True Blood 4.4 "I'm Alive and On Fire"
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 5:42PM What we have here is what I like to call a soft tissue episode. It's no mere place holder filler episode but it's not the real muscle of the season either. We are moving along at a nice clip though, advancing all of the plots and raising the stakes.
Marnie watches a witch being burned alive. So that's why her eyes go alight?
I'm Alive and On Fire
In this episode we learn that fairy blood is no joke. If a vamp drains the whole fairy (see last week), he gets drunk and he can spend hours in the sun. Turns out that Alexxander Skarsgård's drunk Eric is just as much fun as his childlike Eric. He flirts shamelessly with Sookie, and he goes skinny dipping in the sunlight (in an episode that's veritably bursting with beefcake). Speaking of which, most of the skin show is far less icky than the past two episodes of Jason Stackhouse's rape at the hands of the werepanther women. Jason finally gets vertical again (thank God) and escapes, though it's probably safe to say that trouble will follow him. In other storylines that evil baby gets a writing on the walll moment "BABY NOT YOURS" and there's more potential trouble for the Merlotte boys as the people they turn to emotionally are less than safe havens.
Something smells fishy. Well, yeah, he's been to the lake.
The strongest element of the episode was its fluid reflectiveness as scenes from disconnected storylines seems to comment on each other. The reveal that Bill's latest conquest is actually his great great great great great granddaughter bounces off all of that sick "brotherhusband" talk in Jason's storyline. And then there's the crazy girlfriends. Take, for instance, Alcides's relationship with his girlfriend Debbie.
Surprisingly it's not his rock-hard body that's made her nuts...
She may have noticed that Sookie and Alcides can barely look at each other -- and not just because Alcides is always stripping to wolf up. Debbie handles his reunion with Sookie well enough on the surface, but there are visible cracks; her crazy is just a tiny fissure away. That's especially obvious when you are invited to compare her to Cristal, Jason's were-panther ex-girlfriend, in the same episode. Cristal's crazy has totally consumed her... she doesn't even register that Jason has left her and wants her dead. To drive this point home in another reflection, Sam's new girlfriend reveals that she has an ex-boyfriend who stalks her.
All of these compelling sisterwife threads scream "MORE CRAZY COMING!"
Though Bill and his plotlines tend to bore, the new story about his reign as King is yielding some promise, most of which is reflected in the contempt with which both his subjects and superiors hold him. First Pam bristles at his orders and then, in a neat emotional reprise, Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck), who put him in charge, doesn't like his tone when he gets testy at her attempt to lighten the conversation. Line Reading Hall of Fame:
Nan: Aw, poor Bill. Power's so hard.
Bill best watch himself. Nan isn't playing.
Draining It Dry...
Body Count: 2, one witch burned at the stake and one were-panther staked; Sex Scenes: 1 if you define it that way but maybe you shouldn't as it's non-consensual (poor Jason) but the best she ever had --ewww. So glad that part of that plot is over with!; Trashiest Moment: Mrs Mickens is bustin' with pride that her adult son Tommy has learned how to sound words out, "an educated man!"; Funniest Moment: Eric's skinny Dipping and Sookie's exasperation at the same. The new relationship between Sookie and Eric, a weird mix of flirtation, impromptu parenting, and avoidance continues to delight but it can't possibly stay this light and funny for much longer, can it? Something will have to give. Something may also have to give in terms of the final beats of each episode. They can't each end with Fiona Shaw's Marnie suddenly possessed and messing up vampires (Poor Pam!). Can they?
Episode MVP: I think I've gotta hand this ensemble-heavy episode to one Anna Paquin, whose Sookie is the spine of the series and the point of what appears to be the new love triangle: Alcides vs Eric for Sookie's newly free heart. This triangle even gets visualized in the sunlight, the men growling like beasts over their beloved fairy. Paquin also aces a tricky and sad scene where she reminds Bill of her consistent honesty with him while blatantly lying to him. Episode Grade: B+
Anna Paquin, Reviews, TV, True Blood
Reader Comments (16)
Excellent episode, would really like to know where the Mikey baby storyline is going, its fascinating me the most this season!
Love Fiona Shaw, cannot get enough of her, even if she can't quite get the accent.
I woke the entire neighborhood up shouting "DON'T YOU DARE" when I thought Marnie was going to kill Pam, after taking away Sophie-Anne and Claudine, I wasn't about to let them touch Pam.
Morgan -- i was scared for a minute too but then i thought. no way would they kill off Pam, right? fan favorite!
i have a theory about the baby storyline... or at least how i think it SHOULD turn out. but i haven't read the books.
