Well, last episode was awesome and if I know True Blood, things are going to be even better in the next episode “I’m Alive and On Fire”. But before True Blood is on once again in Vancouver I thought I’d share with you some of the things the last episode taught me. So here is my list of 24 Things I Learned from “If You Love, Why Am I Dyin’?”
24. Who knew Eric Northman had ticklish toes? I guess he does.
23. You can still see the old Eric in this new boyish and innocent Eric. Don’t let his adorable sweetness fool you. He’s still dangerous!
22. Seeing Andy use V is gross.
21. Even though Alcide is back with Debbie he still has a thing for Sookie.
20. Debbie cleans up real nice but I still don’t trust her.
19. Whatever Maxine’s reasons are for helping Tommy I’m still mad at him for wanting to screw her over.
18. Tara will never like vampires.
17. Family should always look after each other because you never know when you’re going to need your cousin to stop a pissed off vampire from killing you by holding a gun with wooden bullets on that pissed off vampire.
16. Never tell anyone you are a shape shifter and expect them to stick around.
15. Friends with benefits never work out. That means you Portia Bellefleur!
14. Always answer your phone when King Bill calls or else!
13. Always ask for what you want. It works for Portia Bellefleur, why shouldn’t it work for you?
12. Never accept strange gifts from gingers with fangs.
11. They sure do swear a lot on True Blood.
10. Portia will never be Sookie for Bill. Not even close.
9. Even Sookie likes to read Charlaine Harris.
8. Never think Pam will go easy on you if you mess with Eric.
7. Don’t mess with Pam.
6. Invoke an evil spirit and they will listen.
5. A blood sacrifice always seals the deal.
4. Beware of crazy hillbilly junkies. This means you Jason!
3. Stay away from vampires if you are a faery. No good can come from it. Unless you’re Sookie…
2. Sookie’s hair looks really good this season. Hair extensions really do work wonders!
1. Eric is absolutely adorable but no less dangerous!
Take a look inside “If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin’?” and see if there are things you learned from the episode and dish me up a comment!
“Alcide helps Sookie hunt for Eric; Marnie searches for guidance to break a spell; Bill discovers a common bond with the Bellefleurs; Jason begs for liberation from Hotshot; Sam penetrates Luna’s inner circle; Arlene sees the writing on the wall; Tommy returns to his roots.”
I love everything that Harry Potter stands for — courage through adversity, finding the strength within, the power of love and the bonds of friendship, and faith, above all, faith that when the chips are really down, you’ll have the power to conquer any obstacle because of the faith you have in yourself. I did immensely savor this epic finale to a fantastical fantasy saga. The ending was poignant and hard earned by our beloved characters and it was a final installment filled with all the magic and adventure we love in our Harry Potter films.
As part of a whole, and even separately, it does deliver most admirably. This film boasts a score filled with reminiscence of bygone adventures and David Yates and Steve Kloves do pay homage to the themes J.K. Rowling poured into this wonderful work of fiction. The CG was seamless, awe inspiring and masterful, and enhanced the story without overwhelming it. The writing of Steve Kloves was stark and to the point, and the action was fast paced and always moved towards the end with purpose, and without any lulls that allowed the mind to wander. And the end was tied up nice and tight and even had a bow on it, and the only thing left to our imaginations is what will life be like for our heroes now that the peril is over? It is a film that is almost perfect and brings to a bittersweet close an unforgettable adventure that spanned a decade.
The opening scenes of Part 2 set up the calm before the storm and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his faithful friends are regrouping before their final battle. Before long the audience is swooped up into another daring adventure as Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) search for the remaining Horcruxes. There is a sense of urgency that is magnificently conveyed as is the danger of this life and death quest. They’re not practicing spells at Hogwarts anymore. No, this is the real deal where one wrong move can end up costing the lives of those Harry loves.
The malevolence of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his horde of evil doers is fully realized and no longer reduced to shadows and whispers. His reign of fear and tyranny is in full swing and he is indeed terrifying to behold in all his glory. And yet for all this majestic evil unveiled, for the first time we can also marvel in the fact that Voldemort is not invincible and that Harry just might have a chance in defeating him.
