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

As always, the HBO series "True Blood" continued to up the stakes this episode, with Russell conspiring to drink Sookie's blood in order to gain immunity to the son, while Eric and Bill conspire for him to do the same thing in order to assure that the King will meet his death when the effect of Sookie's blood wears off. Meanwhile, both Arlene and Sam both struggle with their own troubles, while Tara struggles with the death of Eggs and Jason's recent revelation, and Jason finds himself caught in the middle of a fight between Crystal's family and the DEA.

Although not as breakneck nor as intense as some earlier episodes, there was a lot to digest in this episode, including the recent hints that Arlene's baby might be something of a demon. I have to admit that at first I wasn't convinced that this particular plot line in "True Blood" could hold up, but I find myself interested in her continuing plight, if only because I would like to see what exactly is going to happen with the tenacious little creature that has managed to survive her efforts to expel it by means of witchcraft.

One of the most interesting moments that happened in this episode, however, was Sam's continued mental deterioration as he continues to struggle with his tumultuous past and the crimes he has committed. This definitely adds some definition to his character, showing that he is not quite the innocent man that we had come to consider him. However, I am wondering exactly how this is going to wrap up in the final episode since, unlike the other plot lines currently going on, there doesn't seem to be an end point in his development. His plot line, instead, seems to be more of a bit of character development than anything else.

This, in fact, is one of the problems this series has faced since the beginning of the season. Now that we have developed a great deal of affection for all of these characters, we expect to see them have their own plot lines and stories. Anything less would make us feel as if we were being shortchanged. However, without a doubt the most interesting and engaging plot lines continue to be those that revolve around the maelstrom that is the relationship between Sookie, Bill, Eric, and the always-powerful yet alluring Russell. In making this the centerpoint of most episodes (which is only fitting,) it sometimes feels as if the other storylines are mere distractions, and I often find myself waiting impatiently for the camera eye to return to them. That being said, I do have to say that those other stories are immensely interesting; it's just that they don't quite measure up to the center plot.

All in all, however, this was a fine episode of "True Blood," and it helped to set up things for a powerful and climactic finale. Unlike before, when we felt relieved that we were finally going to be rid of the maenad, it will be something of a deep sadness when we must eventually see Russell meet whatever fate the story has in store for him (he might live or he might die, but my bets are on the latter.) Whatever the case, we can rest assured that relationships among all of the characters, especially between Bill and Sookie, may never be the same again. The only question is: will we be able to handle that?