TRUE BLOOD
She’s Not There
Season 4, Episode 01
Air date: June 26, 2011
Written by: Alan Ball
Directed by: Alan Ball
BEWARE SPOILERS!
At the end of Seaons 3, we see Sookie and Claudine, Sookie’s Fairy Godmother, meet in a park where Claudine tells Sookie that she belongs in the fairy realm. After some convincing, they disappear in a bright white light, thus ending season 3.
Sookie and Claudine arrive in the fairy realm, which looks like a whimsical mythological world, complete with glowing magical light fruit called Lumiere. Claudine introduces her to other fairies when Sookie encounters Barry (the bellboy from Seaons 2). Later she sees a man and recognizes him as her grandfather Earl. He claims he’s only been there a few hours, but this is where he’s been missing for the past 20 years.
Sookie refuses the Lumiere fruit and notices that something is very wrong in the perfect place. Everyone is enjoying the fruit too much, which puts Sookie on alert. When she attempts to communicate telepathically with her grandfather, the other fairies all hear her. At that moment Queen Mab appears commands her to eat the Lumiere fruit. When Sookie refuses, she tries to force-feed it to her. The Queen blames Sookie for letting Bill taste fairy blood and declares that they are now harvesting humans. Sookie somehow deflects Queen Mab with her light powers, turning the glowing fairy realm into a barren wasteland with ugly creatures instead of beautiful fairies.
Sookie and her grandfather run from the fairies, aided by another fairy who tells them that there are some who don’t agree with the Crown. They escape through a portal and land in the graveyard. But because he’s eaten the Lumiere fruit, it’s not long before Sookie’s Grandfather rapidly ages and turns to dust in front of her.
Sookie returns to her home to see that it’s been completely restored by contractors currently working. She walks in confused when they threaten to call the police. When the officer shows up, it’s Jason, who is shocked to see her and explains that she has been gone over 12 months. Those ten minutes in fairyland just cost her a year of her life. Everyone thought that Bill had killed her. Not knowing she was still alive, Jason, now a police officer (see season 3) has sold her house. Andy Bellfleur seems more violent than usual because he’s hooked on V and going through withdrawal.
Sookie tells her brother Jason that she was in a place where time moves differently; to prove it to him, she gives him their grandfather’s watch. At that moment, the sun starts to set and Bill comes to the house, in joyful disbelief that Sookie is alive. Almost instantaneously, Eric also comes to the house, telling Sookie that he alone knew that she was alive and that he never gave up on her. After a spat between Bill and Eric, Bill commands Eric to leave, which he does, reluctantly.
Everyone wonders where Sookie has been for the last year, and she is questioned by several individuals, including the police. To save Sookie from questioning, Bill tells everyone that she was on “vampire business” and she agrees to go along with the lie.
Meanwhile, Lafayette is being pressured into joining a witch coven by Jesus. Jesus introduces Lafayette to Marnie Stonebrook, the head of the coven, who guesses or channels Eddie, Lafayette’s former vampire lover and supplier of V.
Arlene, now married to Terry Bellfleur has had her baby and is terrified of him, because she believes that Rene (season 1) has somehow passed on his evil to the child. Arlene comes home to the baby ripping the heads off Barbie dolls and freaks out on Terry who loves the boy very much.
Tara Thornton has become a cage fighter in New Orleans and only keeps in touch with those she left behind by postcard. She is also in a relationship with a fellow female fighter.
Sam Merlotte is taking “anger management” with a group of shapeshifters to get over shooting his brother Tommy. Later we find that Tommy is alive, but with a limp from Sam’s bullets, and living with Hoyt Fortenberry’s mother Maxine, who is treating Tommy as if he is her son. She no longer recognizes Hoyt as her son due to a conflict with Jessica in season 3.
Bill speaks at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Senior Citizens Center in Bon Temps. He thanks the Mayor and the Chamber of Commerce, which is led by Portia Bellefleur.
Hoyt and Jessica are living together, but facing some domestic troubles. They fight over human food vs blood and get into an argument over eggs. Jessica also has urges that she can’t control. At Fangtasia, she lusts after a fangbanger and is visibly shaken over her lack of self-control. Pam gives her some unsolicited advice over suppressing her “hunter” nature but Jessica resists, telling Pam that she loves Hoyt.
Jason is still taking care of the were-panther tribe in Hotshot. It’s clear that he’s sticking to his responsibilities and they all care for him deeply. However, while making a food delivery, they trap him in a freezer.
During all of this, Nan Flanagan and the American Vampire League are trying desperately to remedy former King of Louisana, Russell Edgingtons’s little stunt on the news (season 3), when he rips the head off a human and informs the public that vampires are evil and only want to kill the human race. This stunt sets back the vampires Public Relations a great deal, and they feel they need to renew the trust with humans, to obtain “Vampire Rights.” Nan is determined to win back the public one smile at the time, and Eric and Bill assist her in making Public Service Announcements.
Finally we find that Eric purchased Sookie’s house with the intentions of making her “his,” when she can no longer rescind his invitation to the home, as it is no longer hers.
We also find that Bill has become the new Vampire King of Louisiana, upon the death of Russell Edgington at the end of season 3.
There you have episode 1 in a nutshell, spoilers, and more. As a reader of the book series, I knew the book this season would be based on, and was excited to see how they would portray some of the new characters, and the potential changes in Eric and Jason. I was surprised with how this season began, but anticipate some interesting developments as the series continues.
Stay tuned. There are still several episodes to catch up with.
