Faerie Tales: An Advance Review of Season Four of True Blood

We're heading back to Bon Temps at long last, as Season Four of HBO's libidinous and deliciously addictive vampire drama True Blood kicks off this weekend.

When we last caught up with Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and the other denizens of the sleepy Louisiana town turned supernatural hot spot, she had vanished into the light with her faerie godmother after learning that her vampire paramour, Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) had perhaps not been quite so honest about the circumstances surrounding their first meeting.

In true, er, True Blood fashion, multiple characters were either placed into jeopardy or decided to flee Bon Temps altogether in the third season ender, which closed a creatively uneven season that overflowed with vampire kings, werewolves, drug-induced nightmare visions, and creepy baby dolls. With Season Four, showrunner Alan Ball has the opportunity to right the cart a bit, introducing an overarching storyline that involves witchcraft and some devious spirits and one that places Alexander Skarsgard's Eric Northman front and center.

It's a plotline that once again mixes high and low culture, metaphor and mystery, Southern Gothic and gothic. Eric's story--which SPOILER ALERT! involves a case of amnesia--allows us to see his character in a vastly different light, peering at the vampire sheriff through a prism to see another version of Eric Northman. In fact, the same can be said be true for all of the characters this season, as they each deal with identity issues of their own. It's quite easy to point out the two different versions of Eric, Sookie, Bill, Tara, Jessica, Hoyt, etc. that materialize over the course of the upcoming season. Is there a difference between the true "us" and the ones that we present to the world? How do we define ourselves when no one is looking? Do we have more than one self, more than one identity? And just how fluid is that concept?

These are provocative and tantalizing philosophical questions, couched within the context of a supernatural drama, which as always allows for a heavy use of metaphor and metaphysical exploration. That is, if you can get past the first eight minutes of the season opener.

So what did I think of the first three episodes of Season Four of True Blood? Pop open a Tru Blood, saddle up your horse, and keep reading. (But, as always, do not reproduce this review in full on any websites, message boards, etc.)

True Blood can often be loopy, sometimes deliciously so. It can also be out-there crazy. But the opening sequence of Season Four's "She's Not There"--which finds Sookie in the faerie lands of her blood ancestors--might be one of the worst things to ever appear on True Blood, an oddly literal exercise in D-grade sci-fi, with cheesy and subpar special effects and a tone that's entirely different than anything we've seen on the series to date. While it answers the question of where Sookie disappeared to at the end of last season, it's not the way I would have kicked off Season Four, nor what I would have imagined.

Fortunately, it does get significantly better from there. After a complete misstep in the opening installment, the first three episodes of Season Four of True Blood (sent out to press for review a few weeks back) return to form, shifting the action back to Bon Temps and to the sprawling set of characters established over the last few seasons. Showrunner Alan Ball (whom I interviewed here) is being particularly spoiler-averse this year, which means that I'm forbidden to get into too much detail about the season opener, though those of you who watched the first eight minutes of the season already know a considerable amount about light fruit, Mab, and other details.

But it's the circumstances around Sookie that are perhaps the least interesting elements of the first few episodes back. More intriguing are the other storylines surrounding her: Sam's quest to belong; Jessica's exploration of her true nature; Tara's attempts to find herself (I did say that identity is the key underlying theme, didn't I?); Andy's struggle to maintain his personal sense of order. Elsewhere, the vampires attempt to put a new face on their community following Russell Edgington's televised slaughter of a news anchor last season, high-quality home furnishings and property ownership are discussed, Bill deals with some new responsibilities, and a group of witches convenes at a New Age bookshop, drawing together several familiar faces into the spiritual realm.

I'm still not in love with the faerie storyline (particularly after seeing how it was handled in those opening minutes), but there are several long-dangling plot threads neatly tied up due to some reveals here. Sookie's dual heritage is of especial interest, as she finds herself caught between her own personal desires and the political machinations of the faerie court, such as it is. But there are some shocking moments contained within this plotline as well, at least. (One in particular was a real jaw-dropper.) And there's another storyline--a particularly creepy one surrounding Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) and Hotshot--that made my blood run cold.

But, putting these issues aside, the second episode of the season, “You Smell Like Dinner" (written by Brian Buckner and directed by Scott Winant) is a particularly strong installment, setting up a new status quo for the series and examining the fallout from Season Three's events in a compelling and addictive way. There is a precise and adept velocity of storytelling here, with arduous attention given to setting up some pins to be knocked down later. Sure, there is overwrought craziness writ large with a flowing, cursive hand here (True Blood's stock in trade, it seems), but these are moments of compelling new directions for several familiar characters, eye-popping ones at times.

It's impossible to look away from Fiona Shaw's Marnie: she's ambition incarnate in a dowdy print dress, a frumpy housewife whose placid exterior conceals the beating heart of the power-mad. Rutina Wesley's Tara is for once not painted as either the angry black woman or as the victim, but as a rather badass version of herself. Look for a major showdown between Tara and Pam... and some typical steal-stealing from Kristin Bauer van Straten in general, who once again gets to have some of the most deliciously bitchy lines on television and who tosses off these bon mots with such effortless grace that it's auditory candy to hear her speak. (One moment in the season opener, in which Pam tries to reach out to Fangtasia's human customers, is particularly hilarious.) Nelsan Ellis' Lafayette and Kevin Alejandro's Jesus continue to charm; Deborah Ann Woll's Jessica and Jim Parrack's Hoyt, meanwhile, have some hard times ahead. (Let's just say that Jessica's cooking skills aren't quite up to par with Maxine's.)

Alexander Skarsgard shines in this season, delivering a stirring performance that's vastly different to anything we've seen from him to date. Season Four's Eric is an entirely separate creature than the vampire sheriff we've come to know over the last three seasons, displaying a rare innocence and animal naivete that's entirely captured in Skarsgard's subtle facial expressions and in his eyes. He's at the top of his game, really.

At least for now, there's a less frenzied pace to the storytelling (compared to the tail end of Season Three) and a concentration of setting, keeping the action confined to Bon Temps, Hotshot, and nearby Shreveport. Which is a smart decision; last season, the action seemed to whiplash all over the place, taking Sookie and Co. to Mississippi and all over. But by using the area around Bon Temps as a nexus for the season's multitude of plotlines, it infuses every shot of the town with possibility. (You never know just what's lurking on the other side of street.)

There's definitely a lot going on here, as the revolving door of characters keeps on turning apace, but there's also a lot to sink your teeth into, particularly from our returnees, each grappling with problems of a personal or supernatural nature. Or both, as the case may be. That issue of identity, of self-connection and awareness, looms large over the season, and that's a good thing as it draws together these disparate characters into something that's easy to identify with as audience members. Where we come from, our pasts, our family, our experiences: these are the things that define us. Sweep them away, and it's unclear just what you're left with or how you see yourself, regardless of whether or not you have fangs.

Ultimately, Season Four of True Blood does quite a lot right. The second and third episodes are bloody brilliant (especially, as aforementioned, that second one) and there's a terrific sense of momentum and tension here, as a number of tantalizing new mysteries present themselves to the audience. As always, there is the potential here for this new season to be unpredictable, darkly sexy, and blood-soaked fun. So long as we stay well outside of faerie land, that is.

Season Four of True Blood begins this Sunday at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

The Daily Beast: "Summer 2011 TV Preview: 15 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer"

We’re starting our summer at a bit of a disadvantage: there is no new season of Mad Men to look forward to this year, as we’ll have to wait until March 2012 to find out what happens to Don Draper and the other staffers at Draper Cooper Sterling Pryce. It’s enough to put a damper on anyone’s television-viewing this summer, but there are still some bright points amid a series of repeats and burn-offs like NBC’s Love Bites. (Seriously, avoid that one like you would the plague.)

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, entitled "Summer 2011 TV Preview: 15 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer," in which I round up what’s new and noteworthy on the telly in the coming months, from True Blood and Torchwood: Miracle Day to British period drama The Hour and the return of Damages and Breaking Bad. All in all, 15 reasons to come in from the warmth of the summer evening and sit down on the couch for a few hours.

What are you most excited about heading to the small screen this summer? Which intrigues you the most? And which will make you change the channel instantly? Head to the comments section to share, discuss, and debate.

The Daily Beast Exclusive: "Top Chef's Surprise Finish"

Still scratching your head over last night's season finale of Top Chef?

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my latest feature, "Top Chef's Surprise Finish," an exclusive interview with the culinary competition series' executive producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz--yes, the brains behind the ubiquitous Magical Elves--as we discuss the winner, what went wrong this season, culinary tourism, the language of reality television, and Justin Bieber.

(Yes, you read that last bit correctly.)

Head to the comments section to share your thoughts about the now-wrapped Washington D.C.-set season of Top Chef and whether you enjoyed the season or thought that it lacked the sophisticated palate of previous seasons... and what you'd do to correct any of the show's current issues, should you have any.

Grave Times: The Witching Hour Approaches on Season Finale of True Blood

Bon Temps has long been a place where telepathic waitresses could rub shoulders with vampires while a shifter barkeep looked on enviously, but of late this backwoods Louisiana berg feels positively overflowing with supernatural types.

From vamps and werepanthers to witches and faeries, this season of True Blood brought out just about every thing that goes bump in the night and deposited them in this once sleepy town, leaving the human-to-creature ratio dwindling even further. While I understand that the confluence of supernatural entities is part of the overarching mythology of the series, it's beginning to make Bon Temps seem like it's on top of a Hellmouth or something.

While it's been mentioned in the past that supernaturals feel drawn to the site, I'm hoping next season can shed some light on just why Bon Temps is a nexus of supernatural occurrence, particularly as now it seems that just about everyone that passes by Merlotte's has some sort of otherworldly nature that they're concealing from the world at large. And the problem with that is that when everyone becomes "special," it means that no one is truly unique anymore.

On the season finale of True Blood ("Evil is Going On"), written by Alan Ball and directed by Anthony Hemingway, this was keenly felt as the few human characters seemed to be shifted entirely to the background. That is, when they weren't leaving Bon Temps altogether. While I found the finale entertaining, there was also something slightly off about the season ender. While it paid good to certain storylines and set up some new plot threads for Season Four, it didn't quite deliver the narrative payoff that the season warranted.

If Season Two of True Blood was about frenzy, Season Three was more nuanced. It was about the darkness within each of us and how we can either embrace that dark side or hold onto our humanity, an increasingly difficult proposition for several characters, dealing with their true natures. While it seemed that the season was building to a final showdown between Sookie and her companions and Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi, the season finale sort of thwarted those expectations, getting rid of Russell early on, while keeping him "alive" for a potential return down the road.

It was telling that Eric didn't stake Russell but instead embedded him within a block of concrete, a true torment that went against the words of the ghostly Godric, who implored Eric to allow Russell to find the peace that comes after the One True Death. Eric, still acting out of vengeance for the wholesale slaughter of his human family (over, we learned some goats), condemns Russell to a the one true torture that a vampire is powerless to withstand: a tomb in which he'll be unable to feed, trapped alone with his thoughts and his grief.

But before that, Russell attempted to make a deal with Sookie, offering her the world in exchange for his freedom, promising her riches, safety, and death. The latter was an offer to kill one of, both of, or neither of Eric and Bill. An interesting offer that cut to the heart of the dilemma raging inside Sookie: could she trust either of the vampires in her life? Both of them had betrayed her for their own ends and while she may have owed her continued existence to them, it didn't mean that she could overlook just how much they had lied to her.

Those lies further mounted within the episode as Bill hatched a plot to permanently protect Sookie by eliminating everyone who had knowledge of her true nature. Once Russell was dealt with, Bill betrayed Eric and encased him in cement as well, then posed as Eric to put an end to Pam before attempting to take out Queen Sophie-Anne herself.

But was Bill looking to protect Sookie, as he insisted, or was he looking to protect himself, as the cement-clad Eric maintained? While he claimed to love Sookie and said that his every action was an attempt to keep her safe, it did have a twofold purpose of silencing those who knew the truth about his own dark secret: that he was sent to Bon Temps to procure Sookie for Sophie-Anne and had unexpectedly fallen for her.

