Recap 4.8 True Blood “Spellbound”

Eric: “We will be one.”

Fabulous episode. Well, okay, the end threw me off a bit. Probably because it didn’t end. Rather than cliffhanging, it left us in midstream, with every major character stuck in serious mist-filled crap. Did Bill intend to double-cross Antonia and take her out? If he did, it backfired. Sookie got shot. Bill got silvered. Eric got spelled for a second time. (Damn.) Tune in next week, I guess. Like I wouldn’t.

Love is the drug

How cool is it that Eric and Sookie can get stoned out of their minds on each other’s blood? Could any Sookie/Eric shipper possibly be disappointed in all the lush, romantic love scenes we’ve gotten in these past few episodes? I don’t want this to be the end for them, and how could it be when they have just forged an incredibly strong and sexy blood bond that I assume will continue after Eric is no longer spellbound? It just might put any other love affair in the shade, so to speak.

The bed in the snowstorm reminded me of Jason’s V hallucinations in season one. I was thinking that the snowflakes were probably the hallucination equivalent of a shower, since that’s where the scene started. And the two of them in bed talking about their love for each other felt a lot like the dream Sookie had a couple of seasons ago, didn’t it?

(A brief book-related segue. A lot of the book fans have been unhappy about the lack of certain scenes from the books, but I’m personally okay with what we’re getting. In the books, Sookie referred to sex with Eric as “gourmet sex.” That’s what we just got.)

Breaking up is hard to do

Last week’s cliffhanger had Jessica about to meet the sun. Knew it wouldn’t happen. Jason did indeed arrive in time, and they shared a near death kiss on the floor of Bill’s foyer. It was apparently enough to make Jessica realize it was time to break up with Hoyt, and she did it twice — in a dream sequence that made it all Hoyt’s fault, and in reality, where it was all Jessica’s fault. Honestly, I don’t think it was either. They were young and impulsive (I’m including Hoyt because while he’s older, he’s immature and inexperienced) and they both have a lot of growing up to do.

I again have to give Jason credit for tossing Jessica out the door. Or uninviting her, just as Hoyt did. Not that I think Jessica belongs with Jason. I’m not sure any woman belongs with Jason.

That’s when I fell for… the leader of the pack. Vroom.

The wolf pack stuff surprised me by actually getting interesting. (I am not a fan of the werewolf plots.) Marcus the packmaster impressed me with his logic and smarts by instructing his wolves to stay the heck out of the vampire/witch conflict. And then the other shoe dropped. Because Bon Temps is so incredibly small that every character is related to another, Marcus turned out to be Luna’s violently jealous ex-husband. And Alcide just crossed him by rescuing Sookie from the cemetery. Alcide also lied to Debbie, whom Alcide somehow didn’t notice galloping behind him in the cemetery. Debbie did not look happy, either.

Marcus is ready to make shifter mincemeat out of Sam for daring to play Barbies with Emma. I wouldn’t underestimate Sam if I were you, Marcus. He may seem like just a fluffy puppy, but he has some serious teeth on him.

Bits and pieces:

— Bill’s human bodyguards. Sucks to be them.

— Maxine Fortenberry got to mimic Tommy this time. Loved it. Especially the excessive profanity and her hair standing on end, and Tommy stalking off in Maxine drag.

— Sam is already sounding like he might forgive Tommy. This latest caper might change his mind.

— We got some background on the lovely black ghost. She was apparently involved with a married Bellefleur awhile back (1920s, maybe?), and he killed their baby to cover up their affair. I bet he killed her, too. Does she just want her baby back, and Mikey is the only Bellefleur baby available? How is Rene’s ghost involved, if he is?

— Lafayette has been possessed by every ghost he encounters lately. Not fun for him. Let’s hope Rene really isn’t around.

— Bill saved Tara from Pam. And Tara didn’t know Antonia was killing vamps; she just thought the spell was to protect themselves. Which leaves us with the possibility of Tara changing sides.

— Pam is looking like herself again. The shots are working. Ick.

— Alan Ball wrote this episode. One thing he often did on Six Feet Under was stuff on television relating somehow to the story. In Jessica’s dream, Hoyt was watching a documentary that mentioned tenth century Viking skulls, something that of course pertains to Eric, a tenth century Viking.

Quotes:

Sookie: “I’m trusting you, Eric.”
Eric: “I won’t betray you. Ever.”
Sookie: “I may remind you of that someday.”
And I’m sure she will.

Hoyt: “I don’t want someone better than you. I want you!”

Andy: “Dead vampire. Should I call the coroner, or sanitation?”
Lusting after a pile of dead Beulah. Very nice, Andy.

Jason: “Seriously? You would eat a pile of dead vampire Beulah Carter? Off the ground? You are one sad sorry freak, Bubba. Get a fucking grip.”
Andy: “Jesus tits and God America, Jason, what the fuck is happening to me?”
Did Andy really say “Jesus tits and God America”, or did I hear it wrong?

Reporter: “Are vampire suicides common?”
Bill: “Sadly, yes. Many vampires feel alone and confused, programmed to despise themselves by all the hateful and incendiary anti-vampire rhetoric in the media.”
And anyone who doesn’t think vampires on this show function as a gay metaphor should substitute the word “gay” for “vampire” in this exchange and see for themselves.

Eric: “My liege.”
Sookie: “My… Bill.”

Three out of four bloody silver chains,

Billie Doux

(Billie Doux and her contributing writers review science fiction, fantasy and cult television shows at BillieDoux.com.)