feminist blogs

Spoilers below!

This week on True Blood, everything was just one reveal after the other: we found out what Sookie and Crystal are, we got a slice of Sam’s past, we uncovered (part of?) what’s up with Holly, and we learned about Jesus and Lafayette’s ancestry.

Sam’s flashback shows he was scammed by a woman he liked and her boyfriend. He ends up killing her (kinda) by mistake and the boyfriend on purpose. Presumably, this is meant to give his character some depth. Does it succeed or fail?

THOMAS: Succeeded. To make it on his own and own his own bar, Sam had to travel a lot of distance, literally and figuratively, between the time the Merlottes kicked him out and the time he opened his doors in Bontemps. And he had to have the capacity to kick some ass in a tough world. We have seen a lot more of that in the last two episodes, but now we know that he actually holds it back a good deal because he walks around with the personal cost of killing. That adds a lot of depth to what he said when he rolled back into the bar after beating Crystal’s father. Tommy is young and doesn’t know yet, though he seems determined to find out.

LAUREN: Am I alone in thinking this was a weird time to introduce this element of Sam’s story? It felt out of left field for me, and I’m skeptical that there will be enough time in this season to address this completely new version of Sam adequately. We also know that Sam has killed before seeing that he tore Maryanne’s black heart out of her chest in last year’s season finale. So is this really news?

THOMAS: It’s one thing to kill a malevolent menace like Maryanne. It’s another entirely to shoot someone he cared about, and then to walk up to the only witness and execute him. Maryanne doesn’t haunt him.

SALLY: I also thought this was oddly placed. I liked learning more about his past, but I don’t see why we’ve had to wait this long or how this will be used in what little is left of the season.

THOMAS: Sam’s biggest problem with Tommy is that he’s trying to keep everything in so hard that he hasn’t told Tommy about how things were for him. When he told Tommy last episode that he’d done it all in his day, it just came across as paternalistic and ageist. If he could open up to Tommy that he knows what it’s like to steal to eat; to leave town to keep from getting busted or killed; to get conned by someone he thought he loved; and to shoot a man in the back of the head because he’s a witness, keep seeing the face, and drink a bottle of whiskey to forget it … well, then Tommy might respect where he’s coming from when he tells Tommy which mistakes not to make.

SALLY: Yeah, we discussed this a bit last week, but I really wish they would approach this relationship differently. I get that the whole being an older brother thing is new to Sam, but shouldn’t he at least try to treat Tommy the way he treats everybody else? At the moment, he’s treating him like a 12-year-old with bad manners or something. It’s condescending and it’ll never work.

LAUREN: Sam needs to tell Tommy he learned a life lesson about the pitfalls of hair grease.

Arlene wants an abortion but Terry says he wants to raise the kid. Was anybody bothered by this? Then it seems Arlene might have an abortion anyway — thoughts?

THOMAS: For all the supernatural stuff, this is imaginary gardens with real toads in them. Arlene lives in a world where vampires and werewolves and immortal mind-controlling sorcerers are real. She believes that the fetus carries the seed of Rene’s evil. Given what we know and what she’s seen, in the world she lives in we are in no position to tell her she’s wrong. And as much as I like that Terry wants a kid with her and believes that love can conquer genetics, it’s not his call to make. She needs to take care of her own sanity and the children she has. She seems pretty sure what she needs to do, and Terry needs to have her back. Terry wants a baby with her, and she wants one with him, but I suspect their time will come.

SALLY: I was irritated by Terry here. He’s sweet and that’s great, but it annoyed me that he wanted her to keep this baby when she so obviously doesn’t want it. That said, I also hope they’ll get the chance to have a baby together because it’s what they want and they’re nice characters so I want happy things for them.

LAUREN: I’m predicting that Holly will either induce an abortion or we will have some kind of exorcism, or cleansing ceremony or something… are there any Wiccans in the house?

Last week some of us thought that Holly was up to no good. This week, we know she’s a Wiccan with a habit of butting in and trying to help. Are there more secrets there?

THOMAS: The show has a politics, particularly around difference and inclusion, so I would be surprised if Holly was up to no good now that they’ve written her as a Wiccan. However, in the True Blood universe, a habit of butting in and trying to help is like a beacon for trouble.

LAUREN: No kidding! Now that you’ve said that, Thomas, it makes me wonder whether we are naive to accept Jesus as a pure character. Regardless it seems purposeful that Holly is being introduced as a witch at the same time that Jesus and Lafayette are beginning to explore magic.

Jesus wants to drink vampire blood with Lafayette. They have a weird trip and we learn Jesus’ grandfather was a sorcerer and had big plans for Jesus?? Um, what?

THOMAS: Every major character is a super except Tara, and even that depends on her not sharing that part of Lafayette’s lineage. This totally changes how I see Jesus’s character. He’s not a helpless babe in the woods that Lafayette needs to protect. He’s the child of a line of magic users, with powers of his own that he has not discovered. If he and Lafayette go down this road together, and I think they should and will, they’ll make a powerful couple and have more ability to take care of themselves and each other in the scary world Eric pulled Lafayette into. But it comes with the darkness of Jesus’s past, too. The grandfather is a problem they will have to deal with in some way. This makes it easier for Jesus and Lafayette to be together, too. They both bring baggage, and Lafayette doesn’t need to feel like he’s the one forever bringing trouble to an innocent partner’s life.

LAUREN: I’ve got to reserve judgement on this storyline until more happens. It’s another weird turn in the story, in my opinion, so I’m going with you, Thomas.

SALLY: Agreed. I’ll add that I’m still not convinced that Jesus will bring more good than evil/complication, but I’d like to see how this unfolds.

As we predicted, Tara was kinda sorta developing feelings for Jason again. Then he tells her he killed Eggs. Proud moment for Jason? Awful moment for Tara? Both? Something else entirely?

THOMAS: I could not detest Jason more. For once is his asinine life, he had it right when he told Sookie that she couldn’t understand and that for the rest of us, keeping our mouths shut is sometimes necessary to protect people. Then the courage of his conviction failed him, as usual, and he did something stupid and hurt someone he was supposed to be protecting. Nice job, asshole, again.

LAUREN: I don’t know — I’m not convinced that Jason *shouldn’t* have told Tara the truth, but he should have waited for a better time, a time in which she had more emotional stability, and a time in which he was telling her the truth for her sake or for its own sake instead of telling the truth to selfishly relieve himself of guilt.

SALLY: His timing definitely sucks, but I’m pleasantly surprised he actually told her at all. I really thought Sookie might end up being the one to tell Tara. Jason had a lot of guilt, but he also is one of the more selfish characters in many ways, so I didn’t think he’d fess up to Tara directly.

What I definitely wish he’d done is practice more self control and not kiss Tara! Get it together!

Two reveals this week: Sookie is a fairy and Crystal is a shape-shifting black cat of some sort. Are you impressed or bored?

THOMAS: I don’t love the cat people, but Crystal, however poor her choice, at least committed. Jason now knows they are cat people — refer to the Nastasia Kinsky movie of he same name, complete with brother-sister incest, for likely plot elements.

LAUREN: Oh, Cat People. I LOLed.

THOMAS: She’s willing to walk out on her family and everything she knows for Jason. I suspect it won’t work, and she may end up back with the cat people, but if she doesn’t get killed in the process, she will never be as cowed as she was and she’ll never let another asshole raise a hand to her in anger.

SALLY: Yeah, Crystal’s days are numbered. I can only hope that her demise isn’t totally bloody and gross.

