Being Human (UK) S1 E2

Spoilers Ahead

How do the Brits manage to make such good TV? I've seen it time and time again (e.g., Doctor Who, Misfits, Sherlock...): good acting, compelling stories, great cinematography and special effects. I'm guessing they have reasonable budgets, which they clearly put to good use. Even though we only get a few episodes (six for the first season of BH) they're worth every minute.

Episode 2 starts off with George's agonizing transformation to werewolf as Mitchell describes the equally horrifying and miraculous process in a voice over. The effects as George transform are impressive: realistic and scary. The full wolf itself is okay--it's makeup and/or a costume. These never look quite right but I've definitely seen a lot worse (including CGI wolves). By the way, I have to say that much as I like Annie and George I think Mitchell should do all the narration from now on. Never mind that he's the hot vampire--he's got a beautiful Irish accent. It definitely needs to be put to good use.

The next morning when George wakes up naked in the woods he realizes a man is sitting, watching him. Those of you paying attention will recognize him as the same man who asked George what he was running from as George tried to find a safe place in the woods to transform last episode. It turns out this man, Tully (Dean Lennox Kelly, who played Shakespeare on Doctor Who in "The Shakespeare Code" episode!), is another werewolf. Tully has been around longer and has picked up a few tricks on making the whole process easier. He's also been hearing that something big is about to happen and he figures there's safety in numbers. George, however, doesn't even want to acknowledge or accept the werewolf part of him. He gratefully accepts the clothes that Tully brought for him but then he takes off, telling Tully he's not interested in being werewolf buddies.

When George gets home he's in for another surprise. This time it's a group of his neighbours having tea in his living room while Mitchell plays happy host. Mitchell informs George that if they want to be human they need to get to know people and get involved in the community (the occasional beer down at the pub doesn't count). George is not at all convinced, especially when he goes back to the room and realizes that Tully is there.

Grabbing Tully and pulling him outside George tells him definitively to piss off. But Tulley argues that he can teach George how to manage and control the wolf and convinces him to let him back inside. Mitchell and Annie are immediately smitten with Tully. George is still not thrilled, though, especially when Mitchell invites Tully to stay with them for a couple of days after hearing that he's been "sleeping rough" (i.e., he's homeless). Mitchell can't understand why George isn't jumping at the chance to have someone teach him how to control his condition. You can hear the longing in Mitchell's voice--he's clearly someone who knows--and hates--what it's like to be alone.

Ironically as Tully starts mentoring George on being a werewolf as well as being all manly-like, George starts admiring Tully more and more while Mitchell becomes less enamoured of him. As George gets to the point of even talking like Tully he doesn't notice the subtly disparaging comments Tully makes about Mitchell. Or the way he's mooching off them. Or that he's something of a misogynist. George just see the slick guy who's helping him be better. Never mind that following Tully's example and aggressively coming on to a nurse at work gets George labelled as a disgusting sexist pig. Or that his best friends (Mitchell and Annie, of course) think he's acting like an idiot.

Meanwhile Mitchell's got his hands full with Lauren, who shows up at the house and tries her best to induce more than one kind of lust in him. It's amazing Mitchell doesn't take her up on her offer to feed or to simply "play." This vampire's got some self control. But as he kicks her out she lets him know that he can check out but he can never leave.

Speaking of leaving Tully manages to wear out his welcome with Annie by getting aggressive with her, calling her a tease, and then trying to kiss her. Luckily Annie goes poof (as ghosts are wont to do) before his lips make contact. Unfortunately she reappears outside in a panic, desperate to get to the hospital to find Mitchell and George, and can't ask anyone for directions because humans can't see her. She finally sees an ambulance and follows. It turns out the ambulance is going to a crime scene rather than the hospital and Annie notices Lauren being hastily ushered away by Herrick before anyone connects that it's her handiwork they're cleaning up. Herrick also sees Annie and manages to creep her out more than she already was. She's not having a good day.

It's worth a mention that Annie's reaction to Tully is a little extreme considering he couldn't really hurt her. A little foreshadowing, perhaps? We still don't know why Annie is a ghost.

When Mitchell gets home he finds Annie on the doorstep, where she proceeds to break down at the sight of him. Inside Mitchell orders Tully out. But Tully plays innocent as soon as George gets home and George angrily defends him, managing to alienate his friends in the process (as when Mitchell shouts that Tully pretty much assaulted Annie and George retorts that she probably loved it). George finally snaps that Tully is staying and then they both head out to prepare for their full-moon transformation.

Even as Tully is telling George how proud he is of him, George is regretting the things he said. But Tully claims they needed to be said and then admits that he's the wolf that originally bit George, turning him into a werewolf. He seems to think this news will solidify their bond but George is absolutely horrified. As far as he's concerned Tully cursed him. George wants nothing to do with him ever again. Tully is devastated. As George leaves he shouts after him that he can't be alone any longer.

When George returns home he apologizes to Mitchell and Annie. They readily forgive him (doesn't everyone need friends like that?) Then they all settle in to watch the copy of Casablanca a neighbour lent them (Mitchell is in it but, since vampires don't show up on film, all you see is a chair he kicks over!) Only it turns out it's not Casablanca and it didn't come from their neighbour. On the disc is a home video of a guy in a room, talking to someone who doesn't show up: a vampire. The man starts getting undressed and having sex, in the middle of which he's bitten and killed. As the vampire pushes his body off the bed and a pool of blood forms, bloody footprints suddenly appear across the floor. The video is basically vampire snuff porn, courtesy of Lauren who thinks it'll bring Mitchell back to being a proper vampire. All three look sickened. It really is a disturbing video and, aside from HBO, I can't imagine seeing it on an American network. In this case I'm actually not sure whether that's a good thing.

Later that night George has to go for his transformation. He returns to the home base he established with Tully, a shack in the woods. Tully is there with a noose around his neck. When he sees George he kicks the chair out from under himself and starts strangling. At first George approaches him but then he backs away and leaves the shack. George has another change of heart and goes back to save Tully. Unfortunately Tully begins transforming and attacks George. He won't let George leave even as George begs him to before they both transform and rip each other apart. As the serious fighting begins the scene cuts away.

The next morning we find out that neither ripped the other apart. This time, though, it's George who's dressed and watching as Tully still lies sleeping. When he wakes up George hands him some clothes and tells him he doesn't want to see him again. Ignoring Tully's unconvincing arguments, George walks away.

This would have been a good place to end the episode, an uplifting sort of conclusion with George finding his own strength and becoming, if not quite human, a better werewolf. But things are never that easy, are they? The episode actually ends with Mitchell at home, looking out the window as people walk by. You can see how apart from them he feels. Maybe he's realizing that reaching out to the community doesn't--and can never--make him part of it. After looking around one last time he digs Lauren's disc out of the trash as his eyes go black for a moment.

As any human knows it's not so easy being one of us. But it's interesting to see the struggle from the perspective of three non- (or rather, former) humans. The actors do a great job portraying the difficulties and their own turmoil and demons. Just looking at the photo above you can see simply from his body language the torment George undergoes every month. And the actor playing Mitchell does a brilliant job of portraying his eternal battle against the darkness inside himself. Right now things are looking bleak for our Irish vampire. But as much as I want Mitchell to succeed, is anyone else just a little curious to see him really unleash?