While we suspected this for some time (did anyone actually believe Bill's yarn about his files on Sookie?), what we didn't know was that he had actually allowed Sookie to be placed in mortal danger in order to ingratiate himself to her. It's a revelation that goes back to the first two episodes of True Blood when Sookie was attacked by the Rattrays and beaten nearly to the point of death. It's a cold-blooded individual who allows a woman to be brutally and savagely beaten in order to swoop in and rescue her at the last second, giving her your vampire blood to heal her wounds... and get inside her mind at the same time.

It's one betrayal too far. It's Eric who causes the scales to fall from Sookie's eyes, allowing her for the first time to see just what Bill really is: an opportunist. While his love might be genuine, it's far from pure. He lied to her, betrayed her, and used her for his own devices, even if he did fall in love with her. But the circumstances of their meeting--and their fast courtship--were calculatingly engineered. Considering Sookie spent the better part of this season looking to rescue Bill, to track down her missing fiance, it's an emotional stake to the heart.

No wonder she rescinds Bill's invitation to her house, casting him out permanently.

Which isn't to say that Sookie is rushing into Eric's arms either. Sookie now knows that she's essentially "vampire crack," thanks to her faerie nature, and she wants to be as far away from all of the vampires as possible. Which is why she rushes to Bon Temps cemetery, not just to have a few heartfelt words at Gran's gravesite but also because she knows it's somehow connected to Claudine, an entrypoint to that other world of liquid glass and shimmering light. Betrayed by everyone, she isn't at all surprised when Claudine appears and gives her a choice, offering her the opportunity to come with them to that other place, a place of light rather than darkness.

Something tells me, however, that that land of faeries isn't quite as innocent and charmed as it appears... But Sookie accepts the invitation, and in a burst of light, she's gone.

It was a final scene that made me question just when Season Four would take place. While the past two seasons have picked up right where the previous season left off (often just seconds later), it seems like it would be in the best interests of True Blood's writers to jump ahead in time a little bit, given Sookie's disappearance, Bill's exile, and Tara's departure... not to mention Arlene's pregnancy. It would give the writers an opportunity to skip ahead and pick up at an appropriate time several months in the future, Arlene's due date rapidly approaching and perhaps the return of several characters who have left Bon Temps for places unknown.

I have to say that while I was sad to see Tara go, I knew that it wasn't an actual goodbye for Tara Thornton (I don't think they'd have her go out that way), but it also once again undid some of the forward momentum her character was making. After embracing life, Tara once again succumbed to the darkness and weakness and then fell into bed with Sam, learned he was a shifter, caught Lettie Mae in bed with Reverend Daniels, chopped off her hair, and left town.

But what happened to that fighting spirit within Tara? The one who wouldn't give up, who cast off her humanity in order to hold onto it? Where did she go? Tara's arc has been one of the more frustrating ones this season because it consistently kept painting her as a victim, even when it finally granted her the courage and conviction to defend herself. Sam even tells Tara that she can run from her problems, but they will always catch up to her, even if she keeps moving on.

Yet that's what Tara appears to do, as she says her goodbyes and looks for a "reboot," a chance to start over and hopefully find different results. While there's something to be said for a vision quest, I'm hoping that Tara finds the inner strength that she seems to be searching for and returns to Bon Temps more in control next season. Especially as I miss the firebrand that we all know Tara to be...

Meanwhile, Sam's storyline took another unbelievable turn this week. I'm still struggling to reconcile the fact that Sam killed two people in cold-blood when he was a grifter back in the day and that he used the money from the scheme they had pulled off to purchase Merlotte's and a new life for himself. It's a reversal of a character that was one of the few good and decent folks left in Bon Temps. While it meant that Sam was often a doormat for just about everyone, it was a refreshing change of pace from the morally grey areas that most of the characters inhabit. He may not have been perfect, but Sam seemed to strive for perfection, even if it was out of his reach.

But by making Sam a killer--and by having him point that gun at his brother Tommy and seemingly fire--it undermines his entire character. I don't like bad-Sam nor do I find him all that interesting, in fact. His pursuit of Tommy, while essentially to get his money back, turned dark pretty quickly. While I can see why Tommy might not want to give him back the cash, I was surprised that Sam would be willing to resort to murder in order to stop his little brother.

So is Tommy dead? Probably not. I can't believe that the writers would have Sam kill again, especially by shooting Tommy in the back. But I'm also deeply, deeply concerned with where his storyline is headed, especially as I felt it went off the rails more than a little this season. Searching for his family? Sure. Bringing out the long-simmering rage behind his seemingly placid facade? Absolutely. But making him a killer and having him (possibly) shoot his brother? A bridge too far, really.

I am, however, intrigued to see where Jessica and Hoyt's storyline is going. After allowing her to feed on him, Hoyt makes his intentions towards the baby vamp absolutely clear: he wants to marry her and he wants them to live together. He's even found them a cute little house which he'll fix up (and create an awesome little hidey-hole for Jessica). But there's also a sense of sadness about their efforts to play house. That doll, lying forlornly in the darkness of the next room, symbolizes the vast chasm between them and "normal" couples, even as Jessica says that she doesn't know what she'd do without him. There will be no babies for these two, no growing old together. The future is hauntingly out of reach and there will always be something--everything that old doll symbolizes--achingly between them.

So too am I curious to see just what happens to Jason Stackhouse next season. While this season found him attempting to become a cop and deal with his complicity in Eggs' death, he seems all too willing to become the savior of Hotshot, his hero complex burning a path right to leadership for him. After Felton's betrayal of his kin--and his kidnapping of Crystal--it's Jason who is forced to assume care for these dirty and snaggle-toothed men, women, and children. While Jason has ricocheted from v-user to cultist to wannabe cop, it's interesting that he's so willing to take on caring for these have-nots. Does he quite understand what that will intend? Absolutely not. But here's to hoping that we see the education of Jason Stackhouse next season and just what that means for this formerly selfish and immature individual.

Likewise, I'm also intrigued to see just what happens between Lafayette and Jesus, after the latter came clean about his own true nature. Jesus, it turns out, is a witch and he went through something similar to Lafayette when he was first taught magic. But while Lafayette is calmed by the news, he's also not happy that his sensitivity has been turned on, especially as it brings with it some ominous visions: the blood on Sam's hands, Rene's ghost with his hands around Arlene's throat, that demon-head that he saw on Jesus. One can only hope that Lafayette is as powerful as Ruby Jean indicated... and that he can control his own destiny and not be sucked into the darkness.

I'm also hoping that Sookie might be able to find happiness with someone a little more down to earth next season. Like, say, Alcide, who returned last night to work off his debts to Eric Northman and offer Sookie a sensitive shoulder to cry on. It's a reminder that even the shiftiest among us--whether werewolf or other--might still have the truest heart. And, after the immense wave of betrayal that has crashed over her, it might be just the lifeline that Sookie needs.

That is, if she's able to get out of whatever faerie court she's now been ensnared by...

What did you think of the season finale? Were you satisfied by how the season came together? Thrown by the Tara and Sam storylines? Surprises that Sookie turned her back on both Bill and Eric? Head to the comments section to discuss and debate.

Season Four of True Blood will premiere in Summer 2011 on HBO.

Boxed In: Thoughts on Tuesday's Summer Season Finale of USA's White Collar

I promised you some thoughts about next week's summer season finale of USA's slick and stylish drama series White Collar and I hate to disappoint.

Airing on Tuesday evening, the summer season comes to an end with next week's fantastic and taut installment ("Point Blank"), after which we'll have to wait until January to find out just what happens to Peter, Neal, Mozzie, and the others.

Suffice it to say, the wait will be especially difficult, given the cliffhanger ending that creator Jeff Eastin and his crack writing team have left us with. It's far more intoxicating--and far less head-scratching--than the Peter/Ring scenario that they left us with halfway through the first season.

While there's no sign of Hilarie Burton's savvy insurance investigator Sara (sorry, folks!), the episode itself is extremely mythology-heavy, which makes it rather difficult to enmesh newbie Sara to the action right now. But while Burton is not present, Sara's absence isn't felt at all, thanks to a fantastic plot that draws together the various storylines involving the music box, Neal's key, some nifty codes, Kate's murder, Fowler, and OPR.

I don't want to say too much lest I spoil some of the deliciously twisty plot mechanics of this episode but I will say that we see Matthew Bomer's Neal Caffrey in a way that we haven't seen him before... and that the stakes for everyone are higher than ever.

The mysteries that have lurked in the background of White Collar throughout the back half of the first season and the first nine episodes of Season Two are pushed front and center and they manage to bring together just about all of the series' fantastic characters into a single storyline. Which means, yes, Neal, Peter, Mozzie, Diana, and Alex are all entangled in a unified narrative and, while there are answers given, there are more questions still that are raised here. Certainly enough that make us question some of the things we've taken for granted the past dozen or so episodes.

Motivations become crystal clear, alliances are formed and shattered, and Neal makes a decision that will have lasting consequences for himself and several others. Along the way, plot points that have been planted throughout the season come to fruition as the music box storyline begins to reach its climax. Just what secrets does the box contain? Why are so many people after this object? And what will Neal's key unlock once it's inserted?

Like a matryoshka, this box seems to contain secrets within secrets, puzzles within other puzzles. It's a Rambaldi device without the ominous apocalyptic overtones, yet it also connects deeply to the mystery of who wanted Kate dead and just what happened aboard that plane in the final minutes of the first season.

All this and some swashbuckling from Neal that has to be seen to be believed (yes, seriously), some great comedic interludes between Neal and Willie Garson's Mozzie (one of the best being how they age an FBI case file), and a tense standoff involving several interested parties. Not to mention that aforementioned cliffhanger, which will have people talking over the next few months, even as they hum the Batman theme.

In other words: miss Tuesday's episode at your own peril.

The summer season finale of White Collar airs Tuesday at 9 pm ET/PT on USA.

Daywalking: Angels and Demons on True Blood

I'm back from break, which meant racing home to watch this week's episode of True Blood, the season's penultimate installment which left devotees on the edge of their seats after a gripping cliffhanger designed to keep us hungry for more over the Labor Day weekend. (Which, yes, means we'll have to wait another week for the season finale.)

This week's episode of True Blood ("Fresh Blood"), written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Daniel Minahan, pushed several characters past their breaking points--particularly Sookie, Tara, and Sam, among others--and seemed to deal heavily with themes of sight and blindness.

After all, we can see without understanding, just as we can finally open our eyes to certain uncomfortable, glaring truths. The sun might be a pleasant glowing orb in the sky and warm our skin, or it's a painful reminder of things lost, of burning and unbearable torment. In a series where so many characters want to be more than ordinary, something truly mundane--the sun on our skin--becomes something magical and transcendent.

So what did I think of this week's episode of True Blood. Pour yourself a B-negative, pick up a bottle of liquid silver at your local health food store, settle in at Fangtasia, and let's discuss "Fresh Blood."

As the penultimate episode of the season, I thought that "Fresh Blood" did a fantastic job at not only setting up the final showdowns for the season but also provoked the characters into new and starling arrangements, peeling back the facade to reveal the skull beneath the skin, the truth of several situations. One can't change their inherent natures; Sookie and Bill might wish for a "normal" life but that's not going to magically appear for them.

The dreams that they have--Sookie of being a wealthy real estate agent, Bill of being a third grade teacher and "loving" his job, are daydreams of the most dangerous kind because they're not based in any reality. Their lives are defined by what they are and what they aren't. Sookie is part-faerie, her telepathy derived from a non-human lineage that has marked her as a target for vampires and who knows what else; Bill, despite his insistence on clinging to his humanity, is a vampire whose thought-processes are vastly different to Sookie's.

Which made their fantasizing in the car all the more heartbreaking. There will never be a semblance of a normal human life for either of them. No afternoon picnics, no children, no growing old together. Bill is quantum-locked into his current appearance, the years moving on but his body retaining its youthful appearance. Not so for Sookie. But while that's unspoken, they dream up a life together that's filled with love and happiness, that's separate from the quagmire they're currently enmeshed in: on the run, fleeing once again, and their fragile reconciliation about to fall apart once more.

