Home Featured TV Shows All TV Shows Movie Reviews Book Reviews Articles Frequently Asked Questions About Us

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
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

20 comments:

  1. Every time a vamp gets "uninvited" on this show –

    – BOOM –

    – Alanis' UNINVITED starts blaring in my head!

    Does that happen to anyone else?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good one, HBR! I should have used "Uninvited" instead of "Breaking up is hard to do." :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. The first time Bill was uninvited, I had to listen to the song after the episode ended. :)

    All of my friends are Eric/Sookie shippers. I think I may be the only viewer who is a Bill/Sookie shipper.

    I even love Alcide with Debbie and wish she hadn't followed him.

    Having written that, the llooovvvveeeee* scene between Eric and Sookie I haven't read the books) was pretty much perfect for me. I'm a winter guy, so the snow worked for me to great effect.


    I really thought Hoyt was killed off. He's not a main character and he's really not integral to any of the major ongoing plots – so he seemed like an expendable character. I'm glad he didn't die, though.



    *Their "love" scenes last so long, four letters don't work for me when mentioning it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Excellent episode, why only 3 bloody silver chains.

    Now that I know Eric's blood opens a secret door into Narnia I like him a little more.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hi! never posted before but I have been reading your reviews of True Blood for a couple years. I was surprised your top quote wasn't "there's no such thing as forever"-Sookie. It seems like Sookie & Eric are going to end as abruptly as they began- Sookie did not like Eric's battle lust, did you see the look after he ripped out Silver Tray's throat? And, darn it, if Bill hasn't got the 'better man' part
    down. Also not a fan of the werewolves, but Alcide scooping up Sookie under Eric & Bill's helpless noses & running away with her.... foreshadowing anyone?
    Billie, you're a gem.

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh I forgot, Tommy needs to die & Pam should get to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Not sure I picked up on the ghost's lover being a Bellefleur? If so, I am trying to do the math - depending on how old Miss Caroline is, what would that relationship be to her? Or to Bill even...? Too much!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Once the sex scene/Narnia similarity was pointed out online, my brain will never be clean again - argh....! I'm really not looking forward to Eric as Antonia's slave, I hate these plots where no one understands what anyone else is doing... I hope we get real Eric back soon, and with enough time for some fallout before the end of the series.

    I don't think Rene's ghost is around at all, and it never was - it was the woman all along, and she wrote 'baby not yours' because she meant it's hers - I wonder if this has anything to do with Arlene's attempt at magical abortion last season.

    I don't like the werewolf plots either, though I think there's going to be a lot of them next season. I'm also hoping that next season blends plots from Books 5 and 7 coz though I don't like 5 much, 7 is my second favourite (and I'll stop there before I spoil anything).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ok I am not sure how I feel about this week's episode! Te week's before was so amazing but this week left me with too many questions. First, where the heck is Nan Flanigan? Why is Tommy able to shift into Hoyt's mom? Can he shift into anyone? I thought it was only family members. Actually, I thought it was only into the person you killed. When Bill told Tara she knew why he saved her...uh why? Bc she is Sookie's friend? I don't recall her doing anything for Bill except hating his guts. So I'm thinking Antonia made Eric rip out that persons heart during their "war" by casting a spell in her head. New Eric would never do that right? Finally, I have zero interest in this mikey/French ghost/layfayette storyline. It's too slow! Oh and Alcide is my hero :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I thought the fairies were going to save Sookie after she was shot, slightly disappointed that it was only Alcide. And am I the only one who really likes Debbie? I felt really bad for her at the end.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Victor asked, "Am I the only one who really likes Debbie?" Well, she broke into Sookie's house and tried to kill her. She chomped on Bill as he was being tortured by Lorena. She cheated on Alcide and joined Russell Edgington's wolf pack. Granted, she's a lot more sympathetic now, but I'm not all that inclined to think kindly of her.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I like Debbie too, and though she did do many bad things, I take into consideration that she was a junkie. After she got on the wagon, she's been pretty reasonable and understanding. Not once has she lashed out at Alcide for clearly pining after Sookie. That takes a lot of restraint.

    I also liked Jessica acting mature and confronting Hoyt honestly; Jason acting as a real friend; Bill acting as a peace maker and Tara realizing she may have picked the wrong side. I think Tara has overstayed her welcome as a character, but I'd prefer to see her evolve into someone to be liked.

    Thanks, Juliette. I hadn't understood why Eric had killed the human mid-truce. That certainly pushed Antonia beyond the line from "sympathetic scorned avenger" to "ruthless villain" once and for all.

    By the way, one of the best parts of the season: Fiona Shaw's AWESOME acting. Love her!

    We still have 4 eps to go, but this has been the best season so far.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So, I don't want to post another Eric hate comment because I know they are useless and everybody hates them, but: Eric fans are willing to forgive Eric for a lot, so why not give Debbie a chance? I think a recovering drug addict is an interesting addition to True Blood's long list of morally ambiguous protagonists.

