Cold Ground (True Blood)
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Cold Ground is the sixth episode of the first season of the HBO television series True Blood. It was written by Alexander Woo and directed by Daniel Minahan. It originally aired on October 12, 2008.
Synopsis
Sookie stands, staring in utter disbelief at Gran’s body lying in a pool of blood. Her nightgown is stained and her cat, Tina is near by lapping up some of the blood. Over come with shock, Sookie sinks to her knees at Gran’s feet. Looking on, she doesn’t see a pair of pale hands reach down and grab her arms, yanking her to her feet. As she struggles, she turns around and sees it’s Bill. He asks if she is alright as he takes her into his arms. Moments later, floorboards creak some where in the house as Bill draws his fangs at the sound. Sam walks into the front hall and is immediately seized by Bill. Being held by the throat, Sam tells Bill to get his hand off him. Bill demands to know what Sam is doing there. Half choking, Sam says that he was making sure that Sookie got home safe, the door was open and asks Bill what he is doing there. From behind them Sookie tells Bill it’s okay and to let Sam go. Looking at her ragged appearance and bloody legs, Sam asks, ‘What happened?’
Later, Sheriff Dearborne, Andy Bellefleur, Mike Spender, and Neil Jones are in the kitchen, going over the crime scene with Gran’s bloody body still on the floor. They speculated about finger prints and murder weapon. Sookie is sitting in the living room across the way, half curled up in a chair as Sam comes up and wraps a blanket around her shoulders. He suggests she go upstairs and lie down. The cops will be in the kitchen for a while and as soon as they find anything out, he'll let her know. She bends her head and listens to the others thoughts. She hears Andy complaining about blood on his boots and reprimanding himself to do his job. Next she hears Mike observing how many stab wounds Gran has and how they have a serial killer. Last she hears Sheriff Dearborne thinking about Gran raising these crazy kids and they didn’t deserve this. Sam breaks her concentration and she says maybe she could use a little air.
With the blanket, Sookie quickly goes out to the porch and sits down on the steps. A minute later, Sam joins her. Taking a seat next to her, he holds her hand, apologizing that he should never have left her alone and lost his temper. Curtly, she asks him to apologize to her some other time. He assures her that whatever she needs, anything he can do, he’s right here. She knows this and thanks him. She starts to hear his thoughts about her and pulls her hand from his, telling him again another time. She than asks what happened to Bill. Sighing, Sam says that he will go get him and goes back inside the house.
Upstairs in Sookie’s bedroom, Bill is standing at the window, looking outside. Sam opens the door and tells him that Sookie is asking for him. Turning from the window and reading Sam’s tone, Bill inquires, ‘Is there something you wanna say to me?’ Sam acidly tells Bill that he wants him to say away from Sookie. Bill counters that Sookie doesn't take kindly to people making decisions for her. Sam, now pacing around the room, says Bill doesn't need to tell him who Sookie is. Sam knows who she is and has known a long time. Bill than asserts that Sam will also know this is neither the time nor the place for him mark his territory. Sam goes on that there is a woman lying dead downstairs and she wouldn't be there if it weren't for him. (Bill) Before leaving, Sam promises if anything happens to Sookie, he’ll to be sharpening a stake with Bill’s name on it. Bill watches as Sam exits the room and goes back over to the window to thumb open a long gash, previously cut into the screen.
Down in the kitchen, Mike Spender and Neil Jones are comparing the number of stab wounds to how much of a fight Gran put up against her attacker. Sheriff Dearborne and Andy stand in the door way, talking about how the killer is a psycho and share tales of seeing worse. Andy is angry that they never should have released Jason and Sheriff Dearborne chides him this is Jason’s grandmother they are talking about. Andy asks if Jason is capable of committing the murders and Bud states, ‘Adele did bring the fanger into a church.’(Bill) Than they both talk that Bill may have had something to do with this and how vampires are crafty, covering their tracks. With this Bill enters the room and asks if he interrupting. Andy stutters that the room is still an official crime scene and he can't be here. Bud tells Andy it is alright and guesses Bill has been around a dead body or two before. They begin to question him about his friendship with Adele Stackhouse. He admits they were friends. Bud supplies Sookie tells Bill was there when she found the body and Bill allows he arrived a few moments after. Still miffed, Andy asks if this is kind late to be making house calls and Bud catches that vampires don't sleep. Trying, Andy says they sleep, just not at night. Still asking, Bud again wonders if Bill makes a habit of visiting Ms. Stackhouse in the middle of the night. Bill confirms he and Sookie had certain personal matters to discuss and after they left his home, he was waiting for her to return from her engagement. When he heard her car in the drive, he came across the cemetery. Bud is doubtful and Bill says that heightened senses are a common side effect of their condition.
