‘True Blood’ Recap: Showdown at the Moon Goddess Emporium
The residents of Bon Temps are pissed off in “Soul of Fire,” Season Four’s penultimate episode. Be they vampire, witch, werewolf, shape-shifter, human or telepathic part-faerie, they’re mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore. This episode saw what appeared to be the final vampire-witch battle, with the vamps triumphing over the violently disturbed Wiccan Marnie – with help from Jesus’ brujo magic and Sookie’s trusty light power. Although the Sookie-Bill-Eric love triangle remained at a standstill this episode, Pam is forced to accept the fact that her maker’s allegiance is no longer to her, causing a high potential for Eric’s progeny to become dangerously unhinged. Still, love wasn’t entirely absent from the plot, with Jessica and Jason trying to ignore the passion between them and failing miserably. As the episode drew to a close though, it seemed wartime had finally given way to peace. But as the final 60 seconds proved, “dead” doesn’t necessarily mean “gone.”
Vampires and Witches
Bill, Eric, Pam and Jessica are walking toward the Moon Goddess Emporium with machine guns and an RPG in hand. Jess, in particular, is ready to crack some Wiccan skull: “This is what PMS used to feel like,” she snarls. Marnie, who now counts Sookie, Jesus and Lafayette among her prisoners, knows the vampires are outside, but is oblivious to the fact that they are about to blow up her shop and everyone in it. Marnie throws a dagger on the floor, challenging her unwitting coven to use it against the vampires should they choose to leave Moon Goddess. When an angry and scared coven member, Casey, charges Marnie, Marnie bewitches the dagger to stab Casey in the chest, killing her.
As the coven stands back in shock, Marnie writhes her body until the spirit of Antonia emerges – thoroughly freaking out Lafayette. “Marnie just puked a bitch out,” he tells the others, who can’t see the 17th-century healer. An argument between Marnie and Antonia, who no longer wants any part of Marnie’s murderous behavior (“Evil has blossomed in you”), ensues, with Lafayette and Jesus giving Tara, Holly and Sookie a play-by-play. Despite Antonia’s resistance, Marnie performs a spell that binds Antonia to her, compelling Jesus to proclaim: “We’re fucked.”
Outside, the vampires are to about to turn Moon Goddess into a fiery inferno when Jason intercedes. After he reminds Bill and Eric of how many times Sookie has saved their lives (to Bill: “You drink her blood like it was your own private soda fountain”), Bill orders the others to stand down. But Pam is sick of the vampire community putting Sookie on a pedestal, prompting her to utter the most anticipated line of the season: “Holy shit, gentlemen, do not tell me you’d put our entire species at risk just for a gash in a sundress.” Ryan Kwanten’s disgusted reaction is so genuine you’d think Anna Paquin actually was his sister.
Back inside Moon Goddess, Jesus is hovering over Casey’s lifeless body, when he exclaims, “She’s got a pulse!” He convinces Marnie to let him save her – he is a nurse – so he and Lafayette bring Casey into the bathroom. Unfortunately, Casey is dead, but Jesus has a plan to unbind Marnie and Antonia for good, and he’s going to need Casey’s blood (and the guise of trying to save her) to do it. He warns Lafayette of the dark magic he needs to conjure up: “It’s brujo shit and it’s gonna be ugly.”
Meanwhile, Sookie and Holly are trying to get to the bottom of Marnie’s destructive nature. Marnie, who insists that Casey’s death was “self-defense,” says that she was always a “doormat” who “lived in fear of other people,” and who now relishes the fact that people are frightened of her. Realizing that they are dealing with a seriously damaged individual, Holly and Sookie implore Marnie to end this war: “You have all the power.” At this point, Marnie is summoned outside by Bill, bringing Sookie with her. Both Bill and Eric demand Marnie let Sookie go, but the witch will only agree if the two vampires die as well. As Sookie weeps, Bill and Eric give in, with Bill preparing to shoot Eric, and Pam entrusted to shoot Bill. But Pam refuses to sacrifice her maker for “Bo-Peep.” Ignoring Eric’s commands to stop, she grabs the RPG and fires at Moon Goddess. In the aftermath, Eric doesn’t hold back his fury toward his progeny for disobeying him and for putting Sookie in more danger: “You could have killed her!” he roars.
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Now that she’s running out of options, Marnie uses the puddle of blood left behind by Casey to look into the future. And it ain’t pretty. Seeing an image of her dead body, Marnie gathers the reluctant coven into a circle in a last-ditch effort to destroy the vampires. Only by telling Sookie that she wishes for everyone to leave Moon Goddess alive does the telepath acquiesce in joining the circle. But unbeknownst to Sookie, the spell they are chanting compels the vampires to walk toward the sun-powered protection shield surrounding Moon Goddess. When Sookie hears Jason’s thoughts (he’s trying to pull the vamps away from the shield) pleading for help, she unleashes another torrent of light that breaks the spell. Now that Sookie has saved Pam’s life, Pam begs Eric’s forgiveness, but it’s too late. He orders her to get out of his sight “before I kill you.” She complies.
Marnie’s had it with this meddlesome little faerie who keeps undoing her magic. She ensnares a terrified Sookie in a ring of fire, cackling as the flames rise. But Jesus’ spell is working, as his face contorts and his voice sounds like it was put through a disguiser. He shifts into the demon that allowed him to penetrate the protection shield last episode, breathing out a jet of fire. Antonia is released from Marnie’s body, and her spirit dissipates into the ether, as the flames surrounding Sookie vanish and Marnie crumples in defeat. Tara, speaking for the entire coven, announces, “I fucking quit this group.”
