Tara Mae Thornton has been Sookie Stackhouse's best friend since childhood. Tara is the daughter of Lettie Mae Thornton and the cousin of Lafayette Reynolds. Tara is a strong-willed person who has had to deal with a multitude of abuses in her life. She currently works as a professional cage fighter in New Orleans.

Contents 1 Personality 2 History 3 Before Season 1 4 Season 1 5 Season 2 6 Season 3 7 Season 4 8 Quotes 9 Image Gallery 10 Notes

PersonalityEdit

According to Alan Ball, Tara is the smartest person in Bon Temps, but her cynical nature, born of her abusive background, has made her extremely blunt and often confrontational with others. She is however, fiercely protective of her loved ones (including her best friend Sookie) to a fault, often hating those whom she sees could cause harm to them, including vampires.

History Edit

Before Season 1Edit

Tara's home life has been less than perfect. As a child, she would often stay at Sookie's grandmother's house in order to escape her abusive, alcoholic mother, Lettie Mae. As an adult, Tara finds herself taking care of drunken Lettie Mae on a regular basis.

Season 1 Edit

Tara first appeared working at a local store dealing with a customer and that was the first example of her cynical manners to other people. Later that was confirmed by Sookie who told her that she could stay on a job if she could keep her mouth shut. Tara also shows some kind of attraction towards Jason and a strong protection for her childhood friend Sookie who recently met Bill who is a vampire and that alerts her. That same night Tara eventually got a job at Merlotte's for helping them.("Strange Love") The next night she kept company to Sookie when Bill came to the house after gran's request to meet him and learn more about the history of Bon Temps.

She still has an affection for Jason who is unaware of this but still Tara doesn't express it openly. ("The First Taste") The next day after closing the bar Tara and Sam had a conversation about their life, which ended with them having sex after Tara's suggest which Sam accpeted after she told him it would be something friendly. The following morning on her return to home her drunken mother threw an empty bottle of whiskey on her head and that made her leave the house once and for all to go stay with Lafayette Reynolds. However she soon discovered that her cousin owned hidden cameras. ("Mine")

When she learnt Jason was kept by police for the murders of local women she rushed to save him making up a story and convinced the cops to leave him free. The same night on the bar she finds an erected Jason to the fridge and then decides to help him cure taking him to a hospital. Afterwards in the car she remembers the days when the two were young and how Jason was protective and brave.("Escape from Dragon House") Following the next night she attended Descendants of the Glorious Dead meeting where Jason expressed his love for her, something which she didn't believed. That was later confirmed when she found an ecstatic Jason having sex with a girl on the backyard of Merlotte's bar.("Sparks Fly Out")

The next day and after gran's death Tara comforts Sookie and eventually throws out of the room the enraged Jason who accuses his sister. On the funeral she meets with her mother again who asks for money because of an exorcism she wants to do. Tara leaves her cold and returns to the motel.("Cold Ground") However the next morning she visits her mother and she is further convinced to give her money for the ritual noticing the bad situation in which Lettie Mae is. The following night, both of them visit the Miss Jeanette, the woman who will help Tara's mother. Shortly afterwards Miss Jeannette tells Tara she also has a demon inside her, even more powerful than the one of Lettie Mae. Tara leaves indifferent showing no belief.("Burning House of Love")

Next day she has an even more change in her attitute towards others and having confrontations with her close friends and cousin Lafayette. Thus she decides to meet Miss Jeanette and ask her about any detail on her demon.("Fourth Man in the Fire") Somehow she is not fully convinced for this and leaves. She later meets Sam and tells him about the demon. Eventually she finds the money she needed hidden on envelope. She declined this offer by Sam but later on accepted.("Plaisir D'Amour") After the job she visits Miss Jeanette. On the process of the ritual she sees an image of her own self as kid with black void eyes. Jeanette tells her that this is her sick soul and must kill it with the knife. Tara does so and the blood is covered in blood. Thus she believes that was a true ritual and she feels comfort. The next morning she visits her mother to tell her everything is fine. Both of them start a new beginning. Later, while on the road with a dizzy Lettie Mae, she stops at a local pharmacy to buy her mother some medicine. There she meets a disguised Jeanette something that proved all the ritual fake. That enraged Tara and later on that night she again lost control by drinking and confronting with Sam. She leaves with the car, desperate and while drinking she saw a woman with a pig. Trying to avoid her she crushed on a tree.("I Don't Wanna Know")

