True Blood: The First Taste (Episode 102)

Young, dumb, and full of...well, you know.

We pick up where we left off, with Sookie getting her ass handed to her by the Rattrays. The couple takes a break to make out because beating someone to death is totally hot. When the Rattrays get back to their task, the friendly neighborhood watchdog appears and starts growling at them. Mack aims a gun at the dog but Sookie grabs his ankle to distract him and suddenly Mack is flung high into the trees and dies with awesomely squishy sounds. Denise only has a second to wonder what's going on before she also dies a gruesome death, courtesy of something moving too fast for anyone to see. Sookie lies gasping, bleeding and unable to move as someone walks over and crouches down next to her.

Credits. It wasn't until after I finished last week's recap that I realized the drunk girl in the cold open was played by Jessica Stroup, aka Silver on 90210. I think I didn't recognize her because she lost at least a third of her body weight in between filming this show and 90210.

At the police station, Jason watches the tape of his sexcapades with Maudette while Andy and Bud observe his reactions. To his credit, Jason does look rather uncomfortable watching amateur porn starring himself in the presence of a detective and the town sheriff. When Jason, er, finishes, Andy hilariously checks his watch. Hee! On the tape, Jason can't revive Maudette after choking her and instead of calling 911, he grabs his clothes and skedaddles. Jason is sure his goose is cooked and grimaces, but the tape continues to play and he sees that Maudette was just fucking with him. "Moron," she laughs, right before shutting off the tape. Jason doesn't care that he is a moron because he just got proof that he didn't kill Maudette. He thinks the vampire Maudette was screwing killed her and he describes the vamp, but can't say if it's Sookie's new undead friend because he hasn't met Bill. When Andy says all of the tapes but his were gone from Maudette's apartment Jason thinks the killer took the evidence of his crime, but Andy counters that the killer left the one tape because it exonerates him of a crime he back back later to commit. Jason nods at this excellent point until he realizes that Andy is suggesting he's the killer. "C'mon, I'm not that smart!" he protests. Andy and Bud look at each other like, "Kid's got a point." Heh.

Bill carries Sookie through the woods and she rouses long enough to register who's got her before passing out again. He puts her down and she coughs up blood, telling him that she can't feel her legs. He pulls her into a sitting position and bites into his wrist. She says she doesn't want to be a vampire but he sternly asks if she wants to die and shoves his dripping wrist against her mouth. She still resists but she's weak and he's able to force a few drops into her mouth until the taste of his apparently delicious blood overwhelms her and she latches on, slurping away like a malnourished baby. Although, to be honest, she looks less like she's feeding and more like she's fellating his arm. I just call it as I see it.

Tara arrives home to find her mother passed out drunk on the couch. She calls up Lafayette, who's on his way to a party, and begs him to take her out because she doesn't want to deal with her crappy life right now. He agrees, but tells her she'll have to find her own ride home because he plans on getting lucky.

Dawn stumbles out of her bedroom because someone's banging loudly at her front door. It's Jason, complaining that Bud and Andy made him sit at the station for 12 hours thinking he had killed Maudette before showing him the tape that exonerated him. He cares less about the injustice than about the fact that he went 12 whole hours without getting laid. He puts the moves on Dawn, who resists for about five seconds.

When Sookie comes to, Bill is licking blood off her face. She's more bemused than freaked out, which pretty much says it all about the offbeat way Sookie looks at the world. She asks if she tastes different from other people and Bill says she does, then once again asks what she is. She observes that she's apparently not dead, then admits she's telepathic. Bill wants to know if she can hear his thoughts and she says she can't, that she likes him because his mind is silent to her and it's peaceful being around him. Bill is curious about her dating life, considering what the minds of 20something guys are like, and Sookie declares firmly that she doesn't date, then clarifies that she's been on a few dates. We get a funny flashback to a couple of her dates and the thoughts she hears are what one would expect; one of the guys wonders if she's a true blonde and the other is closeted. Sookie tells Bill that the people closest to her know about her abilities and everyone else suspects or thinks she's crazy. She says sometimes she hears thoughts clearly and other times they come across as images. If it weren't for the lovely chemistry between Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, this scene would come across as "let's take a break from the plot to explain in detail how Sookie's gift works." Bill looks completely entranced by Sookie now that he knows why she's different and he moves a little closer, but Sookie breaks the moment by saying she should get home. She starts to get up and marvels that she's completely healed. She wonders if everyone else knows vampire blood is like mom's chicken soup cranked up to a million and Bill cautions that it's a trade secret that needs to stay that way.

