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

True Blood: Whatever I Am, You Made Me

"Just imagine it's a training bra."

Yummy. More flashbacks.

So far this season, my favorite scenes have all been Pam in 1905. And this episode's installment was the best so far. We not only got Bill and Lorena being very naughty with one of Pam's girls, we also saw Eric making love with the human Pam, and the reveal that she longs to be a vampire herself because she hates her life and doesn't want to die alone of syphilis. Slashing her wrists and arms in order to get Eric to turn her was actually quite touching.

(What fun that we also got to see Eric and Bill meeting, and clashing, for the first time. Was their relationship always combative? Eric was a much nicer and more human-friendly vamp than Bill back in the day. Bill has no excuse, other than the influence of the evil Lorena; he wasn't a baby vamp at the time, after all.)

Of course, we're getting these flashbacks to Pam's beginnings because we're now seeing Tara as a confused and violent baby vampire. (I hope we're going to get to see Pam flashbacks as a baby vampire, too.) The opening scene with Tara experiencing her new and exciting vampire senses was, again, right out of Anne Rice; Dan even started quoting Interview with the Vampire while we were watching it. Interesting that Tara is suicidal as a vampire, while Pam was suicidal as a human, although I'm betting the tanning bed at Curl Up & Fry was more of a cry for help. After all, if a vampire is seriously suicidal, all they have to do is wait for the sun to come up, like Godric did.

Debbie Pelt's parents have shown up and the search for Debbie is on. I was surprised and perturbed that Sookie told Alcide exactly what happened. Alcide has been somewhat blind to reality where Debbie is concerned, so what if his love for his ex kicks in and makes him do something stupid? (It was self-defense, for the most part. Sookie really should have called the cops, one of which is her brother.) At least Sookie and Lafayette are still supporting each other, although Lala is having trouble with the Debbie Pelt deception and the fact that his cousin is sleeping in the walk-in at Merlotte's. (How were they feeding their customers without access to the walk-in?)

I was pretty unhappy to see Jesus's demon face show up in Lafayette's mirror image. This can't be good. And we still don't know where Jesus's body is.

I liked the Guardian, Roman, a little better this time than last. And Salome is a piece of work, isn't she? She seduced Bill and Eric and was in bed with Roman at the end of the episode. Roman was definitely walking the talk about humans and mainstreaming and Salome appears to be his secret weapon, but she has some Sanguinista leanings, doesn't she? And what fun that she's the Salome, of John the Baptist fame. Although the way she told it made it sound like she was just an abused teenager.

Finally, after running into a former teacher who was his first lover, Jason is starting to see his bed-hopping behavior as it really is -- an unsuccessful attempt to fill the empty emotional holes he has inside him. A hot affair with Jessica just isn't enough for him any more, and you know what? I like him for it. Ryan Kwanten has done such a good job with his character that it's working for me. And I absolutely despised Jason in season one. Bravo, Ryan Kwanten.

Way too many plot lines, recapped:

-- So Steve Newlin is the new Nan Flanagan. Perfect for his character. I liked Nan, but I love Steve.

-- Tina Majorino from Veronica Mars works for Authority and fit Eric and Bill with their very own extremely fatal iStakes. Again, hilarious.

-- Nora confessed to being a Sanguinista and is slated for execution. Did she do it to protect Eric?

-- Terry is leaving with his war buddy Patrick and he's not saying why. And I still don't care.

-- Andy managed to take a nude picture with a nasty caption pretty much in stride. After being such a mess for so long, he does seem to be more on top of things this season, at least so far. And he appears to be happy with Holly in spite of her horrible sons.

-- Who was the male fairy who was picking up a dress for his sister at "Tracy's Togs"? I'm betting it's a book character named Claude.

-- Wow, that's a new look for Hoyt. The eyeliner, the desperation; he wants to be eaten. I bet Pam was thinking about her dead working girls as she was looking at Hoyt.

-- Not so much as a glimpse of Russell Edgington this week. He's probably still bingeing his way through innocent bystanders.

Other bits and pieces:

-- Pam called Sookie "Tinker Bell" right before she whacked her and Sookie fairy-zapped her back. That was fun.

-- Counselor Rosalyn said her maker was a pioneer and a true mainstreamer, but didn't mention his name. Are we going to meet him?

-- Miss Steeler named her cat "Prince Charming." That's sort of sad.

-- Pam is always gorgeous (except when she was a zombie) and this week, in flashbacks and the present, she was even more gorgeous. Just saying.

-- In this week's hair report, Jessica, honey, the braid thing doesn't work. Stop screwing up that glorious red hair.

