Dead Until Dark

Sookie discovers that ingesting vampire blood has given her enhanced strength and senses. At work, her new speed is noticed by both Lafayette and Sam. Sookie reflects on her friendship with Lafayette; although some of the others keep their distance from him, because he is gay or because he is Black, she doesn’t know, but she admires the grace with which he leads what must be a “tough life” in the small town of Bon Temps. She admires his eye shadow as they prep for the night’s service, and he comments on how good her hair looks, wondering if she got highlights. She knows it is the result of Long Shadow’s blood—she feels different.

Using her telepathy on patrons, Sookie overhears Andy thinking about how Jason is now the lead suspect for the murders because they found the videotapes he made with the victims. The sheriff and the mayor think he is guilty, too.

That evening, Sookie goes back to Merlotte’s as a customer, even though she never usually does so. She wants to continue listening to the customers for Jason. After two drinks, she is drunk. Bill arrives with a woman named Desiree. He tells Sookie she is a “fang-banger,” a gift for him from Eric. Sookie is upset until Bill clarifies that he isn’t interested. Jason offers to drive Desiree home.

After they leave, Bill confesses that Eric desires Sookie and that the blood she consumed has made her more alluring to other vampires. He is worried about her safety and about his ability to protect her. He mentions that he is developing a plan to gain more security within the vampire hierarchy. Later, Sookie finds her cat, Tina, dead on the porch. Bill arrives to help her bury it and stays the night to protect her.

The next morning, Sheriff Dearborn is dismissive when Sookie reports her cat’s murder. At work, Arlene is sympathetic, and she asks Sookie if she can babysit for her children, Cody and Lisa, tonight. Sookie, remembering how hesitant Arlene was when Sookie first became involved with Bill, understands it as a gesture, and she happily agrees. That evening, Rene, Arlene’s ex-husband and her date for that evening, drops off Lisa and Cody.

Bill comes over, and he and Sookie spend the evening with the kids. When Arlene and Rene arrive later to pick them up, Sookie is surprised by how cordial they are to Bill, but it makes her happy. As they are leaving, another vampire comes out of the woods, and Bill waves at him. He tells her that he is going to New Orleans in connection with his plan to move up in the vampire hierarchy to better protect her. He introduces Sookie, Arlene, and Rene to Bubba, the dim-witted but strong vampire he has hired as her bodyguard. They all recognize him as Elvis Presley. Bill admits that it is true but warns them not to mention it.

At work the next day, Arlene asks her about Bubba, and Sookie explains. Arlene admits that she was surprised by how friendly Rene was to Bill and Bubba. His sister Cindy dated a vampire for a while, and he hated it. Sookie asks how Cindy is, and Arlene reports that she doesn’t see her, but Rene says she’s doing fine.

That night, Terry Bellefleur, the substitute bartender, calls Sookie, saying that Jason is there and wants to buy her a drink. She parks in the employee lot and pets a stray dog near the dumpster. Inside, she finds that Jason isn’t there, and Terry doesn’t remember calling her. On her way out, she decides to take the dog home and names it Dean.

The next morning, she awakens to find a naked Sam in her bed. He reveals that he is a shapeshifter and, as the collie, had guarded her all night. He tells her that while he can choose, usually, when to shapeshift, he has no choice on full moon nights. He helps Sookie realize that if he is a shapeshifter, then the supernatural exists, which means that Bill doesn’t have a virus; he is actually dead.

Before Sam can leave, Andy Bellefleur arrives. Sam changes back into a dog so that Andy won’t see him there. Andy tells her that Amy Burley, another local server, has been found dead. He asks about Bill and seems skeptical when Sookie tells him Bill is in Shreveport. Sookie realizes that the woman all fit the same profile she does and starts to worry again. Andy, who has been up all night, is falling asleep at her kitchen table, so she tells him to sleep in the guest room, agreeing to wake him up in a few hours.