Fang Files

Appearance: Human (not even pale) until the vampire emerges, then pure black eyes and sharp fangs.

Weaknesses: Blood lust.

Mythology: Vampires need an invitation to cross the threshold. A vampire's image can't be captured on camera.

Sound Bites

George: [to Annie] We have to put a stop to this. He [Mitchell] doesn't understand-- these people are British. You're not allowed to talk to your neighbours until you've nodded to them for 15 years.

Lauren: [to Mitchell] I want to believe you, I really do. It's just... when you look at me you're hungry.

George: [to Mitchell] You know the difference between you and him [Tully]?
Mitchell: Oh, I don't know--I don't have to shave my palms?
George: That...I think that's actually racist!

Tully: It's a complex thing. It's a glorious thing.
George: This isn't a glorious thing--it's a curse! This isn't a gift--it's God stepping on us with his boots.

Being Human, Season 1 Episode 2. Written by Toby Whithouse. Directed by Toby Haynes. From the BBC.

True Blood S4 E5 "Me and the Devil."

Spoilers Ahead

Vampires can't get along with anyone, can they? Humans, fairies, shifters, weres, other vampires, witches, even spirits... you'd think people would learn to just leave them alone. Why did they want to come out to the world again? Maybe they just had the burning desire to pay taxes.

Whatever their reasons "Me and the Devil" begins not with vamps but with our not-so-favourite shifters: Tommy and Melinda (and Joe Lee, shifter by association). They're still where we left them last episode, with Joe Lee beating the hell out of Tommy while Melinda proves how completely useless she is. Once Tommy passes out, his parents move away to discuss the "big money" dog fight coming up the next day. That's when Tommy throws the chain around Joe Lee's neck and returns the favour. What's really annoying (to me anyway) is that Melinda, who stood by while her husband tortured her son, suddenly starts fighting Tommy to protect Joe Lee. Nice. But Tommy fights them both off until he finally kills Joe Lee. Melinda then attacks, saying she's going to kill Tommy. Ah, motherly love. Unfortunately in the heat of the moment Tommy hits her a little too hard and accidentally kills her. She was worthless but she was still his mom so his subsequent devastation is understandable.

Elsewhere, Marnie wakes up after her latest possession by dead necromancer Antonia. Marnie tells Jesus, Lafayette and Tara about Antonia taking her over and they're horrified. But she's convinced the spirit is their protector. The others realize it's time to get going. As far away from Marnie, Eric, and Bon Temps as possible. For the boys that means paying a visit to Jesus's brujo granddad in Mexico (even though the man scares the shit out of Jesus). For Tara it's back to New Orleans.

Eric and Sookie, meanwhile, get up to all kinds of interesting things this episode, starting with a visit Eric pays to Sookie's room as she lies sleeping (minds out of the gutter, please). As he looks in on her suddenly Godric is by his side. While Eric holds back, Godric has no problem getting close to Sookie. At that point Eric steps in and tells Godric not to touch her (he also asks who Godric is). Godric wants them both to drain her and walk in the sun. Eric refuses. So Godric grabs him by the throat and forces him to his knees. He then tells Eric that there's no redemption for him and he needs to stop fighting his nature (odd since Eric could never have been accused before of fighting his nature. If anything, Godric was disappointed that he didn't fight it when he was torturing Russell). A minute later Eric pops fang and attacks Sookie. As she starts screaming Eric wakes up in his own room. This time he enters Sookie's room for real (looking appropriately monstrous, I was happy to see). As he creeps up to her bed, fangs out, she wakes up. Like a little kid caught doing something bad he covers his tracks by telling her he had a bad dream. He really is upset, though, and Sookie comforts him.

As for Bill, it's one headache after another. First Portia shows why the South has a bad name when she shows up with a list of reasons why incest is no big deal. Um, ew. (And if it's true about the majority of states repealing incest laws then that is truly disturbing, especially in light of all the opposition to gay marriage. Maybe it would be considered okay if the gay people involved were siblings :P). Anyway, Bill has sense enough to most definitely not want to get groiny with his descendants. Unfortunately the only way he can get her to back off is by glamouring her into being terrified of him.

Bill then gets paid a visit by Pam who's covered under layers of black lace. He's lighthearted about her appearance until he sees her rotting face and realizes she defied his orders and went to see the witch. Pam wants permission to torture and kill Marnie but of course Bill can't allow that (the Authority would put Pam to the true death for harming a human). But as pieces of her face come off he assures her he won't ignore the situation.

When daytime comes around Sookie finally puts her telepathy to good use! I guess the writers remembered that this show was supposed to be about a telepathic waitress. Sookie listens in on Holly to find out about the spell cast on Eric and the witch that did it. She then pays a visit to the Moon Goddess shop where she meets Marnie and convinces her to do a psychic reading on her (apparently being completely insincere will convince someone to do whatever you want). Marnie ends up contacting Gran and Sookie is lucky enough to hear Gran directly via Marnie's thoughts. Gran warns Sookie not to give her heart to the new man in her life because the situation is only temporary. She also tells Sookie that Marnie poses great danger and to run. Sookie wisely listens to Gran and gets the hell out of there.

Afterward Marnie gets a visit from pseudo-witch "Kitty" (of Bill's security staff). Kitty pretends to be concerned about what's going on but she only does so long enough for Marnie to be grabbed by Bill's commandos. See ya, Marnie. Not that she disappears or anything. She ends up in a cell in Bill's mansion (and we know he's not going to hurt her). As she prays in her cell she has another vision where she's transported to another cell in which Antonia is locked along with a bunch of other witchy ladies. As they huddle in a corner, chanting, the Inquisition priests come in and forcibly select one of the women. Turns out vampires are big in the priesthood and the witch they chose is dinner. Back in the present, Bill questions Marnie over the intercom and then face to face (he glamours her). It's clear she really doesn't know anything about the spells she performed or how to reverse them. Pam and Eric are screwed.

When Sookie gets home again she also gets a visit. Tara decides to stop by and whine about how her girlfriend found out she was lying about her name (among other things) and about how much she hates Bon Temps and everything about it. Then she asks to spend the night, at which point the sun sets and Eric comes out. That leads to Tara completely freaking and storming out after declaring "Fuck the both of you." Really? Aren't these people too old for this kind of drama? She and Sookie are bffs, then they hate each other, then they're bffs, then they hate each other. Jesus. And you'd think knowing that Sookie hated Eric she might pause to think there's a good reason why Sookie is hiding him now. I'm really ready for Tara to just go. She was good for the first couple of episodes of the show and since then it's all been pointless melodrama.

Anyway, Sookie gets to comfort Eric yet again as now he's upset by the nasty things Tara revealed about him in her anger. He decides to leave rather than risk hurting Sookie. But Sookie runs after him and asks him not to go. He comes back and we finally get the big kiss we've been waiting for. Yet somehow it's... underwhelming. Maybe there was too much build-up, I don't know. But even though the kiss disappointed I am glad the inevitable finally happened.