THOMAS: The fairy thing was so long in coming that it wasn’t really news, was it? The real news was that vamps wiped out the fairies.

LAUREN: Need moar of this please.

SALLY: It’s weird that in an episode that took us down the paths of Sam’s background and Jesus & Lafayette’s trip would then have rather highly-anticipated, anti-climatic reveals.

Sookie and Eric make out. Yay or nay?

THOMAS: Yes. This direction is inevitable. Pam is not happy, but once Pam finds out that Sookie is part fairy, she’ll at least understand why she has such an effect on Eric. However, the entire season for Sookie has been a faith-shaking series of betrayals by male vampires that she is attracted to, and her best friend is now probably permanently anti-vamp because every vampire she knows has either tried to kill her or left her to die. Sookie just finished telling Eric that he wasn’t helping her trust him, when with characteristic Eric cynicism he locked her in the basement where Lafayette was his prisoner, explaining nothing. And the betrayals are not over! Bill is still lying to her, and she will find out. With Tara by her side and Bill and Eric proving Tara’s point, how can Sookie not become totally suspicious of vampires? I predict that Jessica will be a significant part of the long-term resolution.

LAUREN: If after this season’s revelations about Bill Sookie still takes up with Bill long term, even after Bill drained Sookie and left her to die, and just plain left Tara to die, I will not be able to see Sookie as the show’s moral agent.

SALLY: Sadly, Lauren, I’m pretty sure she’ll still stick with Bill. I’ve been impressed that she’s at least been questioning it a bit more than usual in these last couple of episodes, but I don’t even think that will last for too much longer. She will certainly do it, since that’s what Eric’s asking her to do (figure out if she can trust Bill), but I don’t think it will take too much energy.

As for Sookie and Eric kissing, totally saw it coming but still totally loved it. Something about them just makes me love it.

I’m still waiting for Alcide’s return, though.

Eric is choosing Sookie over himself and Pam, which pisses Pam off. Then he chains up Sookie. What do you think he has planned for her?

THOMAS: To use Sookie to bait Russell, though how remains unclear. Eric took his time to think, and he is a thousand years old and smart, so it can’t be a dumb plan. But Russell is much older and no dummy himself. Is he crazy and impulsive and erratic and arrogant enough to be outfoxed by Eric? The answer necessarily is yes, otherwise Sookie and Eric would be toast, and we know that can’t happen. But it must and will be a wild ride. Pam could get killed, which would make me very sad.

SALLY: I’m so convinced that Pam’s dying, I don’t know what to do with myself! She’s one of the best things about this show — I’d be awfully upset if she died.

Hoyt professes his love for Jessica but she turns him down. Then he’s attacked by Tommy (as a dog) and Jessica saves him. Is it bad news that Hoyt drank her blood? Or is it good enough that they’re back together?

THOMAS: It had to happen that they got back together, and it had to happen that Tommy went after Hoyt, but there’s something tidy about Tommy’s attack breaking the stalemate caused by Jessica’s issues. That moment between Jessica and Tommy was very telling: she said that Hoyt was too good for her, and Tommy said, “I’m not.” Jessica’s problem is that she believes that even though it isn’t true. Tommy’s problem is that by believing it, he makes it true.

SALLY: I really liked this scene, as well as the one between Jessica and Tommy.

Jessica needs to question what it means to be “good enough” and right for each other now that she’s a vampire. Obviously, she needs to consider that it’s always easier to back away, but her feelings for Hoyt are strong enough and they are really good together. I think that Tommy could have helped her see that just a bit, particularly when she tells him that Hoyt always wanted her to accept what/who she was.

Not gonna lie, though — a little part of me wanted Jessica and Tommy to have an epic make-out session before she headed back Hoyt’s way.

THOMAS: Jessica never said she didn’t love Hoyt. She never answered his question. It was all about her self-hate. She is still dealing with an extremely religious and abusive upbringing, and being a vampire, killing someone and having violent urges and enjoying them. That’s a lot. But she has idealized Hoyt, too. He’s a sweet guy in many ways, but when Tommy was standing outside the bar, Hoyt (who is a natural heavyweight to Tommy’s welterweight) snapped a jab right in his face by reflex. He’s done that before, and he was so sure Tommy was going to stay down that he just kept walking.

Russell hires a prostitute to live out a twisted fantasy where he says goodbye to Talbot. WTF??

THOMAS: “Live out” might be an overstatement. Russell is literally wild with grief. It is causing him to act erratically and irrationally. That’s why, though he’s a king and maybe the oldest existing vamp, Eric will beat him. I’m still stuck on the continuity error with Godric, though — Eric told the Authority that he thought Russell had met the true death, which explained why Eric thought Godric was the oldest vampire in the Americas. But Russell was the King of the neighboring state. He didn’t set up his court and his mansion in a few weeks. And Russell has been scheming to marry Sophie Ann for a while. It does not seem like there was time for him to disappear, be thought dead, and reappear over the last few months.

SALLY: I couldn’t stop saying “Is that Navid? Hey, that IS Navid! Navid, what are you doing here being all prostitute-y??”

But after I got over that, I went on with enjoying this scene in all of its warped glory. Russell completely creeped me out; I love how that character just keeps pushing my buttons in new ways each week.

Spoilers below!

This week on SYTYCD: we’re down to the last three and everyone gave it all they had. Jump over to the recap and discuss with me.

In the biggest shock of the season, AdéChiké went home last week! I know, I was floored! Totally could not believe that the judge favorite would go home! Okay, I’ll cut the sarcasm now. But yeah, he left, he didn’t even get a proper goodbye, and I guess the judges are happy they got their way. This week, everyone was talking about whether or not Mia/SYTYCD is racist, and I’ll just point out that Mia seems to think African American is the same as Cuban. But on to the dancing!

Kent & Lauren – Bollywood by Nakul. This was definitely not my favorite Bollywood routine, and I usually like Bollywood. Yeah, didn’t enjoy it much.

Lauren & Twitch – A Tabitha & Napoleon hip hop routine. I liked it a lot! Even for a NappyTabs! When they don’t do the usual boy-girl love story, it really is much better. Lauren was awesome. She needs to win.

Robert & Mark – A jazz piece by Tyce. I couldn’t tell if it was Robert who was too loose or Mark that was too controlled, but I definitely noticed that. Robert did a great job, though. (Side note, why the hell did the judges talk for so long?!)

Kent solo – I’m not sure if he danced for his life, but he looked like he was very grateful.

Lauren & Robert – Contemporary by Dee Caspary. I enjoyed this piece a lot. The pillow was a bit distracting at times but it was really good. And I’ll point out that this was the best partnering Robert’s done.

Kent & Lauren – A Mandy Moore jazz routine. This reminded me of the dance with the shoes. They’re so cute when they dance together, it was fun. But they were right, it wasn’t too challenging.

Robert solo – He had the best clip package of the night. It pulled at heartstrings and showed a much more genuine side of him. Then he had a good solo, so he might actually win.

Kent & Allison – A Stacey Tookey contemporary. I really enjoyed it, and that was the most mature Kent has ever been in a dance, and he was fantastic, but Allison was so clearly the star of that dance! But I especially loved Kent after, as everybody else did.

Lauren solo – She also had a great time in her solo, and that’s what matters I guess?

Robert & Kathryn – Broadway by Spencer Liff. LOVE WEST SIDE STORY! This was… weird. They did a good job, but something about it was off for me, I’m not sure what it was.