Writer Nancy Oliver nicely juxtaposes the couples' dreams of normalcy with another couple's issues as Hoyt and Jessica take a giant leap towards union together. While Jessica believes that Hoyt can't handle the truth about her nature, it's clear that he not only accepts her vampiric nature but embraces it, inviting her to drink from him rather than hunt strangers for sustenance. Season Two had these young lovers grappling with the sexual component of their relationship while this season has had Hoyt and Jessica attempt to come to terms with their own inner identities. Jessica can fight her urges but she doesn't want to. Hoyt doesn't want her to either.

Faced with the dull certainty of a life with Summer--a human life of baked goods, fancy bras, and stepladder kisses--Hoyt chooses the extraordinary with Jessica.

It's a brave decision that points towards the depth of his love for the baby vampire, as Hoyt allows himself to be pushed into a submissive role in their relationship, the source of sustenance for Jessica, the source of fresh blood. The perpetual virgin strips away Hoyt's virginity in a way in the scene where she pounces on him, sinking her teeth into his flesh, draining him for the first time. He's a sacrificial lamb designed to sate her urges while keeping her close to him.

(Just wait until Maxine learns about this latest twist.)

Jason, after storming off, does accept Crystal for what she is: a were-panther and the daughter of a meth dealer. While at first he's uncomfortable with her true nature, Jason manages to surprise even himself by being open to, er, alternative lifestyles. The old Jason Stackhouse wouldn't have looked back but he's drawn to Crystal's differences, to her need to warn Hotshot about the DEA raid, to protect her family, a trait that he shares with her. After all, no one in Bon Temps these days seems to innocent; everyone has a secret, carries a darkness, even his sister. Even, it seems the Bon Temps star QB Kitch Maynard, who we learned this week is set to break Jason's record thanks to the V he's on. It's not just Crystal who's got her toes in the supernatural.

But the truth can hurt, sometimes far more than blindness.

Tara attempted to goad Andy into confessing that he was a "dirty, dirty cop" who killed her boyfriend Eggs but she's shocked to discover that the truth about Eggs' death was far worse than she imagined. It wasn't just that Jason killed Eggs and Andy covered it up, it's that Andy knew that Eggs wanted to be killed, he wanted an end to his suffering. And by choosing the darkness, he chose death over Tara. It's a kick to the gut for the already reeling Tara Thornton. Her quest for vengeance, her rage, has been misplaced. It's Eggs who failed her in the end, who left her behind, who chose to walk on a path towards death rather than towards life.

Lafayette and Jesus experienced something deep and dangerous last week when they did V together but while Jesus is anxious to go back into his past, to further mine his ancestry for truth, Lafayette is terrified. The experience has unlocked something within Lafayette, something dark and extraordinary. It's unlocked his latent sight, granting him the ability to see the shifting shadows that others cannot. A glance at Jesus reveals a disturbing demon visage. Is it the true nature of Jesus that Lafayette sees? His lineage, built in dark magic, etched upon his face? Or is it just the lingering after-effects of the V?

(I'm going to discount the latter, particularly given that--SPOILER!--we see Lafayette experience a vision of Rene clutching Arlene's throat in the season finale. It seems clear to me that the V has unlocked what Ruby Jean called Lafayette's power, connecting him to the magic of their ancestry.)

As for Arlene herself, she took Holly up on her offer to magically remove her unwanted pregnancy, given that she is carrying the unborn child of dead serial killer Rene. But despite the sacrifice to the goddess and the arcane ritual that they carry out, this spirit seems stronger than Holly's magic. It wants to be born and it seems far too evil to be undone by some foul-tasting tea and salt circles in the woods. A seeming miscarriage reveals just the opposite: Arlene hasn't lost the baby at all. The spell didn't take, the spirit didn't waver, and that baby still wants to emerge into the world. Arlene is far from being out of the woods...

Sam, meanwhile, continues to sink into self-hatred, drunkenness, and asshattery as he abuses his staff (including poor Terry), kicks out the customers, and attempts to destroy any last vestige of "nice guy" Sam Merlotte, throwing Tommy out and disowning him (and acting like Joel Lee Mickens in the process). I am glad, however, that Sam and Tara rekindle their romance, turning a brief kiss in the bar into something more passionate back at Sam's place.

But it's a distraction that allows Tommy to get the jump on Sam and crack open the safe at Merlotte's. Not good.

Points go to Eric and Pam as well this week for once again making their relationship even more emotionally nuanced and resonant. Pam's tears as she sees her maker trying to make the ultimate sacrifice to save them all (cough, Christ imagery, cough), to walk in the sun and burn up, said volumes about her devotion to Eric. His efforts to meet the One True Death head on in order to enact his revenge against Russell Edgington and destroy him once and for all reveal a side of Eric that we haven't seen before. It's not based on self-preservation at all; in fact, he's placed the safety of the group before his own personal survival.

In other words, he's connected with his humanity in a way that Godric did in his final moments, whispering a prayer that Russell not see the smoke emanating from his flesh as it crisps in the harsh glare of the sun. The click of the handcuffs as Eric makes his decision, sealing his fate with that of the deposed Vampire King of Mississippi, isn't so much a punishment as it is a release, an act of godhood that's at odds with the violence and suffering that Eric has caused over the centuries.

But to get to that moment, he fed off Sookie. And he allowed Russell to do so, to entrap him with stories of daywalking and faerie blood, to prey on his arrogance and hubris. So too did Bill. While he chose to go along with Eric's plan, he didn't tell Sookie of this, allowing her to remain in the dark while two vampires chowed down on her. Did he intend to have Pam free him so he could feed Sookie and save her? Hell yes. But is that enough to prevent their inevitable split once she comes to? Likely not.

Me, I just can't wait to see what happened to Eric and how the writers will manage to save the Nordic bloodsucker from the One True Death. The wait for the season finale just became that much more painful...

In two weeks on the season finale of True Blood ("Evil Is Going On"), Eric grapples with his conscience while plotting his perfect
revenge against Russell; fed up with being “vampire crack,” Sookie considers a new life without Bill – or any other vampire; Tara discovers some surprising news about Sam, whose rage resurfaces upon learning of Tommyʼs latest transgression; Jason finds a new calling after warning Crystalʼs family about an impending drug raid; plagued by visions, Lafayette turns to Jesus for help, and learns his boyfriend has more to offer than companionship; Hoyt hopes for a future with Jessica, spurning Maxineʼs pleas to wed Summer.

Ep. 36: Evil Is Going On - Preview

Blood Lust: Past Lives, Past Crimes on True Blood

The One True Death comes for us all in the end, human and vampire alike, and one has to hope that when the time comes you've accomplished what you've set out to do in the decades or centuries afforded to you.

That's rarely ever the case. Certainly not for most humans, though Eric Northman confides in Sookie just what he'd regret most if he met his true end. Right before, that is, he has a monumental change of heart about just what matters most in this world. Is it a matter of love? Or a matter of saving one's own skin and their children's? What price does survival have?

On this week's episode of True Blood ("I Smell a Rat"), written by Kate Barnow and Elisabeth R. Finch and directed by Michael Lehmann, much of the episode delved into the backstories of several characters, most notably Sookie, Sam, Tara, and Jason, while setting up some major consequences and twists in the final two episodes of the season.

As such, "I Smell a Rat" wasn't the highlight of the season for me but it did contain some fantastic moments, even as it began to build towards the season's climax. For the most part, however, it was an episode that dealt with the aftermath of several occurrences: Sam's vicious attack of Felton, which left one man clinging to life while the other reflected on his dark past; Bill's revelation that Sookie is a faerie, and therefore a prize to be claimed; and Jason's murder of sociopath Franklin, which brought back the truth about what had happened to Eggs.

It was an installment that was based in advancing the plot to the place it needs to be for the season's endgame, but it also had some fantastic moments that peeled back the layers of some of the characters in some very unexpected and exciting ways.

So what did I think about this week's episode of True Blood? Grab yourself a warm Tru Blood, put down the black cohash, take a sip of some V, and let's discuss "I Smell a Rat."

As I mentioned before, this week's episode wasn't the strongest of the season but there were some intriguing developments that signaled the narrative moving into the final part of the season. I can't believe that there are only two episodes remaining before the long, insufferable wait for next season. But I have a feeling that things are going to get very dark very soon, particularly as Eric has seemingly made his alliances clear now.

I say seemingly because there's always more than meets the eye when it comes to Eric Northman. It's clear that Russell Edgington is going to be out for blood now that he knows that Eric murdered his beloved Talbot and he wants Sookie Stackhouse. While it now appears that Eric is willing to sell out Sookie in order to save himself, I'm not quite convinced that he's going to just turn over Sookie to the fallen King of Mississippi once they've shaken hands. Rather, I can't help but wonder if Eric isn't playing another long con, promising Russell one of the very last faeries left on the planet in order to get him to lower his defenses... and then stake him.

After all, the Authority--via Nan--did instruct Eric to take care of the Russell situation quietly and what better way to lure the King out into the open than with the telepathic blond waitress that they're all eager to taste? Why not offer up a glittering prize to be claimed before delivering Russell the One True Death?

Of course, Sookie--who is now chained in the basement of Fangtasia--might not see it that way. Likely, nor will Bill Compton, who promised to protect Sookie and told Eric that he could not have her. It's interesting that Bill did freely admit to Sookie that her faerie blood did affect him initially (and it's why she would appear to be irresistible to vampires), but it's not why he fell in love with her.

Bill's true motives have been called into question these past few episodes, both by Sookie herself and by trickster Eric Northman, who has now urged Sookie several times not to trust her paramour. He's been less than honest in the past and concealed her true nature from her, he claimed, to protect her. They say the truth will set you free, but that's not always the case. Just look at poor Tara, who finally learned who was really responsible for Eggs' death. That knowledge did her no good whatsoever, particularly as it came right after she tearfully admitted that she believed all of the good in the world was dead and that Jason had always protected her.

He had in so many ways that mattered. But he also killed her lover... and then actually told her after he had saved her life from the vampire who had kidnapped and raped her. Did the truth set her free? It didn't at all. Instead, it shattered her already tenuous outlook on the world and on her life. It pushed her further over the edge rather than giving her strength.

That's not the case per se with Sookie and Bill... He should have come clean to Sookie about her heritage much, much sooner, particularly given that Sophie-Anne was so interested in her. But what's interesting to me is that the knowledge that Sookie is descended from the faerie folk actually creates some interesting parallels between her and Bill. They both carry darkness in their blood; Sookie is shocked to discover that her ancestor may have forced themselves on a human and that that was a common enough occurrence for the faeries. There might be magic in their pasts but it's a dark one.

That holds true as well for Lafayette and Jesus, who learn about their own ancestry after using V together and are given visions of their ancestors, of the witches and sorcerers that made up their family trees. But not all of it was good: they both appear to have darkness within them as well, which gives me pause to wonder how lucid Ruby Jean really is. She knows that Lafayette is powerful, after all, just as Jesus did; he saw the magic within Lafayette and responded to it. But Lafayette knows that both he and Tara would and will continue to be driven towards the darker elements of their nature, just as Jesus' grandfather wanted him to be.

There is, after all, a duality to all things: a light side and a dark side. The faeries may have all been wiped out due to the vampires, who craved their light but they themselves aren't innately good either. Russell and Sophie-Ann believe that a faerie's blood will allow them to walk in the sunlight, to cast off the darkness of night, a fact that would make them nearly unstoppable. Bill seeks to disprove this: while he was in the light, he still burned. Their dark nature still holds; the sunlight is fatal, even with faerie's blood.

So then what is Russell's true goal? What does he hope to take from Sookie? The strength that he would get by ending the life of another of the Fay? The light itself? Hmmm....

Russell, meanwhile, confronted several hard truths: that the man he had loved for so many centuries was nothing more than bloody remains in a crystal urn and that Talbot had faced the One True Death without his lover by his side. In a cruel and horrific twist, Russell seeks to recreate the conditions of Talbot's death, luring a young prostitute (90210's Michael Steger, who I thought was rather weak here) to a room and then staking him in the heart, seeing not this bite-mark ridden stranger dying, but his beloved Talbot.

Heartbreaking and absolutely psychotic in equal measure.

Elsewhere, Sam faced up to his own dark passenger, remembering how--back in his grifting days--he was betrayed by a woman who conned him out of his cash and how he tracked her and her boyfriend down and then killed them in cold blood. While Sam's shooting of the woman was accidental (she was firing at him), his murder of her boyfriend was motivated by vengeance and rage, the two qualities that his vicious attack of Felton brought to the surface once more. Throughout the last the seasons, we've seen a Sam who has sought to keep his own impulses in check, as much as several of the vampiric characters who have struggled with their own grip on humanity.

