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him from police custody. It’s also a great scene because the writers never forget the real-life struggles, in this case, of race relations. Every chance Tara’s given to sound off, we get commentary on some of the show’s most poignant themes. Tara may not be evolving at the same rate as Sookie, but she’s smart . . . if not always wise. Now that we know Jason kept her safe from the biggest monster in her life — her mother — it’s easier to accept her dedication to him. Bud and Andy’s reactions to her rant are priceless. Bud’s known everyone since birth, making him more like the town godfather than a sheriff. He is detail-oriented, establishing motive from fact, but he also shows a prejudice against vampires. Andy, on the other hand, is reactive, but by acting like a cop in a movie, his imagination might make him better suited to a town whose dead don’t always die.

Poor Jason. He continues to leap before he looks, and his get-out-of-jail-free cards are running low. It’s as if vampires have glamoured his charms. He operates by no code or common sense. By not coming clean about OD’ing on V, his predicament gets, quite literally, larger as time passes. When the doctor drains his penis, the birth metaphor is Jason’s worst nightmare come true. With Tara by his side, he’s completely emasculated. That said, a lot of his character’s humor is derived from his anguish. It’s hard to believe anyone could get themselves into such trouble, but we all know someone like Jason: well meaning, but really misguided.

As the episode draws to a close, Bill has shown us that while his choices make him different from many vampires, those choices go against his true nature. When his buttons are pushed, his impulses remain the same. We also see Sam rolling through Dawn’s sheets, huffing her scent like an animal. He remains at a distance, his personal loss fading out into the credits. We still don’t know if his stance against vampire rights is to protect himself or those he loves. In Bon Temps, that can only mean it’s a matter of time before everyone’s true selves start to surface.

What’s the missing ingredient in Merlotte’s kitchen? Oh, hells yeah. It’s Lafayette, the hottest dish this side of Shreveport! (Jodi Ross, courtesy of The Vault www.trueblood-online.com)

Highlight: Jason: “Were you listenin’ to me? I got gout of the dick!”

Nightcap: The coroner’s assistant, Neil Jones, is played by Kevin McHale, who plays Artie Abrams on Glee. Behind the bar at Fangtasia, you can see a painting of George Bush taking a bite out of the Statue of Liberty, which marks the second time a Bush has appeared on the show, the first being the mask Jason wore in “Mine” that bore the likeness of Laura Bush. And when Pam and Eric talk to one another in Swedish, Eric is saying, “Our little zoo is starting to grow.” Pam responds, “I know.” Young Jason has blue eyes, while older Jason has brown eyes. The writers imagine that the effects of V would probably be like a cocktail of Ecstasy, Viagra, and crystal meth.

Relationship Crypt Falls: Between telling Sookie she looked like vampire bait and making the officer pee himself, Bill’s social graces need some work since he seems to think wooing an attractive young woman is all wrapped up in the insider information that old vampires dig a good pun.

Location, Location, Location: The Bon Temps Police Station is an actual jail, located in Hawthorne, California, mere blocks from the location used to film Big Patty’s House of Pies, seen in episode 1.11. Fangtasia is filmed at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, California. Visit the bar’s site at alexsbar.com to see inside.

Encore: “Escape from Dragon House,” performed by Dengue Fever, plays as Bill and Sookie drive home from Fangtasia. Dengue Fever is an eclectic six-piece Los Angeles group that fuses Cambodian pop music and lyrics with psychedelic rock. On their album named after the track, they delve into horn-driven Ethiopian ’60s and ’70s pop, ideal for Bill’s worldly view and in stark opposition to Sookie’s girl-next-door naivete. Dengue Fever is the subject of the documentary