Updated
While I see exactly why the consensus is that Jesus is ‘Satan in a Sunday hat,’ I’m going to lay out the case for him being Eric’s doppel. If I don’t convince you, please don’t be shy about disagreeing. I rely on y’all to keep me on my toes.
1. I don’t think Jesus came to town with a nafarious agenda the way Bill and Maryann did. It appears that he was already working at Meadow Glade when Lafayette took Ruby Jean to them.
2. Bill and Maryann showed their hands very early on to the audience. TalkTrueBlood has done a fabulous job analyzing Bill’s body language, and even the most infatuated Bill lover could plainly see that in addition to being a killer, he was being deceptive.
While Maryann was always careful to show her game face to Tara until near the end, the real Maryann come through when Tara wasn’t looking .
In a whole season with Jesus, there hasn’t been any indication that he is evil or deceptive. Behind Lafayette’s back, Jesus looks more angelic, not less. He has been depicted saving lives, like Eric, not taking them.
3. Jesus’s interaction with Ruby Jean is very telling. She knows him best, and if he’s been spooning her peas for 6 months, she has seen the real Jesus. Contrast their interaction with Sam and Maryann’s. The worst Ruby Jean can say is that Jesus spits in her food with his ‘rotten cheese teeth.’ This is probably the same thing that Lafayette saw the masked Jesus do when he got in his face and hissed. We know another scary dude who gets in peoples faces and hisses and spits, and it ain’t Bill.
4. At their second meeting, Jesus stands with his hands in his pockets like Eric did during his second meeting with Sookie. (TalkTrueBlood explains the significance of this gesture.)
5. Jesus and Lafayette’s first intimate encounter in the car recalls Eric and Sookie’s in their first shared dream. The two lovers have a sensual champagne colored backdrop. The scene begins with the a good amount of space between them.
Lafayette realizes that he is able to relate to Jesus, corresponding to Sookie realizing that she has misjudged Eric. Jesus asks probing questions to figure out what makes Lafayette tick paralleling Eric questioning Sookie about why she doesn’t want to become a vampire. Eric and Jesus both bite their own fingers.
Jesus and Eric move into their lovers’ space for their first kiss.
6. Jesus and Lafayette’s blood- induced mystical trip with their ancestors being aware of their presense is not unlike Sookie and Eric’s shared dream with Lorena. Sookie was connected to Lorena though Bill’s blood.
7. Lafayette kisses Jesus’s chest in the same spot Sookie sucked on Eric, and Jesus kisses Lala’s shoulder in the same spot Eric caressed in Sookie’s dream.
8. Lafayette wears his auspicious gold robe when he’s with both Eric and Jesus. He also has terrifying hallucinations about both of them.
9. Jesus and the human Eric are both shown eating nuts and drinking beer in the same episode.
10. Jesus warns Lafayette about the dangerous idols he has brought into his home, not unlike Eric’s warning to Sookie about the dangerous vampire she has brought into her home and made her idol.
11. Eric and his doppels wear eagles.
Eric’s eagle claw pendant
Jason’s bald eagle T
Sam’s American eagle T from before the shifter became Bill’s doppel s3
Terry has an eagle T, too.
Jesus’s American Eagle jeans
12. Eric and his doppels show skin.
Eric getting out of Lafayette’s car.
Jason at Merlotte’s
Sam sniffing Dawn’s sheets.
Isabel tending the wounded.
Jesus
13. Jesus and Eric both have a great sense of humor and a sexy wink. (You want bacon on that veggie burger?)
14. A crisis causes both Jesus and Eric to experiment with Laffy and Sookie’s blood respectively and have an astounding experience because of it. Neither Laffy nor Sookie is comfortable with this turn of events.
15. During their V trip, Jesus and Laffy wind up in a church together like Eric and Sookie did s2.
16. When Calvin was beaten, Jesus called in a buddy to meet them at the ER, paralleling Eric calling in Dr. Ludwig when Sookie was injured.
17. In the episode in which Jesus comes to Bon Temps for the first time, Crystal drives by a fence that reads, ‘Jesus is love.’
