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1.1 Strange Love Bill: "What are you?" Sookie: "I told you. I'm a waitress." Surprisingly, True Blood doesn't suck. I don't know why I thought it would. I had two reasons for avoiding this first season when it originally aired: (1) I'm way too familiar with (and fond of) the series of books that it is based on so I didn't think I'd like it, and (2) I'm too cheap to pay for HBO. I was fairly certain I wouldn't want to review it, and to be honest, I'm still not sure if I should. But I just saw the first episode and I seem to want to write about it, so here you go. This first episode was fine, although for me, I had that weird "I know everything that's going to happen" feeling you get when you're watching a live action version of a book you know really well. If the entire first season is based on the first book, I already know who killed Maudette and why. Here's hoping that Alan Ball uses the characters and setting as a jumping off point, so that I won't know everything that is going to happen this season. Or maybe next season. The differences from the book were what jumped out at me. Like the graphic sex. The books are sexy, but not like this. And I didn't feel that it worked; it was like they were going, hey, this is HBO, look at the sex. The other big difference was Rutina Wesley as Tara, Sookie's best friend. Tara here is a completely different character than the one in the books. Which is actually okay by me, because I immediately liked her and her mouth. But everything else did feel like the books: the town of Bon Temps, Merlotte's Bar and Grill, and all of the townie characters were quite familiar to me. Most importantly, they were faithful to the character of Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who is the core of the Southern Vampire books. Born a mind reader, Sookie has spent her life being treated like a freak by many because she can't help reacting to the din she is constantly hearing in her head. And yet, her friends, who see beneath the surface, love her dearly. There were several references to her not dating, not having a boyfriend; the constant din in her head, we assume, makes dating impossible. Bill the vampire gave her something a human man couldn't; he quieted the din in her head. And yay for the casting of Stephen Moyer as Bill. I always felt that Bill was something of a one-note character in the books, but Stephen Moyer has presence and makes Bill as sexy and mysterious as he could possibly be. I also liked Sam Trammell as Sookie's boss, Sam, another key character from the books. I was less thrilled with Jason, Sookie's "selfish, egotistical, complete horndog" of a brother. Well, actually, I don't like him in the books, either. Jason Stackhouse is the most obvious suspect in Maudette's murder, so of course, it can't be him. (That's Billie's second rule of television, although it also applies to movies and books: the most obvious murder suspect in real life is usually the one whodunit, while in television, the opposite is true.) These vampires look exactly like humans, except when their fangs come out. They are burned by silver. Their blood is addictive and intoxicating as well as sexually arousing (and clearly, drinking it doesn't make one a vampire). There are vampire drainers who prey on them. Vampires in this 'verse are a persecuted "minority group." In fact, one can assign a whole gay subtext, if you like. Or not, if you choose. "Tru Blood", the title of the series as well as the synthetic blood that allowed vampires to "come out of the coffin," is a metaphor for the artificiality of vampire existence in the human world. Aptly compared at one point to Slim-Fast, synthetic blood isn't the real thing and doesn't satisfy. Vampires pretend it's enough for them, but it's not. I enjoyed the quirky bits throughout, mostly pertaining to the vampires. My favorite was the billboard that read, "God hates fangs." (You can hear the intolerant "God hates gays" in your head as you're reading it.) Bits and pieces: -- I thought the opening scene was sort of stupid. The point was that the scary-looking clerk was the human, and the ordinary Billy Bob guy was the vamp. Meaning what? That vampires, at their core, are just people who happen to be undead? That we should expect the unexpected? Probably both. -- The lights literally dimmed for her when Sookie first saw Bill. -- Sam, Sookie's cute boss who is in love with her, started out of the bar to save Sookie, and a dog showed up. A dog that Sookie sees around the bar now and then. -- Maudette was clearly death wish girl, and she got her wish. Bill was set up as a suspect because he told Sookie he prefers biting the artery in the groin. Sookie's brother Jason, of course, is also a suspect. -- Gran was reading a book by Charlaine Harris, the author of the books this series is based upon. I couldn't quite make out the title. -- I'm not southern, so I can't tell if the southern-ness was stereotypical or on target. In the books (I really should shut up about the books, but I love them and can't help myself) it feels genuine, probably because the author, Charlaine Harris, is a southerner. -- Bill Maher did a cameo, interviewing "Nan Flanagan," who represents the American Vampire League. -- New Orleans is apparently a mecca for vampires. They must all love Anne Rice. -- I love that there are "fangbangers." I really, really do. -- The episode ended with a cliffhanger: the Rattrays (perfect name for them) were beating Sookie up behind Merlotte's as payback for rescuing Bill. Quotes: Jason: "You know, I read in Hustler that everybody should have sex with a vampire at least once before they die." Sookie: "Oh, don't worry about Sam. He's cool. I know for a fact he supports the Vampire Rights Amendment." Bill: "How progressive of him." Bill: "What are you?" Sookie: "Well, I'm Sookie Stackhouse. And I'm a waitress. What's your name?" Bill: "Bill." Sookie: "Bill? I thought it might be Antoine or Basil or, or, like, Langford, maybe, but Bill? Vampire Bill?" Fairly effective pilot episode. It certainly made me want to see more, Billie View all comments or post a comment. |
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