Review

The fallout from Eric's encounter with Marnie's coven continues to reverberate around Bon Temps. Eric is being hidden at Sookie's place as Pam believes he is in danger from Bill Compton. The Norse Vampire of course has no memory and is actually having a good time running rampant. Pam is on the warpath, but is warned by Eric not to hurt Sookie, the same protection doesn't extend to Lafayette, who strangely visited Fangtasia in an attempt to throw himself on the mercy of the now missing Eric. Unfortunately for Lafayette Pam isn't in an unforgiving mode. Sookie also seeks help from Alcide, who has moved to Shreveport with the drug free Debbie Pelt. That doesn't work out so well either.

Meanwhile Jason desperately needs some medical attention, his wounds are becoming infected, being tied down to a dirty mattress will do that. Jason discovers he is destined to be the sire of the new generation of were-panthers. Hoyt and Jessica continue to have problems, Bill's advice to Jess not the best there. Tommy has a plan to swindle Maxine Fortenberry out of a bit of a windfall via exploration money. There's a strange doll that Jessica can't get rid of, so she helpfully give's it to Arlene's baby. Andy is hooked on V in a bad way. And numerous other things are going down which may or may not have major implications as the season moves to its second quarter.

If it belongs to anyone the episode belongs to Alexander Skarsgård as he takes his character Eric from being the dangerous vampire to pretty much a nerdy wide eyed innocent who is surprised almost every turn by revelations. The Actor rocks it out and delivers a performance that certainly had me sitting up and taking notes. It's not often that a single actor can dominate an episode of an ongoing franchise but Skarsgård does just that, he's all over the requirements and I'm looking forward for more going forward.

Season of the Witch, snigger, it may be, but there's plenty more going down Bon Temps way

There's something going down in Hotshot that promises some dubious viewing in coming weeks. Jason, suffering from his wounds, is apparently well on course to become a were-panther but that is only half the story as he discovers in this episode. Everyone's favourite Bon Temps Police officer is expected to impregnate about any female in the near vicinity as the gene pool isn't all it should be in the cat people town. While I'm sure Jason would be fired up most times to help out, he seems to be going through a sea change just recently which opens up all sorts of possibilities. If anyone needs a Faerie-Godmother than Jason would be that person, the dude is in a bad way and it doesn't look like it's going to improve anytime soon.

Did I mention Eric draining Sookie's Faerie-Godmother? If not then one of the great segway into the subject that points to maybe something going down later in the season or an issue for the beleaguered Bon Temps residents in season five. Claudine isn't so much asking Sookie to return to Faery as telling her it isn't an option not to, Eric being on hand is probably more fortuitous than anything, but of course he has even less restrictions on his actions than usual so it doesn't work out well for Claudine. What is interesting is Sookie not having completely escaped the clutches of perhaps her most surprising adversary. Whether Queen Mab somehow see's a danger in Sookie's association with vampires or there being other darker motives we'll learn in due course.

Lafayette hasn't been able to win a trick recently, just when all is going well with Jesus on the home front and Tara in the family category there has to be some dark storm clouds gathering. No doubt the blinged one is more than frightened after his last run in with Eric, three days of torture in the Fangtasia basement will do that, but his decision to step into the lion's den and throw himself on Eric's mercy was strange at the least. And if Lafayette thought Eric was a frightening prospect then he was definitely downplaying Pam's ability to turn nasty when the situation requires it.

Late in the episode Marnie is calling upon the spirit that possessed her in the confrontation with Eric and is offering herself as a vessel. While I think Marnie has been protective of her Cult thus far this scene perhaps pointed to the Coven leader going on the offensive in due course, there's clear signs that Marnie is dissatisfied with her passive stance. Whether this plays out or not the rest of the season should tell us, but in quite a chilling scene the spirit she is summoning in the room with her. Still no telling what Marnie has managed to summon, but those fiery eyes really can't be a good sign, I'm expecting demonic interplay going down. Has Marnie opened a gateway to forces best left out in the dark, and if so how the heck is this going to work for a show that has broadened its appeal to the mainstream audience? Getting a bit close to the burnt offering to be throwing demonic possession into the mix for the average citizen I would have thought.

Interestingly enough the episode broached the subject of rape, in a typical Bon Temps fashion. Surprisingly Jason is being raped by Crystal, who would have thought, and Sookie makes no bones in accusing Eric of "fang rapping" her. The show has definitely covered gay issues in previous seasons, and that's not including Lafayette's ongoing appearance, clearly the battlelines are being broadened as True Blood holds up in the ratings. Not to make light of happenings in Steubenville, but the U.S needs to address the issue of non-consenting sex and the male attitude to the fairer sex in light of that, and it's great to see the dark genre at least not sweeping issues under the carpet. Before anyone writes in complaining I have taken a long bow here, the Producers of True Blood aren't being explicit, they have nearly always thrown any message into a "read between the lines" approach. Pity Hollywood continues to perpetrate negative stereotypes in the pursuit of the corporate dollar.

On a lighter note, and sorry for the digression but not enough is made of the dark genre as a subversive force commenting on society, the ratings rebounded this episode. A respectable 5.04 million viewers tuned in when the episode aired in North America showing the Bon Temps honeymoon is far from over. I'm simply amazed at this show's ability to hold its audience; the future is so bright vampers better start wearing shades.

I got the feeling this episode was season four taking a deep breath, nailing down some plot arcs, prior to ramping it up again as we head into the second quarter of the season. I was once again hip to the groove and rocking out to the superior production values being sent my way. Pity really the episode is a bridge, you are really going to need to see the previous couple of episodes to work out what's going down. Recommended to True Blood fans only this time round, the plot arcs are already getting complex and divergent for anyone else.