****DIVERT YOUR EYES AND COME BACK LATER IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THIS LATEST EPISODE OF TRUEBLOOD BECAUSE THIS REVIEW IS CHOCK FULL OF SPOILERS!!!! BUT MAKE SURE TO COME BACK AFTER YOU’VE WATCHED IT AND TELL US YOUR TRUEBLOOD THOUGHTS!!!!****

Eric is horribly bespelled by Marnie the necromancer. Oh nooooo!

Holy Wiccan! Hold on to your fangs because this episode is bound to blow you away!

Season 4 of TrueBlood is like a thoroughbred bursting out of the gates at Santa Anita on race day! This episode was full of big, big moments! Reunions, meetings and big, big, big time spells! We’ve all feared for Eric before, but it was nothing like tonight. I’ve never seen Eric uncertain and backing down from a fight — let alone fleeing! No matter the odds he stands and faces it head on! Remember his showdown with Russell in that gallery? And you never expect to fear for him if he was outnumbered. But tonight, it became very evident in a most definitive way that the witches hold sway in Bon Temps now. And is Eric’s new demeanor more of a lover and not a fighter unless provoked? Like a Ferdinand type vampire? Or is he just bewildered still by having a spell cast on him? It seems to me Sookie will have her work cut out for her this season, because even though she seems diminutive and in need of protection, Sookie has true magic in her veins, and even the most powerful of witches won’t be a match for someone who is touched by true fey grace.

Jason wakes up to see Becky staring at him and Timbo is licking his bloodied head since there seems to be a lack of bandaids in Hotshot. Jason asks them who put them up to taking him prisoner.What I want to know is if a search party will go out for him once people figure out that he’s missing? Or will people think he’s playing hookie and back to being the old Jason and not worry too much?

Anyway, Jason asks Timbo and Becky why they’re doing this to him when he loves him? And he knows they love him otherwise Timbo wouldn’t be licking his head! He convinces them to release him and all seems to be going according to plan when crazy Felton suddenly busts into the room brandishing a shotgun, and you know he’s all hopped up on V!

Isn’t it ironic that V seems to cause Jason all kinds of trouble even when he’s not doing it himself? It seems to be the cause for all his troubles come to think of it…

Jason tells him off in no uncertain terms (that’s his faery blood talking!), I mean him and Felton have never been friends and Jason had to know that it was Felton who is responsible for his abduction. Felton ends up pointing the end of shotgun barrel right up under Jason’s nose.

Like we’ve seen in my previous post, Sookie rushes down her — or are they Eric’s? — stairs madder than a hatter that Eric has managed to gain the upper hand. We’re secretly gleeful, aren’t we? Eric follows and with vampire speed cuts her off before she can get to far. They go at it, Sookie denying her secret lust for him as usual, and Eric gloating just a little. It’s simply delicious, this little parley and it does get better.

“Your blood tastes like freedom… like sunshine…and though they may not know it yet, that is what vampires smell when they smell you.”

Now that we know just how irresistible Sookie is not just to Eric but to the entire vampire population and why, it makes sense that Eric would want to step in and offer his services. Which he does. In deliberate and charming Eric fashion, he offers Sookie his protection. I mean, what would you do if an attractive 1000 year old Viking vampire offered to protect you and sweetly asked you to be his, doing his utmost best to convince you?

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Images courtesy HBO

Of course Sookie refuses. Eric tells Sookie that he knows there are two Sookies. One who thinks she’s mere human and the faery Sookie. Eric admits to liking the faery Sookie better (so do I! Faery Sookie is more honest!) and advises Sookie to let the faery speak for her. Her fae side will keep her alive. He leaves with a tongue in cheek, “I hope to hear from you girls soon.” He also can’t resist taunting her about who owns the house once again, promising to have the screen door fixed.

Bill and Katie have much more than a business arrangement. Are you surprised? Now that she’s informed him of the necromancers he tells her that her job there is done. I think it’s pretty tricky of HBO to give us a gal that looked so much like Spohie Anne, don’t you? In the promo it looked like he was ordering Queen Sophie Anne around. Alas, as fun as that would have been, it was just the old Queen’s doppelganger.

