HBO has released a clip and four photos from the penultimate episode of True Blood season 7, episode 9, titled “Love Is to Die.”

This Sunday’s episode of True Blood season 7 is the second to last episode before the show closes its coffins for good, so we expect (and hope) that there will be a good deal of set up before the final bow on August 24.

In this clip released today, Sookie and Arlene are at Bellefleur’s when Ms. Stackhouse asks the latter how she continues to move on in the face of so much tragedy. Arlene offers some encouraging words of advice.

Photos, including the one at the top of this article, depict Eric, Lafayette, James with Jessica, and Hoyt with Bridget.

Based on what happened on last week’s episode of True Blood, we thought that Hoyt and Bridget were through. Judging by today’s photos, it doesn’t seem so. Unless they’re having a chat to formalize the end of their relationship? It’s hard to imagine a couple who is breaking up would hold one another like this. Sparks were flying between Hoyt and Jessica last Sunday, so we fully expect those two to get together very soon.

A synopsis for this Sunday’s episode reads, “Sookie (Anna Paquin) retreats in confusion. Sam (Sam Trammell) makes a choice. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) exercises uncharacteristic restraint, while Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) faces a dilemma after being caught in a lie.”

We suspect Sookie will be “retreating” from Fangtasia’s after Bill refuses to drink Sarah’s blood, thus not curing himself of the Hep-V infection that’s killing him.

True Blood season 7, episode 9 airs Sunday, August 17 at 9 p.m. eastern/pacific on HBO.