The show starts out in this weird manner: It's a deep dark night and Sookie and Bill are driving Jessica home after her disastrous encounter with her parents--Bill is griping at Sookie's involvement.  In a pique of anger she says stop the car, I'm getting out! Bill says it's 20 miles to Bon Temp, you can't walk that far.  Sookie storms off saying I don't care. Around the corner on this deserted highway, she is attacked by a Minotaur like beast--a creature with a bull's head, a man's body, and long claws for hands. It leaves three long deep slashes on her back. (!!)
Bill rushed to her and gave her some of his blood to suck, which has amazing healing properties--but this time she starts to foam at the mouth and having a seizure. Bill rushes her to Eric's place. Eric calls in a midget doctor who says Sookie has been poisoned and boils out the wounds and pulls out a nail from a claw. (!!)  Then Bill gives Sookie some of his blood and she recovers. Eric is puzzled--he says in 1,000 years he's never heard of such a thing as Sookie describes.
Eric sends Pam and another vampire out to highway 71 to look for the creature. They return saying the footprints were human, but the smell was definitely animal. When Bill thanks Eric for saving Sookie's life, Eric tells him he needs a favor in return.  Sookie must go to Dallas where a vampire sheriff is missing and help solve the mystery.  Bill and Eric are sleeping when Sookie wakes up to find Ginger, Eric's human employee there. She reads Ginger's mind and finds out Lafayette is chained up in the basement. He has been tortured and drained and has a bullet wound through his knee.
Sookie confronts Eric to release Lafayette--he says he will if Sookie will help him find the missing vampire sheriff. The deal is made. Sookie and Bill drive Lafayette to his home, where he collapses on a settee and weeps. MEANWHILE: Daphne the new waitress at Merlot's isn't working out, and Sam is frustrated. He packs his truck, ready to run away from Mary Ann. MEANWHILE: Mary Ann is having a party at her estate, which quickly turns into an orgy. Det. Bellefleur shows up with a complaint about the noise. In a corner of the yard he sees a pig in a neat little house (Mary Ann's familiar.)
It's becoming clear that Mary Ann is an ancient sorceress besides being a shapeshifter. Tara and Eggs are canoodling in a pool during the party when Tara, in a moment of clarity, realizes something is weird about the whole Mary Ann thing. MEANWHILE: Jason is at the church camp and tells the group about his experiences with vampires, He is under the influence of the preacher and his wife.`
MEANWHILE: Jessica is home alone, so she gets dolled up and goes to Merlot's and meets Hoyt, the straightest most clean cut guy in Bon Temp. She takes him back to Bill's, comes on to him and bites his throat. Bill comes in and breaks it up.
Sam, packed to leave, goes for one last swim at the lake with his familiar, a collie dog. Daphne shows up and undresses to swim too--and there are three long healing scratches on her back(!!)
Whoo Boy!   susil  (I found out my daughter has just gotten HBO and is hooked on True Blood too!)