Blood Work "True Blood" video blog Ep. 2: Drunk on "Blood"

If it follows the books then Jason does not become a vampire. He has a rather different fate in store for him.

Alabama Thunder Pussy is a band. http://www.atprva.com/

 

 

 

How could Bill be so easily subdued by those two vampire blood drug-runners? I mean he's lived for 150 years as a vampire - I don't think he would still be guileless in these matters. I suspect that that whole seen in the dinner when Bill first showed up was all a set up for Sookie. The Vampires know about her weird nature. 

I suspect that some Vampire entranced those Vampire Blood Drug-Runners into trying to drain Bill. Then they had to kill them so that there wouldn't be an evidence trail.

I also suspect that Bill was lying about the whole "I have to be invited into your home" crap to give Sookie a false sense of security.

Secondly, I POSTED THE MOST COMMON METHOD OF VAMPIRE CREATION IN THE COMMENTS LAST WEEK.

 

 

I forgot to praise episode two.

 ...

IT WAS GREAT! Watch it now on video on demand.

I don't think that Tara losing track of Lafayette at the party was just a coincidence. Lafayette also made a non-sequitor comment to Sookie the next night. There's something odd about Lafayette also. We know he's not a Vampire because he was working during the day outside at the same location as Jason when Jason was arrested. It could be he's an addict of Vampire blood and the Vampire blood gives him some weird powers.

I loved the expression on Tara's face when she was playing around with Jason on the sofa.

Maybe the woman Jason thought he killed was turned into a vampire by her previous vampire partner. And that the process of turning into a Vampire takes more than one day.

You were totally on with your blog - nice to have other gay geeks !

Now - as I said in Snicks's blog what can we make of the fact that Jason keeps  finding vamp-marks after he has humpy sex? 

 I also agree about the Tara to Jason connection! 

I'm sticking with the prediction I make last week.  Sookie is short for succubus - a demon who takes the form of a beautiful woman to seduce men - and her brother Jason is an incubus - the male counterpart of a succubus.  Grandma Stockhouse knows and has taken steps to protect her grandchildren and the community.  This episode Grandma Stockhouse alludes to some kind of promise by Sookie to remain sexually inactive.  Such a promise also would effectively eliminate any unwanted consequences of Jason's veracious sexual appetite since, in order to procreate, an incubus needs human sperm collected by a succubus. (Thanks Wikipedia!)

I'm not convinced Terra is 100% human. There is more to her than meets the eye.  She seems to be the only female that Jason has no desire to seduce.  My thinking is that the he-only-thinks-of-her-as-a-friend observation actually is an effect and not the cause.  I also think her aggressively outspoken nature may belie a surreptitious power of suggestion.  At the bar, for example, Terra mercilessly chastises a woman who stares back blankly and responses with an airy "what did you say?"  Terra says she asked about the woman's drink and they go on as if the rebuke had never happened.  Later, Terra convinces Jason that the beer he is about to drink is a beer he had gotten from the fridge for her - a courteous gesture out of character for Jason.  All human or not, Terra is a mysterious character.  She and her longstanding relationship with the Stockhouse's hold the most potential for some real surprises.

As for Lafayette, I have no idea what his story might be.  All I get from him is a southern-Louisiana-bayou-voodoo creepiness (Are those silver chains around his neck?) which is formidable accomplishment considering the cast of characters surrounding him.

"Ah, who's the nerd in this group?"  ROTFLMAO!

Best comment from Alan:

"Well... Who's the nerd in the room?" Hilarious!

Please, please put your camera on a tripod and keep the shot stationary (and better lighting)! Are you guys using a Flip camera or something similar?  LOL.  Otherwise, love your vlog.

 

 

I just watched Episode 2 and I'm finding that the some things (and how they're treated in the series) are starting to become laughable.

LaFayette: I'm still put off by his fluctuating back and forth between macho thug and drag queen within the same sentence. The worst example this week was his "Baby girl, don't let nothin' get'choo down" snippet. Besides his initial delivery as a thug and then switching so abruptly into the draggy, leaning fan wave, I had pretty much the same reaction as Sookie's "What was that about?!" look. Thanks for the advice. Never heard that before. I feel much better, now.

Poor dumb Sam. As a 'protector', he's pretty ineffectual. When he's the dog, he hasn't done anything other than bark, and in this episode, he actually cowered when confronted with the gun. He is cute in both his human and canine forms, though.

And why couldn't Sookie hear him in this episode?  She heard him plainly enough in Ep. 1. This week, she made it seem like she has the ability to turn it on and off depending whether/not she wants to hear. If that's the case, why such drama and long faces in the bar? Just turn it off when it annoys you.

