'True Blood' recap: 'Hopeless'

Does Roman have a prayer? Courtesy HBO
BY LARISSA MRYKALO

Yes, the word “blood” is in the title of the show, but this episode really seemed to focus on this life-liquid a little more heavily tonight. We found another traitor in the Authority’s midst, some good-byes were said, some amazing acting was witnessed and we got a surprise ending with some awesome dialogue. Was your blood lust quenched tonight?

Lilith Fair?

Fast and furious best describes the opening scene. Where did those wolves come from? Alcide is dragged off by some of his former pack members while Russell (True Blood’s equivalent to Games of Thrones’ Tyrion in the “best one-liners ever” department) musters up his strength to attack Sookie. Doesn’t he remember that her faerie fingers are his Kryptonite? Eric wants to kill him right then and there but Bill stops him because “if he dies, we die”. Eric has his fangs out and the snarling down pat but Authority Chancellor Kibwe (Peter Mensah) and some officers break things up with their expertly pointed guns.

As Russell is dragged away, he blasphemes the name of Lilith and gets a hardy slap from Kibwe. Et tu Kibwe? Another Sanguinist is revealed! Bill and Eric agree to glamour Alcide and Sookie to protect them since they know too much. Eric heals Alcide’s fight wounds, and also makes sure he not only forgets the evening’s events but also protects, yet is repulsed sexually, by Sookie. Oh, Eric! Bill goes through the motions of looking like he’s glamouring Sookie and uses this opportunity to tell her good-bye. It’s kind of heart-breaking but that girl is such a mess, she needs to forget all of this anyway.

Kibwe and the gang round up Doug and the other humans who survived in the morgue. They can identify the woman who brought Russell there for his recovery. They’ll just get glamoured to forget, right? Further evidence of Kibwe’s Sanguinist allegiance is shown when he savagely kills all of the humans.

Bill and Eric, however, are safely taken back to the Authority HQ and greeted as heros. Molly removes their iStakes and they are given some expensive blood to drink. Roman is like a giddy drunk uncle at a wedding and even matched his blue Nike golf shirt to his couches. It’s a fun new side to the Guardian, don’t you think?

We also learn that Salome has been interrogating the weakened-by-intravenous-silver Russell. When she says that she should resume with him, Roman tells her to not bother due to his impending execution. Did you notice the look on her face? Salome looked a bit concerned. She’s not who she appears to be, agreed? Eric also reveals that he wants to talk to Nora and that she is his sister. Roman’s expression changes and then just asks Bill and Eric if they’ll be attending the execution. We think someone should slip a mood stabilizer into his 18th Century Austrian blood drink.

Alcide is Packing!

How cute did Alcide look when he woke up in Sookie’s girly bed? They’re both really hungover and Alcide is trying to recall night’s events. Exhausted Sookie helps Alcide remember and gets pissed at Bill and Eric and also that some of his former pack members are doing V. Sookie just wants to be left alone and rightly so. She’s had a rough couple of days!

Later, Alcide storms into the barn where his former pack hangs out. J.D. (Louis Herthum), who is Marcus’ dad, is now the leader but since he’s corrupting the pack with V, Alcide wants his rightful position now. Some of the other members of the pack aren’t too happy about this. Alcide needs a second to take over the Pack Master role though. He gets it from a beautiful member who is clearly jealous of J.D.’s womanizing. The look on her face afterwards reveals that she may have made a mistake.

Fangtastic Fashion!

Tara and Jessica’s cat fight from last week gets broken up by Pam. Pam sets her slave Tara straight but tells her that she’s proud of her...like a human is proud of a well-trained dog. Ouch!

Ridiculously dressed Hoyt is glowing though. He thinks Jessica is still in love with him and wants him back. Jess makes it clear that they are over and that his whole new “fang banger” persona is not him. He’s determined to convince her, and himself, that it is him. Later on, he even lets himself be almost drained to death in the alley before the vampire is murdered by the supernatural beings killers. What would his mama think?!

The Smoke Monster Who Has the Best Agent in Show Business

Lost and Game of Thrones had one, so why not True Blood? Terry and Patrick are chased down by this ancient smoke and fire demon and Terry comes to terms with the fact that he needs to say good-bye to Arlene and his step-kids in order to save their lives. Terry finally reveals his past, and the curse placed upon him, to the shocked and saddened Arlene. That poor girl can’t catch a break with men! She backs off from trying to help him after he lets her know that her and her kid’s lives are in danger. Meds ain’t gonna help Terry in this situation!