Bud still asks if Bill heard any other vehicles coming from the house and a lot of folks would not be too keen on a vampire moving in the next door. But Adele Stackhouse welcomed him with open arms. Bill adds that Adele was very gracious. Going further, Bud asks Bill again about Maudette Pickens and Dawn Green being gracious to his kind, and how that’s just about the one thing they had in common, being one hell of a plus size coincidence. Bill says no, he doesn't believe so and suspects whoever did this is targeting women who associate with vampires. Andy is again skeptical and Bill thinks Sookie's grandmother was not the intended victim.
Out on the porch, Sookie wonders if she should call Jason and Sam volunteers to do it for her.
At Jason’s house, his cell phone rings with the incoming call. Jason is in bed with Randi Sue and both are naked, lying face down in the sheets. As the phone continues to ring, he barely gets awake to pick it up and launches it out the window. He cuddles up to Randi Sue and goes back to sleep.
At the Stackhouse home, Sam hangs up his cell as Jason’s voicemail starts. Bill comes out on to the porch as Sookie asks what's going on. Moving her aside, he says they’re about to move her grandmother. Standing with them, Sam suggests to Sookie to go sleep at a friend's, someplace less isolated. Not to be swayed, she asserts that she is not going anywhere and this is her house. She staying right there. A few moments later, Mike and Neil are bringing Gran’s body, out of the house and down the porch. All the while, Sookie can hear Neil’s thoughts, hoping she doesn’t recognize him from Fangtasia. Next she hears Bud’s about she is sleeping with a vampire and could be next. Taking a breath, she asks if they are done and would like to clean up. Before leaving, Bud tells her to call at the first sign of anything. Bill turns to her, reasserting that she should not stay there and Sam agrees. Sookie says she is as safe there as anywhere and has got both of them to protect her. Reluctantly, Bill tells her he has to go. She understands it's almost dawn. He promises he will come back later. She says for him to go and not to worry about her. Nodding in agreement, Bill leaves. Sookie than asks Sam to get an extra mop. He tries again to talk her out of it and she says that Gran took a lot of pride in her home and wouldn't want anyone to see it like this.
Inside, Sookie sits on the floor in the kitchen at the pool of blood, looking at the white cabinets. Quietly, she starts cleaning as Sam comes in with the mop to stand behind her, watching. In a large bowl, the water is turning red from the cleaning cloth.
The next day, many of the town’s people are gathered in the Stackhouse home in a pre-wake gathering for food and conversation. Mrs. Fortenberry brings in a casserole as Sam tells her to put it in the kitchen. Holding the covered dish, she goes in and stops beside Sookie. Coming out of her vacuous trance, she thanks Mrs. Fortenberry as the woman expresses her sympathies. Tara takes the dish and goes over to the sink, sarcastically noting, ‘Nothing says I'm sorry like a tuna cheese casserole.’ Lafayette comes up, commenting as well and asks if she’s seen Jason. She angrily protests she’s not his keeper. Arlene comes in the backdoor, crying and hugs Sookie tight. She is sorry about Adele and offers to help Sookie move. Blinking, Sookie says she is not moving and has far more good memories of the house than bad ones. Arlene thinks that is a good way to look at it and how she is smarter than anyone gives her credit for, not meaning it to be bad. Turning towards the fridge, Sookie snaps at Mrs. Fortenberry about the pie she is holding. Again, Sookie can hear the worried thoughts of everyone in the rooms. Thinking fast, Tara takes her upstairs with Lafayette trailing behind.
