“Karma” was definitely a transitional episode of True Blood. The whole hour carried a vibe of “Tune in next week!” but for the most part it worked, due to a strong opening and a genuinely clever, shocking reveal.
The opening in question was a brilliantly staged fight scene, picking up right where last week’s “Lost Cause” left off, with Eric fighting wave after wave of Yakuza. It was all one long, bravura shot, and director Angela Robinson transitioned seamlessly between slow motion, regular speed, and the super speed that True Blood is so famous for. She even found time for a moment of levity, as an exasperated Eric groans “Seriously?” as another wave of attackers approaches. Without hyperbole, I can say that sequence is in the top five coolest things ever done on this show.
After that, Eric and Pam are taken captive by the Yakuza, who are working for the now-bankrupt Yakomono Corporation. Their leader, Mr. Gus Jr., wants to kill Sarah Newlin, and he wants Eric and Pam to help him, or face the true death. The depiction of Japanese people in “Karma” was a little unsettling: they all drive neon-colored Mitsubishis replete with spoilers, and Mr. Gus Jr. has a semi-Elvis pompadour and dresses like a fancy cowboy. I won’t go so far as to call it racist, but it definitely took me back.
Lafayette agrees to take V with Lettie Mae, to prove to her that Tara isn’t trying to contact her. I wasn’t crazy about this, because I don’t like Tara, and I hate Lettie Mae; furthermore, True Blood is at its best when it delivers episodes like “Death is Not the End,” focusing on the more human aspect of a supernatural show, and True Blood is at its worst when it does stuff like this:
Lafayette is proven wrong when they do find Tara, who once again is on a cross with a snake draped over her neck. She leads them back to a dream version of her childhood home and begins digging, but for what I don’t know. Guys, I really can’t tell you how much I wish they’d put this subplot to bed. No one, anywhere, ever, was clamoring for more of Lettie Mae, and the V sequences are as lame and pointless as any dream sequences. I don’t think anyone would be excited by watching Lafayette and Lettie Mae chase Tara around like they’re playing Heroin Hero.
Bill’s hep-V is spreading unusually fast, most likely exacerbated by Sookie’s faerie blood (oh yeah, Sookie is hep-V positive). He has a long and rather pointless C- or D-plot, the majority of which involves literally waiting in line to amend his will, which he hasn’t done since 1893, which, huh? Bill isn’t a stupid man, and this seems like something he would have done long ago. The worst part about this is that he’s not even able to change his will to leave everything to Jessica. When I say that’s the “worst part,” I don’t mean it’s devastating or anything like that, I mean this whole subplot derailed the action of a pretty good episode, to leave us in exactly the same spot we started, plus one dead lawyer and a vampire bodyguard.
Anyway, that big reveal: there is a cure for hep-V, and it was consumed by Sarah Newlin. She tells this to her sister Amber, right after a long and insufferable speech about spirituality. As a Californian I wish I could say this was off-base, but nope, Angela Robinson (who also wrote “Karma”) absolutely nailed it. Sarah heals her sister, and when Eric, Pam, and Mr. Gus Jr. show up to find her all better, Eric demands to know how.
I think this is an ingenious way to keep Sarah Newlin on the show. With the h-vamps and the angry townsfolk no longer an issue (to the core cast, at least), True Blood needed a villain, and Sarah most certainly fits the bill. “Karma,” while an overstuffed, messy episode, nevertheless did a great job of introducing us to Sarah’s expanded and revised role in the proceedings. This is a smart, unexpected move, and more importantly, it’s going to make the last four episodes a hell of a lot of fun to watch.
A Few Thoughts:
- Is Bill still Vampire King of Louisiana? Does The Authority not have in-house council who can help him with his will? Does The Authority even exist anymore? I honestly don’t remember.
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I didn’t talk about Andy/Holly/Adilyn/Wade, mainly because I don’t care. So Adilyn and Wade are boning, who cares. They’re step-siblings, and let’s not forget that a few seasons ago Bill slept with his great-great-great-great-granddaughter
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I just remembered that Sarah Newlin drank the hep-V cure last season. Screw it, I might be perfect, but that doesn’t mean my reviews are
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