Vampires vampires vampires! It seems any where you look today the undead are making leaps in bounds in popularity. HBO’s new series True Blood is one of the new outlets for vampires. It’s also the best live action series I’ve seen in some time.
From creator Allan Ball True Blood’s first season was a nonstop thrill ride of suspense, sex and action. The series follows the exploits of Sookie Stackhouse a waitress in a small Louisiana town who yearns for a little excitement.
The twist to Sookie’s character, played by Anna Paquin, is she is telepathic, but wishes she were normal. She can’t control her ability and is accidentally dropping in on everyone’s thoughts through out the show, so naturally when a vampire walks into her bar whose thoughts she can’t read she falls head over heals.
This sets the tempo for the rest of the show. Naturally several of the other citizens of the town don’t care for a relationship between a vampire and a human.
The vampire named Bill and played by Stephen Moyer ads a wonderful sense of drama and comedy to the series. He wishes to retain his humanity but deals with his lust for blood. Moyer plays this role perfectly.
He is dark while retaining some aspects of his old life. Sookie is his way back into humanity and because of that and her interest in Bill he is undeniably attracted to her. Moyer delivers a wonderful confused and beleaguered by life vampire who only wants to feel.
Paquin’s Sookie is the perfect compliment to this character. She is kind and simple and when Paquin starts talking about her progressive ideas toward life viewers can’t help but feel some sense of compassion for all the horrible things which happen to her over the course of the season.
She is more or less a simple kind thinking woman who is caught up in a complicated romance.
The rest of the cast adds to the shenanigans of Bill and Sookie nicely. In the show there is a flamboyantly homosexual chef, a shape shifting bar owner and a “possessed” bar tender. This onslaught of personas makes True Blood a wonderfully entertaining show.
The plot is always fresh and changing and never sticks on one point for to long. In addition to the humor this series brings in some crucial social issues to be discussed under the guise of a vampire rights movement. It mirrors the plight of African Americans in the 50’s.
All in all True Blood is one hell of a good time. The only draw back is the show is occasionally bogged down by the stories of the normal humans.
This is easily overlooked though when you compare the incredibly entertaining subject matter of the other characters. In retrospect my only problem with the show is I have to wait for the summer for new episodes.