"True Blood" Review/Recap: “Jesus Gonna Be Here”

Adam Reynoso ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

 
When the show ended last year, True Blood ended on the usual nail biting cliffhanger with the majority of the town about to be attacked by a large group of Hep-V infected vampires. And the opening to the final season proved to pick up almost immediately after the finale left off, with the action happening at neck breaking speed as fairy, waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) watched the horror take place. But aside from seeing certain characters taken by the vamps, the biggest shock came once the dust settled and one of the biggest deaths to ever happen occurred.
Yes, after surviving six seasons and having already died once, the feisty, tough Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley) met her true death. And perhaps even more shocking was that the death happened off screen. For a character that’s been in the series since the very beginning, it almost seems unfair to have that big of a death unseen. But despite that, it still holds the same weight as the impact is felt throughout the episode. And either way, the character went out fighting and at peace with her mother.

The rest of the episode slows down pace-wise, as the fallout of the attack continues. Although the action at the beginning was an excellent opening, it made sense to slow down and set the stage for the rest of the season. The episode does a nice job at taking the time to look at where each character is and where they might be heading. For Sookie, it was about her mourning the loss of her childhood, as well as taking the blame for the attacks on the town.
For the past couple of seasons, Sookie’s been taken out of the Bon Temps scene and thrust into the world of vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches and other supernatural beings. She hasn’t been involved with the town and it’s a wonder how she even still has a waitressing job considering she’s hardly there, but there is a reason for the town’s anger with her. She is one of the driving forces behind the supernatural attention to the city and she was the girl who dated the town’s first vampire. With her Warlow problem from last season and the series focusing more on the town, Sookie looks like she’s going to do her best to save her town from their current situation.

Elsewhere, teams are searching for the missing townspeople including Sam’s (Sam Trammell) pregnant girlfriend as well as Holly (Lauren Bowles) and Arlene (Carrie Preston). Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) is trying her best to protect Andy’s only surviving daughter, despite their uneasiness around her after what she did to Andy’s other daughters. Jessica’s boyfriend, James (now played by Nathan Parsons) is comforting Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), which may lead to another love triangle. And newcomer Vince (Brett Rickaby) is leading a group of his own humans to hunt the infected vampires. He could prove to be one of the main antagonists of the final season as he appears to be targeting all vampires, as well as seeing Sam shift back after running as a dog.
After a stronger season last season and a creative rebound with third show runner, Brian Buckner, the premiere opened strong and promises that nothing’s off limits in its final season. With the scope brought more into Bon Temps, the show has the potential to end on a high note, especially after a few not so great seasons before season six. And Eric’s (Alexander Skarsgard) presence and attitude was missed greatly.
Overall Episode Grade: B+