True Blood

[WebWarlock]

All and all a pretty good episode.

Loved the "15 cents" line from Terry too.

Jason as a cop. Well the town can't do any worse right?

And Jessica's "no one evers tells me these things" was great.

Tim

[Hemiola]

Oh dear...an episode concerned mainly with pain (emotional and physical), sadness and, yes, not a small amount of kink.

In Franklin we seem to have an "old-fashioned" vampire: one who thinks of humans as food or toys to play with--a true monster. Can it be he is really attracted to Tara? Yuck! We need Buffy....

So my guess was correct: King Russell is indeed the ruler of the "Nazi Werewolves" (He spoke German to them; and I was surprised that he didn't raise his arm and shout "Sieg Heil!" )

And then there's Bill--did he really break up with Sookie, or is he, in fact, a double agent (i.e. still working for Sophie-Anne)? If so, it must have been truly painful for him to have to "procure" dinner for Lorena and his sovereign.

It was painful to watch poor Pam put to the torture. Through all of this all she wanted to do was be loyal to her Maker and do the right thing. I hope she comes out of this all right.

There were other storylines, but I think I covered the main ones. Can't wait for next week.

[WebWarlock]

Good ep.

Don't like Franklin at all.

Jason little speech about "in 10 years there will be a version of you talking to a 10 year younger version of you and then where will you be?" Riot!

Sookie better run! Or hide. Or do something that is un-prey like.

Nazi werewolves. I hate nazi werewolves.

I think for this we need Blade.

Tim

[seurat]

Hmm. Well, I wasn't bursting with enthusiasm over this episode. You know how sometimes you finish reading a book and put it down and think to yourself, well that was pretty good. But you know you'll never read it again? Like that. So the plot got moved forward, but I had no favorite lines and no awesome little moments to enjoy. Still, we know who leads the Nazi werewolves, Sam is going to try to work things out with his new dependent family and Jessica is working at the diner. (My favorite bit of news, by far.) Bill has supposedly broken up with Sookie. Hands up those who believe that one. My hand is not up by the way. Pam will hopefully not be tortured much more, Andy will be a bad Sheriff and Jason will be a worse cop. And Tara? Yikes, things don't look good on that front. And yes, it would be nice to see Sookie show off her power(s) again to get out of the wolf's den. Also, just for me, maybe Alan Ball could write an episode. That would be good.

[Hemiola]

Hi Seurat!
Your mentioning that Jessica is now working at Merlotte's brought to mind my favorite line --

Jessica (to Sam): I'm a vampire, not an idiot.

[Hemiola]

Wow! I certainly think that this episode made up for last week's. It had lots of action, along with plenty of interesting plot developments.

So Sookie got to show off her "superpower" once again. I'm worried that King Russell, who expressed such obvious delight at the demonstration, wants to "collect" Sookie (Remember Talbot's line--"He's like a little boy. When he wants something he takes it."). And what about Bill, who is now revealed as a traitor to his new King? Indeed, Russell brings up a good question: why was Bill tracking the Stackhouse geneolgy? Was it really to track down the origins of her telepathy, or of her "superpower"? It will be interesting to find out.....

And then there's Eric! So now we learn that he wasn't just a Viking warrior, but a Viking Prince, whose parents were killed by werewolves at the direction of...Russell Edgington!!! Apparently Russell is really really old. But now Eric knows he is in the house of his parents' murderer. I bet that Eric is still out for vengeance.

I truly fear for Tara: Franklin is not just a monster, he's clearly a nutcase, and I hope he doesn't wind up turning Tara. However, things should get interesting when "Super Sookie" is brought back to Russell's mansion and discovers that her best friend is being held prisoner there.

As usual, Jason provides comic relief by proving that he has no understanding of the simple fact that the majority of most police work is dull routine. He clearly digs Crystal, but she's the daughter of Calvin Norris and she must have some deep dark secrets to hide. This does not bode well.....

And finally there's the matter of Sam and his awful family. There may be hope for Tommy, but why does Joe Lee think he "owns" him?

And, of course, Jessica provided a delightful moment of cuteness by glamoring the Merlotte's clientele so that they won't tip Arlene. And I have to agree with Tommy when he says to her--"Hell, you're a smokin' hot vampire. And hell yeah!"

[seurat]

Hey, just wanted to pop in and say that I haven't been able to watch this one yet, but it sounds interesting. Unfortunately real life has got in the way this week, and I will have to catch up with this later in order to spend time with my family. Back next week, promise.

[seurat]

Well ir was a sad stressful couple of weeks for me IRL but now I'm back and have caught up to both episodes I missed, so here we go. Kind of hard to talk about the first one much, which was a good ep, because the second one was so much better. But still, I liked Crystal and enjoyed her scene in the car talking to the shirtless Jason ("Where's your badge? Where's your gun? Where's your shirt?) and also thought Jason bored in the police station was funny, especially the paper clip limbo routine. Jessica was wonderful glamoring the couple to not leave any tips. So, all in all, an enjoyable episode. The second one was the keeper though, written by Alan Ball and jam packed full of story. Not a lot of great lines perhaps, I'll have to go back and catch what Sookie says when she's watching the two crazed high- on- Bill's- blood vampires (Too something or two something? ) I'm not entirely convinced Franklin is dead which could be bad news for Tara. Lorena I think is about to know the real death, which is sort of a shame because she's been an interesting character. Sam is about to find out how messed up his new family really is, I thought Lafayette had himself a boyfriend there, and Jessica is made of awesome and can glamour me anytime. I think that about covers it.