Back to Tommy. Where do you run when you've killed both your parents? To big brother, of course. And despite their numerous differences it's nice to see that Sam is there for Tommy when he really needs it. They head out in Tommy's van with the bodies in the back. Unfortunately Tommy is already freaking out when Andy decides to pull them over. Sam makes him hide in the back while he deals with Andy. Sam is perfectly calm and reasonable but Andy, despite having no good reason, insists on seeing what's in the back of the van. Inside Tommy waits, clutching a shovel to add to the body count if it comes to that. At first Sam refuses to let Andy into the van but Andy isn't taking no for an answer. Grabbing the keys from Sam he throws open the door and finds... a rather pissed-off gator. Yes! Don't you love when supernatural characters use their powers in a smart way? It's a nice change (not that they haven't done so before but it's been pretty rare). Andy back off in a hurry while Sam explains that he found the gator by the Dumpster and is taking back to the swamp where it belongs. After Andy takes off they do head to the swamp, where they feed the bodies to some real gators. RIP Melinda and Joe Lee.

Jessica and Hoyt's troubles seem to be continuing. After healing Jason and getting him settled at his house, Hoyt moves in to kiss Jessica. She pulls away. It's obvious something is wrong but when Hoyt questions her she insists she's just tired. He ends up staying behind to watch over Jason while she goes home. I really wanted it to work for those crazy kids. Sigh. By the way, does Jessica work at Merlotte's anymore?

Hoyt later tries to talk to Jason about his problems with Jessica, but, as usual, Jason is too obsessed with his own problems (like the full moon the next night) to care. At least Jason is smart enough to realize that everything bad that ever happened to him was because of sex (or rather, his selfish need to get him some). Of course now that Jason has Jessica's blood in him and is already enjoying sexy dreams about Jess it's difficult to believe that he won't be getting into yet more trouble due to sex.

As for possessed baby, Terry and Arlene don't think it's the baby that's possessed so much as they believe Rene is haunting them. So they bring in the only "holy" people around who will cleanse the house for them: Reverend Daniels and his new wife, Lettie Mae. Between the chanting and the smudging the evil is sure to be chased away. Unfortunately as Terry and Arlene later enjoy some quiet snuggle time a pack of matches nearby spontaneously combusts. As if a little sage would really chase away evil.

And it seems Alcide is being set up for future trouble with the Shreveport pack master, Marcus Bozeman. Bozeman is pissed that Alcide's been living in Shreveport for a few months already but never registered with the pack. Sigh. More werewolf drama.

The episode ends with Bill meeting with the rest of the Louisiana Sheriffs, as well as Pam. We find out exactly what happened during the Spanish Inquisition (you won't expect it) and how dangerous necromancy can be. They then all get into an argument about how to deal with the situation. That's when Pam lets slip that she knows what happened to Eric. Bill is infuriated and demands to know where Eric is. She finally admits he's at Sookie's. I never expected to see Pam crumble under Bill's glare. Apparently neither did she. As Bill takes off for Sookie's (can't wait to see what he storms in on) Pam apologizes to Eric.

This wasn't the greatest episode ever but it was decent and had some fairly awesome moments. It was definitely nice to see paranormal characters acting paranormal (when was the last time Sookie used her telepathy for anything useful?) This episode also has the feeling of being the calm before the storm. Get ready for the show.

Fang Files

Appearance: Human with long, snakelike fangs that extend or retract at will (and also when the vampire is excited). Cry tears of blood.

Strengths: Ability to glamour humans. Super speed. Ability to heal wounded humans with their blood.

Weaknesses: Sunlight, blood lust, magic.

Mythology: Vampires have a strong bond with their makers, which apparently extends even beyond death. The Authority is a mysterious organization that all vampires must answer to. Historically many vampires became priests and nuns in order to blend in and have a hand in human power structures. When a human drinks vampire blood it creates a bond between the two that leads to, among other things, sexual dreams.

Sound Bites

Tommy: Remember what I once said? I'm going to be free the day you die?
Joe Lee: Worthless piece of shit.

Marnie: What...what happened?
Lafayette: Hooker, you pissed off another vampire and then you took a goddamned nap.

Godric: [to Eric] You are incapable of love. You are damned.

Bill: [seeing Pam in a big hat and veil] Oh good--the world needs more beekeepers.

Tommy: I fucked up, Sam.
Sam: I see that, Tommy.

Eric: [to Sookie] There's a light in you. It's beautiful. I couldn't bear it if I snuffed it out.

True Blood. Season 4 Episode 5 "Me and the Devil." Written by Mark Hudis. Directed by Daniel Minahan. From HBO.

Being Human (UK) Season 1 Premiere

Spoilers Ahead

Being Human sucked me right in. On the surface it sounds pretty silly: a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost are roommates... like a cheesy joke. But these are not cardboard characters. They have depth, they have demons, and the bond and chemistry among the three of them makes me wish for more scenes with just them. Why do British TV seasons have to be so damn short (only 6 measly episodes)?

Annie the ghost (played by Lenora Crichlow, Sugar Rush, Doctor Who) provides the narration for this episode. She's trapped in the house in which she died after slipping on the stairs. Her fiance, brokenhearted about her death, has moved out and rented the place. So Annie is stuck living with one set of tenants after another, none of which can see her but who can feel her "creepy" presence. Things start improving for her after Mitchell and George move in, in large part because--being supernatural themselves--they can see her and talk to her. She's even gotten to the point where humans are noticing her and she can venture outside the house (not far but it's a start).

Mitchell (Aidan Turner, who played Dante Gabriel Rosetti in Desperate Romantics) is the hot, brooding vampire with a gorgeous Irish accent. Yes, I am drooling a little. Unfortunately he's got some serious torment going on. Desperately trying to overcome his nature (by not feeding from humans, hanging out with humans and werewolves, shunning the other vampires) he's wracked by self-recrimination when he slips while having sex with co-worker Lauren (Annabel Scholey, Personal Affairs) and kills her. And that turns out to be the least of his problems.

Then there's George (Russell Tovey, Him & Her, Doctor Who), the neurotic werewolf. He's been a wolf about a year and has yet to accept that it's a part of him. He was infected when scratched on holiday in Scotland (the guy he was out walking with ended up dead) and has since run away from his old life (including his fiancee). He really just wants a normal life but the excruciating transformation he undergoes every month is kind of getting in the way. Or maybe he's just getting in the way of himself.

Episode 1 also introduces us to some of the vampires Mitchell is trying to escape. Herrick (Jason Watkins, Psychoville) is Mitchell's maker, head of the local vampires, and high up in the police department (the vampires have ways of covering up their activities). He has megalomaniacal dreams of coming out to the humans and making vampires the dominant species on the planet. Despite Mitchell's betrayal Herrick wants him back in the fold and is confident that will happen, sooner or later.

Seth (Dylan Brown, EastEnders) is Herrick's current right-hand man and is trying to "recruit" people from the hospital in which Mitchell and George work. Mitchell refuses to allow the hospital to be a feeding ground for the vampires. Seth backs off but it's obvious the moment Herrick removes his leash he'll be after Mitchell in a heartbeat.

And then there's Lauren. It's unclear whether Mitchell turned her out of guilt or by accident but he abandoned her before the process was complete and she's pissed about it. Now she's in Herrick's pocket and is out to force Mitchell off the wagon and back among his peers, while at the same time ruining his chances of having any kind of normal life.

