True Blood: I'm Alive And On Fire

Last nights episode was much less painful to watch, though it started with Jason still being tied to the bed being gang raped.  As I listened to the people from Hot Shot refer to the men in their community as uncle daddy, and brother husband, I have to say that I was very upset.  I understand that the whole point behind wanting Jason was to interject fresh blood into their DNA, but I really feel that Ball's approach stigmatized these people in a way that Charlaine Harris did not.  Believe me, it absolutely pains me to praise Harris for anything after reading her Aurora Teagarden mysteries. Not only did Felton drug Jason and set him up to be gang raped, he sent in the young Becky to participate, proving that they are so backward, that they don't even care about the women of their community.  I want to watch True Blood, not a remake of Deliverance.

I thought that the flashback to the Spanish Inquisition was great.  I wonder how many viewing this realized that what they were watching, was essentially a re-enactment of a war on women.  I know that Ball is linking vampires to this witch's death, but we have yet to hear the whole story.  It is clear that Marlee is in way over her head.  She cannot control the spirit, she cannot force it to answer her, and when the spirit does appear, she cannot control what it does.

It was sweet to watch Eric play in the sun.  I also have to say, I don't understand why Ball couldn't have the camera drop just a few inches when Alcide was changing and when Eric was in the water. That is what I call a serious tease. When Sookie turns to Alcide and says, "stop making that noise," it cracked me up.  Watching Eric mourn the loss of daylight really gave me a sense of his loss. Though he is over 1000 years old, and has seen things that I could only dream about, to do that he had to give up simple pleasures like going for a swim on a hot summer day. I guess there is a cost for everything. Tenderness is something the old Eric would never have exhibited, and it is this vulnerability that is drawing Sookie in.  In some ways, she is still very much a sexual conquest to him, and in others, she is a mother figure.

I had really hoped that we had seen the last of Joe-Lee, and so I was greatly disappointed with his return.  The truth of the matter is I could care less about the side story with the Mickens.  Doesn't Ball already have enough characters that he does not know what to do with, without continuing with this hyper dysfunctional family?  It seems to me that he simply wants to continue with his classist representation of poor people, and the Mickens are the perfect outlet for this. We all know that this is going to pull Sam into this entire mess.  Between dealing with the Mickens and his girlfriends ex werewolf lover, Sam is going to be very busy this season.

As for Sookie and Alcide, the tension continues to build.  I was glad when Sookie reminded Alcide that Debbie Pelt is an addict and an attempted murderer.  When Pelt learned that Sookie had called on Alcide for help, she brushed it off and declared that she was not jealous, but I am not buying that for one minute.  No one cleans up that well, that quickly, and I predict in a few episodes she will be back to wanting to kill Sookie, that is if Ball plans to follow the books at all this season.

I was amused to see Andy's obedience in the presence of his grandmother.  Clearly she is a woman who is all about appearances.  I must wonder however, who the hell sits down and goes through the family genealogy with a complete stranger?  That has got to be worse than being forced to watch home videos of someone else's family.  I think that Ball could have found a more believable way to reveal that Portia is Bill's great, great, great, great, grand-daughter.  This is one of the few times thus far this season that Ball has chosen to align with the books, but I don't understand where he is going with it, nor do I care.

Though the episode ended with Jessica feeding Jason her blood after discovering him beside the road, for me the real moment of excitement was watching as Pam begin to rot. We know that eventually this spell will be reversed, because there is no way that Ball is going to get rid of Pam, but it certainly adds to the excitement.  What must it be like for someone who is so used to bending others to their will, and having a body that does not age or change, to be put into this position?

Finally, for those of you that are wondering, I purposely did not bring up Arlene and her baby. Enough of the sins of the father and the possessed baby.  I refuse to pretend that they are in any way relevant to the story this season.  This is yet again another example of Ball holding onto to many characters.