This review contains spoilers.
5.2 Authority Always Wins
Having kicked off in spectacular fashion, True Blood’s fifth season continued apace this week with Authority Always Wins. The clue might be in the title, but apparently, Vamps have more problems with Authority than most. And not just because you can’t really tell a 200-year-old what to do.
The second episode’s most apparent objective was to introduce not two, but three new characters to the season. The two Chrises, while characters in their own right, also form part of the third new character – the oft-mentioned, but never before seen Authority. It’s never easy joining a well-established show, but both Stargate alum Heyerdahl, as smiley torturer Dieter, and the late-of-SVU Meloni, as Roman, equipped themselves more than admirably. Meloni can always be relied upon for an effective menacing in a very expensive suit, and Heyerdahl is ever good value, whatever the character, as his excellent accent proves. With the Authority taking centre stage this season, the show needed some very noticeable presences, and with the two Chrises, Team True Blood have placed a clearly important story element in two pairs of very safe hands.
The two Chrises were the backbone of the introduction of new character number three: the Authority– and it was juicy. Less of a government than a religious institution, the Authority’s eerily familiar rites and rituals, (un)Holy Book and let’s face it, Vampire Inquisition were, if anything, completely unexpected. But then, no one expects the Vampire Inquisition. Having said that, the general theme of the episode appeared to be faith and its tenets, and the reveal of the religious nature of the council was fantastic. The full extent of Roman’s paranoia over an unseen faction completely against mainstreaming – essentially amounting to ‘you’re either with us or against us’ – is also eerily familiar. And that wasn’t the only Republican-esque speech of the episode. Setting up the Authority as the all-powerful, all-paranoid, armed to the hilt, Conservative heart of the Vamp population is exactly what the show needed – one of the most interesting things about True Blood to begin with was the political implication of vamps coming out of the coffin – and it seems that we’re finally reaping those original seeds.
Which, the smart money says, is exactly why the ex-reverend Newlin was turned. Anyone who can go on television and tell a religious nation that Jesus understands vampires because ‘anyone who’s been dead for three days knows where we’re coming from’ definitely has Authority clearance. And balls.
Catholic baiting vampires aside – Salome is a vamp? Gives a whole new meaning to the line ‘Bring me the head of John the Baptist’ – a proto-Roman Church is the perfect choice for fictional Vamp religion. It’s got tons of handy rituals and transubstantiation built in; there’s that whole inquisition extravaganza, plus a complex hierarchy – throw in Russell, and it’ll be a hotbed of political machinations and such. And, we can but hope, absolutely no Faeries.
Whoever the so-called Sanguinistas are, the Authority is clearly running scared. Why else would an allegedly all-knowing Authority ask Bill Compton if he’s against Mainstreaming? Have they never seen the show? Bill essentially wrote the book on fraternising with humans, but then, no self-respecting Inquisition takes anything for granted. The torture of Bill and Eric, apart from being a bit of a waste of time, gave their burgeoning bromance more time to settle – it’s incredibly telling that Eric didn’t sell Bill out at the first opportunity. Three years ago, Eric would have sold him out for the laugh; two years ago, for Sookie; this year, it didn’t even cross his mind. It’s a beautiful thing.
In other vamp-related news, Madam Pam finally got that backstory we’ve been waiting so long for. We’ve always known Eric was her maker, but that she was a Madam back in early 20th century San Francisco is new information, and somehow completely fitting. She had an eye for an outfit even then. Clearly, the story has just begun – finding out how Eric did the deed will be nothing if not interesting...
After its impressive season opener, the bar has been set pretty high for the rest of the season – and with Authority Always Wins, the bar was more than met. Another action-packed episode packed to the gills with storylines – the Authority might have been the focal point, but the show continued the previous week’s theme of multiple big bads – we’re as clueless about what the real threat in town is as we were last week, and it’s delicious. Russell is well on his way to full havoc-causing health, Tara is a nutjob, Terry is about to kick a psycho hornet’s nest and all that is without what is about to become police-led hunt for Debbie, and Martha’s wolf-based maternal retribution – it’s coming. Threats are present on all sides and the show’s usual rescue routes appear closed. If this keeps up, it’s going to be a fascinating season indeed...
Read our review of last week's episode, Turn Turn Turn, here.
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