Upstairs in Sookie’s bedroom, Sookie apologizes that she shouldn't have lost it like that. Tara tells her not to feel sorry for yelling at that snoopy old b**** and how she has been sticking her nose where it don't belong for years. Lafayette laughs at all the crap Mrs. Fortenberry talks about. Contemplatively sad, Sookie says that Grand is really gone. She doesn't know what she’s supposed to do or even think straight. Tara asks how can she with all these circling buzzers and is not here to entertain them or has to dance for them. She just has to feel whatever she’s feeling. Still sad, Sookie is not sure she is feeling anything and is just numb. Tara says that numb is good and probably what she needs right now. She tells Sookie to stop worrying about being so appropriate. Sookie thanks her friend for getting her out of there and she hasn't had a single minute of silence. Tara suggests telling them all to shut the hell up and Sookie wishes it were that easy. Lafayette says it is and produces a bag of pills as Sookie objects that she doesn't do drugs. He tells her to relax, it’s valium and for her put in on her nightstand for later just in case she changes her mind. He gets to go downstairs to check the circling buzzards and Sookie hands him the pie to take with him. He promises to guard it with his life and leaves to two girls to talk.
At the road work site, Jason pulls up to work as Hoyt and Rene look on. They realize he doesn’t know about his grandmother as he walks up to them. He makes apologies about his alarm being clock broken and couldn't find his phone. Rene troublingly asks him what is he doing there and Jason replies, his job. Still they come to the conclusions that he has no idea about Adele. Hoyt makes a heart felt apology as Jason finally understands.
At the Stackhouse home, up in Sookie’s room, Tara and Sookie are still talking. Tara poses if they should call cousin Hadley and Sookie says no, they haven’t heard from her for in over a year. Not since she ran away from that rehab Gran paid for and doesn't even know how to get hold of her. Tara than asks Sookie if she is going to invite Bill to the funeral and Sookie says he can't go. And it takes getting used to having vampires out in the open. Tara doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to having vampires around and how not everyone is as open minded as Sookie. Tara also says to her friend that she should hear the things people are saying and Sookie has, insisting Bill did not kill her grandmother. Trying to chill out, Tara explains no one is blaming Bill, exactly and didn't Sookie say he had some scary friends. Sookie contends not all the vampires are like that. Tara tells her friend she would lose it if anything happened to her. Sookie goes on to say how horrible the night before was and doesn’t know how she would've gotten through if it weren't for Bill. When she’s around him, she almost feels normal.
Jason’s truck pulls up to the house. He burst through the front door to the consternation of everyone downstairs. After looking around, he charges up the steps and into Sookie’s room. She is happy to see him at first, but is cut down when he slaps her across the face and knocks her to the bed. Tara holds him back as best as she can. Jason starts cursing it’s her fault and should have been her (Sookie). Tara shoves him to the door, yelling the vampire was there for her when he wasn't and for him to be ashamed of him self for beating on his sister. Angered even more, she shouts for him to get out. Hesitantly, Jason leaves. Tara goes to Sookie to see if she is ok and Sookie takes the valium from her nightstand, wanting some much needed peace.
Outside, as Jason is heading back to his truck, Andy catches up with him and wanting to ask him some questions. He wants to know where Jason was last night and Jason stumbles he was with a girl. Andy guesses is was not Tara Thornton and asks what’s this one's name is. Jason hazily admits he can’t remember, but has a number and doesn't know what he did with it. Andy finds this irritatingly convenient and Jason doesn’t like that. He thinks Andy is insinuating that he killed his grandmother and practically throws Andy into his truck. By now, many people have come outside to watch as Andy picks himself up. Jason gets in his truck and leaves quickly.
Back inside, Mrs. Fortenberry and Arlene are musing over what Jason did to Andy when Tara comes downstairs announcing that Sookie needs a rest and it's time for everyone to go now. Slowly, the people file out of the house. Before leaving, Sam tells her if there's anything he can do, call him.Tara says he’s a good friend and to get. As Lafayette and Tara are cleaning up, they wonder what they are going to do with all of the food brought by the town’s people. Lafayette suggests tossing it out and how Sookie doesn’t need bad juju cooking.
Almost in a dream, someone creeps into Sookie’s bedroom and begins choking her. In her suffocating state she calls to Bill.
