Ever since True Blood kicked off its final season, things have been looking pretty grim for the poor residents of Bon Temps. Eric and Bill are dying from Hep-V; Jason's vampire girlfriend, Violet, is being just as annoying as ever; and Alcide … don’t even get me started on that one. But just when we thought all hope was lost, the HBO series has decided to throw a Hail Mary — or rather, a Hail Sarah? — by finally introducing an antidote for the Hep-V virus that’s been killing a ton of vamps all season. That’s right, folks — the Hep-V cure is currently coursing through Sarah Newlin’s bloodstream. And while we’re thrilled by what this could mean for the fate of all vampires in general, there’s one particular Viking we’re most anxious to see take that life-saving gulp. I’m referring, of course, to Eric Northman.
For months and months fans wondered what became of Eric after his nude tanning session in the mountains quite literally went up in flames. Then Season 7 premiered and we got our answer. Eric is dying. But not from an overdose of sun exposure — from good ol' Hep-V. (Talk about a dirty trick.) But now that the cure has finally been revealed and Eric knows about it, this can only mean good news for our hunky Nordic vamp, right? Right?
Something tells me it won't be that easy. (And, let's face it, that's a big part of the reason we love this show.) However, that doesn't mean we can't do a little theorizing of our own. Here are all of the ways we think this cure situation could play out.
Option 1: Eric Takes the Cure
The ideal scenario would be if Eric is able to track down Sarah and quickly ingest some of that cure-all blood of hers. Those hideous veins will disappear and he’ll be back to his old self. It’s a win-win for everyone, really.
Unfortunately, a simple solution like that doesn't exactly seem like True Blood’s style, which brings us to …
Option 2: His Condition Is Too Advanced for the Cure to Work
When it comes to True Blood, it’s always important to think of the fine print. There’s a chance that the cure only works up until a certain stage. Eric’s already reached Stage 2. Is that too far along to be saved? If so, then the odds definitely don’t look good for Bill either. Then again, it's also important to consider …
Option 3: Eric Becomes the Cure
Right now, it’s unclear how exactly this antidote works. How much blood does one have to consume in order to be cured? A drop? A liter? But most importantly — will those who ingest the blood also become part of the cure since they too would have it in their bloodstream? Or does it always have to come directly from the original source (aka Sarah) in order to work effectively? This could become a very crucial factor regarding Eric's next move, especially when you take into account …
Option 4: Eric’s Need for Revenge Will Outweigh His Common Sense
We all know how much Eric wants to avenge his sister Nora's death, so if taking the cure means allowing Sarah to live even one second longer, he may decide to kill her anyway before any blood is exchanged. Would it be a smart move? Absolutely not! But does it sound like the sort of stubborn thing Eric would do? You betcha. However, there’s always …
Option 5: The Cure Turns Eric Human
As I mentioned before, we know very little about this mysterious Hep-V cure — including what the side effects are from taking it. We only got a brief enough glimpse of Sarah’s sister, Amber, after taking the antidote to know that it did indeed work. But who knows what kind of ramifications will pop up later on. It may end up reversing vampirism. After all, this wouldn’t be the first show to introduce a cure that turns vampires back into humans.
So what’ll it be, True Blood? Waiting on you.
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