Television
Sep 13, 2011

TRUE BLOOD KEEPS FLOWING, SEASON 4 WRAPS

One would figure that after Alan Ball and the other talented writers of the HBO series True Blood had dropped their audience off a narrative cliff three finales in a row that one would see the fourth cliff coming.  Especially when these cliffs become exponentially larger and further portentous of dire events. Knowing this, I walked right off it and into the abyss anyway.

The Season of the witches had a plethora of storylines, and it managed a tidy job of winding them all down with minimal silliness and simplicity while still teasing us with new multiple storylines to come in season five. Although the wicked witch from this season is dead, the writers have opened the door to that world of magic, spirits, and necromancy with Lafayette receiving the gift, but it costs him dearly. Sheriff Andy spends much of the season tweaking on V and has an interesting encounter with a fairy. The scene with him and Terry at Fort Bellefleur (episode 10) was the best of the season, with some very genuine and funny moments from my two favorite characters.

Both love triangles seem resolved for now with the ladies taking a step backward to evaluate their own destinies, and the guys managed not to kill or bite each other or nauseate me in the process. Bill and Eric have other much larger worries crawling out of the concrete (hint hint) along with their excommunication from the vampire authority.

But the last five minutes of the finale? I nearly soiled myself. I will only say that it involved three girls and a shotgun.

Overall it was a great season. The witches boiled and toiled some trouble (last witch pun) with enough leftovers for next year; just keep watch for old foes, new fairies, and more actors forced to wear the sock (think fig leaf). Meanwhile, I will spend the next year crawling up from this abyss, until I finally after much hardship reach the top and gaze at the wide wonder atop this summit with three more below me. Soon I will see a fifth even larger and more foreboding precipice beckoning me to come to it. Since there is no earthly way for me not to, I will check it out. I wonder what is at the edge of that cliff…