Special Sub-Topic: 1.2 "The First Taste" Click Here To Play: 1.2 "The First Taste"

Sookie takes a bad beating from the Rattrays in revenge for her dramatic rescue of Bill. She was, in fact, very close to death until Bill saved her. How does Bill save her life?

By making her drink his blood. It is Bill's turn to rescue Sookie from the Rattrays, unfortunately Sookie had already taken a bad battering by the time he arrived. Sookie fades in and out of consciousness as Bill carries her to safety, and Bill recognises that she is close to death. He hastily bites his own wrist to open a vein and pleads with Sookie to drink before his wound closes over. Understandably, Sookie is somewhat reluctant to partake of this unusual treatment, but Bill persists and Sookie very quickly begins to heal from her injuries. She will later realise that Bill's blood carries other side-effects.

When Sookie regains consciousness after her assault, what does she find Bill doing?

Licking her head wound. Sookie does not seem too disturbed to awaken and discover Bill sampling the blood that remains from her injuries. She wonders if she tastes different to other humans, and Bill indicates that she certainly does.

Since meeting Sookie, Bill has suspected there is something different about this small town waitress. What does Sookie finally admit to Bill?

She is telepathic. Bill once again inquires to Sookie "What are you?", this time however, she gives him a straight answer responding "what I am is telepathic, I can hear people's thoughts". Bill wonders if she can hear his thoughts and Sookie reveals that she can't hear the thoughts of vampires. Bill immediately realises how liberating this must be for Sookie. He wonders how she has managed to have a social life, and, as Sookie's flashbacks of disastrous dates demonstrates, telepathy is clearly not always an asset.

Sookie starts to discover a little more about Bill's history. He was made a vampire in 1865 when he was 30 years old, he also participated in a war. Which war did Bill fight in?

American Civil War. Bill and Sookie begin to learn more about each other, and Sookie is surprised to discover that Bill was made a vampire when he was only 30 years of age, she had assumed that he was older. Bill points out that life was harder back then.

Sookie asks Bill if he will come and talk at a meeting of her grandmother Adele's club. What club does Adele belong to?

The Descendants of the Glorious Dead. Adele had been hoping that Bill had been a part of the Civil War, and it turns out that she is in luck. Sookie wonders if he would be willing to attend a meeting of Adele's club. Bill agrees to attend if his going will make Sookie happy; this is despite the fact that he objects to the name of the club, stating "there is nothing glorious about war". This development leaves Adele needing to call a special night meeting, as the usual daylight time would be rather inconvenient for Bill.

The Rattray's untimely death becomes common knowledge around Bon Temps. What is the official story about how Rattrays died?

Tornado. We first hear the news that the Rattrays had been killed when Adele receives a phone call from a friend. Sookie rushes straight to the Rattrays trailer to see the destruction for herself. She is met Sheriff Bud Dearborne who is skeptical about the tornado theory. He tells Sookie that "tornadoes hop, this one didn't land anywhere else, and nobody around here heard or saw anything like a tornado last night". Sookie later informs Bill of these details about tornado behaviour.

Bill calls on Sookie at her grandmother's home - a situation made awkward by the presence of Tara and Jason. Sookie is sweeping the porch when Bill arrives and she soon invites him inside. Would Bill have been able to enter the house without Sookie's invitation?

n. Bill, in traditional vampire fashion, suddenly appears behind Sookie on her porch. When Sookie opens the door for him, he uncomfortably informs her that "you have to invite me in, otherwise it is physically impossible for me to enter a mortal's home". Sookie is amused by this revelation, she is not however, too distracted to ascertain that if she withdrew her invitation, Bill would have to leave immediately.

As the effects of ingesting vampire blood become known, there are many people willing to try this dangerous drug. Which is NOT one of the changes a person taking "V" may experience?

Sensitivity to sunlight. As Sookie discovered, vampire blood can also aid healing. Vampires are not forthcoming about the potent effects their blood can have; a consequence of keeping their identity secret for thousands of years. Now that Sookie has drunk Bill's blood, he lets her know that he will always be able to find her. Despite these benefits, Sookie remains underwhelmed by Bill's talents as a vampire - after all he can't levitate, change into a bat or even turn invisible!

Nan Flanagan of the American Vampire League attempted a television debate with the Reverend Theodore Newlin. Which church, that has set itself up to oppose vampires, does Reverend Newlin belong to?

Fellowship of the Sun Church. Reverend Newlin strongly believes that vampires are evil and disagrees with the rights that they have been given, he considers them to be soulless creatures of Satan. He refuses to speak directly to the vampire Nan, making a debate rather problematic. Later at Merlotte's Sookie watches a news bulletin about the sudden death of Reverend Newlin, his wife and young daughter in a car crash. Well ... Bill did say that over the years vampires had become more skillful at hiding what they had done (with the obvious exception of believable tornado hits).

All the female employees at Merlotte's wear a distinctive uniform ... Well, all the female employees apart from Tara. Why does Tara not wear the black shorts and a monogrammed white t-shirt uniform?

She finds it sexist. Sam reminds Tara that he had told her where she could buy a uniform. Tara immediately asks why he and Terry are not required to wear uniforms. She announces that this is because they are men, and "Sam don't feel the need to sexualise the men in his employment the same way he do the women". Sam, recognising that he is not going to win this argument, concedes that Tara need not wear a uniform.