So while Mitchell has to fight his own nature he also has to fight the other vampires, their long-term plans and short-term chaos and sabotage. George--already dealing with his own issues--is drawn in as the vampires attack and kill his co-workers and harass Mitchell (they also hate werewolves). While Annie is at least sheltered from the things that go on outside of the house, she suffers her own setback when her fiance and the guys' landlord (Owen, played by Gregg Chillin, Nearly Famous) shows up to fix the house's plumbing with his new girlfriend. Suddenly Annie's invisible to humans again, not to mention devastated about Owen.

There's already a lot going on and even more being set up for the future. The vampires are clearly only going to become a bigger problem. George is going to have to come to terms with his wolf. And what exactly is keeping Annie tied to this plane and to the house? The season may be short but it's already compelling.

Fang Files

Appearance: Human until the vampire emerges, then black eyes and sharp, prominent fangs. Vampires do not show up on camera.

Strengths: Heightened senses.

Weaknesses: Not drinking human blood results in shakiness, weakness, and obsessive thoughts of what they most want. Psychopaths by nature (but this can be overcome with major persistence).

Mythology: Vampires can eat food and go out during the day. They take jobs in the human world to blend in and also cover their existence.

Sound Bites

Seth: [to Mitchell] Word of warning, one friend to another, it's cold out there without us.

Annie: Hello, George. I thought it was your time of the month.
Mitchell: It is. He's doing it here.
Annie: I just hoovered!

George: [After spending the full moon locked in their house] Oh no. Where's...where's all our stuff? What did I do?
Mitchell: We've salvaged what we can but there's about 10 bin bags of crap and wreckage stashed in my bedroom. I'm sensing a trip to Ikea. You know my feelings about that.

Mitchell: [after spotting Herrick at the hospital] You didn't get my message? This isn't your fucking larder, Herrick.

George: [after Owen comes by with his new girlfriend] You're much prettier. And much nicer.
Annie: And much deader.

Being Human, Season 1 Episode 1. Written by Toby Whithouse. Directed by Toby Haynes. From the BBC.

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Spoilers Ahead

I feel like my world revolves around Charlaine Harris these days. My last several posts have been related to her and her work. Season 4 of True Blood dominates my thoughts. Even the posts I write for Heroes and Heartbreakers seem to disproportionately feature her (for example, this one). I'm not sure how it's ended up this way. Other vampires and their creators beckon for my attention and yet still I return to the Sookieverse. I'm going to have to do something about that. In the meantime, though, you'll have to endure one more Harris review--but at least Dead Reckoning is worth it.

The book starts off well, bringing you smoothly back into Sookie's world. And, of course, it isn't long before trouble begins. A molotov cocktail through the window of Merlotte's leaves everyone wondering who the culprit could be--and who they were after.

I was happy that there was plenty of Eric action this time around, starting early in the book (a nice change!) Unfortunately something odd is going on with him. He's getting into major fights with Pam and is clearly keeping something from Sookie. He's also stressed because Victor is continuing to make life miserable for him and isn't above getting to Eric through those he cares about.

There's also lots of fae action for the fairy fans out there. Although most of it is more disturbing than fun. Incest among fairies was mentioned more than once (suddenly glad I have no fae relatives). And we discover that fae vengeance is not pretty. There are also a number of revelations involving Gran, a fairy artifact, and Mr. Cataliades. We even (finally) find out why Sookie has more fairy attributes than Jason.

Of course there were also the usual annoyances, which for me are mostly due to Sookie, as well as a certain Southern, small-town attitude I can't relate to. Other people may not have an issue with these things, though. But does it not bother anyone else that every non-human species is portrayed as barbaric, or backward, or otherwise less than humans? I've complained in past reviews that Harris writes about vampires but doesn't like them. I think the same can also be said about her other paranormal races. Her scorn might be subtle but it comes through and, for me anyway, it's a constant irritation. There's also the usual sloppy editing (e.g., "DEFCON 4" when the author clearly meant "DEFCON 2"--how hard would it have been to double-check this before letting it go to print?)

One major plot point that really bothered me was Sookie using magic to break her bond with Eric. It seems stupid given all the threats she constantly faces, as well as cruel (Eric thought she was dead). Even worse--she never fixes it. The book ends with the bond still broken. Maybe I'd like Sookie more if she did anything that seemed remotely logical to me.

Dead Reckoning finishes with quite a few loose ends, although it's done intentionally and makes for a decent cliffhanger. In particular Sookie's relationship with Eric is left on seriously shaky ground. Sookie has the means to fix things but between her burgeoning self-hatred and her uncertainty about Eric her only action so far is inaction (I sincerely hope that changes in the next book).

While it wasn't without its problems, Dead Reckoning was definitely one of the better Sookie Stackhouse books. It was interesting and well paced. It sets things up for the future without skimping on what's happening in the present. I lost myself in the story and kept wanting to find out what would happen next. Yet when it ended I was disappointed there wasn't more to read. All in all, I would actually read this one again.

Fang Files

Appearance: Very pale humans with long fangs that extend and retract at will (and also when the vampire feels strong emotions).

Strengths: Some vampires have special skills, such as the ability to fly. Super strength, speed. Fast healing (holding a vampire's severed limb in place while drinking real blood will heal the limb).

Weaknesses: Vampires are beholden to their makers. Stakes. Beheading. Sunlight.

Mythology: When a human drinks vampire blood the vampire can then sense the human and feel their emotions (the more blood is exchanged the stronger the bond). Vampire blood is a potent, illegal, and unpredictable drug for humans.

Text Bite

[Sookie] "In one of those awful moments you have at random, I realized that everyone I'd ever dated--though, granted, that was a short list--was a killer. And so was I."

"It wasn't often you ran into a bondage/Elvis/whorehouse-themed vampire club."

For those of you who can't wait to find out what (might) happen next, Ms Harris drops some hints on her blog for the next book ("Deadlocked"):

While I know where I want to be at the end of each book, I don't always know how I'm getting there. Sometimes I surprise myself. Last night, Sookie got kidnapped, and I'm going to see how that shakes out. A character I thought was dead is probably alive, and I'm real happy for him. Then again, if the work doesn't go so well today, he may be dead again. This is the fun (and the panic) of being a writer. Every day brings decisions, and I have the power of life and death and procreation over all these people I've invented.

I wonder who the possibly dead guy might be (or if we'll ever find out for sure).

Want to see what I had to say about the previous books?

Dead until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone
Dead in the Family

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris. From Penguin (Ace Books).

Thanks to Laura at Penguin for sending me my review copy.

True Blood S4 E4 "I'm Alive and on Fire"

Spoilers Ahead

Well, this episode was a strange one. Besides the usual (sex, blood, violence...) we're treated to rotting flesh, witch burning, frolicking vampires, incest, rape, and creepy messages from beyond. There's also some very fine eye candy courtesy of Alcide and Eric. Buckle up, kids--it's going to get bumpy.

"I'm Alive and on Fire" begins post fairy-draining (see last episode). That fairy blood must be good shit because Eric is acting all kinds of goofy. After briefly passing out he decides he wants more and goes for the nearest available source: Sookie. But when she tells him to stop or he'll kill her he immediately backs away and claims he'd never harm her. Then he smacks her butt and starts playing silly games, finally running off despite the coming dawn. You can't leave a bewitched, drunk vampire alone for a second.

