‘True Blood’ Season 5 Episode 2 Recap: Russell Edgington Reappears In 'Authority Always Wins'

"True Blood" continues to bring (bloody) drama to viewers with the second episode of season five. During last week's season premiere, Truebies watched as Sookie and Lafayette begged (the ever hilarious) Pam to turn a very dead Tara into a vampire. This week it seems like the decision to turn Tara (who was shot in the head while jumping in front of Debbie to protect Sookie) was a big mistake.

The second episode entitled "Authority Always Wins," finds a newly turned Tara attacking Sookie, while her maker, Pam, watches with amusement.

"She's your problem now. You owe me fairy," a Wal-Mart sweat suit clad Pam tells Sookie as she drags a hungry Tara off her. Pam seems to have a heart though and tells Tara, "As your Maker I command you not to kill these two humans...comprende?"

While Sookie and Lafayette are figuring out what to do with a psychotic Tara, Bill and Eric come face to face with the Vampire Authority. While the Authority has been talked about, this is the first chance that Truebies have been able to see inside the vampire's government/judicial type organization.

As Bill, Eric and Nora are locked in cells for questioning; one wrong answer from Bill shows what the Authority is capable of. The lights in the cells go out, only for a blinding UV light to turn on, burning the vampire prisoner's flesh.

Jumping on the Bon Temp problem wagon, Alcide and Sam watch as the freshly exhumed body of werewolf pack leader Marcus is devoured by his mother in wolf form. Turns out killing the pack master automatically makes you the new pack master (doesn't exactly make sense, but I guess anything goes in a world of supernatural beings), and werewolf law require the new leader to eat the old. Alcide didn't kill Marcus with the intentions of becoming pack master though, and like any sane person, refuses to make Marucs' decaying body his second dinner.  

Speaking of sane people...Terry isn't one of them. Last season the spirit of Renee warned Arlene that her, and the kids weren't safe with her new husband. Although Terry, a war veteran, can act a little odd at times, the man never seemed dangerous...until now. Having flashbacks of his time in combat, a sleepwalking Terry stands over a frightened Arlene who can only snap him out of it with a swift slap in the face.

Terry has another flashback at Merlottes, causing him to push Arlene across the kitchen. It's the last straw for Arlene, who turns to his visiting war buddy Patrick for help. Arlene doesn't get much out of him though before Terry shows up at Patrick's door. As an upset Arlene leaves, Terry and Patrick have a one-on-one about an old war pal who might have gone off the deep end.

"True Blood" viewers get another flashback when Pam reminisces on her past as a human brothel madam. It's in a second flashback that Truebies get to see when Pam met her maker, Eric. Pushed up against a wall by a man with a knife, Pam is "rescued" by Eric, who slits the man's throat with his bare hands. "That is a lovely dress. I'm sorry about all the blood," he tells her, handing her some coins before zipping off at vampire speed.

With all the blood, guts and decaying body eating in the episode, it's shocking when viewers get to see a softer side of characters. Marcus' mother appears at a wounded Sam and Luna's door to see her granddaughter. "She's all I got left," she tells Luna of her daughter Emma, whose father is the deceased Marcus. Viewers even witness Marcus' mother telling Sam that she is sorry, a phrase that seems to be spit out a lot in Bon Temps. The conversation, which is already strained, becomes worse when the talk of Emma turning into a werewolf or shifter is brought up. While Sam realizes that nothing can be done to prevent Emma from turning into a werewolf, her mother has different feelings. Sam encourages Luna to stay on the good side of the pack for Emma's sake, but Luna disagrees. "So she can be a cannibal, run around with idiots and criminals?" she asks Sam angrily. Unfortunately for Luna, she'll discover later in the episode that Emma was meant to turn into a werewolf.

While Luna and Sam are fighting, Jason and Andy are in their squad car discussing Andy's latest romp, or more like problems with his latest romp. Turning to Bon Temps ladies man for help, Andy asks Jason if he did something wrong since he hadn't heard from Holly since their wild night (that was interrupted the next day by her sons). "That means you did something right," Jason tells Andy of not hearing back from his new woman. Doesn't exactly make sense to me, but hey, Jason seems to have a lot of experience. His experience is later confirmed when he's accused by a kid of causing his parents to divorce. When asked by Andy if he has slept with every woman in town, Jason replies, "I don't know. I'm close I guess."

Their conversation is cut short when they come across an abandoned vehicle that was called in. Unfortunately for Sookie, it belongs to Debbie, the woman who killed Tara, and who Sookie soon after shot in the head. Sookie has her hands full with vampire Tara, but as everyone knows, nothing stays buried.

Although Debbie's "V" ridden abandoned car is Jason's new problem, a former problem (and maybe still current problem) is making the rounds on TV. Steve Newlin, former Reverend of the Fellowship of the Sun, an anti-vampire religious organization, has decided to come out on TV as a newly turned vampire, telling viewers that Jesus loves vampires too. "I only just found God's true light in the darkness...We're God's creatures just like you."

Sookie catches a glimpse of vampire Steve Newlin on the TV when she goes to find weapons to protect herself against lunatic vampire Tara. The best line of the episode comes from the employee of the gun store who shows her a silver mist gadget that could help protect her. "Knock, Knock. Who's there? It's me a vampire."

Lafayette is past the protection phase though and is about to stake a sleeping Tara, but is stopped when Sookie hears his thoughts.

As Sookie and Lafayette continue to deal with their Tara problems, viewers are brought back to the Authority where Bill is being interrogated. It's then that we learn some vampire facts. Turns out that "vampires were created in God's image," and Adam and Eve were created to nourish vampires. Who would have thought?

We once again get a peak at what the Authority is capable of when they question Eric and Bill, injecting both vampires with silver through an IV when they give a wrong answer.

Inside the Authority, viewers are finally introduced to Roman ("Law & Order: SVU's" Christopher Meloni), who seems to be pretty ticked that Eric and Bill killed Nan. The council debates over the fate of Eric and Bill. As Roman picks up a stake, insinuating that the pair will receive the "true death," Bill and Eric offer an exchange for their lives...Russell Edgington. "Russell wants nothing more than anarchy," Bill explains to the Authority. Fortunately for Bill and Eric, the Authority seems to be willing to let them capture Russell Edgington.

So where exactly is Russell Edgington? As the episode comes to a close, we see the former vampire King in rough shape, cracked, dry and hungry from a stint of being buried in concrete...but already on the mend.

What do you think of the second episode of "True Blood?"