Our True Blood season 7, episode 4 recap breaks down the events of tonight’s story, titled “Death Is Not The End.”

We begin True Blood season 7, episode 4 in Jackson, Mississippi where Alcide’s father receives a phone call from Sookie informing him that his son is dead. He tells Sookie that Alcide “loved the fuck” out of her. Meanwhile, Jason calls Hoyt (he’s back! Kind of), who’s now in Alaska, to break the news that his mother is dead. Hoyt can’t remember Jason because Jessica glamoured him at the end of season 5.

For the kids

Sookie pays a visit to Arelene’s kids and promises them that they’re working as hard as they can to find Mom. Sookie then visits Holly who’s recovering from her nightmare experience with the H-Vamps. She lost a lot of her memory of what’s happened recently, so Sookie dives into her mind on her behalf.

The horrible memories make Holly resistant to continuing to recall what happened, but they’re able to dig enough to realize the H-Vamps and Arlene are at Fangtasia. (Side note: With Eric and Pam back in town, it probably wouldn’t have been long until the H-Vamps’ presence at Fangtasia was discovered whether or not Sookie put Holly through the traumatic process.)

The night of the H-Vamps take down arrives. Bill, Jason, Sookie, Sam, Jessica, and a small group of others are gearing up for the fight when Eric and Pam knock on Mr. Compton’s door. In a private conversation, Sookie tells Eric about Alcide’s death. After questioning her judgement he offers his condolences – and pets her neck. Their moment is disrupted by Willa, who demands an explanation for his recent departure.

Eric and Pam decide to help Bill and Sookie enter Fangastia by showing them a secret entrance, which first requires punching through a wall. Eric stays outside because of his infection, which has left him in a weak state.

They get inside, but Arlene has already been taken upstairs by the H-Vamps to be fed on. As Bill goes upstairs, Eric brings Sookie in from the front as a distraction.

Bill and company enter the bar on Eric’s cue, but unfortunately, town vigilante Vince and his followers start throwing firebombs at the same moment. Bill kills Vince outside (finally he’s gone!) while Arlene dips deeper into peril. Eric isn’t in good health either but tries to grab a healthy vampire she can feed off of. In her delirious state, Arlene can hear Terry speaking to her from the great beyond. She can see him too. The couple share an adorable conversation, and Terry advises Arlene to stay alive and be happy.

Elsewhere…

– James summons Bill to Jessica’s because she hasn’t been feeding. Sookie arrives too and tells Jessica that she doesn’t “give a fuck” about her problems because there are bigger fish to fry: She needs Jessica’s help to fight the H-Vamps at Fangtasia.

The trick doesn’t work exactly because it takes Lafayette convincing her to feed on him that does it. James watches as Lafayette and Jessica have a conversation about killing others.

– One of the best parts about tonight’s episode was Fangtasia’s origin story told through flashbacks. It used to be a video rental store that the Authority needed Eric to run. We also see how Pam and Eric met Ginger – she’s been a fan of vampires for a long time. As it turns out, it was Ginger who convinced them to turn the video store into a bar.

What did you think of ‘True Blood’ season 7, episode 4?

After a string of deaths during the first few episodes of the season, tonight’s True Blood ended with Sookie smiling – a brief moment of success following so much tragedy. Surely, however, this won’t last.

We wonder if we will be seeing more of Hoyt, or if they’ll skip over his mother’s funeral. If James is going to be getting with Lafayette, as is rumored, then maybe Jessica could get back with her old man.

The next episode of True Blood will be the halfway point for this final season.