While Sookie's off trying to find Eric in the woods, Bill is trying to find him everywhere else--starting with Fangtasia. He gives Pam a dressing down for not following procedure, snapping that it's not her job to think, but she doesn't give anything away regarding Eric's whereabouts. If Bill was a condescending jerk with Pam, it's nothing compared with how Nan Flanagan later treats him when he tells her about Eric's disappearance. Dismissive of the idea of necromancers (they haven't been an issue since the Spanish Inquisition) she's more concerned about getting vampires good PR after Russell's public rampage. She tells Bill to take care of the situation but not to spill a single drop of mortal blood. Yes, that'll go well.

Nan perhaps should have taken the witches more seriously. Marnie (incidentally played by Fiona Shaw, better known as Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter movies) has a vision of the Spanish Inquisition. She watches as her spirit guide, still alive and a necromancer, is burned at the stake. As she burns she chants a spell, which Marnie manages to pick up. Well that's going to be trouble.

Meanwhile, even though the sun has since risen, Sookie is still searching for Eric and she's enlisted the help of Alcide. He shifts and manages to track Eric to a pond where our favourite Viking is still acting goofy. He's high on fairy blood and sunshine and is grinning like a loon. But when Alcide shift back to naked human form Eric suddenly gets jealous and possessive of Sookie. There was one hell of an interesting fight in the making before Sookie stepped in and calmed the were and the vampire down. Alas. But it's probably for the best since a moment later Eric starts burning in the sun. Sookie covers him in a blanket and leads him away, but all traces of his previous joyousness are gone and he says he doesn't want to go back to the dark.

After refusing to let himself rest Eric asks Sookie to stay with him in his underground room. I don't know how she can say no to him--he's so sad (maybe I'm way too softhearted) but she tells him she has "human stuff" to do. The human stuff consists of having an argument with Alcide about the situation (which Eric can hear) and then making up with a flirty hug and promises that they're on each other's sides no matter what. Later, when Alcide returns home, he tells Debbie what happened. She claims to be fine with it but this is True Blood, so we know this is leading somewhere unpleasant.

Lafayette, Jesus and Tara go to see Marnie and try to convince her to undo the spell. At first she's less than interested but eventually they manage to impress upon her the severity of the situation (that is, Pam and/or Eric will fuck them all up for what Marnie's done). She finally tries to contact the spirit and goddesses to get the spell so she can undo it. Unfortunately they're not in a helping mood. Just when the witches are about to give up, defeated, a book falls off the shelf and happens to open to the counter-spell. Spirit witch has come through!

Once night has fallen again, Portia takes Bill to meet her grandmother. Is it just me or does it seem a bit much to make a person meet your family when the relationship consists entirely of work and sex? It seems like a very clumsy ploy on the writer's part to have Bill discover he and Portia are related (it turns out he's her great-great-great-great grandfather). I never liked this storyline in the book, either (come on--you're a vampire going back to your tiny hometown--wouldn't you make an effort to ensure you don't end up dating one of your descendants?) But the book did a better job with it than the show by far. I also like how when Bill tries to walk away Portia threatens to use her lawyerly skills to make his life hell. Wow--talk about not taking a breakup well. Honestly, who does that? The one part of this whole scene that I did enjoy was that Katherine Helmond is playing Caroline Bellefleur. Every so often I wonder what she's up to and now I know.

Anyway, after Bill leaves the Bellefleurs he goes to see Sookie. He seems to be happy to see her but the conversation turns immediately to Eric and his whereabouts. Sookie lies but Bill insists on searching her house. She's also just as insistent that he doesn't. She blocks his way and snaps that she's never lied to him and after a moment's hesitation he backs off. So what's going to happen when he finds out she did lie to him?

I missed something in the last episode. I thought a bunch of the Hotshot kids were watching as Crystal had her way with Jason. I somehow didn't notice they were all female and some of them not so young. I realized my error this episode when the women took turns trying to get impregnated by Jason (apparently they're really desperate for fresh DNA in their gene pool). It gets beyond creepy when Becky--who looks to be about 12--steps up to take her turn (Felton, aka "Uncle-daddy," told her she was old enough and that it was her duty to produce a cub). Jason convinces her that she deserves something better for her first time and since neither of them want Jason to die (he's still pretty sick) she cuts him loose and he makes his escape. When Felton realizes that Jason is gone he's furious, shifting into panther mode and beginning the chase (with intent to rip Jason apart).

As Jason runs from the pursuing panthers, he's struggling. His breathing is ragged and he looks like he's about to pass out at any moment. He tries to put them off his scent but that doesn't slow them down for long. He finally shakily climbs a tree and carves a branch into a spear. When Felton shows up Jason drops on him and shoves the spear into his neck. Jason gets clawed in the process but at least Felton is dead. A second later Crystal shows up and is thrilled that Felton is dead (she's the alpha now). Crystal is completely delusional and insists that Jason will come back to Hotshot when he realizes no one else will want him. Right. Eventually Jason ends up collapsing on the road. Fortunately Jessica and Hoyt are driving by and see him. Jessica gives Jason blood and there's a strange moment there where he's gazing up at her. Looks like he might end up with a little blood-induced crush on Jess. Interesting.

In happier news Sam is becoming his sweet self again, even in the face of a belligerent Maxine who blames him because Tommy didn't come home the night before. Sam assures her that Tommy can take care of himself. I guess we can thank Luna for Sam's return to the character we know and love. He seems pretty smitten with her and when he accidentally discovers she has a young daughter, the rapport between him and little Emma is the stuff of any single mom's dreams. Of course there's always a hitch and in this case Luna admits to Sam that her ex (Emma's dad) is a werewolf and something of a stalker.

As for Tommy, he's gone to see his mom. Belinda claims she's left Joe Lee but is vague enough about the circumstances that you wonder how oblivious Tommy has to be not to notice that something is off. Instead they have a nice visit until Belinda starts defending Joe Lee. As Tommy gets agitated, guess who shows up behind him and throws a chain around his neck? Of course Belinda couldn't leave Joe Lee. She stands by uselessly as Joe Lee chokes Tommy, promising to teach him obedience and loyalty and claiming that Tommy's enjoyed his last free breath. Maybe Tommy won't be such a brat the next time (if) Sam saves him from those two.

And last (as well as least), Terry holds the demon baby as the rest of the family sleeps on the sofa. He tells the baby who everyone is, ending with himself (saying he's daddy). Terry leaves the room for a second and someone picks up a red marker and scrawls "baby not yours" on the wall. Terry comes back and freaks, which wakes everyone else up so they can freak too. The baby just smiles and plays with the marker. If it actually turns out that the baby is possessed/inherently evil I will not be impressed. At all. This is such a lame storyline.

The episode finishes off with Marnie, Tara, Lafayette, Jesus and Pam gathered together to perform the counter-spell. Pam is impatient and angry; really, she should know better. In the middle of the spell Pam snaps and aggressively approaches the circle. Suddenly the spirit takes over Marnie and she begins chanting a spell as Pam stands frozen and horrified. I expected a repeat of the memory-erasing spell, but I think this one is much worse. The spell is for a vampire to see their true self, that is, as an animated corpse. Pam's flesh starts rotting off her face as she screams. Then she runs. Can't blame her.

