Jo Bromilow | On 11, Aug 2014

The race against time goes rattling on in Episode 6 of True Blood Season 7, as a new twist in the tale of our Bon Temps heroes reveals that, among many other things, Jesus has a funny sense of humour.

Anna Camp as Sarah Newlin is putting her doe-eyed Southern zealot act to good use this week, reunited with her Hep V-positive vampire sister (who, naturally, isn’t as happy to see her murderess-by-proxy as Sarah is to see the only family she has left in the world of the living) and taking the opportunity to climb on her Buddhist soap box. Camp’s delivery in this cliche of a role is the type of humour that True Blood deals endlessly in – loose morals, rapidly changing motives and a perfect demonstration of how the human race will cling to anything if it will either get them passage to Heaven or save their skin. Thank Buddha that Sarah reveals her ace in the hole and the reason she won’t be ending up dead any time soon, because if there’s one thing the show needs, it is a little good news and light relief.

Back in Bom Temps, other families are having a few issues of its own. While Nicole has just about had enough of the town’s weirdness – an activist, danger-chasing lifestyle doesn’t necessarily work when you’re as pregnant as she is – and Lettie-Mae and Lafayette go on their trippy quest to hear Tara’s message from beyond the grave, Andy and Holly don’t have time to celebrate their engagement before they have to break up one heck of a messy teen romance.

Family is a central theme in Bon Temps and especially in recent episodes, as the mortal and immortal alike think about the legacy they’ll leave on both the town and the show. The one with the most to contemplate is poor Bill, who at the end of last week’s excellent episode is shown to have succumbed to the deadly Hep V virus himself. After spending the whole house party confronting his fond mortal memories of his family in Civil War Era Louisiana, this cruel twist prompts him to think of the future of his existing family, while yet another cruel twist – discovering how Bill caught the virus – shows how, in this town, even the kindest gesture from a loved one can lead to a knife in the back.

Following the aftermath of Jessica and Jason’s house party hook-up, it looks like one of those is heading for him too. Violet, a rather random addition to the True Blood universe (presumably to boost the cheekbone quota and to give Jason something to do/overcome this season), tries a variety of tricks to win back the dim but devoted Deputy Stackhouse, but as with all the vamps this week, will inevitably opt for good, old-fashioned cruelty.

Rather like the cruelty that Eric is hoping to exact on Sarah Newlin, if he can ever break free from the bonds of the Yakimono Corporation. But while Eric’s cause for vengeance is the death of his sister, the Corporation’s share price and entire reputation was destroyed by Sarah. Is it blood or Tru Blood that’s thicker than water? And will either of the interested parties find good reason to keep Sarah alive? Looks like the series is finally getting its bite back.

 

 

Photo: ©2014 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved

Add to Watchlist