18. If their clothes are anything to go by, Jesus and Eric are both transitioning from a negredo phase of their lives to an albedo one. Eric wears white stripes when he kills Talbot to save Sookie and Bill.
Jesus wears stripes to save Calvin.
Now if Jesus is one of Eric’s doppels, he could be a bad one corresponding to Bill’s good doppel, Andy, but Calvin and Cooter already cover that territory.
I think that with Jesus, we are seeing what would have happened with Eric and Sookie had there been no Bill. Sookie would have gone to Fangtasia (with Tara?) the night after Dawn’s murder to try to help Jason, and Eric and Sookie would have caught one another’s eye. That corresponds to Laffy visiting Jesus’s place of employment with the goal of saving Tara.
Eric would have sought Sookie out during a shift at Merlotte’s just like Jesus did with Lafayette. Contrast Jesus and Laffy’s second meeting with Bill and Sookie’s. He couldn’t be bothered to wait for her to end her shift. (Didn’t you want to stay and watch her, Bill?) They would have fought side by side like Jesus and Laffy did when some rednecks went after her for fraternizing with a vampire. When they called her Crazy Sookie, Eric would have found out about Sookie’s telepathy, paralleling Jesus discovering Laffy’s secret when the Hot Shot panthers let the cat out of the bag about his dealing. I could go on and write an awesome Sookie and Eric fanfiction from the evolving course of Jesus and Lafayette’s relationship, but y’all get the point by now, right?
In one way, Jesus is not like Eric at all. Characters who have to resort to saying what they are is a huge red flag. The only thing Jesus has done that is suspicious is when he said, ”My name is Jesus. I am the polar opposite of Satan,” and ”You’re safe with me. You gotta know that by now.” That’s why I think that Jesus is a good brujo at heart who is being forced to seduce Lafayette for Hallow’s benefit.
Kudos! I will be rereading this one quite a few times! I’ve been praising Jesus since the beginning, but never quite understanding “why.” Now thanks to you, I have quite a few reasons why.
I’m so glad you like this post. Except for Selle, I was doubtful I’d find any Jesus lovers.
Well damn girl, you’ve almost got me convinced! Like Bella, I’ll have to reread this one a couple of times at least.
Ha! I was hoping the idea would grow on you.
There are so many Bills running around it’s ridiculous. I hope he’s one of Eric’s as well. He needs backup.
A very telling scene for me is when the 3 guys from Hotshot were destroying Laffy’s car. I paralleled that with the scene of the two men using the spot where Eggs died as a pissing point. In both of these scenes Laffy and Tara immediately ran up and attacked them. Franklin was extremely turned on by Tara’s violence and held one of them while she nearly beat him to death. Jesus came out to fend them off. Not once did he hit them because he didn’t have to. They ran away. And he quickly restrained Laffy when he saw him beating on Felton. Like when Eric saved Laffy in Hotshot. No bloodshed (Yea he hit his head when he dropped him but the car was in the way).
Bill has repressed bloodlust issues. Eric knows when enough is enough.
I agree, that is a key scene, as well as the one with Calvin. The one with Curlers is telling, too. Jess or Bill would have just glamoured her to get rid of her. Jesus could have used magic the same way but he didn’t. He helped Laffy cook her dinner.
I think you’re right, oh wise one. GODric and JESUS are both Eric’s doppels. The names are not a coincidence. Jesus is Eric’s doppel and Lafayette is Sookie’s. I wonder how closely their storyline will mirror Eric’s and Sookie’s?
Jesus was having way too much fun on the crazy V-trip for him to have evil ulterior motives.
I agree. I don’t think there is any guile in him.
Haha, I was having way too much fun on that V trip. Most said it went on too long, but I wanted it to go on and on!
I have been believing in the goodness of Jesus since he and Lafayette saved Calvin. He was a homophobe whose clan had harmed Lafayette and hurled insults toward them both him and Jesus, yet none of that mattered when a life was at stake; they rushed to help before anyone else did.
Great point! I am always impressed with his patience and caring. Neither Bill nor Maryann would last one day in a mental institution serving those poor souls, no matter what the payoff was.
