True Blood Season Finale Recap

So what did you think about the True Blood season finale on HBO? Pretty damn good if you ask me!

When we last saw True Blood, Jason had turned himself in to the authorities (as if that really exists in Bon Temps!) confessing to the murders of not only his girlfriend but to all of the other murders, even though he doesn’t remember them; Sookie had “uninvited” Bill from her home after he caught Sookie and Sam kissing; Tara ended up a strange social worker Maryann’s home after spending the night in jail; and the biggie: the fax from the out-of-town police department shows that Rene is actually Drew Marshall, a murder suspect and brother of the victim, but no one sees it because the stupid cop secretary covers up the fax on accident.

When “You’ll Be the Death of Me” starts, it looks like the whole town is talking about Jason’s confession (that Andy BelleFleur doesn’t mind spreading — he’s always though Jason was the killer). Rene plays the good buddy role when visiting Jason and even accepts to temporarily borrow Jason’s truck while he’s in jail. When Sookie shows up, you can tell he’s surprised when she says she’s close to finding the killer. She can’t believe Jason would be stupid as to confess to the murders (duh!)

Sookie decides to go to work with Sam at her side, hoping she can figure out who the killer is if she opens up her mind more than usual. But with everyone talking about Jason, she gets upset and decides she needs to go for a drive. Sam doesn’t think that’s a good idea, but Sookie agrees to stay in her car with the doors locked.

When Sookie tries to start her junker, it doesn’t start. And guess who offers to help? Rene. He was at the bar and followed her outside. Feeling safe with him, Sookie accepts the ride with Rene in Jason’s truck to her house where he has said he would stay with her for a while.

Meanwhile, a Fellowship of the Son church representative stops by to visit with Jason, dropping off some literature, while thanking him for what he did. Sounds like the church is happy that he may be behind the ‘fang banger’ killings.

Tara wakes up in Maryann’s beautiful home (did I mention that Maryann is actually the naked woman Tara saw when she was drunk, walking with a giant pig in the last episode?) where she’s treated like royalty for breakfast. Maryann convinces her she can stay at her home until she gets back on her feet. Later in the episode, Maryann and the pig have a scene where she’s meditating or something. Kinda weird. She might be a shiftshaper (because it turns out Sam knows her, more on that later). While at Maryann’s, Tara meets a nice black guy playing a guitar who also is staying at her home while he gets back on his feet. According to what I’ve read, this may be the character Tara ends up with.

In a totally weird scene on numerous levels, Arlene’s kids have found Rene’s video collection. She walks in on the kids watching a vampire sex tape (the one with Maudette in it). They tell her they found the collection in his stuff. When she looks through the box, she also finds a cassette for picking up a Cajun accent. So even his accent was fake!

At Sookie’s house, Rene is following her from room to room, but Sookie doesn’t consider him a threat. But when she walks into the kitchen, she gets a read into Rene’s mind — and sces his thoughts when he killed her grandmother. Rene is right behind her, so Sookie tries to hide her emotions, but Rene doesn’t trust her and follows her into the next room. She grabs the shotgun, but unfortunately Rene was already smart enough to unload it. She manages to hit him with the shotgun and run out the door and into the woods to escape.

At the bar, Sam is given Rene’s work vest to put in lost and found, but with his shapeshifter sense of smell, he picks up the killer’s scent (remember when he rolled around in the dead waitress’ sheets? He was trying to get the scent. Now it all makes sense!). He runs out to find Sookie, only to find her car still there. Terry tells him she left with Rene — so Sam runs off to find her, throwing his clothes off as he goes (so he can turn into the dog!).

Bill senses the danger Sookie is in but has a BIG problem of his own: It’s daylight outside!

Bill chooses to face the pain and possible death to save her, with his face and body being burned as he searches for her.

Sookie ends up in the graveyard and as Rene chases her she sees his thoughts more clear as she watches the many murders in Rene’s mind, including the one that started it all — the murder of his sister.

