True Blood: Who Are You, Really?

"Who Are You, Really?" is the first episode of season six of the supernatural drama series True Blood and the sixty-first episode of the series overall. It was directed by series star Stephen Moyer with a script written by Raelle Tucker. The episode first aired on HBO on Sunday, June 16th, 2013 at 9:00 pm. In this episode, Bill Compton is reborn with the power of Lilith and the surviving members of the Vampire Authority battle run for cover. Sam Merlotte rescues Emma Garza, but is unable to save her mother. Eric Northman presses Nora Gainsborough to research the Book of Lilith to find out exactly what Bill Compton is and Pam De Beaufort has a breakdown. The governor of Louisiana, Truman Burrell initiates a zero-tolerance campaign against all vampires, and orders all vamp businesses shut down and a stringent curfew is put into effect. Jason Stackhouse meets a strange man who turns out to be his literal fairy grandfather.

Synopsis
This is the one where the recently 'sploded Bill Compton is resurrected as the monstrous servant of Lilith and goes completely bug-f*ck. Sookie, Eric, Jason, Nora, Pam, Tara and Jessica barely escape the Vampire Authority headquarters with their lives.

The group splits up (like always) and engage in several new and exciting adventures. Sam Merlotte has to abandon the dying Luna Garza and brings her daughter, Emma back to Merlotte's. Alcide Herveaux is sworn in as the new pack master of the Shreveport werewolf club and punctuates the even by chowing on somebody's severed arm, and having wild animal sex with Rikki and Danielle. Jason hitches a ride on a dark highway and is picked up by old man with crazy hair, who ultimately reveals that he is his fairy grandfather.

Then there's that Governor guy. No, not the dude from The Walking Dead, but an entirely different type of Governor, who is just as evil as the other one. Truman Burrell, Governor of Louisiana, publicly decries the recent actions of the vampire community, and enacts a zero-tolerance policy against all vampires. He sends the Louisiana Area Vampire Task Force to close down Fangtasia. Afterward, he enters into a mysterious buisness relationship with Ms. Suzuki of the Yakonomo Corporation - the makers of Tru Blood. He sells her an abandoned bottling plant in Baton Rouge.

Later, Eric Northman comes to visit Sookie and sells her house back to her, that way she can restrict access to all vampires - including him.

Bill returns to the Compton residence and tries to take stock of his resurrection by consulting the Book of Lilith. Doing so, prompts the appearance of three strange naked chicks covered in blood who are Lilith's sirens.

Notes & Trivia

 * True Blood was created by Alan Ball. It is based on the "Sookie Stackhouse" series of novels by author Charlaine Harris.


 * This episode is rated TV-MA.


 * "TB: Who Are You, Really?" serves as a shortcut to this page.


 * This episode is included on disc one of the True Blood: The Complete Sixth Season DVD and Blu-ray collections. It includes a five-minute "Inside the Episode" featurette with director/actor Stephen Moyer.


 * This episode aired in the United Kingdom on the FOX Network on September 30th, 2013.


 * Production crew members Christina Jokanovich and Luis M. Patiño are credited during the end-title credits to this episode.


 * Co-executive producer Rob DesHotel is credited as Rob Des Hotel in this episode.


 * Associate producer Luis Patiño is credited as Luis M. Patiño in this episode.


 * Actress Janina Gavankar is given a "Special Guest Star" credit in this episode.


 * Actress Dale Dickey is given a "Special Guest Star" credit in this episode.


 * Actor David J. Wright is credited as David Wright in this episode.
 * This is the second episode of True Blood directed by actor Stephen Moyer. It is his only episode from season six. He previously directed by season five episode, "Somebody That I Used to Know".


 * This is the eleventh and final episode of True Blood written by Raelle Tucker. It is her only episode from season six as a writer. She previously wrote "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" in season five.


 * This is the first television acting work for Abigail Lowe. It is possible that she may be related to actor Todd Lowe. She plays one of the three-year-old girls in this episode, who will eventually be identified as Charlaine Bellefleur, though she will be played by a different actress at this point.


 * This is the first television acting work for Briana Berlingeri. She plays one of the three-year-old girls in this episode, who will eventually be identified as Braelyn Bellefleur, though she will be played by a different actress at this point.


 * The events of this episode take place immediately following the events from the season five finale, "Save Yourself".


 * This is the final appearance of Luna Garza, who dies in this episode. She appeared last in "Save Yourself".


