True Blood, Episode 1 “Strange Love” (Review)
HBO’s True Blood in my opinion has great potential to be a good show. Last night’s pilot episode, was called, Strange Love. The episode basically introduces us to the rag-tag bunch of characters who make up the Louisiana Parish, and gives us enough background to suck us all in. No pun intended.
From the opening scene we learn some important background information, Vampires now live among us. And we learn they are having a civil right movement of sorts for fair treatment and so on. We are then introduced to Sookie Stackhouse, played by Ana Paquin at her waitress job at the bar Marlottes. We are quickly shown that she is telepathic and most people in her town think she’s psychic or put rudely by one of bar’s patron retarded. We are also introduced to her best friend, Tara, who is very angry about something but, what we have no idea. Note to the writers you have to tone that character down, Tara was over the top with the uncalled for anger. She got on my nerves and I don’t think I’m alone in that.
Then, we meet Sam the owner of Marlotte’s and who is clearly in love with Sookie. We get some more introductions to some colorful characters which include a gay dude named Lafayette. Who hands down is the most entertaining person on the show, I might add. But, I can be a total hag, so it’s not shocking I thought that. We also meet Sookie’s stupid brother, Jason, in a very graphical sexual way. And since he’s a half a shade of hot it’s not a bad way to introduce the character. But, I digress.
The biggest introduction of the episode comes when we meet, Bill the Vampire. There was the Casablancain of all the bars of the world; he had to walk into mine scene. Sookie is beside herself with glee that a vampire finally showed up in their parish. Yippee, synthetic blood for everyone! We then learn that two of the bars patrons, are also happy to see Bill. More on that later, back to stupid brother hot Jason. We learn via vampire porn, that the practices of bloodletting or fang-banging (how colorful) still go on in this new society. Jason proceeds to have intercourse with, Maudette. Maudette’s a woman who has taken part in bloodletting and the scene ends with what looked to be erotic strangulation from Jason.
Now, back to those bar patron’s they have taken an interest in Bill, sinister in nature. Apparently, you can make money from vampire blood, because if a mortal drinks it, they get what seems to be a high from it. Can I add an eww to that, by the way? Sookie manages to save Bill from bloodletting and piss off the two patrons. Of, course she does. They leave shouting we will get revenge on you Sookie or something similar with swear words. We get some vampire folklore involving silver, making vampire flesh burn on contact. That’s not new; the movie Blade used that one already, but nice try, guys. A couple of more useless scenes go by and we learn the Maudette has been found strangled in her house, and guess who’s suspect number one? Easy right? We end the episode with the scorned vampire bloodletting patrons putting a beatdown on Sookie.
Basically, this show didn’t just knock me over. I think I had high expectations, being that it comes from Alan Ball, who produced the amazing Six Feet Under. I won’t keep harping on the bad accents; you know they were bad if you watched you heard them. So, that’s a nonissue. I left a lot of details out, so not to completely ruin it for you guys. But, as pilot episodes goes, this one feels a little flat, but it did its job of introductions and future storyline set ups. So, that’s a plus. The problem is it just lacked any bite, pun totally intended. I would give it a 6/10, if I were rating it. Will I watch next week’s episode? Of course. Will you guys? Thoughts anyone?
I leave you guys with these questions for next weeks episode:
Did Jason kill Maudette, or did some rogue vampire finish her off?
Will Bill vamp Sookie?
And, more importantly is the mysterious dog Sam?