    I warmed to Debbie in season three because I liked her as a villain and found her trash talking hilarious "who are you calling bitch? Bitch!" But this season she has been very honest and patient with Alcide and she seems to be taking her sobriety seriously. So I am a fan, but part of me does wish she would become a crazy, trashy, villain again.

    ReplyDelete
  14. JR.......I wasn't thinking that either....but what if the man was Caroline's brother-in-law...AND Terry's father?? Or maybe the baby lived and is Terry's father?

    Erin.......per Luna's explanation, if a shifter killed a family member, they can shift into another human....any human.

    Victor......I don't like Debbie, but mostly because of book-Debbie...she was a mean, mean person......think of the look she got in her eyes when Marcus told he had a nice place and he told her he was single.....They would be a GruesomeTwosome.

    I think Bill saved Tara THIS time because he couldn't save her from Franklin and blow his cover.

    If Sam & Marcus tangled in the first season, my money would have been on Marcus; but seeing the "new" Sam, my money is on him. I have a theory how the Sam..Tommy..Marcus issue will resolve

    ReplyDelete
  15. Victor, I kind of like Debbie too (if we look down on her for attacking Sookie, we should look down on Bill, Eric, Pam, etc... they have all put her life at risk in many different ways). And without getting to Eric-hate, I still don't like the dumb-down Eric. And honestly, I haven't been too keen to the endless Eric-Sookie love scenes and kind of cavity-inducing-sweet-dialogue. I never thought I would come to think that Eric should put some clothes on and do something productive already. I miss the smart-mouthed leather-pant-wearing viking. Now all sarcastic relief is up to Pam.

    I don't think Bill is a saint (actually, none of the vamps are), but I am really enjoying the development of his character this season. He's finally got some depth. Bill and Sookie have some crazy chemistry (for obvious reasons), but I wonder when he will screw up again. I hope we will soon have hardcore Eric and multi-layered Bill at the same time. It sometimes seems that whoever hooks up with Sookie looses some depth, which is a shame because each of them are great characters on their own.

    I wish Eric hadn't turn into a vicious killer. I hope this is all a spell because the scenes in which he ripped someone apart and he is feeding on a witch like a wild animal will stay with me for a while.

    I have not read the books and it is really hard to talk to anyone about true blood without getting spoilers, so I really appreciate the effors you all make to comment on the show for the sake of the show and not based on the books (two thumbs up for you Billie!). It must be really hard to see these characters and take them away from what you already know about them, but so far I have enjoyed every comment in this board and have never felt that I've been told something I shouldn't know based on the TV show.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great comments from everybody! I just loved this episode. Thanks for this site BD.

    I loves me some Sookie/Eric Karma Sutra! It has to be beyond trippy. Jason & Amy (I can't remember her name) had some great trips and Amy was all human! (I'm not sure what the heck Jason is really). But Sookie/Bill never had that otherwordly sex ride the way Sookie/Eric are experiencing their time together. S/B were hot but this is in another dimension. Is this 'Oneness' deeper than the regular blood bond between Vampire & human blood exchange?

    Debbie: She is not the good girl on the wagon that I think people are seeing. She was sneaking to see Marcus & planning her join-up with the wolf pack without even a short discussion with Alcide. She is a thrill junkie first and foremost. It takes its form in drugs, sex, and adventure. She is attracted to the Alpha Male and I can see her intrigued by Marcus.

    Tara: I am a Tara/Rutina fan. Rutina is a wonderful actress. I can appreciate her acting skill even though I don't care for how one note her character is written sometimes. This episode Tara did seem perplexed that Antonia wanted to kill vampires but in the next breath she said she was all for getting rid of them all. I just hope her friendship with Sookie will not be jeopardized.

    Did Jason do the first real smart move in regards to a woman in his life by throwing Jessica out?

    Hoyt stood up for himself like a man. ' I don't want someone to take all the love I have and say it's not enough'.Good line. A bit rough in his other lines but who wants their heart broken?

    Cecila: I don't feel Eric is so much a vicious killer in the sense there is no reason behind his actions. He is true to his Viking King Warrior life. It was kill or be killed in that time. I actually think modern day Eric has been neutered some. Remember the Austin vampire hotel when he paid the human hooker to pretend to be afraid while he fed on her? His nature is this ancient nature.

    Sam Merlotte- I wouldn't mess with that man. He has already snuffed two people. He is doing his best to control his nature but the man has notches on his belt wolfies!

    Gus: Yes, yes, yes! I am mesmerized by the actress Fiona Shaw. Her Marnie/Antonia is this season's Denis O'Hare/Russell Edgington. They are brilliant. TB cast...bow to the standard they set!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ok I hate book Debbie and show Debbie mostly bc she is all up on my one true love...Alcide Hevroux that hunk o man!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Good episode but the whole Eric/Sookie is starting to bother me. I mean, she hates him but apparently it only takes him to lose his memory for Sookie to fall head over heels? I don´t buy it.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Just re-watched this one. The Narnia thing will never stop being wrong! This is what you get for going in naked via the shower entrance...

    ReplyDelete

We love comments! We moderate because of spam and trolls, but don't let that stop you! It’s never too late to comment on an old show, but please don’t spoil future episodes for newbies.