Lauren & Pasha – A cha cha by Tony & Melanie. After a rocky start, I think they ended up doing a great job. There were a couple of times I was scared he’d drop her, but he is Pasha after all, so he didn’t.

Kent & Robert – A Malevos fight routine by Miriam Larichi and Leonardo Barrionuevo. I’m not sure if it was because of the height difference or what, but Robert was kind of awkward whenever they were dancing all tangled up like that. But it was interesting and really intense.

I still want Lauren to win and I’m pretty sure I’ll be disappointed if she doesn’t. But at least I won’t be as upset to see Kent or Robert win as I was about Russell. Okay, that’s not entirely true, but whatever. Who do you want to see win?

Spoilers Below

This week on True Blood, there was cute sex, angry sex, death sex, all kinds of sex. Other things happened to, and we invited Thomas to join us again as we contemplated where some story lines are going and what we’re loving this season. Discuss with us!

Bill and Sookie played emotional yo-yo in this episode. They break up within the first 5 minutes of the episode, and both spend much of the episode feeling awful about it. Did you sympathize?

THOMAS: I’d rather be done with them, but at least this process allows Bill’s character to develop a bit. Sookie’s not so much. She’s the nominal center of the show, but the least engaged character in some ways. I’m reserving judgment on the final scene between her and Bill; if she’s suddenly over it, I don’t buy it, but if that was a conflicted explosion of feeling arising out of a fluid situation and a near-death experience, I can buy it.

LAUREN: I’ll just say I solidly identify with Tara, having seen I don’t know how many friends loyally hold on to shitty, dangerous, abusive relationships because they heart the adrenaline. GAG. And in this case, I’d argue that this does develop Sookie, whose attachment to her saccharine good-girl persona has impeded her movement in the world of supes. I could be wrong, but I think Sookie is finally making a choice and accepting what she is and what it means. I wouldn’t advise this in the real world, but it makes for great story-telling.

SALLY: I also identified with Tara, and I was happy to see her be real with Sookie like that. And I definitely liked Bill more in this episode than I have in a while. The way he was with both Sookie and later with Jessica was interesting. We haven’t seen him be that way before, it was a good change of pace.

LAUREN: Bill and Sookie are most interesting when there is tension and anger between them. I’m beginning to wonder if the show’s insistence on keeping the two characters together in LURVE is some kind of favor they’re doing for the real-life couple (Anna Paquin and Steven Moyer), because this is bad narrative work as it is.

SALLY: In general, though, I’m completely over this couple. Unless they both really mature, then I’m happy to see them both move on.

LAUREN: I’m still not sold on Bill as a character, or as Sookie’s unmanipulated love interest. Dude gave her his blood on the first date and keeps a dossier on her family in his bureau. Anyone arguing this is true love needs a primer on abusive relationships. That said, his interactions with Jessica later were great — and it’s things like that that build the show’s vampire mythology, and thus the character (and interestingly, shadowing why Eric and Pam’s relationship is so special). Also, I miss Bill as the ridiculous geek, holed up in his mansion playing Wii Golf all night. Favorite exchange of the night: JESSICA: No way. BILL: Way.

Bill also has some one-on-one time with Jessica. He releases her but after she refuses to leave him, he gets her ready to fight werewolves and other evil folk. Were you surprised by their relationship in this episode?

THOMAS: It was the first time I’ve liked Bill in a long time. The Magister made him make a vampire so that he could be a vampire and come to terms with it, and maybe with Lorena dead and him having to face his own distant past and his attack on Sookie, he finally is doing that. Jessica is now one of my favorite characters, and seeing her head into a fight with the weres with confidence, and then finish it while injured, was great. In a few centuries, she’ll be a vamp to be reckoned with. My spouse says she and Eric should hook up, and I admit that would be picturesque, though not realistic. I expect she’ll come away from this with the confidence to go deal with Hoyt. They’re not done. Tommy will not take that well.

SALLY: Poor Tommy, I actually felt for him just a little in this episode.

THOMAS: In a major fight, Jessica and Bill looked like they could handle themselves. Sookie, ever the guppy in these things, had a shotgun and got it snatched out of her hands by a V-head wolf who meant to kill her and was standing right there. That’s the major problem with Sookie. She’s formidible enough that she invades Eric Northman’s dreams, but she can’t protect herself even when she has the tools and the opportunity? Bullshit. If the writers want us to believe that Sookie is the woman Bill and Eric believe she is, they are going to actually have to make her that woman.

LAUREN: Agreed, hands down. To date she’s been all bark, and it was only the fight with Debbie Pelt that convinced me she has any real bite in her.

SALLY: I still don’t understand how that scene even made sense. Who on earth would actually just let somebody get away like that? I would at least injure them since they’re there to, you know, KILL me! Shoot her leg or something, Sookie! It was so stupid and I was annoyed the whole time.

LAUREN: I… kind of liked it. Granted there was a lot of hair swinging for my taste, but they fought like equals and Sookie was victorious while the show was still able to extend the plot line another few weeks. This was the turning point for Sookie — nobody hopped in and saved her, she held her own, and she won the battle. She also maintains the moral high ground by letting Debbie walk as a testament to her loyalty to Alcide.

SALLY: Well, I was fine with them actually fighting that way, but Sookie saying “one more step and I’ll shoot” (or whatever derivative of that) and then not shooting was wack. And then when she’s all “get out of my house bitch… next time I won’t miss,” take a shot or something. Shoot her arm! Leg! Something! Maybe that’s just me…

LAUREN: Or slice her face open with shears? Giving our antagonist the nastiest scar OF ALL TIME? Time out to remind the not-watching audience how campy this show is.

SALLY: That was the highlight of the scene, really.

Tara is a mess at the moment. She’s having dreams about Franklin, she won’t tell anybody what happened, but she does try to talk sense into Sookie about staying away from Bill. Do you think things will get worse for her before they get better?

THOMAS: I would rather not see Tara’s thousand-yard stare again. We’ve seen that look a lot. The parallel with Lafayette is too obvious — captive, escaped, traumatized and now, having fed, fantasizing about the very vampire that they hate and fear. But she can’t talk to Lafayette, at least not yet. And with Sookie, she can only express anger right now. Some folks may not like that development, but it rings true to me, actually.

LAUREN: Ditto.

THOMAS: Her relationships with Lafayette and Sookie are both very freighted right now. Finally, it’s with Sam, who she has more distance from, that she can let her guard down and show some vulnerability. I like Sam and I think he and Tara could be good for each other, so I am in favor of that, but independently of what it means for their relationship, I totally buy that Tara’s defenses are in her way with those closest to her and that she needs someone less in the middle of it to process with.

SALLY: I kept hoping she’d turn to Alcide, not romantically or anything, but just to have someone to release to. But he seems to be gone for at least a little bit, so that’s not happening. Bums me out. Tara needs somebody new in her life who isn’t a vampire or possessed or anything of the sort. A werewolf isn’t perfect, I guess, but at least an improvement.

LAUREN: Yeah, I kept thinking she would turn to Alcide as a neutral third party, but it didn’t happen. Alcide, despite his inexplicable love for Debbie Pelt, is refreshingly normal (for a werewolf).

Jason is going out of his way to get into trouble. He’s threatening to kill Bill and his unexpected, out-of-nowhere love for Crystal has him threatening strange creatures. Will Jason ever mature? Will we be forced to see him waltz into danger forever?

