Recap: 'True Blood' Season 2, Episode 11

I can't believe this is it, but we just watched the next-to-last episode of "True Blood" for this season. After last week's all-out mayhem, this week's adventures felt like a walk in the park.

Things kick off as Bill walks into Sophie-Anne's house -- also known as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana -- in search of advice on how to kill a maenad (i.e., Mary Ann). She's sucking blood from the inner thigh of a delicious-looking young woman.

Meanwhile a much less appealing kind of sucking is happening at Bill's mansion, where Jessica, driven to fang-fueled anger by Hoyt's mother's insulting behavior, is sucking on Hoyt's mom's neck. Hoyt angrily tears her away but not in time. His mom liked it. "Look what you've done," he accuses the poor little vampire as he storms off. She slams the door, screaming with heartbroken anguish.

Back at Sophie-Anne's place Sophie-Anne tells Bill that Mary Ann can't be killed because she has convinced herself of her own immortality. "Everything that exists willed itself into existence." (So can I will something into extinction? Like, say, those text messages from that one guy I don't like? You know who you are, or at least my friends know who you are.)

Darker things are being willed at Lafayette's house, where Tara has been handcuffed by Lafayette to keep her from going back to Sookie's house in search of Eggs. Lafayette holds a gun on her but gives it to her mother while he and Sookie take a break on the porch. Tara takes the opportunity to guilt trip her mother into letting her free. Lettie Mae turns the gun on Sookie and Lafayette while Tara jumps in the car. Lafayette, still suffering from post-traumatic stress, cowers in a corner of the porch, hallucinating that Lettie Mae is Eric. Sookie throws a door stop at Lettie Mae, and she and Lafayette run off to find Tara.

Things are a mess at Merlotte's, where Sam, Andy and Jason clean up and Jason talks about how he has to save his town. Sam catches a glimpse of Arlene's kids outside of the window. They are hungry and dirty. He feeds them while Jason and Andy go to raid the arsenal at the sheriff station. The children suggest that Sam ask a vampire for advice.

On the way to the sheriff's office Jason waxes philosophical about Sam's abilities (earlier Sam revealed to Jason and Andy that he is a shape shifter). "What if Sam turns into a dog and has sex with a lady dog?" Jason asks. Crazy townspeople dance and writhe all around the sheriff's office. One offers to go down on Jason while Bud dances around in his boxers shooting his guns in the air. Another (a deputy) shoots Andy in the chest but fortunately he is wearing a bulletproof jacket.

When Tara arrives at Sookie's house Eggs is sitting forlorn at the kitchen table with big black eyes. Mary Ann appears and tells Tara that it was Tara who summoned her in the first place -- during her exorcism in the woods. But that was a fake, Tara pleads. Again, Mary Ann says that belief is a powerful thing and that Tara believed enough to pique her interest in Bon Temps, which is why she came and why she found Tara in particular. She flutters, but it doesn't affect Tara, so she punches Tara in the face and Tara's eyes go black again.

As Eggs and Tara dance off to break glass and furniture and generally behave like a couple of drunk frat boys on spring break, the crazed townspeople arrive in the kitchen to tell Mary Ann that God appeared to them and "smote" Sam. He disappeared and all that was left of him was a pile of his clothes. Mary Ann knows that Sam simply shape-shifted and tricked them. She calls them fools and emits some kind of high-pitched shrieking noise (kind of like the one I make when my credit card gets rejected) and they run away.

When Hoyt gets back to his house with his irrational, newly sinful mother she gets busy making a potato chip-candy bar casserole with hot sauce for Mary Ann's coming-of-God party. She says horrible things to Hoyt and she reveals that although she told him that his father died protecting the family from a burglar, he actually killed himself. Hoyt is devastated.

Meanwhile, Lafayette and Sookie arrive at her house and watch from a distance as fat naked people dance around the totem pole in the yard. Sookie says that although she was almost raped in Dallas, watching this happen to Gran's house is so much worse. When Terry and Arlene show up and threaten them, Lafayette distracts them by throwing large quantities of pills at them. (That always works! Especially when you really need to skip the bathroom line at a Hollywood nightclub.)

Hoping to save his own life and the town, Sam goes to Fangtasia with Arlene's kids to ask help from Eric. Eric pays a lot of attention to the children, whom he affectionately (too affectionately, maybe) refers to as tiny humans before blasting off like Superman to visit Sophie-Anne.

Bill is still at Sophie-Anne's, trying to get her to give him secrets about the maenad. She is flip with him as they lounge in swimsuits under simulated sunlight by a pool. She has a line of half-naked men and women standing by the pool, waiting to serve as snacks. Bill says he feeds only on Sookie, but gives in and sucks the neck of a handsome young man, much to Sophie-Anne's delight. "I love watching two men," she says. Later, while they play Yahtzee, she finally gives him what he's looking for.

