Merlotte - I liked the new Sam. Or maybe it's the old Sam finally rearing its ugly head. Considering his upbringing, I'm not surprised. However, I did expect him to at least try to give Tommy a second chance since what Tommy said about Sam was true.

Tara - I thought it was pretty easy to figure out honestly. She's been through a lot in the past seasons, and all of them involved psycho killers, vamps, torture, etc. And she's just human. Cutting off her hair and removing the braiding signifies not just change, but a brand new start. Hence her goodbyes and driving off, maybe for good.

Eric/Russell - I can offer an explanation to Eric's escape. Firstly, he was uninjured and "healthy" to begin with, while Russell was still horribly injured from sunlight exposure. Secondly, Eric was bound with only half a silver handcuff while Russell was bound with a heavy silver chain wrapped around his neck. Thirdly, and this is important,Bill made the mistake of pushing Eric onto a solid surface before pouring in the cement. Russell was floating in his cement "bath", allowing no solid footing or purchase for Russell to push off of, not that he had the strength to excape anyway. Russell will likely enter a torpid state, as is the case with most ancient vampires and not wake for at least a century or more.

Sookie - Revoking her invitation and then later inviting vamps could just be a way to show the vampires that she will not be pushed around anymore and that she no longer trusts any of them.