Save Yourself

Save Yourself
Season 5, Episode 12
Air date	August 26, 2012
Written by	Alan Ball
Directed by	Michael Lehmann
Episode Guide
previous "Sunset"	next "Who Are You, Really"

"Save Yourself" is the twelfth and final episode of the fifth season of True Blood, and the 60th episode of the series overall. It was written by departing show runner Alan Ball and directed by Michael Lehmann. It was first broadcast on August 26, 2012.

Summary

Eric embarks on a final, desperate mission to overthrow the Authority – and save Bill from losing his humanity. Andy faces the consequences of the light pact he made; Alcide readies for a second showdown with J.D.; Sam and Luna test their limits in trying to escape the Authority. The Fay try to prevent Russell Edgington from entering their sanctuary.

Synopsis

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Having drained the Faerie Elder, Russell can see the fae hideout and moves to attack. The Faeries use their combined power to hold him back. Sookie has to pause several times as her dwindling powers leaves her and she is unable to sustain the attack. Russell's advance is slowed by their blasts, but he believes that their light has no further effect on him. As the Faeries continue their attempt to keep him at bay, Russell is ambushed by Eric just as he is about to enter the nightclub. Eric takes advantage of the situation and manages to stake Russell, bringing him the True Death, satisfying a long held lust for revenge. Steve Newlin looks on in horror as his boyfriend is staked and then runs off into the woods.

Sookie rushes to help Jason and Nora finds herself drawn to Sookie's blood. Eric stops Nora and makes her swear not to touch Sookie. Jason is groggy from a head injury, but alive.

Sam is brought to Bill in the Authority Headquarters as food. He escapes by shifting into a fly. He goes back to Luna and Emma to plan their escape. Bill gathers the V-Feds  and orders them to search for Sam, furious about the security breach. Bill admits to Salome that he killed Kibwe after she questions his whereabouts. He lies to Salome that Lilith appeared to him and pronounced her as the chosen one and claims that he will serve her.

Maurella visits Merlotte's  and asks Andy for salt. She downs a whole shaker as he tries to explain their affair to Holly. Maurella's light breaks and she goes into labor.

Alcide is talking with his father when Martha brings Rikki to the trailer. She has been forced to drink a massive amount of V. Jackson gives her a colloidal silver remedy to force the blood out. Alcide wants to fight J.D. again to oust him as packmaster. His father suggests that they even the playing field by drinking his stash of high quality V.

Jason hallucinates that he is seeing his parents urging him to hate vampires. Eric arrives with Tara and Nora asking for Sookie's help to save Bill. Eric says that she is the only one that can get through to Bill. Sookie agrees to help them to infiltrate the Authority. They arm themselves with weapons from the Stake House.

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Sam finds Steve's room and convinces Luna to skinwalk as Steve so that they can take Emma back. Luna takes Steve's form but Rosalyn collars her and takes her to make a live television announcement regarding the footage of Steve and Russell killing 22 fraternity brothers. Half way through the interview Luna shifts back into her real form on camera; revealing the existence of shifters to the world. Rosalyn prepares to attack but Sam, already shifted into fly form, swoops into Rosalyn's mouth and destroys her by shifting back into his human form inside of her.

Arlene, Lafayette, and Jane Bodehouse watch as Holly is forced to midwife while Maurella gives birth to 4 baby girls. She quickly leaves, instructing Andy to take care of their children and make sure at least two survive into adulthood. Holly, shocked, calls Andy a dick.

Eric arrives at the Authority and kills every vampire that approaches him. Jason revels in the violence against vampires, killing many himself. Salome is about to drink the Blood of Lilith, but hearing the alarm, she flees to her chamber. Nora and Eric disarms the building's security system and release the prisoners. Pam passionately kisses Tara as they are reunited.

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The Shreveport werewolf pack torture a captured vampire and drain his blood. Alcide, Jackson and Martha confront them. J.D. tells Alcide that he is abjured but Alcide attacks and beats him to death while the pack looks on. With J.D. dead, Alcide pronounces himself pack master and lays down the law to his pack.

Jessica is thrilled to see Jason and professes her love for him. He rejects her because she is a vampire. Eric sends most of the group in the elevator, warning them to expect more guards, then takes Sookie to find Bill.

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Bill urges Salome to drink Lilith's blood, but she finds it poisoned. Bill reveals that he refilled it with blood infused with silver, keeping the original blood for himself. Before he stakes her, Salome tells him that "Lilith chose wisely." Bill prepares to drink Lilith's blood but is interrupted by Eric and Sookie. Sookie urges Bill to come back to his old self.

