"True Blood" recap: Kicked in the face by love

Spoilers for this week's episode of "True Blood" below. Don't click through if you don't want to know.

OK, so, I know this show is called "True Blood" and thus, I expect a certain amount of crimson bodily fluid to be shed every week. It only makes sense. But this week's episode had me wishing the show was called "True Cupcakes and Rainbows." Because DAMN there was a lot of blood!
First, we had the font of blood bursting from Lorena after Sookie killed her, covering Bill and Sookie in a sea of goo. Then we had berserk Bill, insensible with blood lust, getting way too overeager at Sookie's offering of her life-saving blood in the back of van.
And, of course, much to my great sorrow, we had Russell's vicious, nasty decapitation of the poor noble Magister. Dude, isn't enough to cut the guy's head off? Must it go flying across the room and explode in an orgy of blood?
Well, yes. I guess it must. But still -- ick. Add to that Sam's version of animal rescue, Eric securing Sophie-Anne in a giant cage, and Sookie having a near-death dalliance with some otherworldly, annoyingly cryptic beings, and you have one of this season's crazier episodes.
Anyway, here are some more thoughts on this week's episode, "Hitting the Ground."
* Seriously, how grotesque was that Lorena death scene? I mean, she was like some sort of vampiric Old Faithful! Still, I'll sort of miss Lorena. She was the kind of villain this show needs more of -- undeniably evil, yet oddly sympathetic. There was no denying that her feelings for Bill were real, or that she felt real pain at the prospect of killing him. Yet, of course she couldn't last long. There were only so many variations on a Lorena story that this show could do, and the routine was already getting stale ("Oh, look! Lorena is lecturing Bill on his foolish dire for humanity again! Ho-hum.")
Nevertheless, RIP Lorena, you crazy blood-loving, rubber-necked minx, you.
* OK, one character I seriously hope is on her way out -- Debbie. Good Lord she is annoying! Whenever she shows up, all she does is spew white-trash trash talk at every other female in the room,  and wail in V-crazed ecstasy. I seriously don't care one bit about her relationship with Alcide. If I had my way, she'd be locked in that Mississippi dungeon forever. Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen. On the upside, we did see the death of Coot this episode, meaning this show now has one less character with a stupid name. So yay.
* Does anyone else think it was a little dumb for Sookie to offer up her arm to Bill? I mean he was near death and starved. Off course his animalistic nature will take over, and he'll rip into her like a lion into a pack of gazelles. But, just as Bill is blinded by hunger and a need for survival, Sookie is blinded by love. She wants to do whatever she can to save him, and, as usual, doesn't consider the potential consequences. So, she ends up almost completely drained. Yeesh.
* A few questions here: What does it mean that Sookie doesn't have a blood type? We know that she's got some sort of abilities beyond mind-reading and, logically, one can assume that her lack of a normal blood type is linked to that. Then how does Jason have a blood type? Also, what does it mean that Bill survives Tara exiling him into the sun after he binges on Sookie's blood? What qualities does her blood contain? Clearly, it's particularly delicious, as Lorena observes. What does that mean?
* And what was up with dance-y, glow-y afterlife people (yes, again, I've read the books and know what they are -- I'm interested in hearing the guesses of the uninitiated. If you've read the books, please don't answer and spoil it for everyone else)? They must be somewhat human, despite their otherworldly appearances, because Sookie can read their thoughts. But what is up with them? And why are they so terrified of Bill?
* Elsewhere in Bon Temps, I seriously don't care about Jason's story. However, I did love Lafayette's confused, dismayed reaction to Jason's request for meth.
* The best Jason line of the episode: "I never thought I was smart enough to be depressed." Neither did we, Jason. Neither did we.
* In other news, Hoyt's new lady love has nice biscuits. Thrilling.
* Hmm. I might be bored with the Jason story line, but I'd take it any day over the Sam story line. Sam infiltrates the dog-fighting ring, rescues Tommy, blah, blah, blah. The only good thing about this story was the sight of naked Sam wearing a dog collar and a leash, which I found vaguely provocative. Woof!
* As Sookie stages her ill-fated rescue of Bill, Eric is busy at the queen's, draining Sookie's cousin Hadley in an attempt to get more information about Sookie's abilities. Clearly, Hadley knows something, and tells Eric something, but I can't really focus. Is Sophie-Anne suspended in a giant version of Tweety Bird's cage? Wacky!
* Was anyone else sad about the death of Zeljko Ivanek's character, the Magister? Sure, he was about to pierce Pam's eyelid and all, but he had such panache! I thought the season one episode in which he punishes Bill for killing another vampire to save Sookie was one of that season's best. I would have liked to have seen a lot more of his backstory. Certainly, it would have been preferable to shifter fighting rings and obnoxious queens in giant cages. Alas, it was not to be. Sigh.