Cold Ground

Directed by Nick Gomez
Written by Raelle Tucker

Sookie stands next to Gran's body, paralyzed by the sight of blood splattered across the kitchen. She opens her mouth to scream but can't make a sound, and a pale hand clamps onto her shoulder ... It's Bill. He comforts her for a moment then hears a creaking floorboard and attacks its source, which turns out to be Sam, saying he came to make sure Sookie got home safe. At this point, she's in a state of total shock, and they move her to the living room while waiting for the authorities to arrive.

Bud Dearborn, Andy Bellefleur and Mike Spencer begin their investigation in the kitchen, so Sam sits with Sookie on the front porch, taking a shot at apologizing but succeeding only at irritating her. She asks for Bill, and though Sam leaves to find him, he then warns the vampire to stay away from Sookie. "This isn't the time or the place to ... mark your territory," Bill replies.

The investigators, examining the evidence, discuss the case again. Andy regrets releasing Jason, though Bud doubts the man could have slaughtered his own grandmother. At this point Bill enters the room, agrees to answer their questions and explains that he thinks the killer had come looking for Sookie. Out on the porch, Sookie tries to reach her brother with the news, but when his phone rings on Randi Sue's nightstand, he grabs it and hurls it against the wall. So, when Mike and the police officers bring Gran's body outside, Sookie has only Sam and Bill to stand with her. Still, she refuses to leave the house and immediately heads into the kitchen to start cleaning up the mess.

The next day, the house is filled with concerned/nosey neighbors and the various casseroles they've donated. Sookie does her best to be civil, but the din of everyone's thoughts - most blaming Sookie for her Gran's death - has only added to her edginess. When Maxine Fortenberry pulls one of Gran's pies from the freezer, Sookie loses it, and Tara and Lafayette drag her upstairs before the townspeople get anything more to gossip about.

Jason, oblivious of everything that's happened, shows up at work just long enough to hear the news from Rene. He races over to Sookie's house, charges up the stairs and slaps her across the face, screaming: "It's your fault!" Tara chases him off immediately, but Sookie's already crushed.

On Jason's way out, Andy stops him for questioning, curious about his whereabouts the previous night. Jason sees where this is headed and pushes the detective with everything he's got - which happens to be superhuman strength, given all the vampire blood he's been using. Andy flies through the air like a sack of rocks and crashes into the side of Jason's truck. With half the town looking on, Jason jumps behind the wheel and tears off.

As the sun goes down, Bill wakes in his hidden lair, tortured by a dream that Sookie was being attacked in her home. He waits impatiently for the last of the light to fade from the sky then bolts across the field to the Stackhouse home. He finds her sleeping peacefully in her bed, dosed on one of Lafayette's Valiums. Relieved, Bill heads outside to stand guard through the night.

The next day at Gran's funeral, Sookie's enraged to find that her Uncle Bartlett, who's been ostracized for some unknown transgression, has turned up. Turning away from him, Sookie begins a eulogy, though as the crowd's thoughts start to intrude on her own, she drops the last of her composure, shouting, "Shut up! All of you - just shut the f**k up!" With the onlookers aghast, Sookie steps away, but Tara's mother, Lettie Mae, decides to say a few words - a serious concern for Tara and Lafayette. But, it turns out she only wants to thank Gran for "taking care of my baby when I couldn't." Tara knows better than to be touched by the sentiment, but she's at least relieved - until her mother speaks to her after the service. "I have a demon inside me," Lettie Mae explains, then asks her daughter for the money to have it exorcised. Tara walks away as her mother screams after her, "I need you!"

Jason has his own demon to deal with - namely a mounting addiction to V. Sweaty, disoriented and off-balance, he fishes through his truck's glove box for a piece of blotter paper with his last drop of the drug. Momentarily disgusted with himself, he throws the slip to the ground, but once he comes to his senses and decides to swallow it, he can't find the paper in the dirt.

Sam catches up with Sookie at Gran's graveside and walks her home, but when he wants to come inside, she rebuffs his offer. He leaves, heading down the driveway where he finds Tara, walking barefoot with her heels in hand. He explains that Sookie wants to be alone, and Tara tells him, "Well, I don't." They go to the shady motel where Tara's been living since fleeing her mother's house. Sam can't believe she lives in this place, but when she offers a beer, he accepts, and it's not long before they're in bed together. But the odd pair's pillow talk doesn't last long - still conflicted over her mother, Tara leaves Sam alone in the room, with no explanation.

At the Stackhouse place, Sookie finally manages to cry over a piece of her Gran's pie. But when she gets ready for bed, a different kind of hunger takes over. She steps into the evening wearing her nightgown and heads immediately toward the Compton house. Bill picks up the sound of her footsteps from a distance and runs to her, sweeping her off her feet and carries her inside. In front of a crackling fire, they slowly undress, and as Sookie lets Bill take her virginity, she also bares her throat, allowing him to drink.