The biggest annoyance this week was the camera pan to the fugly dog painting. First of all - it's fugly. Surely Sookie in her outspokenness has noticed it before and commented to Sam? Even if she chose to be kind and say nothing, she must have made some kind of connection as to why Sam would have it? The subject matter is certainly not a common one and it's so fugly that she couldn't consider Sam to be any kind of collector of art...

Finally, that camera pan/shift of focus to the fugly painting. The painting and its subject matter was clearly visible in a previous shot when Sam tells her that she's got a job with him for as long as she wants one.  The painting is right behind Sookie, level with her head. If they'd stopped there, I could say, "cool!" But no... they had to do that focus shot. It's overkill and screams, "D'ja see what I did there? Do 'ya get it?"

Stuff like that is either gonna kill this show, or turn it into just another one of the many, mindless 'gay' shows that people watch for the cute boys regardless of the quality. I love the cute boys, but this is a premium cable station. I get better quality programs watching FX on basic. 

 

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-Sibelius

"It's curtains for you, Dr. Horrible. Lacy, wafting curtains..."

HBO RENEWS TRUE BLOOD, NEW SERIES FROM “SIX FEET UNDER”

CREATOR ALAN BALL, FOR SECOND SEASON,

WITH PRODUCTION TO BEGIN EARLY NEXT YEAR


LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17, 2008 – HBO has renewed the new drama series TRUE BLOOD for a second season, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, Programming Group and West Coast Operations. Created by Alan Ball, the series will begin production of new episodes early next year in Los Angeles, with debut set for summer 2009.

“We are absolutely thrilled that the critics and our viewers have embraced TRUE BLOOD,” noted Lombardo. “Alan Ball has done it again – made an addictive series that is unlike any other.”

“I am thrilled to be able to continue to work with such a talented group of writers, cast and crew to explore the characters and world created by Charlaine Harris in her novels,” Ball said. “It really is a joy to go to work every day and I couldn’t be happier to be back home at HBO.”

The Sept. 7 debut episode is proving to be a hit with HBO audiences, attracting more than four million viewers to date, while the debut of the second episode on Sept. 14 posted an unprecedented 24% gain in viewers over the first week’s debut.

Critics across the country in Detroit, Baltimore, Denver and Orlando have proclaimed TRUE BLOOD one of the best new shows on TV. USA Today called it “wildly imaginative,” with “one of the best ensembles of the new series,” while the Washington Post found it “audacious, outrageous and playfully grisly.” TV Guide hailed the show as “graphically sexy and scary, and often wildly funny,” and “a broadly entertaining, deliciously twisted slice of modern Southern Gothic.”

 

( Guess a few peeps saw a bit more than just a "fugly  dog painting ....")

at first I thought the dog was "something" wasnt sure what. maybe some old ancestor.

but after that picture it all made so much sense. he's some sort of watch dog, i guess shapeshifter. I was hoping he'd be a warewolf =/

plus bill knew automatically that Sam knew he was a vampire, and he said the dog lived close.

Then I became angry that Sam didn't even protect her!! what kind of watch dog is he, just barking???  tun back human and whoop their ass.

 

& I will go wit the obvious I think that scary man with the tats and his crew are mean people,& not joking. or someone might be trying to frame the scary tatted man,which i really doubt. i believe they are uninvited guests, because why would Bill invite suki to a house when she might be in danger, and dang could he sense her when she got there????

maybe dawn got jealous, and slipped out at night, to go kill the maudette[shrugs] she might just be some succubus or something though. not sure

Came late to the chat. Just to say that im loving this show so far. Great news we will have more.

Stephen and Anna have great chemistry and is one of the main reasons its working. Nu Tara is growing on me and love all this little glimpses about what the characters can do, but just leave you hanging.

Now I know granny knows something, she inmediately recognized Sookies hightened senses. Im sticking to my notion that Sookie is half and half, or is it 2 %. Mom had a little fling? Of course and she knew it, she knew Sook is the result of something she did with someone. Im thinking it was a vampire and grandma knows it. I also think this will be a big issue between Sook and Jason later on.

I agree Bill is up to something and that it involves Sookies heritage. The meeting flowed well, but at the same time it was too deliberate. Bill...hotness.

As for Sam not turning human, usually the mythos around this kinds of creatures is very specific about what they can do, when, where and with whom. So it doesnt surprise me.

I cant believe nobody has mentioned that the last vamp we see is the same one doing the hanging mambo with Maudette. Mmmm... 

