True Blood Review!

So you know I like True Blood, right? I mean, do you even know me at all? This season has been really just a treat. The first season was good, and it was interesting to see the transition from the world of the books to the world of the HBO series. I had some problems the first season, in dealing with that transition. I was unhappy with some of the differences, and I missed some of the book scenes that didn't make it. But season one was all about introducing characters I'd been reading about for 8 books, so it makes sense that I felt connected to that story and bummed whenever Jason Stackhouse's manslut story took center stage sometimes. After a season, I feel more comfortable with the directions, no matter how different, the show is taking. But the Sookie story is the most difficult one I negotiate. She seemed so strong and upright in the books, and in the show I find her naive and petulant more often than strong.

Anyway, so if you have been watching this season, Maryanne (who is the maenad Callisto in the books) has been taking Bon Temps by storm, summoning up, or maybe harnessing the lust, drunkeness, and chaos in the hearts of its citizens. When she's not busy hosting orgies and professing her love for following your bliss or whatever, she puts on a bull head and goes off cutting people up with her monster hands. Yeah, it's been that kind of season.

She has finagled her way into poor Tara's life, and Sookie's house While she's having orgies in Sookie's backyard (I've been expecting the ghost of Gran to appear any moment), Sookie herself has been in Dallas, helping find a wayward vampire. Jason, who bummed me out last season by taking up valuable screen time, has also been on his own adventure, with the Fellowship of the Sun, the anti-vampire church/terrorist group. Sometimes, when I encounter people in the real world who are hateful right-wingers or zealots or terrorists or reminiscent of Manson family members, I refer to the as FOTS.

Anyway, last night's episode was grand. I hope you've been watching, because the following will mostly make sense only to those who know what's been going on. I have really enjoyed the season, but it really went off in episode 9. Here's my review. Spoilers ahoy!

A Plot: Dallas Vamps
In the previous episode, true believer and FOTS member Luke had arrived at Godric's mansion as a suicide bomber strapped with a bomb complete with silver bullets and tiny wooden stakes. This episode starts with his explosion all over the inside of the mansion. Many vamps and humans were killed, including Stan! Stan Davis in the books was a nerd. Or at least he affected a nerdy persona, complete with fake glasses held together with tape, like you'd see in central casting for nerds circa 1950. Anyway, True Blood's version of Stan was an unintentionally hilarious Midnight Cowboy type of guy, with a slow draaaaaaawl and a cowboy hat. I do believe he almost said "yee haw" in every scene. It was right there, on the tip of his tongue, I swear. Poor Stan still lives in the books, if I'm not mistaken, but not on TV. He decorates the walls of the Dallas Sheriff's mansion.

Just like in Living Dead in Dallas, Eric uses this opportunity to fool Sookie into getting some of his blood in her system. Only in the book, the scene plays out a little differently. In the books, Bill goes off to fight the FOTS attackers, leaving Sookie by herself and not even checking to see if she was OK. In the show, Bill's first words are "Sookie!?" in that way that Bill has of saying her name. When he finds her, pinned to the floor by Eric, who has shielded her from the blast, Eric orders him to chase down the attackers. A minor change, but one that totally changes Bill for me.

TV Bill never lets Sookie down. His love for her is his number one thing. He's like the Bella of True Blood. Get a hobby, Bill! Don't let Sookie be your whole life. Or death. Or whatever. TV Bill doesn't even own property like book Bill. Anyway, Eric convinces Sookie to suck the silver bullets out of his chest and neck, which was just as awesome as it was in the book. His manipulative nature is replicated well, but it was important in the book that he took advantage of a moment when Bill was not the best boyfriend, which made Sookie look at him differently. She was still insulted by being manipulated, but she also thought his protection of her while Bill was out killing FOTS guys was important. TV Bill didn't even kill the one FOTS guy he hunted! His right hook to Eric's eye was a brave and chivalrous move, but even that was about Sookie's honor. Bah.

Sookie's Eric dream ruled. That is all.



Godric's suicide by sunlight, and Eric's tearful goodbye was very moving, but I find it interesting that they left out book Godric's penchant for child molestation and child murder. It would have made his self-hatred more resonant, I think. But it also would have dulled the looooove that Eric had for him in the eyes of the viewer. Their love was so beautiful, even though his tattoos were not.

B Plot: Maryanne is Batshit Crazy

Clearly, Maryanne is obsessed with Sam. Can't wait to find out why. Is it just that he wasn't into having sex with her when he was a scared 16 year old? Is it that he doesn't want to be vibrated to death? Who knows. She's e-v-i-l. And I bet Sookie is gonna be pissed when she sees how at home she's made herself in Gran's kitchen.

Lafayette's protective qualities come out when it looks like Tara's been hit by Eggs, and he is down to fight when it's necessary, which is such a good quality for his character. It's a credit to the actor, Nelsan Ellis, that even though he is angry and ready to fight, there is a visible layer of sadness and fear that plagues him since his time in Fangtasia's basement of horrors from earlier in the season. Even in the book the maenad was unstoppable, and then only by tribute and the deaths of a very few orgy-loving Bon Tempians would she go away. I'm scared for the next episode.

Oh, and Sam turns into a housefly in order to escape jail so he doesn't get trapped by Maryanne. then he hangs out at Sookie's watching Tara, Eggs and Maryanne play cards. And finally, when he knocks on Andy Bellefleur's hotel room door and asks to be let in, totally naked, Andy asks him in. Besides Lafayette, these are the last two sane people in the town! Only a few episodes left and this does not bode well.

C Plot: Hoyt Loves Jessica

Can we hear it for Hoyt, who dresses down his mom (finally)? And for his approach to Jessica's delicate situation in which because she was made a vampire before losing her virginity, her hymen grows back after each time she has sex. Talk about your bad days. It's proof that I watch/read too much of this stuff, because my first thought was "I bet she can have it removed surgically with silver and it wouldn't grow back." Maybe it's time I had a vampire intervention. Seriously, though, how bad is Bill at being a maker. He hasn't once thought of Jessica since he sent her home. No call, not even a begrudging text when it was clear that Dallas vamps had been lit up like Christmas trees. Bill is the worst dad.

Final Call:
A+ episode
TV Bill is hotter than book Bill, but also needs maybe to have hobbies other than Wii golf.
TV Sookie's wardrobe is horrible, and yet miraculously better than book Sookie's.