Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi, concocts a plan to consolidate his power. Eric remembers his past; Sam tests the strength of his family bonds; Tara finds an ally in a shady vampire named Franklin Mott.

In search of Bill, Sookie heads to Mississippi in the company of Alcide, a werewolf bodyguard. Haunted by visions from his past, Bill makes a surprising pledge of allegiance.