True Blood

[Daisy-Boo]

I had Tara in mind (and don't ask me why cos I don't remember it every being specified in any of the books) as caucasian, and it was a bit of a shock to find out she'd been black all along lol
I thought Maryanne was a good guy? I remembered in the books that she was a good guy..but maybe I'm thinking of another series of books.

Tara is white in the books and has a much smaller role than in the TV series. Rutina Wesley (who plays Tara) does a helluva job - she plays the role with such passion and gusto.

As for Maryanne - could it be Claudine the fairy that you're thinking of?

 

[AphroditeMSC]

No it's not Claudine...it's wrecking my head, is what it is! lol

I think it may be a LKH book I'm thinking of. I'll have to look it up.

 

[Daisy-Boo]

Good luck. Let us know when you find it.

 

[AphroditeMSC]

Yup it was the witch 'Marianne' from an Anita Blake novel I was thinking about :-D

 

[Tansy]

Hmmm the series is ok but they have really deviated from the books from what I have seen and it kinda ruins it for me

 

[digs]

I really like True Blood. I haven't read the Sookie Stackhouse books but I used to see them around when I worked in a bookstore and the impression I got was that they're much more comical, lighthearted and romantic than the TV show - I was just going off the cartoonish covers though, so I could be entirely wrong.

I've only seen season 1 and a bit of season 2 so far (and little random bits of season 3 here and there). I don't know why, but I always defend Anna Paquin; I just have a strange fondness for her that I don't really understand. She's not the greatest actress but she never bugs me or anything. Totally agree that Bill is a bit of a nothing character, although he's kind of supposed to be I think. Jessica, Lafayette and Tara are awesome.

 

[FeedMeTV]

True Blood is really starting to grate on me. I started off liking it a lot but having just concluded season 3 I'm frustrated with how they are handling their characters. I won't put any spoilers in don't worry!

The plot of season two dragged on far too long for my liking and I was glad to see the back of it. Season 3 started off with much more promise and there are some really cracking characters. However the direction they have taken some of their characters (and one in particular) just doesn't gel with what they have already established and it isn't even character development, it's a complete 180 turn. Very annoying. Talking of annoying, Sookie can be infuriating - why does she run off into the night at the drop of a hat when she has been explicitly told not to do so as her life is in danger. Do as you are told woman!

I think the writers need to pick up the pace a bit with their stories as some things drag on for episode after episode which can get tiresome, it often seems that absolutely nothing happens all episode then a twist comes at the end which makes you eager to watch the next ep and the cycle begins again. But as I said there are some really good characters - the relationship between Hoyt and Jessica is great and Eric and Lafayette are always very watchable.

 

[Tansy]

I've just dipped back into series 2 and am quite enjoying it, I think Ii got my head round the differences to the books and just went with it

 

[WanderingWind]

I really like True Blood. I think that it's very enjoyable.

 

[Dundalis]

Really liked S1 and 2. S3 definitely started to drop off in quality. Hopefully they bring it back into line for S4.

 

[merry gentry]

I've read all the books, and although Charlaine Harris started out rough, her writing improved with each new release. I was really looking forward to the show, and the only disappointing thing to me is how they are not holding with the original characters from the books. The show has taken some interesting turns, probably in the need for ratings, no doubt.

It does make me wonder if they are going to stay with of the book plots, or keep moving off in different directions. Being how I am an extreme creature of habit, I will no doubt continue to watch, and of course, continue to read the books as well.

 

[Boaz]

I watched the show a few years back. While I was painting last night, I popped the first season in the PS.

I'd forgotten how the show started. By the fourth season it had devolved into utter nonsense, but it had such a great beginning.

Let me say right now that I don't like vampires. I don't find them cool or interesting. I've never bought a trenchcoat or painted my nails. I don't have any tatoos or piercings. I don't watch horror flicks... Tremors is probably the scariest movie I've ever seen. I don't read horror novels... but I highly recommend The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King and Fevre Dream by George Martin. I've never LARPed.

The lure, for me, of True Blood were the themes. Sure, romance is obvious. Sex. Anger. Violence. Sex, anger, and violence all together. Vampires. Shapeshifters. Werewolves. Fairies. Maenads. But those are really more titillation than themes....

The themes that really grabbed me in the beginning were... Treatment of minorties. Social equality. Civil rights. Evil. Purity. Alcoholism. Drug addiction. Sex addiction. Religion. Parent and adult child relationships. Self respect. Coping mechanisms.

Sure the show is about Sookie... and Bill, but the minor characters are the ones who moved me. Lettie Mae Daniels (Adina Porter) is absolutely riveting. Her behavior is so shocking and so absolutely human that I detest and pity her. Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) is not merely "sex on a stick" although he has his shirt off almost the entire season. Jason is beyond self destructive. He is the poster boy for foolishness. Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis) steals every scene he is in... every single one. The gall that he had to say, "White people is all kinds of f***** up!" floored me. Arlene Fowler, Andy Bellefleur, and Terry Bellefleur add real every day humor and humanity to the story.

And then the show lost it's way. It never delivered upon the opening promise of social commentary. It became about gratuitous excitement just because...

 

[Alysheba]

I for one am glad it's finally over. I absolutely hated the final episode. It certainly jumped the shark a few seasons back. Sad because it started off well.