BTW, I still dont find such an overtly gay specific methaphor. Specially since Michael had said that Lafayette was incredibly predatory in this episode, which I did not see. He gets a reaction from the "straight" guy from the beginning, was it just because the is supposed to be straight? And that was tied to the metaphor thing? I dont get it.

Love the vlog.

You asked :

However.........how can a show be deemed "addictive" when only two episodes have aired????

In my case , I've become totally addicted as witnessed by the following behavior:

• I'm watching the two episodes multiple times and find new subtleties after each viewing
• I've joined three fan blogs and have posted Trueblood comments on two other sites I was already a member of.
• I've downloaded all the iTunes Trueblood pod cast and have watched some multiple times
• I've researched all the actors involved and have looked to become more familiar with other work they have done.
• I've recommended Trueblood to all my friends.
• I'm ordering the first book from Amazon
• I've taken the time to respond to your question and tried to explain how I became "hooked" so quickly

I'm finding on the fan sites that I'm not alone in this "addiction" and in fact, I have  just a mild case compared to some. Also remember, Trueblood brings with it a large fan base from the  Charlaine Harris' Vampire Mysteries. The book fan sites have been around for a few years. It also has a fan base from fans of Alan Balls work-Six Feet Under was very successful. Anyhoo -I was "sucked " in after the credits of Episode 1.

Yes - I think Brian said it all! Hey let's not be totally bitchy! Are we all gonna be "Boys in the Band?" And you know who you are Harold!

Is it wrong that I couldn't stop watching out the window to see how hard it was raining through the entire vlog?

HBO must be desperate to hold on to anything these days as it's getting eaten alive by bolder and better choices available on basic cable and a resurgent Showtime.

I gave both episodes my full attention and, with the exception of the killer Chris Isaak-like theme song, I could not believe that mess on the screen as it look like amateur night at the Grindhouse.

I must be seeing a different show as I found it so weak that all I could focus on were the bad sets, cartoonish characters, and the most awful southern accents I've heard in a long time.

Oscar-winner Anna Paquin is totally miscast and there is little consistency in her scenes.  I can't believe that the actress playing Sookie's best friend booked this role as she's essentially Dee from What's Happening!! 

I am shocked that vampire are people too "campaign" elements were not killed on sight as they make the show seem so dated and serves as a reminder of Alan Ball's tendency to beat any metaphor to death. It's as if he does not trust the audience to get it even after the 100th time. 

I really wanted to like this show as I liked Ball's Six Feet Under, until the episode in which sh^t was thrown at the Fisher's house. I also liked American Beauty, although I did not think that it was anywhere near as good as Ang Lee's The Ice Storm, which was essentially the same movie that was ignored by the Academy the year before it fell in love with Ball's less subtle version of suburban life.

There are some shows that need some time to find their groove, but I am going to take a pass on this as there is too much good stuff on TV to hope that the place in which Sookie's vampire buddy lives might bring some life to this wreck. Why not celebrate all about this genre and even tweak/mine it rather than mock it without having the balls to really play it as a drama with comedic elements rather than what seems like an exercise in slumming.

UPDATE: Because I don't watch awards shows, I gave the 3rd episode a try and I am actually warming up to many newly introduced elements. I still think that Paquin is a weak link and I am much more interested in the vampires and Lafayette than in the whore-downs of Sookie's brother. 

Guillermo's Media Guillotine: Entertainment, journalism, politics, and popular culture. Recent entries: The Emmys, the new Interview Magazine, and ethical considerations in print journalism. This week: Hot men and few words. 

http://springintoaction.typepad.com

Although I really like the show, I'm not really into it yet.

I seem to be in a vampire mood lately because I've been reading a lot of vampire books and watching some vampire movies. So when I heard about True Blood I jumped on it but I have to agree with some of Guillermo's points.

I really wanna get into it but something seems to stop me, don't really know what. Don't get me wrong, I mostly enjoy it but I don't think it's a "good" show. I'm not really a good critic, mostly cause I never can put a finger on what's wrong, so I'm not gonna try to explain myself unless I really have to.

I never really liked Six Feet Under either, I watched the first season, didn't mind watching it but really didn't miss it when I stopped. I like True Blood better though because it's fantastic and I love everything that is not real (fantasy geek here !).

I'm gonna watch the third episode this afternoon and who knows ? Maybe I'll get hooked... or not.

Am I the only person who can't stand Anna Paquin? I think she kills a lot for me.

I am wondering if any fans of the novels hate or dislike this HBO series?

I have read some message boards online that have book fans and they seem to really like it. The characters seems to be true to how they are portrayed in the books, and as a fan of this show, that confirmation makes me all the more eager to start reading them myself!