This was another relatively solid episode with several future storylines being set in motion. The creep factor was also high, if you're into that sort of thing. I love that in season 4 each episode leaves me excited to see the next one. And I can't wait until the vampires once again have the upper hand.

Fang Files

Appearance: Pale humans with red-rimmed eyes and fangs that descend or retract at will (and also involuntarily when the vampire is excited or aggressive).

Strengths: Super speed. Enhanced senses. Vampire blood heals humans.

Weaknesses: Fairy blood. Sunlight. Staying awake during the day (results in "the bleeds"). Magic. Shortsightedness and arrogance.

Mythology: Vampire society is strictly hierarchical with regular vampires at the lowest levels, followed by Sheriffs, Kings and Queens, the AVL (and Nan Flanagan), and the mysterious Authority running the show. Vampire blood (V) is a potent and illegal drug for humans.

Sound Bites

Pam: You like the feel of it, don't you, Bill? That crown.

Nan Flanagan: [to Bill] Don't fuck this up. How many retired Kings do you know?

Sookie: [to Eric] There's big gators in there, you crazy Viking, so get on out and let's go home before one of them chomps off your you-know-what!"

Eric: [to Sookie] I'll never swim in the sun again. Never feel the heat on my skin. Never see the daylight in your hair.

Marnie: How am I expected to repair the vampire if he isn't here?
Pam: That's your problem. Reverse the spell or I'll bite your fucking head off.

True Blood, Season 4 Episode 4 "I'm Alive and on Fire." Written by Nancy Oliver. Directed by Michael Lehmann. From HBO.

True Blood S4 E3 "If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin'?"

Spoilers Ahead

I kind of loved this episode. There's something about amnesiac Eric that's just so sweet and likable--you have to wonder how Sookie can resist. And is it just me or is she a lot less annoying this season (again, aside from the first few minutes of the season premiere)? Someone in one of my newsgroups called this a "shark jump" of a season. If this is jumping the shark then set the tank up permanently.

"If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin'?" picks up where the last episode left off, with Eric confused (and semi-clothed) at the side of the road. When he pops fang at Sookie's enticing fairy smell she loses patience and drives off. She doesn't go far, though, before she stops to look back. Next thing we know Eric is grabbing at her through the driver's side window. Sookie runs, although I have no idea why she thinks that will help. Eric catches up with her effortlessly, at which point she punches him, breaking his nose. Suddenly Eric is even more confused. After some prompting he admits he knows what he is but not who he is and that he vaguely remembers a witch casting a spell on him but that's about it.

Being a basically decent person Sookie agrees to help him if he'll agree that he will neither touch nor bite her. He can live with that. She doesn't tell him it's actually his house when she takes him back to her place but that's a minor detail. Then again she later demands to be paid for her trouble so I guess a little fib isn't so bad. Either way her actions don't endear me to Sookie. While expecting to be paid for helping Eric is understandable on the one hand it's also kind of incredibly tacky. Talk about taking advantage of someone in trouble (of course book Sookie resented having to let a Katrina victim temporarily move in so maybe I should rethink that "basically decent" label).

There are a couple of points worth mentioning in the scenes with Eric. For one, Sookie washes Eric's feet, which I find rather odd and out of character (is Alan Ball going for some kind of biblical allusion here? And either way--why?) Although I thought it was cute that Eric was ticklish. And the way he suddenly tells her she's beautiful...sigh. It might have gone further if Pam didn't choose that moment to barge in (Sookie had called her earlier). Not only does Eric not recognize Pam but he throws her into the next room for threatening Sookie (all you see is his arm lashing out and her going flying). He then orders Pam to be nice. What made Pam get threatening was Sookie suggesting she might tell Bill about the situation. Pam believes that Eric is in serious danger and that Bill set him up with the coven in order to have an excuse to get the AVL (American Vampire League--the public face of The Authority) to sign off on assassinating Eric. So Sookie has to keep Eric hidden and can't tell anybody. It's at this point Sookie demands to get paid, which is how that's settled.

Sookie also tells Eric he "fang raped" her, meaning he bit her without her permission, which I thought was a nifty turn of phrase. It did ruin the moment for Eric, though, who was beaming at finding out that he'd tasted Sookie.

The coven that caused all the trouble in the first place, meanwhile, alternates between anger and panic. Tara is pissed at Lafayette because she's been in town only two hours and she's already been attacked by a vampire. Lafayette is terrified because Eric can and probably will kill them all. The other coven members, whether out of arrogance or ignorance, are angry at Eric in particular and vampires in general for thinking they can control humans. And Marni still has no idea what she did to Eric to make him leave.

No one seems too concerned about humans controlling vampires, though. Steve Newlin's anti-vampire brigade have taken to provoking and entrapping vampires then catching the results on video (side note: apparently Steve Newlin has been missing for six months). One such hapless vampire goes to see Bill about what happened. Bill agrees it is entrapment but it's also forbidden by The Authority to be caught on film feeding on humans. He has the vamp taken away to be put to death.

Strangely no one seems too concerned about our missing persons, either. Andy is looking for Jason and Bill is trying to get in touch with Eric, but both are annoyed rather than worried, believing that Jason and Eric are just avoiding them and/or shirking responsibility. Andy's more concerned about needing help with his worsening V addiction than where Jason might be.

I'm even less impressed with Bill this episode than I was last time. Hooking up with Katerina while Sookie (his big love, supposedly) was missing was bad enough. Hooking up with Katerina after Sookie turns up alive and well was pretty questionable. But starting a friends-with-benefits relationship with Portia Bellefleur days after Sookie's return is just stupid. Is he that desperate to get laid? Shouldn't he be trying to win Sookie back since she indicated it was a possibility? I did find it interesting that in the heat of things Bill didn't bite Portia; is that because he cares about her too much or not enough?

Back to Sookie for a moment. After getting Eric settled in the sleeping nook he built in her house (it's actually a pretty nice room) she goes to see Alcide. At first it seems like she's just there to catch up but within minutes she's asking him to take care of Eric. WTF? Did she miss what Pam said about Eric being in danger and not to let anyone know where he is? This scene seems out of place and I suspect it was only thrown in to reintroduce Alcide, as well as Debbie who looks much less skanky and is now living with Alcide (surprise, Sookie!) Debbie claims she's clean and is apologetic for everything she did. Sookie reluctantly accepts her apology and then leaves amid much awkwardness, telling Alcide not to worry about the situation with Eric.

Trying to deal with the problem of Eric his own way Lafayette gets the bright idea to go to Fangtasia and beg for mercy. Pam is not impressed. Enraged for what he's done to her maker she drags him to the basement (where he was locked up way back in season 2). Luckily for him Tara and Jesus guessed what he was up to and show up with a gun full of wooden bullets. They try to make a deal, offering to reverse the spell if Pam and Eric will leave them alone. Pam gives them 24 hours to bring Marni to her or she will personally "eat, fuck and kill" all three of them. Pam is definitely in the running for best vampire ever.

