Bobsgran said:

What has me worried is his statement to Tara in the graveyard.  She says something to the effect of "Why''d you save me?"  He answers "You know why".

And Tara looked afraid after he said it, like she knew exactly what he meant but is powerless to stop it. Also, if we assume she somehow understood what was going to happen [and Bill's comment is strong evidence that she did] then the expression on her face when she was comforting Lafayette after Jesus' death takes on a whole new meaning. It's like she's thinking 'how will he survive what is to come on top of THIS…'

As for a possible Renfield Tara, what about the several comments Tara has made about Bill's slaves, being Bill's slave, did he own slaves, etc etc. And wouldn't it be just like TB to use Tara to illustrate how much of a slave Sookie is rather than showing us more clearly through Sookie herself. And upon Bill's death, Tara's resulting death as a Renfield would show us what could have  happened to Sookie had Eric not saved her from enslavement. FUCK not saving Tara too, I tell ya. I just HOPE like hell this isn't where they are going.

Exit_Pursued_By_A_Sloth said:

JerronBarksdale said:

But perhaps someone like Ginger whose brain is already fried.  She is partically a Reinfeld now.

I'm not really sure Ginger is close to being a Renfield. I don't think you become a Renfield just by being glamoured a lot, I think a vampire has to be actively controlling you. She's brain-addled for sure, but she lacks the slavish devotion of a Renfield. I don't think she would have let Sam bribe his way past her if she was a Renfield, nor do Pam and Eric seem the types to Renfield anybody. She's very loyal and sweet and spazzy, and her interactions between Pam/Eric and Sookie are some of my favorite things about the show. I would love to see a flashback of Ginger's Fangtasia interview.

Hell, we don't even know if Ginger's spazzyness really is the result of glamouring. She could be a natural spaz. LOL. If you ask me, Ginger's screams are always appropriate to the situation. Actually, Gingers responses stand in sharp contrast to Sookie's robot-responses up to the s4 finale. Wouldn't you scream if you— shot someone? had to witness AND clean up a horrible murder scene? —came face to face with a brujo who can summon demons?– bronco busted a coffin? –watched your sweet assed hot boss get tazed by a bunch of scary Feds?

Pam and Eric keep Ginger around because she's a 'sweetheart' to them. She's not scared of them because, hey, she's still here and employed. They could have killed her anytime but her brain has registered that she can trust them. She's not even scared enough of Eric to resist taking a bribe.

Courtly_LoveMachine said:

Yikes! Tara as 'Southern Gentleman' Bill's 'slave'?  Good in-built dramatic conflict but surely that would stretch the boundaries of taste even for this show? And I can't imagine they'd let their lead black actress play a zombie or any kind of brain-fried creature, that would be a one-way ticket to Wrongtown.

Thank you for the reassurance. As I said above, at some point they need to give us a good outcome to one of Bill's plots to control every fucking body. The fuckery inherent in such a scenario is mind-boggling and depressing, especially when comparing it to the far-reaching good that can come of it if it goes the other way.

anna said:

Tara's situation at MA's was slave-like,  the Odalisque painting was over the bed when she woke up there for the first time.

That is true, and two more points in favor of Tara-Bubba-Renfield foreshadowing.

I think he would just want her alive and kicking. Hell, Tara being mad and upset about it would be reassuringly normal for Tara. She would eventually come around, just like they all do. Trade the sun for a moon and stars..