True Blood - Episode 4.11 - Soul of Fire - Review

Up until the last five minutes of this episode I was fairly sure that this season was over. Sure there’s one episode left, but I thought maybe it was going to set up the next season or introduce about a dozen new cliffhangers, similar to last season. After all, Marnie’s dead, so what else is left, right? RIGHT? Apparently not. And thus we get into the latest supernatural dynamic on True Blood, if you’re a human dead doesn’t always mean dead. So, we’re four seasons in now, how many humans have we seen die on this show? Because according to the preview for next week’s finale we are in to see some familiar faces during Halloween in Bon Temps. And if you believe IMDb, Gran may make an appearance, presumably to help out Sookie.

Focusing back on this episode, at one point during the broadcast my boyfriend paused the TV and said to me, ‘Why is it in this season that all the characters are just making terrible decisions?’ As much as I love TB I have to agree, this episode a lot of characters did a lot of stupid things. Actually wait, I’m going to limit this to just the disaster that went on at Moon Goddess. Sam and Alcide may have not made the best decisions, but they at least made some amount of sense, so let’s start with them first.

I have to admit that the writers did a fairly good job of tying together all of the were/shifter plotlines into a very compelling resolution tonight. We will have to wait and see what the repercussions will be for Alcide and Sam killing Marcus, but I have a feeling his pack will not be happy. As for Sam, it was nice seeing him in full badass mode, and although he technically wasn’t the one that killed Marcus I’m sure that’s not going to make Luna feel any better. It’s a shame, I really enjoyed these two as a couple, but I’m not sure that they’re going to be together for much longer. In a scene taken almost verbatim from the books Alcide finally ditches Debbie. I like that he didn’t even ask for an explanation as to why she was half naked in bed with another wolf, none necessary. Expect Debbie to go full psycho by the next episode, and according to the synopsis for the finale she runs into Sookie and Tara, which can only be a bad thing.

Before I get into the main plot for this episode I’m going to take a quick detour into Andy’s latest escapade and what it could mean. I believe it’s been mentioned on the show, and is further detailed in the books, but full-blooded faeries have issues conceiving children together. To solve this problem and ensure that the faerie race doesn’t die out they occasionally come down to earth and mate with unsuspecting humans. So this is the source of Sookie’s faerie bloodline, as well as Barry and all the other poor humans that we saw in the opening of the season. This is essentially what we saw with Andy and the faerie in the woods, and if our previous experiences with faerie time is any indicator we can expect to see his full grown teenage daughter or son in the next episode. Just joking, but on the other hand this is a serious possibility. On related note, did any one else see more than just one glowing ball of light in the woods? I wonder how many other faeries were visiting to get laid, or if some familiar faces from the books were finally dropping by.

Moving on to Moon Goddess, and the all around insanity that took place there. I just want to get something out of the way first that has been bothering me. There are at least ten other witches there besides Marnie and her lap dog Roy. Those aren’t terrible odds. I have a hard time believing that no one managed to sneak up behind her with a vase or something and knock her out. And she had to sleep at some point, right? I get it, she’s a powerful witch, but it really bugged me in this episode to see all of these characters standing around her and doing NOTHING. Even after Marnie killed Casey. I would like to think that when your life is at stake that at least a few of these people would do more than just stand around. The only exception for this episode is of course Jesus.

Well Jesus, I officially like you now. Sure, your strange Mexican magic takes ten times as long as any spell that Marnie casts, but when that demon face comes out you really bring you’re ‘A’ game. I know that you’re one of the rumored deaths this season, so please be careful in the next episode! And what would Laffayette do without Jesus? They’re the prefect magical couple. Speaking of our favorite medium, Lafayette didn’t get much to do in this episode, but the finale I’m sure will include another stellar performance as Marnie controls him.

First up in the long list of normally smart characters acting like idiots, Pam. Despite some epic one liners, Pam devolved into essentially a spoiled brat. Apparently Eric is allowed to fuck whoever he wants, but can only love her. I give her props for calling out the idiocy of Bill and Eric’s double suicide attempt, but using the rocket launcher was a stupid move. The only positive that I can see from temporarily breaking these two up is that it will give us more of a chance to explore their back story, but save that for next season.

Other than Sookie’s attempts to talk to Marnie, she pretty much just stood around or cried this episode. The siege at the witch’s hideout was in the books, and Sookie most definitely did not stand around, but then again in the books there was more of an actual fight going on. But the thing that pissed me off the most was her joining the witch circle. Really, what did you think was going to happen? That Marnie was going to cast a good luck spell, or feed some starving children? Of course she ended up unintentionally breaking the spell with her faerie powers, but I’m not going to give her credit for that. She had plenty of chances while she was just standing around in this episode to go all faerie on Marnie’s ass. And for that matter, why is no one in the least bit curious as to how she’s doing the light magic? Tara, Lafayette, Jesus, etc.? They’ve never seen this before, and should at least be curious.