Speaking of Marni, she's at home trying to invoke the spirit that came to her when she cursed Eric. Getting increasingly desperate she cuts herself (as a sacrifice) and begs the spirit to come. Finally she slashes herself badly, although whether it's intentional isn't clear. As she goes to the sink to clean up we see the spirit has been there all along, sitting silently, watching. I wonder if she'll get involved when Tara, Lafayette and Jesus show up looking for Marni.

In other happenings, Jason remains tied up in Hotshot, bitten, bruised and feverish. As the shifters tell an interesting tale of the first panthers, Crystal and Felton are happy to see their efforts at turning Jason are working. Jason has zero interest in fathering baby panthers, being more preoccupied with surviving. He begs Crystal to help him and she responds by telling him he's not dying--he's being reborn. She then gives him what Jason assumes is medicine but turns out to be "Mexican" Viagra. Once the drugs start working Crystal gets busy making a baby, much to Jason's chagrin. He calls her every name in the book but she's lost in her own world and doesn't hear (or care). The weirdest part about this scene? Why are there kids in the room watching?

Jessica and Hoyt continue to have problems--at least until Jessica glamours Hoyt and makes him forget all about them. I wonder how many times she's already done that. It's still not entirely clear whether those two really love each other or whether they love the idea of loving each other. More intriguing to me is the new storyline involving a creepy doll that keeps turning up at their place, even after Jessica threw it in the lake. Yes! I don't want to know the person who's not excited about a creepy possessed doll storyline. Of course why Jessica decides to give the thing to Arlene's evil baby is beyond me. 'Hey, kid--enjoy this dirty, broken doll. And oh yeah, it's probably haunted too.' The shot of the baby looking eerily like the doll was a nice touch, though.

Tommy's goody goody act is coming to an end. Despite the fact that Maxine's been nothing but good to him (even if she does just want to replace Hoyt) when a prospector comes to the door offering a whole lot of money for the leasing rights to the natural gas on Maxine's land Tommy sees an opportunity to cash in. He goes to see Sam and proposes they buy Maxine's land out from under her and then make a mint on the natural gas money. Sam is disgusted and tells Tommy that if he doesn't tell Maxine about the man's offer that Sam will. So much for regaining each other's trust.

The episode ends with Sookie sitting at home trying to read (after discovering that Eric is gone). Suddenly a flash of light draws her outside where Claudine tries to convince her to return to the fairy realm. Claudine claims the fairies are Sookie's true family and that only they can keep her safe from the vampires. When Sookie doesn't budge Claudine orders her to come with her. Yeah, that'll work. Just as Sookie snaps at Claudine to stay away from her, Eric lunges out of nowhere and bites Claudine. He's gluttonous as he drinks and doesn't stop until Claudine is dead (I don't like that the fairies are so ugly on the show). As Sookie looks on in horror Eric apologizes.

I love Eric like this--we get to see a deeper side of him for the first time and not just the vampire persona. Sadly it won't last so I'd might as well enjoy it while I can. The subplots are also interesting this season (other than Arlene's baby) and a bit more subtlety is being utilized (thank the TV gods). All I know is that for the first time since season 1 I'm actually excited to see each episode. As far as I'm concerned True Blood is back.

Fang Files

Appearance: Pale humans with red-rimmed eyes and long snakelike fangs that descend at will (and sometimes simply due to excitement).

Strengths: Super speed & strength. Heightened senses. Fast healing. Ability to glamour humans.

Weaknesses: Tasty fairy blood. Wooden bullets/stakes. Daylight/sun.

Mythology: All vampires answer to The Authority, a mysterious governing body with an unknown agenda. Vampire blood (V) is a highly addictive, illegal and unpredictable drug. Vampires need an invitation into a private residence.

Sound Bites

Sookie: You know perfectly well why I smell...the way I smell.
Eric: Like wheat...and honey and sunlight.

Eric: I know I'm a vampire, Snookie.
Sookie: It's Sookie.

Vampire: So I'm being punished now for being what I am?
Bill: No. You're being punished for being stupid.

Jessica: I hate my life.
Bill: Jess...vamp up.

Andy: God grant me...the serenity...fuck it. [grabs for vial of V]

Sookie: You just killed my fairy godmother!
Eric: Sorry.

True Blood, Season 4 Episode 3 "If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin'?" Written by Alan Ball. Directed by David Petrarca. From HBO.

True Blood S4 E2 "You Smell Like Dinner"

Spoilers Ahead

"You Smell Like Dinner" gives a good sense of where Season 4 is going, and that mostly seems to be along the lines of the books (or at least one of them, which fortunately happens to be my favourite one of the series, Dead to the World). And what isn't from the books seems equally promising. Oh yes, this is going to be a good season.

We start off finding out the fate of Jason after he was locked into a chest freezer last episode. He wakes up tied to a bed, guarded by a couple of the kids who put him in the freezer in the first place. Just as he convinces them to help him escape who should storm in but Felton, last seen making off with Jason's beloved Crystal and a ton of V. He's not too happy to see Jason again and it isn't long before Jason--still helpless--is staring down the barrel of a shotgun. Maybe provoking Felton wasn't the brightest idea.

Meanwhile Sookie tries hard to get rid of Eric, who insists she needs to accept that she belongs to him. He doesn't skimp on arguments: she needs protection, he cares about her, he could take her blood anytime he wants but he isn't because he wants her to choose to be his.... Nothing proves convincing. He finally leaves but, of course, he'll be back.

While Eric is busy with Sookie, the rest of the vampires at Fangtasia are dealing with ongoing protests outside by post-Russell anti-vampire fanatics. The vampires are careful to leave the protesters alone (particularly since they come equipped with recording devices) but when one of them calls Hoyt a fangbanger and continues to insult him it's pretty much inevitable a fight is going to break out. Frustrated, Pam and Jessica can only stand by and watch.

Bill is discussing with witch Katerina what happened at the coven. He tells her it's time to get out (she was infiltrating the coven for him) right before he brings her into his bed. Bill sleeping with someone else saddens me. He really did give up on Sookie while she was trapped in the fairy realm, but even now that he knows she's alive he continues to help himself to someone else. So much for Sookie being the love of his life (yes, yes, I know sex and love are not the same thing but if you love someone and want to win them back I don't think sleeping with another person is going to help your cause or prove your sincerity).

I think Bill agrees with me because when Sookie shows up to ask him for help with Eric he looks somewhat abashed as Sookie sees what he's been up to. She's also trying to come to grips with the unexpected news that Bill is king. But king or not he can't do anything about her Eric problem. He gives her the somewhat lame excuse that Eric has friends in high places but promises he'll try to help. Meanwhile he suggests Sookie take refuge with another human. Sookie is less than impressed. She's also a little mean when she asks Bill how he became king and then tells him to forget it--every time she ever found out anything new about him she ended up wishing she hadn't. Sookie's got a mean streak in the books too, which makes me wonder how she can be so judgmental about the vampires and other non-human creatures. She might try to be all sunshine and Southern charm but inside she's just as much a monster as any of the creatures she scorns.

But her question does prompt a flashback, taking us to 1982 London and Bill's stint as a punk. I have to say that punk does not work for Bill unlike, say, Buffy's Spike.


