True Blood Season 3 Finale: “Evil Is Going On”
We arrive back in Bon Temps at Fangtasia, where Eric and Russell are handcuffed together and burning outside in the sun. Godric’s spirit appears to Eric and begs him to forgive Russell and end the hate. Eric resists, screaming into oblivion.
Inside, Sookie wakes up with Bill in her face. She slaps him and asks where Eric is. Pam tells her and she heads outside. Sookie uses her powers to detach the handcuffs that bind Eric and Russell and she drags Eric back inside. Sookie has Bill bite her and she feeds her blood to Eric.
A recovering Eric tells the group that Godric told him they must spare Russell. Sookie goes outside and drags Russell back in. They chain him up to one of the poles inside the club. Eric has Sookie guard Russell while everyone sleeps during the day because he cannot glamour her.
Let Me Go
Russell offers Sookie money and property to let him go, but she ignores him. She finds out that the glass jar is Talbot’s remains and pours them down the garbage disposal as Russell screams. This moment reveals something new about Sookie. She has been such a good girl, innocent and caring. In this moment, she is angry and sinister. I’d love to see more of this dimensional side of Sookie. She’s becoming not so one-note.
Alcide arrives and Eric and Bill take Russell to a construction site. Before Sookie leaves, she rescinds her invitation for all vampires present into her home. Before he drives away from the construction site that he’s brought Eric and Bill to, Alcide confirms that this favor erases his father’s debts to Eric. Eric and Bill bury Russell in concrete, making sure that he stays frozen in space and time — doomed to decades trapped in concrete alive and suffering. Russell tells them that one day he will get out and they will be sorry. I don’t doubt this.
Bill suddenly turns on Eric and puts him in the concrete as well, covering him up. Bill takes Eric’s phone and calls his assassin disguising his voice as Eric’s and asks him to kill Pam.
Sam’s Secret
The morning after spending the night together, Sam makes Tara breakfast. He admits to her that he is a shapeshifter. Tara is shocked and gets angry at Sam for not telling her, stating that it’s fact she’d like to know before sleeping with someone. She thinks over her experiences with Maryann and Franklin and decides she’d like to know how to live her life without the interference of the supernatural.
Later that day, Sam goes to his office to find it ransacked and his brother missing from his rental property. He finds Tommy and chases him in the woods. When Tommy won’t return his money, we see Sam pull a gun and fire.
The Bust
The DEA have come to Bon Temps in preparation for a raid on Hotshot to seize V and meth. Jason finds out from Andy that the raid is happening that very day. Andy warns Jason that if he tips Hotshot off, he can kiss his dreams of being a cop goodbye.
Jason and Crystal race over to Hotshot to warn them. When they arrive, Felton shows up with a shotgun. He tells his father that he cannot get rid of the V, and it becomes obvious that Felton is using and is addicted. Felton shoots Calvin in the face and takes not only the cooler of V, but Crystal as well. Jason is left to fend for the town of Hotshot.
He is brought into the station for tipping off Hotshot and Andy lectures him about how dumb he made the town look. Jason asserts that those people had no one to help them and that he did the right thing, even if it means he can’t become a cop.
Reunited
Hoyt goes into work to find his mother, Summer, and his high school guidance counselor waiting to stage an intervention. Hoyt listens to what they have to say and then wishes Summer well and walks away. Good for Hoyt!
Later on, Hoyt brings Jessica to an empty home and tells her he wants to marry her and live there with her. Good for them! I’ve been rooting for them from the start.
Meanwhile, we see Maxine – Hoyt’s mother – shopping for a gun. Uh oh.
Visionary
Lafayette is still having visions that come to him in waves. He talks with Sam behind the bar, and sees Sam’s hands covered in blood. While working, Lafayette has a vision of Rene choking Arlene, saying he is inside her. Everything Lafayette is seeing is real, as we know from our knowledge of all the characters’ pasts.
He calls Jesus, who comes and consoles Lafayette, and tells him that he is a bruja – a witch. I suspect they both are, but there is no confirmation yet.
