Overall – Sunday’s episode of True Blood was my favorite of the season so far. The characters were taken to new levels in terms of nuance and layers. The story moved, but even in moments of heightened drama – the characters stayed grounded and true to themselves for the most part. I can divide my likes and dislikes in this episode into two categories – each represented by a line of dialogue from Bill. The first “Most of us Vampire, human or otherwise are capable of both good and evil.”  The other – “Petulant, dangerous, and  afraid.” – key word, petulant.

“Hating evil is really, loving good.” This for me captures the central theme of this episode. Life is full of mind bending shades of gray. People…and in this case Vampires are capable of both good and evil, not a revolutionary concept. But an important one. I am seeing a real parallel between the Fellowship of the Sun storyline with Jason, and the Maryanne storyline with Tara. Maryanne is so seductive to Tara, not necessarily because of the luxury and opulence, though that must be nice. But because she is telling her what she so desperately needs to hear. She has spent a lifetime caretaking for others; she does need and deserve someone to support, to love to believe in her. What Maryanne is saying is all true, which makes her so appealing, but the message is coming with an unplayable price. My only complaint about this storyline can be dropped into the “petulance” category. I would rather see Tara struggle more internally, with more subtlety, than dramatically yo yo between loving and hating Maryanne.  It would move me more to see her real needs being fulfilled and then seeing, despite herself or wanting to, the danger and chaos that is attached to that fulfillment. So that when she does have to choose, the choice is painful and deeply felt.

I absolutely love this week’s development with Jason and the Fellowship of the Sun and Sarah. First, I just absolutely love the way the actress, Anna Camp,  is playing this character, she is funny and even though I in no way indentify with her, somehow I can relate to her and understand where she is coming from.  Again, you can see how seductive what she is offering is to Jason, and I ain’t just talkin about her puddin’. She is offering clarity in a world that has gone impossibly cloudy for him. A world where his best friend, a man, killed his grandmother and the love of his life and he may have been culpable in the murder of a man he liked, who was already technically dead. Jason does not like feeling confused, he does not like feeling guilty. He is not one who is comfortable with complex moral issues. They are telling him exactly what he so desperately wants to hear. The world is full of good and evil and you Jason, are on the side of good, you Jason are special. It’s so easy to see how he would get confused and how he is trying so hard to understand right from wrong. I really look forward to Jason step more deeply into ambiguity.

Staying with the theme of ambiguity, I was very pleased to see that Lafayette not was turned, as I felt he would lose the dimension of vulnerability that is so essential to his character if he was. We saw him at his most vulnerable in this episode. And his breakdown was all the more moving as a result of the patience taken in his development to date.

I love the exchange between Bill and Eric where Bill calls Jessica “Petulant, dangerous, and afraid.” And Eric responds with “I’m glad o see you two are bonding.” Eric is able to school others with such wit and subtlety. Eric’s character is another one cloaked in shades of grey. Sookie seeks to see him in a black and white way. He hurt my friend, he is evil. However though his justice is not one we would agree with, it is in some way – justice. It is not, and was not arbitrary hate and torture. He shows real concern for his missing friend and he saved her life. I like what I am seeing in terms of their relationship. The slow evolution of her appeal for him, and what I believe will eventually be her own conflicted response to him. I believe Sookie will have to accept more complex dimensions of herself and her view of the world as the series develops and I am very much looking forward to that. I loved the exchange between Bill and Sookie, it was both loving and real. And closer to how I imagine they would interact with each other. I did sort of miss the makeup sex.

Jessica’s character took a more positive turn for me this episode. I felt for her. I had more compassion for her. I am more interested in her, though I would still rather focus on our central characters, I related to her more and was intrigued by the development between her characters and Hoyts.

One thing I’d like to see adjusted in the coming weeks is Sam’s storyline. This also falls under the “petulant” category. He is not acting like the same Sam that we saw last season, his behavior seems erratic, irrational, and kind of childish. Why is he running way, and then not, and then he is. The truth is Maryanne has not threatened him. If he believes she is dangerous, well then he would do a better job of warning those he cares about. Either way, leave or don’t, but stop yelling at everyone. The reveal with Daphne at the end of the episode was interesting. I have a few theories about what it was that attacked Sookie and why it may involve Daphne. However, I have read the books and do not want to say anything that would ruin it for someone who hasn’t. 

Hopes for next episode: I hope they will continue to develop a ballsy Sookie, like the one we saw this week. However, I’d like to see her with more wit and grit and a bit less…holier than though fit throwing. I do not believe she would be reckless enough to haul off and smack Eric. Not with her own life and Lafayette’s at stake. However, I do like her sass and their relationship as it is developing. I hope to see more of a meeting of wits and the mind in their future. What I take away from this episode as a through line for the season to come is that it’s hard to tell where to draw the line between what is evil and what is good, and for the most part – that line and the attempt to create it in absolutes creates the darkest of evils.

- Roth