'True Blood' Season 5 Episode 3: 6 Highlights, Tara's Transformation, Pam's Past And More

Season 5 of HBO's "True Blood" is off to a wicked good start, and the twists and turns keep coming. Take a look at 6 highlights from episode 3 of "True Blood."

Tara's Vampire Transformation

Tara has always been very mopey on the series. Girlfriend has had a pretty hard life, growing up with a mother who is a home wrecking alcoholic and then later in life getting kidnapped by a psychotic vampire. Watching Tara's vampire transformation play out in the past couple episodes, viewers can't help but think that Tara jumped in front of Debbie's gun because she wanted to die..and stay dead permanently in the ground. Having always been protective of Sookie, it's easy to think that Tara took the bullet hoping that Debbie would stay in prison, leaving her best friend alone for the rest of her life.

If that was what Tara was thinking, it obviously backfired. While the first two episodes we saw Tara acting like a crazy vampire on speed, this is the first time that we get to really see Tara's feelings on being turned into a vampire, a creature she despised while living.

Hungry since her rebirth, Tara flees from Sookie and Lafayette, stumbling across a poor young girl with car troubles. As Tara attacks the girl she looks up to find a cross necklace on the rear view mirror in the victims car. "I'm sorry," she stammers, running away from her victim without taking a bite.

The masterminds at "True what Blood" also give fans a peak at what the vampire is seeing from their side of the transition. As the camera shoots from behind Tara's eyes, we see her vision slowly return (she was struck with a bullet pretty close to her eyes when she died). With her eyesight clearing the camera shoots down to her hands, showing the vampire blood in her system quickly healing the wounds on her hands, and then her face.

Fans were able to see what life is like on "V" when Jason and his girlfriend at the time were on it in season 3, but Tara's turn gives viewers a chance to see what it's like on "the other side."

Steve Newlin's New Gig

We laughed when Steve Newlin returned to the series, showing up at Jason's door and professing his love. After episode 3 we understand why the vampire reverend made a comment to Jessica that Bill wouldn't be the King of Louisiana for long.  After Bill and Eric escape the true death (for now) at the Vampire Authority, Roman asks the guards to "Send in the new Nan Flanigan."

As we all know, Nan had the misfortune of meeting the true death when she confronted Bill and Eric about Sookie's fairy tendencies. It seems like  the Vampire Authority must replace their vampire to human spokesperson, and the perfect person to do that is former leader of the anti-vampire organization, The Fellowship Of The Sun, Steve Newlin.

Since his speech on a talk show the week before was absolutely hilarious, with him saying something along the lines of "I found Jesus in the dark," Truebies will be in for some good laughs when Newlin becomes the new Nan.

Sookie Gets Some Girl Power

With Eric and Bill gone (without her even realizing it), Sookie is finally womaning up and radiating girl power (radiating being the key word here). Having problems with Tara since her transformation, Sookie runs to Fangtasia to ask Tara's maker, Pam, for help in summoning the vampire. Sick of being at Sookie's service, Pam refuses, pushing the bar maid and telling her to get out of Fangtasia before she drains her. Although Pam is brutal with her words, she also decides to get a little physical with Sookie, pushing her so that the blonde is thrown into a table. Surprising everyone, Sookie fights back, using her super fairy light radiating hands to throw Pam against a wall. To make the fight even better, Sookie just turns on her heels and walks out of the bar. The obviously pissed Pam gets up to all eyes watching her, and yells to the crowd in Fangtasia, "Go back to dry humping and buying my overpriced drinks."

Pam's Flashbacks

One of the coolest thing about the HBO series is their flashbacks. A couple seasons ago we got to see Eric in his young vampire days with Godric, and now fans are getting a peak into Pam and Eric's relationship. Last week we saw Eric save Pam from a death by the hands of a Jack The Ripper type gentleman. In episode 3 we see him turn up at the brothel that Pam runs, asking for the madam herself.

During his visit with Pam, we shockingly see some familiar faces...young vampire Bill with his maker Lorena. The pair are of course draining one of Pam's girls, but stop when Eric busts into the room, telling the couple that they owe Pam an apology.

As we get further into Pam's past, we finally see how Eric became Pam's maker. After a roll in the sack Pam begs Eric to change her, telling him that her life is only going to get worse with old age. Eric refuses though, not wanting the (eternal) life long commitment to being someones maker. While Pam tells him that he can leave her as soon as her turns her, Eric compares that to leaving a newborn baby in a gutter.

Like the Pam we know today, girlfriend doesn't take no for an answer, slitting her wrists and telling Eric, "Let me walk the world with you Mr. Northman...or watch me die." While her flashback ended, I think its safe to say we know what Eric chose to do.

Alcide Learns Of Debbie's Fate

Sookie and Lafayette buried the (very) dead Debbie the night that she shot Tara, and Sookie retaliated by shooting her. The two partners-in-crime didn't do that great in covering their tracks because Sheriff Andy and Jason found Debbie's car abandoned near Sookie's house. While Andy comes into the bar questioning Sookie, he has other things on his mind and doesn't suspect the bar maid. However when Alcide pays a visit he senses that something isn't right about Sookie.

Upon discovering that Tara is a vampire, he gets Sookie to tell the truth about Debbie, revealing that she shot and buried her. Sookie even manages to tear up, but I highly doubt it's because she killed Debbie and more like she's upset about telling Alcide she killed his ex-fiance.

Needless to say, Alcide is pretty pissed.

Tara Vs. The Tanning Bed

We know that Tara is unhappy with her transformation into a vampire, but we what we didn't know is how far she would go to end her misery. On the prowl since the sun set, Tara stumbles upon a tanning salon, and that's when a light bulb clicks on in the new vampire's head. Breaking into the store, Tara sits herself down in a tanning bed, turns it on and screams in pain as she waits to meet the true death. Before the episode ends, we see that Pam, who is still at Fangtasia, realizes that Tara is trying to kill herself through UV Rays. While we don't know if Pam is going to rescue Tara, we can't help but think that Pam is reflecting on when Eric turned her, and the comparison of leaving a newborn baby in the gutter.

Episode 4 of "True Blood" season 5 airs on July 1 at 9 P.M. on HBO.

Do you think Pam is going to rescue Tara?