Party. Lafayette makes the rounds while Tara sits on a couch nursing a beer. A dude slinks over to hit on her and we learn that Tara and Lafayette are cousins, because the only two non-white characters on this show just have to be related. Sigh. Alan Ball, don't make me want to punch you repeatedly in the nutsack. Anyway, Tara sees right away that this dude is a sleazebag and she starts spinning a yarn about her homicidally jealous mercenary husband. The dude isn't sure if Tara's lying but either way he runs away as fast as he can. Tara looks around for Lafayette but he's already taken off with someone.

Dawn and Jason have noisy, sweaty up-against-the-wall sex. I have to admire Ryan Kwanten's fearless dedication to being naked in most of his scenes thus far on this show. At one point, Jason triumphantly points at himself in the mirror. Of course he does.

Bill is walking Sookie back to her car and it would look like a sweet, normal romantic stroll down the lane if it weren't for the fact that she's covered in blood and he's telling her that he's 173 years old. When Sookie hears how old Bill is, she remembers to ask him if he'd come talk to her grandmother's Civil War descendents group. He's not too keen on the "Glorious" part of the group's name, snapping that there's nothing glorious about war, but when she says it would make her happy if he shares what he remembers he agrees to it. They make plans for him to come over the next night after dark. She turns to her car and notices that the lights are on in Sam's trailer but when she turns back, Bill is gone. "Well, that's creepy," she mutters. Hee.

It's morning and Jason lies awake in Dawn's bed looking thoughtful, or as thoughtful as Jason is capable of being. Dawn shifts in her sleep and Jason is troubled when he notices a vampire bite on her collarbone.

Sookie's in her kitchen watching a news program where Reverend Theodore Newlin of the Fellowship of the Sun Church argues heatedly with Nan Flanagan of the American Vampire League. Actually, Newlin refuses to speak directly to Flanagan and demands the interviewer act as an intermediary, but same difference. It's all very Westboro Baptist Church vs. GLAAD, except Newlin is more coherent than Fred Phelps. Adele comes in and Sookie turns off the TV, then says she doesn't think Jesus would mind vampires. Probably not. I mean, we are talking about someone who was supposedly undead himself. Sookie moans happily over her breakfast sausage (dirty!) and rhapsodizes that it tastes more complex, that she can picture the farm the pig lived on and taste the earth that the herbs grew in. Tara arrives before Adele can ask Sookie what she's been smoking lately. The girls catch each other up on their nights, although Sookie leaves out the part where she almost died and drank vampire blood to survive. Tara chastises Sookie for meeting up with Bill and says vampires can hypnotize humans so they don't know they've been bitten. "Yeah, and blacks are lazy and Jews have horns," Sookie retorts. Okay, Alan Ball, we get it. This show is a metaphor for prejudice and discrimination. WE GET IT. Now would you please stop beating us over the head with it? Jason comes in for a free breakfast and while Adele feeds him, she says she just got off the phone and heard that the Rattrays' trailer was destroyed in a freak tornado and the couple was crushed to death. Sookie looks sickened.

Sookie has to see the carnage for herself so she drives out to the trailer and takes a look around, ducking under the crime scene tape. Bud arrives with Mike Spencer, Bon Temps' coronor and funeral home director. Bud wants to know why Sookie is there and she says she had to come see when she heard what happened. She very insincerely says it's horrible and Bud notes that she didn't get along with the Rattrays too well. She belligerently admits that she put Mack in the hospital when she caught him and Denise draining Bill and says she was just doing her civic duty, since draining vampires is illegal. Bud thinks it's convenient that the Rattrays are now dead and says tornadoes don't touch down in one place and not anywhere else. Sookie looks a little disturbed at the idea that a single vampire could destroy and entire trailer but she's too busy aggressively lecturing Bud and Mike on their anti-vamp bigotry to worry about it too much. Apparently the weather forecast in Bon Temps is overcast with a 70% chance of anvils.

