True Blood “Me and the Devil” Recap: War is on the Horizon
Previously on True Blood:
Eric plays in the sun drunk on fairy-godmother then returns to the darkness and Sookie’s forgiving arms. His mischievous nature seems to be returning as he almost steals a kiss. Jason narrowly escapes the were-panthers and is revived by the healing powers of Jessica’s sexy vamp-blood. Bill discovers that was sleeping with a distant relative while getting the smack down from Nan Flanagan for losing Eric, then falls for Sookie’s puppy dog eyes as she lies. Also, witches melt Pam’s face off, if they weren’t totally fucked before, well this means war.
“Me and the Devil”
This week True Blood took a little breather, sort of. Nothing completely off the hook went down, but gears are turning. Humans, vamps, werewolves and all the other supernaturals in Bon Temp were all on the move, with a full moon on it’s way something is coming and it just might be a war.
Piecing are coming into place from all sides, armies being called together, and moral standards justified and reconsidered. That is the theme of this week, when is it okay to kill, what guilt can you live with? Killing isn’t wrong if it’s self defense, or in a war, and I do believe that in a way yet to be defined, Bon Temp is going to war.
Mickens. It’s as close to my prayers being answered. We still have to see the Mickens, but it’s Tommy freaking out and killing both of his parents. In case you forgot why in this case a little murder is awesome a) this is TV, not reality and these characters suck b) they were forcing their son into dog-fighting slavery.
If I cared any more about Tommy this is where I’d wonder if he’s going to be a skinwalker now, and if that’s basically the whole reason Luna had that boring exposition scene a few weeks ago. Anywho…
The Woods. Marnie awakens from her most recent trance, this time she actually recalls parts of what happened, the fact that she was possessed anyway. Lady is still off her rocker and thinks this invading spirit is actually their protector.
“Hooker, you pissed off another vampire and then you took a goddamn nap.”
The Trio (Tara, Lala and Jesus) are quick to remind her that this so called “protector” is the entire reason that all of them are being hunted by very angry and powerful vampires. Once Marnie begins her self-righteous shit once again, they promptly abandon her in the woods despite her claims that they… can’t. Way to be tough.
Arlene & Terry. Make the decision to turn to God. This can’t end badly. *eye roll*
Sookie & Eric’s Lovenest. I’m pretty sure Eric gets hotter by the season if not by the episode. Sookie does a lot of dumb shit that I don’t understand, but welcoming this formerly homicidal undead maniac into her bed isn’t exactly one of them.
Eric stands in the doorway watching Sookie as she sleeps. Godric appears but Eric doesn’t recognize him. Godric is the anti-Godric playing the part of Eric’s repressed guilt, telling Eric that he is damned, incapable of good, of redemption. Not even Sookie can save him now. So they must drink her together and walk in the sun. This must be is a dream. We all saw how well Godric’s last outing in the daylight went, good thing Eric doesn’t remember.
Eric shoots right up in bed from his nightmare, fangs still drawn from his dream. He appears at Sookie’s door, still in his adorable basketball shorts, same as before yet completely different. This time Sookie wakes up with a “What the Hell!!!”, “I had a bad dream.” For a vamp that claims he’s sick of being treated like a child he sure acts like one.
“You just saved my best friend’s life”
“It’s all in the wrist”
Jason’s Place. Jessica and Hoyt ease the still fragile Jason into bed. The tension between them is palpable, the pain in the room rips through the screen and into my heart. They were a couple I’d hung my hopes on in this crazy world of Bon Temps. Their relationship has been treated with such respect and such honesty by the show that I’ve become completely invested in them. I don’t mind when a favourite couple is torn apart as long as it’s done so with honesty, true to the characters and not just in service to a larger plot. Jessica’s growth was inevitable, as was Hoyt’s desire for normalcy. This is bound to get messy and it’s going to be fantastic and heartbreaking all at once.
King Bill Compton’s – Hot for Great(x5) Granddaddy. In a completely ridiculous scene Portia sneaks into Bill’s office and attempts to make a case for incest. She chases him around the room as Bill insists that he is not only uninterested but NOT consenting to this madness. I’m sure Gradmama Bellefleur would find this behaviour most unbecoming of a lady.
Bill doesn’t have the time or patience for this crap and glamours the lust for him right out of her. She runs away screaming.
Sookie’s Bedroom. New!Eric is devious but in a new way, he’s gotten himself into her bed. Crying tears of b
lood because of dream!Godric’s disapproval, he doesn’t want to be evil. Sookie strokes his hair as he lays his head in her lap. As hurt as he probably is, he’s exactly where he wants to be “I like being next to you” he says through his tears. Sookie reassures him, Godric would have wanted to see you like this.
Sookie allows Eric to stay until sunrise as long as he promises to keep his hands and fangs to himself. This doesn’t last long as he gently pulls her arm around himself becoming the little spoon “I hope to never hurt anyone as beautiful as you”. They lie together as Sookie thinks of new ways to save Eric, and get into trouble at the same time.
