Contributor: John Keegan
Written by Alan Ball
Directed by Michael Lehmann
This season of “True Blood” has been a bit of a mess, so it’s perhaps fitting that the season finale begins with a moment that might best be termed a head-scratcher. There are actually more than a few along the way, leaving me wondering if the problem is less than Alan Ball has no idea where he was going with anything, or that the apparent high-camp factor just hasn’t been properly translating from page to screen.
While it doesn’t necessarily bother me that Eric finally got his revenge on Russell, I was left wondering what the point was of bringing him back, since it never came of anything! What exactly did Russell bring to the table this season? Sure, he was part of the equation in terms of the coup at the Authority, but in essence, that could have happened without him, and it would have been equally effective. Perhaps even more so!
The writers spent much of the first half of the season leading up to Russell’s return, presumably to underscore how terrible it would be, but he really did nothing to justify the terror. Bill turned out to be the more problematic one, especially here at the end. Was there any doubt that he would end up with Lilith’s blood, if anyone would? Of course, it’s such a major shift for the character that I almost wonder if this was Alan Ball’s method of poisoning the well. There’s no realistic way to reform Bill at this point, is there?
For all that, it’s actually fun to think of Bill as the villain of the series, if that’s what he turns out to be. Similarly, this episode finally brought back the Eric that we all enjoyed from the start: snarky, confident, and ready to do whatever it takes to establish command. Despite my misgivings about Tara and her continued existence, how awesome was it for Eric to off-handedly remind Nora that Tara is family? That moment struck me as more meaningful than I would have suspected.
But far too much of this episode was typical “True Blood” nonsense. If the assault on the Authority complex had been treated with appropriate gravitas throughout, even accounting for the slight goofiness of the Sam/Luna gambit, I think it would have worked far better. Instead, Jason went from bad-ass to ridiculously goofy without warning. As hardcore as he looked in the elevator, he looked like an idiot when he came rushing into the lobby. Maybe it was the direction, or his way of communicating Jason’s addled perception, but it just didn’t work.
Another plot thread that fell completely flat was Alcide’s return to the pack. The lead-up to the contest for leadership of the pack was a few episodes, and he got his head handed to him in record time. In this episode, he literally walks up to his V-amped opponent, beats the tar out of him, and snaps his neck with little or no resistance. It doesn’t make a lick of sense, and it felt like a way to take what should have happened in a couple of episodes and stretch it out over a whole season.
The whole plot thread with Warlow might as well have never happened, so far as any payoff in this finale is concerned, but it’s still better than the absolutely bizarre and unnecessary subplot with Sheriff Andy. What exactly was the point of having an orgasmic birthing sequence and dropping four babies in Andy’s lap? Are Holly and Andy going to be a super-sized version of the mind-numbing Terry/Arlene plots of the past few seasons? (I imagine the babies will, in short order, be targets of vampire interest soon enough.)
There were some highlights along the way, beyond the joy of watching a ton of minor characters meet their maker at the end of a stake. The bloodletting in this finale was just plain over the top, but largely in a good way. (Now, this is “True Blood”, so it’s an open question how many of them will actually stay dead, but there we are!) Eric’s interaction with Jason was priceless, Lafayette should give offhand commentary more often, and who wasn’t applauding the Pam/Tara liplock?
With the Authority gone, the beginning of the sixth season is going to have to focus on what it all means for vampire society, should Bill remain at the top of the food chain. The damage is done in terms of the Tru Blood facilities, and if the Authority is in tatters, who will keep the rest of the vampires in line? It’s an interesting question, and hopefully the new showrunner will focus more on those ideas than time-wasting subplots that no one cares about. So long, Alan Ball…you won’t be missed.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Score: 6/10
(Season 5 Final Average: 6.1)