Once Were Women: The Kick-Ass Female Vampires of True Blood

I love Sookie: she’s smart, brave, and kills evil guys with spades (way cool), but in this article I want to take a look at some of True Blood’s other women … er …well, once were women anyway.

I’m talking about the female vampires of True Blood: Pam, Lorena, Jessica, and Nan.  They are quickly becoming some of our favorite fictional vampire ladies.

Pam Ravenscroft
Pam is Eric Northman’s number one hench-vampire and helps him run the Shreveport vampire bar, Fangtasia. Eric turned Pam about 100 years ago or so, and, to her everlasting joy, freed her from the strictures of Victorian propriety. Pam never looked back.

Pam is a no-nonsense, smart-talking, cynical, world-weary, sort of gangster’s moll type of girl. In a film noir movie she’d be the hooker with heart of gold, but neither hooker nor the heart really apply to Pam, do they?

Though she didn’t get a lot of screen time in Seasons 1 and 2 of True Blood,  word is Pam will be a regular in Season 3.

Lorena
Lorena is Bill Compton’s maker,  snatching Bill from his family in 1868 and led him on a 70-year blood soaked frenzy until he forced her to release him.

Lorena is a femme fatale: beautiful, sexually dominating, vengeful and dangerous, but underneath all that she is co-dependent and so very lonely (not to mention as nutty as a fruit bat). She uses her immortality to seek out a perfect man and then enslaves him.

Lorena appeared only once in Season 1, but re-appeared in a number of Season 2 episodes just to torture Bill some more, all in the name of love. The big question of Season 3 is whether she will get her comeuppance.

Jessica Hamby
Jessica is the sweet, virginal, home-schooled girl who, like Persephone, is dragged down into the underworld to be turned into a vampire against her will. (Not that I’m saying that Bill turned Persephone – at least not that I know of.)

Jessica is transformed by the change in more ways than one. Just like Pam, Jessica is freed from suffocating societal strictures and becomes a teenage vampire rebel without a cause. Just like all teenagers, she seeks an identity separate from her parents, both human and vampire, and we go along for the tempestuous ride.

Introduced as a guest character in the latter part of Season 1, Jessica stole the heart of the True Blood writers and became a regular in Season 2. In Season 2 she got to explore her sexuality, test her boundaries, and get into a whole lot of trouble by the final episode. We are all on tenterhooks waiting to find out what Season 3 has in store for little Jess.

Nan Flanagan
Nan is the first female vampire we meet in True Blood. In Season 1 we see her as the talking head for the American Vampire League (AVL). In Season 2 she is revealed as a much more powerful figure when she knocks heads together after the FoTS debacle.

We don’t know much about Nan. In public she is the acceptable face of vampire society – all professional lines and cool colors. In private she is a kick-ass, black leather clad enforcer who can even face down Eric with a withering glance.

And, no, I didn’t forget Dianne who we met so briefly in Season 1. I do wish she’d return in a flashback – she is such a deliciously mean girl.

(Photo credits:  HBO Inc.)

The Collected Wit and Wisdom of True Blood’s Jason Stackhouse

It seems that on every True Blood fan site, blog, and wiki, it is always Eric, Eric, Eric, or Bill, Bill, Bill. We think it is time to redress the balance, or as Jason would say, we need a divergence

In this article we celebrate that fine, dumb as a box full o’ hair, sexabilities-god, Jason Stackhouse. And it is his mind (or lack thereof) that we love, as much as his ripped physique.

So to that end here is the collected wit and wisdom of Jason as revealed in True Blood Seasons 1 and 2…

In Season 1 we got to see the more (ahem) physical side of Jason, so the audience didn’t really have a chance to appreciate his native wit and unique take on life. However, in Season 1 Jason revealed that he was perceptive:

Jason to Lafayette: “You’re wearing gold pants!”;

and witty, even under extreme duress:

Jason to Lafayette: “I got gout of the dick!!!”

But Jason’s greatest contribution to the wisdom of the ages (and a warning to men everywhere) was his “big bad of crazy’ rule:

Jason to Amy: “I should’ve known something wasn’t right the second you walked into my life carrying that big bag of crazy! ‘Cause any woman with a purse that big’s bound to have something in it I don’t wanna know about!”