Later on she is arrested by Kenya for driving while drunk. Later, her mother denies any help as this would not help her at all. Tara is frustrated and tells Lettie Mae to leave. While on the cage, Kenya informs Tara that a lady paid the bail to get her free. That woman is named Maryann and is some kind of social worker and offers help to people like her. Tara with no option accepts Maryann's offer and goes to her home.("To Love Is to Bury") The next morning she takes breakfast with Maryann and asks her about her job and why she does this. She eventually meets Eggs Talley shorlty afterwards. The same night, upon learning Sookie was attacked by Rene, goes to see her and comfort her. She also meets with Sam and tells him that she like him worths a lot and leaves with Maryann. Later that night at Merlotte's she with Sookie and Andy discover the dead body of Miss Jeanette on Andy's car ("You'll Be the Death of Me")

Season 2 Edit

Tara stays at Maryann's temporary home for about a month. Then Tara moves in to Sookie's house until she can get fully squared away with her problems. When the real owner of the estate comes back from Peru, Maryann leaves the estate and convinces Tara to let her stay at Sookie's house.

A few days later Tara and Eggs are sent on a two hour drive to a nearby town to pick up a part for the house's broken water heater. On the way there, Eggs somehow knows what is coming around the next turn and he tells Tara to stop the car so he can investigate. They enter the woods and keep going for about a mile. They see a small area where large rocks are arranged in a circle. Eggs begins to freak out knowing he's been there but having no recollection of actually being there.

He soon notices blood covering some of the rocks. (He was most likely there during one of Maryann's orgy parties.) They soon leave the area.

The following night, Tara and Eggs return to the Stackhouse residence and discover the house littered with trash and a trail of clothes. They follow the trail which leads them to an orgy being hosted by none other than Maryann. Tara appears interested at Maryann's vibrating and dancing before both her and Eggs are taken under her control. When Sam is brought with the help of Daphne, Tara convinces him to just 'give in' to Maryann's influence before joining the crowd in dancing wildly.("Hard-Hearted Hannah") The following day, Tara and Eggs regain consciousness on the couch and have no memory of what took place last night, except for finding the trail of clothes. While they're watching a movie, Maryann returns to Sookie's house with bloody feet and a dead rabbit. She asks Maryann about the mess and tells her that she cannot do whatever she wants in Sookie's house but Maryann distracts her with her compliments.

Now at Merlottes', Arlene interrupts Tara and Eggs kissing and they retreat to the bathroom to talk in private, only to find Lafayette putting on his makeup. After he leaves, Arlene informs Tara that she blacked out and has no memory of last night (also theorizing that she raped Terry, her boyfriend) and Tara realizes that she also cannot remember what happened. Andy comes in, with a broken arm and a fury that he's saving for Terry, and shouts at the bar patrons, knowing that he saw them last night and that they turned Bon Temps into "Orgy from Hell" before leaving. The bar patrons laugh at his seeming-to-be crazy action although Sam is the only one that knows that Andy is telling the truth.("Release Me")

Tara remains at Merlottes with Lafayette who is predicting her future with cards. Eggs abruptly comes in, shaken and worried. He informs her that he blacked out again (this is because Maryann takes Eggs under her control so she could use him to kill Daphne and cut out her heart). Tara takes Eggs home while Lafayette remains suspicious of Eggs.

In an attempt to make Eggs feel better, Maryann makes a hunter souflee (a dish with the main ingredient being Daphne's heart) for them. Eggs and Tara eagerly inhale the delicious meal before Maryann begins using her influence on them again, causing one another to mercilessly and delightfully slap and punch each other.("Timebomb")

Tara and Eggs, with multiple bruises, enter Merlottes and Lafayette instantly notices his cousin's bruises. He automatically blames Eggs when Tara says she cannot remember (which she can't) though Lafayette isn't buying it. Lafayette are about to engage in a fight but Tara leaves with Eggs. Eggs, Tara, and Maryann are then playing a no-rule game of poker when Lafayette and Lettie Mae interrupt. They demand for Tara to come with them but Tara refuses. Maryann then takes control of Tara again and while she is fighting her mother, Lafayette is fighting Eggs. Seizing the opportunity, Lafayette grabs Tara and stuffs his screaming cousin into his car before him and his aunt take Tara to his house.("I Will Rise Up")

Tara begins to chant the words Maryann was thinking and saying earlier in Season 2 which annoys Lafayette enough to slap his cousin. Lettie Mae and Lafayette blame themselves for Tara's involvement with Maryann's powers before Lafayette calls Sookie, who is back in Bon Temps and in her house to find Tara, to come to his house to help Tara. Both her and Bill leave, though not before confronting Maryann who has claimed Sookie's house as her own.

