Written by Angela Robinson
Directed by Michael Ruscio
Pam (to the shrink): “You humans just love pain, don’t ya? You just love being in it. You even consider it a virtue.”
Now, that is the Pamela Swinford de Beaufort I missed watching. Not the whiny one we’ve had for the last few episodes whose bitchiness has been more of a source of tedium but the one whose bitchiness is more a source of observation and amusement and she was certainly swinging in this episode.
Pam at a therapy session has been the best thing that has happened with the character this season and watching her challenging the patronising shrink who was trying to get into her mindset was wonderful. This is easily Pam’s best episode this season and the observation she made on humans indulging in their pain was neat to watch. I wonder what she makes of the phrase ‘tortured artist’.
Of course, while Pam thought she was being clever and besting the shrink in question, it didn’t stop Vampire Camp from outsmarting her and placing her in the position of having to fight Eric at the end of the episode. For all her bluster, I can’t see Pam ever trying to kill Eric and I certainly don’t think he would do the same to his own progeny either.
It was nicely stinging moment though for the pair of them, all brought together by Steve and Sarah being their treacherous selves and Burrell wanting his own payback for what happened to Willa as well. More to the point, Bill’s prophecies really have come to fruition considering that him and Warlow are the only vampires not at the camp at the moment.
However getting back to Eric – he wasn’t thinking straight this week. He let himself get captured in the hopes of having the upper hand on Burrell but twice in this episode, Eric was put in his place. He was shocked that Burrell turned on Willa and even more so that Pam was sent to fight him. It’s going to be interesting to see how he gets out of this one to be honest.
As for the rest of the vampires at camp – is anyone shocked by Steve being a turncoat? I thought his actions were pretty in character but it’s the scenes with Tara and Jessica and the new vampire lady that are intriguing him. I’m sensing an unholy alliance in the next episode if any of them stand a hope of getting out of that camp alive because honestly it really does look like someone is going to die in there pretty soon as well.
This was certainly not Jessica’s episode though. Her remorse over killing three of Andy’s fairy kids (one of them survived) saw her do something reckless with Bill and Sarah Newlin of all people got the upper hand when visiting Jason didn’t exactly go to plan either. I did like that Tara did her best to look out for Jessica though in the episode. Tara was pretty fantastic in this one throughout.
As for Warlow/Ben – of course Bill can control him. It did make sense given that Lilith is coursing through his veins but more to the point, Ben’s story kept getting interesting in this episode. His feelings for Sookie seem genuine enough and he wasn’t actually lying when he dropped that bombshell about Corbett and Michelle trying to kill her but Sookie would be a massive fool to be taken in so easily by him.
I loved the flashback scenes to Ben/Warlow’s turning as a vampire by Lilith and the interactions with him and Bill were brilliant to watch as well. I’m guessing if Bill can synthesise Warlow’s blood, he could be onto something with saving all vampires but again, do they deserve to be saved? Even Jessica was starting to have her doubts in this episode.
Also in “Fuck The Pain Away”
Where was Nora in this episode? We were at vampire camp for ages and I don’t think she was seen once.
Ben: “You are my intended. I wandered the Earth for millennia in misery and solitude waiting for you, dreaming only of you.”
Sookie: “Fuck you.”
Ben: “It’s our destiny to be together.”
Sookie: “Fuck destiny.”
It’s been three seasons since Lafayette can communicate with the dead and yet again, he got possessed by Corbett who ended the episode by trying to drown Sookie. Get some control already, Lafayette.
Sookie: “Oh, great, now you wanna save me too? I thought I was dead to you, Bill Compton.”
Bill (re Ben): “I didn’t come here for you. I came here for him.”
Pam (re experiments): “All in the name of science?”
Guard: “Shut up.”
Pam: “Care to explain the scientific value of this?”
Sarah Newlin has become quite the bunny boiler, wanting Burrell to get her pregnant and sleeping with Jason in this episode. How was she able to rescind Jessica’s invitation though?
Lilith (to Ben): “You are destined to save vampire kind.”
Sarah: “You’re a demon whore.”
Jessica: “Oh, you take that back.”
Terry wants to kill himself? Jesus, can the writers not come up with a better way of writing his character out of the show? As for the Sam/Nicole and Alcide/Jackson scenes – only meh can describe them.
Shrink: “What value do you place on my life?”
Pam: “None.”
Jessica: “Where are we?”
Tara: “We’re in hell.”
Jessica: “Thought so.”
Standout music: Peaches “Fuck The Pain Away” funnily enough.
Ben (to Corbett/Michelle): “I’m a prince. I’ll make Sookie a princess. It’s the way our tribe has done things since the beginning of time.”
Chronology: From where “At Last” left off and 3496 BC during the Warlow/Bilith scenes, which were also suitably homoerotic as well.
This season is halfway done and it’s arguably shaping up to being one of the best going. “Fuck The Pain Away” was hard not to enjoy as an episode (despite some boring subplots) and with that ending, I really want to see the next episode almost immediately.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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