Sookie arrives back at home, still all het up. She finds Adele cleaning and says Bill sleeps in the ground all day, so he's not likely to care if the rug is freshly vacuumed. Adele says she's doing it for herself but Sookie is distracted by the smell of rotting food. She follows the smell and finds a tiny piece of a cracker under the carpet. "You can't smell that?" Sookie asks and Adele just looks at her like, "No, Crazy McBloodhound." Adele says Jason and Tara invited themselves over for Bill's visit and Sookie sulks about everyone getting up in her business. Delicately, Adele asks if Sookie wants to "be alone" with Bill, you know, like in a naked way. Sookie admits that maybe she does and wonders if Adele is going to tell her to be careful. Adele knows she's always careful about the important things but Sookie doesn't look as sure of that as her grandmother is.

Later as the sun goes down, Jason and Tara have arrived and Jason lectures Sookie some more about the dangers of getting involved with vampires. Bored now. I wouldn't mind these metaphors so much if they weren't so heavy-handed. They're about as subtle as a baseball bat upside the head. Sookie's as annoyed as I am and she flounces out to the porch to wait for Bill. She's sweeping when he suddenly appears and she jumps like a goosed cat and scolds him. He frets that she's upset and she brushes it off, but it's clear she wants to tell him to start wearing a bell around his neck. She opens the door to let him in but Bill explains she has to verbally invite him inside. Sookie finds this information hilarious but she politely invites him inside. Before he enters she blocks him and asks if he has to leave if her invitation is rescinded. Bill admits that's the case and Sookie thoughtfully says, "I'll have to remember that."

Most awkward visit ever! Jason and Tara glare at Bill, Adele tries to feed Bill real food, Sookie fidgets, and Bill tries to make polite small talk. He goes over his family history and says he moved into the Compton place after his last descendent died, under the assumption that the Vampire Rights Amendment will get passed and he'd inherit it legally. Jason jumps into to rant about how many think "you people don't deserve special rights" and Bill calmly explains that they're the same rights everyone else gets and oh my fucking god this shit is tedious. Look, I just want sexy vampires and a plucky telepathic waitress and humor and romance and mystery and all the things that make me love the books. Is that really too much to ask for?

After a few more minutes of uncomfortable conversation, Bill asks Adele's permission to take a walk with Sookie. Jason protests but Adele tells him to sit down and shut up, because it's her house and Sookie is old enough to make her own decisions. Sookie smirks at Jason and takes Bill's hand and when they're gone, Jason whines to Adele about how she made a fool of him. She pats his face and replies that he doesn't need any help looking like a fool. Heh.

Sookie and Bill stroll across her yard and the first thing she says is to ask about the Rattrays. He admits he faked the tornado to cover up their deaths and says he also fed on them because she took so much of his blood. While they're walking, he sees the friendly neighborhood watchdog observing them but says nothing to Sookie. She wants to know what effects his blood will have on her and Bill says her senses and libido will be stronger and he'll always be able to feel her, which could come in handy if she's in trouble. She admits she's feeling overwhelmed by everything.

Jason is sulking on the couch when Tara joins him, offering a beer. He whines about how he's just trying to be a good brother to Sookie and Tara strokes his ego, saying she understands how he feels like everyone ignores him. Because she's making him feel better he tells her she's brilliant and she scoffs, saying she's always doing dumb things that get her into trouble. Jason admits that he's secretly not that smart either and she says that's not really a secret. Hee. He pounces on her and they play-wrestle for a bit, and Tara takes the opportunity to curl up against him. Unfortunately, the moment is ruined when he remembers he's supposed to pick up Dawn from work. Jason takes off and when he's gone Tara laughs at herself for her stupid crush.

Sookie and Bill continue their walk and they're walking past a cemetery because if you're going to throw out that whole subtlety thing might as well go whole hog, right? Sookie asks if it's true vampires can hypnotize humans and Bill admits it is, but he hasn't glamored her. She wants him to try and he does, but it doesn't work and she just laughs at him. He's surprised that she's not more freaked out by him and she says she's got some experience in dealing with things out of the ordinary. We see flashbacks of when Sookie's telepathy started to develop in her childhood. After scaring her parents, she was taken to a psychologist who, despite seeing for herself that Sookie's gift was real, said Sookie was just very good at reading people. Her parents accepted the diagnosis but Sookie knew from their thoughts that they didn't believe the shrink.