In his resting place, Bill is jolted awake by Sookie’s distress and tries to leave. He can not as it is still daytime outside. He must wait until the sun goes down.
At the Stackhouse home, Tara and Lafayette are cleaning up the living room. Tara wonders if she should go check on Sookie. In the next second, the front door is thrown open as Bill races upstairs. Not knowing what just happened, Tara and Lafayette run after him as he goes into Sookie’s room and tries to wake up. He shakes her several times, calling her name. Tara and Lafayette watch from the doorway. Sookie slowly opens her eyes and asks what’s wrong. Relieved that she is alright, he says he had a dream and for her to back to sleep. He is not going anywhere. She turns over and closes her eyes, holding Bill’s hand.
Sometime later, Tara and Lafayette are in the living room, listening to soulful music as Tara stands by the window, looking outside. She wonders if vampires are capable of loving a person. Lafayette gets up to join her, stating who knows what they're capable of. Bill is standing out on the lawn, with a bottle of Tru-Blood. The collie dog barks and runs up to sit beside him. They are both keeping watch over the house.
At Adele's funeral, the next day: Many of the town’s people who were at the gathering at the Stackhouse home are in attendance. A priest is speaking for Adele and the kind of person she was. Hearing movements in the back, she turns and sees Neil pushing an elderly man in a wheelchair up to the service. Sookie clutches Tara’s hand tightly in alarm. The priest continues speaking as Sookie turns to ask her Uncle Bartlett what he is doing there. He weakly states Adele was his sister as Sookie says he hasn’t been part of this family in a long time. Jason asks Sookie to give the guy a break. A minute later, the priest calls for Sookie’s attention about saying a few words for Adele. She gets up, taking her place behind the lectern and begins saying how Adele Stackhouse was everything to her. As she carries on her speech, she can hear the abrogating thoughts of everyone in the crowd. She tries to go on, but cannot seem to block out the voices as they become louder and louder. Not being able to take anymore, she shouts for everyone to shut the f*** up! They all look at her in complete astonishment as she begins her the voices again. Barely holding it together, she runs from the service into the cemetery with Jason on her heels. The priest steps back up again and asks the crowd if anyone else who'd care to share some words. Lettie Mae speaks up from the back and walks to the lectern. Tara tries to stop her, with out much success. Somewhat intoxicated, Lettie Mae manages to praise Adele Stackhouse for taking care of her daughter and will always be grateful for that.
At the cemetery’s gate Jason catches up to Sookie, getting her to stop. She turns, wanting to know if he will hit her again and to tell how she deserves to be in that coffin. Jason tries to apologize for what he did from before, but she won’t hear it. She insistently demands to know why he invited Uncle Bartlett. Jason supplies their uncle has a right to be there and he knows Gran had problems with him. But they don't matter anymore. Because family forgives each other. Sookie is not convinced by this as Jason says they are all they have. She tells him they have nothing and turns away, leaving him there.
As the service concludes, Mrs. Fortenberry tells Lettie Mae how moved she was by her speech and tries to invite her to their next DGD meeting. As Lettie Mae appears to be thinking about it, Tara approaches the women and pulls her mother aside. She admonishes her mother for speaking about Adele and how she was more of a mother to Tara than Lettie Mae ever was. Tearfully, Lettie Mae tries to explain about all the terrible things she did was not her and how she has a daemon inside of her. Tara cruelly thinks this is messed up as Lettie Mae says she is trying so hard to wrestle with the daemon. She can't do this alone and needs to get out of her. But it's really expensive. Focusing, Tara looks at her mother and asks is that why Lettie Mae came to this women's funeral? Because of money? Again, Lettie Mae tearfully pleads she has nowhere else to go as Tara walks away in a huff.
With the service ending and people leaving, Sookie walks through the cemetery to an older part of the grounds. There amidst over grown plots, small iron fences, and broken slabs, she finds a cracked ground marker. Kneeling down, she clears away vine leaves that partially cover the name reading, ‘William Thomas Compton - Beloved Husband - Brave Soldier’. She sits back in marvel and knows there is no body in the ground under the stone.
