True Blood Episode 4.03, Or How I Fell For Eric Northman

Last night on True Blood we were introduced to a whole new character: Eric Northman. Yes, I know he’s not really new, but here is a stripped down, arrogance removed, vulnerable, child-like vampire that we have never seen before. Eric Northman was all that you could expect from a 1000-year old, drop-dead gorgeous vampire with super human strength. Self confidence (in spades), cockiness (comes from arrogance), don’t-mess-with-me attitude – gone. I love him. I want to pet him and squeeze him and call him mine.

Eric tried to break up a coven, headed up by a necromancer, and wound up routed with his tail between his legs. I guess that’s what happens when you underestimate your foe. I was not an Eric fan; not in the books or on the show. I’m not denying Alexander Skarsgard’s hotness and talent, quite the opposite, in fact. He’s done a great job creating this character and making him his own. However, I was crazy about the Bill and Sookie relationship, even as I read the books. I cried when it all went wrong for Bill – at Eric’s hand, by the way. I despised Eric for hurting Sookie like that and poking his nose where it had no business. He exposed Bill for his own selfish purpose which to me is just as wrong as Bill hiding his initial intent in sliding up to The Sook. So no, I was not a fan.

Then Eric was cursed. I fell in love with him right along with Sookie, although there will always be a place in my heart for Bill. In True Blood, Alan Ball is making things a bit tougher, though, by making Bill king of Louisiana, and very good at it. Now the choice becomes interesting. Here is a meek and mild-mannered Eric and a strong, authoritative Bill, and I love them both. Will Sookie? The choice may be just as difficult for her.

Meanwhile, Lafayette, Tara and Jesus are terrified of the repercussions of what Marnie did to Eric. Lafayette thinks he can, what, talk some sense into Eric? Beg forgiveness? All of the above? Lafayette, did you not learn anything in that dungeon?

The new state of Tara comes blazing in to save the day, and I love this Tara. She’s gutsy, she’s no-nonsense, she’s courageous. In short, a heroine.

Jessica glamous Hoyt into forgetting that she confessed to feeding on another human male. This is not going to go well. For one thing, Jessica still has too many human feelings. She will feel the guilt. And when Hoyt finds out, which is a good chance, what remaining trust he had will be gone. I fear the young lovers may not survive this faux pas.

In probably the most disturbing scene of the evening, we see what Jason is being ‘groomed’ for in Hotshot. They are turning him into a were-panther so Crystal and he can procreate. However, it appears that it’s not just Crystal that he is supposed to impregnate. Wow. That’s all I can say about that.

Andy is sinking further into addiction and Sam completely blew a golden opportunity to be a big brother to Tommy. Tommy was so proud of his scheme, no matter that it meant Maxine Fortenberry would be tossed out on her bum. Tommy was never taught right and wrong, and Sam didn’t help. Way to go, Sam! We’ll see how that works for you.

My ‘ah-ha!’ moment was when we finally got an explanation of what happened during the fight between Sookie and the Rattrays in the pilot episode of the series! Claudine explains to Sookie (just before she becomes Eric’s dinner) that she was the one who was there helping Sookie. That was one of the times she mentions having been there to protect her. Who saw that coming? No one? No? Me either. It just goes to show, just when you think a storyline is useless and pointless, True Blood brings things around and it all makes sense. Gotta love that about this show!