HBO
(Season 1, Episode 10)
“All that pollution and technology, that’s how demons travel.” – the “exorcist” to Tara
Rats! I was nearly on-board with the whole exorcism thing. I guess that power-of-the-mind/placebo thing really does have some merit to it. Both Tara and her mom had a fresh start going, until Tara found out about the sham and was right back — worse, really — to where she was before. Is that girl mad at the world or what?
But it’s interesting that Tara saw a vision of her younger self, saying something to the effect of, “Don’t hurt me, Momma.” So maybe her mom used to be an abusive alcoholic back in the day. Definitely some issues there. Any of our Peyote-taking readers care to comment on its affects?!
And so we learn a little more about Sam’s past, and the fact that he was abandoned as a child because of his shape-shifting abilities. At least, that’s what I got out of it. Is that what you got out of it?
We also know a few more shape-shifting facts: he needs a live animal as a go-by, an “imprint”; he doesn’t do humans because they’re too complicated; it wears off if he falls asleep (thus, waking up naked in Sookie’s bed – but wouldn’t he have known that would happen?); and during a full moon, he can’t stop the shape-shifting.
I loved Sookie’s reaction when she saw him shift from a dog into a human: “Shut the fuck up!” She’s learning all kinds of new things, including the existence of werewolves. I guess that shouldn’t be too shocking, though, given the fact that vampires are commonplace. And we know this is current-day, since someone mentioned 9/11 an episode or two ago. So we’re not talking an alternative reality or anything.
Wow, that Amy is downright mean! She really personifies the rift between humans and vampires. And I guess Eddie is no more, right? Because she stabbed him with a stake?
I was gripped – gripped! – by the last few minutes of this episode. As I understand it, Bill’s punishment was to “turn” a human into a vampire? I haven’t read the books, so tell me if I’m wrong on that. But that’s better than spending five years in a coffin with silver – the usual sentence for killing a vampire.
Other thoughts/questions:
Your thoughts?
Clacked by Jane Boursaw 
on Nov 10, 2008 @ 17:04 EST5EDT
“shut the fuck up!” best use of the word since the end of ‘so i married an axe murderer’ or anytime sam jackson uses it.
assuming tara is in her early 20’s, that girl could have been her kid – childhood rape/abortion=dark dark soul? I was thinking it was her jealous demon doing all the killings, but if the demons aren’t for real? (i still think they are…)
person in the bar looked to me (dark silhouette and all) like the iraq war vet – i’m pretty sure either he or tara is the killer, and either one could be because of ‘demons’.
so cool to finally find out sam IS a shapeshifter, and the explanation for the dog that was throwing us off was cool too. :)
A fascinating episode!
I think It shot down my theory that Sam might be the killer. More and more signs point to the Iraq war veteran.
I laughed when they first showed Ivan Zjelko as the head of the North American vampires. He’s such a great actor, and is devilishly perfect for the role, I think.
I was very disappointed to learn that some of the Clackers were right when they postulated the exorcisms were fake. I had hoped the exorcisms were genuine. I was also looking forward to a happier, less angry Tara. And now, of course, we have the inevitable fall of Tara’s mother :(
The actress who plays Arlene looked really good in last night’s episode — it was the first time they changed her makeup so she didn’t look so run down.
I was shocked when Jason’s girlfriend killed the hostage vampire. In a previous episode, Eric (who I just realized was Alexander Saarsgard, who also starred in this summer’s “Generation Kill” on HBO and was *SUPERB* in it) mentions to the Merlotte’s crowd that vampires know who have wronged them, which doesn’t bode well for Jason’s livelihood.
Only two more episodes of True Blood left, I think — I’ll be very sad when it goes on between-season hiatus. What a great show!
*POST AUTHOR*
David – I didn’t even think about the repercussions of Amy killing Eddie. Someone will have to pay for it, and she’s so flighty she might leave town and leave Jason to deal with it.
My guess for the murderer is Rene. It seems clear that they are setting him up for something. He’s the nicest of all the characters and Arlene keeps talking about how great he is. I don’t see any reason to build him up other than to later tear him down.
Of course, since we know so little, they can basically declare any character as the murderer and then explain it after the fact. I wish we had some real clues. It’s not much of a mystery if we don’t really know anything.
I think the murderer is the other guy that works at Sams. The veteran whose name I can never remember.
Yeah I agree that its either Tara or the vet. Rene is a possibility but I dont want it to be true lol. I’m having doubts about Tara as well since she is Sookie’s only real friend for the most part.
Was it just me or did that woman standing in the road look like a centaur? Lol prob a little far fetched but thats what I think I saw.
I think the woman was walking a goat or something … she was odd looking, whoever/whatever she was.
maybe SHE was a demon.
“So maybe her mom used to be an abusive alcoholic back in the day” – Well, that really isn’t a maybe considering Tara calls herself in every episode “abused child of an alcoholic,” emphasized by her crush on Jason which was catalyzed by his willingness to protect her as a child. I’m glad you’re reviewing shows I enjoy, but this is one of those overt plot point the writers keep hitting on kind of like P.P.’s elevator politics -
It was a naked woman with a BIG pig… i think that was almirant Cane (BSG), or maybe i’m waaaay of :)
Great episode!
I’m going for the veteran or the “really really” nice guy that lives with his mom whose name i don’t remember (the one that told her that he would drink many beers and tequila)
I know this is the TV show, not the book, but in the books, not only are there also werewolves along with shapeshifters, but there are also fairies (as in fairy godmothers) — and one of them is encountered in the woods in at least one of the books, but not by Tara.
plus, they’ve totally left out the fourth body in the burned house angle, unless I missed it somewhere.