Perhaps my not-so-like (I won't call it dislike, because I really do like this show) of this season's "True Blood" comes from the lack of use of the original cast and the sudden overuse of the new characters.
Sookie, Bill, Sam, Eric, Tara and even Sookie's idiot brother Jason all have lots more to tell us and have explored, yet the bulk of the screen time this season, especially the exciting screen time, seems to be given to the likes of Alcide, Lorena, Franklin, Sam's family, the King of Mississippi, Kitch, etc. Granted, I like all the new additions, but the reason I started watching the show, and the reason I remain, is the main, original, cast. One has to ask, do the original characters still have power for the writers? And if not, why not?
All that said, this episode was a slight improvement over the first few. Maybe like many of the other HBO series, it takes some time to get rolling, and perhaps "True Blood" was just lucky the first two seasons and immune from HBO-itis. 
The give and take between Sookie and Bill and Sookie and Alcide feels like either an ironic or sarcastic, but definitely deliberate parody of what's going on in theatres with Twilight right now. Amusing it may be, I would still rather not have that parallel so painfully paraded. Let's put it this way - with this comparison so evident, it's almost impossible to get new folks interested in the series because of the negative connotation Twilight has with older audiences. It might be an inside joke that tickling the heck out of a small handful of folks, but it's detrimental to the growth of "True Blood" in the long run I think. 
Some observations about "9 Crimes"... it was nice to see inside Kenya's brain if only for a few seconds. I hope we see more of it. The conversation between Bill and King Russell Edgington was fascinating. Nice to see how our world is affecting vampire society instead of the other way around. No one escapes the IRS. The Postmortum, a brief police interrogation video, does this as well, giving a sweet glimpse inside the vampire civilization. This is also something I'd like to see more of.
Other tidbits I liked included the Goody Osburn reference, props to the writers on that one. I loved Sookie's imitation of the evil Sandy at the end of Grease. And is it just my imagination or does the "True Blood" casting department have a preference for redheads? Not that I mind of course. I also liked how the closing song, "9 Crimes" by Damien Rice, plays so well with the themes of the episode. It's this kind of attention to music that sets this show apart.
That's quite a cliffhanger this week, eh? Dogpile on the Sookie, can't wait to see what happens next. So, until next time, ponder this, why would William Shakespeare steal spoons?
I too have been loving True Blood and it is unfortunate that it should get compared to Twilight. However, it was way back in 2003 that Alcide was introduced as a possible love rival for Sookie in Club Dead, whereas New Moon wasn't released for another 3 years.
ReplyDeleteOh well, I look foward to the rest of the series.
That may be true, but for many folks, the TV series and the film series are their first exposure to these characters. The simultaneous familiarity, in their eyes at least, is not a good thing.
ReplyDeleteLike you though, I am looking forward to the rest of season three. My next episode review should be up shortly.
Alas you are right,and what is also true is that without the popularity of Twilight it's probable that True Blood wouldn't be on the air. This makes me very sad.
ReplyDelete