Jo Bromilow | On 02, Sep 2014

While True Blood fans in the US are already bidding a sad farewell to their favourite vamps, we’ve still got precious minutes left with our well-chiseled cast. And far from going out with a bang, it looks like our cast is going to drift off into the night like smoke.

Some characters have already begun this departure. As last week saw the conclusion of Tara and Lettie Mae’s fraught storyline, Lettie Mae has disappeared, while Lafayette doesn’t get a single line this week. So other characters have their threads tied up in Episode 9, in some cases inadequately, with the characters choosing to slink away into the shadows – making the cruel death of Alcide look noble and just by comparison – or, in others, simply tucking their tails between their legs and running. Some people, however, look set to go out in a blaze of glory; however frustrating it is to see the return of plot strands we thought long dead to neatly tie up loose ends in a timely (and budget-sensitive) fashion, they are played out with such commitment by the actors involved that you can almost forgive the laziness that seems to have permeated these final episodes.

The relationship between Hoyt and Jessica, something we felt sure had been put to bed long ago, is a prime example. We’ve been rooting for Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Jason since their first hook-up seasons before, and were more than prepared for the show to end with them together (if only for the alliterative wedding china), but the writers have other plans. Ryan Kwanten (as Jason) and Jim Parrack (as Hoyt) commit to their turns graciously, carrying what might otherwise have been seen as a strained story line through smoldering stares.

The last thread to be tied up, and the one that’s really keeping us guessing, has one more week of life left in it: the love triangle of Bill, Sookie and Eric. After last week’s shock ending saw Bill reject the cure and condemn himself to facing the true death, freeing Sookie from her ties to love a member of the undead and finally reuniting Bill with the family he should have lived and died beside, this week sees Sookie try to come to terms with the decision that has been made for her, while Eric lurks in the shadows, torn between taking Bill’s place in her heart and trying to convince his rival to pursue happiness with his lover.

But True Brood was born out of the shadows and, as surreal as they might be, it’s hard to imagine the cast riding off into the sunset instead of darkness. Because, seriously, after the drama of the previous seasons, a reserved yet soap opera-style ending is never going to fully satisfy the hardcore fans, is it…?

 

 

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

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