Seems that Rene isn’t fond of fang bangers, and killed he sister when she flaunted it in front of him. Sookie hides inside an open grave, but then Rene gets smart. He sends out a “fake thought,” thinking he will go look back in the woods for her — and out of the graveyard. When Sookie reaches up to check if he’s disappeared, Rene is above her in the open grave and pulls her out where he starts beating the shit out of her, with her head up against a hard headstone.

Sam the dog attacks Rene, but Rene kicks the dog off of him and starts kicking the dog to kill the creature. It freaks Rene out when the dog turns into a naked human man, so Rene continues to kick the crap out of the now naked Sam. Sookie gets up enough strength to get up and uses the shovel to hit Rene over the head. When the first time isn’t good enough, Sookie is forced to pretty much decapitate him with the shovel on the second try. No more Rene.

Then to Sookie’s horror she discovers the burned and smoldering body of Bill just a few yards away, and begins to cry. Naked Sam feels sorry for her and picks up Bill and puts him in the open grave to get him out of the son. They bury him with the hope that being in the ground will revive him.

Sookie wakes up in her home with serious drugs running through her. One side of her face was beat up pretty bad and she’s got the black eye to prove it. Sam, Tara, Arlene and Layfayette are there for support. Arlene apologizes to Sookie for not knowing that Rene was a killer, and wants Sookie to read the minds of her future men so she won’t end up with a serial killer again. Sookie thanks Sam for being brave and saving her in front of Tara — basically saying any girl would be lucky to have Sam. Sookie is upset thinking Bill has “died” trying to save her as well.

Getting the news that Rene was the killer, Andy is forced to let Jason go, which totally kills Andy’s newfound pride. Jason goes to see Sookie and apologizes for his behavior and says he’s a changed man.

Sam asks Tara why she hasn’t returned any of his phone calls but Tara said she needs to concentrate on getting back on her feet. When Maryann pulls up to pick up Tara, Sam realizes the person Tara is getting involved in is from his past. Though it’s not explained, it appears there is no love lost between Sam and Maryann. That’s why I think she’s a shapeshifter.

Lafayette heads back to the bar to hold down the fort, but instead finds trouble. When he takes out the trash, you see a flash of something fast coming at him, and he jumps up on top of the trash bin to try to escape from it. Please don’t let Lafayette die!

Minutes later Bill appears at Sookie’s house alive and well, well kinda alive.

Obviously burying a burned vampire can help heal them. Bill says he had to feed in order to come back. Does that mean that Lafayette was the unlucky recipient? If so, he doesn’t bother to tell Sookie about it. Sookie is just happy that he’s alive and he gets invited back into her home where they proceed to make up for lost time together.

Flash to two weeks later:

Eric drops off new vampire Jessica to a very unhappy Bill. Jessica doesn’t even look like the young, sheltered girl she once was.

Jason is attending the Fellowship of the Sun church services and appears to be their newest supporter.

At the bar, the gang watches on the news as it is announced that it’s now legal for humans to marry vampires. Arlene excitedly (too much, of course) tells Sookie she should marry Bill. This pisses off Sam, who goes into his office and starts pulling out the bundles of money in his safe. Is this related to Sookie or is this about something else?

Sookie and Tara help a very drunk Andy to his car. Poor Andy doesn’t feel like a cop anymore because Jason wasn’t the killer. They find his car has moved and when they open the door, the leg of a black body falls out. They don’t show much but you see the toenails are painted. Could this be a black woman, or could it be Lafayette? Didn’t they show Lafayette painting his toenails on the last episode?

Their screams end the first season of True Blood. I’m happy that they tied up some of the storylines since at the end HBO announced that the show will return until summer 2009. A half-year away? I don’t think I can wait that long — I’m going to miss Bill and Sookie!

What did you think of the finale as well as the first season in general?

Photo courtesy Newscom