'True Blood': 'Frenzy' Just Didn't Taste Quite Right

True Blood Missed the Bite Just a Little in 'Frenzy'

Mary Zeiher
Mary Zeiher, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Aug 31, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
True Blood is truly one of the best hours, well almost hour, of television to be had right now. But last night felt like one of those times when you make your favorite recipe, taste the result, and realize that you forgot to put salt in it. Someone forgot the salt last night on True Blood in Frenzy. It still tasted delicious, but you just know something was missing.

Now before anyone gets too upset, I knew going into it that this was going to be a filler True Blood episode as we head toward the highly anticipated finale. And I did enjoy this True Blood episode very much, parts of it were outstanding, but there were other pieces that just didn't taste right.

Did Hoyt really just realize that his girlfriend is a very young and out of control vampire? Shouldn't he have known this all along? Did it really take seeing little Jessica on her knees with her fangs attached to mommy dearest neck to realize that she might actually bite someone, possibly mommy?

Did anyone else feel like the whole True Blood exorcism of Tara and removal of the black eyes was for naught? I mean a whole True Blood episode was devoted to getting Tara back. I loved knowing that Sookie had her friend Tara back. But what happened? Tara gets all into her own mean, nasty, not-Maryann-induced soul and guilts her alcoholic Mother into helping her escape from the people that were just trying to save her.

So Tara is headed back to try to save Eggs, the man she loves, from the evil Maryann. And, oh here is a True Blood surprise, she gets the black eyes back after one Maryann slap. Who else, bedsides me, felt cheated for the emotion of the prior week's exorcism in that moment? Then, more surprise, Tara and Eggs head upstairs for more Maryann-induced sex.

Now for the True Blood vampire queen, played extraordinarily well by Evan Rachel Wood, she was just confusing to me in why she had to keep Bill with her and her snacks, and not let him 'take his leave'. Was she so bored after the years of existence that she had to have Bill's company or is another reason that she was keeping him there. Was there a reason that she wanted him away from Bon Temps?

The one nugget the True Blood queen gave us, that made all her strange discourse worth it, was that Tara and her supposed exorcism by Miss Jeanette was what allowed Maryann into Bon Temps to start with. That means that Tara will have some serious, well deserved True Blood guilt to deal with - assuming the town survives through the finale.

Once again the now sober Andy and buff Jason Stackhouse pairing was the best part of this True Blood episode. Their visit to the sheriff's office to collect weapons was hysterical, and the scene in the truck as they work out their male relationship over why Hoyt hates Jason, made me think they were going to hug. Instead they manned-up, high-fived, loaded up their weapons and headed for battle.

Other great True Blood moments included Sam taking Arlene's kids to Fangtasia to try to persuade Eric to help in killing Maryann, and Lafayette distracting Terry and Arlene with his baggie of pill-goodness throwing the pills on the it ground and calling 'here chicky, chicky, chicky'. Those scenes were True Blood greatness.

Another moment that made last night's True Blood totally worthwhile was the scene between the exiting Bill and the entering Eric at the queen's place. I love it every time those two go 'toe-to-toe' and this was not to be missed. It's always about Sookie with these two and it never disappoints.

The True Blood ending was disturbing on many levels. The giant nest with the egg on grams bed was just plain weird. But Tara and Eggs destroying all of grams stuff in her room really pissed me off and Sookie too, that was kind of heart-breaking to see. But then the worst moment was to come.

Lafayette now has the black eyes. I wanted to see how Lafayette would help our heroes save the town in the True Blood finale, and I suppose he still might, but this was mighty disappointing.

