Original Airdate: July 13, 2014
Alcide is dead. If you didn’t know that, you’ve been under a rock all week. Last week’s shocking moment left many fans saddened, but star Joe Manganiello hinted in an interview that he knew it was coming. Sookie would never end up with Alcide. It just wasn’t in the cards, and he clearly loved her too much to let her go…which meant he needed to go.
Jackson, Mississippi. Big Daddy is back. Alcide’s father is in the middle of some hanky panky with a girl when he gets a call from Sookie. She tells Jackson that Alcide is “gone.” Jackson sinks into a chair in shock. (Did you notice the color of his eyes?)
In Alaska, Hoyt Fontenberry gets a call from Jason. Jason has some bad news. “She passed last night,” Jason says. Hoyt bursts into tears when Jason reveals that she died, so Jason tries to console him. The thing about it is that Hoyt can’t remember who Jason is.
Sookie asks Jackson how soon he can get to Bon Temps, and he says he will get there as soon as possible. He takes a moment to say that his relationship with Alcide was distant, but Alcide truly loved Sookie. Sookie says she loved him, too. She gets off the phone in time to see Jason finish his conversation with Hoyt, and Jason remarks that Hoyt is so polite. The fact is, Hoyt can’t remember Jason. Jason starts to fall apart but Sookie tells him he has to stay strong. Andy is with Holly so Jason is the law now. He has to be strong for everyone else. She wants to fall apart as well, but if she has to man up, so does Jason.
Cue the credits. Did anyone else notice how many names have been added to the cast?
Anubis Air is flying high. Eric has his face buried between the legs of the flight attendant who is giving him a rundown of the flight plan. Their destination is Baton Rouge; Pam thinks Sarah Newlin will try to contact the Senator. However, Eric wants to go to Shreveport. After alerting the flight attendant that she is now a carrier of Hep-V (which will cause her to lose her job), Eric orders the plane to change its destination. Pam is furious; she hates Shreveport. Eric wants to go after Willa. He is saddened that Pam lost her progeny, but he has an obligation to Willa. Besides, he adds with a grin, it will be a walk down memory lane for the two of them.
Shreveport, 1986. The Magister of Louisiana greets Pam and Eric and says that he’s about to pronounce their punishment. He gestures to an old video store. “This place smells of sperm and piss and bad hair dye,” he says. And it is theirs. They can use it to run a business. That’s their punishment. The Magister gives them a tour. Inside their new store they have every movie you can conceive of, along with a whole array of movie theater-style candy. Downstairs it also includes the largest selection of porn in Louisiana. Beyond the door in the back is a Civil War-era tunnel used during the Underground Railroad. The Magister informs Eric that the Authority will take a part of his income, and they’re also making him Sheriff of Area 5 so that they can keep an eye on him. The Magister hands them the keys to their new lives.
Sookie, Sam and Jason arrive at Arlene’s house to see how her kids are holding up. (How weird is it to see Sookie in jeans and a shirt?) The kids are feeling like they’re in a glass house. Sookie levels with them like equals. She tells the kids that Arlene is tough and she’s fighting hard to get back to them. That’s why they have to keep fighting. Sookie is going to help Holly remember where Arlene is. Andy is reluctant to let Sookie make Holly remember, but Sookie persists and they get inside Holly’s bedroom. Holly gives Sookie a big hug for her loss. Holly looks awful. She can’t remember much after the mixer. Her memory is blank after that. They join hands and Sookie sees her memory of being fed on at the creek. She remembers that they took her outside, and then she sees Fangtasia. Holly bursts into tears and Andy looks to Sookie for advice on what to do with her. “We like to be held,” she says. He holds her while she cries.
Sam and Jason take off for Fangtasia. Sam is worried about Nicole and the baby at Fangtasia. Sam turns around and heads to Shreveport. Jason pulls out his gun and tells Sam not to make a bad decision. They need the vampires to help them. Sam yells and stops the car, forcing Jason to drive. Sam refuses to be the one driving away from his family.
At Bill’s house, Jessica moans in her sleep. James tells her that she needs to eat. The bullet wound isn’t healing because she won’t eat, but she doesn’t think so. James is frustrated. He goes to get Bill, which pisses her off. Bill comes in and asks how long this has been going on. He means business. James tells Bill she hasn’t been eating for ten weeks. He doesn’t see how she can be protecting Adilyn and not getting any blood in return. Jessica is afraid that she’ll kill Adilyn. Sookie arrives downstairs and Jessica welcomes her up to her “intervention.” Sookie chases the boys out so that she can tell Jessica she doesn’t give a shit about the dead faeries. Everyone she knows is dying and she’s going to need help rescuing Arlene. So Jessica needs to feed to be able to help. Jessica’s eyes are as big as saucers, but she quickly agrees. Sookie storms from the room, telling James to call Lafayette and telling Bill that they need to talk.
Back in 1986, a young starry-eyed Ginger comes into the video store looking for a list of vampire films. Pam is impressed that she’s looking for the good vampire films, and explains that she’s taking a class at Tulane about “The Other” in society, and the class is examining issues vis-à-vis the vampire myth. She laughs innocently and assures Pam that she’s not crazy and she doesn’t think vampires exist. That is, until Eric walks in all smoldering and badass with his swept back hair and black shirt and pants. Eric introduces himself. Ginger sees that Eric needs help and asks for an application.
Jason and Sam arrive at Rosie’s house to inform her of Kevin’s passing. She thinks she might be under arrest for her actions the night before, but Sam says she isn’t in trouble. They tell her that Kevin is gone. They explain that Holly revealed that he had died but they haven’t recovered the body. Jason assures her that they will avenge his death.
