A Low-Point in Bon Temps

Episode Commentary: “I Will Rise Up”

When the second season of “True Blood” comes to a close, “I Will Rise Up” will be looked back on as the weakest of the season.

All the action this week came before the opening credits. Just as Luke (Wes Brown, “CSI: Miami”) walks into Godric’s house, Bill and Lorena (Mariana Klaveno, “While the Children Sleep”) go outside. It is there where Bill says, what he certainly hopes to be, his final goodbye to his creator. As soon as they’re done, Luke sets off his bomb.

From that point on, the episode flounders, at least by the lofty standards “True Blood” has set for itself. With the carnage of vampire and human remains all through Godric’s house, Eric takes the opportunity to deceive Sookie so he can track her at all times, an action Bill isn’t particularly happy about.

Later that night, Sookie has a strange, perhaps foreboding dream about Eric and Lorena. After waking up abruptly, disturbed by her nightmare, she goes to Jason’s room and has one of the more emotional conversations of the series to date.

As information on how Godric became captured by the Fellowship of the Sun and the actions following it become a public relations nightmare for vampires, the results have serious consequences for him. While Eric, Isabel (Valerie Cruz, “Dexter”) and even Sookie do their best to defend him, Godric is content with what is asked of him.

With Jessica and Hoyt taking their relationship to the next level, something Jessica wishes she had done earlier, Hoyt is ready to introduce his vampire girlfriend to his nosy, fang-hating, obese and overbearing mother.

It goes about as well as you’d think it would.

The most interesting story line this week is definitely the one surrounding Maryann, Tara and Eggs. She, or whatever it really is, is pissed. Maryann wants Sam Merlotte to pay for is his obedience and she is ready to do whatever is necessary to get what she wants. Stuck in jail, Sam does what anybody with the ability to transform would do and escapes Maryann’s wrath for at least one more day.

The best part of the episode is without a doubt the fact that the Lafayette we all know and love is back. In full make up and his restored attitude, Lafayette has had enough of Eggs and Tara dating and does his best to get his cousin away from, who he believes to be, a dangerous man.

Overall, “I Will Rise Up” is a disappointment. It’s not a terible episode, but it feels like the writers needed an hour to set up what is sure to be an action-filled, grisly final three episodes.

This definitely wasn’t the sexiest episode of “True Blood” this season, but it was by far the most emotional. Seeing the emotion conveyed from Sookie, Eric, Jason and Godric was a step in another direction that was still entertaining. That’s saying quite a lot for a show that depends on blood and sex to hold on to the majority of its fan base.

Fans of “Hung” will tell you that not every episode can be a winner and while fans of this series aren’t quite in the same situation, this episode was obviously used as one to build around, rather than on top of.

-Patrick Hickey Jr.