HBO: True Blood

[EricMontreal22]

I think when Alan Ball was showrunner, even at its worst, it at least had its own internal logic and coherence. Without him, they just randomly make up new "rules" and then just as randomly break them. As for following the books--I guess up till then they did follow the BASIC BASIC story of each book, but the show has been EXTREMELY different from the get-go (which is good, the books are a fun enough read--at least the early ones--but basically trashy romance novels with absolutely horrific writing.)

[EricMontreal22]

This was by far the best episode of the season for me, as well. Lots of silly fun (the flashbacks to the video store seemed like fanfiction but at this point they were fun and so I thought "why not?") and some genuinely touching moments.

But Sookie got on my last nerve. I mean she spent 6 years one way and NOW suddenly she grows up? Sure, maybe it was Alcide's death but apparently he died mere hours before! She also spouted a lot of random stuff about "only a woman would understand this," etc which just seemed weird to me.

[EricMontreal22]

Such a nitpick, but did video rental places reallyhave so many DVDs in *1997*? I mean I know I was very late to get a DVD player (I believe it was 2000) so I guess they did and I just paid no attention.

[YRBB]

As others pointed out, this is the last season. You bet your ass it wouldn't have happened otherwise but I guess I should have said that, just in case it wasn't obvious before.

[RoseVioletDaisy]

They've always said that the older and stronger a vampire is, the quicker he dies in the sun. Maybe it's the same with disease.

Season 7 is following in season 6's footsteps, a really good episode 4 giving way to a really odd, mediocre episode 5.

There had better be some point to these interminable Bill flashbacks because they are painful and seemingly pointless. Did he get HepV from Sookie?

While I loved Nicole going off on everyone about how weird and wrong it was to have a party after all the trauma that had just happened, I couldn't help but think that her speech was a desperate attempt by the writers to acknowledge how weak this episode was. You know, admitting that what you've written is stupid isn't actually an excuse for it.

I like Lafayette with James and Jessica with Jason but did they really have to make the hookups so sleazy? I wonder how Violet is planning on using Adilyn in her revenge.

The only really great part of the episode was Eric ripping the Yakuza guy's jaw right out. But one thing about the Yakuza is driving me crazy. In 1986, they dealt very harshly with Eric's insubordination and are now looking to kill Sara Newlin for infecting the TruBlood supply with HepV and killing their representative. Okay, I get that. But why aren't they going after and seeking to assassinate Bill for ordering the destruction of every single TruBlood factory on Earth back in season 5? Not only would that have cost them several months worth of lost revenue but massive rebuilding costs to get back online. Sara and Burrell wouldn't have been able to do any of what they did in season 6 without Bill's terrorist attacks against humans in season 5 scaring them into going on the offensive.

[Cheap21]

LMAO! Alcide dies and they have an episode where they throw a party about it. i cant

Big Ugh to Lafayette! He screws Jessica's man and then has the nerve to get loud about it? I almost wish Jess had lost control and bit him

Can Lettie may die already?

Pam: "OMG. Im a RepubliCunt!"

Sarah: "Im not a monster; im a Buddhist!"

Jason cheating on his vampire master was pretty foolish. She's crazy. Does he want to get killed?

[marceline]

I actually found this to be the best - as in most coherent - episode of the season for me. They seemed to be hitting true emotional beats instead of just throwing a bunch of sex and blood at the screen.

When Lafayette came over and put Sookie to bed I found myself thinking that I'm sick of him being relegated to Magical Gay Angel so I was thrilled beyond belief when he called out Jess and everyone else for taking him for granted. I hope that he and James end up together.

I actually teared up at Andy's marriage proposal to Holly. There was a time when I wanted nothing but to see someone drain Andy and leave him for dead.

Sookie hearing the forgiving thoughts of the townspeople was a nice character moment. It showed that she's still too stupid to realize how quickly these people will turn on her again.

Bill's flashbacks? Don't care. Bill and Sookie? Don't care.

I liked Willa calling out Pam and Eric for being lousy makers.

Lettie Mae. *sigh* I give mad props to Adina Porter. I've seen her in a bunch of different roles and in none of them has she ever made me hate her character so much. I can't stand the sight of her.

It took me a hot minute to realize that Sarah Newlin's sister was Adam Chandler's daughter.

[cassadine1991]

http://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2014/07/21/true-bloods-nelsan-ellis-dishes-luke-grimes-playing-gay

[marceline]

I might get hated on for saying this but I think people need to stop beating up on Grimes for bailing out. I don't approve of his homophobia but I believe that the right to bodily autonomy is absolute. Whether I agree with his reasons or not, I believe that everybody has the right to say what they will do with or to their body. For me it's no different than actresses who refuse to do nude scenes. For me the real issue is how did this guy get a job on this show without knowing what was expected of him? If you audition for True Blood you have to know that anything and everything is on the table right? Or was this a case of someone who thought he could handle it then when the clothes came off discovered he couldn't?

Frankly, I don't know how half the people on this show manage to do their scenes be they gay, straight or fairy childbirth.

[Skin]

From what I understood of the situation he jumped to be opposite Deborah Woll, when it became clear his character wouldn't be spending a majority of his screen time with her he bolted, and said he had been misled.

[YRBB]

I'm not sure whether I loved or hated episode 5 but I did enjoy the smaller moments the characters had, as well as Eric ripping that jaw out (such a True Blood moment!). And the twist at the end with Bill was great, although I'm not quite sure where they are going with all those flashbacks. Is it simply to give Bill material for this season other than reuniting with Sookie?

Pam's "Republicunt" and Sarah's "I'm not a monster... I'm a Buddhist!" lines were fantastic.

Andy's proposal to Holly and Sookie putting on Alcide's leather jacket got me.

LMAO at Lafayette topping James. And I was hoping Jessica would just shrug her shoulders and move on when she caught them.

[Cheap21]

last night's show was great! I love how everything is coming together and every scene seemed to work. Plus none of that stupid Lettie Mae nonsense to stink up the joint.

Was I the only one grossed out by the Hep V sex though? I don't know how Sookie could get turned on by that. It was gross

[Antoyne]

I've left every episode this season wondering if I even liked the episodes.

[marceline]

Sookie's a "danger whore" remember?

[RoseVioletDaisy]

That was gross. The only thing that would've saved it would've been Bill exploding into a puddle of TrueDeathGoo all over her. Now that would've elevated the episode from a solid D- to a shaky C+. What's killing this whole thing is the knowledge that they will absolutely never kill off the loathsome killjoy that is Bill Compton, no matter how unpopular and despised he is. There's no urgency because he won't die and we all know it.

Episode 4, when Pam & Eric finally got back to Louisiana and they all attacked the HepV vamps at Fangtasia, is the only episode this season that I've truly enjoyed with no qualification. Episodes 2, 3, and 5 had some decent moments, mostly Eric, Pam, or Lafayette related but were mediocre overall. Episodes 1, 6, and 7 were just terrible. All three were scattered, dreary, and had almost no narrative movement. This season could've easily been wrapped up in 3 or 4 episodes. Even Eric and Pam scenes are dragging because they're both being written so out of character. Catching Sarah Newlin had better bring out the snarky badass in both of them because I am so over Eric and Pam as weepy, depressing whiners.