Jessica reminded Hoyt of their love story and Sam left Bon Temps for good in True Blood’s penultimate episode “Love Is To Die.”

In the basement of Fangtasia, Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Sookie (Anna Paquin) are furious when Bill (Stephen Moyer) refuses to drink from Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp) and cure himself from Hep-V. Bill says he is at peace with his impending death, and Sookie slaps him a few times, telling him that, right now, he is choosing to die – it isn’t fate, it’s his choice. When Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) finally stops Sookie from continuing her assault on Bill, Jessica steps in and demands that Bill release her. Bill tells her how proud he is of her, and releases her as her maker before turning and leaving. Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) and Eric comfort Jessica and Sookie, respectively.

Sam Leaves Bon Temps

Sookie and Jessica go to Bellefleur’s and find Sam’s (Sam Trammell) empty trailer. Everything is gone, save for some old furniture and two letters: one addressed to Sookie, the other to Andy (Chris Bauer). In his letter to Sookie, Sam explains that he has left Bon Temps to be with his family and his child. But, it isn’t a goodbye letter, he says; after all, he’s just moving to Chicago, and he invites her to come visit once the baby is born. In the restaurant, Arlene (Carrie Preston), Andy, Holly (Lauren Bowles), Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and James (Nathan Parsons) are all gathering around a big table to eat together. Arlene figures that business is bad, but they’ll just have to wait for it to come, and in the meantime, they might as well enjoy themselves.

Sookie unceremoniously informs them all that Sam has left and then asks to speak to Andy privately. She takes him into Sam’s office and hands him the letter left for him. Her letter was pretty heavy, so she thought maybe Andy would prefer to read his in private. In the end, however, there was no need: “Dear Sheriff Bellefleur, I resign. Sincerely, Sam Merlotte.”

Meanwhile, at the bar, James approaches Jessica and apologizes for how things ended between them, and Jessica apologizes too. Lafayette was right, she didn’t know James, and she’s happy that James has found someone who wants to get to know him. Jessica leaves before the feast begins, and Sookie ends up taking her place at the bar. She doesn’t sit with the others, so Arlene goes to get her.

Sookie tells Arlene that Bill is dying of Hep-V and admits that she’s always loved him, even when she was with Alcide. She never wants to keep herself from someone like that again. Arlene tells her that, before she can move on, she has to decide whether or not she truly wants to.

Jessica And Hoyt Get Back Together

Jessica heads straight to Hoyt’s (Jim Parrack) home, interrupting his fight with Brigette (Ashley Hinshaw). Brigette can tell there’s something going on between him and Jessica, and she’s still upset that he doesn’t seem to want to have kids. Jessica bangs on the door and tells Hoyt that she needs to talk to him, admitting that he may not know her, but she knows him. Brigette gives Hoyt an ultimatum: either he stays inside with her, or he goes outside to talk to Jessica and ends their relationship. Hoyt chooses Jessica and follows her outside. She tells him that Bill released her and that the one thing she can’t understand is why Bill would just give up when he had the choice, and it made her realize that she shouldn’t give up on Hoyt when he’s right in front of her. She wants to tell him their story, and he wants to hear it.

Brigette calls Jason (Ryan Kwanten), who comes running to the rescue, and is promptly punched in the face by Hoyt when he arrives. When he finally comes to, he’s in the passenger seat of his police cruiser with Brigette at the wheel. She’s taking him to the hospital, but he convinces her he’s had worse, and they go to his place instead. Jason promises her that they will not have sex, but he has a close call when he helps Brigette get a plane ticket to Alaska by sweet-talking the Delta airline agent on the phone. Later that night, the two share a beer, and Jason tells her about Hoyt and Jessica, and how they belong together. As Jason tells Brigette their story, the image cuts back and forth to Hoyt and Jessica having sex.

Jason reveals to Brigette that he’s worried that he’ll never be able to have a real relationship with a woman, and she tells him that she is going to teach him how. First lesson: how to sleep in the same bed as a woman without having sex. As the two lie there in awkward silence, Brigette suggests they trade secrets. She tells him that she once let someone cheat off her during a test, and she’s felt guilty about it ever since. Jason tells her that he actually likes pink. When Brigette presses him, Jason opens up and tells her that he wants to have children one day, but is terrified that he’ll have a daughter and that she’ll meet a guy like him. Brigette tells him that he’s wrong to be afraid. A girl would be lucky to meet a man like him.

Eric Plays Relationship Counselor

While Pam busies herself with dyeing Sarah’s hair back to blonde, Eric goes to visit Bill. He’s not there to ask Bill to keep living for himself, he wants Bill to think of Sookie, and what his death would do to her. Bill counters that he is doing this for Sookie. She is always going to be drawn to him, to vampires, because of her fae light, and they will always be attracted to her light because of their darkness. He tells Eric about his dream, where Sookie gave birth to death. That’s all they can offer her: death, and he doesn’t want her to keep coming back to him. He thinks he needs to die so that Sookie will really be able to move on with her life, away from him. Eric understands, surprisingly, and agrees to talk to Sookie for Bill, to convince her to let Bill call on her later that night.

Eric picks Sookie up from Bellefleur’s and tells her that he only cares for a few people: a handful of vampires, and her, and he thinks she should let Bill try to explain his reasoning to her. He drops her off at her house – via supernatural flight – just in time to catch Bill’s phone call. Sookie invites Eric in, but he declines and heads back to Fangtasia. At the club, Eric comes face to face with a furious Ginger (Tara Buck). She’s angry that he didn’t tell her he wasn’t going to die and let her worry about him this whole time. He apologizes, sort of, and tells her that she’s right, and to make up for his oversight, he’d like to f—k her. Ginger, who has been waiting for this since they met in the 80s, is elated, and the two have quick sex on his throne, just as she had fantasized about. He drinks from her despite her Hep-V, telling her he is immune (though it’s unclear whether or not that is how the cure works).

The Yakuza Are After Sookie

Done with Ginger, Eric goes in search of Pam and finds her in the basement with Gus (Will Yun Lee) and the Yakuza, strapped in silver to a table, a giant stake hanging above her. Gus wants to know where he was, and asks whether Sookie knows about Sarah Newlin and the cure. Eric admits that she does, and Gus asks him for Sookie’s address.

The episode ends with Sookie sitting in her home, waiting for Bill.

The series finale of True Blood will air Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO.