“True Blood” Sucker Punch: Episode 9

August 17th, 2009 · 3 Comments

Tags: Bylines · Television

3 responses so far ↓

• 1 Michael // Aug 17, 2009 at 11:09 am

  Okay, I’m going to get all tut-tut on you now, so get ready for my sniffiest highbrow pose and prose. Ready?

  My whole objection to this season of True Blood has been that it’s been sensationalist and manipulative and has subordinated character development (to the point of eliminating Sookie and Tara’s grit and intelligence) and spiritual depth (as in Tara’s Mom’s struggle with her demons) for misogynist soap cliches and right-wing caricature with lots of big-deal climactic scenes and yummy cheap-thrill folderol. It’s as if Maryann ghost-wrote the whole season–and, from me at least, that’s not really a compliment. I have, of course, been susceptible, but disappointed, too.

  And consequently, with apologies, I think the whole approach of watching the show to record and gloat over its sucker-punches has been following those very tendencies to their natural conclusion–we become connoisseurs of the big shocker moments without counting the cost.

  So I understand that this episode was a letdown in the sucker-punch sweepstakes, but–for me–while it was certainly calmer, it brought new tones that I find I’ve been longing for.

  I’d give the actor playing Godric a lot of slack–he’s supposed to be seventeen in form but to carry centuries of pain, wisdom, resignation, self-hatred, exhaustion; not surprising that, as good as Alan Ball is at finding talent, that proved a little much to expect. But I’ve found myself responsive to a character whose extended vampiric age has brought wisdom, self-restraint, reflection, and a desire to do good (only Bill has reflected this so far. the rest of the vampires seem to be living in an extended, arrogant adolesence)–I was enormously relieved to find these values momentarily present in a show that’s been hyping up the conflicting appetites, and that Sookie, the telepath who has kept her compassionate heart even after knowing everyone’s worst secrets, would respond–that made very touching sense to me. (I would have liked Bill to reflect with empathy on Godric’s feeling of guilt, too.) I can understand, Mark, your saying this is intellectual only, but I did respond emotionally as well–I loved that Godric was trying to be a peace-maker and ended up a suicide, with a touch of hope for deliverance at the end. Could it have been developed better? Yes. But I loved that element, and, frankly, liked being asked to think for once in this season.

  I also liked the gentle scene between Sookie and Jason: so much of the season has been about Jason’s misguided journey, and to take a second and talk about it was a good pause for me.

  Similarly, the painful young-love journey of the younger human-vampire couple, and way it’s bringing all the sweet and strong best out in Hoyt is touching and real to me. Not enough of this season has been about that. (And you’re right, the mother was a spot-on, full-out social type, beautifully realized.)

  In contrast, the whole Maryann plot has been ho-hum predictable for me all along, and I’m actually kind of dreading watching that one play out; maybe, maybe, Sam, now that he’s been spying in fly form, will take some action on his own behalf and stop playing wide-eyed victim all the way through. (This season’s tended to make the good guys into weaklings and dupes, no one more so than Tara; it’s dispiriting.) Maybe somewhere in the conceptual stages there was some thought about how a sojourn with Maryann and her own uncontrolled side was a natural next thing for Tara as an Adult Child of an Alcoholic? But if so, it’s been lost and Tara’s been a fool and everyone in the bar (except the dumb deputy and apparently Lafayette–why is that?) has been a dupe, and . . . whatever, just get it over with.

  So: Maybe exactly because it WASN’T sucker-punchy, this episode reminded me of the secret pleasures of this series that originally drew me in. Go figure.

  (By the way–although I have NOT been convinced of Eric’s designs on Sookie all through, I think that’s been poorly developed–I thought the scene of them in bed together was transgressive and hot; and the silver-sucking scene combined hot, nasty, and hilarious with recognizable character-writing (“You must suck my chest.” “You’re kidding me!”). It doesn’t all have to be Chekhov–I just want something more than Roger Corman doing Scribe.)

• 2 InfoMofo // Aug 18, 2009 at 2:00 pm

  The best part of the chest-sucking scene is when he gives the camera a psyched “gotcha!” look. And I can’t believe your review didn’t cover the dream sequence.

  My main problem is I don’t see how Sookie doesn’t connect the dots here. Bill informs her that by drinking Eric’s blood she may develop a romantic attraction to him that wasn’t there before. And what did Bill do to Sookie the very first time she met him? He said “hey, drink my blood.” I was surprised she didn’t do a doubletake and at least wonder if she should also be mad at Bill too for not disclosing that little bit of information on their first meeting.

• 3 Laura Mc. // Aug 18, 2009 at 4:05 pm

  I am sort of over Bill by this point. He is so frustrated and powerless. He has always asserted himself as disgusted by the brutality of vampire life, and the screenwriters never gave him a chance to bond with Godric.. even from afar.

  When Sookie decided to go up to be with Godric, Bill was his usually resigned self by the end of the discussion. Why wasn’t he curious about Godric’s melancholy? Why wasn’t he sympathetic.. where it would have been so natural for him to echo Godric’s emotional turmoil, political maneuvering, etc.

  I suppose the whole Lorina (who I for some reason have been calling Serena) plot was meant to give him something to “do,” but it just isn’t working for me..

  Anyway, I would be in favor of some cheating. Bill is a snooze, and Eric at least shows some ingenuity with putting the moves on the ladies (even though I think he has some majorly homoerotic tendencies).

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