HBO kicked off True Blood’s fifth season in a less-than-spectacular manner, juggling too many stories and characters without giving any of them a chance to flourish. Sookie was as annoying as annoying as ever. Jason and Jessica’s video game session was completely out of place. And Russell Edgington, the one character everyone is dieing to see return, remains nothing more than a sadistic off-camera tease.
Read Matt’s True Blood: Season 5 ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’ review.
The big twist was Pam turning Tara into a vampire to appease Sookie and Lafayette’s selfish desires, and Tara rising from the grave with a chip on her shoulder. Or is that out of brain. Or both. In the next episode ‘Authority Always Wins,’ vampire Tara will prove difficult to control as she ransacks Sookie’s kitchen and Sookie and Lafayette aren’t quite sure what to do with her. Check out Lafayette pulling up his collar in the first new True Blood clip below as if it will help protect him from Tara’s bite.
The other big story this week is the delivery of Bill, Eric and Nora to the Vampire Authority and the first look at the Authority on their home turf. Christopher Meloni and several other actors and actresses including Jacob Hopkins, Valentina Cervi, Carolyn Hennesy, Christopher Heyerdahl and Peter Mensah will make their debuts as members of the Authority.
Let us not forget the other numerous sub-plots that will slowly forge ahead tonight. There’s Patrick’s presence and the effect it will have on Arlene and Terry, Hoyt’s continued anti-Jason campaign, Reverend Newell’s “out of the closet” vampire life, Pam’s evolution into a maker, Sam and Alcide’s battle with the wolves, and the eventual return of Russell Edgington from his shallow grave. Please, Russell, get back into your groove sooner rather than later.
True Blood: Season 5 episode ‘Authority Always Wins,’ the 50th episode thus far, premieres tonight on HBO at 9/8c. Enjoy a trailer and a couple clips from the new episode below, and look for Matt’s review in the coming days.
