It's Not Me, It's You

By Barbara Bones - April 29, 2013

Eliminating the Rest of Sookie's Suitors

Two years ago I discovered and fell in love with the Southern Vampire Mysteries, then did a lot of speculating about how the series would end, and what every little interaction meant. I'm no longer certain about Sookie's romantic future, but I came across a thread I started at the Sookieverseblog, discussing the moment I believed that every suitor other than Eric was eliminated from competition. I still have hope that Sookie will spend her Dead Ever After with Eric, but I'm not confident.

So let's look at the optimism I had two years ago, and maybe I'll remember where all of that certainty came from!

I am completely and utterly in love with Sookie/Eric, and I wasn't, really, the first two times I read the books. Don't get me wrong, I thought they were great, but it took me until Dead And Gone to truly see that Eric was The One. I was just along for the fun, exciting ride, and I didn't really feel anything for the suitors. The third time, however, I noticed the gorgeousness that is the Eric/Sookie story line, since Living Dead In Dallas (I am absolutely awed at the story Charlaine Harris has spun here!). Also I noticed what I believe are the moments when each and every other possible suitor is eliminated. EVERY other suitor...

Bill: I absolutely believe that Bill/Sookie died in the trunk of the car in Club Dead. When she was in the empty apartment, and Alcide and Debbie were fighting next door, she realized they were horrible and destructive for each other, and should never be in the same room again. This was the moment she realized that she and Bill were over, even if she struggled with the letting go part. She wasn't going back to him, even if he hadn't told her why he seduced her in the first place. However, in case Sookie hadn't been sure and our Billusional friends didn't get it yet, it was spelled out plainly and definitely in All Together Dead, when Bill basically told Sookie that he would give anything to undo what he had done. She replied that he had hurt her too much, and it was never going to happen. Let Sookie say that again, "THAT'S NOT EVER GONNA HAPPEN" !!!

Alcide: I think Alcide was really viable only in Club Dead, when they were new to each other and things were somewhat superficial between them. Upon returning to Louisiana, both Alcide and Sookie had baggage that the other could not deal with. However, I think Sookie's realistic thoughts of being with Alcide ended the night he ascended to packmaster in From Dead To Worse. She occasionally still thought of him in passing, but that night she saw him for the Were he was, and it was not a Were she could love.

Sam: Sam is Sookie's friend and nothing more. The last time she had thoughts of anything more was when they kissed in his office in Dead As A Doornail, before Bill interrupted. However, in From Dead To Worse it was clear that friends were all they would ever be when Sookie thought, "this was Sam, my boss, and come to think of it, also one of my best friends. He'd clicked into that slot during the past year." His romantic possibilities were over.

Quinn: Oh, Quinn. So like Bill, yet so like Eric. Maybe the best of both (in theory), maybe the worst. I think Quinn was a rebound diversion and a way for Sookie to not be raw and (figuratively) bleeding when she and "Real" Eric finally got together. However, when he did not call her for months after Rhodes and showed up with the Nevada "enemies", she was done. Not having the courtesy of a call while dealing with his family did it. The moment of elimination occurred when he showed up on her lawn with the Nevada vamps. There was no going back from that.

While these two were never really contenders, they still warrant mentioning:

JB: JB was probably the only human man Sookie could ever have been happy with, theoretically. However, he married her (sort of) best friend. Game over.

Calvin: I don't think Calvin was ever really an option, unless Sookie decided to settle for a comfortable, but unhappy, life. The moment he was eliminated was when she went to visit him after his release from the hospital due to the shooting. That evening she figured out that every male in Hotshot slept with every woman in Hotshot, and she was just not down with that.

I love being able to eliminate all the other suitors because of what it spells out for the future. The bottom line is that Sookie simply does not love anyone else. She loves Eric, and has since Dead To The World. But recognizing the moments when every other man ceases to be a viable option makes them just that much sweeter.

So, that's how I felt about Eric and Sookie's chances two years ago. I still fervently hope that Sookie can make a conscious choice to be with the man she truly loves. But I'm not certain anymore. We'll find out in just over a week. *fingerscrossed*