When we left Sookie, she was about to be attacked by the bartender at Fangtasia for exposing his wrongdoings. He had stolen money – a huge sum of money – from the bar and Eric. As he pounces on Sookie, Bill makes a split decision to protect her and stakes the bartender vampire with a wooden beer tap handle that he breaks off.
As Sookie cleans herself up with Pam in the bathroom, Eric and Bill discuss his punishment. Bill killed a vampire in front of vampire witnesses. This will not be the end of it.
Another Murder
Sookie and Bill return back to her home to find her cat has been murdered and strung from the ceiling fan.
Love Triangle
Jason and Amy have kidnapped Eddie – Lafayette’s lover and supplier of his V. Throughout the episode, Jason and Amy drink Eddie’s blood directly from the source, getting high on a fresh supply. Jason and Eddie bond in the basement as they discuss their life stories. Eddie tells Jason about how he was only recently turned a vampire after his wife found out he was gay and took his son away from him. Jason confesses about his parents’ deaths to Eddie. Seeing a more humane side of Jason was really multi-dimensional in this episode. Jason isn’t just a sex crazed, drug addicted man. There is more below the surface. It seems he has just been running in the wrong crowd. The relationship between captor and victim between Jason and Eddie is fresh and revealing.
Tara’s Demon
Tara begins to think about how she may have a demon inside herself and visits the woman who performed the exorcism on her mother. The woman wants $800 for Tara’s exorcism, as it is more complicated than her mother’s, she explains. Tara and Sam continue to be involved together. Sam wants more than sex with Tara. He wants something substantial. Tara tells him about how she thinks she’s crazy for thinking there is a demon inside her and she doesn’t have the money for the exorcism anyway. Tara fights it, but Sam gives her the $800.
Revelations
Eric returns with a new bartender and Pam to take Bill away to a tribunal. Bill goes to Merlotte’s before leaving and asks Sam to watch over Sookie. Their relationship may be pained, but they both care for Sookie dearly. Sam agrees to keep watch over her.
Sookie watches on later as Tara and Sam make out in his office. This is the first time she has learned of their secret relationship. Sookie goes over to Bill’s to stay somewhere the murderer would not be looking for her.
Sam finishes with Tara to find out Sookie has gone to Bill’s home to sleep. As he tries to chase after her, Andy confronts him about his misinformation about his nudist colony parents. Sam says that he forgot something in the bar and the dog we have seen in previous episode races out of the bar. The dog finds Sookie at Bill’s house. Sookie invites him in bed with her. Sookie wakes in the middle of the night to find a naked Sam in bed where the dog once was.
The Verdict
This episode was strong with revelations. Bill must face a tribunal for his crimes. What will happen? Tara is going to exorcise her demon. Will she get better or waste her money? Sookie is finding out that Sam is a shapeshifter. The spiciness continues…
Sarah Moon is a stone-cold sorceress from Tennessee whose interests include serial killers, horror fiction, and the newest dystopian blockbuster. Sarah holds an M.A. in English Literature and an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing. She works as an English professor as well as a cemeterian. Sarah is most likely to cover horror in print including prose, poetry, and graphic forms. You can find her on Instagram @wellreadredhead18.
The sweet putrid stench of love lingers through the air which can only mean one thing…Valentine’s Day and its annoying little winged cherub mascot, Cupid, is fast approaching. Soon, partners will be spoiling one another with extravagant bouquets of roses, heartfelt Hallmark cards, obnoxiously large teddy bears, glistening diamond jewelry, and heart-shaped candies or boxes filled with assorted mediocre chocolates. You know? Normal things couples do. I tend to prefer my chocolate boxes filled with bleeding hearts, à la ‘My Bloody Valentine’ but, beggars can’t be choosers, right? All jokes aside, Valentine’s Day is special for many couples, however, there are also many others who find themselves celebrating this day without a significant other. Luckily, Shudder, along with drive-in king Joe Bob Briggs and co-host Darcy the Mail Girl (Diana Prince) will graciously be keeping us lonely mutants’, and yes, all you horror fanatic couples’ company on Friday, February 10th as they return with The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine, premiering live at 9pm EST.
Love Spells Abound…
Back in 2021, Joe Bob and Darcy invited us to a gruesomely passionate night of spell-binding love witches and animatronic dinosaurs infused with teenage human brains during The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob Put a Spell on You. Many, including myself, were introduced to the tantalizing 70’s inspired retro throwback ‘The Love Witch’and the graphically goofy cult classic ‘Tammy and the T-Rex’, providing the perfect viewing pleasure to mend any broken heart. While the two films for this year’s morbid love-induced special have yet to be announced, as a special treat, Briggs has announced for the first time on The Last Drive-In, he will be marrying one lucky couple during the live showing. We here at HauntedMTL are eagerly awaiting the return of the ghoulish duo so, as is tradition, we will be proudly hosting a watch party on Twitter during the broadcasting of The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and tag us @hauntedMTL as well as @shudder, @therealjoebob, and @kinky_horror to partake in this night of unholy love.