Save Jesus!

Lafayette rushes to his crazy mama, Ruby Jean’s (Alfre Woodard) side after he learns that she had a seizure. It’s a brief scene but pretty revealing AND amusing. She let’s her son know that she has seen Jesus and that he’s in trouble and mixed up with Don Bartolo (who has made him drink goat’s blood). She also reveals that she knows this because the “electricity just run through me ... always has." She urges Lafayette to go find and save Jesus. Do you think that she’s confused about who Jesus is?

Shifting Gears

We discover that Sam and Luna have survived their gunshot wounds and are in a hospital recovering. Martha (Dale Dickey) shows up with Luna’s daughter, Emma, and lets Luna know that Emma travelled far and wide to get her. Martha just wants to be part of her granddaughter’s life and after some brief contemplation, Luna agrees and asks Martha to keep Emma safe while the shifter killers are still on the loose. Something about Martha is a little nerve-wracking ... agreed?

Sam tells Andy about these new hate crimes and pleads with him to help him find these sup-killers. After telling him that he’ll do it on his own, Andy agrees. They later go to the Stake House and charming sales assistant, Junior, reveals that about 1500 wooden bullets are sold there each month. Sam ends up saving Andy’s life when he senses that Junior is going to shoot him. Spidey sense has nothing on shifter sense!

Adventures in Faerie Land or The House of Claudes

Ever since finding out about his parent’s deaths thanks to cousin Hadley, Jason keeps dreaming about his parents. He has a really sweet dream involving his handsome daddy and reveals that he finally feels good about himself. He also vows to find the vampire that murdered his parents. He wakes up right before he finds out the answer to “the only thing you have to fear is ...” Hey! The answer is probably just “fear itself” anyway.

Jason then runs to Merlotte’s to tell Sookie what he’s learned about mom and dad and that Hadley told him. Sookie wants Jason to take her to the faerie club that she works at and is concerned about Hadley’s son, Hunter. Sookie has quite a bad impression of faeries and is convinced that Hadley and Hunter aren’t safe in faerie land.

After finding the club in the big field, Sookie meets Faerie Claude (Giles Matthey) who is the late Claudine’s brother. Not to worry though, there are several other sisters with the Claude derivative in their name. Anyway, it is revealed that Sookie and Jason’s parents were ambushed by a vampire who was drawn to them by Sookie’s bloody bandage in the back of their car. So poor Sookie now learns that SHE caused her parent’s deaths. Poor girl goes nuts and causes a light show. What you guys think of the faerie story line? Do you feel badly for Sookie?

This App Gets Zero Stars!

It’s time for Russell’s execution and Nora’s praying has become a tad fanatical. She let’s her brother, Eric, know that it was not her that rescued Russell and that “it’s finally happening." What’s happening?! It’s all part of her plan. What plan?!

Russell is on his knees and calls them all hypocrites and that he’s the only honest one there. He has some awesome lines and reveals just how much he likes feeding on humans... a lot. Roman is back to his old self and starts raving about how his mission is about order not chaos, mercy not sadism and balance and peace.

It’s time to iStake Russell but when the app is attempted, it fails. Molly, the Authority’s stake installer, looks shocked but not as shocked as Roman! Russell rapidly turns on Roman and utters “Peace is for pussies!” The stake is inserted and blood splashes on Russell’s maniacal face. Roman’s face twists and gets real ugly. Salome weeps. Nora invokes “Praise her!”

Is Roman really dead? He didn’t splash into a pool of blood or turn into dust, now did he? What happens to Sookie at the faerie club? Will Lafayette save Jesus? So many questions!

Next Sunday’s episode should prove to be quite interesting! Watch “In the Beginning” on HBO at 9pm ET/PT:

Bill and Eric get a powerful taste of sacred blood. A revelation at Hot Wings causesSookie to wonder what her life would be like without faerie powers. Meanwhile, Sam sniffs out several shifter shooters; Hoyt finds camaraderie in a new group of friends; Alcide prepares for the worst in his faceoff with J.D.; Andy attempts to reconnect with Bud; Lafayette finds an unlikely ally searching for Jesus’ body in Mexico; Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) pays Tara a visit; Arlene takes a sentimental journey as her concerns for Terry deepen.