In Part 2 our characters are fully developed and both we and they know exactly who they are. They are also no longer children shouldering burdens that the young shouldn’t have to carry; now they are capable, adept and fierce wizards who have grown to adulthood under our ever watchful eyes and they are set to defend Hogwarts where they will have their last stand against Lord Voldemort. Even Hogwarts itself, a place that was once a hallowed, mysterious, kooky and off the wall place, is now a grim sentinel of all that is good in the world.
The most emotionally moving moment of the film comes when Severus Snape’s (Alan Rickman) true part in all of this is revealed. We have the good fortune of going back in time and delving into his most private memories and we see a man with a heart capable of a deep and abiding love and duty. He is a man who has been forced to become the villain. Where once you reviled him as a traitorous killer, you will ultimately see him as a man willing to take the fall and be the bad guy who will do what he must in order to give Harry and his friends a chance to succeed. More than any other character in the movie, he has been sorely misjudged by all and sundry — even Harry.
And Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), the man who seemed to be the magnetic north of these films, the compass by which Harry steered through a life fraught with danger, is a man whose nature is called into question. Were we wrong to trust him all along? Was he so devoted to prophecy and duty that he was the most duplicitous of anyone? Even at the end he is a wizard that will remain a true enigma.
Ultimately in this film the past 7 installments coalesce into one final swell, weaving every nuance and bit of story that we’ve experienced over the years into one whole. It is definitely one of the darkest of all the films with some disturbing and sinister moments and deaths. Yet the way they handled Harry’s questions about death and what is next after life was treated in such a beautiful and peaceful way that it was easy to accept the tranquility Harry felt about these themes and this thing we call life.
We see characters we hate finally get theirs (and we cheer about it), we see our favorite wizarding teachers finally show us what they’re made of, and it’s like a reunion of sorts as we get to see for a final time on the big screen characters we’ve come to know like friends. We even get a deeper understanding of the kind of wonderful people Harry’s parents were and the love they shared and had for Harry.
We see mild and sweet Mama Weasley (Julie Walters) lay it down in a “Nobody messes with my kids!” kind of fashion which is so utterly awesome; and Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) becomes a gallant hero showing us the courage and bravery that lay all this while in his shy heart, and we can be happy for Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch). We finally see true love bloom and blossom between Harry’s best mates and comrades in arms, Hermione and Ron. It’s a love that beautifully culminates in a sudden unexpected, but long awaited kiss that has us laughing right along with Ron and Hermione with pure joy.
It’s also reconfirmed in our hearts why Harry is the Chosen One. His courageous and selfless heart reaffirms for us once again why we have loved this boy wizard from the moment we set eyes on him so many years ago.
Unfortunately, the final battle is shocking in its brevity. Being that this is the moment we’ve been waiting for for 10 years — the final epic showdown between two of the most powerful wizards in the land, the different sides of the same coin — audiences may feel that it should have been more spectacular and filled with such an unbearable tension that by the end of the battle you were weak with relief that it was over. Instead Voldemort is vanquished in a way that seems almost too easy and it’s over before it really started. And moments before, even the death of his terrifying pet snake seemed too easy and slightly discordant, though it did afford Neville the chance to shine.
And the final scene, well, I won’t expand too much on it, but I find it ironic that in a franchise spanning a decade that was all about the most outlandish magic, magical places and mythical creatures, it was here in these final moments where I was most unwilling to suspend my disbelief. Is it because I’m just too sad to see the end of a 10 year story that will live in my heart forever? Or is it because I wish this film would have been a little longer and a little less frantically paced? Or is it because I fear Harry and his crew are now destined for a normal life of ordinary?
It’s the end of an era in film history and yet I do not feel that absolution of spirit that I quested towards for all these years. I left the theater feeling like something was missing; like I was missing that ultimate feeling of overwhelming satisfaction that settles into you after bidding farewell to well loved characters and a beloved story. I was close to it, but mostly I’m just left feeling sad. Afterall I have invested 10 years of my life in this franchise and 10 years of intense emotion.
I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the saga of Harry Potter is one in a million and we may never see the likes of it again. And despite the feeling of sadness I am left with, I know that in the end, things ended the way they needed to end for Harry, Hermione and Ron. As far as endings go, I do think that this film was almost perfect. I’m also left thinking about the saying, if you love something, let it go. And though letting go is hard to do, it is indeed time to say goodbye to Harry Potter, the boy who lived.
