True Blood Open Thread 6.9: “Life Matters”

Hosted by Joseph Lamour

Image via True-Blood.net.
Ed.’s Note: Laffy’s looking ferosh. Pairing your purple suit accessories
to your purple eyeshadow is living life at expert level.

I think this was the best episode of True Blood in quite some time, don’t you think? After the end of the hour, I realized I didn’t roll my eyes at nearly anyone. I’m thinking the last great episode was in Season 4 when Sookie and Amnesi-Eric first slept together (two seasons ago!) and also in the same episode a bewitched Jessica walked into the sun and I had to wait a whole week to find out she didn’t die. (I remember being pretty sure that I would have stopped watching in protest if the almost-death of Babyvamp Jess was an actual one. Given the frequency of characters meeting their maker (at least 1 per episode these days) I’m pretty sure I’ll consider a boycott if/when she does — knock on a wooden stake.

Shifting back to this past installment, the cast and crew of this HBO show sometimes show to us from time to time; during the gore and the camp and the bizarre, they hit it out of the park and remind us, “We can be super awesome. Our boss did in make Six Feet Under.” Keep it up, television show.

Discussion points with a side of SPOILERS for True Blood 6.9: “Life Matters” are under the cut:

The Funeral:

Image via True-Blood.net.

• Did you tear up at a medium supporting character’s funeral like I did? No? Sigh, RIP Terry — and see you in other shows, Todd Lowe. I’m sure it’ll be no time till you shave the stubble for another gig, maybe make another Gilmore Girls-esque 180 with your look.
• I always assumed everyone who knew Sookie knew about her little mind widget, Still, why she “came out” to help Arlene cope was again, a lot more like the Sookie Stackhouse that Charlaine Harris herself thought up. What do you think?
• And, Did you hold your remote a little closer when Sookie “came out” (as a telepath)? I did — revealing something that huge is something I’ve dealt with, of course, but a lot of people have to reveal their big secrets at some point. Coming out for the LGBTQIA community is just one instance… people with terminal illnesses, revealing addictions, etc. Remember the first season where each episode was chock full of allusions for the disenfranchised? I just like how True Blood is getting back to allegories. Life’s challenges made better by telepathic faeries and millennium-aged vampires. And nudity.

Image via Tumblr.

• Related: Do you think Carrie Preston has an Emmy in her future like I do? Before you say no, ’cause its Arlene… between Carrie’s great acting as a slightly off lawyer on The Good Wife to being able to make a character that could easily come of as one note feel a realistic person (and at times like this, too) — takes some real skill.
• Maxine Fortenberry said that Hoyt moved on, and he’s dating a human lady. I guess it’s Jessica’s time to move on, which isn’t that hard since Hoyt has no idea who she is anymore anyway.
• Continuty Check! Billie Doux over at True-Blood.net made a good point that never really crossed my mind till now:
  
  

  “I kept thinking about the fact that Andy just lost three daughters. No funeral for them.”

  Oh, little town of Bon Temps where everyone knows everyone: three of Andy’s daughters… totally died? So like… what happened to their bodies? Andy even was at the funeral home last week planning his brother’s funeral* and no one brought up his daughters (which I could be wrong about, but I doubt it.)Then again, Andy never named three of them till they were dead. But, still.

  *FOUR immediate family members of Andy’s lost in the course of about two days? It’s not too safe to be a part of the Bellefleur family tree in Bon Temps. Unless, of course, you’re The Vampire Christ (birth name: Bill Compton.)

The Destruction:

Image via True-Blood.net.

• So what do you think of Bill pulling that Vampire Jesus bit? Poignant again — this episode is 2 for 2. Now, Bill is officially a Savior of the Undead. Still — I’m thinking of why the writers chose to create this super on-the-nose adaptation of Christianity. Seems a little heavy handed, even for this show. Am I the only one?Are they trying to say that anyone can evolve into a deity, since Bill was an ordinary guy. Or were they trying to say that maybe Jesus fell into this whole saving humanity thing like Bill did into saving Vampiranity?
• Jessica’s jailhouse beau, James, did something chivalrous by offering to save his new sweetheart’s father. Looks like he’s sticking around for a while!
• Did you jump right up and power walk out away from your screen to get a snack like I did when Eric got up to his — shiver — testicle snatching mayhem? (What a way to go, by the way.)
• This storyline felt like the right length, as plot lines drag out forever in the TB universe. (Warlow. ‘Nuff said.)
• And finally, a ciao to Steve Newlin — I knew it was coming, since he was tattletaling on every single vampire he knew since he arrived at the prison. Still, I have been quite fond of his nu-gay pastor-pastel charm.

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