photo: hbo
I Will Rise Up
Original Air Date: August 16, 2009
Andi – Sr. Reviewer
andi@thetwocents.com
In which True Blood brings game, everyone earns their paychecks, your recapper absolutely does not cry, and Maryann is still boring.
Over in Bon Temps, Hoyt and Jessica are discussing her Eternal Hymen (yes, I’m capitalizing it) and she’s coming to terms with it’s presence, but Hoyt wins at life for saying, “Well, intercourse isn’t the only way to have sex.” Then he declares that he wants her to meet his mama. I could just kiss him for being so nice and sweet.
At home, Hoyt and his mama get into it and he asks why she’s so filled with hate. When she denies it, he lists allllll the things she hates and boy is it a long list. Then he tells her that he wants her to meet Jessica and she can be nice or he can leave and never come back.
She opts for nice… sort of. Not really. They go to Merlotte’s for dinner because it appears to be the only establishment in Bon Temps, but things don’t go well at all and when Hoyt’s mama throws the fact that Jessica can’t give Hoyt a normal future with sunlight and babies in her face, Jessica runs off crying. Hoyt follows, vowing to never come home.
Tara and Eggs are sitting at the breakfast table, confused and beaten to hell, when Maryann comes in and lectures them about how feeling ashamed of being wild and unreserved and boundary-less is bad and losing oneself in pleasure and fun and zzzzzzzzz. Wait, was something happening? Oh, right, Maryann was feeding them a load of crap so she can keep using them. You know, Michelle Forbes is fabulous and always solid, but this story line has died and moved on to decaying. We’re over it! So are Tara and Eggs, who look at her like she’s a nutter.
Meanwhile at Merlotte’s, Arlene and Lafayette are up to their ears in customers and weird people who want to see the walk-in. He pours her a medicinal shot (for the stress, you see) and they make a pact to watch each other’s backs, which would be super if Arlene was capable of doing that. A moment later, she rushes off to try and make peace with Terry. “Please stop being more peculiar than you usually are,” she says and it’s hysterical. Then they decide that because neither of them can remember what happened, it’s all okay.
And then Tara and Eggs show up and all hell breaks loose when Lafayette thinks that Eggs was beating on his cousin.
Sam and half the town are still in jail when Maryann stops by and mojos Bud into a stupor so she can get the cell keys and kidnap Sam. But Sam has shifted into a fly and buzzed away. Tell me I’m not the only one laughing at the idea of him screaming, “Heeelp meeeee,” as he makes his escape. Anyway, Maryann gets ten kinds of pissy and frees the prisoners, who are all still rowdy party animals.
Later, she’s gone back to Sookie’s and somehow coaxed Tara and Eggs into tequila shots, while a fly sits on the table and watches. Lafayette and Tara’s mama show up to stage an intervention and Lafayette is onto Maryann like white on rice. “I don’t know what you is,” he says, “but you’s a soulless bitch.” She laughs, but I don’t think she thinks it’s funny because in no time, Tara and Eggs have gone all black eyes and are beating on the outsiders. Lafayette gains the upper hand and hefts Tara over his shoulder and they hightail it outta there.
Maryann, annoyed by life at this point, storms into Merlotte’s and works her voodoo on the patrons, including Hoyt’s drunk mama. She demands that Sam Merlotte be brought to her and everyone kind of looks on in zombified trances.
Sam, having literally been a fly on the wall as the mob was instructed to hunt him, seeks refuge with Andy Bellefleur.
Picking up where we left off in Dallas, Bill is outside giving Lorena the boot, when Luke suicide bombs the house, so he rushes back in to find Sookie under Eric. It’s not nearly as hubba hubba as one might hope. Eric explains that he covered her and that she’s only stunned, before telling Bill to get Luke’s accomplices before they can get away. Bill’s all, “Yes!” Om nom nom nom!
