'True Blood': Vikings, vamps and weres, oh my!

In yet another jam-packed episode, "True Blood" shows us Franklin Mott's crazy underbelly, reveals a bit more of Eric's past, and gives us another glimpse of Sookie's mysterious powers.

Franklin Mott is at the king's house to report what he found about Bill, which is where we learn that Franklin is tremendously messed up, and he has a history of dragging girls around and holding them captive like he is doing to Tara. He is for reals cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, and his story with Tara goes to over-the-top levels this week as he dresses her in an old nightgown, ties her to his bed, and uses werewolves to keep her from escaping during the day. He can also text really, really fast. Oh, and he wants to marry Tara and turn her into a vampire. I like the idea of crazy Franklin Mott, but this storyline is just not working.

The dossier Franklin found on Sookie at Bill's house makes Russell think Bill is lying to him, and that Sophie Anne has something to do with it. He confronts Bill about it, who denies ever even seeing the file before. Russell's theory? Bill is trying to trace telepathy through Sookie's family and find out why she has this gift. Even though he might be researching her, Bill obviously still has feelings for her because when Cooter shows up to taunt him about Sookie having sex with a werewolf Bill goes crazy. He goes to Alcide's house and warns her she needs to leave Jackson immediately. Before she can, Russell and his cracked-out werewolves show up and try to kidnap her, but she uses her magic hands of light to fend them off. The hands of light return! Russell finds this very, very wonderful and amusing. I just want to find out what's going on so a story can actually have a resolution for once!

Eric shows up at Russell's mansion to ask for permission to search for Bill in Russell's territory. Bill appears and reveals that he is there of his own accord, and Sookie is no longer his. Eric confesses his situation with the Magister and asks Russell for his assistance in saving Pam. While Eric is getting a tour of the mansion, he finds a Viking crown which immediately launches us in to a flashback! The flashbacks are always welcome, but their structure is so sporadic and random. It seems like Eric was a ladies man even back when he was human, and while he was having a little fun with a local girl werewolves came into his house and killed his parents...stealing his father's crown. Was that Russell? And will Eric now be exacting his revenge against the King?

Jason shows up at the sheriff's station, ready for his first day on the job. He ruffles a few feathers among the rest of the staff, can't deal with a desk job because of his ADD self, and then steals a police vehicle when he sees the girl he was following in Hotshot drive by. He pulls her over but has a hard time convincing her he's a cop considering he's not wearing a shirt. He gets her name (Crystal) but not much else. She meets him later at Merlotte's and acts cagey about them not being able to be together except for right now.

Sam helps his family move into their new place and picks up on some major father/son issues between his father and Tommy in the process. Straight up, his father is not on the up and up, and talks a blue streak about "owning" Tommy from head to tail. Hmmm.

Also in this episode: Jesus the hot nurse shows up to ask Lafayette out on a date (and they have an amazing flirting session), Terry moves in with Arlene, Tommy and Jessica bond, and Hoyt brings a date to Merlotte's.


Random thoughts:

• Terry Bellefleur's speech about doing something normal was a nice little human moment in the sea of madness that is this show.
  
• What the heck was up with the music cues this week? Jason's were straight out of "Dukes of Hazzard" and Tara and Franklin's were like "Gone with the Wind" meets a heist film. Bizarre.
  
• I love how Lorena is persona non grata with everyone in Russell's house.
• First Lorena, now Debbie Pelt. Sookie really, really needs to stop taunting supernatural beings.
  

Favorite quotes:

• "Franklin, you're a huge freak. But I like your work." - Russell
  
• "You know, Russell was right. You're not very smart. You played yourself into a corner, you tiresome cow." - Bill, to Lorena
• "I'm not going to die because of your s****y girlfriend and a Mississippi pothole!" - Sookie
• "He looks like he got bombed by radiation on the way to middle school. That's a giant sixth-grade boy, right there." - Tommy, on Hoyt
  

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Photo credit: HBO