teary Adilyn (Bailey Noble) and Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). Hoyt’s stupid, stupid gf chooses that whatever urgent, deadly, vampire-laden police business Jason was called into is better than a surly drunk boyfriend. What? Sure.

They arrive at Violet’s sex castle and Hoyt’s lady waits in the car. Jason enters and is almost immediately captured. He’s chained up along with Jessica, Adilyn and Wade (Noah Matthews). Then, Violet details all the exceptionally grotesque ways she plans to torture the group like a sexy Bond villain. Before she can finish her dramatic monologue (that threw shade not only at Cleopatra, but also Helen of Troy), Hoyt appears and shoots her with a wooden bullet straight through the heart. Bye, Violet! Hope you like cage fights!

Jessica and Hoyt (who, again, can’t remember her or Jason) share a tender moment. Jason gives her a lift home, and they decide they should just be friends. Sexy, sexy friends. The next day, Hoyt sidles up to Jason at Bellefleur’s and asks if he’s dating Jess. Now that they’ve conveniently clarified the extent of their sexy, sexy friendship, Hoyt is free to make (remake?) his move. He shows up at Chez Compton with some of his fresh, clean blood and extend his sympathy for Jessica losing a parental figure. But! He still loves his not-so-smart girlfriend and he’s leaving in two days. So, bye. For now?

Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Bill (Stephen Moyer) have been having deathbed sex, and, while basking in the afterglow, Sookie decides now is the time to ask a few questions. Remember how we all learned that Bill was sent specifically to spy on Sookie all those years ago and we never really addressed it? Well, we got our explanation. Bill thought all his humanity was gone, then Queen Sophie Ann (Evan Rachel Wood) sent him to figure out if Sookie was fae so she could capture and breed her. Except! Twist! Getting to know her taught him to love again, or whatever.

There’s not a ton of time to be romanced, since Bill is still definitely dying. That’s when Eric shows up to be all like “Hey Sook, check me out. Totes not dying anymore. Super cured. Cool, right?” Sookie, obviously, is incredibly interested in how Eric got cured, but Eric can’t spill the details. It’s just like those Bush’s Best Baked Beans commercials. Exactly like that. Eric promises he’ll be back the next night.

Sookie, never deterred, drives herself down to Fangtasia. The Yakuza isn’t so fond of unexpected guests, so they march her in to see Eric and Mr. Gus (Will Yun Lee). Eric tries to play it off like Sookie is some delusional fangbanger, and then he pretends to glamour her. While pretending to be glamoured, she hears Mr. Gus think about whatever he has in the basement, which is just the information she needs. She heads back through the convenient Underground Railroad back entrance to find Sarah Newlin chained up in the basement. Even though Sarah is the cure, Sookie is not risking her getting free and causing any more damage.

Instead, she brings Bill and Jessica back to Fangtasia to drink straight from the source. Just as he’s about to sink his fangs in, he decides he doesn’t want to live any longer.

What? Huh? This show, you guys. With two episodes left, will Bill have yet another change of heart?

SOURCE: TOWELROAD

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 7, EPISODE 7 - MAY BE THE LAST TIME

The seventh episode of True Blood's seventh season wasn't the most exciting in terms of plot development, but that doesn't mean it was a total wash. There were a few good character moments, particularly from Carrie Preston. She'd be foolish not to submit this ep come award season next year. 

Still, with only three episodes of the series left, do fans of the show (if there are any still out there) really want to spend this much time with newish characters like Violet, Wade and Adilyn, when we could be getting more Pam, Jessica or Lafayette? I don't think so. Plus, I'm sorry, I know these Bill Compton flashbacks are supposed to enlighten us a bit to his actions/motivations today (like they do in Lost and Orange Is the New Black), but I just always find them so, so boring and ridiculous. Drunk History has better period costumes and wigs.

Get a taste of what was put in motion in tonight's episode (plus another gratuitous shirtless Jason Stackhouse pic)

The hunt is on for Adilyn (Bailey Noble) and Wade (Noah Matthews). Holly (Lauren Bowles) and Andy (Chris Bauer) are looking high and low all over Bon Temps. When that fails, they head on up to Holly’s ex-husband’s lake house just north of Oklahoma City. Of course, the kids aren’t there, but the sight of the placid lake is enough to bring ol’ grumpy Andy to tears. Holly, despite all evidence to the contrary, tells him she thinks this is going to all end up super well. So, buck up, Andy!