In Season 2, with his body not much required for anything but exhibition, Jason really hit his intellectual and philosophical straps.

The audience discovered he was a biblical scholar in this exchange:

Luke – “Think you walk on water don’t you Stackhouse?” Jason – “I’m pretty sure that was Moses.”

And an existential philosopher of note with:

Jason to Andy: “It’s like if a tree falls in the woods it’s still a tree, ain’t it?”

and how about:

Jason to Andy: “Do you think Sam could turn into a chicken and lay his own egg. Wouldn’t that be weird, eatin’ something that just came out of you?”

and

Jason to Sam: “I smite thee, Sam Merlotte. DIE!”

We all marvelled at his musings on life, love and the nature of good and evil in these exchanges:

Jason to Sookie: “When you love somebody, you gotta love it all, or it ain’t love.”

and

Jason to Luke: “Evil is making the premedicated choice to be a dick”

and

Jason to Andy: “Do you think Sam ever turned into a dog and then made it with a female dog?”

and , of course:

Jason to Steve: “I reckon I’ve already been to heaven and it’s inside your wife.”

And who could forget that subtle and profound question:

“Explain Europe to me?”

Wouldn’t we all like to have Europe explained.  Anyone?… Anyone?… Alan Ball? … Anyone?

Ah Jason, Jason, Jason, we love you and, yes, we too “love the smell of nail polish in the morning.”

(Photo credits: HBO Inc.; screencaps by James)

Sophie-Anne LeClerq – Vampire Philosopher Queen

True Blood is one of the few TV shows worth repeated viewings, which is a testament to the quality of the production from conception to realization. Alan Ball may claim that True Blood is popcorn television, but there’s real meat (or is that blood) in there as well.

The True Blood Season 2 episode Frenzy, written by Alan Ball, attracted a fair amount of criticism after its first airing in the US. Critics described the episode as being too wordy; filled with exposition at the expense of action and plot development.

The scenes with the vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne LeClerq, were those that attracted the greatest amount of negative criticism, much of it aimed at Evan Rachel Wood whose responsibility it was to bring the wordy Queen to life.

So who is Sophie-Anne LeClerq and why is she so wordy? Does she spout philosophical wisdom or base sophistry?

Sophie-Anne is an immortal being, who in Alan Ball’s words: “very powerful, capricious, and most likely insane.” She has been a vampire for several hundred years, but was turned in her teens. She has accumulated the knowledge of several lifetimes, but interprets it all with the mind of a teenager.

We first meet Sophie-Anne in her Day House. Inside it is a luxurious confection of light, water, and desirable things (objects, humans, and vampires). Outside, dioramas of sand and sea block out the real world. It is opulent, perfect, unreal, and terribly sterile.

Queen Sophie-Anne LeClerq explains to a somewhat nonplussed Vampire Bill that everything in existence imagined itself into being. She also takes the philosophical position that there is no such thing as “good” (and by extension “evil”) or “time”. She forces her companions to play endless games of Yahtzee, which she extols as the “most egalitarian game in the world” as it is based purely on the chance roll of dice and requires no skill.

She is her own creation. She is what she imagines herself to be. The philosopher René Descartes famously posited “I think therefore I am” and Sophie-Anne appears to think she is one of Plato’s imaginary Philosopher Kings (or, in her case, Queen) and, therefore, she is.

In understanding Sophie-Anne you might remember the scene in the movie A Fish Called Wanda, where Otto (don’t call me stupid) West asserts that, that “Apes don’t read philosophy” and Wanda shouts back at him “Yes they do, Otto. They just don’t understand it.”

Now I’m not calling Sophie-Anne stupid (I wouldn’t dare), but she is a cautionary tale of knowledge without wisdom, power without limits, behavior without boundaries, life without death. She is the polar opposite of Sookie, who is wise but not learned, powerful (in her own special way) but ethical, strong but kind, and bounded by her mortality.

Source: Quote from Otto and Wanda taken from the film A Fish Called Wanda (1988) – MGM

(Photo credit: HBO Inc., screencaps by James)

Love Vampire Style

It seems that vampires have their own approach and technique when it comes to romance.  This was certainly the case with Mina Murray and her aristocratic and impassioned  undead suitor in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In the film, