# True Blood returns **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783 "2009-06-15T00:39:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/21 "2009-06-15T22:59:01Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I thought the episode was dreadful. Bad writing and bad acting, particularly the cops, as AuntiePam says. Oh, it was totally awful. The worst was Anna Paquin’s completely over-the-top acting in her fight with Bill. Her Scarlett O’Hara rendition of, “God damn you Bill Compton!” had me in stitches. I don’t believe that was the intended effect. Whatever, the writing and acting was bad last season, too, and I still loved it. I hope Sookie finds out about Eric’s dungeon. That girl still has an entirely too bright view of vampires. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/22 "2009-06-16T00:54:58Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Yeah, but it felt faked. Maybe I was projecting – I wouldn’t have fallen for it, so I assume Jessica didn’t either. Agreeing to be a “good girl” is so totally out of character for the brat vampire that it HAS to be an act. I assume that next week will have Sookie rueing that she made the deal with her. So far, this seems nothing like the book. If so, can I request that Sookie break up with Bill earlier than in the books, and bone Eric this season? ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/23 "2009-06-16T01:30:02Z")
I was rewatching tonight (husband was out of town and didn’t get to see it last night). Was Eric…having his hair highlighted when he came down to the dungeon? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/24 "2009-06-16T01:46:53Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > I was rewatching tonight (husband was out of town and didn’t get to see it last night). Was Eric…having his hair highlighted when he came down to the dungeon? I can’t think of another reason for foil in his hair. But weren’t vikings - those that weren’t redheads, that is - true towheads? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/25 "2009-06-16T01:49:13Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > So far, this seems nothing like the book. Word was last season that they were going to use the first book as a template and as a basis for the first season, but after that they were going to largely jettison the book plots and start taking things in their ( the producers ) own direction. Don’t know how much they’re going to stick with that, but then I scarcely remember the second and third books at all, which is as far as I ever got ( I think ). Good? Well, no - I have to agree it was pretty overwrought and frothy. I only stuck with the first season for first several episodes, so I don’t know how long I’ll stick with this one either. But I have to say I’m another that must disagree with **CrazyCatLady** re: Anna Paquin’s state of (un)dress ;). ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/26 "2009-06-16T04:35:11Z")
I kept expecting Lafayette to make a ROOTS/Kunta Kinte crack while chained up in (what isn’t but) looks like the hull of a ship. I’m assuming that he’s chained for suspicion in the killing of Eddie (aka Bill Dauterive- Vampire). If Jason is born again (sorta kinda) I wonder how they’re going to work his naked butt into every episode. I’m guessing they’ll find a way. I haven’t read the books so I don’t know if it’s an issue or not, but I don’t understand why Sookie doesn’t wake up and smell the True Blood Latte- Bill is a major jerk. He endangers her by being with her- attracting both vampires and vampiphobes to her- and yet he’s completely unable to protect her during the day, he’s unable to give her a child, in 20 years she’ll be 45 and he’ll be exactly the age he is now, and the only restaurant they can ever go to together is Waffle House (assuming they serve True Blood ‘scattered chunked and bludgeoned’). Sam may have fleas and want to sniff her butt once in a while but at least he can walk with her in daytime and do regular “couple stuff” without one of them dying a supernatural death. For those who have read the books: is Sam Merlotte the age he appears? (I was wondering if shape shifters age the same as humans or if it slows down the aging process, because in one of his flashbacks it looked like it was a 1950s-ish scene.) I had the same critique about “there are vampires and all kinds of weird shit happening all over the world yet they don’t believe in voodoo” and “you know that Sookie has ESP, the police should use her like the only woman on a pirate ship”. Also agree about Sanderson being wasted, but he took the job freely and of his own will. ETA: Sanderson actually discusses his character having little to do in [this recent interview.](http://www.buddytv.com/articles/true-blood/exclusive-interview-with-true-29151.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/27 "2009-06-16T12:35:23Z")
I don’t have HBO. So is True Blood sort of like their “adult” version of the Twilight series or something? ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/28 "2009-06-16T12:48:21Z")
Actually, the Sookie Stackhouse books pre-date Twillight. They are adult, very entertaining and IMHO, very tongue in cheek. I’m on #5 and they are actually getting better as they go unlike Twillight which starts out pathetic and ends up just plain crazy bad. