He raped her and fed on her when Debbie Pelt locked him and Sookie in a car trunk together.

That was one of the big changes that Alan Ball made and I'm sure that it's for just the reason that tiggy stated. Although, I am sure that for many people attempting to murder you is also a point of no return, you know?

Oh, maybe Tara will rescind Franklin's invitation. (Because I can't believe he's actually really, most sincerely dead.)

oh...there's no way he's dead! that would be fun to see! i can see him kicking and screaming while it's happening. hee!!

Maybe it will happen the way it happened to Mickey in the books - because he is kind of like that character, isn't he? (The book Franklin is kind of a cypher.)

tiggy is the book after this one the one where a spell is put on Eric and he winds up at Sookie's house and Jason is kidnapped ?

sumi (not tiggy), but I think so because I read spoilers of that elsewhere.

sumi & tiggy - thanks for the explanation. Can you indulge me? What is the author's intent with that action re: Bill & Sookie?

was it to make Bill a less sympathetic character and thus remind the reading audience that vampires are not sweet and cuddly? Or did she have another intent like: getting Sookie together with another character?

I think that the author unlike Alan Ball doesn't think that Bill & Sookie are forever. I'm not even totally sure that she thinks that Sookie her current lover in the books are forever. The end of the last book makes me wonder that. Therefore, after creating a situation where they are in love and it's against the wishes of all of her people, i.e., the living, she finds a way to plausibly push them apart - makes Bill do something unforgivable and given the timeframe (everything happens really close together in these books) there is no way she would forgive him in the span of the books and it's amazing that she recovers as well as she does. Sookie is pretty resiliant.

that is, indeed, the next book, sumi! (it's still my favorite!)

i'm not really sure what the intent was, le n, because if i recall that's ALSO the book {book spoiler}where we found out that Sophie-Anne sent Bill to keep an eye on Sookie. Eric makes Bill tell Sookie that he's been dishonest. so there were already nails in his coffin, so to speak.

oh and i HAVE read interviews with Charlaine Harris where she kind of agrees with Alan Ball about Bill/Sookie. in fact, it SO reminded me of the writers reactions to fans falling for Spike back in the day. Charlaine has said that she doesn't understand how people can ultimately want Sookie with Eric because he's a "bad guy". i think, perhaps, she needs to evaluate her writing to see that. Spike WAS bad. Eric? eh...he has his moments, but he was ALWAYS there for Sookie.

I completely agree with sumi's explanation and will add that all the relationships in the books are ambivalent. I can't think of one that is really, truly, twoo luv for any length of time at all. Not even Alcide .

I'm beginning to wonder if my interpretation of the books is based too heavily on the reader's voice. I've never actually 'read' one. There is a decided 'deadpan' feel to many of the characters and situations that may not actually be in the words.

Oh, I totally agree with you, tiggy in regards to Eric. He's a honorable man who does bad things. Where all values of honorable equal, doing what he says he will and being there for Sookie, even when she doesn't think he needs to be.