True Blood Recap: "And When I Die"

This week's True Blood starts with Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) and Marnie-as-Lafayette (Fiona Shaw / Nelsan Ellis) having a leisurely breakfast.  Despite Jesus and his possession-prone lover never working out a kind of "safe word" to make sure Lafayette's Lafayette, Jesus figures out pretty quickly that Marnie has overtaken Lafayette.  And if he wasn't sure, Marnie stabbing him with a fork made it clear.  Marnie's back because she still wants to eradicate vampires.  She's also pissed at Jesus for the role he played in her demise, and wants her former friend's demon-brujo magic.  At first, Jesus plays dumb about how to transfer it, but after Marnie starts mutilating Lafayette's body, he starts the spell.  It ends with Marnie having to spear Jesus through the heart at the end of it, effectively killing the endearing male nurse. 

I've felt this death coming all season, but it still stings, especially when you realize the heartbreak Lafayette is going to suffer.  They were a charming couple, and Lafayette, who's never had the best luck, was just used as the vessel to kill his boyfriend.  Like I speculated previously, Jesus' death was not his end-- for this episode at least.  Later, as Lafayette grieves, Jesus visits the medium as a ghost, tells him he doesn't blame him, and will always love him.  I'm glad the tortured couple could get this goodbye.  Is Lafayette going to be keeping Jesus' powerful magic, or would that stay with Marnie's spirit? 

As it was Halloween in Bon Temps, they weren't the only former couple being reunited "when the veil between the living and the dead" was at its thinnest.  The ghost of fallen serial killer Rene appears to pay his baby mama a visit.  Poor Arlene, she just seemed to finally be getting back to normal after the haunting and kidnapping of her baby by a spirit.  (How funny was it when she tried singing and clapping out Lettie Mae's exorcism song to try and ward him off?)  Rene warns her that Terry, and the blast from his army past in Sgt. Patrick Devins (Scott Foley), are trouble and she needs to get away to save herself.  Arlene insists Terry is a good husband and father to Rene before he disappears, but she looks uneasy when she next sees Terry.  Really, Terry is that awesome!  This storyline is already making me sad...

Sam (Sam Trammell) buries Tommy and only Mrs. Fortenberry comes to the funeral.  She says Tommy was like a son, and insists Sam call her "Mama" from now on since he was his brother.  When Sookie hears the news, she visits Merlotte's to pay her respects.  They figure out her "firing" was a big mistake, and Sookie immediately starts waitressing again.  Alcide (Joe Manganiello) comes in, and chats with Sookie at the bar.  He tells her that he and Debbie are done for good.  He also proposes that since following their hearts always leads them to hopeless relationships, that they try following their brains instead, and finally act on their feelings for each other.  I swear, when the lone wolf says this though; he makes it all sound really romantic.  

Meanwhile, Sam gets closer to Luna and her daughter.  He thinks things are going great, but Luna doesn't want to jinx it.  After he sees the girls off, Sam turns and comes face to face with a snarling werewolf.  Is Sam in danger?  If it's one of Marcus' pissed off pack that's come for revenge, I'd say yes.  However, maybe this was supposed to be misleading and it's really Alcide? 

Once Sookie (Anna Paquin), Tara (Rutina Welsey), and Holly realize Marnie's back, they know just where to look.  They race to Bill's (Stephen Moyer), and find him and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) silvered back-to-back on a pyre.  Holly gets to work turning salt into a safe zone for them while the three women chant a spell, which raises the spirits from the nearby cemetery.  Adele Stackhouse rips Marnie's spirit out of Lafayette, and Antonia also appears.  Together, they coax Marnie to the Great Beyond.  (Apparently in the True Blood Universe, delinquents and honest folk all end up in the same place.)  Marnie's consoled that while she'll get peace in the afterlife, the vampires will always have to suffer on Earth.  Before Adele goes back to her eternal rest, Sookie gets a final goodbye with her Gran. 

Next, a freed Eric and Bill sensuously feed on one of Sookie's wrists at the same time, so they can go from "crispy" to looking like a Nordic god and dashing Southern gentlemen again, respectively.  At this point I was like, "Yes!  They're going the three-way relationship route.  I don't blame Sookie for not being able to choose!"  In reality, however, Sookie confesses to loving them, but breaks up with both of them since it's probably for the best.  Bummer City.  With Alcide letting his intentions be known, it's unlikely the telepathic waitress will be single for long. 

Nan (Jessica Tuck) and her human guard visit Bill's.  She says she's quit (read: been fired) from the AVL and The Authority.  Her last order of business was to deliver the True Death to Eric and Bill, and then presumably be killed herself.  However, Nan is having none of that.  Instead of toeing the company line anymore, she wants to team up with the lovesick vampires and join disgruntled factions also displeased with the current regimes.  Before they have much time to process any of this, Nan reveals she knows Sookie is a fairy and states/threatens thousands of vampires would kill for her blood.  They try to play it like Sookie really doesn't mean anything to them, but Nan calls BS, and within a blink of an eye, Eric has killed her guard, and Bill has staked her.  (So much for that Nan-Bill hate sex.)

