TV-Reviewed

Instead of reviewing each of these episodes individually, I elected to watch them each back-to-back and combine my reviews into one. It’s easier and quicker to go this route since I was so far behind.

Sam Merlotte’s folks did prove to be up to something no-good, but I wouldn’t have guessed dog fighting was it. Tommy and his mother are both shifters, allowing them to turn themselves into monster pitbulls and do well in the fighting ring. Given the negative stuff in the media since Michael Vick got busted a while back, I was surprised to see dog fighting integrated into the story, but it does make sense for this crazy family to earn its money this way.

Sam’s big rescue in “Hitting the Ground” was something else. He’s finally got people to look down upon and it’s annoying. I’m not used to seeing this side of Sam. I frankly prefer “bar owner Sam”.

So after some serious doubts with the Tara/Franklin storyline, things eventually worked out… so far. This is all presuming Franklin is actually dead and out of the picture. I’m not so sure he’s dead yet, but we’ll see. One thing I really hated with “Hitting the Ground” was the way her killing of Franklin was filmed. Franklin’s head was obviously rubber or something fake and I remember laughing out loud when Tara bit into Franklin’s neck and chewed away. This was terrible horror movie garbage. I know the show likes to be funny sometimes, but I didn’t think those were good spots to introduce humor. They should have been more serious.

As for Sookie and Bill, well they finally got to see one another again. However their reunion wasn’t nearly as romantic as Sookie had hoped. Bill came to warn her of Russell and his pack of wolves. It was all for nothing, however. Russell learned of Bill’s betrayal and before too long, everyone seemed to be back at Russell’s mansion, even Eric.

Yeah, Eric showed up trying to track down Bill and when he got cornered on the selling V issue, he was forced to come clean and sell out his queen. If Eric is anything, it is savy. He know when it’s time to cut his losses and keep himself alive. He wouldn’t be as old as he is if he were stupid. But aligning with Russell, even if only for the short-term, is a risky proposition. Russell is, as we learned, partially responsible for the death of Eric’s Viking family. I enjoyed that flashback sequence when he saw his father’s crown in Russell’s collection.

I’m pleased with what the writers are doing with Jason Stackhouse this season. He’s still an idiot, but he’s got some drive for something bigger in his life. His decision to be a cop wasn’t a total surprise. His meeting with Crystal was a bit of a surprise. I’m really curious about that character. Her lying about meeting Jason caught me by surprise. Something shady is going on in those homes and I’m not just talking about drug dealing. There’s more to the story.

Over the course of those three episodes, we were able to learn more about Alcide and his crazy ex. She’s one crazy woman, that’s for sure. Since Alcide didn’t kill her at the end “Hitting the Ground”, I suspect this isn’t the end of these two. They’ll see one another and someone will die. I don’t see a “Happily Ever After” type of situation with these two, even with Coot out of the picture.

These three episodes, “Trouble”, “I Got a Right to Sing the Blues”, and “Hitting the Ground” were all great to watch. Not only are the main characters’ stories advancing, but we’re also seeing things with Arlene, Terry, Jessica, and Hoyt progress. I’m impressed by that young woman Hoyt’s going out with. She took the initiative to seek him out after Hoyt didn’t call her. She didn’t do it in a stalkerish manner. It was nice to see for a change.

Rating: 8