True Blood

My experience with True Blood was a short but unforgettable one three episodes deep into season one. With the rise of Vampires in almost everything we do these days True Blood seems to be the most capable of the Vampire world forgetting glittery pretty boys, teenager angst driven vamps on TV fueled by, well, the same story all these vampire shows seem to be running on; Girl meets vamp, falls head over heels for no other real reason then physical attraction, blah blah blah, bad guys, life or death scenario, vampire myth twisted, and there you go. While my opinion of this particular show meets somewhere in the range of Vamp Porn at least it has the balls to own what it is.

So season 3 brings us to the aftermath of Bill being kidnapped, Tara’s boyfriend being killed, Sam going off on a walkabout, and Eric playing both sides of a dangerous game. Without a doubt True Blood is simply a soap opera for women like Deadwood was for men in just about everyway. Plenty of sex and nudity, cussing, chivalry and villainy. Add gun fights and your there. In any case as I dive into season 3 I have just enough background to know who most of the characters are and just enough story to follow but not enough interest in what these characters are doing to make any real connection. Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgård who play Bill and Eric manage to do well in their storylines due to flashbacks that reveal quit a bit. In Bill’s case a look into his past, basically an origins timeline, that reveals quite a bit about his character as pertains to his relationship with Sookie and a character from his past that pops up. Eric’s on the other hand opens the door to a more sinister story arc opening up in the show that will probably be the main building point which, I assume, will end epically. In any case it seems a real bridge for both men to come together under one banner and cause. 

As hard as I tried I just couldn’t get interested in any of the other storylines. They were so melodramatic and day time drama that they lose the edge of the show. Tara’s storyline is an overdramatic affair that grabs hold of Lafayette and removes him almost completely from his own arc which is insubstantial in these first three episodes. Jessica and Hoyt, just relationship issues. Jessica alone hardly bleeps on the radar aside from a few instances of helpfulness to Sookie. Three episodes in and I have to say that if you weren’t a fan of the show already, on the strength of these episodes, you’ll probably find yourself conflicted on weather or not you’ll be returning for more. As I find myself in Twilightland I hear it time and time again that no one Likes Bella. I think the same can be said for Sookie Stackhouse. These Vampire Soap Opera’s seem to take the leading female role and making them into Doe eyed ladies in distress with no real depth but to murmur shallow dialogue and be the envy of at least two supernatural creatures. Its old now. Sookie Stackhouse in any case finds herself at the mercy of strangers, enemies, and friends through her whole existence in these episodes which make it ironic that as the main character she doesn’t matter much as far as story progression goes. I find myself, at the end, wishing this was more of a story about two vampires in a territorial war with one another forced to come together to fend off werewolves and other late night creeps. As always final judgment is yours. Enjoy.