[WebWarlock]

Well True Blood is back!

Anyone watch it? Looks like we are getting more witches this season and

Spoiler:

Tara (now Toni) has a new girlfriend!

Not sure how that will work out since I get the feeling it is just there to shock.

But we will see.

And when exactly did Jason become the sane one in town?

Tim

[Hemiola]

I'm a fan, so of course I watched.

Well, the change for Tara (or "Toni" as she's now calling herself) is extreme. I'd bet she gets pulled back to Bon Temps before long. I'm not really surprised she left "boystown"; it seems to have brought her nothing but pain.

Actually, there seems to have been a LOT change for everyone:

1. So good ol' Bill is now His Majesty William I. I guess he won the fight with the Queen....

2. I'd guess that it was the increased responsibility of taking care of the Hotshot people that made Jason more responsible. The cop thing is, of course, something he forced out of Andy. But I have to give him credit for doing his best to get Andy off the V.

3. I got a real kick out of Sam's "anger management" group. There was something truly uplifting about seeing them all galop away.

4. I truly don't understand why Tommy is now living with Mrs. Fortenberry. Did he just show up wounded on her doorstep? Does she know what he is??????

5. Who is that gorgeous actress playing Portia Bellefleur (Andy's sister)? Yum.

6. I'm still hoping for the best with Hoyt and Jessica.

7. The "fairy war"....I hope that Sookie is going to be able to stay out of it, but I doubt it. And what about Eric?

Looking forward to Ep.2 I'm always intrigued by the interesting ways that Alan Ball diverges from Harris' books.

[little.hesperides]

Gah! There's just too much to process right now.

As for Tara (Toni). I read an article saying that Tara's new-found sexual orientation had more to do with being a new person and shedding her old skin than being some deep, hidden actual sexual identity. In other words, it's not that she's always been gay, or that men trouble led her to being with a woman, it's just that changing everything about her life and opening herself up to new possibilities have led her to also open up that part of her life too.

In any case....no complaints here.

And for anyone looking for something extra, Jessica has a blog: http://www.babyvamp-jessica.com/ This is "Jessica's" blog. She does it in character and everything. It's GREAT.

[WebWarlock]

I am certainly enjoying the witch stuff. So I am going to keep watching!

tim

[Hemiola]

So, here we go. For all his power, Eric could not overcome the mighty Marnie! The question is whether or not Marnie is doing this on her own, or is she being used by some demon who is working through her? What is all this going to mean for Lafayette and Jesus?? And Tara???

So Jason is the living proof that no good deed goes unpunished. I wonder if he will turn into an actual panther or, as in the books, a sort of "man-panther".

It looks like there are going to be problems with Jessica. As Bill always kept saying, it seems that she cannot control her appetite (It's like someone said in the First Season on the subject of True Blood: after living on Champagne and Beaujolais for most of your life, would you really want to spend the rest of your life drinking Slimfast? ). And that was a nasty thing Hoyt said about Jessica's blood.

I still don't trust Tommy Mickens.

I'm scared that Arlene is going to do something awful to that cute little baby.

I am really finding it hard to wait for next week.

[Hemiola]

The Episode of this past Sunday (7/10) basically continues the threads established in Ep.2. Some interesting points (It should go without saying that spoilers are involved for those who haven't watched it yet. Be aware):

1. How wonderful to see Alcide again. In many ways, he is the only thoroughly decent character in the series! And it was a real shock to see the change in Debbie Pelt!! Is it for realz? I wonder....

2. Bill (to Eric): "This is a command from your King." I love it. I hope Portia knows what she's getting into.

3. Tommy remains a right little scumbag. I'm actually worried about Maxine....

4. O Jessica, Jessica--how could you do that to Hoyyt?

5. Did anyone else notice when Sookie was sitting in her kitchen she was reading a book by Charlaine Harris?

6. Eric killed Claudine! This doesn't happen in the books. I wonder if we will now be introduced to Claudine's twin brother, Claude?

Looking forward to the next one.

[Hemiola]

Hello? Anybody there?? I hope I'm not just talking to myself....

Anyhow--
1. I've got to say I'm impressed with Jason's survival skills. Is this something left over from his LODI training? Still, it's a good thing Hoyt and Jessica happened by to rescue him. It was sweet that Jessica immediately offered Jason her blood.

2. Bill and Portia Bellefleur: OOPS. Come to think of it, if someone actually was immortal, I think this kind of thing could be a serious problem. Heck, even Casanova (who wasn't immortal) almost married his daughter!

