Bill and Sookie's story in this final season of True Blood has, in many ways, mirrored that of the show and its fans.  It started out sweet and fun, and a little sexy, but then became a mess of Billith proportions.  "I have almost killed her and almost raped her … yet she still keeps running back for more," Bill confides in Eric about the reasons behind his big decision.  Doesn't that sound familiar, Trubies?  The show has done unspeakable things to its characters and its narrative, but every summer we just keep coming back for more, hoping it will be different.  Well finally, it is.  Hit the jump for why "if your crying ruins my jacket, you're paying for it."

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True Blood is a show that's easy to love and easy to hate, sometimes even within the same episode.  But these last two seasons without show creator Alan Ball have actually done a lot that is right (though not everything).  That has been exemplified in moments like the "family" dinner at Bellefleurs, or quiet moments like Eric and Bill having a (seemingly final) conversation.  Many have died, and logic left the building a long time ago, but True Blood still has to power to glamour us in even the worst of times.

Take, for instance, this sudden reunification between Jessica and Hoyt.  As I mentioned last week, Jessica and Hoyt's relationship was probably the most genuine and sweet relationship the show ever had, and there's nothing wrong in returning to it.  Jessica and Jason were set up later as being true loves, but the show rightfully set them back on a path that made more sense.  Now that Hoyt suddenly doesn't want children (whatever), and Jason really, really does, they did a girlfriend swap.  Jessica came clean to Hoyt about the mistakes of the past, and that whole situation, told from both Jessica and Jason's viewpoints, was re-hashed and course-corrected (also, Hoyt has gotten a lot better at sex).

But it also feels like a substitute for what fans may have wanted between Bill and Sookie.  Bill appears to have made his final decision, but then again, nothing on True Blood is ever final.  Bill can only offer her death, and he wants her to choose life.  He knows as well as she does (as she finally admits to Arlene) that she can never do this while Bill roams the Earth, though.  His season-long fixation on his pre-vampire life that he lost -- the one with the strong and sweet wife, and his children he never got to know -- seems to prove though that Bill himself is ready to choose something beyond life as a vampire.

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Image via HBO

As makes sense for the series' penultimate episode, everything (and everyone) is settling down.  The threat of rogue Hep V vampires hasn't been an issue since about Episode 3, which is giving everyone else the freedom to party it up and look to what's ahead.  LaFayette has another chance at love with James, just like Jessica and Hoyt have their chance now.  Bridget and Jason are less certain, especially since we've been through this whole "I'll teach you not to have sex" thing with Violet just last season.  Arlene has a vampire boyfriend (with whom she's also not having any sex), while in one of the show's more hilarious sequences, Eric finally has sex with Ginger, which takes her about 30 seconds to orgasm.  Sam has left with snooozzzZZZzzze

But, True Blood being True Blood, there's still a batshit crazy plot to tie up with the Yakuza and New Blood, and a newly-blonde Sarah Newlin (which was a great scene for Pam).  With the Yakuza now heading for Sookie (or wherever Eric sent them in order to save Pam), there's a chance for Bill to sacrifice himself for Sookie.  Or will some of Sarah Newlin's blood accidentally get on him, and he'll be cured at the last minute?  It seems dicey to trivialize everything that came before it, from Bill's flashbacks to his death-baby dream, with a last-minute fix like that.  But seriously, seven years into this, would we expect anything different?

"Love Is To Die" was a lot about legacy, both between makers and progeny, and about kids and futures.  True Blood seems to be considering its own legacy as a show, tying up loose ends, and giving as many happy endings to its characters as it can before the final reckoning.  Next week will be True Blood's true death … and it will likely be merciful as well as sad.

Episode Rating: A-

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Image via HBO

Musings and Miscellanea:

-- "As much as I appreciate the compelling character drama, may I remind you, the fucking Yakuza are upstairs" - Pam.

-- Pam telling Sarah that she is a Ho4Lyfe was so funny, and so accurate.

-- "Yeah, 'whorehouse' they understand ... Of course" - Pam.

-- "It's her light that pulls us in, just like she's pulled in by our darkness” - Bill.

-- Bill: "Sookie gave birth to death." Eric: Fuck ..."

-- We hadn't gotten much of fun Eric this season, but this episode gave him some nice moments (even when he was angry).  Him flying Sookie home was also a nice touch, since the vampires almost never fly on the show.

-- "Five minutes ain't shit!" - Jason, regarding his latest concussion.  I am glad that Jason got some time too to prove he really is a sweet guy, just not very deep.  Him sweet talking the Delta lady as well as icing his dick so he wouldn't go have sex were classic Jason moments.

-- "The world is coming to an end, but Cindy Crawford and her French doctor still want to sell us skin care products. It's fucking weird." - Jason.

-- "I'm over 1,000 years old.  If I had an aptitude for marriage counseling, I think I would have figured that out by now" - Eric.

-- "Me and Keith, yeah ... but we're taking it real slow.  Because we can't have sex.  Because it would kill him.  So." - Arlene.

-- "Once you've caught your breath, I want you to tell me the story of us” - Hoyt

-- The song that ended last week's episode was Moby, "Almost Home."  Lovely.