I'm honestly surprised at how effectively True Blood has managed to turn the ship around so close to the end. The season's opening episodes were enormously weak, and yet for the third installment in a row, the show has managed to capture my attention and secure a little optimism in the process. 




Of course there's still plenty of flaws; does anyone on Earth care about Lettie Mae and Lafayette's quest to communicate with Tara? When the latter was killed off in the beginning of the season, I was tremendously relieved. But if we're going to be subject to more of the same visions, then I'd much rather we spend time on a subplot that's actually entertaining. In addition, while Violet is a suitably amusing psychopath, I don't think the show's final season should be giving her this much screen time. Will she murder Adelyn and her brother/boytoy? Do I even care? Questions to ponder, dear writers.


But "Karma" got a lot right and it deserves props for that. Everything involving Eric, Pam, The Yakuza and Sarah Newlin was supremely engaging. That storyline has injected the season with a true sense of purpose, and it culminated beautifully with the reveal of Sarah Newlin being the cure. Not only does this twist make one of my favorite characters an integral part of the final stretch, it pretty much ensures that Bill and Eric will survive at the end. Suffice to say, I can't wait to see how this is going to unfold. 




Some other thoughts: Awesome single take with Eric kicking ass until Pam's capture is revealed. The whole shot is masterfully staged and executed!  Sadly, I had no empathy for Jessica potentially losing Bill. Maybe it's because I know the writers would never kill him off? Bill and Sookie seem like the writers' endgame, and that's disappointing.


An exciting episode that manages to overcome its flaws with some brilliant developments!