I think the baby storyline is something Alan Ball and co. made up for this season, cause I don't remember it in the book.
To add onto the funniest moment, how funny was the wolf's reaction to eric in the pool? I know its an animal but that expression mirrored mine lol
also my episode MVP is a tie between Sookie's restraint (cause who in their right mind wouldn't have sneaked a peak at either Alcide or Eric) and Nan's line reading.
haha, i'm glad i wasn't the only one who thought that they would actually try to off Pam. I would seriously just stop watching.
But damn, who doesn't want two hot naked men fighting over you? I would've egged them on and then have them wrestle for my affection. Such a wasted opportunity, Sook.
And is it just me, but is this cast getting larger and larger? When i watched the credits, there were SO MANY names.
I missed the first 20 minutes of this ep and so missed all the beefcake action! So thanks very much for those hot stills of the True Blood men. Anna Paquin must have like the best job ever on tv. Married to her handsome co-star, yet for work reasons, allowed to flirt and have sex scenes with her other hunky hotty colleagues. Nice work, if you get it!
Oops! That should read "Nice Work, if you can get it." And to follow up on those oft repeated lyrics, 'if you can get it, oh won't you tell me how?" Cause I'd love to have a job where I'm surrounded by nekkid handsome men! ;)
And er, this will probably damn me in some eyes, but I don't love Pam. I can understand how others like her, what with dry and droll line deliveries, but I would be far more upset if Jessica got the axe instead of Pam.
Anna really brought it in this episode. Loved how she was (finally?) a tough, kick-ass, get shit done mood this episode...without loosing her naivety. LOVED her scene with Bill on the porch. That's the first time I saw some real chemistry between them. I think Anna and Stephen's marriage is actually helping create that spark.
I, too, was afraid for a split second that Pam was being killed off. I nearly shit myself. I love seeing the near enigma Pam reacts to situations. Kristin Bauer van Straten deserves an Emmy nom too. I'm starting my own Emmy's.
Oh, and not gonna share your theory, Nathaniel? I'm curiousssss.
ALSO, the actresses who portray Crystal and Debbie Pelt, who I considered very very weak last season have been taking some lessons over the break. Either that or Crystal plays crazy-crazy better than crazy and Debbie Pelt is more comfortable at playing a housewife.
but who wouldn't when Alcide's the husband? *sigh*
Know that I've seen those pics, I really need to watch True Blood :P
Now that I've seen those pics, I really need to watch True Blood :P
Anna Paquin's scene with "Bill" was so beautifully acted, I'm glad I'm not the only one who appreciated it. I'm so glad Jason finally got some interaction with the other characters, I feel like they all forgot about him! I love Jessica and Hoyt but I'm kind of intrigued by the possibility of Jason coming between them (I'm not the only one who got that impression, right?).
And, like everyone else, I let out a huge "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" when I thought Pam was going to die.
I'd love to hear your theory on the baby story-line Nat...please share!
@thefilmjunkie, no, you're not the only one thinking that regarding the Hoyt-Jessica-Jason relationship. If spoilers are to be believed, the storyline is definitely going to shift that way.
thefilmjunkie & jonathon -- My theory or my hope with the baby storyline is that the baby is not a devil or "rotten" or anything but that Arlene's attempt to let the witches abort her baby magically at the end of last season let some sort of evil spirit in that now needs to be exorcized. so the "baby not yours" is the spirit trying to mark its territory and not a reference to some Remy malevolent reincarnation or some such.
Or maybe I'm hoping this just because it would be a nifty way to tie Arlene back in with the coven which is the season's large storyline and my least favorite thing about huge ensemble shows is when they can't manage to braid everyone into the same story. I LOVE that the coven storyline involves three major vampires (and a few more tangentially) and three of the humans but there are still ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE SHOW. tie them in!
I just want to say that even though the Jason getting raped by werepanthers storyline was pretty icky - and, as regards the dirt on his wounds, literally so - I am REALLY liking the direction is appears to be heading. I can just picture Jason's sex dreams about Jessica now... and they are HOT. And the idea of him coming between Hoyt and Jess opens up a lot of interesting storylines.
The scene with Bill and Nan was my absolute favorite - "How many retired Kings do you know?" was also a delicious line reading.
And yeah, when Marnie disfigured Pam, I yelled out in horror! Poor, pretty, impatient Pam!
I loved that Jessica and Hoyt found Jason, because Jessica is the only other character on the show who we have seen in present day struggle with being turned into a supernatural being against her will. I think Jason having sexy dreams about Jessica would be a boring way to go, story-wise, but having her be a confidante and guide for Jason as he deals with being a werepanther against his will could be amazing, especially since those two actors are so good.