“I put up with a lot, but you fuck with my face, it’s time to die”
King Bill’s Kingly Estate. Pam rocks the melting face look the only way such a fabulous woman would, with an extravagant veil that Bill rudely compares to a BeeKeepers netting, although I see where he’s coming from. Bill, again with the charm suggests Pam try a little extra lipstick. Losing her shit Pam demonstrates how easily her lips will just melt away. She demands that action be taken. NOW.
Bill insists on the Authority’s no Vamp on Human violence decree punishable by the true death. Pam once again refers to her missing maker and her fucked up face. How much do they have to take before they’re allowed to fight back?
“Packing light and being me don’t mix”
Lafayette’s. I enjoy being reminded that most people still have no idea about Eric’s current state. Lala, Tara and Jesus are shaking in their boots at the thought of him, and of Pam. Jesus and Lafayette are getting ready to hit the road to visit Jesus’ very powerful grandfather in Mexico. Lala questions his ability to help in this situation, I do wonder why he waited until after he was all packed and nearly loaded into the car to ask these questions, but whatever, they’re off and Tara’s stayed behind to be annoying.
“Jason Stackhouse you have fucked too many hot women, see how you like it”
Merlotte’s. Tommy handily shows up at Sam’s trailer with a van full of his dead parents. Great.
Meanwhile, Sookie’s back at work and has remembered that she can read minds getting the low down on the “witch group” from Holly’s brain.
Jason and Hoyt are sharing a meal as Jason describes what happened to him in hotshot, he thinks that this is god’s punishment for having too much sex. Hoyt seems to miss the point of being kidnapped, tortured and raped when Jason tells him how many women he had sex with then tries to dish about his troubles with Jess. Jason, exasperated just walks away hardly eating anything on his plate.
Before we leave Merlotte’s, Holly awkwardly exposits that a full moon is coming.
The Exorcism. Reverend Daniels and the new Mrs. Daniels (Tara’s Mom if you haven’t been paying attention) arrive at Arlene and Terry’s haunted abode to sing, dance and sage the evil spirits out. Also if you haven’t forgotten, Arlene is more than a big bigoted so it’s more than awkward when then obligatory “you people” comment comes up. What? “Religious people” Arlene uncomfortably backtracks. She really wants Rene’s ghost out.
“When my Gran tells me to run, I run”
Moon Goddess Emporium. Sookie put on her sweetest summer dress and dumb blonde act and drove herself down to Moon Goddess to get herself a reading and do a little digging, because running into potentially dangerous situations with no back up is her thing.
Marnie is reluctant at first, but Sookie charms her way in the door gushing about how much she loved “Sabrina” and “Charmed” as a kid. Marnie actually seems to not be completely useless on her own and channels Gran, Sookie listens in on a direct line to Gran inside Marnie’s head (weird double reading thing going on).
At first Marnie is channeling that Gran tells her that the love she has now is temporary, and not to give her heart away (so now we know what’s coming later with Sook and Eric, exactly that. Gran warns her that Marnie is bad news and to get out. Sookie runs citing her dead grandmother’s warning as her reason as Marnie wonders what’s up.
The Van of the Dead Mickens. Drugged up Andy pulls Sam over in the van, Tommy is ready to kill to protect his secret when Andy demands that Sam open the doors. Luckily instead of more murder, Tommy remembers that he can shift and becomes a crocodile instead, that seems to be enough to throw Andy off their trail.
“We are being watched over, protected”
“Doubt it”
Moon Goddess Emporium. Seriously, this name sounds more ridiculous each time I say/write it.
Katie, Bill’s undercover gal is back, waiting for Marnie in the backroom.
Faster than Marnie can explain that the group has a new protector Bill’s SWAT team has Marnie captured.
Sookie/Eric’s. Sookie and Tara eat ice cream and dish about Tara’s newfound interest in the ladies, more specifically, Naomi. I really hope this lying to Naomi about her name doesn’t become a thing because there are already too many characters I don’t care about.
Vamp Prison. Marnie sits in her cell chanting and I’m wondering if they really did not take her witch shit away before locking her up. Too late – she’s popped back into a vision of the past, women sitting on the floor of a dusty cell, chanting. The Priests holding them captive turn out to be vampires, they dine.
Sookie/Eric’s. Night is coming and Sookie still hasn’t spilled about her new house-mate, especially considering how Tara feels about vampires, and this vamp specifically this is going to be a problem.
It doesn’t take long for new!Eric to climb out of his cubby and Tara jumps out of her skin grabbing fireplace utensils to protect herself.
Eric not knowing sees this as a threat to Sookie and jumps in on her behalf luckily called off in time not to hurt Tara, but Tara has plenty of time to hurt Eric. She screams about all the terrible things he’s done, kidnap, torture murder, Eric stands horrified at the crimes he’s been accused of, he believes her and doesn’t want to. He sees that her terror is real.
Tara runs out into the night before Sookie can explain, and just like that Eric’s location is blown, and not for the first time tonight.
