True Blood

[Dr. Pickles OB/GYN]

I just watched it on the ol' On Demand dealie and I kinda liked it. I'll definitely watch the next episode, which is about the highest praise I can give a new cable series at this point.

Anna Paquin had the slutty trailer cajun thing going on, which I thought was a plus.



It just seems like every time I watch a new HBO series I always end up thinking, "They cancelled Deadwood/Carnivale for this shit???"

Then I end up thinking about the supposed Preacher series they have apparently scrapped and it makes me think about suicide. :(

[Jed o' Tarth]

[quote name='SwordoftheMorning' post='1509985' date='Sep 8 2008, 14.50']HBO hasn't had this much silly fun going on since they stuck the Cryptkeeper back in his hole.

LOL[/quote]

QFT


The cook wasn't wearing a blue-jean skirt! He was wearing a [url="http://www.utilikilts.com/"]utilikilt[/url]! Those things are awesome. :D

I agree that it was super-cheese. Entertaining like a bubble-gum novel. I think the initial pop of teeth was terrible and looked so fake, like something my kid-brother would wear at Halloween.

I'll be watching more because Mr. Tarth really liked it. Although, I intend to read the books so I can get a better perspective on the base of this show. For all the cheese, it wasn't funny enough.

[TerraPrime]

[quote name='Triskele' post='1514541' date='Sep 11 2008, 16.20']Is the 2nd one On Demand already? What time does a new episode officially air?[/quote]

No, it leaked. The scheduled air time is Sunday, iirc.

[Melikon]

This show's for women. Some new form of Sex in the City.
I curse Anne Rice and Hollywood for glamorizing these undead monsters. Vampires were meant for burnings or heart piercings not sex.

BTW, you know once they become vampires their cocks shrivel up and fall off right?

[Tobin]

[quote name='Melikon' post='1515189' date='Sep 12 2008, 09.34']This show's for women. Some new form of Sex in the City.
I curse Anne Rice and Hollywood for glamorizing these undead monsters. Vampires were meant for burnings or heart piercings not sex.

BTW, you know once they become vampires their cocks shrivel up and fall off right?[/quote]


Nah, you just have to burn blood points to get it up.

[Jakob Lightbringer]

[quote name='Tobin' post='1515407' date='Sep 12 2008, 10.59']Nah, you just have to burn blood points to get it up.[/quote]

My sources tell me there is a vampiric discipline called "Potence". ;)

[Tobin]

[quote name='Jakob Lightbringer' post='1515417' date='Sep 12 2008, 12.11']My sources tell me there is a vampiric discipline called "Potence". ;)[/quote]


There is, but I haven't heard it used in conjunction with that...
I'd think that if Potence came into play during sex - someone is likely going to the emergency room.

Plus, not all vampires have Potence - some just don't have the right [i]heritage[/i]. :P

[Commodore]

I'm enjoying it more after seeing the 2nd episode, but they need to dump the whole vampire rights thing, it's just a ham handed vehicle to take shots at Christians.

The show should be mindless bubble gum fun.

[The Iceman of the North]

[quote name='Commodore' post='1516491' date='Sep 13 2008, 08.04']I'm enjoying it more after seeing the 2nd episode, but they need to dump the whole vampire rights thing, it's just a ham handed vehicle to take shots at Christians.[/quote]
Not sure about that, given what happened to the pastor and his family.

[Mexal]

[quote name='Commodore' post='1516491' date='Sep 13 2008, 02.04']I'm enjoying it more after seeing the 2nd episode, but they need to dump the whole vampire rights thing, it's just a ham handed vehicle to take shots at Christians.

The show should be mindless bubble gum fun.[/quote]

Well, if part of the show is about vampires coming out of the coffin, it makes sense that they have problems getting rights :dunno:

[EHK for Darwin]

[quote name='Mexal' post='1516585' date='Sep 13 2008, 09.06']Well, if part of the show is about vampires coming out of the coffin, it makes sense that they have problems getting rights :dunno:[/quote]

Sure the basic concept makes sense. But the way they're going about it is nonsensical. Not to mention heavy-handed and incredibly preachy. When the preacher was on TV I wanted to slam my head through the wall. When 'Bill' had his 'We just want equal rights' discussion with the brother I wanted to pull my head out and slam it through again.

Otherwise I agree that the side characters got a bit better. Pacquin seems to shift between acting and over-acting at regular intervals, her pasted on accent going into overdrive (overkill) at times. The tone of the show is...inconsistent at best. Not sure if it wants to be silly or serious, quirky or violent. And the shifts are sometimes pretty damned abrupt. Its definitely not up to HBO's typical standards, but its watchable and something they can build on I guess.

[TerraPrime]

[quote name='Triskele' post='1518183' date='Sep 15 2008, 02.31']So we now get that vamp blood not only is drug-like for humans but has major healing powers. We dont' know what Bill's deal is but I get the feeling he'll be a benevolent figure in the end.[/quote]

So far this is shaping up to be an Angel-Buffy relationship. Wonder if the script writers are going to diverge from that formula or not. Give them some time and I'm sure we'll find out.

[Ran]

Linda and I are digging it more. There's a really well-captured seediness to these people's lives, it's rather cool. The Bill character is an interesting set of contradictions -- that naturally vampires should have equal rights, but vampires aren't human and that it's fine if he glamours someone into donating some blood and then making them forget about it. I like the job the actor is doing with the part -- he crosses over from the darker, more introverted character to a courtly southern gentleman quite easily.

To what degree is Sookie's naivete due to her telepathy, I wonder? She seems to find it awkward to really converse well with people, perhaps because she tends to pick up everything about them from the get go.

