Talk us through itAfter waking up to find Sam naked at the end of her bed Sookie gets the low down on Sam's secret and also that there are few other things that go bump in the night roaming around the countryside. Later she is attacked at Merlottes during Arlene and Rene's engagement party and get's a mental image from her attacker, the local psychopath. Tara fans get to see their favourite feisty gal undergoing an exorcism and facing up to her own personal demon. Whether or not the exorcist Miss Jeanette is the real deal remains a moot point as Tara's mum Lettie Mae continues on her road to full sobriety. Meanwhile Jason has formed a real bound with the kidnapped Vampire Eddie and is starting to see some cracks in Amy's schlock. With Lafayette on his arse for letting the cat out of the bag Jason will be moved to take decisive action for once in his life with fatal consequences. Bill faces up to his crime of killing another vampire as he goes before the Magister, the most senior Vampire in North America. Eric reluctantly comes to his aid and states that Sookie is "valuable". Bill does get sentenced but it's not what he or we were expecting, Bill is forced to turn a human.
Review"Well, you haven't bored me. That works in your favor. And you seem to be obedient to your sheriff." - MagisterBesides finding out that Sam is a shape shifter with a penchant for turning into a dog Sookie discovers a few more things about what could be creeping around in the undergrowth surrounding Bon Temps. Sam is at pains to point out he isn't a werewolf, darn there's one theory that didn't pan out, but indicates categorically that lycans do actually exist. Now okay I'm not about to go down Sookie's path and think that her Gran was the victim of a lupine rampage but the concept that lycanthropes do exist in the True Blood universe has been established and I wouldn't mind betting that at some stage in the future we will be wondering about what big teeth one or more characters have. On the bright side of the fang we at least know Sam's secret and get an insight into aspects of his life. It also explains why Detective Andy can't find any information about Sam prior to him buying up local property. If you were a dog chances are that the only information available would be your vaccination records. Maybe Sookie could worm Sam as a sort of bonding experience. Sookie isn't having a good time of it recently, what with vampire being picked out of her cleavage and headless cats in the chandlers, and it doesn't get much better at Merlottes with our unknown psycho attempting to add to his/her body count. While everyone is outside Sookie has to fight for her life after heading into the bar to get some ice. For those paying attention our favourite southern mind reader does pick up on a previous attack her assailant launched against another waitress. Hopefully this clue will prove vital, well it's going to have to as we only have two episodes left of the season and I can't imagine them stretching the psycho plot arc into the second season. Bill has problems of his own as he finds out the normal punishment for murdering another vampire is to spend five years chained in silver in a coffin with the likelihood of madness ensuing. He does enough in his own defence, with a little help from Eric, to avoid that fate but as punishment has to turn a human into a vampire. We learn that this will be a first for Bill and is against his ethics. Actually I wasn't so sure we could trust Vampire Bill but this episode does show where his loyalties rest. Interestingly, for those of us piecing together vampire lore that doesn't involve sparkling emos, Eric is a vampire sheriff, a sort of regional big wig, and the Magister is the ultimate vampire authority for North America. I have a vague recollection of a female vampire being mentioned as being a higher authority but would need to go back through earlier episodes to find the reference. With Bill seemingly being what he appears to be, a mainstreaming Vampire, one wonders what twists and turns the character may have ahead of him given the show's penchant for throwing up shock plot developments. Ensuring Jason is going to be in even deeper water through the next couple of episodes as the season finishes Amy is shown to be totally manipulative and isn't above murder if things don't go her way. I'm not stating Amy is our resident psycho, but Eddie sure bears the brunt of an argument between Jason and Amy that is to a certain extent fuelled by Rene's macho approach to life, something that doesn't extend to place mats apparently. Jason just keeps digging himself into a deeper hole and should hit China real soon now. It's been a while since we have had an episode sans sex, or maybe this is a first for season one, fingers crossed it isn't an ongoing trend. We tend to like some naughty topping served up with our dark genre sundae over here at ScaryMinds, suck it up. 
Once again we get an episode as full as an egg with ideas, plot arcs, and all manner of creative writing. This show is so incredibly dense in texture that you'll need to cut it with a chainsaw to have any hope of following what's happening if you haven't been keeping up episode by episode. I simply cannot see all the story arcs being completed over the next two episodes but am going to have a high old time checking them out. I'm expecting something absolutely enormous in the final half an hour of the season. And before I forget what the hell was the hot chick and pig doing in the middle of the road causing Tara to crash her car? Yet another story arc lightening our way folks. Jim Parrack (Hoyt Fortenberry) has only been a peripheral character thus far during season one but has been developed as the season progresses. I'm scratching him off the suspect list as Sookie has already listened in on his thoughts and he simply doesn't strike me as Hannibal Lector in disguise, for starters the whole above average intelligence thing isn't happening. Parrack is playing the role pretty tight as the all American apple pie home town boy, it's working but I'm not entirely sure where the character is headed. Another excellent episode for those of us digging the soundtrack that dripped blood. Donna Fargo "You Can't Be a Beacon (If Your Light Won't Shine)", Preacher and the Saints "Jesus Rhapsody, Pt. 1", John Mazzei "Summer Memories", and "Hallowed Ground" sorry didn't catch the Artist name. We also get live renditions of "Maison Creole", "Bleed to Feed", "I'm Just A Fool To Care", "I'm Ready", "Let's Talk It Over", by C.C. Adcock and The Lafayetter Marquis at Arlene and Rene's engagement party. "I don't Wanna Know" by Dr John plays over the end credits.
Summary ExecutionWith the end of the season in sight things are heating up on a number of plot arcs and surprisingly a few new ones have been thrown tantalisingly into the mix. Clearly not everything is going to be resolved come season end, making season two a must get. I'm in awe of what is being achieved with this season and am giving Alan Ball two thumbs up for bringing the concept to my screen.Season three is about to kick off in the U.S and apparently Down Under on pay TV, so hopefully that's a good sign that we have a truck load more episodes to get through in the coming months. Sign me up, strip me down, I'm buying a house in Bon Temps. Talk to the hand, either go get season one on DVD and check out the show or don't be talking to me.
ScaryMinds Rates this episode as ... Chicks with pigs in the middle of the road, not something you see every day really.
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