Huh, just started Dexter S3 and it looks like Julie Benz has been *ahem* surgically enhanced. Or just really well padded for the pregnancy plotline?

I have been assuming that there is some sexual abuse happening in the Mickens household since the tighty whitey incident. I hope that's not it because ewww, but I think that's what it is. The Mickens' are just a nasty little crew. They're so clearly bad news that the storyline is just annoying. Whatever bad things happen, you'll just nod and go, "Yup. That's just about what I thought would happen." So what's the point again?

I loved, loved Jesus (which I always hear in my head pronounced like the name of our lord an savior thanks to Lafayette's mom) showing up at Merlotte's to pursue Lafayette because thank you! Lafayette is a hot bitch and who wouldn't want to be all up on that? I also enjoyed flustered, crush having Lafayette. Aww. So cute. Pretty boys being pretty at each other is a good thing.

Talbot has very good taste indeed. I like him in the small doses we've been getting of him. And poor Eric. He's been fighting against the King of Mississippi for centuries and didn't even know it. I'm still enjoying Bill behaving badly more than I ever thought I'd enjoy Bill. He was fun trying to bluff Russell and then kicking the crap out of Coot and the big bald guard. I even didn't mind him with Sookie because he was very matter of fact and not overly sappy. I haven't read the books either, so I've no idea what Sookie is, beyond being a mind reader that is, but I like the twist more now than last season when she pulled out the white hand power on MaryAnne because now there seems to be more back story with the family tree and some kind of supernatural power that runs through her blood line.

Jessica flirting with Tommy was cute. Hoyt/Jessica is still my OTP, but it's interesting to see Jessica interact with more characters besides Hoyt, Hoyt's mom, Sookie and Bill. Terry Bellefluer is still the biggest woobie ever. If Arlene wasn't so crazy, she'd know that she could tell him the truth about the baby being Rene's and he wouldn't even care and he'd love her and the baby anyway. The way she's handling it is the exact way to fuck everything up.

I also enjoyed shirtless Jason pulling the Hotshot blonde over. I like those two together more than I've liked him wiht anybody else and I'm kind of intrigued by that whole Hotshot clan. I'm glad that Andy didn't budge on the requirement that Jason take the written test to become a deputy sherrif. They are the best surrogate father/son team ever!

Still ever so uncomfortable with the Tara plot. If it were any other character, I think I'd be liking it. The actor playing Franklin is doing an amazing job as a psycho. I believe him. I believe Rutina Westley, too. I think she's doing some of her best work on the show. She's selling me on Tara as a traumatized victim trying to survive a truly terrifying situation. But I just can't enjoy this storyline happening to this character who has already been through so much bad shit. Has anything good ever happened to this character on the show? Ever? It's not fun.

I'm really not looking forward to the Queen coming back, but it looks like at least she's going to be getting smacked around a lot, so that'll be fun. Good episode. Good season so far.

Alcide's abs need their own show.

The way she's handling it is the exact way to fuck everything up.

there is a reason she's been married 3-4 times.

I am incredibly uncomfortable with the Tara storyline. Just ick. I get the skeeves every time she and Franklin are on the screen.

I too agree that there has been abuse in the Mickens household.

there is a reason she's been married 3-4 times.

I know. I guess I'm just protective of Terry because he's such a sweetheart and all he wants is to be normal, or at least his version of normal for a PTSD Iraq War veteran in a town with all kinds of crazy supernatural stuff popping off on a daily basis. And Arlene for all that she is crazy and a little bit racist, is also mostly good people and I like her and her teacup humans and she's also been through some shit, so I would like to see those two come together and make a functional dysfunctional family and she is messing that up spectacularly and I wish she wouldn't.

Franklin is skeevy in the extreme, which is what he is supposed to be. I just wish he wasn't being skeevy and psychopathic all over Tara because how much more can the character take? I am at the point where I'm kind of hoping that they do go all the way with it and have Franklin turn her and then make them into a crazy, fucked up True Romance vampire couple. At least then she'd get super strength to go along with her heaping helping of physical, psychological and sexual abuse (Because are we really to believe that Franklin has not been raping her? Why wouldn't he? He's a psychopath and he thinks they are in love and going to get married!) Right now the only thing she's gotten out of it are some gas station flowers and an ugly white nightgown.

I was surprised that they showed the King cluing in to what Sookie is so soon. That doesn't happen until deep into the stack of books. I don't think I'll like that turn of events unless it is teased out over a long period in the story.

I enjoyed the Viking flashback as much as the rest of the episode combined. While I like Alcide just fine, Eric is my favorite character, by far.

Well, I'm wondering just what Russell is - perhaps if he is a druid he has run into the Fae before so it would make sense that he would get what she is.

I guess no Andre here with his special talent for tasting fairy essence even in less than 100% fairy people.

(Book type spoilers in the above.)

sumi, following on your book spoilers, I don't remember Russell having that ability. Did he? And how did I miss it? Frankly, I don't remember much talk about the Fae at all until Claudine and Claude showed up. And nothing about Sookie until the 8th book...long after Russell is gone .

Perhaps a couple of characters will combined. Dramatic license! I'm okay with that.

Book stuff: Andre noticed that Sookie had fairy blood - either in the book with the King of Arkansas wedding/massacre or in the one with the Pyramid Hotel explosion. We didn't find out how she was related to the Fae until later. I'm pretty sure that Claudine showed up eitherh around or before the time that Eric was bespelled. And Russell certainly didn't have that power but he did like to collect unusual objects and beings.

I really need to re-read the books. i read them all quickly and in succession so it's hard to remember what happened and when.

Yeah, it was all in the last few books. I like that they are borrowing from the books, but it's taking its own direction in the series. I don't think I would enjoy the series as much as I do if it were more faithful.

I think it's darker and more bloody, and honestly, I like being surprised and seeing how someone is interpreting it through a different lens.

And I am for sure glad Lafayette isn't dead.