Having grown tired of his old life and always apologizing for being a vampire, Bill refuses. He claims to have no real feelings for Sookie. He drinks the blood of Lilith. He begins to bleed from the eyes and mouth and then appears to be destroyed; leaving a puddle of blood behind. Sookie is devastated and Eric comforts her as she breaks down.

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Bill rises again from the pool of his remains, coated in blood like Lilith and baring sharper, longer, fangs. Eric yells at Sookie to run. As they flee, Bill growls demonically.

Trailer

Notes

Allusions

-When Eric and Nora are collecting money from a hole in Fangtasia's dungeon, the AVL coffin Tara is carrying may be from when Nan Flanagan questioned Eric in season 3, and requested that two coffins be brought in for Eric and Pam because they were on lockdown. ("Everything Is Broken")

Featured Music

• "Save Yourself" by Stabbing Westward

Memorable Quotes

Russell - "Aww, fuck." (he explodes)

Russell - (as the faeries blast him with photokenesis) "Seriously!... Is that the best you can do?!  Can't feel a thing... except a very-slight-ooh!-tickling sensation!  Which, unfortunately for you little pixies, only whets-my-appetite!  Hahaha!" (As he approaches Hot Wings, just as the faeries are running out of light, Eric stakes him from behind)

Eric - "Well, that felt even better than I thought it would."

Bill - "Oh, God ... GOD!"

Nora - "What is that amazing smell?"

Nora - "You smell like something I once dreamed of"

Sookie- "Eric could you tell you sister not to look at me like that?"

Lafayette - 'I did not see that shit coming."

Pam - "Must all roads lead to fucking Sookie"

Sookie- "Tara! (Pam and Tara kissing) Oh, okay." Jessica- "I knew it!"

Sookie - "You are unique of all the vampires I've met"

Bill - "I've spend my entire life as a vampire apologizing"

Pam - "Guess this proves we're just as fucking retarded as they are"

Bill - "I told you, the first night we met: Vampires often turn on those they love the most"

Tara - "And you owe Pam"

Eric - "Pull over"
Jason - "Fuck, man!"
Eric - "Pleeease."

Sookie - "Fuuuck!"
Eric - "RUUN!"

Jason - "Sook, you are to tell all these fucking fangers to go back to hell where they came from"
Eric - *Laughs*.
Jason - "Something funny, fanger?"
Eric - "Yes, bloodbag"
Jason - "Leech"
Eric - "Breather"
Jason - "Dead fuck"
Eric - "Meat sack"

Sookie - "Bill, this isn't you" 
Bill - "What the fuck do you know about me? For all you know everything I did while with you was an act. Calculated to elicit a particular response"
Sookie - "I know that's not true"
Bill - "Why? Because the light you bear? Did you ever consider the possibility that it's a handicap? One that blinds you to the most obvious of truths? That you are an abomination. Just like the Vampire Bible states."

Cast

Starring Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman Chris Bauer as Andy Bellefleur Kristin Bauer van Straten as Pam Lauren Bowles as Holly Cleary Valentina Cervi as Salome Agrippa Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds Janina Gavankar as Luna Garza Lucy Griffiths as Nora Gainsborough Todd Lowe as Terry Bellefleur (credit only) Joe Manganiello as Alcide Herveaux Michael McMillian as Steve Newlin Denis O'Hare as Russell Edgington Carrie Preston as Arlene Fowler Bellefleur Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica Hamby

Guest Starring Robert Patrick as Jackson Herveaux Carolyn Hennesy as Rosalyn Harris Kristina Anapau as Maurella Kelly Overton as Rikki Patricia Bethune as Jane Bodehouse Dale Dickey as Martha Bozeman Louis Herthum as JD Carson Giles Matthey as Claude Crane Camilla Luddington as Claudette Crane Jeffrey Nicholas Brown as Corbett Stackhouse Jenni Blong as Michelle Stackhouse Brianna Brown as Leda David Wright as Authority Gate Guard Co-starring Suzanne Rico as Suzanne Rico Skyler Vallo as Chelsea Helen Sadler as Claudija Crane Jamie Gray Hyder as Danielle Marque Richardson as Kenneth Charlotta Mohlin as Authority Guard Captain Jason E. Kelley as AHQ Guard #1 Jessica Clark as Lilith (voice only)