‘True Blood’ season 7, episode 2: Carrie Preston on Arlene’s struggles, endgame

Tonight is the second episode of “True Blood” season 7, and it is after this one airs that we’ll start to proclaim such things as “there are only eight left.” The weight of the endgame is starting to finally settle in.

One person who we are simultaneously excited and nervous to learn more about is the Arlene character. She has been a barometer of humanity in some ways over the past several seasons, keeping things a little grounded and showing how a normal human tries to handle an insane world that surrounds them. Unfortunately for her, she has already started this season off in a bad way courtesy of her capture, and it is not exactly clear at all as to whether or not she will make it through this.

Of course, Carrie Preston has to be coy when setting up the story this week, though the way she spoke about it to TV Fanatic has us hopeful that she’ll find her way out of this alive:

“You’re going to see Arlene rise to the challenge that’s created in that situation.”

In setting up the story for the rest of the season, though, Preston suggested that we could see some very different circumstances for Arlene by the time this all ends:

“I’m on a very tame show compared to all of my other colleagues. I really haven’t had to encounter that much of that since I don’t traffic in the world of the vampires. That said, you know the season’s not over yet. So you can talk to me about it at the end of the season and I’ll probably have a little more to say.”

Our hope for Arlene is simply that she finds a way for her and her family to live in peace. She’s never deserved anything bad to happen to her, and hasn’t she already been through enough?