True Blood season 7, episode 1 ­review: “Jesus Gonna Be Here”

Welcome to the very last True Blood season premier review. I don’t know where exactly this season is going to take us but I know the ride is going to be a wild one. Despite still being super sad (seriously, SUPER SAD) that this is the last season I’ve got nothing but love for HBO. Guys, thank you for giving us this awesome show and while I personally believe there should be another twenty or thirty seasons, I’m grateful for the seven we have. And even though I didn’t always agree with the decisions some of the citizens of Bon Temps made, I will forever and always adore them. I can see myself in the day room of an old follks home rambling on about Sookie and Bill much to the annoyance of everyone around me.

But first, Jesus Gonna Be Here.

True Blood Season 7, Episode 1 Review

True Blood season 7, Photo: HBO

Wow, a lot happened in the first two minutes and boy did it happen fast. And Tara? Dead? I don’t get this at all. We see her fighting with a Hep V vamp and she’s definitely holding her own.

As a matter of fact the last we see of Tara she slams the vamp on the ground and has the upper hand. But then less than a minute later we see Lettie Mae covered in blood screaming that Tara is dead. It doesn’t add up. And Tara is a main character and we don’t even get the privilege to see her death on screen?? Not to mention that Pam has no reaction whatsoever. I don’t accept this! Personally I took it much harder when poor Kevin was killed.

I still find it odd that Sam is the mayor. I mean, does he really have the background for politics? He’s still keeping his shifter secret so how could he even think of holding public office? It’s just odd! And seriously, why doesn’t he ever just turn into a rampaging elephant and take care of business?!

The new James (Nathan Parsons) seems to be okay so far. He’s certainly a cutie but I had a very quick attachment to Luke Grimes last season so it may take a while for me to warm up to him. It was originally reported that Grimes left to play Elliot Gray in the big­ screen adaptation of Fifty Shades of Gray (and he IS playing that role) but it’s also been said that he wanted out of his contract because he didn’t like the direction the writers were taking James. After finding out that he was a draft dodger, I may have to agree. What can I say? I’m a rule follower.

We all knew, er, maybe nervously assumed, that Pam would go off and find Eric but it didn’t occur to me that she would actually have to look for him. I kind of just thought she’d show up on that snowy mountain and BOOM! reunited. But since so many months have passed and Pam seems to have gone through so much (hello scary bullet game?) it’s looking like maybe Eric didn’t want to be found? But why would that be?

As for Sookie, well, for all her faults and bad choices, I don’t think it’s fair at all to blame her for everything. Is she the only person on the planet to have a relationship with a vampire? Or even the only person in Bon Temps? People need a scapegoat, I get that, and Sookie is an easy target, but all this blame is bothering me. What did you think of the season premier? Why doesn’t Eric want to be found? Is Sookie really to blame for everything? Yay or nay on the new James? Let me know in the comments!

Written by Brittany Feazell, a writer from Virginia who photographs abandoned buildings and owns black cats.