You know who else om nom noms? Sookie! In a scene that will live on for me as one of the best of the series thus far, Sookie confirms that Jason is okay and then turns back to Eric, who is croaking and bleeding and telling her she has to help him. Sookie says, “I can’t. It’s gross and it’s… you.” So he says, “Had to shield you. Cough cough almost die cough.” Sookie gets all annoyed and grossed out and curses a little, but proceeds to suck the bits of silver out of him. Eric grins triumphantly, because he’s smooth and he knows it. Anna, please be this funny and Sookie-like all the time.
Bill, who let the human he was nomming go, comes in and rains on Eric’s parade by telling Sookie that she’s been had and that Eric needed no help at all. He’s hilarious and so is she. “You big lying a-hole,” she yells and he chuckles.
Back at Hotel Camilla, Sookie laments about being had and Bill waxes on about Eric being a veteran liar and blah blah because I’ve read the books and I know that you, Bill Compton, are no better. Bill also states that because she’s had Eric’s blood, she might feel a sexual attraction to him now, which is such a cop out by the writers that I’m not even going to get into it for fear I may never recover. Plus, they kind of make up for it with the rest of this storyline.
Sookie wakes up in the middle of the night and wanders over to Jason’s room where they have a heart to heart about everything under the sun and it’s a really awesome scene. Also, Sookie tells him he wouldn’t be an idiot if he would just use his brain instead of letting it just take up space in his skull. HA! They flip on the TV and discover the Newlins debating with Nan Flanagan (the vampire rep) and explaining that Godric came to them looking to meet the sun. Then the Newlins go on to wig out and argue amongst themselves and Nan is left to wonder how anyone can have meaningful dialogue with these people, which is a very good question.
After she’s wandered back to her room, Sookie has a super sexy dream about being in bed with Eric, nekkid and intimate. They talk about each other and themselves and how their opinions of each other have changed and she’s not all sweet like people like to think and he’s not really hard and empty and it is really, really, book compliant. Love it!
Lorena pops her head into Sookie’s dream and taunts her about no longer loving Bill and abandoning him, all while Eric crawls all over her. Sookie wakes up in bed with Bill and she’s a little freaked out, understandably. There’s a really interesting visual here though – Sookie scoots over to Bill in the same position (facing each other on their sides) that she was in for most of the dream sequence, but while Eric had been lit just as brightly as Sookie was, Bill is dark and in the shadows. Hmmm, I dare not hope as to what they mean by that.
The next night, Nan is scolding everyone about the PR mess they’ve made and Sookie is sneaking glances at Eric. Ha! A lot of things happen actually, so…a list: 1) Godric confesses that he offered to let the Newlins kill him, which Eric takes surprisingly quietly. Nan does not. 2) Nan tells Godric that he fucked up and he’s fired. 3) Godric says that Isabel should take his place. 5) Eric yells about not having to take shit from a bureaucrat. 6) Nan threatens to take Eric’s area away and he pshaws that she doesn’t have the power, but she trumps him with her celebrity status metaphor card. 7) Everyone blames Stan mostly because he died in the bombing and because he ordered the attack on the church. 8 ) Sookie tries to help and Nan is unimpressed. A lot. 9 ) Sookie steals more glances at Ericand Bill starts to notice. 10) Nan insults Godric some more and Eric loses his cool and Isabel and Bill have to hold him back. 11) Godric says he’ll make it all up to them. 12) Eric is suddenly very woeful and Godric is rigid about his intentions.
Then, because Bill has the worst timing ever and has no idea what those violins on the soundtrack mean, he demands to settle this crap about tricking Sookie, but Eric’s got some other srs bzns going on, so he tells Bill they’ll settle it later. Bill takes a really good pot-shot and bloodies Eric’s mouth, but Eric is really not in the mood, so he tells Bill to move in this eerily calm way that has Bill scooting pretty quickly.
After they’ve gone, Sookie informs Bill that she’s going to see Godric because she owes him and he’s hurting and she needs to show him that she’s there for him, which is actually incredibly sweet and Sookie-like. (This might be a record for this show’s character continuity where Sookie’s concerned.)
