True Blood – Season 5 Episode 5 – Recap and Review – Let’s Boot and Rally

Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) thought they could use Sookie (Anna Paquin) against her will, but as it turns out, Sookie just may turn out to be this season’s heroine. “Let’s Boot and Rally” is the fifth episode of True Blood’s fifth season, and while Roman (Christopher Meloni) contemplated vampire politics and the extremist belief that humans are merely “meat,” we got a whole lot of bloodshed on this episode. Humans ended up looking a little like meat.

Sookie: ” I just keep thinking that if I make the right choice, all of this madness will end, and my life will go back to normal, but it’s not going to end, is it? This is it. It’s not gonna change. We say goodbye, and the next thing, you guys are back in my house, and a three thousand year old vampire wants to suck my blood. Must be Thursday!.. Come on! What are you all waiting for? Let’s go hunt Russell! Onwards into the jaws of death! Boot and Rally!”

That pretty much sums up the first scene of the episode, and Sookie’s new attitude. She’s accepting the fact that True Blood will likely be renewed for season six. Bill and Eric interrupt her hookup with Alcide, which was previously interrupted by Sookie’s puke. Just as some vampires see humans as nothing more than food, at one point Sookie envisioned the babbling between Bill, Eric, and Alcide (Joe Manganiello) as barking. Maybe vampires are just animals. Bill and Eric want Sookie to use her powers to un-glamour Alcide’s employee, Doug, who was the only witness to Russell’s (Denis O’Hare) un-burial.

Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) is dealing with his own demons, literally! At this point, the inner demon seems less like an illusion and more like an ever-present force. When Lafayette looks in the mirror, he sees the demon, clear as day, in his clothes, staring back at him. He tries praying to any God who will listen, but ends up getting mocked by the religious figurines on his alter. They tell him he’s screwed, so he pleads with Jesus (Kevin Alejandro). Speaking of Jesus, he popped up! Well at least his head did, looking a whole lot like a shrunken voodoo head. Lafayette’s mother, Ruby Jean (Alfre Woodward), sees Jesus too. Where have you been, Jesus? The head mumbles a prompt to contact Lafayette, so she does.

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Terry (Todd Lowe) and Patrick (Scott Foley) are still tied up in that dank looking bunker. There fellow private has all but lost it; however, he explains the situation. They’re being attacked by an Ifrit. No, that’s not an apple product. It’s some sort of evil fire demon that was sent to kill them and everything they love after they’re massive party foul overseas. Remember, they managed to start a battle with hostiles in the middle of a little town filled with civilians. The last living woman, some sort of priestess, I’m guessing, uttered some angry words before they agreed to kill her, rather than get her to a medic. Patrick didn’t want this misstep ruining their progress, and getting them into big trouble. They burned the bodies, and the Ifrit was born.

Later, the Ifrit shows his fiery face, scorching their old private buddy just after he managed to spark Terry’s memory of the demon. Patrick’s disbelief ended up costing their old friend his life, and they are next. Run, Arlene!

Jason (Ryan Kwanten) spent this episode mulling over the idea that vampires, and other supernatural beings, have gotten away with murder for too long. His story began this week in a dream state, after being zapped by some fairy’s last episode. In his dream, Ryan Kwanted played a boy-aged Jason, complete with Masters of the Universe pajamas that I wish I had owned, myself. The dream ended with his parents leaking lots of blood out of vampire bites, and his mother offering him sex. Jason woke up dazed and confused. Andy (Chris Bauer) experienced a similar situation, except it was Arlene (Carrie Preston) who found him nude on his grandmother’s couch.

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The two soon venture to the murder Sam (Sam Trammell) stumbled upon last episode. Sam is very candid and honest when he’s interrogated, unlike Sookie was a few weeks back. He outright informs Andy that they were a group of shifters, and that he’s baffled and sad. Sam ran to Luna’s (Javina Gavankar) house to warn her, and apparently she’s not ready to tell Sam that her little girl is a werewolf. Instead, she asks him to leave, but upon exiting, Sam runs into a masked group of shifter shooters! Is that Obama? No, just a flimsy Obama mask. Sam takes a bullet, and Luna ends up taking one even worse! Little Emma ran like the wind. Will Luna die? Will Sam find and care for Emma? Probably.

