"True Blood" Season 6 Episode 8 Recap: "Dead Meat"

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"Destiny is too much of a bitch to keep fighting," Sookie uttered when Bill asked why she was handing Warlow over to him. In True Blood season six's eighth episode, "Dead Meat," Sookie was essentially faced with a life or death ultimatum: continue living a life of supernatural drama in a world where even your own parents want to see you dead, or, choose death, as Warlow's fairy-vampire bride for a hopefully peaceful existence.

If you let Warlow tell it, it's more a proposal than an ultimatum (he has been waiting 6,000 years for Sookie, after all). He'll agree to let Bill use his blood to save her vampire friends at vamp camp, in exchange for being able to turn Sookie into a vampire. Between Warlow's profession of love, Sookie's constant supernatural drama, and her newfound deep disdain towards her parents, Sookie chooses to spend eternity with Warlow; but not before running to a few old flames for a bit more ego stroking.

First up is Bill. Bill of course is the main man pressuring her to give up Warlow. Sookie shares Warlow's vampire ultimatum with Bill, who in turn thinks it's a fair trade: Warlow's blood for Sookie's life. Perhaps expecting Bill to drop to his knees and cling to her legs crying "Baby, please don't go!", Sookie is shocked at his remarkable indifference. She storms off.

Next in her old flames tour of Bon Temps is Sam, whom she visits at Merlotte's. Sookie reveals that she always assumed the two of them would end up together, and Sam is rightfully outraged at the audacity of her timing. The problem with her timing, you ask? Well, Nicole is pregnant. Nicole doesn't know it yet, but Sam was able to smell it on her, him being a shifter and all. After Alcide was challenged by Rikki for packmaster (and lost), he leaves the pack but at least gets to safely return Nicole and her mom to Sam. I rejoiced at the sight of old Alcide, with morals and goodness. He was usually the voice of reason in this crazy True Blood world. Anyway, once safely in Sam's arms, he convinces Nicole to stay. I guess he'll reveal the good news to her next episode.

After being rejected by Sam, Sookie finally decides she'll just become Warlow's vampire fairy bride and live happily ever after. The catch? When Sookie brings Bill into the fairy realm to get Warlow, we find him drained of his blood with two bite marks on his neck (no telling if he's dead or not). Bill knows who did it, and so do we: Eric.

In the aftermath of Nora's death, Eric is drunk with grief. He's loopy and accusatory of Bill, for not wanting to ruffle Sookie's feathers and bring Warlow back to save Nora. Eric cuts pretty deep with his questions about Sookie's earlier attempt to kill Bill, causing Bill to lose his temper and cast Eric out his house.

While Eric is no longer Team Bill, he's still, at least, fighting for the same goal: to save Pam, Tara, Jessica and Willa from meeting the sun. Eric knows that Warlow's blood is responsible for Bill's day-walking abilities. He finds Andy's fae-daughter to drink some of her blood so that the fairy realm becomes visible to him. Once inside, he drains Warlow. This is all assumed since we never actually see this sequence of events, but this isn't my (or your) first time at the True Blood rodeo so we know that's pretty much what happened.

Back at vamp camp, Jason has somehow found himself right at home: as a sexual object for some lusty woman. In this case it's Violet, the head vampire in charge at female gen pop. Violet plans to feed on Jason whenever she wants, forever (she's a Catholic, who believes in the sanctity of union, so basically, her word is her bond). 

Thanks to Pam's productive (wink, wink) session with her therapist, she's back in female gen pop to figure out a plan with the rest of the crew. She, Tara, Jessica and Willa attempt, however weakly, to get Jason out from under Violet's claws, but it's useless. All that Jason asks of Violet is not to be raped. Violet assures Jason that she's a vampire who knows the difference between feeding and sex; however, she does plan on having sex with Jason, and he's going to like it. For some reason, I don't think that's too far from the truth. As much as Sookie is a "danger whore" (her words, not mine), so is Jason. It must run in the family.

Speaking of crazy women who are obsessed with Jason, word gets back to Sarah that there's a small group of vampires avoiding the contaminated Tru Blood. Sarah gathers them all into the white room (that's Tara, Pam, Jessica, Willa, and now Violet, Steve Newlin and Jess's new hippie vampire boyfriend James) where they may eventually meet their death.

Let's hope day-walking Eric shows up next episode in time to save his friends and family. Because if there's anything we've learned this episode, it's that Sarah is a ruthless, stone-cold killer and she will have no qualms with setting these guys on fire. Case in point: her brutal, although sometimes humorous, slaying of Suzuki. Suzuki shows up demanding answers from Governor Burrell regarding the Tru Blood factories and instead discovers they are contaminating the product. When she attempts to contact the FDA, Sarah loses it, and chases Suzuki through vamp camp, ultimately smashing her head into the metal grate and finishing her off with a well placed high heel to the skull, before praising Jesus. The woman is nuts. And I love it.

Until next week, here are my liner notes from this episode:

- If Lafayette isn't going to be of any importance this season, at least they finally improved his ensemble this episode. Gold lame scarf, anyone?

- Forgot to mention, Arlene learns about Terry's $2 million insurance policy and the Bellefleur family prepare Terry's funeral. Will Arlene still be relevant with Terry gone?

- This episode reminded me of True Blood's of seasons past: Alcide is good again. Eric is bad. Sam is back at Merlotte's. Sookie is needy. All is right.