Excessive violence, drug use and sexual themes riddled the second season of True Blood and every second of it was amazing.
The second season came with multiple storylines built around the minor characters. The main story still focused on vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer) and his telepathic girl friend Sookie (Anna Paquin). This was definitely not a bad thing though. I started watching the second season with the hope Sookie and Bill’s romance would be the primary focus of the show and was not disappointed.
The series follows the journey of the two oddly coupled lovers as they journey to Dallas to aid in the search for a missing vampire. While the two main protagonists are running around Texas, their hometown of Bon Temps, LA is being ravaged by a priestess to the Greek god of wine and debauchery, Dionysus.
Both stories involve several of the minor characters which allow the show’s viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the personas of each character. This alone makes the second season great. Although I loved the in-depth look at Bill and Sookie’s relationship I longed for more depth regarding characters such as the shape shifting Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) and the ever-amusing antics of detective Andy Bellefleur (Chris Baur).
Aside from the depth given to minor characters, the show also evolved the character of the vampire Eric (Alexander Skarsgard). Eric is moved from being nothing more than a villain with useful knowledge to a full-fledged staple in the show and potential love-interest for Sookie.
This particular choice of story direction I have mixed feelings on. Eric is an interesting character deserving of more time in the spotlight, but Skarsgard’s acting ruined it at times for me. One scene in particular that took the color from my face is when Eric discovers his maker intends to kill himself and he drops to his knees crying blood. It was obvious a loud cry of pain, suffering and depression would erupt from the Norse bloodsucker’s mouth. Instead viewers were hit with a high-pitched shriek similar to a tornado siren. This is just an example of the sub-par level of acting Skarsgard brought to the show.
Still, this was only a minor issue in comparison to the wonderful tapestry of acting exuding from the rest of the cast.
Another thing which made this season so terrific was the use of music. Tones and tunes were used in season one, but not the extent they were in season two. It seemed almost every time Bill and Sookie had a semi-romantic moment, a violin lead track fluttered through the TV’s speakers. This may seem like it could become annoying, but it was quite the contrary. I found myself listening and hoping for not only that piece of music, but any track which represented the arrival or major actions of one of the show’s characters. Very few shows or movies utilize the power of sound track. Season two of True Blood went beyond simple utilization.
The new story lines, increased acting ability and music added to my love of the show and when the last episode ended, I found myself staring into a hole on Sunday night I have yet to fill. I’m waiting anxiously for season three despite the fear I may have to endure another one of Skarsgard’s attempts to out do Sanjaya Malakar in annoyance.