I am – Hercules!!




Sookie and Bill arrive in Dallas tonight, and won’t find their way back to Bon Temps until very close to season’s end:

Episode #16: “Shake and Fingerpop”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 12 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
With Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) in tow, Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Sookie (Anna Paquin) head to Dallas to carry out Eric’s (Alexander Skarsgård) vampire-reconnaissance mission – but a surprise awaits them at the airport. At the Light of Day Institute, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) falls victim to a practical joke, but has the last laugh when the Newlins anoint him for a higher calling. Maryann (Michelle Forbes) throws Tara (Rutina Wesley) a birthday party at Sookie’s, attracting much of Bon Temps to its Bacchanalian revelry. Sam (Sam Trammell) postpones his departure from town to attend the bash, connecting with Daphne (Ashley Jones) in the process. Having barely escaped Fangtasia, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) finds himself reluctantly pulled back into Eric’s orbit. Written by Alan Ball; directed by Michael Lehmann.

Episode #17: “Never Let Me Go”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 19 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
In Dallas, Sookie connects with one of her own, then joins Bill and Eric for a strategic summit at the lair of the missing vampire, Godric (Allan Hyde), attended by his lieutenants, Stan (Ed Quinn) and Isabel (Valerie Cruz). Meanwhile, Jason shows his mettle at a Light of Day boot camp, and is rewarded for his hard work with a gift from Sarah (Anna Camp). Rebuffed by Tara in her relocation efforts, Maryann decides to cast her spell on the staff of Merlotte’s, softening Tara up towards her new “family.” Eric shares a little-known secret about his past with Bill, and Sookie makes a decision that might solve the Godric mystery – or get her killed. Written by Nancy Oliver; directed by John Dahl.

Episode #18: “Hard-Hearted Hannah”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Accompanied by Isabel’s human boyfriend Hugo (Christopher Gartin), Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric. Meanwhile, Bill is shocked when a vampire from his distant, more violent past resurfaces in Dallas. In Bon Temps, Daphne presses Sam to get comfortable in his own skin(s); Hoyt (Jim Parrack) continues his unlikely courtship of Jessica; Andy (Chris Bauer) interrogates Lafayette about his disappearance; and Tara and Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) take a detour while on a road trip. At the Light of Day camp, Jason faces difficult emotional and physical choices. Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.

Episode #19: “Release Me”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 2 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Betrayed by Daphne (Ashley Jones), Sam (Sam Trammell) finds himself in an unenviable predicament at the hands of Maryann (Michelle Forbes) and her wild-eyed minions. Imprisoned with Hugo (Christopher Gartin) in the F.O.T.S. church, Sookie (Anna Paquin) uses her telepathic powers to reach out to Bill (Stephen Moyer), who’s being detained at the hotel by a stubbornly obsessive Lorena (Mariana Kloveno). After crossing a line with the Newlins, a fearful Jason (Ryan Kwanten) tries to sever his ties with the Fellowship of the Sun, but gets plenty of resistance from Steve (Michael McMillian) and his enforcer Gabe (Greg Collins). Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Michael Ruscio.

Episode #20: “Timebomb”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 9 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Sookie’s captivity takes an unexpected turn when Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) arrives to do his master’s bidding on the eve of the Fellowship’s lockdown. In Bon Temps, Sam finds himself in hot water after making a gruesome discovery at Merlotte’s, and Andy (Chris Bauer) proves no help in coming to his defense. Sent home by Bill, Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) learn that when it comes to sex, every time is the first time. Tara (Rutina Wesley) and Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) devour a mysterious meal prepared by Maryann, with unexpected results. After Jason pays off his debt to the vampires, Godric (Allan Hyde) looks to enlighten his more single-minded followers. Written by Alexander Woo; directed by John Dahl.

Episode #21: “I Will Rise Up”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
A wounded Eric plays Sookie for a sucker, to Bill’s dismay, and ends up getting inside her head. Later, Sookie and Jason bond over their recent adventures. Blaming Eggs for Tara’s bruises and bizarre behavior, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) try to figure out a way to pry their kin from Maryann’s clutches. Hoyt defends his relationship with Jessica to Maxine (Dale Raoul), to no avail. Jailed by Bud (William Sanderson) along with a group of Bon Temps revelers, Sam looks for a way to escape and avoid capture by an increasingly obsessed Maryann. In Dallas, Eric and the vampires defend their recent actions to Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck), and are shocked when Godric decides to take the fall for their PR disaster. Written by Nancy Oliver; directed by Scott Winant.

Episode #22: “ New World in My View”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 23 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Sookie, Bill and Jason return to a Bon Temps turned upside down by Maryann. Lured to Merlotte’s by Arlene (Carrie Preston), Sam and Andy find cold comfort in their refuge from a group of bloodthirsty revelers. Bill discovers that traditional vampire techniques don’t work on Maryann; Hoyt and Jessica try to keep a lid on Maxine’s madness; and Sookie tries to push through the darkness consuming Tara. With all hell breaking loose, Jason takes the bull by the horns to rescue Sam, at least for the moment. Written by Kate Barnow & Elizabeth R. Finch; directed by Adam Davidson.

Episode #23: “Frenzy”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 30 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
With the crisis in Bon Temps careening out of control, Bill seeks out the advice of Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood), the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, but must exercise patience before she gives him critical information. Meanwhile, Sookie and Lafayette find that protecting Tara from herself is more difficult than they anticipated; a desperate Sam turns to an unlikely source for assistance; and Jessica tests Hoyt’s allegiance to Maxine. Written by Alan Ball; directed by Dan Minahan.

Spoilers for tonight’s installment lurk in invisotext: At the end of tonight’s episode, Sookie runs into another psychic. And like Sookie, he’s not making a fortune working for the FBI or the CIA, but working a shitty job as a Dallas hotel bellman. I beginning to think “True Blood” isn’t very realistic.

9 p.m. Sundays. HBO.

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