Review of Episode 5 of Season Three of "True Blood"

One of the great things about True Blood is that every episode manages to take the plot one notch up, and the fifth episode of season three of the series was no exception. Although the romance between Sookie and Bill continues to be a concern, the series has become increasingly concerned with vampire politics, especially those between the King if Mississippi, the Queen of Louisiana, and the cruel and sinister Magister. The balance of power is still very much in flux, and it remains unclear which of the vampires will emerge victorious, and it's rather vague what victory would even ential.

Of course, part of the joy of this season of True Blood stems from the fact that no single scene lasts for more than a few minutes, meaning that the action pulls you onward. As soon as you get engaged with one particular interaction (for example, the strangely titillating relationship between Franklin and Tara,) the camera shifts away and you're swept away into another scene.

However, this particular method can also have some drawbacks, i.e. you might find yourself unable to concentrate or become deeply involved with any particular character. Along the same lines, it's very clear that some of the storylines are a little more interesting than others (although I personally like Sam, even the most diehard True Blood fan must admit that the melodrama between Sam and his family almost feel distracting.) That being said, the writers of the series have managed to blend the various plots quite effectively, so that we do maintain our interest in all of these characters, even if their moments on screen are not as exciting as others.

Of course, no review of this season of True Blood would be complete without giving a tip of the hat to the new characters that are brought to pulsing life on the screen. A three way tie should be declared between the Vampire King Russell and his partner Talbot (who is one of the most delightfully catty gay characters to ever be on HBO,) and the sexy vampire Alcide. These three new characters manage to add a bit of spice to the lives of the other characters, and are definitely superb additions to the cast.

Finally, it's worth noting the relationship between Bill and Sookie, which had almost appeared to have cooled off with his rejection of her (in order to save her from himself? Lorena? The answer is not entirely clear.) Now, we see that Bill still cares very much for the beautiful telepath from Ben Temps, as evidenced by the fact that he breaks free of Russel and races to her defense. Although he is too late, the looks that he gives Sookie during this powerful and emotional scene speaks volumes, and it's very clear that he still loves her. Furthermore, this scene also revealed that Sookie's mysterious telepathic power (which she used to inflict some damage on the maenad in Season 2,) has come back with a vengeance. Of course, it remains to be seen just how much she is going to be able to control it.