'True Blood' Season 6 Episode 5 Recap: Welcome to Vamp Camp

Culture

Sunday's episode, aptly titled “F... The Pain Away,” brought some of True Blood’s characters back into their comfort zone, and took others way into the deep end. In Sookie’s case, this meant being the object of desire for all supernatural creatures everywhere. Ben/Warlow essentially calls Sookie his soul mate, professes his love and spills the beans on the night her parents were killed. The twist? Her parents were actually trying to kill her that night, in order to stop Barlow from one day turning Sookie into a vampire — which still seems to be his plan. 

That is, until Bill shows up at the Stackhouse residence commanding Barlow to come with him. You see, when Sookie used her fae light on Ben (who was able to self-heal), Bill was drawn to Ben because Ben (as Warlow) is Bill’s (as Lilith reincarnate) progeny. Get it?

From this new relationship, we get some fun True Blood-style flashbacks (which, in this case means seeing Ben in a really bad wig) starring Lilith and Ben. We see Lilith turn Ben in the hopes that he’d be “the one to save vampire-kind.” We also witness Ben returning to his fae-village as a vampire and sucking the life out of every sweet-smelling fairy there — except a young Grandpa Niall. Finally we learn that Ben has serious resentment issues towards Lilith, despises the entire vampire race, and that he actually did kill Lilith by exposing her to the sun.

Bill’s other progeny, Jessica, is high on fairy blood after draining Andy’s fae-daughters — well, all but three. Andy shows up to the Compton residence with shotgun in hand, to find only one daughter with a least a little bit of life in her. He feeds her some vampire blood and learns that it was actually Jessica, not Bill, who drained his other daughters. Holly consoles Andy and talks him down from seeking revenge.

Jason was one of the only characters who literally got to act out the episode title. Sarah shows up on Jason’s doorstep, a little bit vulnerable and a whole lot of wacky, having been dismissed by Governor Burrell (and no doubt still feeling the wounds of having a gay vampire as her ex). The two have make-up sex and the Jason of yesteryear emerges, when he was nothing more than a sexual object for loopy female characters. 

Meanwhile, Jessica’s fae-high involves a little bit of lust (she kisses Bill) and a lot of introspection. She also shows up at Jason’s door. Jessica questions Jason on if he ever loved her (yes, he did) and then starts obsessing over Bill possibly being the Devil and she doing the Devil’s work. Just then Sarah walks in, rescinds Jessica’s invitation from Jason’s house (I didn’t realize you could rescind an invite from someone else’s home) and delivers Jessica to the awaiting LAVTE forces outside. Feeling responsible for her detainment, Jason join the LAVTE to try and save Jess. Can’t wait to see how this storyline turns out (I am biased towards the Jessica/Jason relationship).

Still, Jessica isn’t the only vampire taken to Governor Burrell’s camp. Tara and Eric are willingly captured in order to find Pam. Lured by the promise of feeding on a real-life human, Pam reveals to the camp’s psychiatrist about all of vampire-nature — including the maker/progeny relationship and the bonding habits of vampires (shocker, vampires don’t bond). These theories are tested in survival-of-the-fittest Saw-meets-Hunger Games-style experiments with the vampires. In the final moments of the episode, Pam and Eric find themselves in a sterile white room being prompted to kill (each other) or be killed, with the governor, Sarah and good old Steve Newlin looking on. I, of course, refuse to believe these two won’t find a way out of this sticky situation, but we’ll have to tune in next week to see.

Finally, Alcide is still on his quest for blood lust. He’s looking for Sam, Nicole and Emma and with plans to do some damage. Rightfully so, Alcide’s father calls him out, asking if he’s searching for Emma because it’s the right thing to do, or because he’s trying to impress Rikki. Alcide does not take too kindly to this accusation and disowns his father.

Speaking of Sam and Nicole, they’re holed up at a motel. Nicole realizes just how little fun being a shifter is (always having to hide your identity and being on the run) and wants to bail. Alcide’s dad happens to see the two arguing outside. No word yet on whether he’ll actually report back to his indignant son.

Last but not least, Sookie recruits Lafayette and his medium capabilities to help connect with her parents and learn what really happened the night they were killed. Because this seems to be the only way to work Lafayette into any story now, John Stackhouse possesses Lafayette during the seance. Lafayette, as Papa Stackhouse, then seeks out to finish what he started, drags Sookie to a bayou and proceeds to drown her.

Anyway, I enjoyed seeing Pam in her natural, witty state this episode and Jason’s soft (lust-filled) heart taking precedence over his vampire hatred. I did not enjoy seeing Alcide on a power trip, but I have a feeling that will come to a head soon.

Check back in next week because:

-Jason called Jessica his vampire girlfriend (swoon) ... kind of, sort of. Plus he’s going to be totally bad ass as a double agent on the LATVE. I love bad ass Jason when he’s fighting for the right team.

-Terry asked an old army buddy to kill him. Please, just do it, army buddy. I’m sick of the ghosts of smoke monster’s past.

-Jessica and Tara seemed to have meet the head lady-vamp prisoner at camp. She’s either going to love the two, or hate them. Also, Willa (who’s in the camp as well) will probably band with Tara and Jessica. Baby vamps unite!