True Blood 7.8 Recap - For Whom the Bell Tolls (Spoilers)

True Blood has fallen so far from its stellar, cohesive first few seasons that I think its ending will come as a refreshing release. Sookie and Bill back together feels forced down viewers' throats for the sheer purpose of closing out the show mirroring how their ill-fated love started in season 1. Even talk of Bill's past betrayal didn't seem to give Sookie any pause. Poor, sexy, shirtless Alcide. He never had a chance. Sookie has become a lackluster heroine for me who has replaced her former classy repartee with awkwardly timed 'f' bombs. I think I've even got Pam beat on my number of eye rolls when Sookie's on-screen.

Sarah Newlin gives herself up to Eric and the Yakuza as the cure to vampires suffering from Hep-V. The Yakuza plan is to synthesize her blood, but not to its full capacity. That will keep the money flowing in as the infected continue seeking out the 'New Blood'. A newly healed Eric tracks Sookie down at Bill's just to let her know that he is okay now. I guess he wasn't deterred by Sookie's scantily robed presence at Compton Manor. Although visibly shocked from learning that Bill has Hep-V, Eric chooses not to let Sookie in on the Newlin cure. After an impromptu trip to Fangtasia with some pseudo glamouring by Eric, Sookie tracks down Sarah in the Fangtasia dungeon-basement. "Even as the cure, you're still the f****ng problem." The Newlin's have always excelled at being thorns in sides.

Though she had her moments in the beginning of the season when I appreciated her sass, in the end, Violet was a whack job with a superiority complex and a horribly wicked sense of scorned revenge. However, she was the only legitimate villain of the final season and quickly met her true death at the hands of Hoyt. I suppose that was only fitting considering he unknowingly killed his mother's killer. Speaking of Hoyt, as a fan from the beginning of Hoyt and Jessica's romance, I loved seeing them back together with such instant on-screen chemistry. Apparently, even despite a glamour, Hoyt still loves Jessica deep down. And I'm all smiles! With Jessica and Jason seemingly tying up their complicated, sexual relationship as a "beautiful friendship," there is definitely hope that Hoyt won't go back to Alaska, or Bridget.

It took seven seasons for Tara's backstory to be fully revealed. She was killed in the first episode of season 7 as a main cast member only to be brought back as a recurring vision. Lettie Mae and Tara finally find the closure they need to allow them to both move on, albeit in different ways.

In the end, Bill chooses not to ingest Sarah's blood to save his own life. Season 7 has been the season of emo flashbacks of Bill's former life. Either the virus is affecting his reasoning skills or Bill is electing to succumb to the disease. Either way, I don't have the highest of expectations for these final two episodes. Oh, well - Hoyt and Jessica!!