When she gets to the roof, she finds Eric near to weeping, pleading with his maker not to do it, not to die. Godric is calm and tries to tell Eric just how miserable he is and how much he needs this, but Eric isn’t having it. He threatens and begs and tries his best until finally, he falls to his knees sobbing, but unable to change Godric’s mind. As the sky lightens and Sookie watches on in silence, Godric says goodbye and commands Eric back inside. He passes Sookie, unashamed by his display of emotion. She promises to stay with Godric for as long as it takes and Eric looks grateful.
As the horizon gets lighter and lighter, they talk of God and forgiveness and happiness and fear and they both cry and your recapper most certainly does not and has not been since Eric started several minutes ago, I assure you.
Godric meets the sun and he smiles while he burns. In this he sees God.
*wibble* What a fantastic episode. My faith in this show is restored. What about you?
TheTwoCents 
Michelle Forbes is fabulous and always solid, but this story line has died and moved on to decaying.
Yes and YES.
which is such a cop out by the writers that I’m not even going to get into it for fear I may never recover.
I know. I guess because they have to juggle the details for 148 other characters, it’s just too complicated to do it right. More of the same “Evil!Eric has no redeeming qualities or motives while Saint!Bill is noble and pure” crap.
Plus, they kind of make up for it with the rest of this storyline.
Yes, but it’s tainted — excellent, but tainted. I suppose the end result will be the same, they’ll just manipulate the audience’s feelings in a questionable way to get there.
and it is really, really, book compliant. Love it!
Yes. It’s weird how they get some things so right while going about it so wrong. Among many excellent moments, I was particularly pleased with Eric’s statement, “This is the beginning.”
while Eric had been lit just as brightly as Sookie was, Bill is dark and in the shadows. Hmmm, I dare not hope as to what they mean by that.
I noticed that too. Interesting.
Then, because Bill has the worst timing ever and has no idea what those violins on the soundtrack mean
LOL
In this he sees God.
I thought the way Godric met his end was very well done. Eric’s loss was effective, but it was really Sookie’s presence there that made it work. Her reaching for Eric’s hand, assuring him she’d stay with Godric to the end…made up for some of the previous characterization atrocities. And I adored Godric all the more for commanding that Eric leave his side, and for asking Sookie if she will care for him. Interesting choice of words, that. I’m really going to miss Godric.
What a fantastic episode.
I thought so too. Despite my usual complaints, it was more canon-compliant than most and well-acted.
Yes. It’s weird how they get some things so right while going about it so wrong.
Isn’t just the weirdest thing how they do that? I can’t quite figure out why they do it in the first place though.
I know. I guess because they have to juggle the details for 148 other characters, it’s just too complicated to do it right. More of the same “Evil!Eric has no redeeming qualities or motives while Saint!Bill is noble and pure” crap.
It should never be too complicated to do it right, which is one of the issues I take with the lazy kind of mish mash this show sometimes pulls. Last night they were in the zone, which is really nice to see, so I’m going to hold out a little hope for the future. But, with the exception of the crying (and I take no issue with that whatsoever and actually think it was done excellently), they had Eric fairly dead on. Skarsgard has always understood the character more than I think the writers do, but this episode bridged that gap a lot.
Now, can someone please stop writing Bill as a big ole Gary Stu?
I can’t quite figure out why they do it in the first place though.
Me either. Unless it’s to provide some sort of suspense for readers such as ourselves. I mean, I’ll admit it: I complain bitterly about many of the changes, and some I truly hate (Saint!Bill, for example), but at the same time I tune in every week to see how they’ll pull things back around in order to achieve the results that are most important. The idea that they’re thinking of the reading audience is probably giving them way too much credit, though.
It should never be too complicated to do it right, which is one of the issues I take with the lazy kind of mish mash this show sometimes pulls.
No argument from me.
they had Eric fairly dead on
No argument from me.
