Comments on: “True Blood” Sucker Punch: Episode 12

By: Dandy Darkly

Dandy Darkly — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:45:58 +0000

Maryanne’s defeat was lazy.

“Let’s trick them into believing the Horned God has arrived” was precisely the same strategy Dumb and Dumber used to trick the black eyed peons.

And it worked on Maryanne too? Fail, but tinged with a smiley. There. Cause I still enjoyed it.

We’ve already witnessed Maryanne’s capacity to hone in on people’s unique vibe, Sam Merlotte’s in particular (in or out of animal form) and her enjoyment of “feeling out” someone/something new, as in Sookie’s case.

“What are you?”

Perhaps Maryanne was feeling a similar boredom as was Godric? Finally she’d found her God and didn’t need any further proof, even as she knew her ritual had been interrupted… It was after all her joyous acceptance of her goring that allowed her to be gored. So ok… for the sake of a non-Joss Whedon or non-JJ Abrams fantasy/genre series, I’ll accept it.

A starving man can’t refuse a steak, even if what you’re really eating is bloody heart pie.

Buuuut there’s that nagging issue of where did Sam and Bill find a white steer for Sam to imprint off of. Logistically how did Bill untie Sam amongst the revelers, feed him to heal him, Sam (flying as a bird I assume) arrived quick enough to intercept Maryanne chasing Sookie and then transform for his final encounter with our already much missed, mad Maenid?

Again, I’ll buy it for the sake of the series. But no matter how popular the genre show, once you start alienating your core (nerds – that be me!), the show will lose ratings – no matter the network. Take for example Heroes season one versus the massive drop off of season two. Nerds NEED these sorts of nagging details answered, even if we’re only told it happened. We thrive on the rules of these worlds, how the supernatural becomes the natural.

I’m hoping the next season won’t feel so rushed. They’re in real need to trimming down the supporting characters. Season One was so brutal because there were no punches pulled in killing even the most loved of characters.

Whereas this season, the consequences of such brutal, primal behavior are glossed over with a laugh. Even what’s her name finger was neatly sewed back on after being clumsily removed with a kitchen knife and sitting on an offering plate for hours. Although I understand that’s the nature of small town South. (The denial of obvious truths not the first rate surgical care.)

Ok I have to stop… I do hope they’ll give poor Tara a chance to smile again.

Keep up the great recaps, Mark. This nerd enjoys your insights.

By: Laura Mc.

Laura Mc. — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:57:20 +0000

I have been joining these convos late. Life= ugh

Anyway! Who loved the Burlington, VT reference? Burlington will be taking San Fransisco’s place as the uber-liberal, legal haven of social progressives pretty soon, though all that snow still seems off-putting!

Yeah, my response to the finale was a little glum because I have been reading all the essays and discussions about what the show lacked. How could any finale truly satisfy me if it is based on a foundation of plot holes and empty gestures? All in all, though, I did find all those cliff hangers pretty great.

Like Michael, I hope the writers get back on track for Season 3 by writing in some more social commentary and clever allegory. That would be for the best.. and please give Bill something to do next season, oh ye gods of HBO!!

(Does anyone think vampire pregnancy will be addressed? Remember in the pilot when a tabloid read “Angelina Adopts Vampire Baby?” I see Jessica getting embroiled in some drama.. maybe even Sookie!)

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:08:03 +0000

I was so relieved to see the kind of writing–character writing, theme writing– that I used to watch the show for–delighted. Bill was ACTIVE again–at last! And there were characters actually going through some emotional consequences of the contrived plot–Sam deciding that meeting his birth parents would be part of a self-acceptance he’s never integrated since that primal rejection (so shape-shifting is in part a metaphor of someone psychologically in hiding since childhood), Sookie getting the marriage proposal she’s been waiting for and all her anxieties come pouring out at once–that’s a lot better character dimension than we got much of the year. (They still have to write Tara back into her sass, but I guess you can’t have everything. Yet.) Loved Sookie’s grit (“I’m a waitress!”). And I was actually really moved by Maryanne’s vulnerability at the climax–she has tried to summon her husband-god for thousands of years, and that last moment of surprised doubt and despair tugged at me. (It was actually a big writing mistake, I think, to leave Maryanne’s motives and point of view unclear until the end–I might have given a fleeting damn about her story if I had known what she wanted and why.) And Jessica’s bad-girl choices provided a character-driven plot complication, which is very welcome.
Flaws? Sure– There was some condescending, jokey writing about the townsfolk and their goober conspiracy theories (when the heroes of the story decide they have to do the tough thing for love of the town, it would be nice if the writers didn’t immediately caricature the citizens). And there were two rather horrid put-downs of flawed mothers–Sam’s “Well, you would know about bad people” and Hoyt’s wishing his mother had been killed both seemed out of character for me. (The actress playing Hoyt’s mother still rocks it.) But this was worlds better than the lurid manipulation of so much of the season. Welcome back.

(Was I the only one who thought the vampire queen licking Erik’s fang was HOT??)

By: Mark Blankenship

Mark Blankenship — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:33:09 +0000

@RavnVoice — I agree about Sookie telling Bill to get rid of the body. Give a fella one minute to recover!

But then again, Bill kind of rushed the wedding proposal, don’t you think? I mean, in the timeline of the show, she’s lost her grandmother, almost gotten murdered, almost gotten raped, and seen her home destroyed in just a matter of weeks. No wonder she needed a second to compose herself before deciding to settle down.

By: RavnVoice

RavnVoice — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:49:19 +0000

I also thought it was a little insensitive that Sookie told Bill to get rid of the body when he was obviously drained and weak from saving Sam.

By: RavnVoice

RavnVoice — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:08:20 +0000

I was surprised that Maryann met her end so early in the show. After that, the storyline dragged a bit until Eggs got it. I have to admit, I didn’t care for Eggs, but I did feel bad for the way he died. I even had pangs of sadness for Maryann–which I wasn’t expecting. Her realization (or the loss of her faith in her God) was great insight into something many people can identify with and have dealt with at some time in their lives. The look on her face was poignant. I was disappointed in Jessica and the choices she made, and poor Sam…really feel sorry for him! Can’t wait for Season 3.

By: ALJ

ALJ — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:29:28 +0000

I did like episode 12 on the whole– the writing was great, the orgy ended (thank God!). Mary Ann was a good villian. My only beef was with the way Eggs met his end. A cap to the back of the head by Jason? Oh man! Why not have the tormented Eggs just leave town? Why must he pay for his actions with his life when no one else will be held accountable for theirs? He was not a fav of mine but this demise was slightly bigoted. While Andy, Jason and Sam repeatedly kept saying how they could not hurt the “town folk”, Eggs gets a bullet in the brain. Yes, he seemed to be wielding a knife at Andy, but others threatened far worse at the trio when they were stranded at Merlotte’s. No one ended up pushing up daisies. Eggs’ demise reminded me of the killing of the lone, Black man in the film “Night of the Living Dead.” In the end when everybody in this one house was finally safe from the zombies due mainly to his efforts, vigilantes come along after the fact and just shoot the guy ‘cuz he was “different” from the town’s inhabitants. Except for that nasty bit of covered up killing, I did like the last episode of the season.

ps Bill looked pretty good. Dapper really. Sookie was a fool to run to the potty when offered a ring. Also, the proposal was not too soon. Characters on the show fall in and out of television love like they change undies. That’s if they wear any.