How many kids grew up with this saga? How many parents and adults grew older with this franchise? (hehe) As we have grown and changed, so has our favorite wizarding trio, three kids who have brought some magic into the lives of millions of fans around the world. And though it seems that Harry Potter has been with us forever, in fact it has only lasted a decade. However, a lot can happen in 10 years, and there were a lot of things that happened in this 10 year long saga. So Warner Bros. released a featurette that takes a look back at the blockbuster franchise, it’s Harry Potter in a 5 minute nutshell, highlighting the events in the entire saga.
It all ends on July 15th with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, but before that happens, let’s journey back in time to where it all began…
****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!!!!****
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this season of True Blood is blowing me away! Just when you think it can’t get any more awesome, it goes and packs a whole lot a story into 55 minutes. And what a 55 minutes it was. the title “If You Love Me, why am I Dyin’?” is so fitting. Poor, poor Jason. Won’t somebody help him? He just DOES NOT have any luck with women. I feel so bad for him. He’s in trouble… and it’s just getting started. As for Eric, all I can say is that I’m glad he has both Pam and Sookie to look after him, and boy, is he ever adorable!
“You just killed my Faery Godmother!” ~ this quote by Sookie is absolutely priceless and my favorite quote of the night.
We pick up where we left off with a shirtless, befuddled Eric standing on the side of the road. Sookie is not impressed and reminds him with a “You know perfectly well why I smell the way I smell” and an exnay on the mellsay tone of voice. Eric describes what she smells like out loud and we get a visual on just what Sookie smells like, and it’s no wonder the vampires go nuts for faeries. Wheat, honey… sunlight. As enticing as Eric’s description was, I couldn’t help but think of a Halsa Hair shampoo commercial with a picture of Sookie on it filled with viscous liquid that looks like honey. YUM!
Anyhoo, Eric’s fangs drop involuntarily and Sookie peels away in her little YELLOW car. (A car the color of sunlight? Now I get the color…) Thinking she is a safe distance away, she stops and looks back and there is no sign of Eric… because he is right beside her! He reaches into the car in a blur of movement and makes a grab for her.
Like any faery fearing for her life, Sookie takes off running and of course the enthralled and adorable Eric follows. Sookie being Sookie, she punches him in the face with a defiant “I am not your F-ing dinner!” Point taken. Mr. Northman is effectively cowed.
Eric hilariously calls Sookie “Snookie” (most definitely not! Bleh!) and reveals to Sookie that he has no clue who he is. But he does remember the sea, identifies it as being linked to his “home”. He breaks out his Mother Tongue and gets lost for a moment remembering the horrible events of the night. Namely Marnie’s cold empty eyes reaching into him and emptying him. How horrible! He also sees her face and the face of the spirit. Thank Odin he remembers that much! I’m actually surprised, and it’s vital info if Sookie and Pam are going to be able to help him.
He tells Sookie that everything he was was taken from him. He says this in such a forlorn manner that my heart actually squeezes with empathy.What Eric said obviously got to Sookie too because she decides to help him. She does lay down some ground rules though. No touching and no biting. Eric agrees and as they walk to her car he tells her he’s really grateful to her for her help. Awww! ‘I think Eric is absolutely adorable’ has become my favorite catch phrase for this season. Oh, and ‘Poor, poor Jason’. That’s another phrase running through my head, especially with this episode.
Back at MoonGoddess, Tara’s pissed about the whole Eric thing and so is everyone else. None of them know the extent of what happened to Eric yet. The coven wants to call the police and Lala’s trying to get them to see the stupidity of that move. “Eric is ancient, stupid powerful and he’ll kill all of us!” Well, Lala is right, Eric would kill all of them… if he was the old Eric.
Marnie is putting her own spin on what Eric did. She’s twisting it and turning it into a religion thing saying that Eric busted in on them unprovoked, tried to stop them from practicing their religion, and then attacked them. Again, all unprovoked. Oh, Marnie, you’re good. You should have been a politician. Jesus asks Marnie what she did to get Eric to high tail it out of there. Marnie claims to have no idea. I tell you, I’m not buying what Marnie is selling.
