TV Recap: True Blood, ‘Almost Home’

Finally, an episode of True Blood that feels like we may be “almost home.”

In this week’s episode, entitled (you guessed it) “Almost Home,” it feels as if that old familiar feeling is coming back, along with that old familiar show.

As of late, True Blood has become a parody of itself, adding unnecessary gore, sex, and stupid character arcs just to live up to its name as the “shocker” show, while losing sight along the way of what truly made it special to begin with.

However, the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to show and the writers are throwing True Blood that lifeline it needed seasons ago.

The episode picks up with Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and Pam (Kristen Bauer Van Straten) have finally caught up with True Blood’s very own Satan in a skirt Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp), and everyone’s favorite Viking is **Spolier** finally saved by her cool aid.

Not to be a downer, but this was completely not shocking, everyone knew that if True Blood was to kill off Eric, even if it is the last three episodes, the show would lose almost all viewership. So while this is a good move for the executives over at HBO, it was boring to watch. A little more action for this scene, or a little more build up and dramatic tension, would have saved this plot from being a tad bit on the predictable side.

So while Eric gets his groove back, Bill isn’t looking so funky, well not in the cool way.

While Bill snoozes the day away, and the night, Sookie takes it upon herself, and forces it on Eric, to try and help her save Bill.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a billion more times, it’s not an episode of True Blood without Sookie going on some moronic mission to save the day even … though the solution is right in front of her.

Moving on to other developing storylines, Violet (Karolina Wydra) finally loses what is left of her mind while torturing Jason (Ryan Kwanten) and company, and a darker Hoyt (Jim Parrack) is reintroduced to the show.

While the tone of the show is refreshing, beginning to tie up loose ends instead of making messier ones, the show still has a long ways to go. The beginning of this season was promising but it took a turn for the worse there for a while, but the light of day is finally starting to show for a series born in darkness.

The good definitely out-shined the bad this episode, with greatly improved writing, ending more nonsense plots, and having all the characters come full circle with their stories, True Blood may finally see the True Death with some dignity after all.

However, with the good comes the bad.

Just like the ridiculous Tara (Rutina Wesley) storyline, which finally ended this episode,(hallelujah) and the horrendous acting of Anna Paquin and Nathan Parsons, who plays the new James with all the grace of a bull in a china shop.

While the bad still remains, it is comforting to know that good reigned as champion this episode.

The writing this episode was impressive to say the least, adding sensible ends to plotlines that have been going on for too long and setting up a complete circle story wise for characters that have been with the show since day one.

Abandoning the over the top storytelling, True Blood was finally allowed to be the show it was always meant to be, giving hope for all Trubies out there.

With greatly improved writing came greatly improved plotlines, which meant getting rid of the ones that were D.O.A to begin with.

We finally got to say goodbye to **Spoiler** crazy Violet this episode, and say hello to a badass Hoyt and the old Jason Stackhouse we used to know and love. Leading to the most promising set up in this episode, all the characters coming full circle with their plots.

It feels as if the residents of good old Bon Temps are finding normalcy again, which is a very good thing for a show built on crazy, crazy, and more crazy.

If the show continues on this route all shall be right with the world again, but before this can happen some necessary changes must be made.

For starters, what the hell was up with that Tara storyline? They wasted four episodes talking about her “ghost” when in the end **Spolier** it was just her trying to show her crazy mother she loved her?

Couldn’t we have been saved from all of this agony and had Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), who is supposed to be the medium in this town, talk to his cousin and clear all of this up?

Apparently not in the world of True Blood, let’s just be glad the nightmare of this plotline is over and hope no more like it will haunt the halls of True Blood past in the last three episodes of the series.

Lastly, the acting of Miss Paquin and newcomer to the show Nathan Parsons was a huge fault in the episode. For Parsons it is one thing, his last gig was on a soap opera and great acting isn’t necessarily a skill you need to possess to be on one of those shows, but an Oscar winner with as bad of acting as this is a whole other story.

Anna needs to step up her game to end this show right, one that she should have a lot of gratitude for, or the fans will riot and this critic will forever be disappointed in a girl as talented as she is.

Once these changes are made, the show can begin to fix itself and become the show it once was before it is too late.

With the end coming faster than a speeding vamp, the writers are abandoning all the guts and gore-y for a more approachable end, one that makes sense, one that feels like we are “Almost Home.”

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Laura Dengrove is the one of youngest members of the Pop-Break staff and is a critic for television/movies of all types on Pop-Break. Just having closed out her senior year, she will be studying to obtain her bachelors degree at Rutgers University for Journalism/Public Relations. She was the editor for the Arts and Entertainment section of her school newspaper, runs her own blog (Pop Culture Darling), and interns for Design New Jersey. She also has an in-depth knowledge about all things True Blood and an avid Eric and Sookie shipper.