Protestors have gathered outside Fangtasia shouting, “Steve Newlin was right, you’re devils of the night.” Hoyt confronts them, and it’s a scene that is pretty funny. He yells, “I’m a better Christian than you because I’ve got love in my heart…” accompanied by some great mime moments indicating all the love he has in his heart. Anyway, despite Hoyt defending her, it’s very clear Jessica has no problem standing up for herself. Before things go bad for human/vampire relations, Pam steps in and with perfect Pam candor says let them exercise their constitutional rights to be F-ing idiots. It’s the best of classic Pam. Love her. Yet when Hoyt gets caught up in a brawl, Pam stops Jessica from helping Hoyt since vampires getting caught on film in a physical altercation with humans would be bad. I’m sure it really did hurt Pam to see Hoyt get beat down. Yeah right!

Sam and Luna are chilling in their birthday sights under the moonlight after an exhilarating run. They’re flirting and Sam is having great success with his pick up lines. He’s trying to get her to open up, but Luna is reluctant, she’s also hesitant to kiss him for fear of getting close and she takes off running, literally. She shifts into a horse and gallops away into the night.

Just like we knew she would, Sookie goes to see Bill to help her with her Eric problem. She is surprised (in a good way) when she sees that his house has been beautifully restored. Meanwhile, Mr. Compton is in flagrante delicto with Katie, yet he still manages to sense Sookie’s presence and all his efforts cease and desist in mid — well, you get the idea. He gives the order to security to let Sookie pass and she glides into the house. She’s surprised again at the opulence on the inside as well and makes her way to Bill’s bedroom where she’s surprised again (in a bad way). It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together when she sees Bill and Katie fixing their clothing. Bill introduces Katie as part of his security detail. Good one Bill, but there’s just no way to recover.

It’s nice to see Jesus and Lala happy within their bubble of domestic bliss. They’re discussing the bird coming back to life, good and bad magic and witches. Lala has some serious, well founded reservations about practicing magic. Jesus is still trying to convince Lala to embrace it. TRUST YOUR GUT, LALA! This is going to ruin their relationship when it all goes horribly wrong.

Sookie explains her Eric situation to Bill claiming she didn’t want to go to him, however, there’s nothing Bill can do really, unless he resorts to underhanded scheming which we all know he will. Legally he can’t make Eric give up his property so he advises Sookie to stay at another human’s house until he can figure something out.

Does Bill want to help Sookie. Of course he does. He wants her back and it’s obvious. Yet why does everything Bill does seem so underhanded? Sookie wonders out loud how Bill became king, but checks that thought because she knows she won’t be thrilled with his methods.

This induces Bill to reflect on his past so we go back to London 1982 and now all those promo scenes of Bill dressed up in goth sporting black eyeliner and a crazy hairdo make sense. Seeing Bill feeding so forcefully was a bit shocking (I don’t know why after all I know of him) but he still adheres to the credo of not killing humans. He does give some recovery advice which is humorous yet creepy. This is an honest version of Bill that we see here. The real Bill. We can see how Lorena was drawn to his nature. He restrains himself too much when he is with Sookie, trying to be something he’s not and not being true to his nature.

When Nan shows up we’re as shocked as Bill is. We learn she’s been watching Bill for weeks. She’s intrigued with the fact that Bill doesn’t kill his prey. We find out that Bill and Nan go way back and that Bill is a very skilful spy. He was a double agent for Nan and successfully infiltrated the monarchies and did the AVL’s dirty work to the tee. His agenda and that of the AVL aligned perfectly. I wonder what Nan will do when she finds out that Bill is protecting Sookie?

I thought it was brilliant when we found out that Louis Pasteur is a vampire and is responsible for creating TrueBlood. A brilliant piece of fiction, that, don’t you agree?

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Images 1 & 2 via HBO

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Back at Merlotte’s Sookie’s apologizing to Sam for her absence when Arlene shows up with Terry and baby Mikey. Arlene freaks out when Sookie says that Mikey is an old soul. She gets all hysterical and leaves the room balling. We know why, Terry knows why, damned if Sookie and Sam do though. I can see where this is headed, do you? It’s going to be the comedic relief of the show too.

Andy shows up in Hotshot under the guise of “official police business” when it he’s really trying to do is get his hands on some V. He’s flashing a warrant around and Felton is freaking out because the law showed up. He orders Timbo to get rid of Andy and watches from his hiding spot. When he realizes that Andy is addicted to V he sends out old Uncle Luther with a vial of blood Felton had in his pocket. Andy leaves with the “evidence”. This isn’t going to end well for Andy. Something tells me that Felton will hold this over Andy’s head in the future.

While Andy is outside, Crystal shows up to see Jason. Poor Jason. Crystal has plans for him but it doesn’t include setting him free. She rips of a piece of Jason’s shirt and stuffs it in his mouth. She also holds a knife up to his throat to keep him quiet.