"Maenads keep waiting for gods to come, but they never do," she says. "She needs to think that she's successfully summoned Dionysus and that he will ravage her, devour her, literally. When she thinks she's found him she can be killed." Bingo! When Bill leaves he runs into Eric at the door and again tells him to stay away from Sookie, and if he doesn't he will tell the queen that Eric is forcing humans to sell vampire blood for him.

Back in town, Jason and Andy sit in a truck preparing for the all-out war that is about to take place. Andy tells Jason that he has always been resentful of how easy Jason has had it, especially with the ladies. Jason points out that everyone he loves has been killed and that when it comes to the ladies, "I work out like a mother... and I watch a lot of porn and learn stuff." That is hard work; you tell him, Jason! They decide to leave the past behind them and focus on the task ahead.

When Bill shows up in Bon Temps he goes to Merlotte's, but that's not where Sookie is. She's at her house navigating her way through a maniacal scene of gross decay and all-out fiendishness. The town drunk cuts off her own ring finger and giggles, a naked man bathes in the sink with what looks to be intestines, and one of the crazies forces Sookie to lay on the floor with him where she found her Gran murdered. When he tries to get her to have sex with him, she hits him over the head with a frying pan and flees upstairs.

There she finds Tara and Eggs breaking all of Gran's things and preparing a nest in the bed for a giant egg. Could it be the result of Tara and Eggs freakish tantric union on Tara's birthday? Is this the god that is to come? Sookie stands at the foot of the bed, shocked, until someone grabs her shoulders. She turns to see that it is Lafayette, his eyes as big and black as coal.

Roll credits.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Alexander Skarsgard as Eric. Credit: HBO

Comments

[Kimota]

It just me or has anyone else noticed that as Season 2 has progressed the show has gotten exponentially worse on a weekly basis.

Season 1 was great for a reason, the writers did not deviate that greatly from the books. With Season 2 the writers have totally gone on their own tangent which completely differs from the books.

For me Season 2 has been like watching a painfully writen Disney production that has an occasional nude and or gore scene thrown in, just to let you know its not Disney it HBO. :(

[Mary]

Yes, this episode was a little lackluster compared to what the previous episode was like. The egg in the nest is very confusing and all this stuff about being imagined into existence must just be a theory as Bill said. I just can't wait to see MaryAnn get hers. That is what I have been waiting for and I hope it is as exciting as I hope it will be. I am also devastated to find out that I'll have to wait until next June for season 3. I was hoping they'd air it like Carnivale and Deadwood and we'd start getting 2 seasons a year. Oh, well.

[Mary]

Meant to say in my earlier comment that this last episode just verified why I enjoy the books better than the show. I am again speaking of this egg in a nest and Sophie Anne's adolescent behavior and explanation of all being imagined into existence. I know that Sophie Anne was young when changed but come on! Likely she was just messing with Bill, since no vampire likes his ways, but I hope her character starts to show some real depth beyond an adolescent that hasn't learned a thing in over a thousand years. The magistrate from season 1 shows more character suited to his position than Sophie Anne's character has been given thus far. I love Evan Rachel Ward and she deserves a character better than this.

[Leesa Garcia]

Great recap!! I am soooo bummed the next episode is the last of the season!!! How will I survive until the next season... I hope it keeps on getting better!!

[Andrew]

So wait, you DON'T want those txt messages I'm sending you?

And what's with Sookie's cousin? At least I think that's who it was playing Yahtzee with them. Have we seen her before?

I'm looking forward to the season finale, though I kinda wish season three started right after.

[dgrant]

The tip off moment for this episode got left out here - its when the vampire queen explains to Bill (as he otherwise prepares to run off) that Maryanne needs to summon the god to come with a sacrifice (remember all those blood soaked stones from before) and it has to be a "supernatural" such as a shape shifter, or a "were" but not a vampire, who gets killed and "consumed.". Thus, Sam needs to bite the big one, so Bill can kill Maryanne apres snacktime, or so he reasons. Overlooked though, for the moment, was the revelation of Sookie's extra power, besides telepathy (the white light thing), which strongly suggests she, and studboy bro Jason, might ALSO fill the sacrifice main course option.
Another clear set-up was a cameo with cousin Hadley (previosuly unseen vampire chew toy) who takes time from yahtzee with the vampire queen to chat up Bill about home town news. Graciously, he does not mention that "gran" is dead when she asks about her.
Finally, a clear set up for things to come, the queen's dismissal of bad blood between Bill and Eric that "you two should just f**k each other" and get over it. Bill has no come back to that one.
Meanwhile, Sookie keeps looking perfectly turned out in wonderful outifts, unmussed even after wrestling on the dirty kitchen floor with a potential rapist/coroner, and Tara, and her Mom, keep mkaing the absolute worst self destructive choices, and richly deerve what happens to them for trashing anybody who gets in their way to making everythng all that much awful.
Crystal ball predictions for the finale could include, revelation of Sooky's/Jason's supernature, somthing awful for Hoyt, a surprise save from Andy (also immune to MAryanne) and a tremendous boom time for local dry cleaners who get to clean up the mess. And id keep little kids away from Eric in the future.

