Season four of True Blood has been sort of all over the place, hasn’t it? Sookie Stackhouse and her adventures are still the focal point of the show, but the addition of new characters and plotlines made for a rather messy first half of the season. Now that we’re at the halfway mark, things are starting to gel—and Bon Temps is sure to see more action than it has in years. **Warning: this review is for regular viewers of True Blood, and there will be spoilers.**
Witchy women
When Lafayette’s boyfriend Jesus revealed himself to be a brujo, we knew that a coven of witches couldn’t be far behind. Instead of just sending La-La to the Internet for some tips about witchcraft, Jesus introduced him to Marnie and her Shreveport coven. And then, of course, things got crazy: they’re dabbling in necromancy, which put them in the crosshairs of the vampires. “If they can control the dead,” King Bill said, “they can control us.” And that spells trouble for everyone.
Marnie’s been possessed by a powerful witch burned at the stake during the Spanish Inquisition—a witch whose power over vampires was devastating to their population in the 1600’s. Between the spell that knocked out Eric’s memory, Pam’s melting face and Jesus’ own brujo grandfather, witchcraft is sure to play a central role in how this season ends. And because the witches appear to be enemies of the other supernaturals in and around Bon Temps, there might be a temporary truce between vamps and supes to get rid of Marnie and her aggressive guest.
Howling at the moon
Sam’s supernatural support group kind of disappeared after the first episode, but his love interest, Luna, stuck around. The recent development of Sam’s brother Tommy becoming a Skinwalker was a little clumsily introduced, but it also means Tommy is sure to shift into other people and wreak more havoc. Meanwhile, Alcide and Debbie’s blissful new life was disturbed by the Shreveport pack master. It’s almost a given that Debbie’s fragile sobriety will be shattered and she’ll find a way to blame Sookie for it. And poor Jason’s captivity by the residents of Hotshot gave us a new look into the diverse world of were creatures. Will he become Hotshot’s ghost daddy, or did the werepanthers keep him captive for nothing?
Sookie’s stresses
At last, we come to Sookie. The faerie plotline seems to have been dropped, thank goodness, and now she’s concentrating on keeping Eric safe. She’s had to do a lot of catching up from her year in Faerieland, and now she’s stuck in the mire of everyone else’s troubles: Tara’s alter ego and her new girlfriend, Arlene’s devil child, Bill’s new role as King of Louisiana and her own budding relationship with Eric. The highlight of the season so far has been watching those two finally get together: memory-free Eric has stolen Sookie’s heart and the viewers’ hearts as well.
What will happen between Eric and Sookie? Will the witches defeat the vampires? Will Jason’s encounter with the werepanthers of Hotshot put him in more danger? The second half of True Blood promises to be explosive.
Danielle Rhodes is freelance writer and editor from the Midwest, pursuing online learning as a way to further her writing career. Read her musings about active lifestyles and sustainable living on eatbreatheblog.com.