True Blood season 2 episode 5 review

5. Never Let Me Go

Our weekly dose of True Blood arrived on Sunday night, and after last week’s revelation that Daphne knows all about Sam’s secret, Never Let Me Go opens with Merlotte’s latest recruit revealing a secret of her own. By the luckiest of coincidences, it turns out that she’s a shape-shifter too, and just happens to take the form of a doe. That’s a doe. With a ‘d’. This little factoid tips the scales for Sam, who is now completely smitten with the worst waitress ever to grace Merlotte’s with her blondeness.

Never mind the fact that she’s just a little too convenient – the whole situation is clearly the work of everyone’s favorite demigod. With Daphne around, Sam is way too preoccupied to be worrying about Maryann. Add the fact that no one has mentioned the gigantic claw marks on Daphne’s back, and something is definitely not right. Don’t feel too sorry for him, though, sooner or later he’ll work out that sleeping where you eat causes a world of trouble. Just ask Tara.

Sam isn’t the only one feeling the effects of Maryann’s influence this week. Suddenly ‘homeless’ she invites herself, Carl and Eggs to stay with Tara at Sookie’s for the time being. Tara quite rightly freaks out and refuses to let them stay. During her first shift in a while, a very put out Maryann somehow works her mojo from outside the bar, causing the usually good-natured patrons of Merlotte’s to collectively hate Tara. This, of course, brings her home feeling very sorry for herself, and straight into Maryann’s impression of Sookie’s gran, complete with housecoat. With the promise of food in the fridge and dinner to come, Tara relents, and asks the freakiest family in the world to stay.  Mission accomplished, with astonishing ease.

The Stackhouse siblings are getting ever closer to the clash that we all know is coming, despite being nowhere near each other. The Fellowship’s Boot Camp, warrior- style, which essentially consists of running long distances and climbing fences, gives Jason yet another chance to impress the first lady, and impressed she most definitely is. There’s trouble in paradise, and Jason is smack in the middle.

The first couple are not seeing eye to eye, as the good reverend is up to something even Sarah doesn’t approve of, and Jason’s continued presence gives them both a reason to behave like hormonal teenagers. Despite showing Jason his big guns, the reformed man-whore is far more receptive to the weapons in Sarah’s arsenal than Steve’s. Her Jesus/Mary Magdalene spiel is definitely a unique pickup line, and does wonders for Jason’s… self esteem, but let’s hope he’s read to the end of the book.

Meanwhile, in Dallas, we finally meet those big bad vamps, at least one of whom advocates all out war over Godrick’s disappearance. Eric is super-pissed and we soon find out why – the missing Sheriff is Eric’s maker. As a breather, Eric was a Viking warrior and a good one. (Eric the Viking? Really?) Injured in battle and lying on his funeral pyre, Eric should count himself lucky that Godrick had a thing for large, blonde warriors.

Despite some histrionics from the usually laconic vamp, the fangs can’t decide what to do, so it’s left to Sookie to come up with a plan. She offers to infiltrate the Fellowship, and do her psychic thing. Bill, of course, hates the idea, but Eric readily agrees and the countdown begins. Providing she makes it to the Fellowship, of course. When last we saw them, Bill and Sookie were about to receive an unexpected guest.

Another potboiler of an episode, Never Let Me Go highlights the contrast between the journeys of the central characters, making for a great, slow burning hour of TV.

Both Sam and Sookie have met someone who shares their once unique talents and the opposite reactions of their counterparts are an interesting contradiction. The same can be said of the vamps and the Fellowship – both sides know a war is coming, and while at least some of the vamps are trying to prevent it, only Sarah on the Fellowship’s side seems to be having trouble with the good reverend’s methods.

Once again, we have an episode that peels back the layers of the mystery, but never gives too much away. Giving us some idea of why Eric is so desperate to find Godrick, but no clue as to how he could have been taken, is a great example of that.

The Dallas sheriff’s supposed power should have made it almost impossible for him to be captured, particularly by the Fellowship. If they’ve somehow been able to kidnap anyone successfully, why Godrick? It’s just possible that the Fellowship have nothing to do with any of it, and woe betide the vamp responsible when Eric gets hold of them.

Maryann’s manipulation of an entire town is similarly intriguing. What is she after? At the moment it seems to be Tara. Every time Tara tries to pull away, Maryann redoubles her efforts, but doesn’t really seem to get anything out of it. Having managed to successfully direct Bon Temps’ attention elsewhere, whatever she has planned for Tara can’t be far off.

And that’s what’s great about this show – it’s almost impossible to second guess, and the answers are never quite what you expect. Ok, so Godrick is Eric’s sire, which was always on the cards, but he looks about 17, and from his appearance, was around when humans were still quite the novelty, which opens all sorts of religious cans of worm.

The coming weeks will, no doubt, provide us with at least some of the answers to those burning TB questions, but until then, reveling in the fantastic mystery will do just fine. 

Check out our review of episode 4 here.