3. I still don't understand why Tommy didn't morph into a bird or some such thing and escape from the chain.

4. So, Marnie isn't really a witch at all, but a channel for a powerful Spanish witch. Nan Flanigan told Bill that this witch was "justified" in her anger against vampires--I wonder what happened? I was still shocked, though, by what she did to Pam.

5. I still don't think there's anything wrong with Arlene's baby. You must have noticed that they didn't show the hand that was holding the crayon. Maybe one of the kids is jealous and is acting out.
We shall see.

[little.hesperides]

4. So, Marnie isn't really a witch at all, but a channel for a powerful Spanish witch. Nan Flanigan told Bill that this witch was "justified" in her anger against vampires--I wonder what happened? I was still shocked, though, by what she did to Pam.

I know. I find that part of the story really intriguing. A lot of the other plot lines bore me. But how dare she mess with Pam! She will feel my wrath.

5. I still don't think there's anything wrong with Arlene's baby. You must have noticed that they didn't show the hand that was holding the crayon. Maybe one of the kids is jealous and is acting out.
We shall see.

True. I'm of the camp that believes Arlene is just freaking out. Poor Terry. It probably was one of the kids, but honestly, it could be the baby. Anything is possible in Bon Temps.

[Hemiola]

So we finally got some serious info during this episode--

1. Poor Jason--he's not only fearfully awaiting the arrival of the full moon, he's also tormented by erotic dreams about Jessica.
Tricky stuff, that "V".

2. Now we know what the witch's name is (Antonia) and what she did (vampire reveille during the day). As for Marnie herself, it's now obvious that she's not a witch at all, but a medium. It was great to hear Gran's voice again.

3. Tommy has really done it this time. He's a scumbag and a killer. Gotta admit, though, that was a good trick when he turned himself into an alligator to fool Andy. I wonder, does anybody know if gators really love marshmallows?

4. At long last we saw the return of one of my favorite aspects of this series: funny dialogue. For example--

Hoyt: Thank you for saving my best friend's life.
Jessica: It's all in the wrist.

and

Bill (to the sheriffs): Today, it's Google and...Fox News.
AHA!!! I always figured that Rupert Murdoch must be a vampire.

[Hemiola]

And so we continue--

1. Tommy is absolutely the lowest. How dare he fire Sookie! Sam ought to just snap his neck.

2. Wow--Bill has his own private jail! But regardless of what Marnie may have done, he has no right to imprison an Americam human without trial. If the VRA gets passed, that should apply to vamps as well.

3. So Jason figures he's not going to change. In spite of what Alcide said, I don't think that all weres are the same, and you never know what can happen in Bon Temps....

4. I'm beginning to think that there was some kind of diabolical attack on Terry and Arlene, but I don't believe it's the baby. Who was that young woman that waved at the infant? Another witch??

5. I'm really glad that Bill released Eric. I think his actions and his speech were noble at the time of his scheduled "execution".

Oh, and I got a real kick out of this exchange--

Sookie: I said I promised I'd take care of you.
Jason: What did you think that meant? Change my kitty litter??

[Hemiola]

It's war! Antonia's back and out to kill vampires. I sincerely hope that Jason is in time to save Jessica.

So Lala is also a medium, and he can see the voodoo lady. I guess that means that she's a ghost.

Sam was too merciful--he should've killed Tommy.

Finally, I loved it when Mrs. Fortenberry sees her neighbor burn up in the sunlight and says "I knew it!!"

[Hemiola]

Surprise! I was watching the "Definitions" episode of HIMYM, and it turned out that "Brad" (Robin's date) was played by none other than Joe Maganiello, now playing Alcide Hervaux.

[Hemiola]

Yay! It's back!!

And there is a whole new roster of characters, who are members of the Authority, the ruling body of the Vampires.

Most well-known is Christopher Meloni, who plays "The Guardian" (apparently the chief). Then there's the wonderful Peter Mensah, an Authority member who is better known as Oenomaus in the "Spartacus" series on Starz. Finally another member is played by the same woman who portrayed Mary Jo Shively on the old "Designing Women" series--sorry, I forget her name.

In another thread, Web Warlock has noted that none other than Tara's father from BtVS ("Family"), Steve Rankin, plays the father of the murdered Debbie Pelt.

[Hemiola]

The show continues to shine with its top quality writing.

In a recent episode, Lafayette (the gay cook played so wonderfully by Nelsan Ellis) refers to a dish waiting to be picked up by yelling "These beans is colder than titties in a brass bra!".

I can't be the only one who suddenly brought up the mental image of Carrie Fisher in her famous Slavegirl-of-Jabba-the-Hut outfit.

[Hemiola]

In a remark in the TV Guide website feature about ComicCon, Alan Ball mentions that the current season of "True Blood" will be his last as "show-runner".

I hope this does not mean a decline in quality if someone else takes over.

[Laragh]

I'm just catching up, and I was like when Tara's Dad popped up!

[Hemiola]

Yes, this past season was full of surprises. And we were left with a really horrific cliffhangar!!

They are no longer following Harris's books, so I wonder where they'll go from here?