Smallscreen Features

'True Blood' Eric's blue sweater marred by gorefest, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Jul 26, 2010, 4:50 GMT

Alexander Skarsgard = Fame Pictures, Inc - Santa Monica,

Alan Ball answered my prayers from last week to have Eric appear again in his v-neck robin's egg blue sweater, and for Alcide to be nekkid.

Score two for me.

The episode tonight was a sanguine sultry and sex-filled affair as strains of 1930's music gave the atmosphere of times once lived, and of regrets even for the vampires who can never go back.   

And after hearing the "King" Russell spew his human racism and bigotry, the humans are damned right to be hard on these blood sucking elitists! They need to be marginalized, monitored and regulated, as the vampire world is revealed now to be at complete odds with the humans, who they manipulate with impunity and glee-filled alacrity.

Back to Russell's Mississippi manse, Bill explodes and dramatically kills Russell's guard vamp only to fail at his attempt on Russell. His death is sealed now, and left to Lorena's devices.

Freshly shaved Franklin, so far my favorite character this season, is the neediest sociopath ever, dressed in his satin jammies as Tara tries to seduce him and keep him assuaged, not easy to do.

Tara's extricates herself from Franklin, and her subsequent scenes are really graphic, head bashingly gruesome, and as seemingly destroyed as he may appear in his Godfather-esque blood-soaked bed, a vampire might be able to survive this by some vamp technicality or rule I am unaware of. 

Tara telepathically communicates with Sookie and a plan is hatched.  Side note, I could listen to James Frain talk all night long, his accent is money.

It is clear from last week's ancient times Viking death reveal where we learn Russell killed Eric's dad and stole the crown, that Eric is endearing himself to Russell and also cooking up a Brunhilda-sized revenge play against Russell, but when? Side note: Eric's amazing v-neck blue sweater has been sullied by the Queen's dead guard's blood, darn.

The glue holding all these characters together is our Sookie and her magical Tasering ability when under duress. Everyone wants to unlock her secret, especially Sookie, equally mystified by her supernatural talents.

Evan Rachel Woods is back as Sophie-Anne and Russell is making a marriage of convenience and show and asks for her hand in marriage, which she is forced to do. Side note, Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica still trumps Evan in the bitching red hair department.

Lorena is left to torture Bill slowly, and the show has officially reached the zenith of blood spilled in one episode. I thought I was watching "Spartacus" Blood and Sand" for a moment, especially with all the gay make-out scenes with Lafayette and Jesus.

Cooter (that name) and his redneck lovely Debbie Pelt are invited by Lorena to dine on Bill's potent V blood, which is akin to Meth and Cocaine x1000. They are spied upon by Sookie, who was freed in Tara's bust out and has sworn to save her man.  Tara takes off, and Alcide (thank you Mr. Ball) transforms from white Wolf to being nekkid running after her to help her escape.

Sookie of course is kneeling over a nearly drained Bill, and whammo, Lorena tosses that Southern belle up and into a wall and proceeds to tuck in.

Now Jason's arc has me baffled, is his elusive Crystal a werewolf? She lives in a shanty with a guy covered in sores and bruises, and after making out with Stackhouse, flees, only to have him find her run-down domicile bearing flowers and wearing his high school glory days letterman jacket. Bad idea.

Back at Merlotte's, the two red-headed waitresses, Jessica and Arlene, are trying to work together and deal, only to be set back by Jessica's unfortunate fang-on when Arlene bleeds from a cut.

Sam Merlotte's family are gross, awful people, and I hope never to see Joe Lee in those dirty stretched out once tighty whities ever again. Sam's mother is a scheming disgusting liar and I want these people to go away.  We learn that Joe Lee is using Sam's shifting bro' as a dog for dogfighting purposes.

For all of us, I hope Franklin somehow heals his bashed in head, as I would hate to think his run has ended already this season. 

Next week looks like a real page turner; see y'all then.