Here’s a fair warning to you, if you have last night’s (August 14, 2011) True Blood season four episode number eight already recorded and ready to play on your DVR or VOD player and want every moment to be a thrilling surprise, please stop reading after the end of this sentence. The episode aptly titled ‘Spellbound‘ lived true to its name. After a shaky start to this current season, with many of the residents in the fictional town of Bon Temps seemingly wandering around in a confused daze following the aftermath of last season’s werewolf and werepanther saga, the last three episodes have finally started to live up to this show’s riveting potential. From sun-splashed beginning to moonlight ending, ‘Spellbound‘ was filled with plot twists that successfully placed even readers of the novel Dead to the World , the fourth book from Charlaine Harris’ highly popular The Southern Vampire Mysteries series, in a guessing game as to whether our favorite characters would be rubbed out before the conclusion of season four.
This enthralling installment kicked off with lots of blood. In the wake of the daylight spell cast by Antonia and her new coven, of which Sookie’s best friend since childhood Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley) is an active member, only one local vamp dead was declared as the first casualty. All of the other major players, including Eric, Bill, and Jessica were all bloodied, wounded, and desperately drained after having to silver themselves through the day hours to avoid a perilous meeting with the sun. After tearing through her own chains and doing away with a human guard, Jessica narrowly missed succumbing to the ‘true death’ by way of help from a heroic intervention by Jason (Ryan Kwanten). Back at Stackhouse Manor, completely exhausted from the effects of the vampire version of kryptonite and having not fed since he accidentally killed Sookie’s fairy godmother Claudine, a weakened Eric (Alexander Skarsg¥rd), with flesh torn and blood oozing over his rolled up jeans and lumberjack shirt, barely had the strength to rise from his bed once he was unsilvered by Sookie (Anna Paquin). Already knowing that her new lover’s blood thirst has the potential to be deadly, especially since she is part fae, Sookie timidly offered to allow Eric to feed on her so that he may heal himself. The couple then jumped light years ahead of the timeline of the book version of this series. Sookie and Eric shared an intimate moment that will ultimately seal their fates and their souls together – possibly forever – and elevated them into an enchanted euphoria that neither of them had every experienced with any other mate. ‘All is possible…Loving you, possible,’ Eric whispered to Sookie and all of our hearts melted with the sweetness dripping from his words.
Sometime later, blood turned to tears as night fell over the busy southern town. After declaring last week that she wasn’t sure whether she still had a human heart to love Hoyt (Jim Parrack) with and followed up by an eye-popping dream sequence where she smashed his skull in, in a surprising role reversal Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) learned that the stabbing pain of a breakup could dig deep, with or without a pulse. The most jaw-dropping moment of the evening came from Hoyt’s zealous denouncing of his relationship with lady Jessica after she confessed she wasn’t sure if a monogamous relationship suited her vampire lifestyle. The once gentle natured man firmly declared that he deserved someone who wouldn’t just throw his love back in his face so coolly and tossed some seriously harsh expletives her way before rescinding his invitation to their home, sending Jessica flying backwards through the door. The broken love triangle continued when Jessica found no solace at Jason’s home, only another withdrawn invitation that sent her hurtling outdoors once more.
Then, of course, there were the dolls. Lafayette’s (Nelsan Ellis) newly discovered gift as a medium proves to be more than he can handle. After a disturbing dream, he became unwillingly entangled in a brand new and decades old murder mystery when the African-American woman who is haunting the eerie porcelain doll realized he is the only person, other than baby Mikey, who can sense her presence. The restless spirit of the deceased woman immediately used this knowledge to her advantage. A few miles away, another type of doll became the center of the conversation when Sam (Sam Trammell) finally had an alpha standoff with Marcus, leader of Alcide and Debbie’s new pack and the father of Luna’s (Janina Gavankar) daughter. Meanwhile, Tommy (Marshall Allman) dolled himself up and took a risky chance by skinwalking again to impersonate Maxine and sell the natural gas rights to her property.
The possibility of more tears appeared once more when we were left with a life-threatening cliffhanger. A midnight meeting at the graveyard between vamps and witches ended with an ambush on both sides. Antonia’s hold on Eric proved to be just as strong as the day when she ripped his memories of being a charming and sexually charged, but dangerously powerful Viking warrior, right from his mind. He had entered the battle only at Sookie’s request that they dismiss the notion of fleeing from her hometown and stay to fight and die – if need be – with Bill (Stephen Moyer), his king and the man she was once in love with. He switched from gentle lamb to maniacal and bloodthirsty killer in a heartbeat. It wasn’t clear whether he was acting according to his own savage instincts or at the prompting of the silent spell that Antonia was casting, which Sookie intercepted mere seconds before the war erupted. At the end of the emotional and exciting stretch, Debbie looked on with somber and heated eyes when Alcide (Joe Manganiello) rescued a wounded Sookie from the middle of the chaotic shootout. Only hours after promising Debbie that he would stay away from Sookie for good, he walked off into the mist enshrouded evening with everyone’s favorite heroine – and constant lady in distress – wrapped in his arms. Roll credits and cue next week’s teaser.
Words do no justice to this episode and only visual appraisal will truly bring out all of the intensity of the action and the plot. This viewer actually watched it twice, practically back to back, and perhaps will do so at least once more before the premiere of episode nine, ‘Let’s Get Out of Here‘. As the season starts to move to a close, and with creator Alan Ball confirming that the paranormal-inspired hit original drama series from HBO will return for a fifth season next summer in 2012, there is almost no doubt that these final pieces to True Blood season four will entice us enough with the possibilities of many more twisted loops and lessons from tragic love affairs to keep us all spellbound for at least one more season.