True Blood Season 4 Episode 8

Finally, the war we've been waiting for begins to unleash this episode. In the aftermath of the spell that sent several vampires to their suny deaths, Sookie & Eric pledge their loyalty to Bill, the ghost of a woman who lost her son pledge hers to the baby who owns the doll her child never had the chance to play with and, apparentely, every witch in town pledge hers/his to Antonia.

The King and the sorcerer arrange a meeting in the graveyard, forshadowing dark things yet to come, Antonia and Eric launch the first attack causing a riot of epic proportions with causalties on both sides: the resident fairy gets shot, Pam almost kills Tara before her King saves her from certain true death and Eric follows the fate of the latest Sheriff of Area 5 who fell under Anotonia's slave spell. The first battle results in witches = 1, vampires = 0.

Alcide's packmaster presents the layout for the werewolves vs shapeshiters conflict, forLuna's ex husband could forgive Alcide for helping vampires, but he can't forgive Luna for dating Sam even before Tommy proves the werewolves's point by using skinwalkers abilities to con Maxine. In a supernatural world where no one is what it seems, fairies don't go back to life by clapping your hands and Peter Pan is just a story the ghost possessing Lafayette is eager to tell her new stolen baby for the first time, the witch wars have finally began. May the best ones win!

True Blood fully got its groove back this episode and gave us a sense of out in the open conflict that nothing short of the Fellowship of the Sun has given us in Season 2 has been as thrilling. Antonia is angry that she only slew one vamp in the sun spell and she agrees to Bill's arrangement to meet in the cemetery at midnight (alone, of course not nobody ever actually does that). Jessica of course is saved by Jason who pushes her desperately back into the house by tackling her as the spell wears off. Sookie and Eric drink each other's blood and go to some sort of Narnia like bed in the middle of winter scene from a storybook, I enjoyed this as it capitalizes on that while V is widely used by humans as a drug Sookie's blood is also a drug so the high is completely different but unifying. Jessica breaks up with Hoyt in an unnecessary dream and in the real life and goes to Jason, whom she now has feelings for and claims that he kissed her back at the beginning of the episode. I gotta give points to Jason for sticking with Hoyt the bros before hoes thing is rarely shown to mean much these days especially with someone as attractive as Jessica. Lafayette gets body jumped by the ghost that sings to baby Mikey and through a necessary dream we learn the story behind her and the doll. Alcide and Debby attend another pack meeting where the somewhat likable Marcus declares that they will have nothing to do with the Witch War. Sam stops by on Luna's doorstep and it turns out Marcus is the overbearing ex husband to Luna and anyone that didn't that coming from a mile away needs to watch more TV clearly. Tommy goes skinwalking in Mrs. Fortenberry's clothes to get the cash from the land man he talked to earlier in the season but since her dead neighbor was a vamp they only offer her a few grand. I think that Tommy as a character is annoying but the whole skinwalker thing makes him interesting. He finally has something to contribute to the mythos rather than just being a dumbass jerk so it makes him no longer a waste of space, at least until the skinwalker thing gets old which it probably will. Alcide, despite Debby's urges goes to the graveyard where Sookie Bill Eric and the rest of Bill's subjects and Antonia's meet for a parley and Bill promises peace for her forever if she fixes Pam and Eric. But all doesn't go according to plan and Sookie reads the spell in her mind she's reading and many people actually get to kill some stuff at last. Pam having to lay off Tara at Bill's direct command was satisfying in her reaction especially since he owed her one for last season when he didn't save her from Russell. Bill gets grabbed and Eric goes bloodthirsty on some humans but gets subdued by Antonia and is now his new pet apparently. Lafayette takes baby Mikey from Arlene in their sleep but he took Andy's gun first. Great episode and reminds me why I stick with this show. Keep the thrills coming, the Season of the Witch is here.

The witch war started off slow but ended in a bang. Andy's addiction to V is just getting stupid. (And you would think him kneeling on the ground like a dog liking his lips would at least be funny.)