Skarsgard has always understood the character more than I think the writers do, but this episode bridged that gap a lot.
Yes, it’s obvious Skarsgård understands Eric exactly. It’s really pretty amazing. And you’re right: moments of last night’s episode showed the real Eric in a way we’ve not really seen until now. I didn’t even breathe during the bed scene for fear the spell would be broken.
What do you think we’ll see in these last three episodes — Eric/Sookie-wise? Are we going to see pink spandex or not? 😉
You’re not wrong. It’s different enough that I never really know what will happen and as much as I criticize, I still want to know if they’re going to appease me. It’s a vicious cycle.
Dear lord, I hope we see spandex. I’ve been hearing that Sophie Anne is going to show up before the end of the season, so it’s entirely possible that Bill goes off to talk to her (maybe to get help to defeat Maryann? Or because she needs a status report – assuming they’re sticking with that) and Sookie needs to ask Eric for help infiltrating the orgy, which is where the pink spandex comes in. Spandex is gross, but maaaan that would be funny.
Spandex is gross, but maaaan that would be funny.
I have really mixed feelings about it, the squick factor and the lol factor teetering on the scales. If anyone could pull it off it’s ASkarz.
Honestly, I don’t care why Bill goes off, just as long as he does for a while. I’m interested in seeing Sophie-Anne, though. And obviously Lorena isn’t finished with Bill yet.
Another question I forgot to ask… Godric saying to Sookie, “You will care for him…Eric…?” Was he simply inquiring out of concern for his child, asking a favor, or was he suggesting to her that it might be worth her while? It was worded and acted in such a way that it could really be any of those or all of them together. ???
In any event, it was interesting to see Sookie even consider caring for Eric in any capacity, since only hours before she’d expressed her loathing for him.
I thought he said, “You care for him?” Without the “will” in there, but I’m not sure that really makes much of a difference. Seemed to me that Godric was inquiring out of curiosity. I don’t think he has much reason to worry about Eric and I think he knows it, at least on a well-being level, but Godric is at an odd place and he’s questioning all of the things he’s taught Eric and telling him he’s wrong to be a cold, hard, survivor and empathy is a virtue, etc, blah, blah. So with that probably comes a certain desire to see someone help Eric understand that, since he himself will not be able to do so. And there’s Sookie, being oddly nice to him and sneaking glances at him and being tender, so it might raise Godric’s suspicion and cause him to ask. I may really be over-thinking that. LOL
And yes, she changed her tune really fast, which is more laziness on the part of the writers, but this time it somehow works.
I thought he said, “You care for him?” Without the “will” in there
No, it’s definitely, “You’ll care for him? Eric.” I checked with closed caption. And Sookie’s answers indicate she’s trying to respond to his question/request, trying to figure out if it’s even something she could do. That’s what’s interesting to me about it: she’s already focused on if it’s possible, completely forgetting she supposedly wants nothing to do with him.
Fascinating. I wonder if Sookie will try to pass her interest off as a promise to Godric. Hmmm.
That’s entirely possible. As we know, she’s in more denial in the books than Eric is, so it’s likely she’ll be desperate to cover her interest — at least in front of Bill.
In which True Blood brings game, everyone earns their paychecks, your recapper absolutely does not cry, and Maryann is still boring.
Yes, yes, of course not, and DEAR GOD YES.
I also did not bawl like a baby during the final scene. Nope.
Me either. At all.
I agree with a lot of this, but I thought the Maryann storyline, with the inclusion of Lafayette and Lettie Mae, finally became interesting. I think they could have had it brewing and bubbling this long if they had given it less screen time, but I like where it has gone now.
First and foremost: Your username is hilarious and awesome.
Yes, I completely agree that the inclusion of Lafayette and Tara’s mama made things much more interesting, but it’s too little, too late. It’s going to start getting good now that the Dallas people are coming home. you’re totally right, it would have been so much more interesting and suspenseful if they’d devoted less screen time to it. It was overkill.