Caught
Tara walks in on her mother having sex with her pastor – who is married with children. After her interactions with Sam and her mother, she cuts her hair into a bob. This seems to be an awakening, a rebirth, for Tara. She is moving forward.
The Finale
Sookie opens her door to find Bill. He tells her that both Russell and Eric are gone – that he ended them. A concrete-covered Eric runs up. Eric asks Sookie if she knew that Bill originally was interested in her because Sophie-Anne wanted to make him find her. Eric also points out that Bill let the Ratrays beat Sookie until she was almost dead so that he could feed her his blood to bond with her. Sookie banishes both of them from her home, sending them away.
Inside Fangtasia, Pam has killed their assassin and is alright. Eric laments that he is now out an assassin. Pam asks if he killed Bill and he responds that he did something much worse than that to him — he broke him away from Sookie.
Bill invites Sophie-Ann to his home under the pretenses of drinking Sookie’s blood and walking in the sun. Bill tells her only one of them is leaving the house and they begin fighting to the death.
Sookie visits Gran’s grave and tells her that she is lost. Claudine shows up and Sookie disappears into fairy land.
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They say good things come to those who wait, and boy have we been patient. It has been quite a few months since we have been treated to a full season of ‘The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs’, in fact, the season 4 finale premiered on Shudder July 1st, 2022. Since then, we have been able to satisfy our appetites with festive holiday specials sprinkled throughout the past year. Specials such as ‘Joe Bob’s Halloween Hangout’ guest starring horror’s favorite Mistress of the dark, Elvira (played by the legendary Cassandra Peterson) and ‘Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together’. Last month was a treat in itself, as we were able to witness Joe Bob Briggs and fan favorite co-host, Darcy the Mail Girl (Diana Prince) marry one lucky couple for the first time on the show, with ‘Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine‘ special.
While the current changes in staff at Shudder has left fans questioning if we will receive a new season of the popular series, I can happily say mutant family, we need not worry. In fact, to our wonderous surprise, Joe Bob Briggs has officially announced via Twitter, season 5 of ‘The Last Drive-In‘ will be premiering April 21st, exclusively on Shudder! One thing that is noteworthy, is unlike previous seasons, it has been reported by 1428Elm that season 5 will be broken up into two parts of five double-feature blood-curdling episodes. Though we have not been provided the official release schedule for the second block of season 5, here is a sneak peek of what we can expect for the first half of the season:
April 21: Season 5 Launch Party!
April 28: Walpurgisnacht Part 2!
May 5: Cinco de Fucking Mayo!
May 12: Mama’s Day!
May 19: Dysfunctional Family Jubilee!
Unfortunately, we do not have an official list of the brand-new double feature films for the first half of season 5 but, with amusing episode titles such as these, one can only imagine what grindhouse-classics will be joining ‘The Last Drive-In’s’ already eclectic list of sloshy goodness. For those impatient mutants eagerly waiting for more hilarious Joe Bob rant-filled commentaries, or those newcomers who’ve yet to experience the magic that is ‘The Last Drive-In‘, all previous four seasons, including past holiday specials are currently available to stream now on Shudder.
If you are just as big of fans of ‘The Last Drive-In‘ as we here at HauntedMTL are, please be sure to follow us on Twitter @HauntedMTL and join us April 21st as we tweet along with Joe Bob and Darcy the Mail Girl for the season premier. As is tradition, we will be hosting live watch parties every Friday with each new episode, including fresh holiday specials. The road to season 5 is upon us…let the countdown begin!
April 21: Season 5 Launch Party!
April 28: Walpurgisnacht Part 2!
May 5: Cinco de Fucking Mayo!
May 12: Mama's Day!
May 19: Dysfunctional Family Jubilee!