The biggest award for stupidity is a tie, going to Bill and Eric for this episodes shenanigans. The constant one-upping is borrowed from the books, but not the strange double suicide that they both seem to be OK with in exchange for Sookie, who by the way is standing around unharmed. It’s not like she has a knife to her neck or anything. Now the theories going around online seem to be that Bill and Eric were just trying to provoke Sookie to go faerie, and well as you can see that worked out brilliantly. Crying isn’t going to achieve anything here Sookie, and you’ll end up with two dead vampires. Also how nice is that deal for Bill, that he gets’s to kill Eric? Assuming grief did cause Sookie to get all glowy Bill would probably still live. But I digress. Despite the pathetic double-suicide attempt, Eric still manages to hold the title for biggest badass in the series. Tearing a guys heart out and using it as a juice box, then nonchalantly stepping back and sucking the blood off his fingers, holy fuck that was awesome.

Someone who didn’t think it was awesome though was Sookie, and she also didn’t seem to fond of Bill gunning down Marnie. More surprising however was how neither of them rushed over to talk to her after everything was over. Instead Bill and Eric just stood around chatting like buddies. Didn’t these two just moments before almost just die to save her? Strange. I’m guessing we’ll get some sort of resolution or explanation for this next week. At this point if Sookie hasn’t been scared away from dating vampires, I don’t think she ever will. I’m expecting an explosive finale next week, one where Sookie had better do more than just standing around!

Sorry that this is a little later than usual, I have Labor Day off and I slept in quite a bit. As always leave me comments, and I’ll see you guys next Monday!



Random Thoughts:

• Love the little head shrug that Marnie gives while Casey is on the floor dying. I’d like to imagine it as a ‘Bitch got what she deserved.’


• Why is Lafayette calmly describing the scene where Antonia is trying to get away? Somebody throw a shoe or something!


• Love how Marnie reacts after reabsorbing Antonia, it’s like she just finished a really delicious pie.


• That’s a great plan Marcus, pick Debbie to be Emma’s new Mom. Could you imagine that bucket of crazy raising anyone?


• I know I neglected the Jessica/Jason drama in this review, there was so much going on with everyone else, and quite honestly it’s mostly just talk at this point.


• What is with our vampire friends grunting at everything? They’re not werewolves, I can understand it from them.


• An interesting note: Marnie’s wall is made from the sun, and looks just like the magic that the faeries shoot out. Similar sources?


• Also, the vampire dying in the magic wall is my new favorite vampire death.


• Love Jessica’s eye roll after Marnie tells Eric and Bill to kill themselves to free Sookie.


• Loved the Andy/Morella ET moment. Not sure what the glowing finger swear will mean for the future, but I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of her.


• Not sure what to think of Marnie’s blood pool TV, other than that it’s a shame you have to kill someone to use it.


• Could anyone read what Jesus carved into his arm? I didn’t think it was just some random cuts…


• The scene where Marnie tries to get the vampires to touch the wall was amazingly hilarious. I call it the vamp dance, and have seen multiple gifs put together online.

Favorite Quotes:

• “Let’s blow up these wiccan dipshits already, I got a mani-pedi at 4.”


• “Don’t you get it? This is the Hotel California baby! You can check out anytime you want, but you can’t never fucking leave! Whoo!”


• “Oh shit. Marnie just puked a bitch out.”


• “He’s a medium, it’s a gift.” “Since fucking when?”


• “It means Marnie’s gone batshit.”


• “Fucking Sookie? Fucking Sookie? I don’t believe this. Sookie picked you up cold and scared off the side of the road. And opened her home to you.” “Well technically it’s my home.” “Fuck you chump! It’s her house. And you, how many times has Sookie saved your life? Letting you drink her blood like it was your own private soda fountain.”


• “Holy shit gentleman. Do not tell me you put our entire species at risk for a gash in a sundress.”


• “Why don’t you go…color.”


• “She’s got a pulse!” “Want me to shoot her?”


• “Don’t go all lost in nature retarded.”


• “Vintage Cartier. I’ll take good care of this. Sorry, go ahead.”


• “Free as a resurrected bird.” So not so free then?


• “Relax, fuck face.”


• “It’s just like a shifter to hide behind a gun.”


• “You ain’t my goddamn brother my brothers dead!”


• “You may hear and see things that you don’t want to.” “That ship has fucking sailed.”


• “What? Did I fucking do that?”


• “I am so fucking sick of this necromancy shit!”