Back in the present, Sookie says she lost her parents in a flash flood when she was seven. Bill sympathizes, sharing that he lost his wife and child when he was turned into a vampire. Sookie wants to know more about what being a vamp is like and asks if he can turn into a bat. He says some can shapeshift but he doesn't have that ability, and he can't levitate or turn invisible either. Sookie teasingly says he doesn't seem like a very good vampire and asks what he can do, and he somberly replies that he can bring her back to life. Sookie needs to add "have a sense of humor" to list of things Vampire Bill can't do, apparently.

They've made their way to Bill's house and he says that even if he doesn't have legal ownership yet, nobody's hassled him about the renovations although he does have trouble getting workers to come out at night. Sookie promises to make some calls during the day and give him a list of people to contact. He thanks her, then gazes dopily at her for a few seconds before asking her to remove her hair clip. She complies and he runs his fingers through her hair and smells it, along with her neck. But he doesn't make any other moves and she's kind of tired of the slow dance, so she finally grabs him in a kiss. They kiss hungrily for a few moments but then his penis fangs pop out and he pushes away from her. Bill says he should see her home and Sookie, a little scared, agrees.

It's the next day and Dawn gets ready for work while Jason lies tied to her bed. He thinks she's going to untie him before she leaves but she just kisses him (and licks his nostril - what the hell?) and leaves. She's going to be really annoyed when she comes home to find that he's peed in her bed.

Merlotte's. Sam chastises Tara for not wearing a uniform like everyone else but backs down when she points out that none of the men who work there wear uniforms. He asks again why he hired her and she retorts, "Affirmative action!" Hee. Tara is about a billion times more likeable in this episode than she was in the pilot.

Sookie takes the order of some obnoxious punk who thinks pervy thoughts about her and grabs her ass when she turns to leave. Before she can smack him upside with her order pad, Rene jumps out and twists the punk's arm behind his back, ordering him to apologize. The kid apologizes and Rene advises that he and his friends get out. After they do, Sookie says she could have handled it. Rene says he's got a sister about Sookie's age and hopes someone would defend her if she was being treated the way Sookie was. Sookie heads into the back and asks Arlene to tell Rene to let her handle her own battles, but Arlene isn't listening because she's thinking about how her period is late. Sookie catches this and, not thinking, hugs her. Arlene knows immediately what's up and pushes Sookie away, telling her to stay out of her head. Sam sees this and asks Sookie to come to his office.

In his office, Sookie tells Sam she didn't mean to hear Arlene's thoughts but sometimes she can't help it. Sam asks if it's true she can't hear Bill's thoughts and says it must be relaxing not to have to work so hard to block everything out around him. Sookie agrees, and Sam asks her to try and read him. She refuses, saying she'd have to quit like she has every other job once she could hear her boss's thoughts. He presses, saying she might be surprised by what she hears, but she replies that all surprises aren't good. It's obvious that he doesn't know she heard him the other night and she doesn't want to admit she heard him and face what she heard, so they're at an impasse. Sam drops it but adorably tells her not to worry, she's got a job at Merlott's no matter what. Sookie's touched by his assurances and gets back to work. Sam leans back in his chair, feeling about as dopey as Tara did last night with Jason. Over his shoulder, there's a heinously ugly painting of a dog standing guard over a young blonde girl. Why, whatever could that possibly mean? I'm afraid this show is just too clever for me.

After Tara and Dawn get into some territorial passive-aggressive catfighting over Jason, Sookie comes out and sees something that catches her attention on the TV. It's a news report about a car accident that killed Reverend Theodore Newlin and his family, along with seven other people. Sookie looks like she wants to barf all over the bar.

When she gets off work, Sookie drives over to Bill's place. Instead of finding him, however, she's circled by three very unfriendly-looking vampires, one of whom is the one Jason watched on tape having sex with Maudette. The vamps pop their fangs and snarl at her and Sookie looks understandably nervous, but as the credits roll I have to point out that she's not having the life stomped out of her yet, which puts her ahead of the game compared to how last week ended.