Luna visits Sam at Merlotte’s which is a nice surprise for Sam because he’s hot for teacher. It looks like Sam may finally have a compatible relationship on his hands, which is nice but how long will it last? After giving him the kiss she wanted to give the night before, Sam walks Luna out and they promise to hook up later on. Tommy’s having lunch and watches this little tableau with great interest. “Who’s your friend?” he asks Sam. Prickly Sam retorts none of your business,” and doesn’t take kindly to the fact that Tommy’s been smelling Luna’s scent. “Smell your own friends,” Sam warns.

Meanwhile, Arlene is having stare down with Mikey. She’s seeing things that no one else sees. She knows the baby is rotten to the core just like his daddy Renee. as she’s staring at Mikey a blood vessel pops in her eye and Arlene knows Mikey did it. Arlene is freaked out even more now and Terry doesn’t believe it’s Mikey. I mean would you? Just look at that face!

Outside Sookie’s place, Tara comes running up behind Sookie excited to see her. A startled Sookie screams seeing scary faced faeries chasing her down for a moment before she realizes it’s just Tara. While they  talk they enter the house. Eric has left cute notes with pretty red bows on them on the door and in the house.

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How prophetic are those words now? And he’s left blood in the fridge in a fancy crystal carafe. LOLs.

Tara is worried that Sookie is dating Eric (we wish!) but Sookie just tells her that he bought her house. When Sookie finds a  nice wardrobe in her house (how Narnia! It’s like a portal to a whole different world through there, hey Sookie?) she gets pissed off because it’s not just a handsome wardrobe, it’s a sleeping cubby for Eric! HA! His audacity slays me! So of course Sookie bails on Tara and marches over to Fangtasia to give Eric the what for.

Speaking of cubbies, Jessica wakes up and finds Hoyt with a bag of frozen veggies on his eye. He’s all beat up and when Jessica tries to heal him with her blood Hoyt says, “I don’t need that sh*t.” WOOPS! Wrong thing to say! Jessica takes off for Advil and on her way to town decides to go to Shreveport, and we know she’s not going for Advil.

Tara shows up at Lala’s and Jesus’ as they are on their way out to a Wiccan thing. Unwisely Tara decides to tag along even though she is not impressed with the whole idea. It’s funny to catch a glimpse of the old Tara here. Funny how a few hours in Bon Temps can have your new zen persona slipping, hey?

Bill has summoned Eric and asks him if he’ll sell the house first back to Sookie and then to him. Eric won’t which is no surprise and goes to leave when Bill tells him of the new coven. Eric says Pam will take care of it but Bill commands Eric to handle it. When he tells Northman the it is a coven of necromancers, Eric takes it seriously. He’s off to take care of it that very night personally. He gives Bill a flourishing bow and a “Your Majesty,” to Bill before taking off to crash a Wiccan party.

We finally learn how Bill became King of Louisiana. Flashback to his fight with Sophie Anne and we see that Bill doesn’t fight fair. Sophie Anne is executed by six of shooters at Bill’s command and compliments of the AVL.  Nan makes him King of Louisiana on the spot. I wonder what she’s going to say and do when she finds out that Bill has been protecting Sookie?

Next we see Sookie asking Pam to help her change Eric’s mind about the house. Come on, Sookie. Did you really think Pam was going to help you. In typical Pam fashion the vampire lays it down for Sookie. Eric made Pam; there’s no question where her loyalty lies. She then gives Sookie some advice of her own and that is, “… just let Eric have you.” I agree with Pam, better him than some other vampire, Sookie. At least he won’t drain you. And I’ll bet he more than just cares about you!

Jessica walks through the barrier of protestors in the Fangtasia parking lot. It’s a great allegory for the proverbial barrier she has erected around her vampire nature and her desires to just embrace it. With a determined shove, she breaks through the crowd and releases her true self. This will not be good for her and Hoyt’s relationship.

Once inside Fangtasia she lets her hair down and searches for the fangbanger from the other night and everything else fades away as she’s searching. And then she finds him. She walks up and he puts his hand out. She puts her hand in his and off they go. Yep, it was that easy.

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Images 1 & 4 courtesy HBO

Images 2 & 3 courtesy Brighter Scribe

Back at the Emporium, Marnie has let the coven know that they are going to bring back a person from the dead. All they need is a dead body. This causes a ripple through the group, and some of them are for it and some of them aren’t.