Bill tells Sookie that he’ll call upon as many vampires as he can, but the Bon Temps vampires have already lost a lot and there isn’t much in it for them to go to Shreveport. He’s doing this for her because she has given him everything. Sookie seems to make a decision, and then she offers him “lunch” so that he’s at his strongest. Bill can’t resist an offer like that.
Upstairs, Lafayette arrives. Jessica is in tears and she’s upset with James. Lafayette senses the tension and tells James to movie aside so he can do his thing. Jessica is having trouble understanding how immortal vampires have to prey upon innocent humans. Lala tells her that he’s not so innocent; he killed the man he loves. James is shocked by this and wants to go to him, but instead he watches as Jessica finally feeds.
- Ginger arrives at the store with a huge throne-chair for him. Pam says she’s late, but Ginger points out that she found this “shitty chair” and it may be the start of a new future now that vampires have come out. Pam is listening. Ginger has a vision of a nightclub that pushes sex by putting Eric on a throne until people are so horny they throw down their money for drinks. Pam loves the idea. She even loves Ginger’s name: Fangtasia. She loves it so much that she glamours Ginger into forgetting that it was her idea to begin with. Eric laughs on the plane as Pam finishes the story, calling her a bitch with a huge smile on his face. She asks if he still loves her. “Always,” he says.
Night has fallen and there are cars in Bill’s driveway. There are only a few uninfected vampires who showed up, including James’ bass player, Keith. Jason attempts a rousing speech but there’s no reaction. Bill recalls the battle of Normandy but is interrupted by a knock at the door. He opens it to find Pam and Eric standing there. “Pam says you wrote a book in which you claim not to be an asshole anymore. Is this true, Bill?” Bill’s eyes are fixed on the Hep-V infection spreading across Eric’s chest. He tells Bill that he’s only a month along in the disease. Stage One. Sookie comes to the door and hugs Eric, who takes her into his arms with relish. Pam groans. She reminds Eric that they have a Christian to kill, and that they’re there to find Willa.
In a dark alley, Willa is about to feed on a teen when her Maker calls upon her. She rolls her eyes and says that she hates him.
Bill shows Eric and Sookie to his office and leaves them. They face each other and he asks how she is. “Shitty,” she says, and she tells him about Alcide. Eric starts to question the fact that she was with a werewolf, but she interrupts and says he died that morning. Without hesitation, Eric pulls her into his arms and holds her. (Just like the advice she gave to Andy) She asks where he was, and Eric tells her that he’d traveled the world, starting with Sweden, where he triggered an avalanche. He wanted to see the world one last time. He gets serious and asks what kind of trouble she’s in. Willa interrupts and demands answers. He abandoned her when she was two weeks old. Eric uses his power to command her to wait until later. Eric and Sookie go outside, where Pam had been telling Bill that they’re walking into a bloodbath. Eric jabs Bill by pointing out that they’re outnumbered, but he knows a secret way into Fangtasia. Bill is most unpleased that Eric is back. He gives Sookie a look before they all drive off.
A rat makes its way through the Underground Railroad. The women scream when it comes into the dungeon. But it’s Sam. Arlene can’t figure out what she’s just seen, but Nicole is elated to see him. He promises that there are good vampires outside waiting to rescue them and that they just need to hold tight. He turns back into a rat and scurries off, but the door opens upstairs. The women scream.
Outside, Eric punches a wall and makes a small dent. Bill pushes him aside and blasts the wall out with one hit. Eric is clearly too weak. Sam returns and says the women are right where they’re supposed to be. Eric and Bill start to leave, but Pam stops Eric, telling him that she’s going. Eric can’t argue, and he watches helplessly as they leave. Pam and Bill arrive to find that the vampires have taken Arlene. Bill says he’s going to rescue Arlene. Pam gives him some advice-Sookie will not be his. Not now, not ever. So don’t blow it. He runs upstairs to and sees that they’re feasting on Arlene. Bill is about to intervene when Eric knocks on the door and says that he’s brought a human with him. The Hep-V vamps smell Sookie’s blood. Bill rolls his eyes when Eric comes in and takes control of the scene. He warns them that he brought some friends…and that’s when Bill and everyone else burst into the room. However, Vince and Rosie and Kenya decide that they want to take out the vampire bar as well. They blast the place with Molotov cocktails, so the Hep-V vamps flee into the parking lot. They kill a few members of Vince’s gang, and then they meet the healthy vamps for a battle. Meanwhile, Sookie is inside with Arlene, who is about to die. Bill rushes in and prevents a man from staking Eric (thus proving that he’s no longer an asshole) and then he has t hurry out to save Jessica. Sookie tells Eric to find a healthy vampire to save Arlene, but Eric looks pretty spent himself. Arlene isn’t going to make it. She starts to hear Terry calling out to her. Sookie can see what she’s seeing and Terry is there with her. Jason blows a vampire away and rushes in with Keith, who gives Arlene her blood. Terry tells Arlene that she can’t come with him because she needs to be there with their kids. She gasps and comes back to life.
Outside, the healthy vampires rejoice at their victory. Pam panics when she can’t find Eric, but he’s in a minivan feeding on a guy. “I had to eat,” he says. He goes inside and sees Sookie holding Arlene. He smiles at her, and Sookie smiles back.
I have to tell you—I think this is one of the best episodes of True Blood ever. It was so incredibly well written, and so packed with drama, that I had to watch it twice to be able to recap it. It blew me away. I can only hope that the season continues this way. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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