Is there anything more perfectly satisfying than
when storylines are organically driven by
characters acting consistently? What's more like
Lafayette than to be there when Sookie came
home, ready to turn the hardest night of her life
into a Mardi Gras of a wake? What's more like
Jessica than to devolve into an insecure mess
when she gets cheated on and then turn around
and do some hot-as-hell cheating of her own?
What's more amazing than Ginger screaming
about being a sex slave without the sex and then
screaming her way offscreen?
True Blood is paying off on characterization in
ways that are making this season feel as though
it's been planned since way back in Season 1.
Obviously this is not the case; rationally, we know
that the beautiful through-line going on this
season, so evocative of what made True Blood a
household name, has been painstakingly
constructed by showrunner Brian Buckner & Co.
after Alan Ball kicked down the door and pissed
on the front lawn on his way out. But thanks to
Buckner's efforts, the show's lead characters are
not only likable again, but formerly benched
players Andy and Arlene are some of the biggest
revelations in television acting for summer 2k14.
Arlene's speech to Sookie, and her flirtatious
evasion of a sexy vampire, were incredible this
episode. I really just have nothing but praise for
everything she was doing this episode. Subtle,
beautiful drama next to the most spot-on
interpretation of a shy tipsy hot mom I've ever
seen.
Meanwhile, Andy's speech to Jessica about life
being too short and his pursuant proposal to
Jessica were similarly just breathtaking. When
did Andy become one of my favorite characters on
this show?! Put him in every scene, please.
The whole party in Sookie's house was just a gift.
It was a relief to shift away from "town-wide
apocalypse" while getting to see our favorites be
slightly drunk and real. Sookie floating around
woozily and hearing snippets of approval for the
first time in her life felt weirdly appropriate and
sweet. Lafayette and James hooking up in James'
car felt commendably naturalistic: scandalous
party drama that, aside from the fangs, could've
been torn out of real life. Lafayette telling Jessica
off afterwards was beautifully harnessed writerly
intention couched in dialogue that never became
didactic. Even Lettie Mae putting her knife in
Willa felt surprisingly plausible.
Elsewhere, Pam and Eric kept the humor and
action coming this week. We met Sarah Newlin's
adorable sister. We saw Pam and Eric put on
Wealthy Republican costumes. We saw Eric rip
the face off a Yakuza.
As hilarious as Pam and Eric were as a visual,
nothing was as amazing as Sarah Newlin's
conversation with her mom in the bathroom.
Every line of that chat was a hard laugh, and
Anna Camp knocked it out of the park. The
woman's comedic instincts are made of gold.
Okay yes, there are also some very minor
convenient character turns in play. Bill's
gentlemanliness has been suspiciously ramped up
lo these last few episodes, as he and Sookie get
closer, but that's only in contrast to the Tom
Cruise-esque asshole Bill became in Season 5.
Willa suddenly knew a whole lot of new
information about Sarah Newlin, but even that
was quite believable considering Sarah almost
married Governor Burroughs. Guys, I got no
complaints. I loved every moment of the episode
except one:
What does it mean?! Is there going to be a
miraculous, possibly fairy-based cure so we can
imagine our favorite TV world spinning along
without us offscreen, or is True Blood going to
continue its season-long investigation of actual
loss, and the suddenness and reality of death, by
killing off both Eric and Bill? We're halfway
through the season and I've never been so
simultaneously eager to know the ending and
fearful of it finally getting here.
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