If the beginning of the season seemed to drag, the last two episodes have more than made up for the slow start. Tonight’s offering was packed with plot, including the rather rushed destruction of the Fellowship. Sookie and Eric run afoul of Fellowship officials, preparing for their big sinister slumber party. Despite Eric’s marvelous attempt to impersonate a believer, he and Sookie get grabbed. (Eric does refrain from killing at Sookie’s request; could this be love?) They bond and banter while the Christians get to work torturing Eric.

Outside, Jason peels himself off the ground, relieved that Sarah’s bullets were of the paintball variety. Upon learning that his sister is in jeopardy, Jason turns soldier-boy and goes after her. Here Ryan Kwanten demonstrates his wonderful comedic talent in attacking the Fellowship. “It’s like he sucked out my brain and planted all his little babies in there,” Jason laments re: Pastor Steve. Though Bill finally makes an entrance—having succeeded in shaking Lorena and ruining Jessica and Hoyt’s first time—the real heroics belong to Jason who paintballs the bad guys and saves the day. Mostly. Some angry Texan vamps show up looking for human soul food, but Godric stops the feeding frenzy. It turns out the fanatics aren’t so fanatical when it comes to their own deaths. Both vamps and humans stand down with little in the way of bloody fun. Overall, the death of the Fellowship feels fuzzy but fun. Before leaving, Jason tactfully confesses his affair with Steve’s wife: “I reckon I’ve already been to Heaven. It was in your …” Yeah, you can guess where that’s going.

While the rest of the gang heads to Godric’s for the After Party, Hoyt and Jessica enjoy some alone time back in Bon Temps. “We’re gonna do it every single night,” Jessica decrees. Ah, young, semi-innocent love. But the sweetness takes a cruel turn; apparently everything on a vampire heals, even the parts that, once broken, should really stay that way.  A brilliant if brutal twist for this story, Jessica’s sexual tragedy is made real through Deborah Ann Woll’s moving performance as a child turned killer.

Love comes with all sorts of disappointments in tonight’s ep. At Merlotte’s, Sam discovers Daphne’s dead and bloodied body in the freezer and opts to cover it up rather than report the crime. Isn’t that more of a Jason Stackhouse move, guys? Unfortunately for Sam, the police show up. Suspicious at finding a second dead woman missing a heart on his property, the cops take him in.

Speaking of Daphne, her true if unknowing killer, the mysterious Eggs, seeks out Tara for some kindness and understanding. In an uncharacteristic but welcome move, Tara takes charge and attempts to comfort. Of course, Maryann puts a damper on the learning and growing by feeding Tara and Eggs a surprise snack in the form of Daphne’s missing heart.  After dinner they get … well, romantic is probably an overstatement. They punch each other demon-eyed and have angry sex on the living room rug. While it’s nice to see the season’s villain getting her evil on, I’m afraid we’re still lost on her motives, Mr. Ball.

Love and togetherness is the theme in Dallas, too. One benefit of grouping all your characters in a small space is the opportunity to see some unique pairings. After forging an uneasy armistice with Eric, Jason saves Bill from Sookie’s questions by offering a private and emotional apology for his actions. From Bill’s response, I think he would have preferred Sookie’s interrogation.

While Bill and Jason are bonding, Godric gets philosophical on Eric. He suggests that treating humans as equals is the only road to peace between the species. It’s all friendly fun until Lorena crashes the party. Radiant in floor-length red, Lorena introduces herself as Bill’s maker. Sookie, angelic in all-white, stands up for her man, but Lorena gets fangy and goes for Sookie’s throat. Fortunately for Sookie, Godric intercedes. Apparently he’s serious about this whole human-vampire peace thing.

Of course, not everyone espouses the love and harmony philosophy. In the episode’s final moments, Luke arrives at Godric’s in his suicide-bomber best. Next week should find our friends sifting through the wreckage.  

Quote of the day: Jason, upon hugging Bill in apology: “Was that okay for you?”