Review: True Blood: 'Hard-Hearted Hannah'

Alright! This is more or less what I've been talking about the last three reviews. I was beginning to get worried that my constant reference to episodes that deliver was just blind confidence in a show that did not deserve it. Thankfully, this week's episode of True Blood, 'Hard-Hearted Hannah', fires on every conceivable cylinder. Everything that has been built up (albeit a little too slowly) the last few weeks is paid off in spades here. This is the kind of episode that is at once so captivating and weird that you can't help but chuckle after the cliffhanger ending gives way to the credits screen.

What happened this week then? Better yet, what didn't happen? Let's begin with Sookie and Bill. In an attempt to better find the captors of Eric's maker Godric, Sookie decides she'll infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun and start reading minds to get to the bottom of the mystery. This seems well-intentioned, but the way Anna Paquin is playing Sookie its clear the whole thing comes from a fair bit of naivety as well. Bill is obviously worried something bad will happen, but acquiesces to Sookie after she reassures him things will be fine. Sookie sets off with one of the Texas vampire's humans; one whom, like her, has the rare perspective of being a human dating a vampire. It isn't long before both of them are tricked, and Sookie figures it all out a little too late. As things escalate from bad to worse, Bill's 'vampire-sense' goes off and he prepares to rush to her aid. Ah, but alas, Bill's maker who showed up at the conclusion of last week's episode ambushes him and we find out that no matter what apparently a vampire can never overpower their maker. Bill is left helpless and it seems Sookie's going to be doing a 'Lafayette' and getting used to a scary basement. We are also treated to a flashback wherein Lorena and Bill are shown in their evil heyday torturing a couple and then having sex in a pool of their blood. This is an excellent scene as it gives weight to Bill's claims he used to be a monster, and it also serves as one of the most visually graphic and disturbing things we've seen on True Blood. Still, it does wonders for Bill's character in terms of his backstory.

It's easiest to transition to Jason now because his storyline more of less skirts just outside of intersecting with his sister's this week. Tasked with building what amounts to essentially a giant stage/gallows used for cooking vampires in the sun and feeling guilt over his tryst with Sarah Newlin, Jason is oblivious to the events unfolding around him. Luckily, Sarah seems pretty determined to take out her marital woes on Jason in the form of illicit affairs in the Church. This may have an added bonus as it seems perhaps her guilt over what her husband is up to may cause her to let Jason in on the fact his sister is locked in the basement. I'm glad Jason's storyline is finally merging with the main one considering a few more episodes like the last few would have started to feel a little boring. It's good we're shaking it up.

Sam and Daphne are where we last left them on a pool table. It seems like Sam is more than a little smitten with his new waitress and for once it seems like he may have found a kindred soul. Meanwhile on the Tara front, it seems Maryann makes a much worse houseguest than hostess. Clearly fraying a little at the seams, we see a whole new, slightly disturbing side of her character. Tara and Eggs send off on a mission to get a part to fix the hot water heater in the house for Maryann, but are waylaid when Eggs starts to have a waking dream of sorts. They wander off into the woods following his hunches only to come upon a bloody campsite that looks like played host to some kind of nasty ritual. Eggs is understandably disturbed and they decide to head home. Driving down a rural side road, Andy is stopped in his tracks when a dog and... wait for it... a pig jump out in front of his car. The dog we recognize as Sam's go-to transformation while the pig should just give pause to anyone in the viewing audience. We cut to now human versions of Daphne and Sam where the latter audibly wonders why his companion changed into a pig this time. It's all very ominous, but so perfectly set up by the rest of this season that the viewer already knows where this is going. Following Daphne, the pair move closer and closer to a distant drum beat. Sam expresses his hesitance when Daphne finally pulls her double cross and he is nabbed by two black-eyed minions of Maryann (we can assume minions because its the same black eyed thing that happens to people at the crazy orgies).

The next scene is pretty much the culmination of all of the weird and unsettling things only being hinted at this season. Tara and Eggs show up only to find Maryann doing her vibrational dancing thing. Through whatever power she has, the two find themselves joining in the crazy sex-dancing-drum endeavor just as Sam is dragged into light with Daphne in tow. Taking her side next to Maryann, it's clear that Daphne has been working for her all along. After putting a minotaur head on Maryann, a knife is presented and Sam is told that its the "end of the line". We can only assume that he's on the block for one heart removal. The episode ends chillingly with Sam screaming and the audience wondering how the fallout of this episode is going to look in the subsequent week.

So basically this is one of those weeks where the dominoes are tipped and we get to watch the chaotic effects of all of the set up of the season. I suspect that next week will still be rolling with the momentum of this week, but likely it will hold longer on individual plot threads in an effort to flesh them out and exploit the dramatic weight. 'Hard-Hearted Hannah' is a wonderful episode that doesn't really take time to slow down, and it's a welcome adrenaline shot just when it was needed. Hopefully between this episode and the next plot moving one we will not feel the drag that we did with leading into this installment. Either way, True Blood is back to full form and we have a laundry list of new developments to look forward to in the coming weeks.