Quotes:

Roman: "I have dedicated my guardianship to the fight for coexistence, and I will not see it go swirling down the shitter because of one ancient pissed off psychopath."

Sookie: "Eric and I... and Bill ... are over."
Funny how she mentioned both of them together. Maybe there really is a menage coming along at some point.

Pam: "Go back to dry humping each other and buying my overpriced drinks or get the fuck out!"

Steve: "Excuse me, sir, but says who? Elvis was spotted buying turkey jerky at a Seven Eleven in Yakima last Thursday, but that doesn't mean he's still alive."
That had to be a little tribute to Bubba, a character in the books.

Bill: "How do you trigger these devices?"
Tina Majorino: "There's an app for that."

Tina Majorino: "You guys are too cute to be goo."
I'll second that.

Salome: "Don't believe everything you read. The human Bible, it's little better than Us Weekly."

Salome: "I was just a girl with a severely fucked up family."
Bill: "So you didn't ask for a man's head on a silver platter?"
Salome: "Politics."

Three out of four San Francisco flashbacks,

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

18 comments:

  1. I loved this episode!!! LOVED IT!!!

    So far this season seems a lot like the first season, which is a good thing.

    Bill was vicious back in the day. I mean, really hot headed and vicious.

    I bet they end up revealing Jason has a kid with the teacher.

    With this Salome story, they're moving into Anne Rive vamp territory – all the older vamps popping up to take down an even older, ancient vamp is like QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, which I don't mind, since QUEEN OF THE DAMNED is my favorite Anne Rice vamp book.

    Hoyt looked sexy all goth! I'm not into goths, but Hoyt looked hot.

    I think Jess is going to be captured by the fairies and held hostage to get Bill to bring them Sookie.

    Can't my beloved Alcide comb his hair and shave?

    I think Pam is going to save Tara, nurse her back to health and teach her how to live as a vamp. That's why they've been showing the flashbacks to Pam recalling her the days leading up to her being made a vamp.

    Pam has to teach Tara to level off and learn to unlive as a vamp.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved Pam's flashback. What seperates her from the other vampires is that most of them were forced into becoming a vampire. Bill, Tara, Jessica were all forced, Eric accepted it but he was on the brink of death anyway. Pam is the only vampire character to really want to become one. You heard Eric, he said all the women he's met in his life as a vampire have feared death, but she embraced it.

    As far as the Lilith controversy goes, I think the Authority worship Lilith as simply the first vampire somehow made after humans, but not the first being created in god's image. Lilith seems to be somewhat of a messiah in the vampire world, but vampires have a split view about her. After all, look at how all these different religions view god.

    I rambled too much, but hopefully the writers that clear that up pretty soon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm also loving the Pam flashbacks (more Pam is never a bad thing), but I can't help feeling that they would've worked better if they were all in the same episode, rather than spread out over many.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Mark, I thought the same thing last week. I agree it would've been better for one whole episode of flashbacks, but at the same time we seem to be getting alot of them, so I'm fine with them spreading out across episodes since it gives us at least one thing to look forward to each episode. If there is one thing this season is doing right, it's that there is more Pam.

    ReplyDelete
  5. "In this week's hair report, Jessica, honey, the braid thing doesn't work. Stop screwing up that glorious red hair."

    Amen.

    Debbie's father was played by Tara's father on Buffy, right? "Family"?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think you're right, Josie. I'm told on the True-Blood.net site that Jason's Miss Steeler is the first Mrs. Don Draper from Mad Men, too. And someone suggested that Prince Charming might be an enchanted human. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm really enjoying the Authority storyline and especially this season. Maybe because I've loved Lucy Griffiths since Robin Hood and you can't go wrong with Christopher Meloni being un-Elliot Stabler-like as Roman.

    Although I have issues with Peter Mensah as one of the chancellors because of Spartacus. Oh, Doctore.

    I'm really hoping Nora doesn't meet her True Death. I'm also hoping we get some Godric/Eric/Nora flashbacks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This episode was wonderful and your review was spot-on, Billie!

    So jealous of Salome! She sleeps with Bill, Eric AND Roman (who looked crazy buff) all within ONE episode!?!?

    Also, LOVE Mac the vampire. I hope they keep her reoccurring!

    Pam has always been a favorite and after seeing her tarnished last year with the zombie makeup, I'm glad she's getting to shine this season! It's lovely seeing her memories of Eric surface with Eric's disappearance but then be transferred to motherly feelings for Tara. Poor Tara can't catch a motherly break but Pam will at least be more fun than Lettie Mae.