As we know, Adilyn and Wade are actually hanging out with Violet (Karolina Wydra). Her house is the perfect teenage love shack. It’s got everything! Privacy, snacks, (presumably) wi-fi, and, oh yeah, a sex sling, various ancient lubes and a bunch of dildos. OK, so it’s not the stuff Taylor Swift is usually singing about, but it’s still more romantic than the treehouse, right? Violet leaves them to their business while she sleeps. The next night, after admitting their love and the fact they were both virgins before their first time together, their love nest is disrupted by a rampaging Violet. She throws Wade across the room and handcuffs Adilyn to the bed. Adilyn’s terror signals Jess (Deborah Ann Woll) who heads off directly into Violet’s trap.

Things may be working out according to plan for Violet, but her ex Jason (Ryan Kwanten) isn’t as lucky. His former BFF Hoyt (Jim Parrack) is back in town to claim his mother’s body. He still doesn’t remember Jason at all since being glamoured back when he first left town. He’s returned with a smoking hot new girlfriend (who just happens to be a microbiologist, a skillset that might that be handy to battle a certain virus, no?). Jason can’t keep his eyes off her. Every time he tries to get a little distance between them — excusing himself from breakfast, giving the grieving couple space at the morgue — he gets pulled back closer.

That’s not the only place Jason’s showing up tonight though. A sleep-deprived and delirious Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp) has fled back to the original camp ground for the Fellowship of the Sun. Outside, she has a vision of a shirtless Stackhouse playing football. He warns her that tonight, Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) is coming for her, and she will die.

Inside, it’s all her ghosts of boyfriends and husbands past. There’s the guru from earlier this season, Rev. Steve Newlin (Michael McMillian) and even the severed head of Gov. Burrell (Arliss Howard). Plus, Jason’s back, with a shirt this time (boooo). The guru and Steve Newlin each encourage her to make right with her Buddhism or Christian God before it's too late. Sarah doesn't need either. She only believes in herself, the new messiah, now.

Time is running out. Eric, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) and their Japanese associates are hot on her tail, armed with the knowledge Sarah can cure this disease (thanks to her sister, whom Eric staked after momentarily mistaking for Sarah). Mr. Gus (Will Yun Lee) makes Eric and Pam an offer. They can synthesize the antidote from Sarah's blood, mass market it as New Blood and then Eric will be the spokesvamp. They'll all be rich. There’s no time to establish a proper LLC or whatever, but Eric, Pam and Mr. Gus seem like they are on the same page when they all pull up to campground where Sarah is hiding out.

Back in Bon Temps, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) are digging up the yard of the old family home they saw in their vision of Tara (Rutina Wesley). I guess they didn’t necessarily ask first, since the little girl inside is a little disturbed to see them out there tearing up the lawn.

It’s crazy nonsense like that which is making Sam (Sam Trammell) question if he should raise a family in Bon Temps at all. He still hasn’t answered his girlfriend’s ultimatum, but Arlene (Carrie Preston) advises him to consider if he feels like he’s running from something or tosomething. Wise words.

In her dreams, Arlene is running right into the crotch of that vampire that saved her a few weeks ago. She has quite a satisfyingly nasty dream about him, and then he actually shows up one night. She nervously explains that they can’t have sex (because she’s Hep-V positive) while they dance to the jukebox. “Well then,” he says. “Let’s just dance.” Adorable.

Sookie (Anna Paquin) is also trying to stay positive, but with a little less practicality. She’s holding out for a miracle to save Bill (Stephen Moyer) from his rapidly advancing Hep-V. She calls in a tough-as-nails dwarf doctor. Sookie wonders if Bill's condition is so bad because she’s a halfling. The doctor puts that to rest. She’s recently seen a vampire who got Hep-V from a full faerie, and he didn’t look as bad as Bill. The doctor inquires into Sookie’s faerie lineage, but when she drops the name of her faerie grandfather, the doc high-tails out of there. Pronto.

That gives Sookie an idea. She goes out to call for her grandpa Niall (Rutger Hauer), and he materializes in her kitchen. He explains that’s he’s always watching, even when Sookie was giving Bill the virus. He didn’t step in because he didn’t like Bill for her. And he can’t help Bill with magic. Sookie needs to understand there’s a little magic in birth, forgiveness and even death.

That night, Sookie runs across the cemetery in a white dress (not unlike how she did in the first season when she first slept with Bill). She gets to his door and tells him that she’s staying with him until the end. They do it in front of the fire, but he can’t feed on her. This time their intimacy has a whole different dynamic.

Do you think Bill will survive or are he and Sookie soaking up the last lingering moments of their love?

SOURCE: TOWLEROAD

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 7, EPISODE 6 - KARMA

We're now in the back half of True Blood's seventh and final season. There's already been enough twists and turns in the first few episodes to keep even the most seasoned fan on their toes. However, tonight's episode, "Karma," gave us a game-changing reveal that just might win the fight against Hep-V. Will it be enough to stop the spread of the disease and save some of our favorite characters?