If you need help, Jesus doesn’t care whether you both are at odds. In opposite to Bill, who wanted to hold back Sookie from helping Eric in the FotS church in season 2 due to his feud with him.
In 3.01 Eric tells Sookie: “I am bound by my duty as sheriff of the area in which [Bill] resides to find him.”
The main reason he is at first reluctant to find Bill is because his queen orders him not to.
Bill has no decency whatsoever. I am sure he is bound by duty to help out his sheriff as long as it’s reasonable (like he said himself to Sookie in season 1, about exceeding to the wishes of his sheriff).
I do believe that helping a silver-chained vampire is not only the right thing to do, no matter what personal problems you have with that person, but also pretty damn reasonable if said vampire happens to be your sheriff.
Great point Melody. It was his queen’s orders that prevented Eric from investigating Bill’s disappearance.
I hope you are right Renee. I want Lafayette to have someone in his life that cares for him, other than Tara and Sookie.
I agree, Bobsgran. I want something good for him.
I think that with Jesus, we are seeing what would have happened with Eric and Sookie had there been no Bill. Sookie would have gone to Fangtasia (with Tara?) the night after Dawn’s murder to try to help Jason, and Eric and Sookie would have caught one another’s eye. That corresponds to Laffy visiting Jesus’s place of employment with the goal of saving Tara.
This is a REALLY good point. I’ve been thinking that, like most of the other parallel’s to B/S it would be a close approximation, but an ALTERNATIVE parallel is even better.
On a totally unrelated note, I wish TB would have contest to win MA’s entire wardrobe.
I kind of wonder if Pam’s interest in the AA dancer in the minisode is a hint that had Sookie showed up at FT with Tara instead of Bill, there might have been a HEA for all around. Those two could learn a lot from one another. LOL!
Whoa! Now I totally ship Pam and Tara.
MA’s wardrobe was awesome! I had hoped that Tara would inherit it, but no. S3 she went back to her God awful s1 stuff when she wasn’t wearing borrowed clothes.
I don’t get why Tara didn’t appropriate MA’s clothes. And where is her car, cash, and jewels? Surely these missing items are important to notice?
I think so. There is only one item of MA’s that we know the location of. Her bust of Diana is in Bill’s office, replacing the classical bust that Bill had there s1 and s2. That was his souvenir. Did he take any more?
Also missing from Sookie’s house is her television. It disappeared right before the wedding. I wouldn’t think that much of MA ditching that old thing, except Bill and Sookie’s conversation about regular couples spending all there time watching tv. They were standing where the tv should have been to call notice to it being missing. Why? What is the significance?
Dang I didn’t notice the bust of Diana. I noticed the missing television, and like you I just thought MA ditched it, but I didn’t connect B/S convo about watching tv.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Bill took her cash and jewels–she had quite a lot of bling, as Sam found out in his season 2 flashback–but whither her car? People would notice if he had it.
I only caught the switcheroo with the bust a couple weeks ago. When B and S go to ‘Maryann’s’ B stares at it. At first I thought because it was the same as his, but no. His was different.
Hmm, I bet the bust is a valuable relic.
What do you think of this: What if MA’s mansion actually belongs to Bill? Her ‘client’ returned from Peru and Bill is the only character from the books, that I know of, who went to Peru. Most just thought the Peru reference was a random book not but what if it was a clue? If this is the case, the bust might actually belong to Bill and he just took it back. If Bill was her ‘client’ this would explain how MA was able to find Sookie on that lonely stretch of road and why Bill just ‘happened’ to stop there in the midst of their argument.
The clues are tenuous but they ARE there and cannot be dismissed.
**book NOD
Here are a few more…
Bill is a musician, not a reader. He uses books for catching candle drippings, not reading. The only time we have seen him reading in the present was in Sookie’s dream, and even then his posture was so unnatural as to be unbelievable. However, he was reading about maenads in ‘Gods and Monsters’ just before Lorena released him. What was special about that time? Why did he finally want to be released after 70 years? I think that book was research, not pleasure, and Bill left Lorena to go on a maenad or supe hunt. That’s probaby when he met MA.
I agree that MA finding an empty house of that caliber within striking distance of BT was not coincidence.
