True Blood, Episode 5.11: "Sunset"

So you know how I talked last week about how True Blood was effectively getting its characters into place for the final showdown? Well, as much as I hate to say it, this week's episode - the second-to-last of the season - felt like more of the same: It spent much of its time in the service of setting up the show's chessboard as well. In this week's case, the narrative took great pains to get the majority of the expansive cast into one of either two locations: the Secret Underground Authority Lair, or Fairie Moulin Rouge. I had hoped that this week would start delivering significant payoffs that we've been waiting for all season… but if anything,  the only major play this episode pulls off is to set up the Russell-versus-the-fairy-population cliffhanger… which, of course, is just a tease for next week. It puts the finale in a tricky spot: now, more than ever, next week's episode is a last-ditch make-or-break effort to save the season… and right now, I'm a bit of a pessimist about it. But yet, I still believe it can save itself… with a few unconventional choices, that is.

For example, after seeing this week's Authority scenes, I'm secretly hoping that the season finale will take the Authority material to its logical conclusion… by turning it into full-blown farce. Every single thing that happened down in the bunker this week could easily be turned into slapstick… and at this point, the show might be better for it. For example, think of the Weekend at Bernie's-like hilarity that could've resulted out of the Authority deciding how to handle General Cavanaugh's body! Think of all the wacky confusion that's certain to play out next week when everyone realizes that Lilith has chosen each of them to be the new leader! ("She chose you?" But she chose me!") Since Sam and Luna are underground, too, we can have a bunch of slapstick rat chases through the corridors… or heck, let's have them unshift, so we can milk the hilarity of naked shape shifters for all their worth! Or, at the very least, let's just have dozens of "What are you doing down here?" exchanges, like the one that Pam and Sam had near the end of this week's show. Unfortunately, Vampire Blake Edwards is not listed as the director for next week's episode to ensure that this will happen… but will the director of Hudson Hawk suffice? ;-)

The other major chunk of this week's episode took place over at Fairie Moulin Rouge, which hasn't been the most exciting setting of this season. The scenes with the Elder Fairie didn't help in this regard, because it was just so goofy and unrevealing… seriously, Ke$ha and John Cougar Mellencamp jokes? But once Russell and Steve found their way to the portal (thanks to the glamouring of QB-1 Jason Stackhouse), things immediately energized. Now, that's not a surprising assessment by any means… but Denis O'Hare's scenery chewing as he sniffed out the fairie portal (and the subsequent guzzling of the Elder Fairie's blood) is, as always, so tremendous that it's worth the accolades. I can only hope that next week's fairie army will sustain that excitement, and provide a formidable challenge for our Dynamic Deadly Duo of Russell and Steve.

That leaves us with just a handful of characters who aren't involved in either of these plots… which, more than anything, probably speaks to the uselessness of their characters on the show. Terry and Arlene had a perfunctory scene midway through tonight's episode… mainly to remind us that they're still part of the show, even though their plot for the season has wrapped up. Sheriff Andy has been blessed with a late-in-the-season revelation - that he knocked up his fairy friend Maurella, who, after just one week, is very pregnant. Finally, there's the scenes with Alcide and his dad, which still seemed perfunctory in the grand scheme of things… but still, the mere presence of Robert "T-1000" Patrick has piqued my interest, even if there's no direct relation to the plot at hand.

So, will next week deliver? There's a lot at stake: the finale is written by series creator Alan Ball, who's stepping down as the series' show runner after next week's show. I certainly hope that he'll put his all into the script and craft an excellent and satisfying conclusion… both for the season's sake and to properly conclude his time on the show. So, be sure to join us next week, when we'll break down the finale and the season as a whole. See you then!

Random notes:

• "Since when did I become a halfway house for unwieldily baby vamps?"
• Tonight's True Blood cinematographic flourish: the rat-to-human POV shots!
• "I'm sorry for putting your butt up on Facebook."
• Pam Quote of the Night: "Maybe later we can braid each other's hair and talk about boys! Fucking baby vamps!"
• "I'm a bitch, not a snitch! Love it!"
• So, umm… will a Pam/Tara 'ship actually happen? Place your bets!
• This week wasn't as awesome in the vampire-killing department as last week, but there were still some goods: Jason taking out the Authority guards with wooden bullets, Eric's double-stake "Can I change the station?" psych-out, and perhaps awesomest of all: the T-1000 rocking the bow and arrow!
• "Oh, sweet merciful fuck! That was delicious! Heaven, thy name is fairy!"
• Boyz II Men: for or against?
• This review was brought to you by Campbell's Soup: the only microwavable soup that's good enough for Southern werewolves!