Following last week’s “everybody’s dead but us!” party (ugh, aren’t theme parties the worst?), Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) brings his auntie Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) back to his place. Waiting there for them is James (Nathan Parsons), fresh from his tiff with Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and looking for a place to crash. With a convenient source of vampire blood just hanging around, Lafayette decides to test Lettie Mae’s theory and they both trip out on V.

While riding the crimson tiger or whatever the kids are calling it, they encounter the jabbering Tara (Rutina Wesley) on the cross with the snake. She leads them to her childhood home and starts digging up the front lawn. Before La and Lettie can get any more info out of her, the Reverend (Gregg Daniel) shows up, wakes them from their trances and tells Lettie: It’s me or the V. Later, Rev., Lettie has got to help Tara!

That’s not the only ultimatum issued in tonight’s episode. Nicole (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) tells Sam (Sam Trammell) that she will not raise her daughter in this crazy town. So she’s leaving tomorrow. He should come too.

Don’t give up on all love in Bon Temps, though. There’s still the borderline Law and Order: Special Victims Unit-esque romance between Adilyn (Bailey Noble) and her almost-step-brother Wade (Noah Matthews). Andy (Chris Bauer) catches the two teens going at it, which does not sit well with the sheriff at all. He chases Wade out of the house, which, in turn, does not sit well with Holly (Lauren Bowles). Arlene (Carrie Preston) later counsels the couple on working through this complication, but when they get home to talk to the kids, Wade and Addy have run away.

Elsewhere, Violet (Karolina Wydra) and Jason (Ryan Kwanten) are trying to make it work. When Jason gets home from the party, Violet has covered their place in flower petals and candles and put on lingerie and did everything but turn on some Marvin Gaye to complete the romantic cliche package. She tries to win back his favor by taking on a more submissive role. They do their thing, but once they’re asleep, Jason receives a frantic phone call from Jessica. Jason takes off running, not even slowing down to put his clothes back on. Not that we’re complaining.

Violet is not nearly as pleased. She trashes the apartment and leaves Jason a curt break-up note. Then she heads out and finds Addy and Wade messing around in the Fort Bellefleur treehouse. She tells them it’s not safe out here for a faerie like her, and they should just totally come with her. She’s not like a regular vamp, she’s a cool vamp, or whatever. Off they go, back to Violet’s place. What does she have planned?

Meanwhile, Jessica was calling Jason to have her bring Sookie (Anna Paquin) over to Chez Compton. Jess is panicking because she overheard Bill (Stephen Moyer) mention his sickness on the phone. When she tells Sookie she thinks Bill has Hep-V, Sookie remembers getting covered in infected blood the night Alcide (Joe Manganiello) got killed. She goes to get tested, and it turns out she’s a carrier. Bill got it from her. (I should also note, the HIV-parallels crammed into this scene were so ham-fisted, they should have come with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries.)

And he doesn’t just have Hep-V. He’s got SUPER Hep-V. Even though he just started displaying symptoms, his condition is rapidly worsening. (Is it the faerie blood?) He goes to see a lawyer about updating his will, but blah blah vampire estate law blah blah discriminatory laws blah blah. The show's always the most ridiculous when discussing vampire politics, vampire law or vampire taxes. When the lawyer tries to extort money out of him to expedite his chances of exploiting a legal loophole by adopting Jessica (don’t ask), he kills her. He comes home to find Sookie and Jess having a sad moment on the stairs.

All hope is not necessarily lost, though. Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp) predictably turns to her vampire sister Amber (Natalie Hall) for help. She confides in her that after the revolt at the vamp camp, Sarah drank all the Hep-V antidote and now she has the power to heal. Her guru showed her that she has been put on this earth to heal.

That little piece of information might come in handy, since Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) and Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) have teamed up with the Yakuza to find, capture and kill Sarah Newlin. (The Yakuza’s stake in all this, we learn, is from the corporation who made Tru Blood. With the drink ruined, so is their business.) When they arrive at Amber’s house, they find her miraculously cured. Interesting!

Can Sarah save them all and rid the world of Hep-V? What do you think Violet has in mind for Wade and Adilyn?

SOURCE: TOWLEROAD

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 7, EPISODE 5 - LOST CAUSE

Ain’t no party like a True Blood party, because a True Blood party includes at least one stabbing.

Break out the jungle juice, because folks in Bon Temps are getting lit. (More like Bon Turnt, amirite?) Tonight's episode lacked the action-packed punch of this season's first few installments. Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, I guess.

We did, however, get some nice man-on-man action (albeit with almost no nudity whatsoever, which is notable on this show). 

