It Hurts Me Too

Directed by Michael Lehmann
Written by Alexander Woo

A wolf stalks across Sookie's living room, baring its teeth as she raises a pistol and fires. Before the bullet can strike the wolf, Eric leaps into its path at vampire speed, taking the hit in his chest to preserve the beast for interrogation.

As soon as the wolf sees Eric's wound, it shifts into a man, who scrambles to get a taste of the vampire's blood. Even wounded, Eric subdues the attacker, though he soon gives into his own rage and bites savagely into the man's neck - but not before Sookie hears him think about "Jackson." They bury the werewolf in a fresh grave at the cemetery, and Sookie makes plans to go to Mississippi to search for Bill. Eric tells her a rescue mission would be suicide and asks her to try to stay out of trouble.

At Russell's mansion, Bill watches as Lorena begins to heal from the severe burns he inflicted on her. Russell, ignoring Talbot's grief over his damaged antiques, sends Lorena away so he can speak with Bill. The king informs the younger vampire that Lorena wants Sookie to die. In fact, the only way Bill can save her is by joining forces with Russell.

Tara and the mysterious vampire Franklin Mott have mind-blowing sex - as she allows him to feed on her - in a seedy motel room. Afterward, Tara leaves without giving her name, knowing that she's way too messed up to get involved with anyone, let alone a vampire. The next day, Mike Spencer calls Tara to let her know that Eggs' funeral is about to take place. When Tara arrives, the only other person attending is Sookie, who paid for the arrangements. The two women reconnect as a minister begins the ceremony.

Sam returns to his parents' house, not mentioning that his little brother Tommy just tried to get him killed on the highway, and explains that he's heading back to Bon Temps. His mother fawns over him, but he sidesteps the attention as best he can, casting Tommy a meaningful look on his way out the door. That night, Sam sees Sookie at work - and notices her engagement ring. She explains that she's leaving town for a few days to find Bill and asks him to look after Jessica, since she's all alone. Knowing he can't talk Sookie out of anything, Sam agrees.

In light of his performance at the meth bust, Jason decides he wants to become a police officer. To pass the written test for the job, he has Hoyt quiz him, but the preparation isn't going well. Hoyt is also having trouble concentrating...his mind is focused squarely on Jessica.

In a doctor's office, Arlene undergoes an ultrasound proving the suspicion that she's pregnant. Unfortunately, it also proves that the father is Rene. Later at work, Arlene tries to broach the topic with Terry, and as soon as she says she's pregnant, he's overjoyed - so much so that she can't bear to tell him the truth.

While "working" on the road crew, Jason falls asleep in his truck and has an anxious nightmare about taking his test. Even worse, he wakes up to Hoyt's screams after his friend finds a headless body in the ditch they're digging. They call the police, and when Bud Dearborn arrives, he's so fed up with the constant murders that he quits his job on the spot. After work, Jason heads over to Merlotte's, where he offers his support to Tara, wishing he could just come clean about his responsibility for Eggs' death.

As Bill sleeps through the day at Russell's mansion, he dreams of the last time he saw his wife, Caroline, shortly after Lorena turned him into a vampire. At first, she's glad to see him, but when he sees that his son Thomas has died of smallpox and begins to weep tears of blood, Caroline is horrified. As she screams at him, Lorena walks through the door, telling Bill that he has no choice but to glamour his wife so she never remembers seeing him. Later, as Bill buries his son, Lorena tells him, "The only way to show your love for a human is to stay away. Forever."

Sam 's family surprises him by showing up at Merlotte's, and when he tries to cover his dismay by buying them all lunch, a free meal quickly turns into a monstrous bar tab. When Sam steps in to stop Tommy from drinking underage, a liquored-up Joe Lee gets in his face. Sam gently kicks them all out, but later that night, when his security alarm goes off, he finds a pit bull rifling through his office...until it shifts into a bird and flies out the window.

Eric visits Lafayette to bestow his "top salesman" with a gift: a brand-new Bentley. Eric explains that Lafayette could become a very rich man selling V, but the cook/road-crewman/drug-dealer refuses to get further involved with Eric's enterprise. Smiling, Eric urges him to think about it and then flies away.

Sookie continues the never-ending job of cleaning her wrecked house when a large bearded man appears, frightening her until he explains that Eric sent him to protect her. He introduces himself as Alcide and explains over tea that a dangerous gang of werewolves has taken root in Jackson - and his girlfriend recently left him for its leader. Alcide brings Sookie back to Jackson and takes her to the werewolf bar Lou Pine's, where she manages to pick up a lead from the thoughts of a biker named Gus. But when the werewolf tries to force himself on Sookie, Alcide has to jump in and rescue her.

At Russell's mansion Coot reports to the king that his men were unable to abduct Sookie. As Russell begins to lose his temper, Bill interrupts, explaining that he's decided to take the king up on his offer and pledge his support to Mississippi. Russell is thrilled (and calls off the hunt for Sookie), but Lorena seethes that she won't get her pound of flesh. Afterward, upstairs, Bill explains to Lorena that she's taught him for a second time that humans have no place in a vampire's existence, and he swears that he'll never love her. She kisses him furiously and he responds, taking her on the bed with rage-filled passion. As they have sex, he viciously snaps her neck, twisting her head gruesomely and as he releases an agonized wail.

Franklin Mott pays a visit to Jessica and gives her the severed head of Hank the trucker. Now that he's done her a favor, he says, she can reciprocate by telling him all about Bill Compton. After leaving Jessica, he shows up at Sookie's house, and when Tara answers the door, he glamours her and forces her to invite him in.