But with Felton, Sam let the genie out of the bottle, and allowed his anger to take hold of him once more... an anger that would definitely seem to have been inherited from the Mickens clan. Tommy's attack of Hoyt in the parking lot (after Hoyt punched Tommy in the face) connects to this same locus of rage.

But Tommy's plan to attack Hoyt and swoop in and make Jessica love him backfires horrifically as he mauls Hoyt and Jessica flies out of Merlotte's to come to his aid, throwing Tommy (in his bulldog guise) into the woods and demanding that Hoyt drink her blood. She does love him and she can try to either keep the darker elements of her nature from him or allow him into her life fully. Her choice is made in these moments as she rips open her wrist and forces Hoyt to drink her blood. They're bonded now in ways that Hoyt could never had imagined, her true form shown to him.

Just as Crystal displays her true self to Jason, appearing to him in her panther form in his bedroom, and Arlene comes clean to Terry about the parentage of her unborn child.

But while the truth might have set them free in a way, there is always a price to pay for honesty. Whether Bon Temps' couples will come out the other side unscathed is what we'll have to wait to see. But I dare say that there is bound to be much heartbreak and pain in the days ahead, and no amount of vampire blood can ever cure a broken heart...

Next week on True Blood ("Fresh Blood"), Bill tries to earn back Sookieʼs trust, but ends up bringing her face-to-face with fresh dangers; Eric tempts Russell with the ultimate vampire dream; Jason tries to wrap his head around Crystalʼs revelation; Sam embraces his dark side, alienating everyone except Tara; Hoyt and Jessica take their romance to the next level; with Hollyʼs help, Arlene puts her future in the hands of a goddess; post V-trip, Lafayette struggles with new demons.

Ep. 35: Fresh Blood - Preview

Sip of Blood: Three Clips From This Sunday's Episode of True Blood

Can't wait until Sunday's episode of HBO's seductive and bloody vampire drama True Blood? You've come to the right place as we've got three sneak peeks of this week's episode, entitled "I Smell A Rat."

Here's how HBO describes this week's episode: A reluctant Bill warns Sookie about the dangers she will face; Jesus is intrigued by the mysterious qualities of V; Samʼs recent fit of rage triggers dark memories; Eric takes precautions and fulfills a wish; Arlene turns to Holly for help with a pressing problem; Jason deals with the unexpected, both with Tara and Crystal; Jessica is torn between Tommy and Hoyt; after communing with Talbot, Russell promises to extract vengeance on his enemies.

But if that's not enough detail for you, you can check out the three clips below, which depict Tara helping Jason clean up Franklin's remains, Pam questioning Eric, and Jessica confronting Arlene. And who's that familiar face on TV? Hmmm...

Sink your teeth into those while we wait for Sunday...

Ep. 34: Clip - Tara helps Jason clean up

Ep. 34: Clip - Pam questions Eric

Ep. 34: Clip - Jessica confronts Arlene

True Blood airs Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Talk Back: Showtime's The Big C

Now that Showtime's new Laura Linney led dark comedy The Big C has premiered, I'm wondering just what you thought of it.

You can read my thoughts on the first three episodes here, but I'm curious to know your take on The Big C.

What did you think of the pilot episode? Does Linney's Cathy anchor the humor and pathos of the subject matter? What did you think of Oliver Platt as Cathy's supremely immature husband Paul? Or their outrageously ill-behaved teenage son?

Were you turned off at all by Cathy's homeless brother and did it seem one step too far to go this early in the show? Was there enough of a throughline for the episode or did it seem too detached and episodic at times?

And, most importantly, will you tune in again next week?

Talk back here.

Next week on The Big C ("Summertime"), the reality of how little time she has left leaves Cathy with an inclination to explore and appreciate her body for the first time; Cathy's husband Paul asks her to see a couples therapist; Adam attempts to escape to his soccer camp.

Cycle of Death: Everything is Broken on True Blood

There's no use crying, as they say, over spilled blood.

Everything must come to an end. The precipitous peace brokered between the American Vampire League and the human government came crashing down around everyone's heads this week as the humans got a sight of the true nature of vampires. But while the truth came out in a most shocking, hysterical, and dramatic way, courtesy of Russell Edgington, this week's episode of True Blood ("Everything is Broken"), written by Alexander Woo and directed by Scott Winant, dealt with the impermanence of life in many different ways.

It wasn't just the death of an idea--or a political movement (the fragile nature of the Great Revelation)--that this week's installment faced head on but in the fact that even for immortals such as Eric Northman and Russell Edgington, the threat of the one true death is always there. The cycle of life--and of death--keeps on turning and nothing can prevent this neverending dance from continuing apace.

Even in death, it seems, life has a way of staking you in the heart with surprises.

So what did I think of this week's episode of True Blood? Grab yourself a warm Tru Blood, load up some wooden bullets, get some rope, and let's discuss "Everything is Broken."

As in previous episodes, "Everything is Broken" reflected on the preciousness of life, even in death. Bill and Sookie reaffirmed their love for one another, Hadley sought to protect her son, Jason came to Tara's aid and finally freed her from Franklin's clutches, Arlene pondered whether she could bring an "evil" baby into this world, and Russell mourned his dead lover, spooning up his sticky remains into a crystal urn.

The nuances of life and death were beautifully handled in that gorgeous scene between Eric Northman and Pam, who remain two of my favorite characters on the series. While Pam is often a source of dark humor and appetites, here we saw both a different side to Pam and also a very different side to the relationship between Pam and her maker. (It also mirrors the reaction of Russell to the death of poor Talbot, the inciting incident that pushes him over the edge. Could it be that the last vestiges of his humanity were tethered to his once-human lover?)

When faced with the possibility of execution for the death of the magister, Eric begged his protege not to take the fall with him, even as she tearfully looked back on the century they shared together, an all too brief time. To them, human life must seem like the flickering of a candle, a brief spark that's extinguished in a matter of minutes. But for Pam, in that moment, no length of time would be enough. She's not ready to say goodbye to Eric and to the life they shared together, something of a blend between siblings and parent and child.

It's the latter relationship that provides the most haunting echo here as Eric tells Pam that if he should die, she will have to create a vampire and continue to their line. It is time for her to become a maker. It's a reminder again of that cycle of life. A child becomes a parent, the circle continues. She might be 100 years old, but for Pam, the thought of losing Eric is like an adult losing a parent and being pushed into the role of the protector, rather than the protected. (Additionally, the lengths that Eric went to save Pam echo that of Hadley's efforts to protect Hunter. But we'll get to that in a bit.)

Fortunately, Eric isn't to be executed. The Authority has ruled that that Eric was not complicit in the magister's death and that, with a rogue vampire king on the loose, it needs to stay as far away as possible from this "political tarbaby." Eric, on the other hand, will be given a blind eye to continue his revenge plot against Russell and take down the King of Mississippi with impunity. Though the Authority, of course, disavows all knowledge of his actions.

It's interesting that the Authority isn't a single entity but rather a collective council, governing the affairs of the vampires from afar and watching with intrigue and clinical detachment the "trial" of Eric Northman via webcams, choosing to act through its intermediary, Nan Flanagan, rather than appear in the flesh. Definitely getting some echoes of Big Brother watching there but their detachment might prove to be short-lived after the actions of Russell make it impossible for any vampire to remain uninvolved.

Appearing on a 24-hour news channel, Russell rips the spine out of the news anchor on the air and then delivers a message to viewers that the vampires and humans are not equals and never will be equals: the humans are a food source and nothing more. The vampires will eat them and their children and they will enjoy every second of it. It's an outright assault on the American Vampire League, the Vampire Rights Amendment, and the tentative coexistence between the humans and the vampires after the Great Revelation.

(I thought for a split-second that Russell was going to kill Nan in the limousine, but I could not have imagined just how much more brutal and deadly his on-air assault was than just taking out the vampires' de facto spokesperson. I can't wait to see just what the fallout will be from this act of brazen arrogance.)

Elsewhere, Sam grappled with just how to keep Tommy in line, particularly as he can't seem to control his wayward younger brother, particularly after Tommy accuses him of being a doormat for everyone else to trample on. But that's not quite the case: the darkness within Sam threatens to overtake him as he unleashes a wave of violence upon Crystal's father Calvin (even knocking Crystal to the ground in the process)... to the point that Lafayette and Jesus have to take him to the hospital. While Sam cools off, Tommy seems to have more respect for Sam but the violent encounter may have opened up a Pandora's box of anger within Sam's soul. All of his anger, his rage, his frustrations, seem to come to the fore in those moments. And once unleashed, I can't help but wonder if he'll be able to lock them up again...

Hoyt admitted to Jessica that he hated his new girlfriend, who sees Hoyt as having chosen life (her) over death (Jessica). But it's not as simplistic as that, particularly as a life with Summer means a life filled with dolls, antiquing, and insipid conversation. Even if it means giving himself over to the night, Hoyt knows that he won't be happy unless he's with Jessica. Sniffle.

I was also happy to see the writers deal with the friendship between Tara and Sam in that brief scene between the two as Sam pushed Tara to seek psychological counseling after her ordeal. While Tara doesn't go see a shrink, Sam's words do propel her to seek solace in a support group for rape survivors, where she comes face to face with new Merlotte's waitress Holly, herself a rape victim who was raped for over five hours by a coworker.

I'm already suspicious about Holly's true identity--I'm convinced she's a witch, even moreso after this week's episode--but the fact that she came through the darkness points towards a possible hope for Tara as well. As for Holly, she offers Arlene a shoulder to cry on in Sam's office after her argument with Tommy, as well as a solution to her problem. If Arlene won't have an abortion to end her "evil" pregnancy, Holly tells her that there are other means of bringing an end to her situation. (Cough, it's witchcraft...)

Tara, meanwhile, finds the strength to stand up for herself, even as she finds it impossible to talk about her traumatic ordeal at the hands (and fangs) of Franklin. But it's a short-lived recovery process as Franklin grabs her outside Merlotte's and threatens to end her life right then and there because she didn't "mourn" his death and didn't really love him. It's a dark place when one realizes that death might be the only true escape... but, fortunately for Tara, it doesn't come to that as Jason unloads a wooden bullet into Franklin, ending his existence amid an explosion of blood and plasma. Fitting, really, that it would be Jason who would save Tara; it's a nice callback to their backstory in which Jason protected Tara from the drunken wrath of her mother. Hmmm...

Speaking of mothers, Lafayette's mother had one of the best lines of the season as she expressed her happiness seeing her son without his mask on. It was a touching moment between mother and son, a respite from the madness that has plagued Ruby Jean, and a testament to just how happy Lafayette is with Jesus by his side. For one glittering moment, we saw the true face of Lafayette, open and honest, without his warpaint on. Which makes me all the more cautiously concerned about what heartbreak lays ahead. Could it be that there's more to that jaguar tattoo than Jesus let on? Just what darkness is he concealing behind his crystal eyes?

Crystal, meanwhile, continued to waver in her relationship with Jason. Despite knowing that she needs to get away from Hotshot and her crazy family, she still chose to go to the hospital with Calvin rather than stay with Jason. And she knew that Felton would likely go off the rails after she knocked him unconscious and tied him up for the sheriff's department to find. (But why didn't Andy send the V to the crime lab?) Jason is playing with fire and his efforts to get Andy to raid Hotshot and round up Crystal's whole meth-cooking family are likely to backfire in an explosive way.

I loved the scene between Sookie and Hadley at the aquarium, where Sookie came face to face with her little nephew Hunter, a brooding tyke who shares her telepathic abilities. Their meeting is brief, however, as Sookie quickly learns of his abilities and Hadley and Hunter go running off, lest Hunter be rounded up by Russell and Sophie-Anne. Just what do the vampires want with the telepaths exactly? How does Sookie's true nature play into Russell's grand scheme? And what war is Russell really waging? Is just against the humans or does he have a bigger target? Hmmm...

