HBO: True Blood

[EricMontreal22]

I kinda love how over the top the show's becoming--I'm *really* excited for the final three episodes as everything seems to be coming to a peak. One thing I like about the show is how they have quite a few different stories and character interactions going on but you still get a real sense of location and community.

[EricMontreal22]

I have to say I LOVED the past ep of True Blood--it's now on high gear and you can see every story coming to a great climax and all intertwining--it's thrilling. Jason found his heart through the captured vampire and now realizes he's saddled with a psycho, Tara's heartbreak (did she bump into a naked woman with a cow? what?), Sookie realizing her hypocricy with Sam and his "problem", Bill finally having to behave as a vampire if he wants to survive--it's absolutely thrilling in a way I can't see with any other tv show right now. I know others hate the show--prob for the way it revels in pulpiness, but I kinda wonder why? (I have one friend who just keeps complaining that it's not Six Feet Under--but I'm glad Alan Ball has finally approached new themes)

[JackPeyton]

Its really has stepped up and its an amazing show now. I dont even FF anything now! lol.

And wow, im shocked about your friends.because i think this show is JUST like 6FU when it coems to tone and whatnot.

[EricMontreal22]

I see the same quality as SFU but I find it quite diff. Although one thing it has in common is nearly all the characters are well rounded--I like how liek with SFU one week you might be agreeing with one character and not so into another and the next week you see thing from their perspective--much like real life

[BadZoe]

I'm in shock, was that an entire episode without sex? Or did I blink and miss it?

[EricMontreal22]

HAHAH there's too much plot for that. We had a few almost sex scenes tho The heads at HBO musta been upset if the rumours are true

[Juliajms]

[BadZoe]

What rumors, please tell, or PM me if they can't be openly posted.

[EricMontreal22]

Just the rumours of sexing up there shows more to compete with SHowtime.

I thought this past week was great. Love that the pig lady (who I'm sur eis a creepy Maenad--what other mythical characters had pics and were naked?) is now looking after Tara--her cruel mom, the scenes with Bill's sire, the whole sam/bill/sookie triangle. And I loved that just as I was certain I knew who the killer was they confirmed it--not dragged it out like they usually do in mysteries, past the point the audience all knows.

[mr. sweet]

I LOVE this show!! The point when I truly suspected that it was Rene was when he asked Jason if Amy sleeps with vamps. And wow, it was confirmed in the same episode. I hope Alan Ball is writing the last episode.

[EricMontreal22]

He's not oddly, just directing (I heard the production schedule was bumped faster than they thought so he didn't have time, though he does have a lot of input on final drafts of every script). Nancy Oliver, one of my fave Six Feet Under writers, wrote and directed this past week's one.

[mr. sweet]

Thanks though that is disappointing news. Regardless, I have loved every episode of this show.

[Juliajms]

I thought the season finale was really good. The end with Sookie and Tara screaming was perfect. I just hope that body wasn't Lafeyette, although I think it was. I was hoping Bill was the one who feed on him and didn't kill him, but now I bet it was someone or something else. Maybe the Meanad. So glad we don't have to wait a whole year to find out.

[EricMontreal22]

Finally watched and, yeah *that's* how you do a finale. As you said the first 40 or so mins wrapped up the main mystery, and I felt like they did a good job--there was tons of suspense, I liked the reactions of the characters to what had happened, ie letting Rene's fiancee (blanking on her name) find out at the same time, not drawing things out. And then the last ten minutes were the perfect intro to the next season--and did really leave me depressed we'll have to wait till Summer. (it kinda reminded me how big selling authors will often have a teaser chapter for their upcoming novel at the end of the paperback edition of their current title).

Quote

said:

"I have only one major complaint about the season as a whole: I think it moves too quickly. I felt as though some of the characters that were killed could have been examined to great effect (Sookie's grandmother and Amy come to mind). I think some of the elements, most notably Tara's subplot involving the Maenad, could have waited until Season 2 to have been introduced."

I think it was smart to start it now actually--but apparantly Tara isn't even in the books till the third one I think, so maybe that played a part. I've heard different reports about how closely Season 2 will follow the next book in the series, from fairly close like this did to not at all with a new story being worked out by Ball with the help of Harris the novel authors.

I do SOMEWHAT agree with you. For the most part I appreciate how fast it moves, and find that we still get some great slower character scenes. But a few things feel strange--I sometimes it feels like characters should grieve longer than they do (Jason immediately going back to drinking and [!@#$%^&*] after Grandma died made sense with his character, but Sookie in the next episode being on Cloud 9 cuz of her encounter with Bill, despite her death, felt too much to me for example). The final bit of the finale took place 2 weeks later--it's nitpicking but after all that--especially from the point of view of Rene's fiancee, I woulda bought it being 2 months later more realistically.

I doubt very much Bill drained Lafayette--even though until you said that I didn't put two and two together with his comment about feeding and that scene happening immediately before! Still, it seems out of character. That said this makes me think of one other random complaint--Bill killed Sookie's crippled, awful molesting great uncle. Did Sookie or anyone ever find out even that he was dead? It almost feels like maybe some quick scene was dropped.

Who's body came out of the Sheriff's car? We saw a black foot with painted toenails which means it could be Lafayette (but two weeks after being drained?), or I was thinking Lettie Mae, Tara's mom. Why was Sam getting money? To buy off the Maenad (is her name Maryanne? god I'm bad with character names)? She seems rich already... I do love that whole plot and am intrigued by it--and if it's some sort of punishment, her influencing Tara, to some past indescretion of Sam's.

And yeah Jason going all evangelical, anti vampire Christian is a great twist I think. I can see it causing severe conflict with Sookie and Bill (again) and also obviously providing comic setups with him trying to control his libido (the church doesn't seem like it's too pro promsicuity...).

I also really appreciate where the show is for the second season. So often when a mystery is held over a full season it ends up disappointing but, this one made sense (yeah the mind reading thing is a bit of a cheat, but no worse than some Agatha Christie has pulled off) and was satisfying--but also how the stories around it were dealt with and the setups. I also love that we have a pretty good sense of community and many of the smaller characters (again I suck at names but, like the Mama's boy, the vet with PTSD, etc) have really come into their own despite never having major scenes and could become big players in the next story. Anyway a pretty great finale I think.

New York Post Blogs had a good interview with Sam Trammell, who plays Sam Merlotte about the finale, the show and hints to next season http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2...blood_fina.html

[Juliajms]

Ashley Jones (Bridget, B& is joining the cast next season.

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/12/ashley-jones-an.html