True Blood - Recap: The New Cordelia Chase

Episode 2 of Season 6, “The Sun,” also drummed up a potential new love interest for Sookie in fellow half-faery, Ben (Rob Kazinsky). One thing that is starting to become clear to me, though, is that there is no way Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her Warlow worries are not going to be dragged back into the heat of vampire hell. In keeping most of our favorite Bon Tempts townsfolk connected, however, True Blood needs to think of better ways of using the great comedic duo of Arlene (Carrie Preston) and Terry (Todd Lowe), not to mention the incomparable Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis). Season 6 is young. I still have faith, fangers! Let me being the Recap and Review!

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The episode opened just where the season premiere left off; with Jacon Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) in the passenger seat of a driverless car, heading for disaster. Not to worry, “Warlow” put a stop to the chaos before Jason could actually crash. As it turns out, the man pegged as Warlow last week was not, indeed, the super-vampire we’d, along with Jason, thought him to be. In fact, he’s Jason’s “F***ing Faery Grandfather,” Niall (Rutger Hauer), who’d been watching over the Stackhouse siblings for their entire lives, even judging Jason’s juicy porn collection. Grandpa had, in turn, come to town to help Jason prepare for the upcoming confrontation with the actual Warlow, who’d also officially made the transition back to reality.

Meanwhile, Pam (Kristen Bauer van Straten) attempted to quell Tara’s (Rutina Wesley) pain from the shot she’d taken to the leg during the episode prior, but to no avail. Luckily, Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and Nora (Lucy Griffiths) made their way back to Fangtasia just in time to lend a helping hand… by shattering a glass bottle and digging the new-fangled bullet from Tara’s thigh flesh. The government had designed a new kind of devastating weapon in a silver bullet that doubles as a mini tanning bed bulb. Meaning, it emits UV light, rendering vampires helpless and unable to heal while the bullet remains inside. Fed up with the human government, Eric set out on a mission to nip the war in the bud.

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Aah, we got our first “Arlene scolds Sookie for skipping out on work” tirade this week! Stackhouse, worn out from all of the Billith nonsense, slept in. In the end, Sookie would never make it to the little diner known as Merlotte’s. Instead, she’d stumble upon a down-and-out Ben struggling on the side of the road, a victim of a vampire attack. Comparing faery blood to boring old human blood is the equivalent of comparing my meager excuse for dinner to a meal cooked by the Barefoot Contessa. In other words, while humans and vampires continue to butt heads over everything, faeries still can’t catch a damn break. Sookie, who barely works anyway at this point, dragged the man back to her couch and tended to his wounds after he’d fallen asleep. Upon his waking, the two discussed the pros and cons of being a vampire delicacy and bonded over having magic E.T. fingers that light up and super useful, yet absolutely invasive, mind-reading abilities. Ben, a nomad of sorts, had been looking to settle down in Bon Temps to develop some roots. Sookie, thus, lead him to the faery safe house. Will Sookie eventually take Ben up on his date offer? I’m no faery psychic, but I’m going to bank on a safe “absolutely.” Still, she’s just lost Bill, so we’ll have to wait and see, fangers.

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Speaking of Bill, Lilith’s minions really did a number on his mind, huh? Bill stood reeling as he painfully sifted uncontrollably through the images and feelings of vampires being tormented by humans. Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) helplessly tried to snap him out of his psychotic spell, but Bill inevitably slipped into a comatose state. Where did Compton’s unconscious being end up traveling to? No place. At least, that’s what Lilith claimed. That’s right, the original vampire known as Lilith reappeared during “The Sun,” and apparently she cleans up quite well! Bill would learn soon enough what his gift is, and after proving himself to Lilith, it appears that he too will play a pivotal role in the looming destruction of their race, or, better yet, in preventing such catastrophe.

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Episode 2 also saw Nora and Pam finally making peace, or so it seems. While Nora sifted through the vampire bible in search of some clue as to how to channel Billith into their own new super-weapon, Pam sat bored and burned by Eric, yet again. Strangely, it was Nora who would shed some light on the situation. Not UV light, of course, but rather, some peace of mind for Pam. Pam is Eric’s greatest accomplishment, and Northman does indeed love her. His decision to keep Nora a secret was for Pam’s own safety, in truth. Perhaps more importantly, Nora did make a discovery during this scene. Apparently, there’s been some sort of mistranslation…

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Could there have been a scene more enjoyable than watching the incredibly smooth Eric Northman sideswipe a nerdy environmentalist on his way to meeting with Governor Burrell (Arliss Howard), only to don the man’s duds himself? Eric, posing as the Governor’s last appointment of the day, made his way covertly into the man’s office. Eric was very clever in his attempt to glamour Burrell into loving vampires, but apparently tanning bed bullets aren’t the only new defense the government has concocted for the War on Vampires. Glamour-proof contact lenses seem like an impossibility, to me at least, but they worked, nevertheless, and Northman found himself seized and arrested. I was worried that this could have been the end for Eric. (I’ve heard rumors swirling of a major death on the horizon.) Luckily, Eric can fly! You are the wind beneath my invisible wings, Northman, you whooping crane. Never meet the true death.

Eric flew away, well, not too far really. He lurked in the shadows until Willa Burrell (Amelia Rose Blair) decided to remove her contact lenses for bed. The Governor’s daughter was putty in Eric’s hands, inviting Northman in through her bedroom window. This seen was reminiscent of some classic vampire films. I had flashes of The Lost Boys and Salem’s Lot.