Interesting too that Bill was able to enter what appears to be a gateway to the faerie world after drinking Sookie's light-charged blood, much to the shock of Claudine, who assumes that Bill had killed Sookie. Given that Bill was able to enter that half-world of water and gravestones by nearly draining Sookie to the point of death, what would Russell be able to do if he had a group of telepaths? Bring the faerie world to its knees? Invade another kingdom and steal the light that Claudine is entrusted to keep safe?

I'm very curious to see just where all of this going, really. "Everything is Broken" also dealt with that secret file that Sookie learned that Bill had been keeping on her. Do we believe that he's telling the truth about its purpose? That it was an effort to discover why Eric had an interest in her? I'm not sure as its existence long predated Eric's knowledge of Sookie's true nature. While he's drawn to Sookie, I'm not sure that Eric has ever suspected she was, well, whatever it is that she is. (Faerie?) But the two did have a gorgeous scene in the shower in which they washed off the blood and the past, exchanging a baptism in which their wounds--both physical and emotional--were healed.

If only that could be true for all of Bon Temps' residents...

What did you think of this week's episode? Just what does Russell want with Sookie? How was Bill able to get to Claudine's world? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Next week on True Blood ("I Smell A Rat"), a reluctant Bill warns Sookie about the dangers she will face; Jesus is intrigued by the mysterious qualities of V; Samʼs recent fit of rage triggers dark memories; Eric takes precautions and fulfills a wish; Arlene turns to Holly for help with a pressing problem; Jason deals with the unexpected, both with Tara and Crystal; Jessica is torn between Tommy and Hoyt; after communing with Talbot, Russell promises to extract vengeance on his enemies.

Ep. 34: I Smell a Rat - Preview

Over the Edge: Brief Thoughts on Showtime's Weeds and The Big C

It's only fitting in a way that Showtime would schedule Season Six of Weeds with the new dark comedy The Big C, both of which kick off tonight on the pay cabler.

In their own way, both series deal with the efforts of two women to survive in any way possible when faced with the insurmountable obstacle of death. On Weeds, Mary-Louise Parker's Nancy Botwin has spent the last five seasons attempting to keep her family together, getting deeper and deeper into treacherous waters after the untimely death of her husband, willing to literally get in bed with dangerous people in order to survive.

While the drama isn't as (soapily) high on The Big C, which airs a half an hour later, it's just as powerful as Laura Linney's Cathy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis and attempts to create a new way of living when faced with death itself, embarking on a journey in which she discovers her crazy again. For an uptight and controlling woman like Cathy, her last chance at living means living free: it means spilling wine on the couch, getting a pool put in her backyard, and attempting to reconnect with her loathsome teenage son.

In both cases, there's a lot of darkness going on but also a lot of humor to be mined from these extreme circumstances. Season Six of Weeds picks up moments after the cliffhanger ending from last season, where Shane killed Pilar with a croquet mallet blow to the head, knocking her into the pool. Wisely, the writers have realized that there's no time jump necessary here, finding both pathos and humor in Shane's new role as a "killer" and in Nancy's efforts to stay one step ahead of everyone likely to be on their tail.

It's a strategy that not only means that they ditch their new lives to hit the road but also removes Justin Kirk's Andy from the love triangle he was enmeshed in with his girlfriend Audra (Alanis Morrisette) and her obsessed, pro-life stalker. While Nancy selfishly doesn't allow Shane or Silas to pack any of their belongings, they hit the road with more than enough baggage--both physical and emotional--of Nancy's to last them a lifetime.

While Weeds has proven itself more than willing to shake up its foundations every few seasons (remember when she burned down their Agrestic home and they ended up by the Mexican border?), I have to say that I'm far more intrigued with this new on-the-lam picaresque than I was with the last two seasons. Publicity materials promise new identities, bizarre disguises, and odd jobs as the Botwins--plus Andy and Doug (Kevin Nealon), of course--attempt to stay alive and out of the hands of the Mexican drug cartel hungry for their blood.

The first episode--the only one sent out to press in advance--gave the series yet another jolt of adrenaline, quickly establishing the high stakes for this season and refocusing the viewpoint onto the Botwins as they attempt to get the hell out of their predicament and, more than likely, encounter a colorful menagerie of eccentrics, deadbeats, and kooks along the way. If you haven't been watching Weeds for whatever reason, this is the perfect opportunity to jump on board right now.

Showtime did, however, send out the first three episodes of the Laura Linney-led dark comedy The Big C, which is a good thing as it takes about that long for things to begin to click into place. The pilot episode, which airs tonight, has a few strong spots, one of which is--unsurprisingly--Linney herself, who stars here as the supernaturally uptight Cathy, a school teacher who keeps her terminal cancer diagnosis to herself and instead kicks her immature husband (Oliver Platt) out of the house and attempts to find new ways to remind herself that she's alive. For the time being, at least.

She sets out to wave her freak flag loud and proud, attempting to build a pool, spending the summer with her son (even if it means chasing down his soccer camp-bound bus with a paintball rifle), and reconnecting with that thing that she forgot how to do: live.

Cancer comedy is a hard thing to pull off and the pilot episode has the danger of becoming maudlin at times, particularly in scenes where Linney's Cathy interacts with her homeless brother Sean (John Benjamin Hickey) or her bitchy neighbor Marlene (Phyllis Somerville)... or Marlene's dog. A scene with plucky student Andrea (Gabourney Sidibe) crackles with nasty wit (just wait until you see what Cathy says to her) but seems separate from everything else.

Which is why the third episode seems to unify the various threads into something cohesive and enjoyable, as Cathy arranges a dinner party that brings together Sean, his new Whole Foods employee girlfriend, Andrea, and Cathy's supremely awful son (Gabriel Basso). Which, in true Showtime fashion, sort of goes horribly awry, really.

Episode Three is also the first episode where I began to see just what the series was capable of achieving and it's also the first installment where the show itself seemed to relax a little bit and, like Cathy herself, stop being so controlled and uptight. For a series about life, The Big C needs to embrace the messiness, humor, and emotion that this episode encapsulates.

If it does, The Big C, despite its subject matter, might just transform into a series that I hope lives for some time to come.

Season Six of Weeds premieres tonight at 10 pm ET/PT, followed by the series premiere of The Big C, on Showtime.

County Fairs, Dancers, and White Castle: The Winner is Named on the Season Finale of Work of Art

I'll admit that I didn't expect to enjoy Bravo's Work of Art: The Next Great Artist as much as I did in the end.

Before the season began, I was curious just how the format would work. After all, true art takes time to develop, and the series seemed based around the type of severe time restraints that could hamper true creativity.

But a funny thing happened: I found myself sucked in and captivated by what was unfolding before me. I had hoped, all along, that the final three contestants standing would be Miles, Abdi, and Peregrine. And that's just what happened going into last night's season finale of Work of Art ("The Big Show"), in which the final three artists presented a group show, with one of them walking away the winner of the season and their very own show at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

For one thing, I loved just how very different each of these artists was, how each of them focused on different subject matters and expressed their artistic temperaments in vastly different styles, some preferring oil and charcoal, sculpture and sketches, or massive mechanical parts and rapidly constructed silkscreens. Plus, the troika assembled for the final showdown were all so supportive and encouraging of one another, which was refreshing to see on a reality competition series.

I also really wanted to see what each of them would be able to pull off, given a longer time frame to work with and without camera crews and fellow contestants hovering over them. As I said earlier, true art takes time. It can't always be cobbled together in a few hours before midnight and inspiration and execution take time.

There's no way, for example, that Abdi could have created those sculptures in an evening in the Work of Art studio; they were the products of precision, time, and effort unfolding over the course of several months rather than a scant few hours. Which is what true Art--with an intentional capital-A--is really all about: the artistic process itself. I'm glad that the producers of Work of Art did realize this, granting the final three artists a larger timeframe to work with, taking the format of the final show from Magical Elves' former reality competition hit, Project Runway. It's a device that not only allowed the finalists time to contemplate and reflect, but also for the cameras to follow them home and check in on their progress and their life after filming on the majority of the season has wrapped.

What we see in their work is vastly different than what we glimpsed on the series. There's far more thought and conceptualizing going on here, as each of them tackles themes that are important to them, themes that are enacted in a variety of work and media, allowing them to built towards a show with a vast array of pieces, rather than one singular work.

So what did I think of their final efforts? Let's discuss.

Despite his efforts to stay away from being so rigid and orderly, Miles still managed to remain too constricted, creating a series of pieces that tackled both death and surveillance but remained out of reach. There was a tantalizing quality to the series, which depicted elderly patrons of a local White Castle--and the homeless man who froze to death outside two days after his picture was snapped by Miles-but the work remained far too lodged within Miles' own head.

He had stumbled onto an intriguing concept but it was a concept that hadn't quite worked itself out yet, remaining something in progress rather than something complete and finished. In particular, I wasn't moved at all by the abstractions that he created from the photographs of the dead man. It was a thought-provoking study but the story behind the pieces were more interesting than the pieces themselves. To the untrained eye, they were abstractions without any concrete coherence.

I was really taken by a lot of Peregrine's work for her County Fair show but agree that she could have done with some editing. While I loved the series of sketches depicting vomiting girls (I'd have to disagree that she should lose those), the empty beeswax portrait frames didn't really move me at all, and I thought that she could have ditched those without impacting the feeling or scope of her show in the least.

The photograph of the twin unborn fawns is something that I can't shake from my mind and I didn't even see it in person. There was something so beautiful and sad, fragile and heartbreaking about the piece, so beautifully lit, that was impossible to escape. Likewise, the wax doll's head under glass and the beautiful yellow horse remained standout pieces that were engaging, complex, and compelling. I thought that she understood her theme well and executed an amazing and ambitious show that showed off the range of her skills and styles and produced some unusual and strong work as a result.

And then there was Abdi, who seemed doomed to fail when his sculptures turned up at the gallery only half-finished. I needn't have worried for Abdi often produces his best work when struggling to finish in the eleventh hour. Despite having some issues with the two massive sculptures, Abdi managed to finish on time and deliver a show of staggering beauty and grace. Those two sculptures, finally removed from their plaster and painted and dressed, remained on the floor. Provocative and beautiful, they seemed to pose a number of questions about their identity and purpose. Were they in a state of repose? Were they dead? Were they stretching for dance or sport?

There was a gracefulness to the bodies that was echoed in several other of his pieces, including the color-inversion self-portrait (inverted in position as well) and the photograph of the bodybag entitled "Home." They asked big questions of not just race and identity but of mortality as well. It was the work of an accomplished technician but also a savvy and inspired artist pondering the mysteries of life and death themselves.

I had a feeling that it would come down to either Abdi or Peregrine in the end, given that Miles' work was a little too abstract in the end. But I'm overjoyed that Abdi took home the grand prize and will get a chance to launch his own show at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. He's completely deserving of the award and the honor and I can't wait to see just what he's able to accomplish on a broader scale. As for Peregrine, I dare say that this isn't the last we hear of her. Her show demonstrated great range and complexity and I think we'll be seeing big things from this accomplished and "otherworldly" artist in the years to come.

What did you think of the season finale? Would you have awarded the win to Abdi? Just what went wrong with Miles' work? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Based on the spot looking for auditions at the end of the episode, it does indeed seem like Work of Art will be back for a second season. Stay tuned for information about a launch date.

The Daily Beast: "Flipping Out's Real-Life Fall-Out"

Wondering just what went down with Flipping Out's Jeff Lewis and Ryan Brown? Or where their relationship stands now following last fall's explosive reunion special?

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my latest feature, entitled "Flipping Out's Real-Life Fall-Out," where I talk to Jeff Lewis, Ryan Brown, Jenni Pulos, and Bravo's Andy Cohen about Season Four of Flipping Out, Jeff's now booming design business, and whether television ruined his relationship with Ryan Brown.

Were you on Team Jeff or Team Ryan last year? And does the piece change your perspective at all or strengthen your convictions? Head to the comments section to discuss, debate, and analyze.

Season Four of Flipping Out begins tomorrow night at 9 pm ET/PT on Bravo. You can read my advance review of the fourth season premiere here.

Never Let Me Go: The Ties That Bind on True Blood

"Someday, it won't hurt so bad." - Alcide

Whether it's love or guilt--or something in between--there's an invisible thread binding us to those in our lives. In an installment filled with reunions, reconciliations, and rather disturbing dreams, True Blood's characters had a knack for ricocheting off of one another in some intriguing and eye-opening ways, resulting in a cascade of emotions--and blood--that mark a major turning point for the season.