Vamp Prison. Bill interrogates Marnie remotely through an intercom as Pam looks on. He demands she inform him of Eric’s location, and how to reverse the spell against him. Then at Pam’s urging, how to reverse the spell cast on her as well.
Marnie admits she has no idea how any of it happened. Bill risks getting close to Marnie, the chosen vessel of the witch, to glamour her to confirm the story. Unfortunately, as we all suspected, she knows nothing.
Mexico. Apparently Jesus’s grandfather has been expecting them. Spooky?
“I’ll tell you what I’m not; a happy camper”
Alcide’s Digs. A totally greasy, creep of a guy shows up at Alcide’s doorstep. This particular creep is Marcus, the local pack leader who has shown up to get Alcide to join to local pack and to demonstrate his incredibly weak intimidation skills. Barely a foot in the door and Alcide has him out on his ass pouting his way down the walk to his motorcycle as Alcide has decided to take on free agency.
Despite the easy defeat this time around I’m sure this won’t be the last we see of Marcus and his pack.
The Swamp. The Merlotte boys dump their parents in the swamp with some marshmallows as croc bait. We revisit a basic theme of this episode as Tommy breaks down over the guilt of the murders he just committed. Sam tells him it’s okay, it’s okay to kill in a war and it’s okay to kill in self-defense., that this was both in self-defense and he was fighting a war against his parents. I’m on board with the self-defense argument, but I’d say the war metaphor is stretching it a bit; we can connect the dots here. We’re talking morals and where you bend the rules.
In a show of pure moral flexibility Sam admits to the two murders he committed way back when. They stole from him, they broke one commandment and in turn he broke another. I’m not sure if he’s saying that to make Tommy feel better, or to completely freak him out.
Arlene & Terry’s. The pair of them feeling safe in their newly ghost free house get in on. Fortunately for us this happens apparently with them fully clothed. Of all the characters on the show to see naked those are not the two I’d pick. When they’re busy being relieved something sets a matchbook aflame.
Jason. The show is sometimes flexible when it comes to highlighting certain supernatural effects, but with everything that’s been going on already in this story, to ignore the heightened reality sex dreams brought on by drinking the blood of a vampire would be a crime.
This is pretty much the sex, nudity and the WTF scene of the episode all wrapped into one. Jessica is in his bed, ravaging him, he stops her “is this a dream?”, “yes”, “okay then”. Jason may be dumb but he’s got his priorities in line. You don’t sleep with your best friend’s girl, in real life at least. Dreams should be off limits, a place where you alone can fantasize, but our poor Jason just can’t catch a break. I can’t decide whether it’s Jason’s strong sense of guilt, or the amount of Hoyt Jessica has in her system, but Hoyt finds his way into the dream in a way that is both awesome, scary and totally True Blood. I don’t think I could do the scene justice with words, so let’s watch it again together shall we.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_W5sPZBh50&feature=youtu.be
Eric/Sookie. Eric is ashamed, and in disbelief about the things that he is done in the past. He realizes how dangerous he can be. Sookie tries to comfort him, she believes that he’s changed and she likes it, trusts him.
“There’s more to you than your worst self. I always knew there was decency in you, even when you were a smug, sarcastic ass.”
Eric understands what he is, he knows he is a vampire and the levity of that is weighing on him more and more; “I see the light in you; I couldn’t bear it if I snuffed it out”. He gets up to, not trust himself to be near her.
Eric walks away from the house and if you didn’t already see this coming the music is about to prove it. Sookie follows him to the porch “Eric, please don’t go”, and the big romantic kiss happens. It’s sweet and it’s cheesy and it’s sort of the kind of kiss that used to be reserved for Jessica and Hoyt. But there we are. Evil, amnesiac, temporary or whatever, I still like Sookie with Eric better than with Bill.
King Bill’s Kingly Estate. The Meeting of The Sherriffs has been called. Conspicuously absent from this get together is Nan Flanagan, Pam however is present and increasingly pissed. At first they scoff at the threat of witchcraft until Bill impresses upon them that this is no laughing matter.
Antonia was the necromancer who brought on the Spanish Massacre. Louise tells the tale; he was there and managed to survive. As Antonia was being burned at the stake for witchcraft she called on her powers and summoned all the vampires who were at the time priests and nuns out of the darkness and into the light of day, they all burned together. Louise managed to cover it up, glamouring or killing any witnesses.
“Sweetie, we’re at war”
Antonia is back and is out to destroy all vampires, none of whom are safe from a necromancer. Is this war now? Is this when the rules change? Are they finally allowed to fight back, to defend themselves?
Pam lets it slip that she knows about Eric’s amnesia, prompting Bill to demand she fess up his location, with Sookie. Bill is furious and betrayed; probably not surprised that Pam’s loyalty fell first to her maker, but angry that he allowed himself to be played by Sookie.
Next week a full moon rises and we go to war. ‘Till then here’s “Me and The Devil” by Gil Scott-Heron