THOMAS: For the good of the show, Jason must die. His stupidity as a plot element is so predictable and one-note that it no longer even functions as comic relief. I hope that this plot line gives Sam another chance to show some mettle, though. Crystal’s father and fiance know he’s a shifter; they are headed for conflict.

LAUREN: It’s disappointing how Jason’s vigilantism that played so well with the Fellowship of the Sun is being employed so poorly now. The show has to figure out what Jason’s role is, but it’s for certain that the actor is not strong enough comedically to serve as the show’s sole humor, or charming enough to be the heartthrob (plus he’s got a lot of competition), and like some criticism of the Tara and Sookie relationship, we just haven’t seen enough between him and Sookie to believe they have a loving and supportive sibling relationship. There isn’t a lot of weight behind the character, and he isn’t light enough to hold up without it. Plus, every woman he touches dies, so… I think the writers love the eye candy too much to off Jason but can’t figure out what to do with him.

SALLY: He’s definitely one of the weakest points of this show, and I’m getting really sick of him and his recklessness. This episode really solidified that for me — there’s just no point to it. There isn’t much intelligence behind his decisions, yet sometimes he seems like a really smart guy. Are they doing that on purpose to give him depth, or are they just not thinking this out so well? I used to think it was the former, but now I’m thinking it’s the latter.

LAUREN: Jason and Andy together, however, is a good time. Maybe Jason is best serving as a foil for some of the other characters.

Tommy is going along with Sam’s project to save him from the Mickenses — he’s even taken Merlotte as a last name. But they don’t know each other. For Tommy, old habits die hard and he’s ready to throw down with Crystal’s father without probably even knowing what he is; he’s starting with Hoyt and causing trouble in Sam’s place, and he rebuffs Sam’s suggestion that he think about a future. Where do these two go from here?

SALLY: I’m liking Tommy more and more, even with his gut reaction and constantly acting on his instincts. (See, a recklessness that makes sense for the character, unlike Jason.) It’s cute to have somebody younger, protective, in some ways broken, still vulnerable at times, and at least trying to get from day to day. I’m not sure what this story line is going to do for the rest of the show, but it’s an interesting one.

LAUREN: I like Tommy — he’s restless and angry and doesn’t know how to channel his powers yet in a functional manner. I was piqued by the way he provoked the argument with Crystal’s family because of how much mirth was in his body language. To some degree, like all of the supes, he gets off on the violence. And it was interesting that Crystal’s family knew exactly what Tommy and Sam were.

THOMAS: They could literally smell that Sam and Tommy were shifters, and Crystal walked through water to throw off their scent, like bloodhounds. The writers are pointing at weres, though I’m not sure there are not different wrinkles to it.

LAUREN: I’m annoyed with the show’s attitudes toward poor white communities in this season (there’s a lot of racefail in the show, or at least a lot of racedubious), because they have relied on two major stereotypes to tell the story so far: incest (hints of it with the Mickenses and Crystal’s family) and meth manufacture. Also, banjo music. Where I’m from we call it bluegrass, not Deliverance. It’s all getting wound up in the Crystal storyline, so as much as I don’t care for it yet, I’m keeping one eye on it to see where this leads.

Lafayette and Jesus might be reconciling. Now that we’ve seen this play out just a bit more, are we still wary of Jesus? If so, what do we think he has up his sleeve?

THOMAS: Nothing up his sleeve. However, Lafayette and he have a lot to work through if this is to work. Lafayette is not at the end of getting pulled into dangerous situations he can’t control; he’s just getting warmed up. If he’s with Jesus, he exposes him to it as well.

LAUREN: What was up with all the discussion about Lafayette’s power? I was left wondering whether Jesus and Lafayette’s mom were speaking of his depth and personal character, or whether this is foreshadowing literal powers. Considering the probing of Lafayette’s spirituality in the last three episodes, I can’t rule out the possibility. Lafayette is the new Willow.

SALLY: That’s what made me wonder if something was up with Jesus. The power talk creeped me out. Well, that, and the fact that the whole situation makes me a bit suspicious. But I hope they have some good times until something happens to make this explode in their faces.

LAUREN: The depiction of Lafayette’s mom and her deep mental illness on the show was, in this episode anyway, pretty empathetic. Plus Laffy’s mom, Ruby Jean, is played by Alfre Woodard who is awesome. What did y’all think?

SALLY: Jesus saying that she’s schizophrenic but still perceptive was an interesting one. It’s not often that such a distinction is made on a tv show. And Alfre Woodard will always be incredible. Always.

LAUREN: Also, what did everyone think about Hadley’s appearance and her warning toward Sookie? First she told Sookie that she needed to leave, and then she told her above all NOT to trust Bill. Because I hate Bill, I’m choosing to believe that Eric’s prediction that Bill will betray Sookie is going to come true. Sue me.

THOMAS: I assume Eric knows something about Bill’s role, more than the audience and less than the full story, and when Sookie knows that much, it will put a wedge between her and Bill that will make the assault look like a toothpick. I’d rather that was permanent, but I doubt it. I suspect that the last facts to come out will be extenuating and will help Bill get Sookie back. Or maybe the writers will surprise me, Pam will stake Bill and Eric and Sookie will get close like porcupines fuck, slowly and carefully.

Russell tells Talbot that he killed the Magister and will be MIA for a while. Luckily for Talbot, Eric offers to keep him company. There’s a gay vampire sex scene, and then Eric kills Talbot. Um, thoughts?

LAUREN: Glorious. Delicious, all of it. I think I actually clapped my hands at the sex, the deception, Russell’s reaction. Fantastic. Swoon.

THOMAS: I was surprised that Eric sprung the trap that soon, but he has to play this all-out now. He’s crossed the Rubicon and staked the partner of a three thousand year old vampire. Fortunately, he will have at least temporary allies — though he can’t tell them that immediately — in the Authority. Eric will come out ahead. Of that we can be sure. But there’s a wild ride between here and there. Partly because I hate Russell and partly because I like Eric so much, his staking of Talbot and Russell’s immediate reaction was among the most satisfying moments not just of the episode but of the series. I’m sorry to see Talbot go, because I kind of liked him, and Russell’s worst qualities were the ones he was least fond of, too. He was killed, literally and figuratively for Russell’s sins. But I really hate Russell and I really sympathize with Eric, so I’ll watch gleefully as Eric either kills Russell and his whole crew or causes it to be done. This is total war, and Russell and his entire line and household will end up dead.

SALLY: I was also pleasantly surprised that this happened so quickly. I’ll stress the pleasantly in that. Everything leading up to Eric killing Talbot was super hot, then seeing the look on Talbot’s face actually made me laugh out loud. The entire episode was worth it just to get to this point. Really, I loved Eric’s game with Russell throughout the whole thing — it was incredible. Oh, and Talbot had my favorite line of the night: “I’m bored. Take off your clothes.”

LAUREN: Ah, Talbot, we’re going to miss you.

Spoilers below!

This week on SYTYCD: I was so overjoyed about last week’s results, that I didn’t mind the forgettable dancing so much. Jump over to the recap and discuss with me.

Jose’s finally gone, but I’m surprised/bummed Billy went home. I know I predicted he would be next a couple of weeks back, but he had such a great night last week and his solo on elimination night was my absolute fave. Whatevs, this is just clearing the way for Lauren to hopefully win.

Group dance – Broadway by Tyce. For me, Lauren was the best and Adechike wasn’t so great. The routine itself wasn’t all that exciting, though, so that was the real let-down here.