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/29 "2009-06-16T13:29:31Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I kept expecting Lafayette to make a ROOTS/Kunta Kinte crack while chained up in (what isn’t but) looks like the hull of a ship. I’m assuming that he’s chained for suspicion in the killing of Eddie (aka Bill Dauterive- Vampire). I thought it was just for selling V. Did we see his capture last season? I don’t remember it, but I have a bad memory for TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/30 "2009-06-16T13:49:21Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I haven’t read the books so I don’t know if it’s an issue or not, but I don’t understand why Sookie doesn’t wake up and smell the True Blood Latte- Bill is a major jerk. He endangers her by being with her- attracting both vampires and vampiphobes to her- and yet he’s completely unable to protect her during the day, he’s unable to give her a child, in 20 years she’ll be 45 and he’ll be exactly the age he is now, and the only restaurant they can ever go to together is Waffle House (assuming they serve True Blood ‘scattered chunked and bludgeoned’). Sam may have fleas and want to sniff her butt once in a while but at least he can walk with her in daytime and do regular “couple stuff” without one of them dying a supernatural death. Remember, the reason Sookie likes vampires is that she can’t hear their thoughts. Her relationships with human men don’t work out because she can hear every little thing they’re thinking. She can hear shapeshifters a little. And yeah, Bill is eventually revealed to be a jerk, although in the latest book (no. 9, I think it is) Sookie is still pining for him a bit, and he seems to be trying to make up for his jerkishness. Book-Eric is way more appealing than Bill. Of course, the show is bearing less resemblance to the books with every episode. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/31 "2009-06-16T14:10:35Z")
> [@The\_Weird\_One](#): > > I thought it was just for selling V. Did we see his capture last season? I don’t remember it, but I have a bad memory for TV series. We saw it implied that something or someone had attacked him the night Sookie killed Rene. Right before Bill showed up at her house all miraculously healed and saying he had fed, which was right before we saw Sam and Tara talking about giving away his job. Which was, of course, not long before the last shot, which was of the foot hanging out of Andy’s car. **Cukoorex** , it’s based on a series of novels that are sort of similar to the Twilight books, so in that sense you’re sort of right. Sookie and Bella are both total Mary Sues whose lives are complicated by being sooooooo unspeakably, wonderfully _special_ and only someone as special as a vampire (or other supernatural being) can see how special they are and appreciate them and earn their love. Enjoyable little books, to be sure, but still total Mary Sue vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/32 "2009-06-16T14:42:02Z")
Sookie didn’t start off as too much of a Mary Sie, but it’s gotten worse in later books. And since I liked Bill’s strong-but-silent persona, his being typed as a jerk in the later books gets my goat. I don’t do cable, so I’ve never seen the series, but it sounds promisingly entertaining. I wonder if it’s on Hulu… ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/33 "2009-06-16T15:47:58Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > I’m still intrigued. > > And two humorous moments got me laughing: > > Marianne: “Nobody needed towels!” > > and Eric appearing mid-highlight to foil the escape plot > > Come to think of it, those are both pretty artful moments, because they are funny, but at the same time accentuate how awful and inhuman the respective people are. Yeah, those two scenes were the highlight of the episode. I disagree with all those who thought it was a bad episode. If we could just find some way to get Bill and Sookie out of the show it’d be fabulous. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/34 "2009-06-16T17:52:42Z")
My dvr cut off the ending just after Lafayette was aghast at the carnage. Did anything happen after that? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/35 "2009-06-16T17:58:25Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > If Jason is born again (sorta kinda) I wonder how they’re going to work his naked butt into every episode. I’m guessing they’ll find a way. I’m farily certain he’ll be nailing the preacher’s wife soon, which should rid him of his curchiness. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/36 "2009-06-16T22:30:33Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > In the books, she is a [Maenad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maenad). I figured it was something like that. You had the sexual frenzy, the obvious hint with the Pan painting, and what looked to be a fertility statue. What with her and the dog, I think it’s amusing how they throw in these obscure supernatural creatures. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/37 "2009-06-17T00:39:51Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > I’m farily certain he’ll be nailing the preacher’s wife soon, which should rid him of his curchiness. I kind of hope so, that preacher deserves it. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/38 "2009-06-17T00:40:52Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > I figured it was something like that. > > You had the sexual frenzy, the obvious hint with the Pan painting, and what looked to be a fertility statue. What with her and the dog, I think it’s amusing how they throw in these obscure supernatural creatures. Marianne is super hot. I want to see a scene with her and Eric in it so badly. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/39 "2009-06-17T05:07:42Z")
> [@wonderlust](#): > > My dvr cut off the ending just after Lafayette was aghast at the carnage. Did anything happen after that? Nope. Just a nice Randy Travis song over the closing credits. At least I _think_ that was Randy Travis. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783/40 "2009-06-17T11:01:24Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > If Jason is born again (sorta kinda) I wonder how they’re going to work his naked butt into every episode. I’m guessing they’ll find a way. Sorry, but according to an interview I read a couple days ago with Alan Ball (sorry, I can’t be arsed to hunt it down again), there’s little or no no naked Jason butt this season. Looks like there’ll be plenty of other naked butts to spare, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-blood-returns/499783.md?page=3)