True Blood Episode 2.10 Review

With the Fellowship of the Sun seemingly out of the way, all of True Blood‘s major players are back in good ol’ Bon Temps for Episode 10 of the second season.  Things are way out of whack, though, thanks to the crazy (and increasingly annoying) Maryann.  Episode 10 featured perhaps more Andy and Terry than we’ve ever seen, and that was a good thing.  All the story lines have essentially rolled into one, and it looks like the vampires are going to be involved with Maryann after all.  Keep reading for the full review of True Blood Episode 2.10.*

*Read last week’s review HERE.

We start Episode 10 with Sookie comforting Eric after Godric’s death; Eric’s face and chest are streaked with the red blood he had been weeping due to the loss of his Maker.  Small, comforting kisses turn into something a bit more lustful, and before we can question Sookie’s loyalty to Bill, she wakes up, revealing to us that it was all a dream.  It looks like Eric’s blood has already started to have a strong effect on Sookie.  She and Jason arrive in Bon Temps and suffice to say, things are out of control.  The townsfolk are running around like lunatics, under the now familiar influence of Maryann.

Sam is still scared out of his mind and is shacking up with Andy in a motel room.  Sam explains to Andy (again, since drunk Andy couldn’t remember their prior conversation) that Maryann is immortal and wants Sam for a sacrifice.  Sam receives a phone call from Arlene, who tells Sam that she’s at Merlotte’s and in a lot of trouble.  Sam hesitates a bit before going off to save her.  For a crafty shapeshifter, I thought this was a pretty dumb move.  I guess that sometimes Sam’s loyalty can be his biggest flaw.

Jason, Sookie, and Bill get back to Bill’s house where they find Hoyt, Jessica, and Hoyt’s mom, who is spewing verbal venom and playing the Wii.  Hoyt explains that almost everyone in town is like his mother: black-eyed and completely out of control.  Jason leaves to go help Sam and eventually, Jessica gets so fed up with Hoyt’s mother’s insults that she tosses Hoyt out of her way and sinks her fangs into Hoyt’s mother’s neck.  I think that may be more than just a small bump in the road for Jessica and Hoyt.  Hopefully Hoyt will realize that his mother is a royal bitch and that Jessica, as a young vamp, can’t really control herself.  I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in rooting for Hoyt and Jessica to work out.

At Merlotte’s, the townspeople’s trap works perfectly.  The people are led by Terry who is now confident and strong, a stark contrast to his usual paranoid, stuttering self.  I wonder if that was how Terry was before his whole incident in Iraq.  Sam and Andy make their way into a big walk-in refrigerator, saving themselves from the townspeople but trapping themselves as well.  Chris Bauer (Andy) really shines in this scene, and I’ve said several times that he’s one of, if not the, best actors on the show.  It was great seeing him and Terry getting so much screen time this episode.

Before going to Tara, Bill and Sookie are confronted by Maryann.  Bill attacks her, but his plan backfires – he becomes very sick and starts vomiting a substance that looks like tar.  Sookie places her hand on Maryann’s head and shoots out a pink flash of light, unlike anything she or anyone else has done so far.  What exactly was that?  It didn’t seem to hurt Maryann much, but who knew that Sookie’s powers extended beyond telepathy?

Bill and Sookie escape and find Tara – who is with her mother and Lafayette – and using a combination of glamor and telepathy, are able to free Tara from Maryann’s influence.

Back at Merlotte’s, Sam, Andy, and Jason devise a plan in which Jason dresses up as the people’s “god,” complete with flares and fake horns.  He “smites” Sam (who really turns into a fly, thus vanishing from sight) and thanks the people for their sacrifice.  Sam escapes once again.  Jason has become the comic relief on this show, and it’s been working in a big way.  He’s not a clown, so to speak, because he’s the type of guy you know would be a good friend and cool to hang out with, but everything he does is so over-the-top and childlike that you can’t help but laugh.

Finally, Bill decided to approach a Queen – a vampire we have yet to see – to help deal with Maryann.  We don’t get to see the Queen, just a bloody foot, and so we’ll have to wait until next week.  I, for one, am pretty excited.  I thought this was a pretty solid episode and it sets up the final confrontation with Maryann quite well.  What did you all think?