Lauren & Pasha – A tango by Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo. I have to say, I thought Lauren did an incredible job in this dance. I was surprised that she pulled off the sultry seductress thing.

AdéChiké & Lauren – A Sean Cheesman African jazz number. I thought AdéChiké did a really good job. There were some points where he didn’t completely loosen up, but compared to how he usually is, it was very loose. I don’t know why the judges hate him so much.

Robert & Anya – A Viennese waltz by Jonathan Roberts. Usually, these bore me, but I really liked it! He didn’t drop her or anything, which is always good, and I think he really pulled it off.

Kent & Courtney – Disco (!!) by Doriana Sanchez. First of all, how depressing is it that Kent doesn’t know diddly squat about my favorite thing EVER?! He… was okay. I didn’t think it was the worst of the season, but not his best.

Lauren & Ade – Jazz by Sean Cheesman. I loved this! IMO, this was the closest a competitor came to outdancing an all-star this season. Lauren was great in it.

AdéChiké & Kathryn – Contemporary by Desmond Richardson & Dwight Rohden. I don’t understand why everyone hates him so much. Is he perfect? Should he win? No. But he’s much better than they give him credit for, including in this dance.

Robert & Dominic – Hip hop by Tabitha & Napoleon. It was… weird. I have no idea why they think Robert was better than Dominic. Robert did a good job, but it wasn’t THAT good.

Kent & Neil – A contemporary piece by Travis. I’m not sure why Mia was crying. I watched it twice and was not moved to tears. That said, I really liked it and it was my favorite of the night.

This night was not all that exciting, especially considering how close we are to the end. I already forgot what most of these dances looked like, which is usually a bad sign. Anyhoo, I’m sure AdéChiké will go home tonight. What did you all think?

Spoilers below!

This week on SYTYCD: Toni Reopath was a guest judge, and no injuries!! Jump over to the recap and discuss with me.

I’ll start by saying that I am PISSED that the judges kept Jose last week. Words can’t describe my annoyance. They said it was because he’s grown so much in his own style, but that’s not the point of the competition! I’m still really annoyed, so let’s just start with the dancing.

Kent & Anya – A cha cha by Jean-Marc & France. I didn’t like it all that much, he was kind of stiff and, as Mia said, choppy.

Robert & Kathryn – A Stacey Tookey contemporary. I really liked it, especially at the end when it’s Kathryn going instead of Robert. Kathryn was beautiful and Robert was good (at least he didn’t drop her).

Jose solo – It was okay.

AdéChiké & Courtney – Jazz by Tyce. It was cool and fun. They were right, he didn’t let go enough, but I still liked it.

Lauren solo – I liked it, it was good.

Jose & Comfort – Hip hop by Marty Kudelka & Dana Wilson. Didn’t like this so much. Because it was a slow hip hop routine, the dancing really has to be on point. Comfort was great, but Jose bored me. I’m annoyed it’s taken this long for the judges to critique him.

Billy Bell solo – That was a great solo.

Kent solo – Another great solo, I really enjoyed it.

Lauren & Allison – A Broadway routine by Tyce. Lauren started off really strong, but I felt she got tired or something as it went on. I still really liked it though, she danced it so well.

Robert solo – I liked his solo.

Billy & Ade – Another Stacey Tookey contemporary. I’ve missed Ade! This was a great piece, it was much better than her last social justice-y one. It was definitely Billy’s best this season.

AdéChiké solo – He’s such a great dancer! I liked it.

Jose & Kent – A Spencer Liff Broadway number. Maybe I was just tired, but I was a little bored. The best Jose’s done, and Kent’s made for Broadway. Nigel admits Jose’s probably going home this week.

Lauren & AdéChiké – A foxtrot by Jean-Marc & France. It wasn’t a great performance, but it was nice. I disagree with Nigel, though, that there have been so many great performances this evening.

Robert & Billy – Bollywood by Nakul. Sometimes Robert’s face reminded me of a cheerleader, but other than that, they did a great job. It was my favorite of the night.

Jose has to go home this week. The other person going home this week might be AdéChiké. I REALLY hope it’s not Lauren, who was with the medic by the end of the show. I have to say, you couldn’t tell in this episode that the season is almost over. A lot of the dances were just okay and some were boring. Who do you think is going home?

Spoilers Below

This week on True Blood, we got enough blood, guts, and gore to make up for any tame episodes we’ve ever had. Bill and Sookie might die for each other, vampire politics are front and center, and Tara gets gruesome. Discuss with us!

Many are calling this the bloodiest episode yet. What’s your reaction to all the blood and gore?

LAUREN: This was more than bloody, this was blood, bits, gore, kibble, and offal. Holy shit, it was gory. I’ve never wanted a battle axe more in my life.

SALLY: I was surprised at how gruesome it was, yet also happy in some ways? Like in a weird, “I think there’s something wrong with me” way. Actually, more like a “for a show called True Blood, I always thought there’d be more blood” way.

LAUREN: Let’s say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the gore this week. Any concerns I had that this was going to turn into the “Everyone Make Mooney Eyes This Is a Romance Show” show were alleviated.

SALLY: In the end, isn’t that all that really matters?

Lorena has to kill Bill and there are some interesting scenes between them. Bill says he wishes he’d known her when she was happy; Lorena points out that Bill did at one point enjoy their twisted relationship; Bill says he welcomes death and not having her in his life. What did you think about their interaction in this episode?

LAUREN: Bill’s conception of vampirism has only swung between two extremes — the amoral, wicked killer and the hyper-moral assimilated citizen. I’m glad Bill was finally compelled to admit that he was once morally and emotionally aligned with Lorena, because if he’s ever going to be an interesting character, he’s going to have to find an authentic middle ground. BE YOURSELF, BILL.

SALLY: These scenes were an interesting turn of events. Seeing Lorena confronted with the task of killing someone she’s in love/obsessed with was already intriguing. Then seeing it actually play out in a complex way was satisfying. Not only do we have Bill admitting that he was once as flawed as Lorena, but we have her showing some sort of feeling other than Bill-loving.

LAUREN: She’s kind of acting out what every audience member has been thinking for the last two seasons.

Also at Russell’s, Franklin tells Tara Sookie is there, so Tara communicates to Sookie that she has a plan to escape. She convinces Franklin to untie her, then turns him on by biting into him and drinking his blood. The next morning she wakes up and bashes his head in and makes a run for it. Does this make up for Tara’s misery this season?

LAUREN: …yes? Ha, I would say that I might have stood up in my living room and cheered, but that would be really, really nerdy, so of course I didn’t. Psssssh.

SALLY: I just kept saying “holy crap, is this actually happening?!” I could not believe that after this story playing out as it was, it would suddenly be over by her BASHING IN HIS HEAD. I’m still kind of in shock and waiting for next episode when they’re like haha, jk!

LAUREN: HA. Yes, because vampires are self-healing, right? It would be awesomely B-horror if Franklin just popped up all furious right as Sookie, Tara, and Alcide were making their getaway — with a terrible headache.

SALLY: That would suck for poor Tara.

When Sookie goes looking for Bill, Lorena finds her there and tries to kill her. Did anybody NOT see this coming?

SALLY: So, Sookie kept annoying the crap out of me in this entire episode. Like, so much more than usual or than I expected. When Eric told her to shut up and she didn’t, when she was talking to Russell, when she told Tara she wasn’t leaving without Bill, it was just building up. And then she goes into that room and doesn’t even really look around that much and I’m like “geez Sookie, where’s your brain?! you’re about to DIE!”