. . . and that's only the beginning.#TheLastDriveIn pic.twitter.com/WfeTx0shNa— Joe Bob Briggs (@therealjoebob) March 16, 2023
Mutant family, please gather ’round as February kicks rocks and we shove our way into March. With the new month comes the shifting from winter to spring as death beautifully resurrects back to life, drunken patrons swarm our local bars like rabid locusts for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and of course new exclusives and returning favorites on Shudder to satisfy the horror fiend in us all. To quote the prestigious Samuel L. Jackson, “hold onto your butts” and let’s dive right into Shudder’s March 2023 release schedule.
Shudder Exclusives
While it is true that the release schedule for the start of 2023 on Shudder has been minor and slightly mixed, with films such as the much talked about experimental low-budget indie ‘Skinamarink‘, the surprisingly entertaining horror comedy ‘Sorry About the Demon‘, and writer/director Neil Marshall’s return to the genre with ‘The Lair‘. We also graciously received the wildly fun ‘The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine” special, with season 5 currently in production and premiering later this year; though it can’t come soon enough. As we like to do here at HauntedMTL, let’s kick off March with Shudder’s newest exclusives currently streaming now and in the coming weeks.
Spoonful of Sugar – Now Streaming
Starting off this list we begin with director Mercedes Bryce Morgan and writer Leah Saint Marie’s latest film ‘Spoonful of Sugar‘, now currently streaming.
Millicent (Morgan Saylor), a disturbed college student working on her thesis about children with severe allergies, is hired to babysit little Johnny (Danilo Crovetti), a sickly, mute child who suffers from every allergy under the sun. His mother Rebecca (Kate Foster) is an accomplished author currently focused on her newest book release, while his father Jacob (Myko Olivier) spends his days in the backyard working on frivolous carpentry projects. After experiencing a bizarre sexual awakening while using LSD as an alternative treatment for Johnny, she soon uncovers the family’s dark secrets as things begin to become unhinged.
Leave – Premiering Friday 3/17
After having been abandoned as an infant at a cemetery wrapped in a cloth with satanic symbols, Hunter White (Alicia von Rittberg) grows obsessed with figuring out who her biological parents are and why they seemingly abandoned her. However, as she gets closer to the answers she so desperately seeks, a malevolent spirit is warning her to leave.
‘Leave‘ premiers exclusively on Shudder Friday 03/17 and is directed by Alex Herron and written by Thomas Moldestad, starring Alicia von Rittberg, Herman Tømmeraas, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, and Stig R. Amda
The Unheard – Premiering Friday 03/31
‘The Unheard‘ follows the story of deaf 20-year-old Chloe Grayden (Lachlan Watson) after she undergoes an experimental treatment to restore her hearing. While recovering at her family’s beach home after the successful procedure, Chloe begins to fear she is not alone as she begins to experience auditory hallucinations related to the mysterious disappearance of her mother.
‘The Unheard’ is directed by Shudder alumni Jeffrey A. Brown (The Beach House) and written by brothers/screenwriting partners Shawn Rasmussen and Michael Rasmussen (Crawl), co-starring Michele Hicks and Nick Sandow. ‘The Unheard‘ premiers exclusively on Shudder Friday 03/31.
Returning Classic and Fan Favorites
Now that we’ve removed the veil for the new exclusive titles dropping this month, I think it’s time we reveal the returning classics jump starting our transition into spring for 2023. Allow me to highlight some of my favorite films returning to Shudder for March including ‘Gretel and Hansel‘ and ‘The Company of Wolves‘; grim re-telling’s of popular children’s fairy tales. We also cannot forget John Carpenter’s haunted coastal horror ‘The Fog‘; no, not the remake…thankfully.
Gretel and Hansel – Now Streaming
Directed by Osgood Perkins, ‘Gretel and Hansel’ is a terrifyingly dark and unique vision to one of history’s most famous childhood fairy tales. After being thrown out of their mother’s home, Gretel (Sophia Lillis) leads her younger brother, Hansel (Samuel Leakey), through the woods in search of food and work. The children soon discover a quaint cottage where a fragile old woman Holda (Alice Krige) offers fresh food and bed. The children accept all Holda has to offer, with little thought as to what may be asked of them in return.
