True Blood - Season 5 Episode 6 - Recap and Review - Hopeless

True Blood kicked it into high gear this week with its sixth episode. "Hopeless" did exactly what I was hoping it would do. It showed that season 5 is going to pick up the pace a lot faster than this show has in prior seasons.

The episode opened with Sookie (Anna Paquin), Bill (Stephen Moyer), Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), and Alcide (Joe Manganiello) fighting off Russell's (Denis O'Hare) wolf lackeys. After a bit of a battle, Russell ended up cornered by Eric. Just as Eric was about to pop him, Bill showed up to remind Eric that they needed Russell to negotiate for their lives. Bill's not ready to die. Not that any of this matters. The authority showed up and took control of the situation. They had Bill and Eric glamour Sookie and Alcide into forgetting the events, not that Sookie can be glamoured, and executed any human witnesses. Poor, Doug. Eric glamoured Alcide to protect Sookie to the death but to be repulsed by her physically. Alcide's face during this scene was pretty priceless.

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Not as priceless as his face when he awoke in Sookie's bed the next day, though. Alcide was under the impression that they just had a wild night of drinking and partying, but after he recoiled from Sookie's touch, she figured out Eric's maneuver. "How can anyone in Bon Temps not be attracted to me?" Thought by Sookie Stackhouse. She used her fairy powers to de-glamour Alcide. Wow, there has already been a lot of something adding up to nothing on this episode. It's still a fun one, though!

We only got a glimpse of Pam (Kristen Bauer van Straten) and co. this episode. Tara (Rutina Wesley) and Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) finished their vampiress cat fight. Jessica looked more hurt than anything. Tara looked pissed off, as usual. Pam looked rather amused. She was proud of Tara the way a master is proud of a well-trained dog. Hoyt (Jim Parrack) is still busy parading around Fangtasia like a fool. He actually thinks Jessica still has feelings for him. She's really more so embarrassed for him. She says he looks ridiculous. Second hand embarrassment is the worst feeling, Jessica! This isn't Hoyt.

Terry (Todd Lowe) and Patrick (Scott Foley) ran like crazy from the Ifrit. That smoke monster billowed after them, and at this point, the demon seems omnipresent. Terry wants nothing to do with Patrick, who's neglect and stubbornness got them into this situation in the first place. Terry even made an effort to jump from Patrick's car. I agree, Terry. Stay away from any sort of fuel or engine!

Poor, Arlene (Carrie Preston). She sat their waiting for Terry to come home from what she seemed to think was some sort of frat-like bonding ritual. Holly (Lauren Bowles) and Sookie think all men suck, except for Andy (Chris Bauer). At least for now, Andy is okay. Wait, we know he kissed a freaky fairy a few weeks ago.

Arlene: "Terry, I ain't Sookie. I can't read your mind!"

Terry inevitably confessed his murder of the Iraqi woman during his war tour. Arlene seemed willing to forgive him, albeit she didn't really believe in this wacky Ifrit, but Terry wasn't about the jeopardize her life or her kids' lives. He left her, and she appeared devastated. He figured his happy life was too good to be true, anyway. Maybe when the Ifrit realizes how nice Terry is outside of a war zone, they'll make up? Can you extinguish an Ifrit? Stop, drop, and roll!

Sam (Sam Trammell) and Luna (Javina Gavankar) are looking pretty beat. Luna, I'm happy to see that you're still amongst the living! Gunshot wounds have them in the hospital, but they seem like they'll recover in time. Meanwhile, little wolf Emma ran miles away to her grandmother, Martha (Dale Dickey). Her grandmother looked nervous, and I have to admit I suspected she hired the goons who've been shooting shifters, but for now she seems genuine. She just wants a relationship with her granddaughter. Luna agrees to let her watch over Emma while she recovers.

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Sam wants revenge, and he's planning on going vigilante if Andy won't involve him in the hunt. Sam wants to use his exceptional power of smell to sniff out the scoundrels! He knows the killers are human because he could smell whiskey and a bad diet on their breaths. Andy begrudgingly agrees, and together, they tag team one of the creeps. Andy waltzed into the ammo shop run by Junior, the same creep Sookie spoke to a few episodes back. Sam pretended to shop in the background. When he smelled Junior going into survival mode, he saved Andy's life by shooting him with a crossbow. Maybe smelling things is a great superpower! Later, we see some of the other Obama-masked killers "rescue" Hoyt from a vampire who was feeding on him. Of course, Hoyt was a willing participant in this.

Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) made a quick appearance, but it was a good one! Ruby Jean (Alfre Woodward) is back and better than ever! Her catatonic coma fake-out was the moment of the episode for myself. She has some magic in her, too. She wants Lafayette to save Jesus. Someone stitched up his mouth! It was probably Don Bartolo, Jesus' relative who is out for his immense power. Save Jesus!

Alcide smelled pack leader J.D. the night of Russell's capture. He stormed the wolf pack headquarters, a.k.a. the dank barn down the street, claiming his role as pack leader. The same she-wolf who was after Sam on the season premiere backed him up. Apparently, J.D. is a V addict, and a bad leader. Alcide seemed to be a welcome sight.

Jason (Ryan Kwanten) had another dream about this father. He's determined to kill the vampire who murdered his parents. He informs Sookie of the secret fairy night club (I feel silly writing that) and of the truth behind the "flood" that killed their parents. She's hesitant to believe him, so he takes her to the place to meet with their cousin Hadley (Lindsey Haun). Hadley confirms Jason's story. These fairies are rebels who are against the harvesting of humans. They also don't like to dress like they're actors in a Disney movie. Unfortunately, Sookie played a part in her parents' death. According to one of Sookie's fairy allies, Claude, the same boy who helped her escape fairy land last season, the vampire smelled her blood on a bandaid in her parents' car. That triggered his attack. Sookie lost it, and she appeared to be subdued by a barrage of fairy blasts. Oh, Claude and Claudine have a bunch of fairy sisters, all of whom share their namesake. The Claudes!

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Bill the boy scout has the religious act down! The authority is very pleased with Bill and Eric for capturing Russell Edgington. Roman (Christopher Meloni) showed up with a whole new attitude! Clad in a Nike polo, he cracked open a bottle of fantastically aged blood for the occasion. Salome (Valentina Cervi)  had been questioning Russell, but apparently to no avail. Roman is done with him. He just wants to execute the loon. Sanguanista Nora (Lucy Griffiths) is looking loopier than ever this week. She spent her screen time praying to Lilith on the floor of her cell. Eric watched on bewildered. Nora alluded to a plan coming into effect. Is Lilith for real?

Things didn't exactly go as planned for Roman, though. Russell was brought out for execution. He expressed his views on mainstreaming and the Sanguanista movement. He thinks they're all a bunch of chumps for hiding behind Lilith as an excuse for food or power. He just wants to eat! Suddenly, he's not looking like the crazy one. Uh oh, Roman. You've been duped! The dynamic duo has been played! Russell ended up executing Roman. We didn't exactly see him die, but we saw him get staked and start to die. Maybe it takes a little more to kill someone as old as Roman? Probably not. Oh, well. Bye, Roman! Probably bye, at least!

What did you think of the episode? Did you feel the lack of Pam yet again? What's going on within the authority? Are you as bored as Eric with the vampire religion? Are you into vigilante Sam? Do you trust Grandma Martha? Will Arlene and Terry work things out with the Ifrit? Did you miss Ruby Jean? Is Lilith coming?