TV Party Tonight!: TRUE BLOOD
I was actually gonna do this post last week, mostly because I thought I'd figured out who/what Maryann was and I wanted to share with the group. But the week got away from me (as it does more and more these days), and as of Sunday's episode, I found out I was wrong anyway. (I was in the ballpark though. I won't spoil it for those who havent gotten to Season Two yet, but suffice to say - right area of the country, wrong level of power.)
Anyway, I still wanted to talk about True Blood, because there's a certain aspect of the show that completely fascinates me, and it is this:
TRUE BLOOD would be RIDICULOUSLY BORING if it didn't spend so much time with its secondary characters.
I couldn't give a rat's ass about Bill and Sookie's relationship. The only reason I didnt tune out after the first couple of episodes was because it took me about four episodes to start appreciating Six Feet Under, Alan Ball's first television show; I figured I owed it to him to give his newest project the same consideration. But man, Sookie and Bill are boring characters. I swear, the first third of the new season followed this basic pattern - Bill and Sookie fight because Bill [insert sweet but misguided effort], then have make-up sex. I really think Eric keeps popping up just to give them something to do.
Thankfully, Bill and Sookie aren't the only vamp/human coupling on the show. BTW, *SPOILERS* for those who havent gotten deep into Seaon Two yet....
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Still here? Okay, I shit you not, my absolute favorite character on this show is Jessica Hambry - specifically, her budding relationship with Hoyt (who had a couple of good moments in Season One, but never really got a chance to develop until now). Watching these two figure out themselves and each other - her as a newly turned vampire and a post-adolescent, him as a dutiful-son mama's boy - is, quite frankly, good soap. The growth and development of their relationship feels natural, never plot-hammered, and the actors have fantastic chemistry together. And the significance of their coupling is never beaten over the viewer's head; its completely organic, and genuinely fun to watch. I honestly hope it works out for them - which, by television law, means that it probably won't. Which, as a corolary to that law, means I'll keep glued to the TV to see what happens next.
And them there's Lafayette, who's lost a bit of his magic mojo after being tortured by Eric for a few weeks, but hasnt lost any of his glamour as a character. I heard recently that Lafayette actually died (!) in the book series the show is based on, and I couldnt be happier that the two diverge so completely on that point. After the brilliant, hilarious "cheeseburger with AIDs" moment in Season One, I realized that Alan Ball was once again breaking stereotypes with his smart, capable homosexual characters - and I hope Lafayette will come out of his funk (as soon as the story allows, of course) and kick another redneck's ass for good measure.
I'd also like to mention how much I've enjoyed Jason Stackhouse's character arc through the two seasons we've seen so far. My favorite stuff from Season One was the time he spent with Amy and the vampire they captured; everything that's happened since feels like an honest and true reaction to the events in his life over the last year. He's not dead (Sara shot him with the paintball gun), and I'm really curious to see where his new relationship takes him.
There's so many more worthwhile characters populating the background of this show - Sam, Arlene, Tara (who takes the David award for Alan Ball Characters I Initially Hate That Turn Out to be Deep and Interesting), Andy, Terry...and we get to some time with all of them. Hell, the vampires are probably the most boring aspect of the show.
If youre reading this, I assume youve already visited Bon Temps - and more than likely you already have a taste for it. If not, I highly encourage you to seek out the first season, on DVD and blu-ray. If you have, let ne know what you think! Who's youre favorite character(s), favorite moments? Are you digging the new season or wish they'd drop the crazy Greecian shit and get back to southern vampires already? Seriously, I havent bitten this deeply into a TV show since BSG, and I have NO ONE to talk about it with.