LAUREN: Her unquestioning allegiance to Bill is genuinely troubling. If I were her BFF, I’d need to talk with her about the importance of independence and good choices in romantic relationships. Also, how relationships shouldn’t be a string of dangerous dramas. DTMFA.

At the same time, I did have a little empathy for her because she is clearly being toyed with by all these pushy, arrogant, authoritative people, all the while figuring out that she has confusing super powers she’s never been aware of. She’s dealing with a serious mindfuck, and all the while anyone with the power to help her, physical or otherwise, is mocking her or trying to kill her. At this point in the story, if I were Sookie I’d be a big puddle of blood and tears all over the linoleum.

SALLY: Great imagery! I suppose that’s true. Maybe I would’ve felt bad for her if she wasn’t annoying me so. But in reality, she really is sort of at the mercy of these people who don’t tell her the whole story and keep using her as a pawn.

LAUREN: See, usually I’d be irritated with her, but I really feel her confusion, and how helpless she feels trying to bootstrap through all this impossible shit.

In the not Bill/Sookie world, Eric’s getting on Russell’s good side, and the King and Queen will be wed. Thoughts on how this is playing out?

LAUREN: I was as amused by the vampire politics as I was enthralled with Tara’s amazing propensity for violence.

SALLY: This whole storyline had my favorite moment of the night, when the Queen, in her beautiful suit and perfect hair, is sitting in a pile of scratch-offs, excited at winning another $100. It was so great! And just led to more greatness when Eric shows her not to mess with him, when Russell proposes and the smug look on his face when she’s forced to accept. Why can’t we get more of this and less of this Sookie/Bill crap?

LAUREN: Word. Our fellow fans were discussing this in the comments last week and it was interesting to entertain the thought of how this group has been able to organize a power structure over centuries of human change, and how it borrows from the current democratic ideal and from darker feudal times as well, and how things like racism and classism would play out among a group of outsiders who are ageless and without need for some of Maslow’s basics.

Anyway, it was interesting to see how intensely Eric turned on Russell because of a human desire for vengeance. And how Russell sees himself as some kind of environmental purist. And how the queen, despite the assimilationist movement, thought she couldn’t be touched by human legal interventions.

On a sad note, Lafayette and Jesus are done even before really getting started. This can’t possibly be the end already… can it?

LAUREN: Sigh. I sure as hell hope not. The Kiss! The kiss they shared in the car was so sweet and sexy, and then for them to turn around and collectively kick some bigoted ass. There was so much delicious ass-kicking. Having such wonderful characters on TV in your living room every week is cathartic, so I would be terribly disappointed if it was over.

SALLY: I also hope not. Having this be over so soon would be even worse than having it continue and just blow up in Lafayette’s face letter. Better to have loved and lost or something.

LAUREN: Should I point out that almost every new love interest on this show turns into supe gore by the season finale, so maybe Jesus’ days were numbered anyway?

SALLY: Hmmm, good observation. Well, if he must have a gore-licious death in order to give Lafayette some loving, so be it.

The other storylines are rather forgettable. Any other moments that stand out?

LAUREN: What storylines? The only story was Tara bashing Franklin’s head in with a friggin’ MACE. Maybe Jessica, aka Baby Pam, who is suddenly learning to get along by herself. I’m tickled that Jessica’s turning plays out thematically almost like a typical adolescent coming-of-age story — she feels like an outsider, has to learn how to play well with others, and deal with all these weird changes happening to her body.

SALLY: I must say, I kinda love Jessica more each week. Aside from that, I really only have a vague memory that there were other people in this episode besides the vampires and Sookie.

LAUREN: Anyone think Sookie is going to wise up soon? Me neither.

Spoilers below!

This week on SYTYCD: even more injuries, even more tears, it’s like the episodes are reruns or something. Except with KENNY FREAKIN’ ORTEGA! Jump over to the recap and discuss with me.

Last week, it was Ashley’s turn to leave because of an injury. She was my fave, so I was sad to see her go, but I understand. This week, Billy’s injured, but it seems like he’ll be able to dance next week so hopefully that won’t send him home. Aside from that, it was an… interesting night.

Lauren & Twitch – Hip hop by Tabitha & Napoleon. Twitch, I could do without the color contacts, but Lauren was awesome. She did smile a lot, but her dancing was great and intense. Love.

Jose & Allison – A Sonya contemporary piece. I was bored and I couldn’t tell if it was the choreography or my dislike for Jose or what. But, either way, I was bored and that’s sad.

Robert & Lauren (All-Star) – A jazz routine by Tyce. I liked Robert in this, which surprised me because I’m not a big fan of his. He’s grown on me in the last two weeks.

AdéChiké solo – I really liked this solo. He’s grown on me just like Robert has, it’s interesting…

Kent & Kathryn – A Sonya jazz number. This was uncharacteristically happy for Sonya, but I really liked it. I don’t think Kent outdanced Kathryn, but it was good.

Robert solo – His parents are adorable! The solo was good, I liked the end.

Lauren solo – Her solo was kinda meh, but whatevs.

AdéChiké & Comfort – Lyrical hip hop by Tabitha & Napoleon. Comfort’s great and he’s really good too, but I wasn’t as moved as everyone else seemed to be. Not sure if I missed something there… I mean, I really liked it, but I wasn’t crying or anything.

Jose solo – This is probably his best solo yet, and still I don’t want him to stay.

Kent solo – Not much to say about this one, it was okay. But I did notice for the first time that the audience doesn’t count down during the solos anymore, which is great!

Lauren (competitor) & Robert – A samba by Dmitry. Robert has weird partnering moments that bug me. He’ll have great performances and suddenly almost drop his partner or get clumsy or something else. I’d like him a lot more if not for that. Aside from that, they both did a good job. I think Lauren was smokin’.

ETA (thanks Deborah)
AdéChiké & Jose – A paso doble by Dmitry. The fact that I completely forgot about this pretty much explains how I feel about it. It would have been great if not for Jose’s distracting angry face and AdéChiké being only okay.

Kent & Twitch – A stepping routine by Chuck Maldonado. Twitch stepped in for Billy. So. Okay. 1) Why is there so much music playing during a step? The point of a step is to actually hear the beats you make with your body, not to look cool to random music. 2) I have to admit that I think it would have bugged me to see two white guys stepping. 3) Part of what wasn’t believable about Kent stepping has more to do with his fresh-face look than his race. Stepping is hard, intense, and all about using your body as an instrument. It’s not as much about a character or story or looking nice. I can’t quite describe it, but I know I didn’t like it. P.S. – Totally kept expecting the crowd to start chanting Yo Baby lol

So, I still want Jose to go home – big surprise there, I know. Honestly, if he stays, it will really annoy me. And since we’re getting close to the end now, I’ll say that if Lauren doesn’t win this, I’ll be bummed.

What did you all think? Any Greeks in the readership – as in, Greek-lettered orgs and not nationality – or general fans of stepping? Who do you want to see go home?

Spoilers below!

This week on SYTYCD: more injuries, even more tears, and Cat should get her own show. Jump over to the recap and discuss with me.

Last week, Alex left due to his injury. This week, Ashley is the one injured, so hopefully she won’t leave based on that. But it was a good night, so let’s get to it. Oh, and sorry again for no videos, they’re really starting to crack down on those (every time I find one, it’s gone the next time I go back) =/

Lauren & Mark – A “cultural” dance by Taina Liufau, which was a Tahitian dance. Lauren did really well, my legs killed just watching her. She has officially become my favorite.

