Television Without PityDid the ‘True Blood’ Finale Deliver? We Rate the Best & Worst Moments
While we mostly enjoyed the fourth season of "True Blood," what with Eric losing his mind and Bill becoming a character we could actually tolerate, there were a lot of random missteps and storylines that we either hated with a passion or just couldn't care less about. Not all the issues got resolved in the finale, but many of them did. So did this season actually deliver? We're leaning toward a tentative yes (with the option to change our minds next year if some of the thankfully dead people come back to life... again), and here's why.
The Good: Sookie Chooses Me
Sookie (after some sage advice from ghost Grandma) decides that while she loves both Eric and Bill, she's not going to be with either of them. Neither one is happy about this, so we expect some good tension there next year. Additionally, she turned down puppy dog Alcide's adorable offer to be with her even if neither of them really loves the other (though she really is a bit of a moron for this one). So Sookie's going to be alone (at least for half a minute), which is kind of nice because sometimes we need a flow chart to keep up with who's had whose blood and is under whose spell.
The Bad: Skinwalkers vs. Werewolves
Alcide opened up all kinds of trouble when he killed Luna's estranged husband (in self/Sam defense) because now the werewolves are hella pissed and going after Sam. We were just hoping that Sam and Luna could take that kid and go camp in the woods, where we could forget about them.
The Good: Bill & Eric = Buddy Cops
So now that the two boys have their minds back, have disposed of Nan Flanagan, have a bounty on their heads, and will likely have to deal with the fallout from that time Bill buried the now-freed Russell alive under a garage of concrete, these vampires seem to have teamed up to fight anyone who pisses them off. And along the way, they commiserate about their progeny. This is a show we're excited to watch.
[Photos: See the Cast of 'True Blood' Before Bon Temps]
The Good: The Witch Is Dead!
We hated the ancient-witch business (and anything to do with Moon Goddess Emporium) nearly the second we saw it, and now it seems like it has been closed for business... forever. Antonia realized that, in modern society, it is too damn hard to kill all the vampires, and Marnie has moved out of Lafayette's body and into heaven or hell or wherever ghost Grandma is currently residing.
The Good: No More Playing With Dolls
That creepy devil doll arc went on way too long. Sure, it introduced Lafayette's true medium abilities, but we were sick of that dirty baby doll showing up everywhere, and how the ghostly owner of the doll really had nothing at all to do with Rene. At least everyone got to witness a "miracle" when the murdered woman and baby were reunited in a glowing out-of-body experience.
The Bad: Creepy Devil Baby
We were hoping that Mikey's issues (and his pyrokinetic powers) would go away when the doll left, but no, it seems that he might actually be a devil baby, given that his dead murderer father is still coming back to haunt Arlene on occasion.
[Photos: Check Out More Photos of the 'True Blood' Cast]
The Good: Oh My God, They Killed Tara?
We've never really been the biggest fan of Tara's, and honestly, what else could they possibly do to her? She's been kidnapped and tortured by everyone on the planet. But leave it to crazy Debbie Pelt to shoot Tara right in the head. Will Tara possess Lafayette and go buck wild? It's a distinct possibility, but after years of dealing with Tara's dead-end storylines, we're glad to see her literally dead... for the moment.
The Good: No More Mickens!
So much of Sam's arc this season involved his brother Tommy and the lingering issues around the manipulative Mickens family, so we're insanely glad that Tommy is dead (with a lovely, fitting sacrificial swan song) and that we don't have to deal with any of them anymore.
The Good: Scott "He'll Always Be Noel Crane to Us" Foley Has Entered the Building
Scott Foley arrived in town, and he may or may not be a killer! Seems like he could be the Big Bad of the fifth season, and we're pretty psyched about that.
The Bad: Jesus Is Dead
Poor Jesus. Marnie (who was possessing his boyfriend Lafayette's body at the time) stabbed him dead in order to steal his powers, and now he's relegated to being a ghostly figment whenever medium Lafayette wants him around. That is, provided Lafayette's body isn't being occupied by, like, nine other people at the same time. We didn't love the nurse at first, but we grew to enjoy the two of them as a couple. We should have guessed that relationships in Bon Temps always end with someone getting killed.
[Related: 'True Blood' Star Nelsan Ellis Talks About the Death of Jesus]
The Good: Jason & Jessica 4-Eva
She's blossoming into her sexuality and running around the woods like a scantily clad Little Red Riding Hood, and we totally support that. She and Jason have a mutually agreeable grown-up sexual relationship (a rarity on this show) and are adorable together. It's far better than watching her sex up random guys at Fangtasia and mind-wipe her boyfriend.
The Good: Steve "I'm a Vampire" Newlin
Out of all the people we ever imagined as fangers on this show, the preachy Steve Newlin, who made his views on nightwalkers ever so clear, was never one of them. But now he's back and sporting fangs and possibly killing/turning Jason. It's a twist that holds a lot of promise... particularly if he's somehow in cahoots with Russell.
The Uncertain: Sookie Killed Debbie
We're thrilled that Sookie shot Debbie in the head (as payback for killing Tara), but we're not clear on whether this payoff is going to deliver. Yes, we're infinitely glad that the V-addicted werewolf with insecurities galore is gone, but how is Alcide going to react when he discovers that his wannabe girlfriend killed his abjured girlfriend?
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