True Blood season 7 episode 10 review: Thank You

This review contains spoilers.

7.10 Thank You

So, after seven seasons, our annual trip to the small Southern town of Bon Temps came to an end in a way that absolutely no one could have predicted – happily. Who knew that was even possible in the True Blood-verse? Yes, Sookie’s knocked up, Jason’s on a journey of personal growth and Bill’s a puddle of goo. It seems happiness takes some rather unusual forms in Bon Temps…

For instance, Bill Compton’s idea of happiness consists of marrying off his progeny to Hoyt, before having the woman he loves stake him through the heart. It’s perhaps not the most gentlemanly of acts, but it beats Sookie giving up her light for an even deader dead dude. There was however, something rather fitting about having Sookie be the one to put him out of his misery. She began her TB journey drinking Bill’s blood, so it’s only right that she ends her journey bathed in his gooey remains. It’s a strange re-birth to be sure, but no one ever said this show was normal. Freed from Bill, Sookie is able to live her dream life – dull normalcy – as evidenced by the episode’s final last supper, set almost five years after Bill’s staking. Everyone – literally everyone – at that Thanksgiving dinner is happy and set, and there are kids and shiny wedding rings everywhere – who saw that coming? True Blood has always been a show full of surprises, and it definitely saved the biggest surprise for last.

Not quite everyone made it to their happy ending though. Thank You waved a sad and somewhat comedic flame-grilled goodbye to the superb Mr Gus as Eric got in touch with his real self – apparently, he’s a Viking version of Mr Gus, if the hilarious infomercial is anything to go by – and took his rightful place on the throne at Fangtasia. Continuing the normalcy vibe, it seems Eric and Pam have come full circle and are almost exactly where they were seven years ago – keeping blondes in dungeons and ripping off unsuspecting fangbangers. It seems that for 1,000 year old vampires, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

While it’s great seeing Eric back on the Fangtasia throne – sans season one frightwig – it was a tad disappointing that the much longed-for and bloody end to the vile Sarah Newlin failed to materialise. Pam’s dream of making her the world’s most expensive prostitute is a resounding success – meaning Sarah is forced to heal the very creatures she once attempted to wipe out. In addition to leaving the mass murderer’s life dripping with irony, the idea of Sarah having to spend the rest of her days listening to an extra-judgemental Steve Newlin is rather delicious. Perhaps Eric knows best after all…

What was most interesting about Thank You – all the happiness not withstanding – was that it was almost entirely shock and gore-free. Foregoing any kind of all-out cast massacre, the episode was instead true to the show’s soapy roots, oozing Southern melodrama to the very end. And while much of it was compelling, there was a tendency, in places towards over-sentimentality, but perhaps, given the circumstances, some over-sentimentality is to be expected. Luckily, there was plenty of comedy to balance out all the heavy emotion, coming mostly in the form of Eric the CEO and Jason’s legal advice and creative use of language. Lightening the mood considerably, both provided much needed contrast to the wringing emotion of Bill’s death-wish, and supplied us with a few more classic TB moments before the inevitable credit roll.

And, with the episode’s all-round happy endings, that was kind of that. The H-Vamps have – it would seem – been taken care of, New Blood is on the market and the supernatural terrors that once faced Bon Temps are clearly on the wane. With the misery abating, it’s time to say goodbye to that little town in Louisiana and all the hilarious, insane, bloody fantasticness contained within. Thank You might not have been the explosive denouement many had expected, but it left behind the follies of Greek demi gods, faeries and Diet Eric, proving the show’s maturity and bravery. At times touching, at times funny and at all times final, Thank You was a fittingly low-key last goodbye for a show that has grown in to its dramatic potential. Love it or hate it, True Blood’s passing will leave a gaping hole in TV-land, that any new show will struggle to fill. And not just because there’s only one Eric Northman…

On a personal note, in addition to being a review of the True Blood finale, this is also my final True Blood review, and I would like to thank everyone who has joined me on these annual trips to Louisiana. It’s been a pleasure sharing  the hilarity, the insanity, the melodrama, the mind-reading, the road trips to Dallas, the serial killers, the flying vampires, Christopher Meloni, Eric’s suits, Pam’s ‘tude, Jason’s everything and the genius of creation that is Lafayette Reynolds with you. Over seven seasons and more words that I can count, writing these reviews has become an annual joy that I shall miss immensely, and I hope that you’ve enjoyed the trip as much as I have. Y’all take care now…

Read Emma’s review of the previous episode, Love Is To Die, here.

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