Alan Ball promised us a dirty and weird shower scene. It was definitely weird. But not hot weird (quite the opposite), just plain old pointless weird. The only highlight was seeing Skarsgård's backside. And when Sookie takes Eric's blood she makes a "sexy" face that reminds me of Courtney Stodden. (Sure to kill any mood)

Spellbound was a great episode of True Blood and I enjoyed watching this episode because Antonia was awesome as was King Bill. It was cool to finally see Sookie and Eric become one, but some thing else needs to happen with these two. Eric is starting to get boring, though during the confrontation with Antonia he lets loose and in the end we aren't sure what will happen to him next. I thought it was cool how Bill saved Tara. Lafayette see's the spirit woman in the yellow dress a few times and learns why she may be sticking around and I think we may have finally learned more about whats going on with Arlene's baby and that doll. I was so shocked over a scene with Jessica and Hoyt only to be surprised! Tommy was funny as Ms. Thortenberry and its awesome how Alcide and Debbie are becoming part of the pack though I see trouble ahead. I also think it was cool how Marcus and Sam have intertwining story lines. I look forward to watching the next episode of True Blood.

I'm loving the Jason and Jessica bond. I loved the showdown at the end. I loved almost every scene but Eric and Sookie's. I really like Eric and Sookie but thewriting forthem together is awful. I'm ready for hardcore Eric back. I don't read the books but I listened to the audio for the "Infamous"shower scene between Sookie and Eric and it wasn't all that good."Overrated" So I don't see what the fuss is all about. I wish Tara and Pam can have more scenes together and I hope Pam gets more scenes period lover her. Bill as King is interesting but I'm ready for Eric and Pam to set him straight. I'm starting to fall for Jason like Jessica. I love them.They should have shown them having sex in the truck instead of that terrible Sookie and Eric scene.

"Spellbound" was a nice little episode of True Blood. Was it that memorable? Nah, not really, but it had enough over the top craziness and the end scene was something that will have us talking at the water coolers for the next few days so in that way it served its purpose. TV.com pointed out earlier in an article that it is hard to root for either side. The vampires were wrong in the beginning, but now the witches appear to be wrong. Do we deny them justice, or do we call them out on their hypocrisy?

The Hoyt, Jessica and Jason love triangle was being discussed and hyped, but is it even an issue anymore? I think that it's a lock Jason and Jessica will end up together, but maybe I'll be way off. It'd be a nice surprise if that did happen.

I do like an aweful lot of what Alan Ball adds to this story. In most cases, he takes it from a rough state to a polished final product, and his additions- notably Jessica - add a lot of body to the story. In this conflict, however, I do like Charlaine Harris' rendition much better. One huge plot difference is the way that Debbie is handled. In the books, she is called out and brought to task at a pre-fight meeting attended by many different flavors of supes. Alcede finally sees what she's like and*finally* emotionally dumps her(abjures). She blamesSookie for this anduses the fightas a cover to exact revenge. Ericsaves sookie's life. It goes on further, butDebbie isn't just "innocently"watching Alcede betray a promisefrom thesidelines. AlanBall'sDebbieis a pathetic creature that is pitied. Charlaine's is despised.

Also, ending the episode with a shotSookie didn'tadd anything to suspense. It'sfar too obvious that the series would collapse if Sookie died sowe all know she'll live.Additionally, if Anna Paquinquit the series,Idoubt you'd ever find an actorwho could portray this roll so perfectly. She is simplyin no real danger.Leaving Jessica facing the sun was much more scary becuase Jess isn't in the booksand, though one ofthe best characters I've ever had the pleasure of watching, isn'tcritical to the story. She *can* be written out (though many fans would be heartbroken ifthis did happen).

Also, having the episodes ending with someone's life in the balance is getting old - or maybe it's their formula? I wonder who it'll be next time..

On a final note, though. I do love Alan Ball's work with this series in general. The worst episodes are far better than any other show I've ever watched. I've actually gotten a TV as a result of this. Charlaine writes a wonderful and whimsical base story, and Alan Ball makes it gleam. I love them both and can't thank them enough for sharing their creativity with the rest of us.