‘True Blood’ Season 7: How Did [SPOILER] Get Hep-V? Theory About Episode 5 Shocker

At this rate, the seventh and final season of “True Blood” will end with every character dead. While no one kicked the fang in episode 5 on Sunday, the final moments of “Lost Cause” revealed that a major character became infected with Hep-V.

For those who missed episode 5, “Lost Cause” focused on Pam and Eric’s journey to Dallas to hunt down Sarah Newlin, and the fine folks of Bon Temps celebrating life and death by throwing a party at Sookie’s house. It was at Sookie’s party that “True Blood” viewers got another look into Bill Compton’s past.

Thanks to previous seasons, fans of the HBO series know that Bill had fought in the Civil War and survived. But on his journey home, Bill ran into Lorena – the vampire who turned him and prevented him from ever returning to his family.

While lurking in a corner at the Bon Temps shindig, Bill reflected on the moment he found out that Lincoln had declared war on the South and that people were enlisting to fight the Yankees. Bill was no Yankee sympathizer, but he was labeled as one when he voiced his opinions on the war being a “lost cause” and the South being outnumbered.

In a flashback, viewers discovered that Bill had tried to move his family out of the South with a group of others. But he was caught by one his former friends. The friend shot the man leading the group but spared Bill’s life when his wife jumped in front with their infant child to protect him. And while Bill made it out alive, his friend warned him that that was his only warning for war deserters.

The final flashback from episode 5 showed Bill saying goodbye to his wife and promising that he’d return to her and the children – which never happened.

By the end of “Lost Cause,” Bill had moved his ruminations from Sookie’s house to the bathtub in his home. But when he got out of the bathtub and looked in the mirror he made a frightening discovery – the start of the Hep-V virus was visible in his chest.

Bill’s infection came as a shock to “True Blood” fans, and had many trying to think of how he could have developed the Hep-V. And we’ve got a pretty crazy theory of how he might have become sick.

Viewers will remember that Bill admitted to not eating recently in episode 4. Since Sookie needed everyone’s strength to fight off the Hep-V horde that had kidnapped the Bon Temps folks, Sookie offered up her blood to her ex-boyfriend. The theory is that Sookie may have accidentally infected Bill.

The theory is a little complicated, however. Many vampires haven’t bitten Sookie recently -- with the two latest being Warlow in Season 6 and Bill in Season 7. She was tested for Hep-V when she attended church in the Season 6 finale, and the audience learned at the Bellefleur’s human-vampire mixer that both she and Alcide were clean. So how could she have developed Hep-V in that short time span?

Let’s think back to the bloodshed in episode 3 that ended Alcide’s life. Before Vince’s vigilantes shot Alcide, the werewolf and the others had managed to kill the Hep-V vampires that had attacked Sookie and Bill. It didn’t look like Bill had been bitten by one of his attackers, but Sookie was covered head to toe in blood.

Alcide asked if any of the Hep-V blood had gotten in her eyes or mouth and yelled at her to keep her eyes shut and mouth closed until they could rinse her off. Sookie shook her head no, that none of it had gotten into her eyes or mouth, but it’s possible she could have been mistaken. Another idea is that the Hep-V blood is so contagious that it could have been absorbed into her skin, making her a carrier for the virus.

Whatever the case may be, the promo video for episode 6 teased that Bill might be leaving “True Blood” before the series finale.

What are your thoughts and theories on how Bill became infected with Hep-V? Tweet your thoughts to @AmandaTVScoop.