Your idea that the bust was originally Bill’s makes sense, too. MA cleared ALL the artwork and artifacts out of that house, even the odalisque painting over Tara’s bed. This would fit very well with the hoopoe folklore of the bird being a theif.
That painting of sexual slavery fits Bill the procurer much better than MA who was all about chaos and transgressing boundaries.
I agree that MA finding an empty house of that caliber within striking distance of BT was not coincidence.
Exactly, and if Tara ‘called’ MA to BT through her magical encounter with Ms. Jeanette, how is it MA had been in BT long enough to establish some sort of relationship with Bud and do her ‘social work’ at the jail? Clearly, Bud and Kenya were accustomed to seeing her around.
I think she may have arrived in BT at the same time he did, or maybe even slightly ahead of him to lay some sort of groundwork? Not sure about this aspect as yet. Perhaps it was all about ensnaring as many of Sookie’s friends and family as possible in order to further isolate her. It’s hard to ‘procure’ a girl with a social network of folks who love and care for her. If Jason hadn’t gone to the FoTS HE would have been ensnared. Just another example of Bill’s machinations backfiring, as his killing of UB allowed Jason to get out of town and go to the camp.
Bill had MA attack Sookie for one reason: Claudine’s water had somewhat mitigated the effects of his blood, the blood he got into her by allowing her to be attacked. When Sookie lost consciousness after the Ratt attack, Claudine was able to access her. After the maenad attack she never lost consciousness so Claudine was unable to access her and give her the water. Ergo, Stepford Sookie of the curly locks–at least until Eric got HIS blood into her and allayed some of the effects of Bill’s blood.
I think that book was research, not pleasure, and Bill left Lorena to go on a maenad or supe hunt. That’s probaby when he met MA.
Again, exactly. He’s been researching and searching for Fae and he’s bound to have run across all sorts of supe creatures in his quest.
Eggs said that he had been with MA for 3 months, and it’s clear that she specifically picked him to bond with Tara. This had been in the works for a while or MA had someone glamour Bud, Kenya, Andy, and Eggs.
I like where you’re going with Claudine’s water. It makes sense.
Eggs said that he had been with MA for 3 months, and it’s clear that she specifically picked him to bond with Tara. This had been in the works for a while or MA had someone glamour Bud, Kenya, Andy, and Eggs.
Right, Eggs was for Tara, Sam was to be the sacrificial dog, Jason SHOULD have been zombified, and so forth. MA was supposed to clear out of Sookie’s life all of the people who cared for her. Bill thought he took care of Lala by delivering him to Eric. I doubt MA counted on the fact that Bill would betray her and have HER killed but she was no longer useful. Sam should have died in the earlier ritual, so as far as Bill was concerned MA had screwed up and had to go, just like MA killed Daphne after Sam escaped.
I like where you’re going with Claudine’s water. It makes sense.
Bill drained Sookie for the express purpose of draining Eric’s blood out of her and replacing it with his own. He intended to revive her before Claudine and her water could get to her but Tara took care of that. We don’t know this for sure, but it’s possible Bill fed her when they were having their nasty hate sex. We DO know he’s rubbed his blood into her fang wounds twice since she had Claudine’s water the second time, and we DO know it really only takes a drop or two to do the trick.
What a fantastic idea that MA’s crash pad mansion might actually belong to Bill. I love it. It could also explain why he’s in no particular hurry to hang new wallpaper and do other reasonable renovations in his Compton house–because his stay in that dump is temporary. I mean, crud, this guy loves luxury. Look at him trotting around in his silky smoking jacket/robe and living in beautiful houses with Lorena. Look at his snazzy BMW and how he rents out the whole French restaurant to take Sookie. He gets Sookie a huge diamond ring, makes sure she’s all dressed up in a chiffon dress. And now he’s living in that ratty old mansion that looks like it stinks of rot and mold?!
Exactly Selle! That house is not a long term commitment. All Bill needs for himself is a fantastic bathroom. He prepared the bedroom for Sookie before even meeting her. In an interview this season SM said that since Jess moved in, Bill’s been sleeping in the cemetery. That says everything you need to know about his commitment to BT and Jessica.
