This review contains spoilers.
5.7 In The Beginning
Keeping up this season’s trademark frenetic pace, In The Beginning took us to the heart of Russell’s brand new rule-the-world plan, to the brains, such as they are, of the Point Break Vigilantes, and to the depths of humanity, with pretty much everyone in sight, but mostly wolves attempting to feed V to an eight-year-old. For a show that’s already about the dark side of everything, it sure as hell got murky this week.
Let’s begin with Russell’s crazier-than-thou-born-again hilarity. Salome, Nora et al might be true believers, but there’s no way Mental Edgington believes in anything other than power and food. Almost completely back to his deliciously batshit self, the world’s most powerful vampire has now officially become The World’s Most Powerful Vampire, thanks to his not quite bloodless Authority coup. Salome clearly doesn’t have the smallest understanding of what she’s unleashed on the world, and we’re not talking Lilith here. A position of utmost authority – in every sense – is not an opportunity that Russell would never pass up, and if he’s got to be a tad evangelical to get it, that’s what he’ll do.
And now that they’re all full of trippy Lilith blood, with Bill and Eric on side, (at least, while they’re high) Russell’s dream of turning the human race into a battery farm is inching towards reality. Despite Bill and Eric’s insistence that they want nothing to do with the Sanguinistas, like it or not, they’re front and centre at a massacre – the first shot fired in what can only escalate into a deadly battle. The hallucinatory appearance of Lilith, swiftly followed by the much-missed Godric hopefully means that the messy feast of the happy high vampires is going to get a lot messier and a lot less happy. If anyone can handle the task, it’s Eric, but then, he’s not generally so high that he has religious visions. As an aside, this season’s award for famous last words most definitely goes to Mr Northman.
While we’re on the subject of vampires in trouble, Bill’s progeny Jess has suddenly found herself a lot less popular than she once was. Not only is Hoyt’s hate/support group after her with a vengeance, thanks to the love and acceptance Hoyt has found there, but her pouncing on, and subsequent bullet in the head from Jason puts her on yet another shit-list. Given that Jess is pretty much the only vamp in town, that opens up a whole heap of trouble for the girl – she needs to make some friends, and fast. If only she hadn’t pissed Tara off so badly...
With battle lines being drawn on both sides of the supernatural divide, Sookie literally couldn’t have picked a worse time to decide that being a normal is preferable to being magical or whatever they’re calling it now. There are two disturbing things about this turn of events: 1) Sookie’s ridiculous timing – has she no idea what’s going on? And 2) As this is a show that’s generally about acceptance, isn’t it about time Sookie accepted whatever she is and just got the hell on with it? Seriously. Bon Temps finds itself in a precarious situation with none of its now-traditional supernatural defences in place, which leaves the aforementioned Sookie – useless – and Andy – worse than useless. Both Laf’s Hoodoo head-guest and Terry’s mythical monster appear to be well out of the way, and even Alcide has removed himself from the situation – ostensibly on a point of pride, but apparently, also to get laid. The place is going to hell and its only hope appears to be a handful of banished Faeries. Looks like Louisiana could well be about to find itself one town short...
So, with the Sanguinista’s Authority on the loose, the Point Break Vigilantes on a crash course with Sam, the Wolves and lord knows who else, the storylines are fast converging, and the build up to the final showdown has most definitely begun. It’s been a hell of a season so far, and although we’ve had to lose both of the Chrises along the way, there’s a better than good chance it will be well worth it. Russell’s back and ready to cause havoc – what more could we possibly ask for?
Read Emma's review of last week's episode, Hopeless, here.
Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.