Three episodes till the end and THIS is what we get?
True Blood‘s writers have displayed a remarkable amount of schizophrenia this season, particularly when it comes to the endgame couples. After distracting us with a possible Jason/Jessica reconciliation, it now looks like they’ve decided to end things with Jessica and Hoyt back in each other’s arms. I can’t say I’m excited about this move (as I always found Hoyt boring) but it does leave me wondering about Jason’s fate. Will he just settle with Brigitte, a character we barely know? Wouldn’t it have been wiser to keep him with Jessica and not bring Hoyt back into the picture? Lord.
On the bright side, Eric is cured. I had a sinking feeling the writers might resort to killing off our favorite vampire so I’m ecstatic he survived (unless they decide to stake him in the finale just to mess with us). Bill on the other hand refused to take the cure in the episode’s final moments. That seemed like unnecessary drama to me, but I guess the pointless flashbacks all season long (culminating with Sookie and the void baby) were meant to provide insight into his mind leading up to this momentous decision (#epicfail). Do something gutsy writers and kill him off in the show’s swan song. Please.
I wonder if Rutina Wesley holds any grudges against the writers for completely slaughtering the character of Tara throughout the show’s run. Sookie’s bff was a standout in the first season, but she slowly but surely became a punching bag that never really amounted to much. And when she was finally killed off, it was much too late (and off-screen no less) Adding further insult to injury, the writers had a mumbling Tara pointlessly appear on crosses with Boa Constrictors in hand. If you had any hope this subplot would amount to anything, then you my friend are painfully naive. The character’s tumultuous journey came to a close this week, and in the end, her appearances this year culminated with her forgiving her mother for being abusive simply because she was the victim of abuse herself. Honestly this subplot was a mess from start to finish, and it ended on a painfully unsatisfying note. Here’s hoping Rutina moves on to bigger and brighter things in the future.
Bloody Bits
– My favorite moment of the hour: Pam threatening to kill herself to stop Eric from killing Sara.
– Sookie asking about Bill about Queen Anne and discovering the whole breeding plot was a nice nod to the show’s history.
– So what was the point of Violet and the whole sex dungeon debacle? At least her death was kind of cool as Hoyt unknowingly killed the woman who offed his mother. The scene still didn’t make the storyline worth the waste of time.
– The plan to create New Blood but not really cure everyone straight away to maximize profits is wonderfully diabolical and realistic.
– I would have preferred seeing Tara actually kill her dad; the subplot would have been much more impactful that way. And seriously what was the point of the cross and the snake?
– Why did Sookie leave Sara there? Wouldn’t it have been easier to drag her to Bill? I’m just gonna stop wondering why Sookie does anything (and why this show’s writers often make no sense).
True Quips
Eric: He got it from Sookie, so he’s progressing fast.
Pam: Of course it’s happening fast. It’s Sookie – everything she wants she has to have now.
Eric (to Sara): Quiet, antidote.
Violet: Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, they were shells; beautiful to look at but hollow once penetrated.
Sam: At what point does the guy whose house keeps getting hit by a tornado call it a day?
Pam: Drink the bitch and leave.
Conclusion
A frustrating hour of True Blood. Simply unacceptable this close to the end.
Nad Rating
C
I'm just as disappointed about the episodes leading up to the end of the show as you are, Nadim. I think the whole point of Hoyt and Jessica getting back together is the writers' way of bringing things full circle. But the writers don't seem to get is that people don't watch a final season to see a repetition of the past. They watch it to see something new and definitive like the final season of Breaking Bad (both halves of it).
I'm for Bill dying but I have a feeling the show may end with Sookie and Eric hooking up afterwards and honestly I rather Sookie doesn't end up with anyone by the end of the series. In my book, she doesn't deserve Eric and hasn't demonstrated enough personal growth to be in a mature relationship with him. In the beginning, I found Sookie's stubbornness appealing, a form of strength. Now I see it as a nuisance especially when she couldn't just let Eric bring the cure to her and took action that is bound to complicate things.
Violet's death was disappointing. The way her storyline was cut off like that reminded me of American Horror Story. Come to think of it, parts of True Blood's final season reminds me of a season of American Horror Story in terms of meandering subplots, a number of which go nowhere, and rushed, abrupt resolutions.
Hello suncore. Loved your comment. Very well thought out. Send me an email to nadim@nadsreviews.com I'd like to discuss something with you!
You're right about Sookie ending up alone. That would be a great move away from the usual cliches. But if she were to end it with someone, I do hope it's Eric because the Bill ship sailed a long time ago. I haven't read the books the show is based on so I have no idea what happens there. I'm trying to avoid spoilers in case they stick to them but I am intrigued.
And she was appealing in the beginning wasn't she? Now she's just annoying. How sad.
Fantastic point about American Horror Story. That's a spot on comparison. Coven was a brilliant season a lot of times, but it also had a lot of half-baked subplots which have become True Blood's bread and butter unfortunately.