All in all, True Blood Frenzy as good, but it needed more salt.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-blankenship/emtrue-bloodem-sucker-pun_b_272434.html

http://watching-tv.ew.com/2009/08/30/true-blood-review-evan-rachel-wood/

Published by Mary Zeiher

Mary is a Certified Project Manager (PMP) and Freelance Writer for the Web. I have over twenty four years of IT experience and twelve years as a Project Manager. I have a passion for writing and continue t...  View profile

12 Comments

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  • Sandi9/1/2009

    This entire season was a whole disappointment. I felt the writing was subpar and the acting (Sookie especially) as well. Season 1 was so much better. I guess my disappointment with the Frenzy episode is not as high because I was already disappointed with the entire season. I've read better lines on fanfic than seen in this seasons writing. Not enough Eric/Bill/Sookie drama for my taste and too much of Eggs/Tara b.s.

  • kp9/1/2009

    I competely agree with your critique! Especially about the Tara thread. Also, Sookie, as smart and brave as she is, runs into gran's house alone! It was a frustratingly obvious mistake to split from Lafayette and took away the apprehension of a real -- more equal confrontation with the forces of Mary-Ann.

    As for the Queen (who I quess would be senior in age)- why was she so interested in sensual pleasures that surely she should've long ago lost her adolescent fascination with? Godric was more interesting in this way - more captivating as an ancient world-weary creature with tormented self-reflections .

    And where in all of this was some mention from Sookie, Lafayette, Tara or her mom of help from the outside world -- was there a reason that they were cut off? I adore the fantasy but especially because it supposes that there's a real world beyond the borders of Bon Temp.

  • kp9/1/2009

    I com

  • Leslie8/31/2009

    I just felt like this episode had the absolute worst script overall of all the episodes so far. I'm just thinking of it as a filler episode as the author noted.

  • Nicole8/31/2009

    Oops, too long apparently. My point was - of course Sookie and Bill 'saving' Tara wouldn't work. All the people under Maryanne's influence WANT to be there on some level. It's like, everything you ever wanted to do or say that you felt you shouldn't - Maryanne gives them the freedom to do. But she's crazy - she'll kill all of them to see her God.

    Loved Pam! She's the true Queen.

  • LeeAnne8/31/2009

    I agree, this was the weakest eppy yet.
    BTW that stupid scientology hover ad can't be closed or moved, I had to copy the taxt underneath it to read the whole article.Way annoying...

  • Nicole8/31/2009

    Can't say I loved ERW as the Queen, her acting felt really forced to me. Almost campy.

    I loved that Bill apparently knows Hadley and hasn't said anything to Sookie about it. There's a big twist coming with Bill, you can feel it.

    (And no, I haven't read the books - so please don't bother trying to spoil me, I don't care.)

    I think a lot people don't truly understand the Maryanne stuff, so they're confused or turned off to the storyline. Maryanne is all about having no limits, no repression. OF COURSE the ritual Tara did brought her to Bon Temps. Tara basically killed her child self, repressing and 'killing' her feelings - which was probably like a love song to Maryanne. I never thought Maryanne came for Sam - it was always Tara. Sam is just her vessel for the final ritual. If you see the different reactions of the people under her influence, you can clearly see it's them letting go of their personal repressions. (Hoyt's mother is a good example - she's never done one

  • LR8/31/2009

    @the people who commented: Evan Rachel Wood performed the Queen very well. The problem is that maybe she wasn't the queen you expected her to be. She isn't a Lorena 2, she has a childish beaviour beacuse she was turned very young.

  • nikka8/31/2009

    Yep, this episode was the worst of the season. The queen dragging on and on about the maenad reminded me of Neo going to see the architect in Matrix. As always, love the Eric scenes and the best line/words of the night "teacup humans". But Tara getting rescued only to fall back into the clutches of Maryanne reminds me of when Kim getting kidnapped over and over on 24. Sorta a downer for the finale as it looks like our Viking will not be joining in on the action against the maenad takedown.

  • nina8/31/2009

    Evan Rachel Ward did an extraordinarily well job?!?! That was one of the most amatuerish performances I've yet to see in True Blood. And I thought the dude who plays "Eggs" was a bad actor...

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