The Bill and Eric bromance is reaching epic proportions for me.  I can't wait to see more of it next season.  When they let their love for Sookie unite them instead of divide, they make an awesome duo and I really love the newfound respect they seem to be showing each other.  (Maybe there'll be Eric-Bill hate sex in the future?)  If The Authority really is this unhappy with the pair, could Bill and Eric be in danger?

Jason (Ryan Kwanten) decides to man-up and tell Hoyt he's sleeping with Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). He feels guilty for betraying his BFF, and takes Hoyt's "ass kickin'."  Jessica surprises him later on as a sexy Little Red Riding Hood.  While she makes it clear she's not ready for another serious relationship, these two seem here to stay for the foreseeable future.  I loved Hoyt and Jessica, but she and Jason are really sweet together too. He appears to understand her vampire needs a lot better.  When there's a knock on his door shortly after, Jason answers giddily, thinking it's her returning.  However, it's Rev. Steve Newland.  Earlier in the season, a news report mentioned how the leader of the Church of the Sun had been missing for months.  It turns out he's still around, and a vampire now!  What does it mean that he's come calling on former faithful-turn-enemy Jason?  With Nan out of the picture, could he become the new AVL head?  I had missed the occasional kooky this character brought, and believe this is a great twist to reintroduce him next season. 

Early in the episode, Tara and Sookie had a nice moment that reminded viewers that they're practically family.  I thought it was just to make sure we remembered, since this friendship is often neglected for weeks at a time.  It might have just been to make Tara's possible demise that much more tragic.  Sookie's in her kitchen, when a high-on-something Debbie comes in wielding a shotgun.  She blames Sookie for her breakup with Alcide, and wants her gone for good.  Debbie takes aim and fires, as Tara runs and pushes Sookie out of the way, and gets her brains blown out.  Sookie pounces on Debbie and wrestles the gun from her.  She points and cocks it at Debbie, who cries and pleads for her life.  Sookie pauses, and then blows her head off. WOAH!  Will this end the Alcide-Sookie romance before it even gets going? 

Audiences will have to wait for Season 5 to see if Tara's really dead.  We know from Sookie's own gunshot wound, that a human can still be saved if they get vampire blood at the last second. Will she be able to get any soon enough?  If Sookie had kept one of her vampire boyfriends around, having their healing blood handy wouldn't be a problem.  Shouldn't she just start bottling the stuff at this point?  If Tara actually is dead, she could still communicate through Lafayette.  Seriously, poor Lafayette.  I don't know how he could get past losing his boyfriend and cousin in the same day. 

Last but not least, deposed king Russel Edington, played so memorably by Dennis O'Hare, has been dug up.  If True Blood wants to keep this viewer happy, it was so someone can revive him, and not just finish him off.  He was my favorite villain, and I hope we get to see him again. 

Lingering observations and thoughts:

* So, there really wasn't a point to Jason's kidnap, torture, and gang rape.  The majority of the season didn't even mention a werepanther.  While this was a good thing, if TPIC realized the Hot Shot mess was DOA, wouldn't they have had enough time to cut it, and figure out something better to occupy Jason in the early eps?
* Speaking of Jason, am I the only one hoping he decides to shave next season?
* Andy confesses all to Holly, and since he's sober now, they seem like they're going to try dating.  They might make a fine couple, but will Andy's fairy romp come back to haunt his new relationship?
* And about those fairies... the whole fairy realm civil war thing didn't even come into play past the first ep.  Was it really just a way to time jump a year forward?  In that case, why didn't time ever move more quickly when a character traveled there previously?  And what about Barry?  Is he really stuck there in forgotten fairy land forever?
* Could Maxine and Hoyt's pain lead to a Fortenberry family reunion? 
* Season 2 was all about Maenad Maryann collecting supernaturals to sacrifice to her god.  If Lafayette is such a powerful witch/medium, why didn't he matter to her?
* I'm also a little bummed Lafayette's been going through so much without any interference from Eric, who he's connected to by blood.  Eric's saved him in the past, but maybe he's taken the witch possession personally? 
* When Arlene's daughter was dressed as a trashy, pregnant redhead for Halloween-- I thought she was Arlene.  Nope!  She's Jenelle from Teen Mom Season 2. Ha!
* Another great little comic moment was Sookie jumping out of her skin when she saw Holly's fairy costume-clad silhouette approach. 
* Kristin's Bauer's Pam only had one scene, but it was memorable.  She has a full meltdown over being replaced by Sookie as her maker's favorite.  When she slumps down to have an "ugly cry," she even lets barmaid Ginger comfort her. 

While there were many lulls this season, there were tons of fangtastic moments.  I'm already counting the days until next June.  What did you readers think about finale and the fourth season overall?