[TerraPrime]

[quote name='Ran' post='1518497' date='Sep 15 2008, 10.17']To what degree is Sookie's naivete due to her telepathy, I wonder? She seems to find it awkward to really converse well with people, perhaps because she tends to pick up everything about them from the get go.[/quote]

I don't know that her telepathy lets her pick up everything from the get go. I am under the impression that she has access only to the predominant thought at the time. Could be wrong though.

I also think that Sookie has telekenesis as well. In the first episode, she used it to wrap the chain around the guy's neck. In the second episode, she threw him towards the tree. So it seems like a Jean Grey thing to me for now.

It's also consistent that Sookie's telepathy seems to be running on over-drive after she got the blood, what with it sharpening her senses and all.

Oh, is it me alone or did the exchange between Sookie and Grandma come across as a hint that Grandma might have some level of the telepathy too?

[Ken Stone]

[quote name='TerraPrime' post='1518568' date='Sep 15 2008, 11.13']I also think that Sookie has telekenesis as well. In the first episode, she used it to wrap the chain around the guy's neck. In the second episode, she threw him towards the tree. So it seems like a Jean Grey thing to me for now.[/quote]

I didn't think Sookie was responsible for throwing the guy into the tree. I thought she grabbed his leg and then Bill showed up and blasted him.

[quote name='TerraPrime' post='1518568' date='Sep 15 2008, 11.13']Oh, is it me alone or did the exchange between Sookie and Grandma come across as a hint that Grandma might have some level of the telepathy too?[/quote]

There is definitely something going on with Grandma. I hadn't thought it was telepathy but maybe it is. She seems pretty comfortable with the vampire though and that to me implies supernatural something.

[Ran]

TP,

[quote]Oh, is it me alone or did the exchange between Sookie and Grandma come across as a hint that Grandma might have some level of the telepathy too?[/quote]

SPOILER: Harris's books

In the books, it turns out that Sookie's telepathy is due to her great-grandfather being a faerie prince. If Ball is keeping that sort of thing -- he's keeping shapeshifters, so why not faeries? -- then her grandmother's reaction might have to do with that somehow.

The telekinesis with the chain... I _believe_ we saw around that time that there was a shadowy women watching from the trees. I thought that this implied it was this woman, whoever it was, who did it and not Sookie. I recall thinking the woman was connected to Bill somehow and was trying to protect him.

[Rhaco]

[quote name='an00biel' post='1512171' date='Sep 10 2008, 05.03']Sorry, AverageGuy, the barowner is NOT a werewolf! :P[/quote]
Huh. Maybe he's not a weredog or whatever, but the show is really hinting that there's something supernatural going on with him. Like the conversation in the second episode. He tells Sookie that it must be nice not being able to hear the vampire, then asks if she can hear him. Why would he ask that? I mean, why would he think he'd also be an exception to the rule if he's nothing more than human? And of course at the end of the conversation, the camera pans over to the painting of the dog watching over the woman.

[quote name='Ken Stone' post='1518583' date='Sep 15 2008, 11.28']I didn't think Sookie was responsible for throwing the guy into the tree. I thought she grabbed his leg and then Bill showed up and blasted him.[/quote]
Same here.

[Jed o' Tarth]

All the WW references here are pretty funny. How many blood points did he spend saving her from the Rattrays? What was the difficulty? :read:



The show seems to have the same structure every episode so far (yeah, yeah. only 2 episodes) like House. House has Hugh Laurie and his great ability to deliver lines so well. His quips make the series. True Blood does not have Hugh Laurie or anything even remotely *like* Hugh or Dr. House.

It's placed the main character in danger at the end of each episode which doesn't leave much for a cliff-hanger. Really? You're going to kill off the main character and end the series? Can't wait to see the next episode! She might not survive!! :gasp:

Second episode and I'm already starting to loose interest. Gosh I hope it get's better.



i'm guessing the bar-owner isn't a lycanthrope, but he may be able to 'speak' with animals. He's definitely got some sort of connection with that dog.

SPOILER: Harris's books

Maybe he's a pookah? Sent by her ancestors to protect her?

[Analu]

Just watched the first two episodes at my sisters place. Only skimmed thru this thread, but my impression is that it's pretty bad. The vampires are almost laughably unscary. How the hell did Bill get captured by that redneck couple in the first place? By the silver necklace? Shouldn't his vampire reflexes have kicked in enough to overpower two half-in-the-tank hillbillies?

Feels like a wannabe-HBO show made by a second-rate cable channel that should've aired 10 years ago, when Anne Rice and her Lestat garbage were all the rage.

Edit: And thanks to whoever noted that it was EB Farnum (Deadwood) and Frank Sobotka (The Wire) as the sheriff and deputy. That was driving me nuts, trying to figure out where I knew those characters from.

[Darling]

I'm a big fan of the books, so when Charlaine Harris made the announcement on her website I could hardly wait for the series to air. Unfortunately, the first two episodes have been a major disappointment. I think a lot of the humor from the books isn't coming through the very well. It can't be easy to turn a first person POV into a TV series -- so many of the witty lines are internal dialogue. It doesn't help that I detest Anna Paquin; I don't like her acting and she's a total butter face. And I know it's HBO, but what's with the shamelessly gratuitous sex scenes?

Like others have said, my fingers are crossed that Alan Ball will stop using "cliffhangers" to end episodes. (Can it be called a cliffhanger if you know that nothing serious is going to happen to the main character?) It particularly doesn't work when your series is based on a book that I'm sure a decent amount of people have already read.

I'll probably give it 1 more opportunity -- 2 tops -- to redeem itself.