True Blood is baaaaack!!!

I have seriously missed this show. And I can safely say that the wait was most definitely worth it.

The premiere kicks off literally where last season’s ho-hum finale left us: the aftermath of Maryanne’s rein is still lingering in the air; Tara’s distraught over discovering her lover’s body; Sookie is in a whirlwind of panic after realising Bill has been kidnapped; Jason is a total mess since killing Eggs, while Andy takes it upon himself to help him cover it up; and Sam is off gallivanting, in search of his long-lost family.

And that’s only the human side of things!

To say there’s a lot to this episode would be a gross understatement. I’m honestly not sure where to begin! I could start with the ever loveable Jessica or Hoyt’s awesome new hair or the sheer amazingness of Pam or Eric’s six hour sex marathon (with bonus tushy shot!).

Written by Brian Buckner, "Bad Blood" eases us into this concoction of chaos with some fantastic offbeat lines of dialogue, making sure almost every character has their moment; even the likes of dull as a doorknob-Bill gets to bring the funny (with Sam, but more on that in a bit). I had such a difficult time trying to single out a particular line of dialogue for the quote above, the script is that sharp. Having said that, there are a few missteps with certain character developments, but I wouldn’t be too quick to land the blame on Buckner, I’m sure it has more to do with the planned arc of that particular character (ahem, Tara, ahem).

Sookie’s determination to find Bill, rather surprisingly, plays second string to Bill’s plight, and, to be perfectly honest, Jason’s, too. I liked that Jason seemed to be so shaken up by what happened with Eggs that he’s all about turning over a new leaf. Could it be? Were the writers listening to me? Are they going to dial him down? I hope so! Andy of all people comes to his rescue, and actually makes for a semi-competent cop when paired with the former jock, and you have to love his philosophy: "Conscience off, dick on!" It was a rather startling image seeing those bullet holes during Jason’s three-way; it looks as though they may be offering him up a solid arc for the season.

While Jason’s struggle with Eggs’ death seems to benefit the character, adding depth to an otherwise sex-driven cipher, Tara’s reaction -- admirably charged by Rutina Wesley -- comes off a little hollow. I loved Tara, once upon a time. Heck, I loved the whole Maryanne arc. I just couldn’t wrap my head around Tara’s relationship with Tall, Dark and Biceps (otherwise known as Eggs). Under Maryanne’s control, they offered up some great television (in a deranged, orgy-orientated, heart-eating, ostrich egg-worshipping kind of way); but when the spell wore off, there was no spark for me. I couldn’t feel what Tara felt for Eggs, and so I can’t feel for Tara right now, or understand her reaction the way I was meant to; I’m in this limbo regarding one of my former favourites, and it’s just wrong. Wrong, I say!

What’s even more shocking is how much I liked Bill in this one. We haven’t seen him this badass since his flashbacks with Lorena in Season 2. He’s usually taking orders from Eric, or else fawning over Sookie, but here he’s snapping necks and taking names, even under such strenuous circumstances (‘We’re the fuck you club!’ *stab jugular*). Now he’s about to take on a whole pack of wolves, and there’s hardly any CG in sight, I suddenly find myself rooting for the vamp! I certainly hope he has enough stamina, despite what Eric may think, to see it through to the next episode.

Sam gets the short straw this week, as not very much is made of his storyline. It’s highly obvious that Tommy is his brother, but beyond that, it’s tough to say where this storyline will go. It’ll be interesting to delve into the shifter mythology in greater detail, but I do wonder, can a shifter transform into a wolf? I could see that becoming a plot point at some stage in the season. As for his dream sequence, I was totally gobsmacked. I was looking around my room, hoping someone would explain WTF was going on, and then I remembered -- Bill’s blood! Genius.

Overall, the season premiere does a good job of laying the groundwork for the season ahead. I haven’t even mentioned Sophie-Anne, who comes off far more sinister and grown up here (and, yes, I did jump out of my skin when she pushed Eric against the wall); or the fact that Jessica, bless her, just can’t catch a break, she is such a vampire n00b. It’s a jam-packed episode, heavy on small, icing on the cake, character moments that I just can’t get enough of. As for our fury friends, they barely feature, but if the cliff-hanger is anything to go by, they’re about to make their mark on this series.

The Checklist

Vampires Vs Werewolves:	Werewolves. Bill is tortured for the majority of the episode, as the dirty pack slice him open and drain his blood at an exceeding rate.
Cliff-hanger:	Bill breaks free of his captives but is surrounded by them, now in their pure wolf forms. ‘‘I must warn you, I have fed.’’
Pam's Corner:	"I don't know what it is about me that makes people think I want to hear their problems. Maybe I smile too much. Maybe I wear too much pink. But please remember I can rip your throat out if I need to." A Femme Fatale if ever there was one!

  -- Mark Ritchie

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