sunny said:

Mr. Ruben–how did Bill know to call him? I can only think Bill was privy to the phone conversation Eric had with Ruben in the dungeon. How is this possible since Bill was kidnapped to Miss. by that time? I am positive Eric wouldn't share such an important detail with Bill, of all people, so it had to be information gleaned from the bug SA mentioned. Were Bill and SA communicating somehow? Because the first interaction we saw between SA and Bill in season 3 was AFTER Bill mimicked Eric and called Ruben.

Yvetta?

Assuming Yvetta was more than a piece of ass who served no real purpose other than to get Eric naked (like he needs a reason), she was likely a spy, planted by someone, and that someone could have been QSA/Bill (as I believe has been discussed before). That minisode, though amusing, was incredibly suspect. Fangtasia, home of the vampire viking sex god, could attract no decent strippers other than Yvetta? Everyone else was ludicrously bad, she would have to be the one chosen, if only be default.  She could have overheard Eric yelling at Ruben, and she, Bill, and Sookie were all at Fangtasia together when Bill 'rescued' Sookie.

Or it could just be that Eric has used Ruben before, QSA's bugs overheard this, and it got back to Bill.

osterby said:

Well…as near as I can make out.  I have been able to match on screen clues to the external timeline postings on Bloodcopy, the AVL, FOTS, BabyVampJessica's blog, @BonTempsGossip on Twitter and others.  The progression of events are the basis of my ongoing Opus posts.

Season 1 began in 2008.  I was able to use the US Navy moon phase charts to the full moon to place the last date in 2008 to September 16, 2008.  That was the night of a full moon that Sookie ran in her white nightie to be deflowered by Bill after Gran's funeral.  With each full moon there are three days the moon appears full:  The day before, the day of and the day after the full moon. 

The next clue we have was when Jason was watching TBBN news, Nan said in her interview that there will be no retaliation for the attacks on Louisiana vampires that died in a fire three weeks ago.  So from there I counted three weeks back and don't cha know…the full moon of  May 9, 2009.  So, Jason stole the silver and family jewels, Bill killed Uncle Bartlett and Sookie is alone at Bill's by a full moon the previous night.  The light of day 10 shows The Terrible Trio's house went up in flames, Sam ran naked in the woods, Bill's missing.  Night 10 it rained and Sookie and Bill had sex in the graveyard. I was able to match the events in between by either on screen clues or direct and indirect references made by the external timelines.

The next major date I was able to match up was June 11, 2009, @BonTempsGossip posted that Ms Jeanette's body was found in Andy's car in Merlotte's parking lot, which was also night 1 of season 2.  MaryAnne's departure from Bon Temps was reported by Bloodcopy.com on September 14, 2009. 

Jessica's Blog takes up into 2010.  She's pretty bored for the first week that she posted and Bill is no where to be found.  The events of Night 3, season 3 match up to her blog, June 21, 2010.  Day three is also the day Arlene had her appointment with Dr Robideaux.  Twelve weeks prior would have been off screen and Rene has been dead since 2009, so I highly doubt that Rene is the father. 

Make sense?

Thanks, osterby, for trying to break-down the temporal fuckedupness for us. I knew there was another level of fuckedupness beyond the basic narrative of the show as far as the timeline goes, I was just trying to wrestle with the vanguard of the Temporal Fuckedupness Brigade.

And just a note on your Night 10 "it rained and Sookie and Bill had sex in the graveyard", Sookie's 'memory' of the graveyard stroll and yeast-infection sex doesn't quite match up with the rest of the night. Because it does rain, hard, but Bill emerges from dry dirt and he and Sookie have sex on dry dirt, not mud as they should. 

LIES:

Personally I think Bill actually raped her in the graveyard like he did in the books, and this is just a screen memory. Because CH could manipulate the reader with words to disguise the fact that it was rape, but you couldn't fool a visual audience the same way, it would be too obvious it was rape.

Interestingly enough, there is a corresponding incident earlier in the season where there was evidence of earlier rain, but it hadn't rained. In 'Mine', when Dawn goes back to her house (where she left Jason tied up), her car is covered in water (like it had just finished raining), though the other outdoor scenes from earlier that night (all from Sookie's perspective, during her playdate with the Monroe vamps) don't ever show that it was raining or had rained.

(And not for nothing, but Jason's 'retaliation' was really not in character, it was too sadistic for Jason. What he was saying sounds more like what Bill would say, and the sound editing is really poorly done in that it doesn't actually sound like its coming from the dude in the black mask, it sounds just like voiceover narration. It's only the last line, which sounds more like Ryan's voice than the previous Batman growl, that actually sounds like its coming from his face.)

Though Tara/Sam porch drinking scene from later that same night might have indications that it did rain (his porch railing looks extra shiny, and the bottom of Tara's shoes look like they might be wet) though the darkness of the scene makes it hard to be certain.