Tara’s reading an issue of Good Housekeeping with Nan Flanagan on the cover which is hilarious. The mainstreaming has gone better than anyone had imagined. If you’re on the cover of Good Housekeeping you are a cornerstone of society. Hilarious. Anyway, Tara’s got one eye on the magazine and her ears on what the coven is up to. When she hears they’re going to raise the dead, she’s had enough and gets up to wait for Lala and Jesus in the front of the store.

Back at the Shifter Anger Management the group is sharing stories of the most messed up thing that they’ve ever done. Luna opens up finally and shares her lineage, childhood stories of the Skinwalkers and the stunning fact that she is one. Her mother died during childbirth and she feels responsible. Coincidentally if a shifter kills another shifter in their family they become a Skinwalker which means they can change into any animal including humans. Luna confesses to shifting into her mother which intrigues the group. Is this some foreshadowing? I think so.

Suddenly they smell something. Sam takes off running. It’s Tommy spying on the group. Tommy takes off running with Sam in hot pursuit. Liar, liar pants on fire, Tommy! His leg seems to be just fine. They morph into birds and the chase is on. Now how much of that private group convo did he hear?

Eric busts into the Emporium and makes a grand entrance which is just priceless. He sees Lala and says he didn’t know that Lafayette was a witch in that smooth, conspiratorial Eric tone we just love to hear. Lala is sufficiently apprehensive — to put it lightly — to see Eric and about the fact that Eric has seen him.

Sookie makes a visit to the loo and hears Jessica in the other stall. She knows that Jessica is up to no good so she tries to talk “sense” to the baby vampire. I forgot that Jess would be upset over Bill and Sookie’s break up. She tells Sookie how heartbroken Bill is and was and not to tell her how to be a good girlfriend since Sookie doesn’t know a thing about that.

“I can eat who I want,” proclaims Jess and marches back into the stall and back to taking a bite out of the fangbanger. And she’s irked so she’s not exactly being gentle about it. Evidently she doesn’t want or need Sookie’s advice.

Miffed, Sookie leaves Fangtasia snapping at the protestors to come up with a better rant.

Sam catches Tommy and they have it out. Tommy feels left out and lonely and accuses Sam of lying to him. Calling the kettle black aren’t we, Tommy? He admits to Sam that he wants to be brothers. But can they? Can they trust each other? Sam is open to trying. I hope this doesn’t come back and bite him in the a*s. Once they’ve agreed to work on their relationship, Tommy takes off before the “anger management” group catches up to them.

Eric is interrogating a nervous coven. I would be nervous too, and they’re right to be worried. Eric Northman on official Sheriff business is rather threatening. He’s looking for Marnie.

Eric lays down the law in no uncertain terms that is not open to negotiation. Seems Eric saves the negotiating for Sookie. The deal is the coven cannot meet. And they better not meet behind his back either because he’ll know. Instead of graciously and eagerly taking the deal, Marnie surprises us, showing her real nature. There’s some steel in that old lady façade she’s selling. “What’s in it for me?” she asks. Oh, the audacity!

Predictably this does not please Eric and he grabs Marnie and takes a bite out of her. “Why couldn’t you just take the deal?” he asks her. In a daring move, the witches band together. Holly leads them to join hands and they begin chanting in an effort to save Marnie. Meanwhile, Tara comes back from the front to see what all the commotion is about. She grabs a large wooden cross intending to stake Eric in the back.

Eric throws Marnie from him and grabs Tara by the throat, pleasantly surprised to see her. She’s next on the menu, but Lafayette joins hands with the witches so he can save his cousin.

That’s when things get real. The room darkens and Eric is gripped by a power that stops in him in his tracks. The power of the witches renders the great Eric powerless. It’s really quite painful to watch.

We see Marnie channeling an evil and powerful spirit, her face changing for a moment as the face of the spirit superimposes over hers. Marnie’s eyes flash with malignant fire, her voice booming and forceful as she says the spell that takes away Eric Northman’s memory of who and what he is. Wails of NOOOOOO! are heard in homes around North America, including mine, as we see everything we love about Eric dissolve away.

Bewildered to find himself surrounded by strange people, Eric whooshes the hell out of there. Released by the evil spirit she willingly channeled, Marnie the old woman comes back and claims not to know what happened. My a*s Marnie!

As we’re still reeling over what happened to Eric, we discover that Crystal and Felton can’t have a baby which is why they need Jason. But in order to make sure they have a panther to propagate the line, they have to make Jason a panther first. Jason is appalled to say the least. He can’t believe Crystal would do this to him, but we can, can’t we? Crystal and Felton shift into panthers and begin to bite away on poor tied up Jason.