AdéChiké & Anya – A salsa routine by Liz & Danny. That was really intense — so many stunts! He almost dropped her in the beginning and some of the harder stuff wasn’t smooth, but he did a good job with the regular steps and typical stunts. Not his best, but it was good.

Jose & Courtney – Broadway by Joey Dowling. I love Mr. Cellophane! Such a great song. The routine was not good, and I’m glad the judges said so. Heaven forbid you take away smiles and focus on dance on a dance competition.

Robert & Allison – Travis contemporary piece that stole the show. Emotional routines are often good, but this was INCREDIBLE. I loved it and I’ll admit that even though I’m not a Robert fan, I thought to myself “I’m so glad he stayed in the competition long enough to perform this.” It was definitely his best dancing.

Billy & Anya – Jive by Louis Van Amstel. They weren’t always together, and that slightly annoyed me, but I think he did a good job. He did connect with her, and that was good to see.

Kent & Neil – A Tyce Broadway routine. Kent and Neil need to be on Broadway right now. It wasn’t emotional or overly done or anything like that, and yet I really liked it! They were so in sync, they danced it so well, Kent was so good!

Lauren & Billy – A jazz piece by Mandy Moore. It was an adorable piece and lots of fun to watch – it really suited both of them. Lauren is incredible! I loved her tonight.

Jose & Dominic – The show’s first ever breaking routine by Tabitha & Napoleon (with help from Legacy!). It was great to see breaking on the show, but I have to say that even in his own style, Jose isn’t fast and doesn’t have as much power as others who have been on the show. Also, why did everybody look like they were gonna cry? I doubt he’ll be in the bottom after dancing his style, but I hope so…

AdéChiké & Kent – A Dee Caspary contemporary piece. I really enjoyed it and I thought they were both great. The choreography really suited them.

Robert (& Kathryn) – Disco by Doriana. I love disco! I wasn’t really watching Robert, I have to admit. But what I did see of him was good.

I loved Lauren this week, she is so great, and Kent has grown a lot as well. I want Jose to go home. Still. But I would be fine if Billy left at this point. This was probably my favorite night of the season. Certainly, there weren’t any major let-downs.

What did you all think?

SPOILERS BELOW.

This week on True Blood, it was violence galore. Bill breaks up with Sookie, Eric’s club gets raided, blood (vampire and human) is all over the place, everyone’s basically miserable.

The episode starts with Sookie getting a call from Bill to let her know that it’s over. He tells her he had sex with Lorena and says they were doomed from the start anyway, blah blah. Do we still care? Did we ever?

SALLY: Sookie boohoohooing about Bill was one of the funniest things ever. Topped only by Alcide pretty much mocking Sookie the next morning for still wanting to find Bill.

LAUREN: There were indeed a lot of good one-liners this Sunday. I liked the formality of Bill breaking up with Sookie, and Sookie’s, “Shut the fuck up.” Also, crying, “I don’t have a nutsack!”

SALLY: Also, when Alcide is comforting Sookie and she’s all “you’re warm,” it was much funnier but also less hot than when they do that in Eclipse. (Which I saw. Don’t judge me.)

LAUREN: Not a Twilight fan, I have to say. Apparently I prefer my vampires EXTRA VIOLENT??? Was this episode not the most violent one we’ve seen yet (forgetting the one where Sookie chops off someone’s head with a shovel)? Or maybe I should just say that this is the episode in which we are meant to be reminded that OUR vampires and werewolves are not sparkly, love-obsessed teenage ancients, OUR vampires and werewolves are fucking animals.

SALLY: It really was quite violent! What is up with this dark turn we’ve taken into vampire-dom?! Calm down, True Blood, calm down.

LAUREN: WE ARE TRUE BLOOD. WE ARE NOT TWILIGHT. OR THAT ONE SHOW ON WB.

Tara is being held captive by Franklin. He uses her to try to find out exactly where Sookie is and what she’s up to, but doesn’t get enough information. He kidnaps Tara and brings her to Russell’s mansion. What is Franklin up to and how will Tara get away?

SALLY: Sooooo, this storyline is starting to make me really uncomfortable. He keeps getting increasingly violent with Tara and at this point she’s just a vehicle for him to get what he wants, presumably Sookie.

LAUREN: I’m also made a little uncomfortable with these scenes, and I feel like to talk about them on a feminist blog is to first issue a serious trigger warning. We talk about this show because we like the show, but to watch it is to jump in knowing the show walks the edge of sex and violence, something that can be deeply disturbing to trauma survivors. This particular storyline is very creepy, very disturbing, and will be very triggering for people who have been in claustrophobic, manipulative, abusive relationships.

I don’t really know what to say about this storyline, but so far the tone it’s setting is uncomfortable and not in a good-television kind of way. Rutina Wesley is a friggin’ scream queen (in the good-television kind of way) but the storyline is still edging around some bad territory. I need to see where it goes to comment further.

SALLY: My hope is that she’ll escape soon. That must be what’s coming, right? Please let that be so, because I don’t want it to keep going down this road.

Sam’s family is still around. He has a heart to heart with his brother who feels responsible for his parents and can’t get away to live his own life until they’re dead. Sam confronts his parents and says he’ll give them a place to stay if they stop stealing and drinking. Where’s this storyline going?

LAUREN: Sam has to choose whether to be tied down by his history or whether to set down his baggage. I think he sees his baby brother as a way not only to connect with his history, but to redeem himself, but the bad, drunken parents, unfortunately, come with the brother. I’m still willing to bet Sam’s going to come out with the shit end of the stick on this one.

SALLY: Yeah, I can’t help but feel like he’s getting set up in a major way. Mostly because I still find the brother weird as all heck. Oh, and the fact that his parents are clearly untrustworthy.

LAUREN: There’s something going on there, but this thread is just inching along. In due time?

Jessica becomes the new hostess at Merlotte’s, where somebody recognizes her from bible study. She takes him outside to glamour him so that he forgets seeing her or stopping there. Is this a sign that Jessica’s finally maturing and taking care of herself?

SALLY: I was really happy to see how Jessica handled this. Considering that the whole killing a man and then hiding him thing only happened, like, two days ago or something like that in t.v. time, I wasn’t sure what she’d do. To see her trying a more rational approach this time around was nice.

LAUREN: Yes, it was definitely a coming of age moment for Jessica, where she problem-solved without flailing around and causing a scene first.

SALLY: But, of course, we can’t really talk about this scene without mentioning Hoyt. Was I the only one slightly bothered by him creeping around spying on her? I get that they’re basically the young love on this show, but still.

LAUREN: No! I had a similar thought. Yes, their missed connections are bittersweet drama, but it’s ironic to me that it’s Jessica’s evolution of maturity that Hoyt sees as a betrayal. Yeah, for all he knows she is sweet-talking another dude. Sure. But in this moment Jessica is also becoming more self-reliant and that is part of Hoyt’s personal tragedy.

SALLY: Exactly, and I think it’s also interesting to consider Hoyt’s resistance to taking Jason’s “sleep with another woman and you’ll forget it” attitude. Is it possible that Hoyt might end up bordering on Nice Guy TM? I hope not, cuz he’s cute as a button with Jessica and I still want them to end up together.

Eric’s off having fantasies about Sookie, but soon he’s got other things to worry about. Bill tells Russell about Eric selling vampire blood for the Queen and the Magister raids the club. Eric tells the Magister that Bill’s setting them up and Eric’s looking for him. Will Eric really look for Bill or do you think he has another plan in mind? And do we have more Eric/Sookie fantasies to look forward to?

