Spoilers. It's the season finale of Alan Ball's allegorical vampire tale, and the fact I was genuinely excited shows how well True Blood found its feet after a shaky start. It's been a weekly delight since around episode 4, and "You'll Be The Death Of Me" is a decent climax, that only avoided greatness because it spent far too long setting up season 2...Jason (Ryan Kwanten) is sitting in jail, having confessed he's Bon Temps' serial-killer, although his sister Sookie (Anna Paquin) doubts he's the culprit suffering amnesia. I mean, why would he kill their gran? Sadly, the faxed mugshot of Dean Marshall from Bunkie has been mislaid, so the real perpetrator -- Jason's friend Renee (Michael Raymond-James) -- has yet to be revealed. With Jason about to willingly take the rap for Renee's killings, it leaves Sookie open to assault back home, where her vampire lover Bill (Stephen Moyer) can't protect her in broad daylight...
The frustrating thing about this finale was how the majority of its events were unnecessary appetisers for next year. Tara (Rutina Wesley) is given shelter by the mysterious Maryann (Michelle Forbes), who positions herself as a kind, nurturing, good Samaritan type. Half-brainwashed by Maryann's wealth and hospitality, Tara meets an easygoing guitarist called "Eggs", who convinces her of Maryann's good intentions.
Events build towards a thrilling sequence at the Stackhouse residence, when Renee's controlled thoughts finally betray his guilt to the mind-reading Sookie, just as Arlene's kids find their stepfather-to-be's vampire porn (plus, a Cajun dialect coaching tape!), and Sam (Sam Trammell) notices Renee's jacket matches the scent from a murder scene. Sookie manages to escape Renee's clutches and run for help, which duly arrives in the form of Sam (transformed into a dog) and the unexpected arrival of Bill, who braves certain death by marching through sunlight to save his beloved...
Undoubtedly, this pivotal chase sequence is big, bold and exciting enough to justify their whole episode, particularly thanks to the extraordinary sight of Bill roasting into a cinder (great make-up and effects). It's actually rather disappointing to see Bill's role reduced so much, particularly as True Blood always seemed so focused on the Sookie/Bill romance up until just recently. But, beyond his doomed attempt to save Sookie (which I had to giggle about afterwards, given its futility and failure), Bill is either absent or pushed into the background. I don't think limiting Bill's role was a wise decision, but luckily there's enough going on to distract you from this lapse.
After Renee is killed, Jason is released, Bill is healed and peace is restored to Bon Temps, "You'll Be The Death Of Me" leaps forward in time by two weeks, to give us a glimpse of how season 2 will pan out. Merlotte's bar is brighter and more airy (nice touch by the lighting designers to give a subtle visual cue that things are better), vampire-human marriage has been legalized, Tara is a disciple of Maryann (a woman who knows Sam, and appears to be a practising shape-shifter), Sam is so unsettled by Maryann's arrival that he's filled a bag of cash (what does she know about his past that has him so worried?), Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) has been secretly killed by Bill to restore his health (when that's revealed, people won't be happy!), Jason has embraced religion by joining the "Fellowship Of The Sun" (who preach anti-vamprie doctrine), Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) arrives to dump teen vampire Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) back on Bill, and a dead body is discovered in Andy Bellefleur's (Chris Bauer) car...
So, plenty to consider for next year. Indeed, after watching this finale, I wasn't really contented to see various storylines end, more bemused by how it seemed more focused on season 2 at times. I'm not particularly excited about Jason or Tara's direction (both being hoodwinked, it seems), and ending the season on another murder tests credibility. It may have been better if we'd seen the body -- it must be either Lafayette (doesn't he paint his toenails?) or perhaps Tara's mother?
But I am intrigued about Maryann's history with Sam, her own abilities, and motive for helping Tara. Giving Bill a rebellious teenager to deal should also be good fun, although I hope they tone Jessica down a touch -- she was enjoyably reckless and immoral when she was introduced, but she may have tipped over into extremely irritating now. I shared Bill's pain at her presence, instead of delighting in his torment.
Overall, "You'll Be The Death Of Me" was a perfectly decent season finale, but it didn't quite live up to increasing expectations. The last three episodes have been written with season 2 in mind, which is commendable pre-planning, but it came at the expense of a truly involving climax to the current stories. Still, I didn't guess the identity of the killer (although, in retrospect, it was perhaps obvious it would be one of the underwritten Merlotte bar flies), and there was enough excitement and tension to keep you glued. Roll on season 2!
23 November 2008
HBO, 9pm
Writer: Raelle Tucker
Director: Alan Ball
Cast: Anna Paquin (Sookie), Stephen Moyer (Bill), Michael Raymond-James (Rene Lenier), Carrie Preston (Arlene Fowler), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette), Rutina Wesley (Tara), Ryan Kwanten (Jason), Sam Trammell (Sam), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman), Chris Bauer (Andy Bellefleur), Jim Parrack (Hoyt Fortenberry), Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica), Kristin Bauer (Pam) & Michelle Forbes (Maryann)
