Review – True Blood: Beyond Here Lies Nothin’ (2.12)

Emotion in Bon Temps reaches a fever pitch as Maryann prepares for her ultimate bestial sacrifice, conscripting Sookie to be Maid of Honor at the bloody nuptials. Meanwhile, Sophie-Anne warns Eric to keep the lid on Bill’s inquisitiveness; Jason leads Andy into the heroic abyss; and Hoyt struggles with Maxine’s endless stream of insults. Deliberating on what may be his final move to save Sookie and the town, Sam places his trust, and his life, in a most unlikely ally.

The season finale for True Blood has finally arrived, and I think it was definitely worth the wait. My wish to see Maryann get taken care of finally came true. I love the fact that it was Sam who delivered the death blow, and using the form of a white bull to do it was pure genius on the part of the writers. When Sam ripped out Maryann’s heart, I am sure the “whoot” emanating from my living room could be heard for miles around:  that Maenad was, to me at least, the most annoying character on television, and may Bacchus rest her soul. 

This episode Evan Rachel Wood made her second appearance as Sophie-Anne, the Vampire Queen of Louisiana. I did find her a bit more exciting this time around, and her manhandling of Eric is proof that she is a force to be reckoned with. Wood’s first appearance had been rather dull for a Queen of vampires; perhaps I was unfairly putting her up against Eric’s first appearance, which was far more sinister–and he is only a Sherriff. I will look forward to seeing Wood bare her fangs once more as the red-headed Queen of Louisiana in season three, which seems likely from tidbits dropped during this episode.

The only real complaint I have about this finale is that the climax came a bit too early. I felt as though the confrontation with Maryann was a bit rushed; perhaps the finale only being one hour long played a part in that. The rest of the episode was spent prepping for season three. I am excited about season three, but I didn’t like that its foreshadowing necessitated a condensed version of the final battle. This battle has been building for close to four episodes, and to have it last less than half an hour was disappointing. The sting was soon forgotten, however, as viewers got a special treat in the appearance of Charlaine Harris (author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels), who was enjoying a bit of gossip and food at Merlotte’s. Her bit part took us through a wrap-up of all the characters and any loose ends still not tied up for this season.

I have enjoyed both seasons of True Blood, though season two has wrapped up in first place for me. It will be another year before we can chat once more about the people of Bon Temps and their growing population of supernatural beings. So until then enjoy a glass of Trublood and stay out of the sunlight.