The one thing I don’t understand is why he was sleeping in the hideyhole when he had his trip to fairy land. Where was Jess?
She did drink from him during their vicious sex. In the shower she had dried blood running down her chin. That wasn’t there during her fight with Debbie.
Ah yes, you’re absolutely right. So right now, Bill’s bad blood holds dominant sway over Sookie’s mind with nothing to dilute or mitigate it.
Two thinkgs:
MA cleared ALL the artwork and artifacts out of that house, even the odalisque painting over Tara’s bed.
And where are all of those artworks artifacts? In addition to the car, cash, clothes and jewels these are all missing from Sookie’s house as well, with the exception of the Diana bust.
The one thing I don’t understand is why he was appealing in the hideyhole when he had his trip to fairy land and where was Jess.
Yeah well, I’m getting hinky dinky vibes from THAT situation, if you know what I mean. If you think about it very carefully there IS a way for a vampire to get rid of a hymen. Hoyt hinted at it with his arms and legs question to Jess.
And where are all of those artworks artifacts? In addition to the car, cash, clothes and jewels these are all missing from Sookie’s house as well, with the exception of the Diana bust.
When Pam came to visit the beginning of the season, you could see that Sookie had boxed up a lot of MA’s shit, but what did she do with it? The dining room was cleared of boxes by the time Alcide showed up. Bill must have taken that bust home the night of MA’s wedding. That was fast work with 40 minutes of stroking Sookie’s ear and only one to get home before the dawn. Oh…right…Bill doesn’t have to worry THAT much about the sun. After Sookie fell asleep he problem picked through all of MA’s shit.
Yeah well, I’m getting hinky dinky vibes from THAT situation, if you know what I mean.
I like the theory that the cemetery is the midpoint that Bill can’t get beyond since he was, in effect, locked out of the pond that leads to the fairy realm.
If you think about it very carefully there IS a way for a vampire to get rid of a hymen. Hoyt hinted at it with his arms and legs question to Jess.
You think Sookie’s blood has given him a resistance to silver?
hi former lurker now stepping out-I am SERIOUSLY not going to get any work done for months because every time a new theory gets posted I feel like I have to go back and watch. I have been feeling like a dummy for not catching some of this stuff before. Loving all your commentary as well as that on TTB and TBU-maybe June 2011 isn’t so far away afterall…
Thanks Caroline! Welcome to the party.
I’m so glad you took the step to become a former lurker! Practically no one is catching this stuff yet because AB is being so crafty about it. The time will come…
Yeah! Welcome!
: ))
I hope that he is a good guy
Will watch again,
Sorry I am just now getting to this. I had a very busy week. Amazing post.
However, maybe I should make a post that counters this one making a case against Jesus
However, that may be hard because your case is absolutely wonderful!
But I love how you used my body language to back your case up and found loads of symbolism that makes your case. You are so smart AP/ Renee.
Glad you like it! I’ve learned so much from your body language posts, and yeah…I was sweating the idea that you could whip out screencaps of a deceitful Jesus. Whew!
Beware! haha.
I have to do my psychological analysis of Bill first though and my internet as been out. I will only been able to use the labs at my university until later this week
: /
Late to the party again! Brilliant post, so much to take in. Why would Bill take the statue of Diana a virgin goddess of chastity and the hunt and who now has links to Wicca? Has someone answered this elsewhere?
She’s also the goddess of the moon. I’m thinking there may be some symbolism with Dawn (the goddess Aurora) being killed soon after ‘The Dark’ came to town. Diana is reigning in BT these days. I fully expect to see a new Dawn arrive in town before the end of the series.
Interesting post, AP. I have had a crush on Jesus since he first appeared and have been dreading the fact that he might be revealed as an evil character. You are giving me hope!!!
Paraphrasing Tara, there’s no reason not to trust him.
Great theory!
I so want Jesus to be a good guy, he and Lala could make a great team,but I still have my reservations about him, however I agree that he could be a doppel for Eric, both want to do good but also have another darker side to them.
I’m loving the commentary on this thread from you guys.
Reservations are good.
I think Lala and Sookie would be crazy not to have reservations about Jesus and Eric. They definitely need to prove themselves.