Sookie and Bill arrive at Lafayette's house and they use their combined powers to release Tara from Maryann's supernatural influence. Sookie also sees the recent chain of events Tara engaged in while Sookie was in Dallas. Tara, now free from Maryann's powers, cries for her mother and embraces both Lafayette and her mother before realizing that Eggs is still in danger. When she attempts to make a run for it, Lafayette stops her.("New World in My View")

Tara tactfully uses her mother's faith in Jesus to her advantage and is able to leave for Eggs. When she arrives at Sookie's house, she finds Eggs still under Maryann's influence and tries to convince him to leave with her, although Eggs appears confused. Maryann then confronts Tara and tells her that she summoned her to Bon Temps by Miss Jeanette's ritual. This ritual, though not meant to be real, actually called the maenad to the town. Tara, resenting Maryann's kindness and pleading for Eggs and her release, annoys Maryann to the point where she'll simply regain control over her. This proves to be unsuccessful since Tara is concentrated on her and prevents her influence from possessing her. This, however, doesn't last long when Maryann punches Tara which breaks her focus and she is under her control again. That same night, Sookie returns to her house to search for Tara and finds both Tara and Eggs decorating a nest with an ostrich egg in the center. Sookie screams upon seeing Lafayette also under Maryann's control. ("Frenzy")

Tara appears to be a bridesmaid for Maryann along with Arlene and Jane Bodehouse. Tara also places the ostrich egg into the space on the statue of meat. When Sookie destroys both the egg and knocks over the statue, Maryann begins vibrating again and is mentally hurting the possessed Bon Temps residents before the angered maenad chases Sookie into the woods. Once Maryann is killed by the plan Sam and Bill orchestrated, everyone is no longer under Maryann's control. Tara tries to calm down a confused and scared Eggs, who's hands are bloody. Tara apologizes for allowing Maryann to move in and tells Sookie of her reasons but Sookie assures her that they're family.

The next day, the bar patrons are talking about their suspicions of last night but everything else seems to go back to normal. Later that night, Eggs confronts Andy with a murder weapon (a large hunting knife that's the same one he used on Miss Jeanette, Daphne Landry, and Sam Merlotte). He received this information with the help of Sookie's telepathy. Eggs begins getting violent and Jason fires his gun, fatally shooting Eggs in the head. The gunshot is heard and the bar patrons, along with Tara, go out to see the commotion. Tara instantly breaks down at the sight of Eggs and begins crying and shouting in denial. ("Beyond Here Lies Nothin'")

Season 3 Edit

After Eggs Talley is accidentally killed by Jason Stackhouse after Maryann's death, Tara becomes increasingly distraught and depressed. After finding out that Sookie used her telepathy to help Eggs remember what he did during the blackouts that Maryann caused, Tara was at a point close to choking Sookie with her bare hands. Only by Lafayette's interference, Tara was prevented from killing her best friend. After Lattie Mae invited a preacher to console Tara during her ordeal, Tara excused herself to take a shower.

However, while Lattie Mae was distracted, Tara proceeded to swallow several bottles of pills in a attempt to commit suicide. Soon, Tara gets involved in a love affair with vampire Franklin Mott.

He saved her from two rednecks in Merlotte's parking lot and the two have sex. ("It Hurts Me Too") Franklin glamours her for information about Sookie and then takes her to Jackson, Mississippi and keeps her hostage in the King's mansion. ("9 Crimes") Tara escapes by bludgeoning Franklin's head with a mace. ("I Got a Right to Sing the Blues") Tara and Sookie escape the mansion together but split up so Sookie can find Bill and Tara can find a car. While she's trying to find a way to get off of the property, she meets Alcide for the first time. ("I Got a Right to Sing the Blues")

She and Alcide get his truck and find Sookie in the "slave quarters". Tara thinks Bill is officially dead but Sookie explains that he would look like Lorena (who was a puddle of goo at that point). Tara is disgusted by what she sees while Sookie starts to removed the silver manacles and chains from Bill.