Follow @hauntedMTL for live tweets and replies!
What started off as a one-time special premiering on Shudder July 13, 2018, ‘The Last Drive- In’ was originally meant to be Brigg’s swan song; one last special before hanging up the bolo tie in retirement. However, due to so many mutants, excuse me…viewers tuning in and breaking the Shudder servers, it was only natural to announce an official full season of ‘The Last Drive-In‘, which would make its explosive debut March 19, 2019. Since then, Darcy and Briggs have spawned many exclusive holiday specials, have graciously donated to many charities within the community, and have accumulated 4 seasons of ‘The Last Drive-In’, with a fifth currently in production premiering on Shudder’s 2023 schedule sometime this year, let’s hope sooner rather than later.
An unexpected ceremony during The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob Put a Spell on You (2021) special.
Horror Noire is a horror collection brought by the combined efforts of AMC+ and Shudder. The collection includes “Daddy,” “The Lake,” “Brand of Evil,” “Bride Before You,” “Fugue State,” and “Sundown.” Horror Noire boasts Black directors and screenwriters, providing six unique stories.
As this collection explores six stories, I will skip the usual synopsis to assess the genres and ideas explored, albeit limited as needed. Expect to find supernatural horror, creature features, and psychological thrillers. Many short films deal with these genres while exploring Black issues, but this isn’t universal for the collection.
The directors and writers include Zandashé Brown, Robin Givens, Rob Greenlea, Kimani Ray Smith, Steven Barnes, Ezra Clayton Daniels, Tananarive Due, Shernold Edwards, Victor LaValle, and Al Letson.
Image from “Sundown” Directed by Kimani Ray Smith
What I Like
Each story remains unique, holding different strengths and weaknesses that highlight drastically different perspectives. Collections like VHS hold a similar premise to create their collection, but Horror Noire gives more creative freedom to its talent to be independent.
My personal favorite short film is Zandashé Brown’s “Bride Before You.” This period piece unravels a fable set in the Reconstruction Era. The entry feels Fabulistic in approach, which happens to be my preferred niche.
However, the best example of horror goes to Robin Givens’ “Daddy,” providing an existential horror tied directly to the characters involved.
Image from “Fugue State” directed by Rob Greenlea
What I Dislike
As mentioned, all have a particular style and idea. The downside of this approach always remains to keep the viewer interested long enough to find their favorite. If you find several underwhelming choices, this becomes a chore. But I imagine that is rare as the variety makes the options refreshing.
Personally, “Brand of Evil” had an interesting premise, but the execution fell short. On paper, it might have sounded like my favorite, which makes the lackluster execution a bigger letdown.
Zeth M. Martinez
Final Thoughts
Horror Noire gives power and control to Black creators, providing a formula for a unique collection against others in the space. While the various subjects and approaches mean you aren’t likely to love them all, there should be a short film for everyone. (3.5 / 5)
Episode six of Netflix’s Dahmer was not, honestly about our title character. Instead, it was about one of his victims, a man named Tony. We’ve actually seen Tony a few times during this series. We just didn’t know it was him.
And, well, he wasn’t exactly alive the first time we saw him.
Tony was born into a supportive, loving family. This is good because soon after he was born a viral infection took his hearing. He is black, deaf, and gay in the early 90’s.
Tony has a dream of becoming a model. And he certainly has the looks for it. He is beautiful, body and soul. He has lots of opportunities for romance, but it’s not what he’s looking for. He wants a real relationship.
Eventually Tony moves to Madison, trying to pursue his dream. He gets a job and starts getting modeling work.
Then, he meets Jeff Dahmer at a bar.
At first, we can almost believe that it’s going to be alright. Jeff seems happy. He’s taking care of himself. He’s not drinking as much. He even has his dad and stepmom over for dinner. It seems like his life is getting on track. Even better, he’s treating Tony right.
Then, of course, things go bad.
One thing that has always bothered me as a true crime fan is that we know so much about the killers, but not as much about the victims. Not so much if we don’t know who the killer is, of course. But the names that are part of our pop culture are those of the killers. Dahmer, Manson, Jones, Bundy, Holms. The names we don’t know are Roberta Parks, Beth LaBiancas, Leno LaBiancas, and Tony Hughes. And clearly, we should know them.
If Tony Hughes was half the shining, positive person that the show Dahmer made him out to be, I’m so sad that he isn’t with us anymore. We need so many more people like him. And many of Dahmer’s victims were likely just like him. After all, he was attracted to them for a reason.
This was a significant episode, and I understand why it’s the highest-rated episode of the series. I finished it with a heavy heart, saddened by the loss of a man who should still be with us today.
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