Last night's episode of True Blood ("Night on the Sun"), written by Raelle Tucker and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter, managed to pull off just that, turning in a crimson-soaked installment that was high on both drama and emotional resonance as an age-old quest for revenge struck home, parents sought to protect their offspring, and friends gathered together for a moment in the sun, a respite from the darkness that has been closing in all season long.

But it was also an episode that offered up questions about just what it means to be home once again and just where home truly is, whether it's on the porch of the house you grew up in, an opportunity to change your life and start over, or tangled up in the arms of a lover.

So what did I think of this week's episode of True Blood? Pour yourself a Tru Blood, place that Viking crown in its rightful place, grab a shotgun and let's discuss "Night on the Sun."

Things hit home for Sookie Stackhouse this week in more ways than one, as she realized just what Bill had done to her and perhaps that the trust between them might have been forever broken as a result. His vicious attack last week, which left Sookie hovering between life and death, became symbolic of the very differences in their nature, as well as the similarities.

Her immediate response, however, was to scream bloody murder when she came out of her coma and saw Bill standing over her in the hospital. While his blood may have saved her life--yet again--it's indicative of his true nature. He can attempt to keep the beast within at bay, to sublimate those desires to rend flesh and drink blood, but they exist within him always and when faced with the one true death, he reverted to an animalistic mentality when he was willing to do whatever it took to survive.

But it's that will to live that binds him with Sookie, in a way, two outsiders who can never truly join the pack of humanity who are willing to cross certain boundaries in order to keep on living. Whether that means draining Sookie or that old woman in the woods, or--in Sookie's case--taking on Debbie Pelt rather than running away.

It's only fitting that Sookie would hold her ground in light of everything that has happened over the last three seasons. And, it's even more fitting, that the line in the sand should be drawn right inside the Stackhouse house, where Gran died, where Maryann twisted her home into something sick and perverse, and where she wouldn't back down from whatever Russell threw at her, whether it be wolves, vampires, or Alcide's psychotic ex-girlfriend.

Their knock-out fight showed a new side to Sookie as well. Armed with a shotgun (and a pair of scissors), she took on the V-filled Debbie in a fight that seemed like it would only end with one of them six feet under. But I was happy to see that both (A) Sookie wasn't required to murder Debbie, even if it had been in self-defense, and (B) that Sookie wasn't a damsel in distress. She held her own against an enraged werewolf and, like Tara earlier this season, exhibited the same desperate need to embrace life, even if it meant traveling through the bleakest darkness to get there. (It was also ironic that Debbie should be so undone by a pair of scissors, having burnt down the hair salon belonging to Alcide's sister in Jackson.)

Likewise, I was glad to see Jessica hold her own as well. For far too long, Jessica has been relegated to the dusty rooms of the old Compton place and Bill has denied her the benefit of his wisdom, making her essentially an orphaned baby vampire. Looking to free her from any obligations, Bill discovers that she doesn't want to be "free," but wants to learn from her maker. (I loved the scene in which they swiftly battle across the room as Jessica attempts to increase her speed and win her maker's approval.)

Even after she's drained by Russell outside Sookie's house, Jessica still manages to escape and rip apart a werewolf... even as Hoyt drives right by her, wiping tears from his eyes. The juxtaposition of those two very disparate ideas--of a man consumed by emotion and a woman consumed with blood-lust--precisely depicts the chasm between them.

The Bill-Jessica story was nicely mirrored by the return of Ruby Jean to Bon Temps, appearing at Lafayette's house in a desperate bit to "protect him from the vampires." While poor Ruby Jean is not, uh, well--she pulls a kitchen knife on Lafayette and Jesus at one point--she believes that she has been sent on a mission to protect her son, whom she says is "powerful." While Bill hasn't instructed Jessica in the ways of the world, Ruby Jean has warped Lafayette from an early age (see his story about being able to breathe underwater) but appears to want to make amends in her own way. For his part, Jesus also believes that Lafayette is powerful but warns him that he could be overtaken by darkness. It's a throwaway line line that nonetheless demonstrates that there's more to Jesus that initially meets the eye and connects Lafayette's own struggles to battle the darkness within him to his cousin Tara's.

Bad mothers seem to be quite the thing in Bon Temps as Melinda made one final ploy to explain herself to Sam and Tommy, before Sam handed her a wad of cash and sent her on her way. That she chose to appear to him first as a puppy with a hangdog expression underpins just how emotionally manipulative this woman is... and how she'll never change. The only way to end the cycle of abuse is to remove Tommy from the situation, though his tearful reaction to Melinda's departure shows just how deep her and Joe Lee's claws are in Tommy. Can Tommy ever recover from what he's been through? True Blood would seem to say that there is hope for everyone; that each of us can find a shred of humanity within us if we look deep enough. In the meantime, he's clearly feeling something for Jessica, leading to a bit of a showdown between Tommy and "crybaby" Hoyt. Hmmm....

(Aside: I'm still wondering just what to make of Holly, the new waitress at Merlotte's, who instantly knew that Arlene is pregnant. There's a touch of the supernatural about her and if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say she's a witch. So there.)

I thought there was a nice sense of symmetry between Sookie and her estranged cousin Hadley, who stumbled home to deliver a message to Sookie from Eric and learned not only that Gran has died but that Sookie has no idea of her own betrayal. For it was Hadley who has enmeshed Sookie in this entire mess, first telling her vampire lover Sophie-Anne of Sookie's true nature and then telling Eric Northman. That she would still opt to keep Sookie in the dark rather than come clean right then and there reveals both Hadley's fear and her guilt. Plus, Hadley's life is a cautionary tale for those looking to run away from their problems. Fleeing the rehab facility that Gran had paid for, Hadley ends up in the clutches of the vampires and is only too willing to sell out her own family. Sad, really. I'm hoping that this isn't the last time Sookie and Hadley's paths cross because someone needs to fill our favorite telepath in on just what she really is...

Tara, meanwhile, was haunted by the memory of Franklin, who invaded her dreams this week (as did Rene for guilt-ridden Arlene), while Tara finds herself unable to tell either Lafayette or Sookie just what happened to her in Jackson. Poor Tara seems gripped by post-traumatic stress disorder--the horror on her face as she spies a bottle of Tru Blood says it all--but she's going to have to tell someone what happened if she has any chance of recovery. However, I thought it a major step forward for the frequently victimized Tara that she told Lafayette that she felt for the first time the powerful need to survive at all costs, to do terrible things to free herself and to avoid dying.

I loved the scene between Tara and Sookie out in the sun, as Sookie sunned herself for perhaps the first time since the pilot episode of True Blood. It worked not only as a callback to the early days--when Sookie's main concerns were not getting sunburned and not overhearing things in people's heads--but also pushed the two friends together again. What separated them this time wasn't Sookie per se, but Tara's own difficulties admitting what had happened to her. It says quite a lot about their relationship that Sookie didn't just pry the details out of Tara's mind but instead is allowing her best friend to keep her secrets.

Jason meanwhile doesn't seem to realize that he is playing with fire and that Crystal is far more dangerous than she seems. I'm hoping that she does have feelings for Jason--especially after they consummate their weird relationship--and isn't just playing him. Unfortunately for him,. Jason doesn't realize that he's started a war with Felton and Calvin... and that they aren't human. Their knowledge that Sam was a shifter was a surprise but I wasn't at all taken aback to learn that they too carry scents on the wind. What's going on in Hotshot isn't limited to cooking meth and includes rending tasty animals limb from limb. If Jason's not careful, he'll be their next meal.

But the real kicker of a scene this week was that between doomed Talbot and Eric Northman as Eric finally made good on his efforts to have his vengeance against Russell Edgington for the slaughter of his human family over 1000 years ago. Seducing Talbot proved only too easy and Eric used Russell's thirst for Sookie to his advantage, clearing the palace of the king and his werewolf minions while he had his way with Talbot... and then staked him in the heart. The look of profound loss and gut-wrenching emotion that cascaded over Russell's face (as well as the expression of satisfaction on Eric's) said more than any lines of dialogue. Eric has chosen a path of Biblical vengeance, hitting Russell exactly where it would hurt the most: in his heart.

As for Sookie and Bill, both came perilously close to dying this week, but ended the episode after their beside break-up by coming back together again, professing their love for one another in the face of true death. Despite all that has passed between them, I'm glad that these two aren't just being split apart for the sake of driving them away. It's clear that Sookie has some sort of attraction towards Alcide (she admits as much) but that the one true love in her life is Bill. While he may have lied to her (and brutally attacked her), he hasn't glamoured her and the depth of feeling they had for each other is real.

Amid the chaos of Debbie and Russell's attack and its bloody aftermath, the two finally acknowledge just what they feel for each other and, on the floor of Sookie's old room (now thoroughly trashed and smashed up), the two reconnect in a carnal manner. It's an effort to keep the specter of death at bay, an attempt to reclaim the house--and that bedroom--for life. And it's a reminder that life itself is far stranger than we could ever imagine, as is love.

Next week on True Blood ("Everything is Broken"), following the ratification of the Vampire Rights Amendment at hand, Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck) heads to Fangtasia to confront Eric about the Magisterʼs disappearance; a grief-stricken Russell vows revenge against his foes, vampire and human; Bill uncovers the truth about Sookieʼs true identity; Jason gets unexpected help as he goes up against Felton and Calvin; Sam is distressed by Tommyʼs attitude; Tara encounters a new ally and an old tormentor; Hadley introduces Sookie to a new family member; Arlene despairs about her future; Hoyt confronts his true feelings.

Ep. 33: Everything Is Broken - Preview

The Light That Fills the World: Hitting the Ground on True Blood

It's only fitting that a vampire drama would revel in the sticky messiness of death, contemplating both the eternity of the one true death as well as the spaces in between and, for those hovering between life and death, how their limbo-like state impacts those around them.

This week's episode of True Blood ("Hitting the Ground"), written by Brian Buckner and directed by John Dahl, did just that, offering up an installment that looked at the stark reality of human death, sacrifice, and imprisonment, the final theme laced underneath the installment as we see that none of us--human, vampire, or other--is ever truly free.

Except, perhaps, for the King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington, who looks to liberate himself from outdated modes of imprisonment and fealty and take a giant leap forward for the false emancipation of vampire-kind, who have "suffered" too long under the oppressive yoke of the unseen Authority. That vampires have their own social conventions and societal hierarchies is something that Russell wants to fix as he pushes them towards chaos and looks not to rid the world of an authority but to usurp that power for himself.

So what did I think of this week's episode of True Blood? Pop open a Tru Blood, take a dip in the magical pond, take off your dog collar, and let's discuss "Hitting the Ground."

While I overall loved this installment, I did have some problems with the way that Sookie's subconscious journey was handled this week, which I'll address in a bit. However, those criticisms are minor for an installment that pushed the plot forward and saw not one but three deaths in a single outing, including for some characters that have existed in their own way since the very first season. Seeing as this is a series about vampires, it's only natural that the body count would begin to stack up at this point.

But while death came for several characters--Lorena, the magister, and Coot, in fact--it was the handling of Sookie's coma that produced not only some unexpected plot twists but also some real humanity in the way that Jason, Lafayette, Tara, and Alcide came together at Sookie's bedside. While much has been said about the way in which Tara has largely been victimized this season (and last), we're seeing the emergence of a much stronger Tara Thornton over the last two weeks, one who has chosen to live rather than die in silence. Casting off the shackles of her imprisonment, she once again this week proved her pluck and courage, taking down a gun-toting Debbie in order to save the lives of Sookie and Alcide... and she cast out the blood-drenched Bill into the sunlight in order to get Sookie to the hospital when she saw just what he had done to her.

Bill's behavior was that of someone out of control, of an animal with no comprehension of anything other than their unquenchable desire for continued existence. His attack of Sookie was one of self-preservation, draining her nearly to the point of death in order to replenish the blood he had lost. While he may have been able to control his blood-lust in the past, Bill was hanging onto his un-dead life by a thread and greedily took everything Sookie had. (If that's not a metaphor for the way we use one another, I don't know what is.)

