Can we get this thing started already? After two episodes containing new developments and slick pacing, "It Hurts Me Too" slowed to a near crawl. We're still in the first act of the season, but the lack of anything substantial happening is disconcerting.
Bill is alone in Mississippi without the usual Bon Temps characters to interact with, and the new dynamic has pushed him in a very different direction. He is reminded of his dark past with humans through a series of dreams. He returns to his wife after the Civil War--and after he's been turned. His wife welcomes him with open arms until she realizes he's dead, freaking out. There only solution, Lorena tells Bill. He glamours her and has her forget about him, a strike to his heart, but a necessary action. To compound his grief, he also has to bury his son who had died from smallpox. In an episode where not much was happening, Bill Moyer provided a good jolt with his angsty acting.
Confronted and tormented by Lorena back in present day, Bill ends the episode with a shocking sex scene. twisting her head around in the process, shocking me, and certainly others out there. So what did everyone else think about the final scene? Too much? Just right? Too little?
And by the end of the episode, Bill has accepted Russel's offer, at least for now. I don't buy Bill's huge change, especially since Sookie doesn't treat him like his wife did, so the final scene seemed out of character, though separation from Sookie probably exacerbated his worsening mindset.
Meanwhile, Sookie takes off for Mississippi after the weird funeral for Eggs. Her new companion is hunky werewolf, Alcide, played by Joe Manganiello. They visit a werewolf bar and get in a tussle, but not before Sookie finds one of the werewolves who kidnapped Bill and Alcide learns that his ex is getting married to the pack leader.
There were several amusing scenes in the episode, mostly coming from Jason and Jessica who still aren't doing much, but have enough innocent charm to smile at. Jason, after helping the police last week, decides to join the police due to his amazing paramilitary skills he learned at the crazy church last season. However, there's the written test, and being a total idiot, he passes on all of them while practicing the answers. Clearly he'd fail the written test, but with Sheriff Dearborn exiting, maybe there'll be looser requirements.
The new vampire is named Franklin and it looks like he's prying around for information. After questioning Jessica, using the head of her body, he moves on to Tara and glamours her.
Arlene's visit to the OB/GYN takes a turn for the worse when the doctor informs her the baby is 9 weeks ago, placing the conception before season 2 (yes, the timeline is really, really narrow), making the baby of Rene, the serial killer who was killed at the end of the first season. Sorry, Terry. Where will the story go from here? Arlene worrying the entire season?
Dragging down the episode was everything Sam-related. After leaving his family and his disgruntled family, Sam is quickly reunited with them at his bar where his father is doing the usual angry drunk stuff. Yawn... But his brother is up to no good, rummaging around in Sam's office. Could he be working for someone else? Probably not since he's only acted like a pissy teenager, unless that's his big facade.
Right now, the biggest problem with True Blood is the lack of focus. The characters are apart and doing their own thing, which, for the most part, isn't working. I don't care about Sam or Tara while Lafayette, who I do like, barely gets anything to do. Preferably, one story will be the clear focus in an episode and be developed to the fullest, so we don't get bits and pieces of what might amount to something good.
Score: 8.4/10