    And I totally concur about Jessica. I have rarely wanted to reach through the screen so badly to undo a braid. I liked the green highlights a LOT better!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I liked the Pam flashback and since last week, was dying to see more. But this episode was not very interesting and dull, I have to say.
    And I find myself wishing that Tara would just be gone!

    ReplyDelete
  10. @Billie I thought the same thing about the cat, Prince Charming. I noticed this because when Jason was going through his list of bad relationships he seemed to almost mention that Crystal was a werepanther but the cat looked at him like he was saying 'don't tell her that, it's secret' almost like the cat knew what he was going to say. Plus the fact that the cat doesn't like anyone she dates...

    Thanks for the great reviews! I look forward to reading them every week. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I was worried about this season -- too many shows try to tackle religious themes only to end up screwing up everything that made the shows great to begin with (Lost being the classic example, Supernatural being the exception of religious themes done right). But I am really getting on board with this season.

    I didn't think I could buy Chris Meloni as a vampire, but after this episode I'm sold. He has the commanding presence that role needs, and he's sexy to boot. I did notice that they covered up Meloni's tattoos, probably because they look recent and I imagine Roman is very old.

    Love, love, love Pam. Had I contributed to the "Sexy Female Actor" discussion, most of my love would have been for her. I'm liking the meld of strength and vulnerability. I also think they made a good move in having her choose to become a vampire. In one of the books, Pam tells Sookie that she felt she was born to be a vampire, and this creation story, though very different from the book, keeps to that idea. More Pam and Eric flashbacks please! And I can even tolerate vampire Tara if it means getting more Pam.

    KAM

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great comments, everyone. I do think they made the right decision to give Pam some serious screen time, and I agree that it makes Tara's plotline a lot more interesting.

    I can't believe I didn't even think of the possibility that our kitty Prince Charming might be a book callback. Without getting too much into book spoilers, there is a situation in the later books with a witch accidentally turning her boyfriend into a cat. I try pretty hard not to consider book stuff when watching the series, and everything else this season seems pretty non-book-like. That's my excuse, I'm sticking with it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am agreement with all the commentary about Pam-she is one of my favourite book/show characters, and I love we are getting to see her vulnerable side, and look forward to her as a 'mamma'. That speech Eric made about being a maker certainly hints at some interesting character development for both her and Tara.
    I am surprised no-one else has commented about the 'sloppy seconds' comment from Bill. I literally spat my drink all over the tv I laughed so hard. Eric looked devastated he was Salomes 'seconds'. . I am really enjoying the budding bromance here between Eric and Bill despite their entrenced dislike of each other.
    And I must admit i was green with envy for Salomé’s night of conquests---what a woman!
    I am actually enjoying Alcide this season so far. He is developing into an interesting character and showing some major backbone, he has changed so much from early last season.
    To be honest I am finding Sookie annoying? Ever since her non-decision regarding her relationship with Eric (and Bill), I have found her character annoying. I know the show is different from the books, but her strength (and growth as a person) is so fundamental to her 'story' in general, so finding her tv character a bit of a letdown at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Josie, thank you! It was driving me crazy trying to work out where I knew him from.

    I'm enjoying this season, it's bringing on a major True Blood Moment and a DVD marathon. But please True Blood, PLEASE, no more fairies...

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'll just add to the Pam love. She's awesomeness personified. The flashbacks and her new relationship with Tara add a real humanity to her and that's very cool.

    I actually choked up for Jason this week and I never thought that would happen. Kwanten did a very moving job showing just how badly Jason was hurting. I loved Jessica's reaction to it as well, she's another character who has come on leaps and bounds.

    ReplyDelete
  16. "I actually choked up for Jason this week and I never thought that would happen. Kwanten did a very moving job showing just how badly Jason was hurting. I loved Jessica's reaction to it as well, she's another character who has come on leaps and bounds." I completely agree!!! That was a really great scene. And I'm on the "Pam is awesome train" as well. Stressed about Laf seeing that mask....

    ReplyDelete
  17. This was the first episode this season that I actually enjoyed and I think it's because it didn't have Terry and Arlene or the sinfully boring Sam and Luna weighing it down. I actually really like Terry and Arlene and the ghost/baby story last year was my favourite storyline of the season, but their story this year is painfully uninteresting.

    I particularly enjoyed Salome and I hope we get to see a lot more of her. And I want to see more Fangbanger Hoyt!

    I was also intrigued by Jason's story this episode. I found the hotshot story last season to be so offensive. The writers made a very big deal when Tara was raped in the third season (and rightfully so) but they brushed Jason's rape off completely. I really hope they use Jason's new storyline to explore the emotional ramification of what happened to him.

    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.