Tara's decision to cast him into the sunlight was one borne of love and anger in equal measure. She is so filled with terror that Sookie would die that she enacts what she believes to be vengeance upon Bill, battering him not with a mace but with the sharp rays of the sun. (That Bill doesn't burst into flames is a mystery for another day and likely linked to the fact that he drank far too much of Sookie's light-infused blood.) The victim has turned into the protector, a scared little girl running from her mother has emerged a valiant warrior standing vigil over her friend.

I was glad to see Tara, Lafayette, and Jason reunited at the hospital, a collection of characters that hasn't really been together in any meaningful way since the first season. Their collective spirit acts as a callback to an earlier time on the series and reinforces those relationships as well as the connection each of them shares to Sookie Stackhouse, a family bound not by blood but by a love forged in the heat of suffering and loss.

It's ironic that the decision over what to do with Sookie's life and death comes down to Jason Stackhouse, her next of kin. Earlier in the episode, he ponders life in his boxer shorts while gripping a police baton stolen from the sheriff's office, realizing that he didn't think he was smart enough to be depressed. (Ignorance being bliss, one imagines.) When faced with the decision, Jason wavers, unable to deal with the weightiness of the decision and its consequences. But ultimately Jason is the one who makes that important choice. Faced with letting his sister die or allowing Bill to share his blood with her, Jason chooses life, even if it is one drenched in crimson.

As for the comatose Sookie, she takes an introspective journey into the deep recesses of her mind, connecting to a distant memory that has long been buried in the folds of her brain. Her hospital room opens outwards via a rose petal-laden path to a place where glitter-clad men and women frolic, swim, and dance in a dew drop-bright landscape. The entire effect is a little too on the nose, a young girl's vision of what faerie land would be, rather than a sophisticated take on the interplay of light and dark that exists within these creatures of nature. Which is why I am hoping that it is just that: the young Sookie's vague memory of this place, of when she first tasted the waters of the light, and met Claudine, rather than the place itself.

Sookie's true nature has long been cloaked in mystery; she's a telepath, can exhibit microwave fingers, and has no blood type (which might be why Bill and Lorena find her to be so delicious). Unlike her brother, she's not really human. She's never been sick, has never been inside a hospital (not even at birth, when she was delivered by their father on the dining room table), and has no knowledge of what she might be. (While Sookie is unaware, others are only too familiar with her true nature: her cousin Hadley, who previously told Sophie-Anne just what she was, whispers the truth to Eric when faced with death.)

The answer seems clear enough: she's a faerie, with a connection to this in-between place, a waiting room between the "real" world and the world that Claudine and the others inhabit. Is it a memory, a shadow, or a place that you can access in your dreams? That we'll have to discover in time. But we do learn that Sookie is very much not human, is connected to that light source in the pond (far deeper and wider than it appears), and is warned by Claudine not to let Bill "steal her light."

Interestingly, once Claudine and the others retreat to the safety of their world, Sookie is left in the darkness of the Bon Temps cemetery, a fitting reminder not just of her limbo-like state between life and death but also her connection to Death itself: to the embrace of Bill Compton, the graves of those she has lost, and the way that her own mortal life has been clouded by darkness. It's only fitting that once she regains consciousness (thanks to Bill's vampire blood), the first thing she does is scream.

The quintet gathered at the hospital is beautifully echoed in the assemblage at Fangtasia as Eric, Sophie-Anne, and Russell intrude on the magister's torture of poor Pam (who is about to have her eyelids pierced with sterling silver Tiffany's earrings) and flip the table on the tableau, trading a prone Pam for a manacled magister, who is forced to perform a wedding ceremony for Russell and Sophie-Anne while witnesses Eric and Pam watch. It's another gathering of five but for a very different purpose here, one that creates an unholy union while also seeing the magister cast off the final vestiges of his mortal coil, sending him screaming into the one true death at the point of his own stake.

Just how far Russell is willing to take his plan will play out in the coming weeks but it's Eric's duplicity that remains the most intriguing. Just what will he sacrifice in order to gain revenge? How many cages will he construct in order to fulfill the blood rites of vengeance? Will the very cost of such a mission eradicate what little humanity he has left in him? Curious.

I'm hoping that this isn't the last we see of Claudine and that we learn just what Hadley told Eric at Sophie-Anne's palace, while I'm also sad that this is the end (at least in the present day) of Bill's maker Lorena, who proved to be quite the adversary for Bill and Sookie in equal measure. That Lorena's final act should be to explode into viscous goo over her progeny is only fitting. Even in the true death, her actions, her victims, her blood cast a pall over Bill.

What did you think of this week's episode of True Blood? Did you like the way that the proto-faerie land was handled in Sookie's subconscious? Were there cheers when Alcide shot Coot and then locked up Debbie Pelt? Did you love that Sam rescued Tommy and told off his insane biological parents? (And wonder just when Melinda would try to sink her talons back in her younger son?) Head to the comments section to discuss, debate, and analyze.

Next week on True Blood ("Night on the Sun"), shaken and disillusioned, Sookie rethinks her relationship with Bill; Sophie-Anne takes up a new residence as Russell plots his next move; Jessica and Bill reconcile; Jason throws down the gauntlet in hopes of saving Crystal; Lafayette gets a surprise visit from his mom, Ruby Jean; Sam tries to keep Tommy in check; Merlotteʼs gets a new waitress; Eric proves the depth of his allegiance to Russell; Sookie finds herself in a vulnerable position when Alcide needs to deal with a family emergency.

Ep. 32: Night on the Sun - Preview

Not All Conspiracies Are Theories: Brief Thoughts on AMC's Rubicon

While you can read my feature piece on AMC's conspiracy thriller Rubicon here, I thought I'd also offer my brief thoughts on the first four episodes of the drama itself.

I found Rubicon--which stars James Badge Dale, Miranda Richardson, Lauren Hodges, Arliss Howard, Jessica Collins, Dallas Roberts, and Christopher Evan Welch--an intriguing glimpse behind the curtain of the intelligence community, where the focus wasn't on dashing Jack Bauer types but rather the analysts who are forced to pull together information and offer suggestions to an array of agencies on supported actions.

It's this specifically that provides the series' fourth episode--the best of the initial installments--its emotional heft, as the analysts at API are forced to content with a weighty moral decision that will impact the lives of countless people.

However, while there's a biting intelligence to Rubicon (which was created by Jason Horwitch and now overseen by Henry Bromell), it's nearly undone by its own languorously plodding pacing. AMC series aren't known initially for bolting out of the gate but there's a glacial quality to the unfolding plots here, a dual track of meandering currents that makes it hard to get into the overarching conspiracy. Not helping matters either: it's difficult to care about any of these characters in the first few episodes.

The aforementioned fourth episode goes to some lengths to add some much needed depth to both the analysts, Will Travers (James Badge Dale), and their shadowy boss Truxton Spangler (Michael Cristofer), particularly when the latter two embark on a trip to Washington D.C. Their strained interactions--which come to a head over a briefcase, of all things--provide some unexpected sparks as well as some well-earned tension there.

When Spandler admonishes Will about his low-key messenger bag because it lacks a "security tether," one can't help but feel that he might be talking about Rubicon itself. It needs not only an emotional tether but also a strong pull in the right direction.

Rubicon premieres Sunday evening at 8 pm ET/PT with a special two-hour launch (which includes the pilot that received its own sneak peek a few weeks back) on AMC.

Long Cons and Lovers: Trouble on True Blood

A very late night on Sunday meant that I didn't have a chance to watch this week's installment of True Blood until yesterday, but it was well worth the wait. (And at least I had a much better evening than poor Tara did.)

This week's sensational episode of True Blood ("Trouble"), written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Scott Winant, ramped up the tension of the previous episodes to deliver an installment that was drenched in blood, vengeance, and a wee bit of madness to boot. In the more than capable hands of Oliver, the fifth episode of True Blood's third season becomes a pivotal chapter in a number of plots, including the psychotic romance between Franklin Mott and the imprisoned Tara Thornton, the reveal of Bill's true feelings, and an uneasy alliance between Eric Northman and Russell Edgington, whose, uh, relationship goes back a few centuries.

But the episode isn't just about the crimson splatter of blood (though there was a fair amount of violence this week) but also about the small moments that deepen the characters and their world. A scene between newly installed Merlotte's waitress Jessica and Arlene becomes a humorous reveal about Jessica's powers... and her intention to put Arlene in her place. A shared cigarillo between Lafayette and Tommy becomes a scene about the power of patience and the potential for love in the most unexpected of places.

In other words: Oliver brought all of the depth and polish of the best of True Blood into an mid-season episode that transformed it into an accomplished exploration of the way these characters tick with chaos swirling around them. (I can't wait to watch it again.)

So what did I think of this week's installment? Let's discuss "Trouble."

Everyone's keeping secrets on Season Three of True Blood, so it's a good thing that Bon Temps' resident telepath, Sookie Stackhouse, is perfectly willing to rip information from the brains of the people she encounters along the way. This week, she finally came face to face with her missing would-be fiance Bill Compton, but it was too late for both of them as Bill was pursued by Russell, Coot, and some hefty bodyguards.

Bill's been perfectly willing to play the role of the jaded vampire, one who has cast off his humanity and shifted fealty from his queen to the Vampire King of Mississippi in order to protect Sookie and keep her safe. That he would go so far as to tell Eric Northman that Sookie is no longer his proves just how desperate he is and the lengths he's willing to go to in order to safeguard his human lover.

But there are a few problems with Bill's impromptu plan, one of a few long cons going on currently. For one, Eric has turned up in Mississippi searching for Bill and claiming that he was selling vampire blood, rather than the other way around. (In order to save Pam, Eric is sticking to this Bill-as-V-dealer cover story Pam hastily concocted.) But Russell knows all about the V trade in Louisiana and knows that Sophie-Anne is behind the illicit sale of vampire blood in order to evade the IRS. Additionally, Franklin has gathered information for Russell about just what Bill was doing in Bon Temps... and it has to do with Sookie's family tree.

Russell believes that Bill was playing a game of "track the telepath," investigating Sookie's genealogy to see if telepathy ran in the family and looking to trace its root for... Well, that's still unknown, particularly as Bill has denied the entire affair. But we know that Franklin did find the Stackhouse family tree concealed among Bill's possessions, which means that Bill was searching for some connection between Sookie's family and her inexplicable abilities. As for what purpose? We know that he's in Sophie-Anne's employ and that Sookie's cousin was seen in her court, so it's more than conceivable that Bill didn't just happen upon Sookie but was watching her for some time (hence the surveillance photos) in order to lure her in. But what does Sophie-Anne want with a telepath, particularly one who can't read vampire minds? Hmmm...

This week saw the return of Sookie's electric fingers power as Coot tried to grab her at Alcide's house and she blasted him backwards with a touch (much as she did Maryann last season). So does this mean we'll be getting to the root of Sookie's powers and find out just what she's capable of this season? It certainly looks that way. I can't help but wonder that that revelation will push Sookie and Bill apart once more. After all, he may have not been entirely honest about the early days of their meeting.

But Bill's possible duplicity pales in comparison to a potential long con being waged by the Mickens against poor Sam Merlotte, who seems to be their latest mark. While Sam was distrustful of Tommy, recent events have pushed the two brothers together and, seeing Joe Lee go off the handle, has suddenly made Sam a hell of a lot more sympathetic to his shifter brother. But I can't help but wonder if that isn't a part of their plan as well. Longtime readers will recall that I picked up on a look that passed between Melinda and Joe Lee when Sam met them for the first time. While Joe Lee is the one banging on Sam's door in the middle of the night, I think it's Melinda who is pulling everyone's strings here. And, a shifter herself, it could have been her attempting to break into Sam's safe a few episodes back rather than Tommy, who was the more likely suspect. Is Melinda looking to rob her biological son blind? Just what is their plan for Sam and how are they willing to go to get what they want? Curious.