Tara (Rutina Wesley) is coming into her own as a vampire! Finally, we see a side of Tara that isn’t lathered in self-loathing. Maybe it was just that she borrowed Pam’s (Kristen Bauer van Straten) wardrobe.

Tara: “You want me to bartend?”

Pam: “No, I want you to sit on your ass and play Scrabble.”

In reality, it was probably Tara’s newfound friendship with Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) that sparked a little bit of excitement and anticipation in herself. Pam, on the other hand, just warned Tara not to ruin Fangtasia for her, now that she’s in control. Tara opens up to Jessica, and it doesn’t seem very heavy, as it usually does for Tara. It’s more like vampire girl talk, and they smile and giggle. Jessica actually gets Tara a little pumped about seeing the world and living forever. Most importantly, Jessica offers Tara her condolences for what has happened to her.

Hoyt (Jim Parrack) isn’t meant to be a fangbanger. He always shows up at Fangtasia dressed like he’s going to one of those Halloween parties that takes place a few days too late, as to avoid conflicting party schedules. Meaning, he looks like he’s trying way to hard to pull of the act. He bumps into Tara on a smoke break, and puts some lame moves on her. I do feel for him, though, when he can’t understand why he’s so unappetizing to anyone, living or dead.

After finding Doug, Sookie asks to probe his brain. As it turns out, he does have some memories jammed up in there, and Sookie reveals that a woman within the authority was the one dig up Russell. Bill is quick to point the finger at Nora (Lucy Griffiths) and he’s very judgmental in the process, turning off his bromance with Eric. I’m thinking it’s Salome (Valentina Cervi), who has spent a few episodes softly pressuring Roman to embrace the rebels and negotiate. Also, she has ties that date back to the actual Bible, apparently. The only other woman on the council is that terrifying redhead, who seems pretty conservative, herself. Roman is still upset over having to execute his little friend, Chancellor Drew. Anyone can be a traitor to them.

Meanwhile, Molly (Tina Majorino) is back! She informs Eric and Bill that they have until dawn to find Russell, or their iStakes will activate. “Bummer, right?” The gang has to act fast. Sookie’s insights lead them to an abandoned hospital, where Bill and Eric are looking to split up, leaving Sookie outside. Sookie’s fearless though, she’s seen one too many horror movies to know that you don’t split up at the abandoned hospital. Bill and Eric don’t want to worry about rescuing her, but the way Sookie sees it, she’s the leader. She’s the girl with the fairy powers and she’ll be the one rescuing them if need be. I like this Sookie!

Inside, the group meanders the corridors in a scene that looks straight out of MTV’s Fear. Each room presents a new gruesome surprise, just like a Halloween funhouse. One room has rats eating a pile of corpses, while another contains a series of live people hanging in straightjackets until it’s their time to be fed to Russell. Doug almost loses it. He doesn’t want to die without seeing New York City.

Eric: “New York City smells like pee, and the people are rude.”

Shut up, Eric. Sookie seems like she’s draining her powers because of over-usage. Too bad because they just found Russell! Russell is looking pretty good, considering the last few times we’ve seen him he’s looked pretty skinless.

The Guardian narrated omnisciently as the episode closes. “Are we willing to share this world?” Jason visits his parent’s graves. Tara feeds on Hoyt, and Jessica ends up coming to his rescue. Cat fight! Alcide is swept away. Can they share this world? He seems to think so!

What did you think of episode 5? Who dug up Russell Edgington? Do you like this gung-ho Sookie Stackhouse? Are you happy for Tara? Do you think she and Jessica will patch things up? Did you feel the severe lack of Pam?

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