[Liz Smith]

I just started watching True Blood this season, and am hooked. I've read Charlain Harris's books latest two then decided to start from the beginning. I like Bill but Eric does it for me, maybe it's the bad boy...I's looking forward to the finale and will wait for season 3. I just loved the way he (Eric) flew away to see Sophie Anne The previews looked very interesting.

[Maria]

Great post, hon. A couple of things to add though.
It wasn't that Taras bitter feelings got Maryann to be interested in Bon Temps, its just that Miss Jeanette got the Ceremony correct by accident, and Tara called Maryann forth.
The information that Bill gathered from Vampire Queen Sophie Ann tells us that Maeneds are looking to call forth the horned god. They have thus far not gotten the sacrifice right. They need to sacrifice some supernatural creature. Some creature that straddles the two worlds. The natural and the supernatural. They don't sacrifice vampires on account of their heart not beating. However, they have sacrificed weres and shifters and thus far the horned god has not come. Sookie, is obviously half human half something else.
So Sookie is looking very good to be Maryanns sacrifice.
The Vampire Queens human companion is jason and Sookies cousin. She misses them and Bon Temps. This further implies that the family has some way of interesting supes.

[Maria]

I think the show has gotten better and better. I like that it has veered away from the books. The books were just fine, but far too heavy on the romance, and thin on the plot. The show adds depth, humor and suspense. I can't wait for the next episode. How anyone can mistake this for a Disney Movie is so far beyond me that I just can't answer. Thank you AB for the great series, for nat making Bill a jerk, and for the wonderful way you keep us on our toes!!! Why would you want him to follow the books? If he did we wouldn't need to watch. We would already know what happened.

[Lauren]

This is one of the worst episodes ever! The only good part was the fact that the queen was GORGEOUS!!!!!!

I cant stand Eggs or Mary ann. GET rid of their characters.

I dont know either how im going to make it to next season... SO FAR AWAY

[Laetitia Lawrence]

You doggone book-reading haters need to quit. The show is awesome, this most recent episode was killer and Evan Rachel Wood is hilarious as the Queen. That is all.

[joy]

I loved, loved, loved season 1. It was so different and exciting but season 2 has become more irritating as the weeks have gone on. Frenzy! this episode is so misnamed I was left terribly disappointed by the slow pace and lack of plot. It did have its good points, Eric looks gorgeous lounging in the bar and his being able to fly is cool. I like all the red headed characters but the queen was so ordinary I felt cheated, where was her majesty?
Lets hope the finale is worth waiting for.

[mel]

They really need to get rid of the over-acting queen. She needs to stay on the stage with all of her over the top gestures. It was like watching my kids plays at school. Surely the producer can see this.

[Cecilia]

I'm disappointed! I've a true fan if this show but it was weak! Not to mention, we have one episode left - why are they adding more detail? I'm not sure I can wait until 2010 for the next season. Geezzz..... but, I'll be waiting! Still a fan!

[Kat]

As a fan of both the Books and the TV show... i must say im not impressed as to the way they are showing Eric, I get it he's not good ( but the children scene was a little to much) Plus Bill Stands up to him way to much that almost never happens in the Books Eric out Ranks him and out Age/Powers him.. He would never have servived that stupid punch a few weeks back.... Let alone threatening Eric about he Blood thing....

[Suzie]

I was wondering...
So the queen outranks eric. Eric is 1000+ years old. Didn't the queen say she was turned just before the industrial revolution? Wouldn't that make her like 700 years younger than eric? I thought that vampire based rank on age and resultant power(apart from the magistrate, who I assume is simply the best at his job) is this some serious inconsistency or have I missed something? Love the show by the way and have just bought first couple of books!

[TrueBloodAddict]

I absolutely adore True Blood, I have read all 9 books, and I absolutely loved Season one, the cast of this show, could not be better,Sookie, Jason,Bill, Eric, Pam, Lafayette, Sam, Tara, Andy,Eggs, and the rest of the cast, all deserve Emmys, and Godric who was so fabulous, came and went all too soon, he had such an amazing presence I thought, Even Mrs Newlin was very good.Season 2 has had some great moments, excellent moments in fact, but please , please get rid of Maryann, she is a great actress, but her part is ruining this show, please Alan Ball get True Blood back on track, before we wake up one day and find out its been cancelled. And no offense but did the Queen of Louisiana test for this part, she acts like shes in a school play !She is the only member of this cast that acts like she cant act ! I hate that the season is over, it went so fast !!The wait between Season 1 and 2 was unbearable, I cant even fathom the wait between 2 and 3 !! Please dont leave us hanging too bad in episode 12, finish some of the plots please !!! Until next year ..........................................