Now that Marnie’s magic has been contained, the protective spell is down, allowing the vampires to enter Moon Goddess. While Marnie’s sycophant Roy proves himself a martyr, with Eric hungrily sucking the blood out of Roy’s heart, Marnie is swiftly extinguished by Bill, who riddles her body with bullets.
Later that night, Jesus and Lafayette lie in bed, safe and at peace for the first time in weeks. Jesus is still shell-shocked over the loss of his friend Marnie, and over having to bust out his family’s dark magic. Lafayette reassures him that he is nothing less than a hero, and that Marnie was her own person who made her own bad decisions to “hold folks hostage and murder her friends.” Just as Lafayette is about to drift off, he gazes upward to see a wickedly smiling Marnie hovering above him. To his horror, her spirit enters his body, and the episode closes with a smirking Lafayette looking into the camera.
Vampires and Humans
Jessica is frustrated that Jason continues to harbor guilt over sleeping with her, especially because she can’t hide the fact that she’s really into him: “You’re the furthest thing from my mind,” she tells him in a futile attempt to portray indifference. But Jess is forced to embrace her feelings when Jason is a casualty of Pam’s reckless decision to set off the RPG. Not only is Jason blinded, but half of his body is burned in the explosion. A devastated Jess offers up her blood without hesitation, and Jason heals quickly. Later, at Moon Goddess, after Marnie has been eliminated, Jason confesses to Jess that he’s ready to be with her, even though it’s going to break Hoyt‘s heart: “We are in a world of fucked-up, Jess. I’m going to lose my best friend.” Because sometimes you just can’t help who you love: “Even without your blood, you’re all I think about,” he tells her.
Humans and Faeries
Andy is still walking home after his cousin Terry‘s intervention at Fort Bellefleur. He’s determined to stop using V, but the road back to sobriety isn’t an easy one. As night falls, Andy starts having a conversation with himself, and he fears he’s losing his mind: “Don’t go all lost-in-nature retarded,” he berates himself. Suddenly, a faerie materializes, knocking Andy down with a beam of light. When he comes to, the faerie, Maurella, is lying on top of him and caressing his face. They make love, but not before Andy swears he will protect Maurella by pressing his finger to her glowing one, à la E.T.
When Andy finally arrives home to a worried sick Arlene, he recounts his story to the skeptical Merlotte’s waitress, who thinks what really happened was a hallucination caused by V withdrawal. It’s a more reasonable explanation, because I’m not sure why Sookie’s faerie kin would be looking to shag a bitter, drug-addicted, insecure, overweight police sheriff. But then again, we know faeries exist in the True Blood universe, so perhaps it did actually happen. Regardless, Arlene reminds her cousin-in-law that faerie sex or not, he has a family that loves him, a waitress named Holly who’s sweet on him – and he’s the sheriff of Bon Temps. And those are the things that make life worth living, not false strength from vampire blood or the vision of “an angel in the woods.”
Werewolves and Shifters
Sam and Alcide are still interrogating the werewolf at Marcus‘ motorcycle shop as to the packmaster’s whereabouts when a frantic Luna shows up. Marcus pulled Emma out of school without telling Luna and now she doesn’t know where her daughter is. Luna’s day gets worse when Sam drops the bomb that her ex killed Tommy.
Turns out Marcus is still at Alcide’s house, where he has already had his way with Debbie. Now he’s trying to convince her to leave Alcide, who doesn’t want were-kids, and start a new family with him and Emma, who, conveniently, is there too. When Emma calls her mommy to let her know she’s safe, Alcide immediately recognizes the incoming number as his own.
As soon as Sam, Luna and Alcide arrive at Alcide’s house, Sam gets Luna and Emma into his car for their safety. The shape-shifter and the werewolf then discover Marcus and a tank-top-and-panties-clad Debbie in the bedroom, and Sam doesn’t hesitate to start beating up the bastard who murdered his brother, despite Debbie’s cries to stop. “You’re not a man,” Sam lambasts Marcus. “A man doesn’t kidnap his own daughter.” Eventually Sam overpowers Marcus and stops just short of strangling him to death. As Marcus regains his breath he is about to shoot Sam when a yellow-eyed Alcide intervenes – killing Marcus in the process. A remorseful Debbie pleads with Alcide that they can make their relationship right again, but Alcide is finished with his selfish, jealous, vindictive, V-addicted girlfriend. Using the same dialogue from the novel Dead to the World, Alcide abjures Debbie, effectively excommunicating her from his existence – and she is not going to be missed.
Sam reunites with a relieved Luna and Emma, who asks where her daddy is. Awkward.
Favorite Couple: Jessica and Jason. Even though no one wants to see Hoyt hurt, it’s obvious these two have a connection that’s not going away anytime soon. Not to mention Jess healed Jason’s burned face and gave him back his eyesight – he is going to be indebted to her for the rest of his life.
Winning Species of the Week: Vampires, for emerging the “victors” in the vampire-witch war. But Jesus gets an honorable mention for setting Antonia free and for ridding Bon Temps of Marnie’s evil – albeit for the moment.
Losing Species of the Week: Werewolves. This group is so screwed up it’s a shame we have to stick good-guy Alcide in this category. Here’s hoping he takes over as Shreveport packmaster and gives the weres a much-needed attitude overhaul.
Last Episode: Sookie to the Rescue