After Grandpa Niall used the portal in Sookie’s bathroom to discover that Warlow had escaped the faery prison he’d been locked away in, it came time for the lady Stackhouse herself to learn of all the details. Over spaghetti, Sookie’s newest grandparent explained that John Stackhouse, the ancestor who’d promised Sookie to Warlow, only did so following the vampire’s complete and utter massacre of their pure faery line. Niall is the king of said tribe. Now, Warlow is obsessed with Sookie and on the prowl.

That makes you a faery princess! That makes me a faery prince!

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Sorry, Jason, but the gene skipped you. Luckily for Sookie, though, their family has a secret super power in a self-generated “sun” of sorts. Sookie, if she concentrates incredibly hard and pours every ounce of emotion into her abilities, can manifest this “supernova,” a bomb capable of destroying vampires in a flash. Watch out, Warlow! Sookie seems ready and willing to sacrifice her faery powers in one massive explosion if it means some normality and the chance to breathe a little.

A warm welcome is in order for Friday Night Lights alum Jurnee Smollett! Nicole is an activist and the grandchild of freedom riders. Her grandparents started the civil rights movement, and she is looking to convince other supernatural beings, Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) included, into coming out of the closet coffin. Sam refused her pleas, thinking of little Emma’s safety. Emma, meanwhile, was busy having the time of her life with the best babysitter of all time, Lafayette. Of course, everything would fall to pieces when Alcide (Joe Manganiello), Martha (Dale Dickey), and Alcide’s new lay aka that awful she-wolf aka the worst showed up to crash the party. Sam had made Luna a promise. Luna, if you recall, died because Martha allowed her daughter to be kidnapped by Newlin; however, the wolves insisted on stealing back Emma, leaving both Sam and Lafayette bruised, battered, and unconscious in the dirt. Man, Alcide is truly flexing his douche muscles during Season 6, and it’s only Episode 2! Emma went kicking and screaming for Sam. Take a hint, Martha. Luckily, or unluckily, Nicole watched from the shadows, recording the entire scene.

Before closing out this recap and review, just some quick bits to point out. Terry and Arlene were forced to deal with Patrick’s widow, who had no clue at all as to what had gone down with that wretched fire beast from last season. Patrick is dead and gone, but Arlene used her female intuition to tell a little white lie. Instead, she fed into the woman’s fears that he’d run off with another dame. Arlene has mastered the scorned woman routine. Also, Andy (Chris Bauer) is dealing with his brood of rapidly growing adorable faery daughters, taking the foursome on a trip to the field of the faery safe house. Their mother was, unfortunately, a no show. Four babies is a lot to handle, but they’ll end up doing Andy a world of good. I also feel like it’s fitting that he ended up with four daughters. He would have daughters. Still, I’m hoping by the end of Season 6 this all gets tied together with the main plot. This should become a plot not so unlike the Khaleesi’s adventures in Slaver’s Bay on Game of Thrones. Meaning, it’s okay if nothing comes together right away, but by the season’s close I’d like Andy’s teenage daughters to be helping Sookie out.

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My favorite scene during Episode 2 was, needless to say, Jessica’s prayer. I’m not sure Deborah Ann Woll has ever displayed finer work on True Blood than that monologue which closed the episode. After attempted to calmly feed Bill the equivalent of a vampire hooker, only to watch him mental mangle the woman before sucking every ounce of her blood straight from her mouth, Jessica broke. In a prayer to God, or, rather, Bill’s lifeless body as “God,” Jessica pleaded with the big guy upstairs to bless and watch over each of her friends. The show panned to all of our favorite Bon Temps buddies as she cried for Bill’s safe return to the land of the living (and the living dead). In the end, Bill did return with some newfound knowledge from Lilith. The television flashed on, and a reporter covered the story of a vampire being dragged behind a truck… the same vision Bill had received at the episode’s start. Bill Compton can see the future, and if he doesn’t act fast, they’re all going to fry.

I would by lying if I didn’t think of Cordelia Chase throughout the very end of the episode. You remember Cordelia, of course, the spunky cheerleader and Queen B from Buffy the Vampire Slayer who eventually made the transition over to spinoff series Angel. There, she experienced the weight of the world in a near exact fashion to that in which Bill did; through a bombardment of crippling visions and a subsequent coma. Eventually, she to came back to reality with the knowledge that her visions were a painful gift to help her, and Angel, save the lives of innocents in Los Angeles. Those of you who've never tuned into Buffy/Angel, trust me, this arc was an exact replica. Bill Compton is Cordelia Chase 2.0! Not that I'm complaining because I loved her character and her story. When it comes to the supernatural genre, I think of it more as paying homage than ripping off. Buffy paved the way! (Although, I'm not a reader of the True Blood novels, so I'm not sure how any of this played out there.)

What did you think of True Blood, Season 6 Episode 2, “The Sun”? Are you enjoying the direction True Blood is taking heading into the Season 6? Will Sookie lose her light? Do you like Ben thus far? Is Lilith evil after all? What do you think Nora discovered? Did you love Jessica’s prayer?

Thanks for reading my Recap and Review of True Blood, Season 6 Episode 2, “The Sun”!