‘True Blood’ Review: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”

‘True Blood’ season 5 reveals its ninth episode of the year, as the identities of the Obama-masked killers are revealed, while Eric tries to escape from the Vampire Authority compound and Terry faces off with Patrick in a battle to the death.

Last week’s ‘True Blood’ episode “Somebody That I Used to Know” saw Eric doubting the Vampire Authority’s newly reinvigorated religious fervor, while Sookie and Jason uncovered clues toward their parents’ murder, Hoyt was faced with a difficult choice and Sam found Luna in a strange position during their investigation.   So, what will the latest episode of ‘True Blood’ bring?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘True Blood’ season 5 episode 9 “Everybody Wants to Rule the World!”

We open on a news report of a recently-destroyed Tru Blood factory in Houston, as the newly-formed Vampire Authority watches.  After saying an awkward grace to Lilith, the group feeds upon a naked man strapped to their table.  Meanwhile Molly tries to leave the Vampire Authority, but finds herself blocked by the newly-input Level 1 Protocol.  She speeds back to her office, before being confronted by Eric, similarly looking for a way out.  Otherwise blocked, she assures that their best option to escape is a plan that might get him killed.

Over at Sookie’s, Lafayette once more pretends to summon spirits in an effort to communicate with Warlow, but fails.  The pair then catch up, including Tara’s continued avoidance, when suddenly Lafayette finds himself genuinely confronting the spirits.  Even Gran talks to him, saying she’s glad the faeries are looking after Sookie, and what she seeks is a box under the bed.

At the Bon Temps police station, Jessica does her best to explain that Hoyt isn’t really a member of the Obama-masked killers plaguing the town, even shrugging off Jason’s efforts to comfort her, given he shot her in the head recently.  Meanwhile, having recovered from her skin-walking episode, Luna resolves to join Sam in his efforts investigating the killers.  Elsewhere, Terry leaves to find Patrick, assuring Arlene that he has to find and fight his former C.O. in a fair fight to protect them.

Back at Fangtasia, Pam watches reports of the factories being destroyed, but prevents Tara from stockpiling Tru Blood in the interest of keeping their heads down politically.  Tara shows her sympathy or Pam’s concerns about Eric, but is quickly rebuffed.  And speaking of Eric, the Nordic vampire confronts Bill on his actions of late, but Bill asserts that it isn’t an act, and that he genuinely believes they received a vision from Lilith.  Reminding him of his soft spot for Sookie, let alone mainstreamers, Eric lays out his plan to use Salome’s blood to escape before the next day’s dawn, which Bill tacitly accepts.

Back at home, Sookie looks through old photographs, before happening upon a news article that reveals Bud Dearborne was the one to find Sookie and Jason’s parents dead.  Meanwhile, Jason assures Jessica that he’ll find out what’s happening while she goes to ground, before he and Andy happen upon a website that lays out the KKK-inspired plan to eliminate “supes.”  Like the KKK, they’ve taken to electing their leaders as “Dragons.”  Even after beating up the suspect they obtained last week, Jason and Andy don’t learn anything.

Elsewhere, Alcide drives toward Jackson, remembering his father first training he, Debbie and others about the value of the werewolf’s pack.  Similarly investigative, Sookie pays a visit to Bud Dearborne, gleaming from his thoughts that he’s hiding something, before being knocked out by the mistress we saw Bud with last week.  Andy faces a press junket outside the station, denying that the real Barack Obama has anything to do with the shootings, before rejecting the present Sam and Luna from helping any further, given the public isn’t yet aware of the existence of shifters.  Undeterred, Sam invites Luna to act as flies on the wall around the police station.  Meanwhile, Arlene arrives to open up Merlotte’s, only to find Patrick ushering her inside at gunpoint!

Sookie awakens to find herself in a pig barn, nearby to a delirious Hoyt.  Back at the police station, Andy and Jason re-watch the hate-group website, only to recognize the boots the leader wears as ones they gave to Bud Dearborne upon his retirement!  Two flies overhear the realization, as Bud confronts Sookie, apologetically offering that he couldn’t risk the secret being exposed, but its his mistress “Sweetie” that’s really the dragon calling the shots.  The duo feed Sooie an Oxy-laced ginger ale, as Sweetie assures Bud that he’s doing the right thing, and they’re re-shaping America in the interest of ridding it of supernaturals.  Sookie reads Sweetie’s mind to see that she was left by her man for a supernatural, but the woman quickly shrugs it off.  Back at his home, the police find Bud’s house empty, but Jason realizes that Bud’s ex-wife had a pig farm in a different location, explaining the pig droppings that Sam and Luna had mentioned smelling earlier.

Over at Merlotte’s, Terry arrives and disarms himself on Patrick’s wishes, before entering the restaurant.  After Patrick apologizes, and sends Terry to his knees with the intention of killing him, Arlene acts by stabbing Patrick with a hair pin, allowing her husband to get the drop on his former C.O. and train a gun to him.  Back at the V.A., Eric confronts Norah and attempts to dissuade her from her religious fervor, but to no avail.

Bill gets some female company of his own, bedding Salome once more, though Bill seems to hallucinate her presence as Lilith, and even Sookie from moment to moment.  Just as Bud and Sweetie prepare to toss Sookie to the hungry pigs, Sam shifts out of one of the hogs, and takes down the Obama-masked killers.  Luna chases after Sweetie, and beats her for every murder she’s committed, just as the cops show up and are forced to put down the former Sheriff Dearborne.  Jason rescues his sister, but Hoyt still seems to be in rough shape.

Meanwhile, back at Merlotte’s, Patrick pleads for is life while Arlene insists Terry kill him, and the spirit of Zafira bid he do the same.  Finally, Terry pulls the trigger, as Zafira unleashes the Ifrit to claim the body before departing.  Across town at Fangtasia, Tara seems to be running out of Tru Blood, when Pam confronts a vampire publicly feeding on Eric’s throne.  Rather then abjure, however, he knocks her across the room, announcing himself as the new sheriff of Area 5!

In the aftermath of the pig farm scene, Sam and Luna thank Andy, assuring he’s not the worst sheriff in the world, before departing to get Emma.  Oh, you mean the Emma that Russell and Steve Newlin just stole from the wolf pack, after feeding their blood to J.D. and the others?  Yup, that one!  Elsewhere, Alcide visits his father, claiming he’s nothing like him despite having been similarly cast out.

While the faeries visit Sookie and point out how the vampires are slowly taking over the world, Eric and Molly try desperately to sneak out of the Vampire Authority compound.  Just as Bill joins them however, he quickly turns and betrays them to Salome, claiming it’s “what God wants.”

Uh-oh!  There are only three episodes of 'True Blood' left this season, and things are certainly heating up now that the Obama-killers and Ifrit stories are wrapping up.  It's equally interesting to see Bill playing the part of a villain, but we'll see if there isn't some deus ex machina to save him by season's end.  In the meantime, we'll pour one out for Bud Dearborne.

Did you get your fill of fang-banging ‘True Blood’ action? What did you think about the episode? Join us next week for an all-new episode recap of ‘True Blood’ season 5 episode 10 “Gone, Gone, Gone” on HBO!