Poor, poor Jason. He’s all bit up lying on that dirty mattress at Crystal’s mercy. While he’s burning up with the fever that will turn him into a were-panther, the Hotshot crew is outside sitting around a campfire gnawing on raw meet right off the bone and talking about their origins and Ghost Daddy, Ghost Mommy and how the Sky People ruined everything. By the next full moon Jason will be a panther, Felton and Crystal will get what they want and then Felton won’t need Jason anymore. Crazy Crystal promises to keep Jason safe. After all she “loves” him, is grateful for everything he’s done and is going to do, and she wants to be with him. Sick. Sick. Sick and twisted.
Bill has just passed the sentence of the true death on a vampire who got caught on video feeding on a human when Jessica comes for visit. Even though she beats around the bush claiming to have come for Advil, Bill cuts to chase. She tells him about her feeding on another willing human that wasn’t Hoyt. Bill tells her to vamp up and tell Hoyt. Better he hear the truth from her than someone else.
Back at Sookie’s, Eric waits for an invitation from Sookie to enter the house. He doesn’t know yet that it is his house and Sookie isn’t about to enlighten him. Sookie calls Pam at Fangtasia and Pam whooshes over. Sookie is washing Eric’s feet and discovers like the rest of us in another one of this episode’s adorable Eric moments that he’s ticklish. He senses Pam and when she busts in, Eric jumps up from the couch and shouts in a startled voice, “Who the F is she?!?” Totally hilarious.
Pam spills the beans about Eric owning the house which doesn’t make Sookie happy. Eric also finds out about biting Sookie.
This pleases Eric until Sookie succinctly puts him in his place and mentions going to Bill. Pam threatens Sookie and Eric shoves her to the floor and Pam slides across it. She gets up and Eric warns her to be nice to Sookie which is another LOL moment.
Pam is understandably afraid for Eric and believes this entire situation is all part of Bill’s plan to get rid of Eric for good. I agree. It’s decided that Sookie will hide Eric and for her services Sookie wants compensation.
Jessica tells Hoyt what she did and he’s pissed, but not for long because Jess glamours him into forgetting. Convenient and she doesn’t feel good about doing it but she doesn’t want to lose Hoyt. She’s definitely going down a dark path with that move. She’s definitely Bill’s progeny.
Meanwhile Sookie is making sure Eric’s cubby is safe. Here’s a clip.
Lala, Tara and Jesus are back at L and J’s place having talking over the night’s events. Lala’s in favor of going to Fangtasia and throwing themselves upon Eric’s mercy. Tara and Jesus aren’t. They talk Lala out of it, or so they think.
Andy is sitting in the Merlotte’s parking lot and calling Jason since Jason has been missing for 48 hours. Without Jason, Andy can’t stay off the V. Sam appears suddenly and Andy loses it, threatening Sam verbally and with a gun before speeding off with his siren’s blazing.
Sookie visits Alcide in Shreveport asking for his help. At first he thinks Sookie wants him to kill Eric, but before she can tell him everything Debbie comes into the room. She’s clean and sober and she’s found Jesus. In her defense, she really does clean up good. She also wants to earn Sookie’s forgiveness, but I don’t believe it. Caught off guard, Sookie leaves. Alcide follows her outside and isn’t happy when Sookie tells him to nevermind helping with Eric, but she does wish him and Debbie well.
Tara finds Sookie at Merlotte’s and asks Sookie to talk to Eric. Sookie claims not to have seen Eric and that he’s gone missing. When Sam comes up to talk to Tara, Sookie makes a quick escape. Sam and Tara go outside for a drink and to catch up when Jesus shows up and says Lala’s gone. So he and Tara hop in her car off to Fangtasia.
Bill’s at a restaurant trying to get a hold of Eric and having no luck and he’s not happy about it. He’s also having a meeting with Portia and she propositions Bill. Bill accepts after clearly stating that he will never love her. Ouch! Jess gives Mikey the haunted doll and Tommy trying to get Sam to help him swindle Maxine out of her house. Tommy’s got a get rich quick scheme and Sam wants no part in it. He’ll also tell Maxine about the natural gas gold mine she could be sitting on if Tommy doesn’t. This infuriates Tommy and he storms out and that’s it for Sam and Tommy’s truce.
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