Though it has been met with mixed reviews, ‘Gretel and Hansel‘ offers astounding performances by veteran actress Alice Krige as the films iconic Witch of the woods and Sophia Lillis as lead Gretel. Director Osgood Perkins does well to draw his viewer in with a beautifully haunting score and unnerving cinematography, making this one grim re-telling worth checking out at least once. ‘Gretel and Hansel‘ is available to stream now.
The Company of Wolves – Now Streaming
Continuing our list of returning classics, we have yet another bold re-telling of a beloved children’s fairy tale, 1984’s ‘The Company of Wolves‘. While the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood‘ has been retold through various forms of media, including numerous films, ‘The Company of Wolves‘ is a beloved horror interpretation with adult themes and memorable practical effects including one of the genres best werewolf transformations.
A wise grandmother (Angela Lansbury) tells her granddaughter Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) a disturbing tale of innocent maidens falling in love with handsome strangers … and of their sudden mysterious disappearances when the moon is full and accompanied by the strange sound of a beast in the woods.
‘The Company of Wolves’ is co-written and directed by Neil Jordan and stars Sarah Patterson, Angela Lansbury, Micha Bergese, and David Warner, streaming now.
John Carpenter’s The Fog – Streaming 03/31
Writer, director, musician, and horror master John Carpenter is a legend in the genre having provided countless classics such as ‘The Thing‘, a terrifyingly gruesome remake of ‘The Thing from Another World‘. Or his sci-fi action/horror ‘They Live’ where he deals with societal control through corporations and government. And of course, my personal favorite, the film that jumpstarted his career and created one of horror’s most iconic slashers…’Halloween‘.
1980’s ‘The Fog‘ is a terrifying shoreside tale of vengeful spirits haunting the fictional coastal town of Antonio Bay, OR. as they begin preparations to celebrate its centenary. Following exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in the town’s waters, a thick unearthly fog harboring the souls of those who perished rolls in and with them, the dark secrets of Antonio Bay’s past.
John Carpenter’s ‘The Fog’ stars scream queen and recent Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis, genre alums Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, and Nancy Kyes, and was co-written by the late Debra Hill. ‘The Fog‘ will be available to stream on Shudder 03/31.
Full Shudder March 2023 Film Releases
For a full comprehensive list of all the titles being added to Shudder for the month of January, please refer to the graphic below. Please be on the lookout for our review of ‘The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine’ to drop later this week here on HauntedMTL and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more Shudder news and spooky reviews!
3/1:
Gretel and Hansel
3/2:
Spoonful of Sugar
3/9:
The Company of Wolves
3/13:
Holidays
3/17:
Leave
3/20:
Jack be Nimble
3/27:
Ultra Pulpe
After Blue
3/31:
The Unheard
The Fog
The Blair Witch Project & Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
So this isn’t a review but more just some thoughts…
I have to admit that I actually like the She Wolf music video by Shakira.
Maybe partly because my Zumba group back in the day used to dance to it with all of us cautioned to not to look up the music video for fear it would be too risque or something… (The Zumba dance to this was one of my favorites, and I loved our group of mostly 60+ year old retirees for all that some of them did act surprised at these things, whether or not they actually were.) Or maybe partly because it reminds me of Madonna’s Express Yourself, or by extension the famous dance scene in Metropolis directed by Fritz Lang.
It’s a guilty pleasure.
The ways these things evolve and stay the same over time fascinates me, especially how the messaging and movement change, and yet stay the same.
Anyway, I created this artwork based upon the She Wolf video and song, incorporating a Hazelle puppet head atop a modern Barbie doll body. I don’t recall what happened to Barbie’s actual head though I’m pretty sure I needed it for another project. (Technically I needed the body for another project too, and this was just a stopover.) Years ago this piece found itself part of the Women’s Caucus for Art website as one of the chosen artworks for the year. I was going to try to write something to go with it for Haunted MTL but instead I thought I’d share it as a lead up to my revisitation of my werewolf story from St. Patrick’s Day last year.
Feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.
