If you missed my Would Andie Watch It article on Into The Storm, you can find it here.
Hi everybody. Signs of flowers and new growth are all around. I hope you are getting out and grabbing snatches of sunshine. Personally, I prefer stars to the sun, though I do realize the irony of that statement. With that in mind, I am back with a look at True Blood (2008-2014).
You might be familiar with Charlene Harris’s character Sookie Stackhouse from her book, The Southern Vampire Mysteries. True Blood is the series’ adaptation to the screen. The series follows Sookie and her life, which though her childhood is definitely not idyllic, was easy compared to the sharp left her life was now taking.
I have not read the books, though I think I may have to remedy that, I got completely lost in the series. The way these articles normally work is, I watch between one and three episodes and give you my first impressions. This one grabbed me and held me under. I love a good preternatural story, and this one is awesome. It has some hot vampires, hot shifters, hot werewolves, hot fae, and hot humans. Needless to say, the majority of the people in the show are smokin’. I do have to say, there are a number of everyday-looking people too, which was nice than everyone on set being a ten.
So, as I said, the show follows Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) mostly. Through her, we meet her hot but impressively stupid brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten), her best friend, the fiery, Tara (Rutina Wesley), and Sookie and Jason’s grandmother Adele Stackhouse (Lois Smith). She is an incredible lady, loving but firm, yet understanding. We also meet Sam (Sam Trammell), Sookie’s boss, who is a shifter. Then there is Lafeyette (Nelsan Ellis). Oh, he is easily my favorite person of them. I think he is actually bi but prefers men. He is, in his own words, “Don’t get it twisted, honeycone. I’m a survivor first, a capitalist second, and a whole bunch of shit after that. But a hooker dead last!” We also meet the tasty (at least he is tasty in my fantasies) Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard), and the dreamy Vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer).
In this world, vampires are out of the casket and part of the world. They are fighting for human rights, such as to vote, and marry, and such. There is a product out, funnily enough, called True Blood which is a replacement for blood so vampires can survive without snacking on people. Of course, both humans and vamps have opinions on it. Vamps don’t want to drink it because, apparently, it tastes bad. Humans, conversely, are curious, as it is the closest most would get to drinking blood. As you can imagine, even with vampires being an “accepted” part of this world, not all vampires want to be out in the open because it makes killing humans more risky. Humans, on the other hand, don’t like vampires and feel they should be gone like any other minority. Well, not all. The human population seems to be cut into thirds, accepting and curious, unsure and wary, and outright hatred, which tracks for the human race.
The vampires of this series are the more American standard of vampires. They are sensitive to the sun, as it will kill them, wooden stakes, and silver is bad for them too. They have super strength and speed, they can glamour you with their eyes, and they have really long lives. I won’t say immortal because you are only immortal if you can’t die. Vampires can die, it’s just harder to make it stick. Sam’s shifting seems pretty standard, though the who shifter thing comes from further into the series than three episodes, as does the fae thing, and what else I have seen further in seems to stay within the “normal” standards we have seen in media.
This show does have a lot of nudity, like loads of T&A, and more and more sex the longer you watch. There is definitely blood but not obnoxiously though. There are certainly bloody parts that are gorier than others, but it isn’t too much. The story is solid, as is the acting. Over the top when needed, but a great cast. There is plenty of humor to go with the drama.
So. Would Andie watch it? Yes, yes I would, and will continue to finish the series. I will probably start on the book series after. I think my sister-in-law has the books. The show can be found on HBOMax.
Have you watched or read these? Let me know your thoughts. What vampires have you liked in the media? Or even mythology if that is your thing. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
