True Blood’s third season is now in the home stretch. It is hard not to be a little disappointed when you realize that there are only three episodes left. This year has not been wrought with the ups and downs that was last season. Sure, I’ve grown bored of Sam’s family storyline, and am pretty freaked out by Franklin Mott, but these two annoyances are nothing compared to the Maenad and her merry acolytes. Russell, the Authority, Nan Flanagan, and politics that are the vampire world of True Blood are a far greater story than most all of what we saw last year.
Before we get going, sorry I missed last week’s episode. I just got the opportunity to catch the episode, and I can sum up my thoughts: Bill and Sookie bad. Bill and Jessica good. Eric’s revenge … very, very good.
Eric’s storyline has developed into the best thing on a great show. Hell, more directly, Eric has become the best thing about this very good show (That’s obviously not a knock against everyone else; he’s just that good). His thousand-year quest to exact his revenge is an incredibly compelling story, and now he’s got a “political mandate” to finish the job. But even when things were at their most dire, he still found a way to show both compassion and forethought in his protection of Pam. The maker/vampire relationship is so unique in True Blood’s particular vampire canon, something that makes Godric’s death so much more tragic.
It is hard to say that we’re seeing Nan Flanagan for the first time. Sure, she’s been a character on screen since Season One, but tonight is the first time she’s not been on a television show within a television show. The persona she displays while stumping for the Vampire Rights Amendment is considerably different from the bitch on wheels that we saw tonight. Though, is there a female vampire we’ve met yet that doesn’t fit that description? (Jessica does, but you just have to add the “in training” tag.)
I’m not sure who (though, on this show the better question is what) Holly is, but she is one hell of an interesting addition to the show. I know it is early yet, but she seems to be kind and caring, without agenda. As this is still Bon Temps, I’m sure we’ll eventually find out she’s just weaseled her way into town to eat something or someone.
Hoyt and Jessica … Hoyt and Summer. One is a great couple because of incredible chemistry, and the other is a great couple because … well hell, who doesn’t love a couple with a three foot height differential?
Russell’s diatribe at the end was odd to say the least (not nearly as odd as his conversation with Talbot’s blood-urn). I’m sure from his perspective, the word manifesto would be more appropriate. I found it a telling decision to finish on his speech to the public, and not the cliffhanger that was Bill almost telling Sookie what she really is.
Notes & Quotes
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Aug 16, 2010 @ 09:34 EST5EDT
Why was Eric bleeding from the ears and nose when he woke?
He hadn’t slept during the day, so he had the “bleeds.”
Great review!
(Oh, and we also saw Nan Flanagan in her bitch mode in season 2, when she fired Godric)
Eric was bleeding because he had been awake durng the day. It will cause vamps to bleed from the nose/ears/ mouth etc
I had the same thought while Sookie was helping Bill move the werewolf’s body..”isn’t Bill super strong and wouldn’t he be able just to fling him out back all by himself?”
yeah same reaction to the whole werewolf body thing. the more I see of Bill, the more I want to stake his dumb, lying ass.
Eric was bleeding because he never slept.
Why was Eric bleeding from the ears and nose when he woke?
Vampires get the ‘bleeds’ if they bypass sleeping during the daytime. Baby vampire can’t do it, even if they try their damndest (ie Jessica), they’ll just knock unconscious until the sun sets.
Older vamps like Eric can. But they’ll start to deteriorate, thus bleeding from every orifice. lol
In the books, Eric has a harder time doing this. But the show has him able to stay awake the whole time. Can’t remember if the ‘bleeds’ is part of the mythology in the books though.
Who is the “they” feeding Franklin Mott his info?
Probably the other vampires and weres living at Russel’s estate.
*POST AUTHOR*
I liked it better when I thought it was the voices in his head :)
It’s been a while now since I’ve read the books, but I don’t remember “the bleeds” at all.
Eric was bleeding from the ears and nose because he stayed awake through the daylight hours. We have seen this happen before, for example to Bill and Lorena when she was holding him captive in the hotel in season 2.
Eric was bleeding because he actually hadn’t slept at all-it’s what happens when the vamps stay awake during the day. If you go back an episode or two, you’ll see that it was happening to him when he grabbed Hadley to have her deliver the message to Sookie and it happened to both he and Sophie Ann when Eric and Russell broke into her place to force her to marry Russell. :)