Bill Compton (top) and William the Bloody

For one thing, a leather jacket and spiky hair do not a punk make. For another, Bill just isn't believable as a punk--unlike Spike who fits the persona perfectly (you can totally believe that Billy Idol copied his look rather than the other way around). Lastly--and weirdly--even though Stephen Moyer is English, Bill's English accent seems forced and somewhat fake. Not sure how American James Marsters beat the Brit in terms of accent but it might be best if True Blood avoids any more flashbacks to the 1970s or 80s.

Anyway, back to the scene itself--we find out that Nan Flanagan has been watching Bill for a while and appreciates that he doesn't kill his victims. She tells him a group of vampire scientists (including Louis Pasteur) are working on a blood substitute that would allow vampires to come out to the world and mainstream. Since there's no way the kings and queens will support coming out, Nan recruits Bill to infiltrate the Louisiana monarchy and plant the seeds of dischord from within (other vampires are doing the same elsewhere).

Back to the present, Sam seems to be in a better mood this week. This could be due to his burgeoning romance with shifter Luna or to a new commitment with Tommy to try to trust each other and be brothers again. Luna is an intriguing character. She's part Navajo and she tells Sam and the other shifters in their group that she grew up hearing stories of "skinwalkers," basically shifters who can turn into other people. According to legend shifters can only accomplish this if they kill another member of their family who is also a shifter. As it happens, Luna's mom died having her so she's got this rare ability. We haven't seen her use it yet but this could get interesting.

Sookie finally meets Arlene's devil baby and makes the mistake of saying the baby has an old soul. Of course Arlene flips out. Later when she's looking at the baby and a blood vessel bursts in her eye she really gets her crazy on. Who would have thought Terry would be the voice of reason and sanity?

When Sookie returns home she hallucinates a pack of fairies attacking her. Instead it turns out to be Tara. At first I thought it might be a fairy in Tara form but I'm fairly positive it actually is Tara, who apparently does care, after all (it seems she just doesn't want her girlfriend to know anything about her). As they enter Sookie's house, Sookie finds gifts from Eric, a carafe of blood in the fridge, and (my personal favourite) an armoire that hides a sleeping spot for a vampire. Sookie's enraged but I think it's funny. You've got to admit Eric's got style.

It's interesting to see Eric clash with Bill now that Bill is his superior. After a cursory attempt at getting Eric to give back Sookie's house or sell it to him (Eric won't), Bill tells Eric about the new coven in town. Eric couldn't care less until Bill mentions that the witches happen to be necromancers. Their magics control the dead, which is bad news for vampires everywhere. Eric says he'll go to the coven that night.

At this point we're treated to another flashback, this time going back to Bill's big fight with Sophie-Anne. It's clear she's going to wipe the floor with Bill--until his backup arrives equipped with guns loaded with wooden bullets. They execute Sophie-Anne and a moment later Nan Flanagan walks in and makes him king. So Bill doesn't have any special vampire abilities; he's just aligned with strong vampires. That's kind of disappointing. It looks like Bill is spending his eternal life being someone else's puppet. At least he has sense enough not to tell Nan about Sookie's fairy lineage.

Jessica and Hoyt are not doing so well, despite Hoyt's public declaration of love (maybe with a hint of protesting too much) outside Fangtasia. The next night Jessica gets offended at Hoyt's refusal to take her blood (he looks at it as a drug not a healing agent) and leaves in a huff. She's supposed to be going to the drugstore but instead heads to Fangtasia where she finds herself a tasty treat. Sookie walks in on Jessica (after visiting Pam and trying unsuccessfully to get her help with the Eric situation). Sookie tries talking to Jessica but Jess is having none of it. She tells Sookie off for hurting Bill and then turns her back on her. Wow--sucks to be Sookie.

Not as much as it sucks to be Jason, though. Just when Andy shows up in Hotshot and it looks like Jason might be catching a break, Crystal slithers into the room. She claims that Felton's got her hooked on V and that she's found a way for her and Jason to be together forever. Then she gags him so he can't call out to Andy. WTF? If Andy wasn't so messed up by V himself he might have noticed something was amiss. Instead he leaves when he's given a vial of vampire blood after Felton recognizes Andy's symptoms as a user. Once Andy is gone, Crystal and Felton return to Jason and inform him they're going to make a baby. Ew. As it happens it's Crystal's duty to propagate the species, but it just doesn't seem to be working out with half-brother/betrothed Felton (EW). So she'll use Jason and his fresh DNA to make a baby, thereby allowing them to be together forever. The catch is that to make sure they have a panther baby they've got to make Jason a panther. Which involves them shifting and biting Jason repeatedly. Okay, then. (By the way, how is it such sickly, inbred people turn into gorgeous, healthy-looking panthers?)

As for the coven, Jesus and Lafayette are having some disagreements about the nature of the resurrection spell. Lafayette is freaked but Jesus thought it was cool. He also refuses to believe there's such a thing as black magic, arguing that magic is good or evil depending entirely on the practitioner. It seems the argument is good enough for Lafayette because he and Jesus (and Tara) are back at the coven that night. This time leader Marni wants to bring a (human) body back to life. Some of the witches are horrified but some are all for it.

Suddenly Eric shows up. He offers Marni a deal that would disband the coven but also spare them. She refuses. He grabs her and bites. The other coven members start chanting. Tara tries sneaking up on Eric and he releases Marni in order to grab her. Marni starts chanting now. Within minutes Eric is frozen in place, looking shocked. His fangs retract and then he runs. Marni snaps out of her trance, unaware of what she's done. Witches--nothing but trouble.

The episode ends with Sookie driving home. Suddenly she sees Eric walking along the side of the road, shirtless (I know when I've been bewitched the first thing I want to do is start stripping!) As Sookie stops the car and starts talking to Eric it's obvious something is wrong. He seems dazed, possibly a little frightened, and he has no idea who Sookie is. But he does wonder why she smells so good.

It's the Eric amnesia storyline! And there was much rejoicing! If nothing else it should be a hell of a lot of fun watching Sookie and Eric "interact" this season. Here's to hot Vikings and reluctant fairies...

Fang Files

Appearance: Pale humans with red-rimmed eyes and long snakelike fangs that descend or retract at will.

Strengths: Super speed and strength. Ability to glamour (hypnotize) humans. Vampire blood can heal wounds. Some vampires can levitate or fly.

Weaknesses: Wooden bullets, stakes, silver, magic.

Mythology: Vampire blood (V) is a potent, addictive, and highly illegal drug with unpredictable effects. Not every vampire supported coming out to humans--many would have preferred to continue living in secret. Vampire society is strictly hierarchical. Vampires have an incredibly strong bond with their makers.

Sound Bites

Sookie: You bought my house. The house does not come with me inside it.
Eric: Well, then I seriously overpaid.

Pam: Technology's taking all the fun out of being a vampire.

Sookie: [re: Eric] Psychopathic frat boy.

Nan Flanagan: [to Bill] You'd better not be lying to me. She [Sophie-Anne] did and look what happened to her.

Pam: [to Sookie] With what you are, Fairy Princess, you need to be somebody's or you won't be at all.

True Blood, Season 4 Episode 2 "You Smell Like Dinner." Written by Brian Buckner. Directed by Scott Winant. From HBO.