Episode 3:11 – Fresh Blood:

FT – Bill barges in looking for Sookie.  Pam calls him an infatuated tween, they fight, she wins ha ha, using vampire mace.  Yvetta frees Sookie from the dungeon.  She grabs a silver chain on her way up and hauls Pam off Bill and Yvetta restrains Pam to the stripper pole.

Lala's House – Jesus wants to do another V trip, just like a virgin. Lala reminds him that the blood can lie and you can't control the destination.  Lala sees the demon in Jesus, asks him to leave.

Jason's House – Crystal explains her secret.  She has to marry her half brother and breed till she either old or dead.  Jason leaves to look for Sookie.

Bill's House – Hoyt and Jess make out.  She tells him about the accidental draining of the trucker.  Hoyt offers himself for a snack.

Museum – RE and Eric confrontation.  RE asks why he killed Talbot.  Eric explains even RE has to face consequences, and RE calls him nothing but a lump of muscle with a blood grudge, Eric offers him daywalking ability.  It's not a myth it's been done.  RE intrigued….Eric's phone interrupts the discussion.

FT – Pam tells Eric that Sookie has escaped with Bill and Yvetta cleaned out the till.  Ginger offers her a beverage to comfort her.  Ginger screams.

Sookie's Car – Bill wants to know why she went to see Eric and points out again "look what he's done to you".  Sookie fudges her answer.

Cemetery – Tara weeps at Eggs gravesite.

Merlotte's – Holly and Arlene discuss the ritual that will end the pregnancy.  A very drunk Sam returns, insults Terry, Arlene and Holly, they leave in a huff.

Football Field – Jason watches Kitch and his posse practice and realizes that Kitch is using V.

Maxine's House – Summer tells Maxine that her biscuits and best lingerie didn't help to seduce Hoyt.  Maxine makes plans.

Merlotte's – Tara enters and spots Andy.  She tells him she knows how Eggs died and Andy sadly confesses.  Tommy is ordered by Sam to take orders, they argue and Sam fires him from the bar and his life.  Sam empties the bar, except for Tara.

Sookie's Car – S/B make plans for a fresh start when all is over.  She wants to be a rich real estate agent and he's going to teach  third grade and loves his job.  Yah right.  The car is stopped by Eric and RE.

Somewhere in the Woods – Holly prepares the ritual for Arlene, bubble, bubble toil and trouble.  What I noticed for the first time is the background noise when Holly begins her rite.  First there are insect noises and then a sort of murmuring almost like a hive of bees, off and on during the rite.  Holly asks Arlene for a drop of blood cuz nothing is free, tells Arlene to shoot it..again the murmuring.

Football Field – Jason threatens to expose Kitch about the V.  Kitch blows him off.

Lala's House – Lala sees and hears dolls talking to him.

FT – RE escorts Sookie into FT, Eric and Bill pretend to fight.  Eric has a plan.

Merlotte's – Tara and Sam have a pity party, then make out.  Tommy is robbing Sam's safe.

Arlene's House – She's dreaming about fishing and hearing her mom call.  A very upset Terry wakes her up, she's bleeding.  She tells him she thinks they are losing the baby.

Jason's House – Crystal and Jason talk.  He wants her to stay, she wants to go to Hotshot and stop the raid.

FT – RE is sceptical about Sookie being a fae.  Sookie can't believe her blood is some sort of supe sunscreen.  Bill confirms that yes she is, and he didn't tell her that part.

Hospital – Terry and Arlene are told that the critter is still on board.

FT – Eric says goodbye to Pam, "It will work".  Eric hesitates in biting Sookie, RE is impatient and chomps her wrist, Eric bites her neck while trying to soothe her stroking her hair. Eric walks out into the daylight beckons RE.  Bill is bleating about being released from the chains so he can give Sookie his blood.  Eric is smouldering outside and prays that no one notices from inside FT.  RE steps out into the sun, Bill continues to yammer. As RE approaches him, Eric handcuffs them together and tells him to be brave. 

What made me cringe in the car scene was the way Bill looked at her when he asked why she went to see Eric.  He peered at her sideways, and he looked down right evil, then of course he goes into his mantra about what Eric has done to her.

Any thoughts on the murmuring I noticed in Holly's ritual with Arlene?

What I was hearing was more like a drone, low, background.  Like having the TV when someone is trying to sleep and you're in another room.  It was after the night insects chirped their thing.

Hope you get your HBOGo issue solved.  Must be very frustrating.

If you want ep. 3:12 I think I could swing it.

@sunny – "I'm wondering if there will be a re-airing of 4 leading up to the premiere of season 5? If so, we can all wait for that and watch together."

HBO Canada just started to offer S4 On Demand after being off the list since Dec.