Contributor: John Keegan
Written by Raelle Tucker
Directed by Daniel Attias
The resolution phase of the season arc kicks into gear as several moments of transition arrive in Bon Temps and the rest of the world of “True Blood”. At the end, though, there’s just as much lack of direction in evidence as there has been all season (and since the start of the third, for that matter). I’m still left wanting more out of the potential that still remains in the main storyline.
I think it’s great that Eric is trying to lead a minor revolt within the Authority, given how the Sanguinistas are changing things for the worse. Even Fangtasia has been co-opted by those openly feeding on humans, leaving Pam and her awesome latex wardrobe with few options. Even so, it feels like the vampiric civil war is mostly off-screen. No matter how many times they point to news reports of mass anarchy, a lot of things seem to be status quo. (Never mind that a sudden upswell of vampire attacks would, and should, prompt a massive response.)
Time is still spent on too many other things, though in the case of the Ifrit storyline, that might be viewed as a positive development. Maybe now that Terry has put a bullet in Patrick’s brainpan, this nonsense can be put behind them. Terry and Arlene will no doubt continue to be saddled with some of the worst material on the show, but small progress is still progress.
One can only hope that Hoyt’s heroic sacrifice in freeing Jessica will be his final moments on the show. He’s been aimless for so long that it seems like his death is the only thing he has left to offer. If Jason and Jessica can work through their issues once and for all, and end that looping plot point, it would be a victory in every possible sense.
This also seems to be the end of the whole “Obamas” plot thread, which had a lot of potential, but never really went anywhere. The minds behind the movement were small indeed. It also, apparently, fed into the irrational level of hatred many hold for the President, which was a bit distasteful. (Some of the comments on social media were particularly vile.)
Unfortunately, my thought that Alcide’s memories of his choice to devote his life to the pack was a sign that he would turn around and work with Emma’s grandmother was, at best, premature. If Alcide is going to save the pack from Russell’s influence, it’s not going to be soon. Robert Patrick seems a bit wasted in the role of Alcide’s father, so hopefully there’s more to it.
As usual, the problem is that very few of those elements, barring the werewolf pack, have a thing to go with the vampiric civil war. Bill’s conversion (thanks to some soft persuasion from Salome) is a bit of a twist, putting Eric in dire straits, but I don’t see either of them ending the season as believers. The Sanguinistas cannot logically remain in power for long, because their policies are too extreme to allow the status quo of the world to remain intact.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Score: 6/10