Jason stands at the cemetery’s gate as sympathetic towns people walk past, conveying their condolences. He is sweaty and barely hears anything that is said. At one point, Andy comes by and says they are not finished. With everyone gone, he goes to get into his truck. Taking the last of his V out of the glove box, he almost puts it in his mouth, but tosses the tiny square through the window. Before he can start his truck, he wants the V and gets out to look for it. Frantically searching for the square, he cannot find it in the leaves and sinks back against the door of the vehicle.
At the grave site, Sookie is watching her grandmother’s coffin being lowered into the ground as Sam comes up behind her. Trying to be calm, he tells her he liked her speech and especially the part when she told the town to shut the f*** up. Sookie sarcastically says she’s a real crowd pleaser as Sam offers to walk her home. As they arrive at her house, Sam suggests she take a bath and he will find some stupid movie on TV. She tells him not now and just needs to be alone. Thanking him, she goes inside and closes the door. As Sam is leaving, he encounters Tara, who is walking barefoot up the gravel drive with her shoes in hand. Stopping, he says Sookie wants to be alone. Tinking a minute, Tara says she's doesn’t and Sam is in agreement as they leave together.
In the kitchen, still in her black dress, Sookie takes the pecan pie from before out of the fridge and sits down at the table. Forking out a piece, she begins to cry as she eats every bit.
Tara and Sam drive to her current place of residence. A small apartment in a somewhat seedy motel where the owner sits out on the porch and her next door neighbors are a fighting, screaming couple. Tara leads Sam to her room. As he walks in, he takes in the room’s sparse furnishings. He’s having a hard time believing that she lives here and Tara tells him this is really where she lives. He thought she were staying with Lafayette and she says she was until she found out he has a webcam in his bathroom. So she wants none of that action. Sam states she should've told him she needed somewhere to stay and Tara counters so he can ride up on his white horse and save her. Now he wants to know why she turns everything into a fight. She thinks its maybe because she has bad self esteem and is the only way she knows to express her real feelings. Sam tries to leave, but she wants him to stay. He doesn’t want to play games or have any strings. He just wants something real in his life. Tara moves to kiss him as he says if they do this, they really did this.
With the pie gone, Sookie goes upstairs and stands facing her reflection in the mirror. Slowly, she removes her black dress and pulls on a white diaphanous nightgown. She than moves to the window and watches the last remaining rays of light move down behind the trees as the sun sets. With it now dark outside, she leaves the house from the front door, running into the night.
At his home, Bill pulls open both front doors and steps out on to the porch, looking out into the night. He can feel Sookie running. Closing his eyes, he senses her movements as she coming towards him. Opening his eyes, he sees her running up the front yard. Stepping of the porch, he runs to her. As they meet in the middle, they kiss passionately as he lifts her into his arms and carries her into the house.
At Tara’s modest apartment, she and Sam have an explosive finish to their current coupling as they hear her neighbors make up from their current feud. Suddenly Tara jumps up and starts getting dressed, saying she has got to go. Sam asks why, because it’s the middle of the night and if he did something. Pulling on her shoes, she tells him is not about that and she will see him at work before leaving.
At Jason’s house, Randi Sue is straddling Jason’s waist, facing away from as they have sex. She repeats over and over that she loves him. Behind her back, he is practically crying.
At his home, Bill and Sookie are sitting on a red velvet blanket covering the floor in front of the fire place. As they kiss, they slowly begin to undress each other. Peeling the white gown from her body, Bill leans in and kisses Sookie deeply, gently pushing her to the floor. With her arms wrapped around his back, she removes his shirt as they begin their love making. After a moment, Bill pulls away slightly, with his head down and fangs drawn. Looking into his eyes, Sookie pulls him back to her.
At her mother’s home, it is late and Tara comes in to find her mother half awake on the couch. Tara smiles a hello to her mother and Lettie Mae says that she knew Tara would come as Tara lays down on the couch with her mother’s arms around her.
At his home, Sookie and Bill continue to make love. Bill is hold in his control as she becomes amorous. Wanting to more than ever, Sookie opens her neck and takes a hold of his arms, telling him to do. She wants him to. With out hesitation, Bill bites her neck and drinks fervidly from her as he takes her blood and her virginity.
Trivia
- Sookie finds Bill's grave, knowing there is no body in the ground.
- Cats like blood.