Jason. Likewise, I can't help but be suspicious of Crystal, Jason Stackhouse's new love interest. I loved the scene in which Jason paused from washing Andy's sheriff car to catch a glimpse of the mysterious blonde he previously encountered that night in Hotshot... and then took off in the car to pursue her, sans badge, gun, or, uh, shirt. But he did get her name and a promise to meet him at Merlotte's... and Crystal did show up, after which she masterfully dodged his questions and they got busy against a tree. Just what is Crystal's deal? We know she's tied up with the meth dealers (and now V dealers) but she seems far too shifty. Just what is she hiding? Given that this is True Blood, it's likely something dark and dangerous... (I also loved the scene with Jason smearing fingerprinting ink all over his face and shirt during his desk shift. Hilarious.)

Lafayette. I'm loving the burgeoning romance between Lafayette and charismatic nurse Jesus, particularly as Jesus was more than willing to make a fool of himself hanging out for nine hours at Merlotte's on the off chance that Lafayette would want to hang out that night. And while their relationship has been limited to a game of pool, there's a magnetic charge between the two. Lafayette needs a love interest and I'm glad that the writers are having fun with this storyline. I loved the exchange between the two as Lafayette menacingly demanded to know what Jesus had heard about him, only to discover that he's not interested in anything other than just hanging out with him. Nelsan Ellis played a perfect balance between charmed and suspicious but the two had a tender moment as Lafayette admitted that he was sneaking glances at Jesus throughout the night.

Tara. Things aren't going quite so well for Tara, who is still Franklin's prisoner. A daring daytime escape attempt from Russell's mansion was curtailed by the arrival of Coot, who knocked Tara to the ground outside the home after chasing her in his wolf form. It seems that Russell keeps his werewolves close to him, particularly during the day, a mobile military strike force that can protect him while he sleeps. Fortunately, Tara is learning how to manipulate the psychologically unstable Franklin and get on his good side. (Loved how she complained about needing food after Russell's staffers gave her a bowl of day lilies.)

But Franklin has done this before and he has plans for Tara: he wants to turn her the next night and make her his vampire bride. Uh-oh. I'm not sure how Tara is going to be able to talk her way out of this one, especially given the fact that Bill wouldn't come to her rescue earlier. However, I am pleased to see that the writers are not only having fun with this dark storyline but also demonstrating the inner strength within Tara. She's pushing herself not to give into the darkness but to fight to live. For a fighter like Tara, it's a true testament to her determination and grit that she is continuing to struggle and is being intelligent about her predicament. Let's just hope she can figure a way out of this situation fast.

Jessica. I loved the scene where Jessica and Tommy bonded about her being a smoking hot vampire (and Hoyt being a radioactively bombed sixth grader) and there could be some sparks between the two as each has one foot in the supernatural and the other in the real world. Likewise, Arlene's inability to look Jessica in the eyes (lest she be hypnotized) is inverted quite hilariously when Jessica glamours a couple at Merlotte's and commands them not to tip Arlene no matter what. I'm still hoping there's a chance for Jessica and Hoyt to mend their relationship; each of them clearly misses the other and the awkwardness of their first meeting at Merlotte's was heartbreaking.

Eric. This week, we got a glimpse into the life of Eric Northman, seeing our vampire sheriff as a human. While the scene is short (and, true to Eric, features him engaged in coitus), it reveals Eric's disaffected air as a Viking price who wants no part of leadership, turning his back on his kingly father only to have his entire family slaughtered minutes later by a pack of werewolves, who bring his crown to a mysteriously black-cloaked individual outside. An individual who warns Eric about being a hero and then swirls off into the icy darkness. An individual who is, of course, none other than Russell Edgington himself. The fact that Russell has Eric's father's crown in his possession (Talbot describes it as "some random tribal crown") would lead me to believe that we'll be seeing Eric finally get the chance to enact revenge for his father's death as he's now face to face with the vampire who ordered his extermination.

Has Eric been searching for Russell all along? Was that what his and Godric's quest during World War II was about? Was he looking to enact a bloody vengeance upon Operation: Werewolf and the vampire who was their lord and master? Hmmm...

All in all, "Trouble" was a simply superb episode that lingered with me long after the closing credits ran. The wait for next week's installment of True Blood just got that much more difficult, as though the only thing to sate my appetite between now and then is a bowl of flowers.

Next week on True Blood ("I Got a Right to Sing the Blues"), Spurned by Eric, Sookie fears the worst for Bill, whose fate now lies in Lorenaʼs
hands; fueled by a night of bloody passion, Tara executes a desperate plan to stave off Franklinʼs advances; in Bon Temps, Tommy finds it difficult to leave the family nest; Jessica puts Pamʼs teachings into practice; Jasonʼs romance with Crystal hits a snag, as does Lafayetteʼs with Jesus; after revealing his master plan to Eric, Russell visits Louisiana to put it into action.

Ep. 30: I Got a Right to Sing the Blues - Preview

It's a Great Day at Jeff Lewis' Office: An Advance Review of Season Four of Bravo's Flipping Out

Bravo's addictive and hysterical reality series Flipping Out returns next month with a whole new season of meltdowns, freak outs, and dirty, dirty... martinis. (Yes, martinis.)

I had the chance to watch the Season Four opener of Flipping Out a few days ago and instantly fell back in love with this series, which manages to effortlessly remain one of the most consistently funny and eye-opening reality series on television today. (That it remains off the radar of the majority of viewers is a crime against reality TV that simply cannot stand.)

Season Four finds the gang at Jeff Lewis Design grappling with some very different problems than when we last saw them. Longtime viewers will remember that Season Three of Flipping Out focused on the economic downturn and how the global financial crisis wreaked havoc with Jeff's business... and with his relationship with ex-boyfriend and business partner Ryan Brown.

Yes, the fallout from that, er, fallout resonates sharply throughout the Season Four opener and while Jeff Lewis is still at his OCD best, we also see a very different Jeff than the one we saw fall apart last season. He's more confident, a little more calm, and a hell of a lot more collected. Likely part of that has to do with the fact that Jeff Lewis Design has taken off at a meteoric rate since we last checked in with the tempestuous owner.

Things have changed, mostly for the better. Ryan is completely out of the picture (Brown doesn't appear in the credit sequence or any of the press for Season Four) and Jeff's business is booming to the point where he is now being flown on private jets, consulting on projects all over California and in New York, redoing restaurants and homes, and has more work than he knows what to do with. (He has learned one thing from Ryan, however, and that's the fact that he has to bill for his time.)

But success brings a whole new slew of issues. Namely, the fact that the employees at Jeff Lewis Design haven't quite kept up with the massive changes afoot with their business. Jenni is now only working part-time as the company's Chief Operations Officer, and seems more interested in her new boyfriend than in keeping track of client phone numbers. Executive assistant Sarah still needs some more on-the-job training. She might be family (her sister, Jeff's realtor, married Jeff's brother) but she also needs to be able to keep up with Jeff's demands and she seems... a little scattered at times. Trace is finishing up college and so is splitting his time between the office and school.

And then there's Jett, who has actually carved out quite a niche for himself as Jeff's house assistant, a role that has caused a fair bit of conflict between him and Zoila and which plays to many of his strengths, like his flair for making the pitch-perfect dirty martini for Jeff Lewis. (Yes, the measurements are exacting and precise.) While family lunches might be gone--a necessary sacrifice in the face of an expanding business--and dinner might be verboten but Jeff seems to relish the thought of plying his employees with liquor each night as he keeps them working until after 9 pm.

There's also a baby in the mix but I won't spoil who it belongs to and just what said infant is doing hanging around Jeff Lewis Design.

Ultimately, the Season Four premiere perfectly matches just what I love about this series, offering the perfect entrypoint for new viewers while continuing the misadventures of the lovable misfits that make up Jeff Lewis Design. So grab a martini, turn off the phone, and prepare to flip out yourself.



Season Four of Flipping Out launches Tuesday, August 10th at 9 pm ET/PT on Bravo.

Talk Back: USA's Covert Affairs Series Premiere

While I reviewed the 90-minute pilot for USA's newest series, Covert Affairs, yesterday, now that the series premiere has aired, I'm curious to hear what you thought of it.

What did you think of Piper Perabo and Chris Gorham? Was Anne Dudek sadly wasted in her role as Annie's clueless older sister? Did you like the relationship between the married spies played by Peter Gallagher and Kari Matchett? Did the series strike you as a tad bit too much like Alias, only without the Rambaldi devices and Jennifer Garner? (Though Perabo clearly seemed to be channeling Garner's Sydney Bristow here.)

What did you think of Covert Affairs' combination of kick-ass action and playful humor? Did you buy Auggie's role within the agency? Did you think that the set-up Danielle arranged for Annie was way too unbelievable? Was it ever even plausible that Annie was yanked from the Farm strictly for her linguistic skills?

And, most importantly, will you tune in again next week?

Talk back here.

Next week on Covert Affairs ("Walter's Walk"), Annie is forced to work on low-key cases until she is tipped off about a clandestine IRA cell operating within the US.

From One Prison to Another: An Advance Look at the Second Season of USA's White Collar

USA's slick and stylish crime procedural White Collar returns tonight with an installment that points towards a new direction for the agents of the White Collar Crimes Division of the Manhattan branch of the FBI... and for charismatic consultant Neal Caffrey (Matthew Bomer), the reformed thief/forger at the heart of the series.

One of the strengths of White Collar has been the unerring chemistry between series leads Bomer and Tim DeKay, who plays Neal's partner/handler/jailer Peter Burke, the "suit." Despite the circumstances that Neal finds himself in when the second season begins with tonight's season opener ("Withdrawal"), that relationship remains exceedingly strong.

Which is a good thing as there are some new challenges facing Neal and Peter, most notably the mystery surrounding the death of Neal's lost love Kate and the whereabouts of that all-important amber music box, the latter of which might just surprise you. But for the moment, the dynamic duo have their hands full in the season opener with a series of bank heists and a master criminal who might just be slippery enough to evade the unorthodox methods employed by Neal and Peter... and an oily politician running a straw donor scam in the second episode.

And then there's the matter of OPR and the shifty Agent Fowler, who was willing to draw his firearm on Marsha Thomason's Diana in order to prevent her from learning about a meeting going down last season. A meeting that--SPOILER!--thanks to a judicious time jump is actually going down in the second episode back ("Need to Know") rather than later in the season.

It's in this respect that creator Jeff Eastin and his team have done a phenomenal job at balancing the procedural elements of White Collar--the capers or cases of the week--with the overarching mythology involving the doomed romance between Neal and Kate, the music box, Fowler and OPR, and some new elements that creep their way into the second season.

While I was less than pleased with the performance given by Alexandra Daddario as Neal's ex-girlfriend Kate Moreau, her death at the end of the first season has given Neal Caffrey an additional patina of loss and tragedy which, while they don't rob him of his trademark throwback style, give him some layering to his character. While in Season One, he was trying to find Kate and expose a conspiracy, her death in the season finale (and his near-death) have forced Neal into an even more pro-active position. He's now a man on a quest of vengeance, filled with a desire to right the wrongs perpetrated against him while donning an off-kilter fedora and killer Devore suit.

Which isn't to say that the season opener is a downer, because it's absolutely not. Look for some fantastically funny exchanges between Peter and Willie Garson's Mozzie as the two form an awkward rapport that's based more on old spy movie stereotypes than any real friendship. I'm chuffed that the writers are bringing Mozzie further into the center of the series, rather than leave him drifting in and out of the shadows on the periphery. His involvement here creates not only humor but an unpredictable vibe that's infectious... and lets the always sensational Garson do his thing more often.

Meanwhile, I'm thrilled that Marsha Thomason is back as Special Agent Diana Lancing, here back as a series regular after returning for the final few episodes of the freshman season. Thomason adds a nice bit of grit to the already well-tuned machine that is White Collar, bringing a smoky-voiced sensuality and hard-edged charm to the proceedings. While Natalie Morales' Lauren Cruz filled the role of junior agent, I think it will be interesting to see Peter work with someone he shares a past with as well as a deep, unwavering trust.

Ultimately, the start of second season of White Collar proves that the first season of the g-men and grifters drama was no mere fluke, offering a charming and fun weekly escape that's equal parts chasing crooks and looking cool and a throwback to such classic capers as To Catch a Thief. Throw in a love interest for Neal who is just as engaging and mercurial as he is and tighten the weekly crime plots into slightly more taut puzzles and you have the makings of a pitch-perfect series. So steal yourself an hour every Tuesday evening and be sure to tune in all summer long.

Season Two of White Collar begins tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on USA.