"True Blood" -- "Spellbound": “I Have a Hunger in the Very Center of Me”
By Sarah Carlson | Posted Under TV Reviews | Comments (34)
Relationships either were strengthened, splintered or split altogether, and the war between the witches and the vampires ended in a meet-me-in-the-cemetery-at-midnight throwdown in “True Blood” Season Four’s eighth episode, “Spellbound.” And in many ways, the theme of nature has melded with the witchcraft plot to present a narrative based roughly around the excuse “I can’t help myself,” which must run through the heads of all of humans and supernaturals daily. Passion guides them, whether or not it’s brought on by a spell, or a drug, but the outcomes of their actions aren’t always expected. Adding to the unpredictability is the potential that their circumstances may not even be real.
Take Jessica’s struggle with her romantic love for Hoyt waning and her attraction to Jason growing. Jason is there to rescue her from burning in the sun under Antonia’s spell, and they quickly give into their desires and kiss. Considering Jason drank a large amount of Jessica’s blood only a few days prior, however, how much of his lust for her natural or induced? As for Jessica, she may have fantasized about breaking up with a cloying, pathetic Hoyt, who yelled lines such as “Please, please love me — If you don’t love me, I will die.” She even gave him his wish, killed him and immediately went to ready-for-sex Jason waiting in his truck. But in reality, a cruel Hoyt soon turns her breakup speech against her, cursing her nature and literally casting her out of their home by rescinding her invitation. Jason soon does the same, confused about his feelings and feeling guilt because of his friendship with Hoyt. She’s alone again. And still hungry.
Sookie and memoryless Eric are now head over heels for each other, and after Sookie gives him her blood to heal from the wounds inflicted by the silver chains, he has her feed from him — “We will be one,” he says. And so, as they jump in the shower together and Sookie reaches to turn on the water, she instead sees snow flakes. The house becomes a forrest, complete with its own fur-blanket covered bed. They’re high on each other’s blood and, giddy, run to the bed and say starry-eyed phrases such as “All is possible.” (Side note: For fans of the books, the writers not actually producing a proper resemblance of the famous shower scene was, as my friend said, “a goddamn outrage.”) Even later as they’ve come somewhat back to reality, Sookie wishes they could remain in their blissful state and Eric suggests they run away and be foolish forever. “There’s no such thing as forever,” she says, but is she really listening to herself? What exactly does she think will happen when the spell on Eric is lifted, domestic bliss? Get it together, Sook.
Andy is the one who really can’t control his actions, as his V addiction has him tempted even by the remaining guts of the lone vampire killed by Antonia’s spell. And now that Lafayette has discovered he’s a medium and has channeled one spirit, he’s again visited by another, the young, ’20s-era black woman baby Mikey can see. In his sleep, he gets a glimpse at her past: She had a baby with a married white man, who murdered the child as a coverup. The creepy doll that can’t be destroyed was a gift she had bought for the baby. She must have died soon after her child’s death, but we don’t know how. We do see her, however, jump into Lafayette’s body. As her, he heads to the Bellefleur mansion, where Terry and Arlene are staying, and takes Mikey. Is it simply because he’s a baby that the ghost wants him? Or was the white man in the past a Bellefleur and she wants his descendent? And Lord help him, Lafayette won’t be pleased with the notion of being possessed.
Maxine Fortenberry won’t be pleased, either, to know Tommy shifted into her to meet with a land developer, sold her property and took the money. Sam visits Luna to tell her he kicked Tommy out of his life, but as he has dinner with her and daughter, Emma, Luna’s ex, the werewolf Malcolm, stops by and is none too pleased to see a new man in their lives. Malcolm isn’t a complete hothead, though; earlier as the Shreveport pack met, he instructed its members to steer clear of the vampire-witch scuffle and had kind words for Alcide, whom he says has Alpha qualities. It’s there Alcide and Debbie hear the witches are planning another attack on the vampires that night, and even though he promises the jealous Debbie he’ll stay away from Sookie, Alcide later rushes to Sookie’s house to warn her.
It’s too late. She and Eric, having approached Bill to offer their services in case of battle, already are out in the cemetery. That’s where Bill and Antonia decided to meet after the king approached the sorceress and pled for peace. Each, of course, brought backup, and for the first time, Sookie and Tara find themselves literally at a face-off over vampires. Witless Eric fires the first shot (read: tears the first internal organ out of a witch) and as Antonia brings about a heavy fog, the fight begins. Tara kills a vamp but quickly looks sickened, as if she’s having second thoughts about her latest vigilante spree. Pam corners her but to Tara’s surprise, Bill orders Pam to leave her alone — forever. The coven members have brought silver items to attack with, and when one of them mistakenly tries to use a mirror on Sookie, she throws him off with her fairy powers. Then she is shot. Her ability — a white light emitted from her hand — must have looked like witchcraft to one of Bill’s guards, or else it was a case of friendly fire. Either way, Sookie slumps against a headstone as coven members capture Bill and Antonia again puts Eric under her spell. It’s Alcide to the rescue this time. He heard the fighting from Sookie’s house, and he carries her away all without noticing he had been tailed by Debbie in wolf form.
Under even more spells, Eric will be at Antonia’s bidding, and considering she wants to eradicate vampires, the outcome of her using the viking as her puppet won’t be pretty. The brokenhearted Jessica, now spurned by two men, could relapse to her wild ways of attacking and feeding on innocents. And the jealous Debbie, well — she may just set her sights on removing Sookie from her life altogether. Because not only did Alcide break his promise to her, but his swearing he doesn’t have feelings for Sookie appears to Debbie to have been a lie. And it probably was. With what he feels for Sookie, he couldn’t not warn her or try to rescue her.
He just couldn’t help himself.
Favorite moments:
Sarah Carlson has a front-row seat to the decline of the newspaper industry and lives in Alabama with her overly excitable Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance
← "Breaking Bad" -- "Shotgun": Everybody Needs a Hobby | Do We Care If Our Beautiful Celebrities Are Dumber Than Fence Posts? →
Comments
Posted by: logan at August 15, 2011 12:41 PM
Probably the best episode of the year so far. A nice blend of character development and action. The cemetery was kinda spooky. Nice moment between Bill and Tara.
I also take great glee in Eric being completely ball-less. You ladies still want him now? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!