LAUREN: Nooooooooooo. I don’t want them to actually do it and ruin my badass Eric Northman (Eric Northman doesn’t have feelings for HUMANS), I want them to have witty banter about doing it or not doing it for another three seasons, thank you.

SALLY: Does the actual touching ruin it? I can see that…

LAUREN: Let’s just say I like the running theme of pining for a rejecting humanity in the vampire community, and Pam and Eric have been so compelling in part because they love being blood-drinking, speed-fucking vampires. And speaking of which, was it just me or was this episode heavy on porn-like music?

SALLY: Particularly at strange moments, from what I remember (except, of course, I deleted the episode from my DVR already so can’t check).

LAUREN: Basically whenever there was a musical score it was all Bow Bum Bum Chicka Bow Bowm interspersed with buckets of blood, hair and/or clever dialogue.

SALLY: Basically!

Sookie distracts herself by playing Ms. Fix-It with Alcide and his ex, Debbie. She learns that Debbie is being initiated into the vampire blood-drinking gang and go to save her. There, they discover that Debbie’s fiance was one of Bill’s kidnappers and Russell is feeding them blood. Will Alcide and Sookie turn to Eric with what they’ve learned? What will he do now that he’s got other problems of his own?

LAUREN: Vampire politics, who knew? It’s interesting that the warring king and queen are corrupt drug dealers — of a drug considered sacrilegious to sell by an even greater moral-political power. One side is depending on Bill, and the other side is framing him, and this can only be resolved by whomever can manipulate his or her power and influence the best. Seeing that the queen is erratic and unreliable, it’s going to fall back on Eric and company. This season is going to be all about nepotism and corruption. And it’s going to be awesome.

SALLY: The moral of the story is basically “most people in power are equally corrupt and more alike than you realize.” Or perhaps that was just me thinking about the general “Democrats & Republicans are basically the same” argument… Either way, I’m confident that Eric will take the lead in this situation and hopefully work closely with Bill in one of those moments where they put aside all the other problems to get rid of the baddies.

LAUREN: Indeed! They will have to Put-Aside-Their-Problems-And-Work-Together, and then Sookie will have to Make-A-Choice between her moral/life saviors, but there will be another Powerful-But-Sensitive-Dangerous-Man-Character with whom she will have Very-Marketable-Sexual-Tension. Wherever will this go?

SALLY: This is starting to sound like an episode of Lost…

LAUREN: Then on the flip side there is another corruption tale taking place on the human side of Bon Temps, where one of the deputies points out that all Andy Bellefleur had to do to make Sheriff is to “drink like a fish, hallucinate farm animals, and kill a black man.” Notable, too, that Jason is going to blackmail Andy into making him a police officer.

SALLY: I completely forgot about this scene! And yet I remember watching it and thinking “ohhhhh snap.” This is one storyline I do want to see continue. The others are letting me down on multiple fronts.

LAUREN: Yeah, I just realized there isn’t one relationship on the show that is up-front and honest. Not one! And it’s bittersweeet that Sookie believes that her relationship with Bill isn’t colored by underhandedness and manipulation.

SALLY: On a final note, dude, can Sookie just mind her own business for once?

LAUREN: No.

Spoilers below!

This week on SYTYCD: injuries, tears, Nigel learns how to use the internet, and Cat talks back. Jump over to the recap and discuss with me.

So last week, Melinda FINALLY left, and I cheered even though we all expected it at that point. The real news this week was Alex’s injury… I felt bad, of course, especially because I want to see if his hip hop last week was just a fluke and what he’s like in other styles. But, really, it’s not that serious. Injuries are bad and, ok, he’ll be in the bottom 3 but they’re not going to get rid of him if there’s any chance in hell that he can dance next week. So having them spend so much time talking about it kind of annoyed me and at one point I actually said to my t.v. “get the hell over it, let’s move on.” So that’s what I’m going to do now – on to the show!

Oh, and sorry for the lack of videos, most of them have been taken down – I shall keep looking!

Lauren & Pasha – A cha cha by Jean-Marc and France. I have to say, I really liked it and suspect that Mary would’ve put them on the hot tamale train. There were some slip-ups, but she has totally matured and she shined in this dance.

Jose & Lauren – Contemporary by Mandy Moore. This was his best dance in the competition so far, but, really, Lauren is a great partner (as much as I hate her) so I’m not sure how much of that was him actually being good…

Kent & Comfort – A Dave Scott hip hop routine. This routine suited Kent and I’m glad he took the critique from last week and fixed his face. Definitely better than Billy’s hip hop, it was good.

AdéChiké & Courtney – A jazz routine by Mandy Moore. Ok, I think the choreography (also in Mandy’s other routine) is the real problem, not him. I think he danced it well and he’s good at the sexy routines because he can open up a bit more and have fun, but the choreography just wasn’t that great. There wasn’t much to work with and I was annoyed that the judges took it out on him.

Billy & Katie – Broadway by Spencer Liff. Poor Allison was injured, but I was glad to see Katie back. I… didn’t enjoy this as much as the judges. He danced it incredibly well, but I couldn’t tell what character he was playing which is the point of Broadway, no?

Ashley & Dominic – Hip hop by Tabitha & Napoleon. The concept was strange, but she did really well, and good for her after everyone doubting she could do something other than contemporary. Great job.

Robert & Kathryn – A Sean Cheesman jazz number. 1) Nigel, it’s not about whether or not Robert actually IS arrogant, it’s that something about his personality seems a bit fake and can be taken as arrogance. 2) THIS ROUTINE WAS NOT THAT GOOD! He almost dropped her and he wasn’t there for her at all. Yes, personality-wise he got it, but Robert is a much better dancer/partner than he was in this routine so please shut it, judges.

AdéChiké – Bollywood by Nakul. Serious question, are there no other Bollywood choreographers? As for the dance, he wasn’t as sharp as he could’ve been, true, but Nigel made it seem like he bombed and I was ecstatic that Cat stood up to them, which made Mia defensive. Drama.

Lauren & Kent – A Travis contemporary piece. This routine was really nice, and I couldn’t help think that Mollee & what’s-his-name from last season wouldn’t have danced this as well and as maturely as Lauren & Kent, which shows how much they’ve grown.

Robert & Ashley – Quickstep by Jean-Marc & France. The dance of death, but they survived. They were a bit bouncy and their steps could’ve been lighter, but Ashley looked lovely and Robert was okay.

Jose & Billy – Sean Cheesman’s African jazz. So, this was not wonderful, and there’s really not much more to say than that lol.

I really want to comment on the judges for a bit. Every season, they have their faves and try to suggest who should get the votes and who shouldn’t, but it’s out of control this season. Robert’s first performance didn’t even get critiqued because it was a love-fest; don’t know what the hell AdéChiké did to piss off the judges, but they’re gunning for him to leave; Jose only got real criticism after Cat talked back to the judges – this is getting ridiculous! Jose doesn’t deserve to be here no matter how much he smiles. Yes, he embraces the competition, but so do other dancers who take critique and grow the next week (like Lauren), but the judges still critique her every week. I don’t even really like AdéChiké that much, but I still recognize his growth. I don’t get it…

Anyhoo, Lauren & Ashley were the best of the night while Jose & Robert were the weakest. I hope Jose gets the boot.

Thoughts? Predictions? Gripes about the judges? Let it all out!