'True Blood' recap: 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World'

Eric and Molly get caught holding the blood bag
courtesy HBO
BY LARISSA MRYKALO

Loose ends are starting to be nicely tied up (along naked men on tables) and there is some storyline overlap - and we got to witness the start of a bloody war between the vampires and humans. All-in-all, a busy episode wouldn’t you say?

The Human Centerpiece

The war against humans has definitely begun, and panicked vampires are thirstier than ever. The largest Tru Blood factory in Houston has been destroyed and mainstreamed vampires and humans are worried about the consequences. The Authority has rounded up humans to feast on and Bill continues his annoying evolution.

Eric clearly has some hope that the old Bill is still in there somewhere and involves him in a plan to escape the locked-down Authority Headquarters. Unfortunately though, Bill drank the Liltih-Aid and feels lost. Is he “found” when he engages in a kinky, hallucinatory, blood-fueled 3-way with Salome, Lilith and Sookie? Or did he fall deeper into the crazy?

Eric planned on using tech-savvy Molly (Tina Majorino) to help them escape but her Level 3 clearances won’t cut it. Her suggestion of alternate plan is more dangerous. Eric approaches power-hungry Nora and deceives her into thinking that he wants to adhere to the Sanguinist mentality. He tells her, “I don’t want to fight you. Help me to believe.”

He lures Nora to a sterile looking room and, with the help of Molly, drugs her so her blood print could open their door to freedom from the Authority’s lair. When Bill shows, the jig is up and all hell breaks loose. Furious Eric is captured and led away in handcuffs. Based on Facebook and Twitter posts from after this episode, Bill’s character is pretty much detested at this point. Do you agree?

The New Oprah and Gayle?

Pam tries to keep her cool while watching the news and seeing the Tru Blood factories burn to the ground. It’s clear that she is suspicious that fellow vamps have something to do with these terroristic acts. Tara suggests hoarding the remaining Tru Blood that Fangtasia has in stock, but Pam wants business as usual in the bar while they privately feed on humans.

When Tara correctly senses that Pam is worried about Eric in all this turmoil, she offers her a friendly ear. Pam’s reply of “Just because we drank a bitch together, doesn’t make us Oprah and Gayle.” indicates that she doesn’t need Tara’s help. Alrighty then!

It looks like Tara was right to be nervous about vampires stressing about the Tru Blood supply.

Business is hopping! Pam gets yet another rude awakening when she threatens a creepy-looking vamp who’s sitting on her Maker’s Throne openly feeding on a human. Turns out, it’s okay to feed openly and, oh by the way, Mr. Northman is history and this creep is the new Sheriff of Area Five. This can’t be good at all!

The Pig Sh** Hits the Fan

Sookie seeks Lafayette’s help as a medium to find out who that “creepy spirit thingy” was in her bathroom. Instead, he gets some spiritual info from Sookie’s late Gran. There’s a clue to her parent’s murder in a memory box under her bed and the clue is former Sheriff Bud Dearborne (William Sanderson). He found the bodies ... maybe he has some answers about this Warlow fiend?

Well, Bud does not know who Warlow is but we do learn that Andy isn’t the worst sheriff that the parish ever had. Bud’s mistress, Sweetie (yes, Sweetie!) hits and drags poor Sookie off to Bud’s wife’s family’s pig farm where drugged Hoyt is also. That’ll teach Sookie to read the thoughts of a square-dancing champ’s lover!

It turns out, Bud and Sweetie are prominent figures in “The Obamas” aka the supe-killers. Andy and Jason actually discover on keepamericahuman.com that cowboy boot wearing Bud may actually be the “Dragon” of the group. We later learn that Sweetie is actually the Dragon and she is not at all happy with the equal rights that non-humans get. Crazy girl even thinks she’ll get her mug on a flag some day!

Thanks to the intervention of Sam and tenacious Luna, the Obamas are foiled and Sookie and Hoyt are saved. Andy shoots and kills Bud when he tries to kill (gloriously naked) Sam with a shovel. Luna chases Sweetie down and beats the stupid out of her. Do you agree that it was a good ending to this supe-killer story line? Too bad Sam and Luna have some bad news ahead of them.

After an unexpected visit from her faerie guardians, the recovering Sookie learns from them that the vampires are behind the destruction of the Tru Blood factories. As if she doesn’t have enough crap to deal with!

Don’t Mess with a Mama Bear

Terry decides to offer Patrick (Scott Foley) a fair fight to the death to appease the Ifrit and lift the curse. Arlene doesn’t like the sound of it and berates Patrick for running off like a scalded dog. Little does she know that she’ll soon be his hostage to lure Terry to his death. Holed up in Merlotte’s, Arlene’s life is threatened with Patrick’s gun. Yes she’s terrified but when Terry comes in for a showdown, Arlene’s strength comes out gangsta-style! No one threatens her husband and the potential welfare of her babies!

Arlene stabs Patrick in the neck and after a fight between Terry and Patrick and learning, through pleading for his life, that Patrick is about to become a father, Terry takes Arlene’s urging and kills Patrick. The spirit of Zaafira appears and is satisfied because “Blood has been paid with blood.” She unleashes the Ifrit from her mouth full of perfect white teeth (Is Iraq famous for their dental care?) and it consumes Patrick. What a relief that that’s over! Is it over? What’s next for Arlene and Terry?

Come to Papa

Abjured Alcide heads to Jackson, Mississippi, to pay his dad (Robert Patrick) a visit. While driving, Alcide flashes back to when he and a young, innocent-looking Debbie Pelt chose "pack." It’s a brief scene but we learn that his dad likes beer and betting on dog races and that they’re both lone wolves now. I’m sure we’ll see more of this daddy/son dynamic in the final episodes.

Little Stevie Gets a New Puppy

When we saw Russell and the good Reverend Steve walking together in a field and talking about pets, we knew that no good would come of it, right? Russell is the V supplier to the Shreveport pack of werewolves and during a visit, they drink from him in celebration of J.D.’s new official role as pack master. Martha refuses, however, and her punishment is harsh. She is holding her granddaughter Emma (as a pup) and Russell thinks she would make a mighty fine new present for his buddy Steve. The horror on Martha’s face and in her voice was heart-breaking. However, it probably won’t compare to when Luna finds out her daughter is a vampire’s pet.

Wrap-Up

Did we like this episode? Was it just filler used to tie-up loose ends or was it one of the better ones? Three more episodes are left to answer some final questions. Based on Jessica’s concern for Hoyt, will they get back together? Will Eric be staked for his blasphemous behavior?

Next week’s episode “Gone, Gone, Gone” sounds a tad ominous, agreed? Watch it on HBO next Sunday at 9pm ET/PT.