First big spoiler for season #5 of True Blood (don't click here if you don't want to know)

[LynneSin]

http://www.tvline.com/2011/09/rutina-wesley-tara-finale-spoiler/

True Blood Scoop: Rutina Wesley Will Be Back For Season 5… But In What Form?

And Rutina Wesley thought getting kidnapped and duct taped to a toilet by a crazed vampire sucked. In the closing minutes of Sunday’s True Blood finale, the actress’ seemingly cursed alter ego, Tara, jumped in front of a bullet intended for her BFF Sookie and got her brains blown out. Literally.
“I have to say it was actually kind of cool having my brains blown out,” confesses Wesley with a laugh. “All of the special effects and everything… It was cool.”
If she sounds surprisingly chipper for someone who just lost her job on one of TV’s most successful shows, it’s probably because well… she didn’t actually lose her job. In the following Q&A with TVLine, Wesley confirms that she will be back for True Blood‘s fifth season — but that’s only half the story.

[siligut]

1. Wow, LynneSin, thank you

Tara getting shot in the head is a serious cliffhanger. But having Sookie call out for someone to help pretty much guarantees Bill or Eric is going to show up. I now dare hope S5 will give us bad-ass vampire Tara. With Rutina Wesley's physical prowess and Tara's aggression, vampire Tara would be quite entertaining.

[Chan790]

2. Well, that's disappointing.

I don't think I could deal with Tara being any sort of supe though.

Maybe she could linger in a coma :shrug: all season, then towards the end of the season she could start to make signals of coming out of the coma...then die unexpectedly. That's about par for the course for the masochism directed at Tara from one season to the next by the TB staff writers.

Or...this is just off the top of my head, Jesus described being dead without La-La as "temporary", I (and I think the rest of the fans) assumed that was an allusion to Lafayette dying some day and them being together in the everafter...but what if it foreshadowed that Jesus knows what's about to happen (or was happening at that very moment) and can save Tara from the other side...but she becomes a vessel for both consciousnesses. Jesus/Tara two minds in one body...most casual observers would just assume she'd taken after her mom and gone bonkers. What would that do to Lafayette?

What I wonder now as a refrigerator question is this: Does Lafayette retain the demon power that Marnie took from Jesus...that could be interesting as he has no idea how to control it...and as a medium, he is at-risk of hostile takeover.

[siligut]

3. Hopefully Lala will learn how to shield himself

That is what spiritual people do, he was new to medium-ship and hadn't learned to protect himself, but I bet Holly will be helpful and teach him to set up guard. I want Tara to become a vampire so she will have some personal power, then she won't be a punching bag any more, as I agree, it was hard watching her flounder.

[siligut]

4. More S4E12 spoilers, so don't read if you haven't watched it yet

How great is it that Reverend Steve Newlin is now a vampire? It again, show cases Alan Ball's complete lack of respect for organized religion. And Michael McMillian is such campy fun, he is going to be a riot.

[LynneSin]

5. I think Alan Ball has always equated the Vampires with the plights of the GLBT community

First he has one of the most Gay-Friendly shows on TV - they are always winning a slew of GLAAD media awards each year.

Alan Ball was raised in the south so that was some of the reasons why he was inspired to make a TV show out of the Sookie Stackhouse series (although Ball is from Atlanta). You see alot of the plights of Gays in America today as you watch the way the fundies treat the Vampires on the show.

To see Steve Newlin become a vampire is just precious. Personally, I always thought Newlin was a closeted homosexual and I don't think it he was upset that his wife had sex with Jason but that his wife had Jason before he could. I think organized Fundamental religions are going to be lamblasted big time in season #5 and I know I will enjoy it.

[siligut]

6. I think you are right about equating vampire rights with gays rights

And Mark Blankenship agrees with your assessment of Steve's sexuality too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-blankenship/true-blood-finale-recap_b_957860.html "And speaking of the Fellowship of the Sun... after Jessica leaves, Reverend Steve Newlin shows up at Jason's door. There's a moment where Steve is clearly delighted to see that Jason's naked -- I knew it! -- but it quickly gives way to Steve's fangs. Yep! The anti-vampire preacher is now a fanger."