Debbie Pelt walks in with a hand gun and points it at Alcide. Alcide tries to talk Debbie down but fails after Sookie calls her a bitch. Tara speaks to Sookie telepathically and tells her to do something to distract Debbie. Sookie says no at first but Tara encourages her and Sookie screams. Debbie becomes distracted and Tara attacks her and slams her against a wall, because Tara drank so much vampire blood her stamina and strength were enhanced. Alcide grabs the gun just as Cooter comes in.

Coot makes a move towards Alcide but Alcide shoots him in the chest. Coot then tries to morph into his wolf form but Alcide shoots him in the head.

After Alcide locks Debbie in the shack, Tara and Sookie roll Bill up and carry him out to the truck. Sookie stays with Bill in the back while Tara and Alcide get into the front. As they are leaving, Alcide runs over another wolf. Tara is surprised by this. After they get out and are a ways away from the mansion, Alcide tells Tara to breath. Eventually they pull over so Alcide can relieve himself and Tara checks on Sookie. Sookie never answers to Tara's bangs on the back door of the truck.

Tara opens the back of the truck and is shocked to see that Sookie is unconscious and bleeding. Tara kicks Bill out of the truck and she cradles Sookie while Alcide closes the door and drives off without Bill.

Tara and Alcide wait in the waiting room of the hospital and eventually are told by a doctor that Sookie is in a coma and does not have a blood-type. Tara calls Jason to tell him about Sookie and then she and Alcide wait in Sookie's room. When Jason and Lafayette arrive, Tara tells them that Sookie was attacked by Bill and that she has no blood-type. Eventually Bill arrives at the hospital and Tara is livid and shocked.

When Jason decides to let Bill give Sookie his blood, Tara objects but Jason tells her that it is his decision. After a while, Tara falls asleep against Jason while they wait for Sookie to wake up. ("Hitting the Ground")

After Sookie recovers, Lafayette takes care of Tara and asks her is she still has suicidal tendencies. Tara reveals that she has never realized how much she wants to live. She remains troubled after her experience with Franklin and argues with Sookie about Bill. Back at Merlotte's, she spills a bottle of Tru Blood which triggers a memory of Franklin. Sam finds her crying and hugs her, and warns Tommy not to approach Tara. ("Night on the Sun")

Tara then finds comfort in Sam Merlotte again. He reveals to her that he is a shapeshifter. He then tells her that there are ways of escaping your life. She then proceeds to leave but not after seeing her mother, seeing Sookie and cutting off all her hair. ("Evil is Going On")

Season 4Edit

In the season premiere it is revealed that Tara is residing in New Orleans under the pseudonym 'Toni' and making a living as a mixed martial artist. She appears to be a proficient fighter with solid stand up and ground skills, submitting her opponent (later revealed to be her girlfriend, Naomi). The next morning while in bed with Naomi, Tara receives a text from Lafayette saying Sookie is home. Tara lies to Naomi, saying her grandmother has passed away. She returns to Bon Temps on this premise in the next episode.("She's Not There")

Sookie heads home, and experiences a horrifying flashback of being chased by faeries, but snaps back to reality and realizes that it's just Tara running up to her. They hug, and Tara joins her as she moves to head inside. Sookie is angry to see a red bow accompanied by a note that says, "Out with the old" on her front door. Tara thinks that it's from Bill at first, but Sookie assures her that shes no longer with him, explaining that it's from Eric.

Tara heads over to greet Lafayette, just as he and Jesus are heading off to a Wiccan gathering. After joking around for a bit, Lafayette convinces Tara, who can't believe her cousin is a Wiccan now, to join them at the coven meeting. After a spell cast on Eric, he loses his memory and leaves the building. ("You Smell Like Dinner")

Marnie awakens but is still not sure what happened. Lafayette informs the group that they need to somehow make amends, because Eric is a bad you know what that will stop at nothing to kill them all for what they have done. Basing their arguments on freedom of religion, the coven decides they need to fight back. Tara is naturally upset that only a couple of days in Bon Temps and already is attacked by a vamp. She does urge Lafayette to stay away from Fangtasia, but of course he goes and is attacked by Pam. Luckily Tara and Jesus make it just in time, and Pam gives them 24 hours to make things right or else. ("If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin'?")

