Not to nitpick with this week's pros and cons, but Sookie doesn't have any other powers than telepathy in the books. The hand of glow was Alan Ball's addition.

"There's a new waitress at Merlotte's?!"

Jason Stackhouse aka "The God That Comes" is my hero.

Everything with Jason, Andy, and Sam was gold. Everything else was a bit "meh" but this was pretty much a filler episode.

I thought it was a great episode. Hilarious and creepy at the same time. I love the "ravage me" scene. Awesome.

And while I understand your sentiment, the shorter-than-network-television seasons greatly contribute to the strength of the writing and the whole production.

Not to bum you out or anything, but I think next week is the season finale... HBO typically wraps their seasons right before a holiday weekend and shows no new episodes during them. So I believe I'm correct in assuming that "Frenzy" is the season finale.

Two more eps (beware of plot summaries at link):

Episode #23: “Frenzy”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 30 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)


Episode #24: “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 13 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Except True Blood's writing isn't strong at all. They managed to make 12 episodes feel like 22 this year.

WOAH WOAH WOAH. They CAN NOT do that! We're going to have to wait TWO weeks for the season finale?

I beg to differ. To each his own, I suppose.

Loved it.

I've had no problems with the Maryanne storyline since she was obviously the "big bad" for the season. And I think we needed to see how far things had been going to believe everyone going batshit when Sookie and Bill come home.

Loved have Layfayette back in full force, Zombie Terry cracked me up and, as always, the show just makes me angry that I have to wait a week to see the next one.

That usually happens when there's a holiday. It got bumped last time cause of 4th of July, now looks like labor Day will bump it.

My wife would disagree but I agree with you completely. I enjoy it but this season has not met expectations.

Was watching the episode again and the scene of Bill vomiting out of the car window was funny as hell.

-I'm callin' Eric!
-Blech...eh...I will not turn to ERIC!

There's always been a lot of humor in this show, but this episode felt more like a flat out comedy than any episode before - so much so, that the couple things that weren't humorous felt like they were out of place.

Jason going to battle with a chainsaw reminded me of Bruce Campbell (Ash) in the Evil Dead movies. GROOVY !!!

Thos.

Epic. Awesome on every level. Jason as Ash and Hoyts mom playing Wii nearly killed me.

I agree, we did need to see things, rather than being thrown right into it.

The writing is not the best (it isn't The Wire) but it works in the context it is in. I think a lot of people are expecting something Sopranos like and this show can't and will never be that.

I enjoyed the episode and the scene with Sookie and Eric was great of course.
My only beef with this season is that they pretty much seperated all of the main characters and it wasn't until this episode that the stories and characters started converging.
They haven't done much with Lafayette either. Why did they not kill him and them lock him in a dungeon for 2-3 episodes and then have no interraction with his Sister or Sookie? Until this episode Tara and Sookie have not seen each other, Sam has had no scenes with Sookie or Tara...

See I'm ok with that, because their "lives" have gone beyond hanging out at Merlotte's all day. I think they need to break things up, move people around and get into some new places...otherwise you are stuck with "daytime at Merlotte's or Sookies, nighttime at Bill's house" and that's pretty much it.

That was fine for the first season but it's time to mix things up. And I know I sometimes go a few weeks without seeing my friends, so it's not even that unusual.

It reminds me of what the writers did the second year of Desperate Houswives. They split everyone up in the their own stories and everyone was disappointed that they didn't see the housewives hanging out and gossiping ocassionally.

So to all you folks who say Sam can only shift when he's seeing an animal....what was he seeing when he shifted into a fly when Jason smited him? Answer me dat!!!


Sam, nice guy, but he's a Dope.

He is a dope, but dude, you need to go back and watch the fist season since you obviously missed the episode where he explains this; he needs the animal around for the first time, but once he's changed into it once or twice, it's easier and doesn't need the animal around as much.

"Dude" nothin! That's my point!!!!!


He's what? late 20's or early 30's and the writers mean to tell me Sam has never been around a FLYYYY? Down South no less!? I could totally understand if Sam didn't know how to change into some uncommon animal like a Lemur or Snow Leopard because although he's been around, chances are he's never been outside of the U.S. But Come the hell on maaaan!!! A FLY? Flies, Dogs, Cats, Roaches, Pigeons, Crows, Horses, Various Farm Animals, and many other common creatures should be old hat to him by now since they can be seen almost daily here in America. I mean shit, he owns a Bar/Restaurant. I KNOW he's seen plenty of Rats, Flies, and Roaches....


I like Sam, I really do. But his powers make no sense as written by the writers of True Blood. Well that, and he's a Coward and a bit stupid. Agian, thanks to how he's written. I mean Sam could be a total Shapeshifting badass...but he isn't.

I think the answer from last week still stands. The fly was the last thing he saw and focused on, therefore he can still change into it. What was said last week in response to your question was that he can shift into the last creature he sees, there was never mention of a time limit.

My impression is if he is shifting to an animal he never has before, he needs to look at it for a minute and study it so he can shift. He has done the dog so many times, that is is his "go to" animal. But he had probably never tried a fly before so he had to look at it first to learn how. He remembered how to do it again this time.

I would imagine it is like an artist - even if you have seen flies all your life, you would want to look at one or a picture before you tried to paint one.

I don't think it does. But ok.