Run Alcides, Run. This episode finally gives you weres and shifters some room to move. Take advantage of it.
Joe Mangianello as Alcides.
"Let's Get Out of Here"
But, alas, Alcides isn't fast enough. Bill snatches Sookie from his arms to rescue her from certain death in the pre-titles opening. [Editor's note: Certain death in television series means that tense space in time between the cliffhanger of the previous episode and the first three minutes of the current episode]. But his pre-credits run is telling; this episode is speedy and we'll dash through this post, too.
The run for your life plotting makes Antonia's next move extra distressing. She magically slams all the doors shut on the Moon Goddess Emporium, like she's Carrie White at the prom. Her former friends are now prisoners and coerced coven members.
Is she planning to wipe them out once she's done with the vamps? CLICK FOR FULL POST.
The fallout from the vamps vs. witches battle that ended last week's eppy is this: Eric, "the blonde one", is under Antonia's spell, Debbie is so sad that Alcides broke his promise about Sookie that she starts using V again, and Alcides is so sad about lying to Bill that he gets more enmeshed with Marcus who has evil plans for Sam Merlotte. Nan and Bill argue mightily over the The Festival of Tolerance which will proceed despite the witch threat... a very bad idea since, yep, they attack.
Despite the forward thrust of the narrative (never mind the actual thrusting but more on that in "sex scenes") which begins with literal running and ends with Sookie yelling "RUNNNN" into the camera, this episode is kind of all over the place, given distractions like Sookie's fuzzy focus erotic dream, Lafayette's ghost-possession storyline and all the werewolf vs. Sam business. Chaos reigns.
Body Count: 3 human guards employed by vampires (that's a high risk job on this show) and probably some more humans in the Festival attack; Sex Scenes: It's a fleshy episode, so FOUR (season 4 record!):
- Sookie dreams of a Bill/Eric sandwich
- Jason breaks Jessica's ever healing hymen in the back of a truck
- Sam & Luna pitch about in a tent
- Joseph Mangianello practices for Magic Mike by stripping for bed. Yes, that counts as a sex scene. (Shut up.)
Best Sookie Moment: Her long threesome-without-quite-the-actual-threeway (that old cover of Rolling Stone with naked Bill, Eric & Sookie will have to do for now) dream sequence was kind of ridiculously cliche but it was fun to see Sookie flip the old scenario of possessive men/vampires on its head.
I don't have to be yours or yours. I'm proposing that the two of you be mine.
Trashiest Moment: That cheesy-ass signage and Nan's eye-rolling about civil rights at The Festival of Tolerance; Funniest Moment: It's not a particularly comic episode. So this was more of a chuckle. Once Mavis's spirit has left Lafayette's body, he's immediately all Lafayette again, punctuating the grateful sentiment with a simple "you got it, bitch." Nice to have him back. Now if only his storyline would matter.
Real Sam charms. Fake Sam (aka Tommy) smarms.
Episode MVP: At last we can hand an episode to Sam since Sam Trammell again shows his (underused) versatility, playing leading man charm and goodness, and comical fake Sam who looks a lot like Sam but sure acts just like Tommy. Well done, Trammell; Episode Grade: B
P.S. This is the ugliest outfit you've ever seen a leading lady wear, right?
My eyes. My eyes....
4.1 "She's Not There" MVP: Marnie; Grade: C
4.2 "You Smell Like Dinner" MVP: Eric; Grade: A
4.3 "If You Love Me Why...?" MVP: Eric; Grade: B+
4.4 "I'm Alive and On Fire" MVP: Sookie; Grade: B+
4.5 "Me and the Devil" MVP: Arlene; Grade: A-
4.6 "I Wish I Was the Moon" MVP: Pam; Grade: B
4.7 "Cold Grey Light..." MVP: Jessica; Grade: B-
4.8 "Spellbound" MVP: The Fortenberrys, Hoyt & Maxine; Grade: B+