Marnie has a dream about a 17th century witch being burnt at the stake. She wakes tormented, her eyes aflame as before. Jesus, Lafayette and Tara are still begging her to reverse the memory loss spell she cast on Eric. She claims she has tried, but had no luck. Frustrated that they cannot find the proper incantation, a book mysteriously flies off a shelf and lands on the shop floor. Marnie picks up the book and realizes it contains a spell that should reverse the curse. With the spellbook in hand, Marnie attempts to reverse the spell. Outdoors in a circle, Marnie, Pam, Lafayette and Tara stand. Marnie begins to chant, while Pam continues to complain and threaten. Suddenly, Marnie drops her spellbook and gets a strange look on her face. She starts chanting again in Spanish. Pam's facial skin begins to burn. She lifts her hand and touches her cheek, a chunk of skin coming off. ("I'm Alive and on Fire")

Jesus says that his grandfather, a brujo is a very powerful man and can help them. Tara says she is leaving for New Orleans, and hugs Lafayette goodbye. Jesus tells Lafayette a story about his grandfather and a pet goat he had as a child, and was forced to kill. Tara calls Naomi and is questioned on who "Tara Thornton" is, since she always used the alias "Toni".("Me and the Devil")

Naomi comes to Bon Temps, Louisiana in search of Tara and finds her at Lafayette's home. She is angry at first, but after an explanation from Tara on her true identity, she aggressively tackles her to the ground, where the two begin to make out. Later, Tara brings Naomi to Merlottes. In the parking lot, as they are getting ready to leave, an angry, rotting Pam surprises them. ("I Wish I Was the Moon")

After gaining full control over Marnie's body, Antonia Gavilán comes across Tara, who she convinces to join her coven. After Tara recruits the local witches to join Antonia's cult, they set forth with casting a spell to call all vampires into the sun. ("Cold Grey Light of Dawn")

At Moon Goddess Emporium, when the dust settles Marnie/Antonia is totally pissed that only one vampire died. She wants to snuff the vampires out for good. Tara is agreeing with her she wants to see the vampires gone as well. The phone rings and it is Bill he wants to talk to Antonia. In an effort to resolve the situation, Bill asks Marnie/Antonia to a meeting. They will meet at thecemetery in Bon Temps at midnight. During the fight, Pam catches Tara and is about to kill her when Bill comes and tells Pam he commands her not to touch Tara now and forever. ("Spellbound")

Back at the Moon Goddess Emporium, the coven yells at Antonia because she brought Eric back with them. She tells them he is under her control. Tara is angry at her for rejecting Bill's peace offering and causing needless violence. Antonia tries to make them hold hands and make a protection spell. When they refuse, she plots her next move against the vampires and orders the others not to leave. Tara and Holly have misgivings. ("Let's Get Out of Here")

Casey and the other Witches discus how many bars they to call someone- No one has any bars-Meanwhile,Tara and Holly are hatching a plan to undo Antonia’s spell. Martonia then barges in and the Witches say that she can't keep them prisoners. ara and Holly are chanting and breaking the protection spell. Tara and Holly runs outside to Sookie and Lafayette, then Marnie make them all disappear. Jason is now alone outside Moon Goddess. ("Burning Down the House")

Tara is trapped in the Moon Goddess Emporium and when Martonia casts a spell that tries to burn Sookie, Tara is blown back against the wall, unable to help. Jesus eventually breaks the spell using his Brujo magic. Tara and the rest are freed after Bill kills Marnie. ("Soul of Fire")

Tara is shocked to find Jesus stabbed to death in Lafayette's home. She runs to Sookie and tells her that Marnie is back. They discover Bill and Eric burning at the stake. Together, her, Sookie and Holly begin to chant. The spirits of past render aid and Antonia returns to take Marnie to the afterlife. Later, Sookie arrives home and discovers Debbie Pelt wielding a shotgun. Tara runs in and pushes Sookie away from danger, taking the shot intending for her best friend. The blast hits Tara in the back of the head. Sookie kills Debbie then runs to hold Tara. ("And When I Die")

QuotesEdit

Tara: Don't you feel sorry for yellin' at that snoopy old bitch. She's been stickin' her nose where it don't belong for years.

Tara: It's been a while Since I been attacked by a vampire. And Guess what? It still Sucks!!

Tara: I'd like to drag her in a cage and beat her ass good.

Image GalleryEdit

Notes Edit

• Tara is portrayed by actress Rutina Wesley. While actress Brook Kerr was actually the first choice to portray Tara, she was replaced immediately after the pilot episode.