Following last week’s battle royale, Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) and Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) are putting the pieces back together at Fangtasia. They’re loading up the travel coffins and getting ready to lay some serious vengeance on Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp). They call in Willa (Amelia Rose Blaire), whose father was romantically involved with Newlin, to see if she’s got any info. Willa, however, is having none of this plan. She’ll give them information, but she is not going with them. In fact, in exchange for what she knows, Eric must release her.

He complies and Willa spills a little T on Newlin’s secret vampire sister named Amber (Natalie Hall). When they arrive in Dallas, she’s not with her sister. Amber does have Hep-V though, and an awful lot of unresolved anger toward Sarah. She tells Pam and Eric that her sister is sure to go looking for their parents at a Ted Cruz fundraiser. Time for Pam and Eric to go full-on Salahi and sneak themselves in. While they’re changing into their Republican disguises, Pam catches a glimpse of Eric’s worsening condition. He’s now stage two.

They make it into the fundraiser, but before they can find Sarah, the Yakuza busts into the joint and starts shooting the place up. They kill Sarah's papa, but her mama is in the ladies’ room, where she’s been confronted by Sarah. The Newlin women high-tail it through the halls with the Yakuza in toe. The Yakuza shoot down her mother, but Sarah runs smack into none other than Eric Northman. Before he can take his revenge on Sarah, the Yakuza turn the corner. He slaughters the Yakuza, ripping out the jaw of the man who killed his French girlfriend back in the ‘80s. Did that give Sarah enough time to get away?

Meanwhile, back in Bon Temps, it’s party time. Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) decided Sookie (Anna Paquin)’s big, empty house needed to be filled with a little love. After all the death, it’s time to celebrate life. So the whole town’s been invited over to La Casa Stackhouse. Everyone’s been instructed to bring some top-shelf alcohol, so you know it’s going to be a ruckus.

Bill (Stephen Moyer), of course, is the first to arrive. He’s not the most social, and spends the majority of the party looking wistfully into middle distance and remembering his experience during the Civil War. (For the record, Bill Compton Civil War flashbacks are the silliest thing on a show full of silly things.) Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) is also being a party-pooper, standing guard outside. Andy (Chris Bauer) comes outside to remind her that all this punishing herself is just perpetuating the trauma for him as well. All the recent horrors they’ve suffered have taught him carpe diem, no day but today, etc. and so on. Plus, he’s going to ask Holly (Lauren Bowles) to marry him! Yippee!

They use Granny Stackhouse’s ring, since Violet (Karolina Wydra) says she doesn’t need Jason (Ryan Kwanten) to give her a ring to prove that he’s hers. (That’s a strong statement, as we’ll soon see.) After a very sweet, stammering proposal, Holly obviously says yes. This gives Sookie an attack of the the feels, so she and Arlene (Carrie Preston) head upstairs to talk about dead lovers. It never gets easier, according to Arlene.

Speaking of Arlene, that vamp that fed her his blood last week and saved her life? Well, now she’s got the hots for him, and he’s got the hots for her and it’s all very cute to see them make flirty.

Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) also makes an appearance at the party. Her husband, the Reverend (Gregg Daniel), did not think it was the best idea, what with all the vampire blood and alcohol available, but Lettie Mae was undeterred. She drugged the Reverend with some Benadryl and made her way over. She was able to stay sober through a toast for Tara (Rutina Wesley), but the idea of getting some sweet vamp blood to reunite with Tara was just too tempting. She stabbed Willa in the shoulder, but did little damage. Willa healed and Sam (Sam Trammell) restrained Lettie.

It was a good excuse for Lafayette to leave the party and escort Lettie home. Earlier in the evening he had a heart-to-heart, followed by a crotch-to-butt with James (Nathan Parsons). That’s right, after confirming that the Danny James talked about in his story a few weeks ago actually was a man James was romantically involved with, he and Lafayette finally went at it. Of course, Jessica catches them in flagrante and flips out. She makes Jason rescind James’ invitation to the Stackhouse abode. Jessica and Jason go upstairs to talk. In the midst of their conversation, Lafayette comes up to drop some truth on Jessica: She doesn't love James. She never loved James. She doesn't know him like he does. Then he goes on about how everyone in this town looks at him like a joke before delivering the great line: "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I want a piece of happiness, too?"

Once he leaves, Jason and Jessica rekindle their romance. While the former flames do their business, Violet overhears from outside the door. I don’t know about you, but Violet is a woman I wouldn’t want to cross, no? Something tells me her revenge is going to leave quite a few bodies in its wake.

Later that evening, Bill is just soaking in the tub back at his home. He heads to the mirror only to see the early indications that he’s got Hep-V.

Do you think Sarah Newlin got away? Will they find a cure for Hep-V before it claims Eric and Bill? What will Violet do to make Jessica pay?

SOURCE: TOWLEROAD