Sookie’s driving home when she sees a shirtless Eric walking aimlessly by the side of the road. She pulls up along side him and calls out to him, but he has no clue who she is. At first Sookie thinks he’s playin’ but it doesn’t take her long to realize that something is horribly wrong. He begins to walk away from her but suddenly he catches a remarkable scent on the air. Following the scent he turns to her in child like wonder and asks,

“Why do you smell so good?”

I can’t help but curl up into a little ball and rock myself back and forth chanting, “It’ll be ok, it’ll be OK!”

This is all your fault Bill! Things are about to get even more MESSED UP! Next week can’t come soon enough. What did you think about tonight’s episode? Tell me what your thoughts are. I can’t wait to hear them.

And be sure to read my thoughts on the episode later this week!

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Images 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 & video courtesy HBO

Image 3 created by Brighter Scribe

“You Smell Like Dinner”

Even though I am excruciatingly excited about Eric and Sookie finally getting together, I also feel an immense sense of apprehension because this is TrueBlood and I just know that things are going to get messed up. Season 4 is season of the witch and things never stay even keel for long in Bon Temps. But that’s what we constantly and eagerly tune in for, isn’t it? It’s all the wonderful, fang filled drama that keeps our hearts pounding for more.

Eric has been a favorite of mine since the beginning of the show. It’s more than his towering Viking good looks, or his swagger, his charm, his voice, or his bad boy exterior that hides a heart that figuratively beats strong and deep with intense emotion. The thing that has me truly engaged is his character’s ruthless intensity, deliberate machinations, his significant resoluteness, confident determination, and his capacity to endure waiting. Anyone with eyes in their head can see that he has had his own vampire eyes fixed on Sookie for a very long, long time. I think one of my favorite parts from last week was in the beginning when the moment Sookie touched down on the Earthly plane, Eric was awakened from his daytime slumber. He felt her presence, a presence he had been waiting for, an existence he never gave up on when everyone else did — even Bill.

There was something about that blind faith that speaks volumes about who he is. Something that viewers can’t fail but be roused by in some intangible yet indelible way.

Yet as invincible and powerful as he seems, this season he will become vulnerable in a way we haven’t seen him before, a way that will add the name Eric Northman to the archives of the most perpetual, compelling and prodigious vampires in vampire mythology if my instincts are correct. (Which means we’ll be 80, watching E!’s Top 10 Vampires of All Time and Eric Northman will be on that list.)

And for those of us who don’t have access to HBOGO (when is it coming to Canada? Anyone who knows, PLEASE let us know!) The preview for “You Smell Like Dinner” definitely gets the blood going. What is in the cards for our favorite vampire Norseman?

This sneak peek at Eric making Sookie an offer was too delicious to keep to myself. What would you do if the the most feared, cunning and intimidating and ruthless vampire in town offered you protection? Would you accept first and think about the price and consequences later?

And I ask again, is it just me, or does Katie look familiar? Check out this little bite of TrueBlood when Sookie comes to realize just who Bill is.

After this, Bill will definitely leave an even worse taste in Sookie’s mouth and Eric just might begin to look appealing to her.

Favorite quote of episode 1 is just before Eric drops fang. "Sookie. You. Are. Mine." Talk about sure of himself.

Eric loves/enjoys/is entranced by the faery side of Sookie, and I have to admit, I enjoy it too. (Remember when she dumped Talbot’s remains down the Fangtasia garburator as Russell howled in agony and she laughed with faery glee? Total faery behavior there, friends!) We see it peeking out at us every now and again and there is something so fun about that side of her that seems like a complete match for Eric, doesn’t it? He’s sensed it all along, which is why he’s always been so intrigued by her. Now he knows why. Hence his comment, “Your blood tastes like freedom… like sunshine…and though they may not know it yet, that is what vampires smell when they smell you.”

But what plans does he have for Sookie? If you haven’t read the books, you’ll have to wait and see since only time will tell. And if you have read the books, this show is bound to keep you guessing since Alan Ball has said he’s using them as a guideline and not verbatim et litteratim. This is going to be the best season yet!

Aren’t you curious about what’s in store for Eric this season too? What do you think is going to happen to him? Do you think you’ll like the “new” Eric better than the “old” Eric? Aren’t you so curious and excited that you can hardly stand it? Get a fix for your #tbwithdrawal on Sunday at 8pm PST. Get hooked.

ΩAll images and video courtesy of HBO

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