Sam changes back, and she drives him to the bar. Jason’s car is there, and he is passed out in the driver’s seat. Sookie takes him to the hospital, where they tell her that he is unconscious from alcohol and drug use. Sookie is surprised, as Jason doesn’t usually drink much. When she goes home, Andy is gone. She finds out later that he was at the hospital when she and Jason were there, and he waited until she left before handcuffing Jason to the bed.

Later that morning, Sam tells Sookie that the police are going to arrest Jason when he regains consciousness. Sookie calls the hotel in New Orleans where Bill is staying and leaves a message for him. She calls Jason’s lawyer and then goes back to the hospital, but they won’t let her sit with Jason.

Later, Jason’s lawyer, Sid Matt Lancaster, tells her that he has been charged with first-degree murder. He confessed to having sex with Amy the night before, saying that she approached him at a bar. He hadn’t seen her in a while, and she was acting oddly, but he went home with her and had sex. Afterward, they had a drink, and he remembers nothing after that until he woke up in the hospital.

Sookie protests that, even if Jason had killed those other women, he wouldn’t have killed Adele. Sid Matt theorizes that Bill killed Adele, and when Sookie presses him, he admits that he thinks that vampires and humans should be segregated. Sookie decides not to pursue the conversation and changes the topic. She believes Jason is being framed, and they work through the theory before Sid Matt leaves.

When it is dark, Sookie goes to the woods and checks on Bubba. She goes to bed that night depressed, realizing that Bill never returned her call. She is woken up by a scream outside and a yell from Bubba. He tells her that a man was sneaking around the house, but he hadn’t seen him well. The man drove away in a dark pickup truck. Sookie thanks Bubba for protecting her.

The next day, Sookie pays Jason’s bail, then she goes to Merlotte’s to listen to people’s thoughts, but she doesn’t hear any mention of the murders or Jason. Later, she goes home and settles in for the night. She hears a “yowl” outside and then nothing more. It is so quiet outside that it makes her nervous.

She decides that she is safer outside than in the house, and with her knowledge of the woods, decides to head there. She takes her pocketknife and runs for the trees. She can hear someone chasing her and hides behind a tree. She decides to use her telepathy to find out who and where he is.

The images in his mind make her sick, flashing through the murders, including Adele’s. She sees through his eyes, memories of playing with Arlene’s kids, and realizes that the killer is Rene Lenier. She realizes that he sees her shadow, and she runs for the cemetery.

Rene finds and attacks her, beating her. Sookie fights him, surprising him, but he is strong. He holds her down with one hand while searching the ground for the cord he dropped. Sookie finds his knife, in its sheath on his belt, and stabs him in the stomach. She watches as he stumbles and finally falls, then she runs for Bill’s house. She uses his phone to call 911 before losing consciousness.

Sookie wakes up in the hospital with a broken collarbone, two broken ribs, and a broken nose. Andy Bellefleur is by her bedside. He tells her that Rene is alive and in jail. Later, she wakes again, and Kevin, who is watching her now, tells her that Rene confessed to everything. Later, Andy explains that Rene killed Cindy years ago, and he decided that her murder was only justified if everyone else like her also deserved to die.

JB visits, followed by Jason, who thanks her for standing by him and admits to feeling betrayed by Rene. Then Arlene arrives, looking angry, but when she sees Sookie, she starts to cry. She says she didn’t believe what Rene had done and apologized.

Much later, Bill finally arrives. He says he didn’t call because he wanted to talk to her in person. He tells her that he has been elected to a regional position in the vampire world, Fifth Area investigator, which means that Eric isn’t as superior to Bill as he was. He offers her some of his blood to heal, but she says no because she doesn’t want to change anymore.

It is a full moon that night, and Sam comes to the door in dog form to check on her. When Sookie turns to the window, she sees Eric floating in the air there, smiling at her. Bill comments that it will be nice when life gets back to normal, and she sarcastically agrees.