 * This is the first appearance of actor Rutger Hauer in the role of Niall Brigant. He makes six appearances in the series in total. He appears next in "The Sun".


 * Pam De Beaufort's middle name, "Swynford", is revealed in this episode.


 * Bill takes flight! This is but one of several new abilities that Compton develops as a result of his resurrection. Up until this point, Eric Northman is the only vampire shown to be able to fly. Presumably, Russell Edgington possessed this ability as well. This episode also shows that Nora Gainsborough can also fly.

Allusions

 * The title of this episode is taken from the song, "Who Are You, Really?" by recording artist Mikky Ekko. It is played during the end-title credits of this episode.


 * Pam De Beaufort refers to Bill Compton as "Billith" in this episode. The name reflects the reborn Bill Compton with the power of Lilith. The name came about during a time when it was trendy for the media to combine celebrity couples' names into one name, ala Ben Afflect and Jennifer Lopez as "Bennifer", or Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as "Bradjolina".


 * Sookie Stackhouse's comments about being "the girl in the white dress" hearkens back to season one when she first met Eric Northman. The white dress in question was what she wore on a date with Bill Compton, which ultimately brought them to Fangtasia for the first time.


 * Jason Stackhouse compares Billith to a "naked evil Superman". Superman is a comic book superhero featured in titles published by DC Comics. The character is considered an American pop culture icon and was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Schuster and was introduced in Action Comics #1 in June, 1938.


 * Jason Stackhouse compares his experiences with seeing his dead parents to that of Cole Sear, who was the "I see dead people" kid from the 1999 film The Sixth Sense.

Explicit material

 * Profanity: Extensive usage of various vulgar words by most of the main characters. In fact, the very first word in the episode is "Fuck", intoned by Sookie Stackhouse after seeing Bill Compton's resurrection.
 * Female frontal nudity: Werewolf Danielle is shown in full frontal nudity. The three blood-covered sirens that torment Bill in his mind are also completely nude.
 * Female topless nudity: Werewolves Rikki and Danielle are shown topless, though Rikki's breasts are partially obscured. Another female werewolf is also seen topless.
 * Male rear nudity: Alcide Herveaux shows his butt. Bill Compton's blood-covered cheeks can also be seen.
 * Implied nudity: Bloody Billith stalks towards the camera from a distance, implying full frontal nudity, but nothing is overtly shown.
 * Homophobia: Jason Stackhouse calls Haley Joel Osment's character from The Sixth Sense gay.

Quotes

 * Bill Compton: I brought you here tonight so you could see for yourselves, I am no monster. I do not wish any of you harm but if you force me to defend myself again you will be sorry.

....
 * Eric Northman: Bill is out there and he could be coming for us, the state of Louisiana basically just declared war against us.

....
 * Jessica Hamby: When you summoned me Bill, you almost tore me apart. Please don't, I want you to hear me because when we left you at the authority that was not Bill Compton that we were leaving, you were a fucking monster. And when your pull lead me here, I had no idea what I was going to find, I had no idea what I was walking into and I still don't.

....
 * Pam De Beaufort: Whatever "Billith" is, he's not worth dying for.

....
 * Sookie Stackhouse: Eric, I want to be that girl again, the one in the white dress. I want my life back, which is why I am rescinding your invitation to my house.

....
 * Pam De Beaufort: I don't know about the world but I'm about to end your face!

....
 * Arlene Fowler: Well I got news for you Andy, life ain't fair, and there ain't no Santa Clause neither, and when you stick Mister Happy inside somebody's hoo-ha without a raincoat on, babies come out!

....
 * Jason Stackhouse: It's not much like that movie anyway, I don't see all dead people, just my parents, telling me to do stuff, and they've gotten kinda racist and scary since they went to heaven...

Crew

 * Nathan Barr - Composer
 * Louise A. Innes - Editor
 * Suzuki Ingerslev - Production designer
 * David Klein, ASC - Director of photography
 * Robin Veith - Supervising producer
 * Bruce Dunn - Producer
 * Marlis Pujol - Line producer
 * David Auge - Line producer
 * Rob Des Hotel - Co-executive producer


 * Angela Robinson - Co-executive producer
 * Executive producer - Raelle Tucker
 * Executive producer - Alexander Woo
 * Brian Buckner - Executive producer
 * Mark Hudis - Executive producer
 * Alan Ball - Executive producer; Creator
 * Gregg Fienberg - Executive producer
 * Christina Jokanovich - Producer
 * Luis M. Patiño - Associate producer