'TRUE BLOOD' 3.6 - "I Got A Right To Sing The Blues"

[SPOILERS] True Blood is a show comprised of trailer-bait moments and exhilarative cliffhangers, as the recent sizzle reel from the San Diego Comic-Con proved. It's just a shame that the show, particularly in this third year, isn't that great at compiling episodes of TV that work as a cohesive dramatic piece. It doesn't have subplots that support a central storyline, it just has lots of "stuff" happening that might coalesce into something approaching a story if you're lucky. It's almost like a collection of horror anthology scripts someone's shuffled together. And while that creates a certain level of enjoyable craziness to every episode, it's just so messy and unfocused that I'm still finding the bulk of season 3 watchable but rambling.

This week's smorgasbord played out thus: Sookie (Anna Paquin) was taken to Edgington's (Denis O'Hare) mansion for interrogation about her powers, prompting Bill (Stephen Moyer) to assault Edgington's aides and get himself handed to Lorena (Mariana Klaveno) for a slow, torturous death; Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) feigned allegiance to Edgington, focused on avenging the 3,000-year-old vampire's slaughter of his human family; Tara (Rutina Wesley) acquiesced to unhinged vampire Franklin's (James Frain) demands, secretly plotting to escape with Sookie by daylight; Tommy (Marshall Allman) gave in to a plea from his mother to continue using his shape-shifting ability to provide for his family (via illegal dog fighting); Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) grew closer to Jesus (Kevin Alejandro), but his drug-dealing caused upset when it came to light; Jason (Ryan Kwanten) was heartbroken to find that Crystal (Lindsay Pulsipher) has a fiancé and is pretending she doesn't know him; Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) made an effort to befriend Arlene (Carrie Preston) by "glamouring" a customer into leaving her a healthy tip; and Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood) was forced into agreeing to marry Edgington as penance for framing Eric over the illegal sale of V blood.

As usual, I found a third of "I Got A Right To Sing The Blues" perfectly satisfying and occasionally very good, while the remaining two thirds was slightly tedious or at too much of an embryonic stage to get excited about yet. I was glad to see Tara shake off her labeling as a victim, finally, as she bludgeoned Franklin's head to a messy pulp with a mace and was instrumental in springing Sookie from captivity. I've always had problems with Tara's character, but she's certainly better when her fierce determination and feistiness is channeled into a proactive way that gives us hope humans aren't just the playthings of True Blood's supernatural creatures. They actually stand a chance of defeating them without super-powered help from a bartending shape-shifter, vampire sheriff, or hunky werewolf.

I'm also enjoying Denis O'Hare as Edgington, particularly now we're getting some information about his opinions and values regarding werewolves (sub-dogs he can control to his own end) and humans (a species that deserve to be enslaved, in a vague parallel to Adolf Hitler's desire for a Master Race). Considering the flashback to WWII earlier this season, I'm hoping this is another nod towards "Operation Werewolf" and the 1930s. Were the Nazi's aware of vampires and werewolves in this universe? Also interesting to note how Lorena was lamenting the passing of the '30s, seeing that era in a positive light, when it's widely seen as a dark time in human history.

There was a slight development in the mystery of Sam's (Sam Trammell) parents, who appear to have been using Tommy's shape-shifting to make money all these years, just as his mother was forced to do before him. In essence, Sam's father is a domineering slave driver who has his wife and child under the thumb, which is a plausible real-world downside that (rarely for True Blood) has the balance of power weighted in a human's favour.

Everything else wasn't worth the effort. Jason's story has a thin skin of mystery concerning who/what Crystal is, which is fine, but the idea of him becoming a deputy and his jealousy for that teenage boy who's essentially himself 15 years ago isn't working for me. I also have zero interest in Lafayette's love life, so that storyline is already tempting my fast-forward button. It's also a crime that Jessica's being given nothing to do this year (having stolen multiple episodes last season so effortlessly), although I like the possibility that she'll become a "daughter" for Arlene. Isn't that where things are headed?

Overall, "I Got A Right To Sing The Blues" had just enough forward thrust and inciting moments to raise it a notch over average, and I admit True Blood's never boring for any notable length of time. True Blood's strength is its commitment to entertain with an unbridled desire to please and horrify its audience over an hour. It's thick with characters and moments that provide regular "hits". It's just a pity it has ADHD and finds it difficult to build a serialized story that provides decent material for more than 30% of the cast, in a manner that keeps you confident the writers are following a thought out plan.

Asides

• Is that really the end of Franklin? Can vampires repair themselves after having their skull split open like a watermelon? If not, I can't help thinking that's a waste of James Frain, who was one of this season's best newcomers.
• I'm glad there appears to be some movement on Sookie's abilities (telepathy, telekinesis, energy blasts), but the writers will have to tread carefully. Giving her character too much power and control wouldn't be wise, as Sookie's role on the show has always been the plucky and defiant damsel. If she didn't need protection and could look after herself in this world of vampires and werewolves, I think her character loses too much of what makes her sympathetic.

WRITER: Alan Ball
DIRECTOR: Michael Lehmann
GUEST CAST: Kevin Alejandro, Annica Bejhed, Grey Damon, Grainger Hines, Cooper Huckabee, Lil Mirkk, Melissa Rauch, John Rezig, Hans Tester, Tanya Wright, Marshall Allman, Mariana Klaveno, Denis O'Hare, Jim Parrack, Lindsay Pulsipher, Grant Bowler, Joe Manganiello, Brit Morgan, Evan Rachel Wood & James Frain
TRANSMISSION: 25 July 2010 - HBO, 9PM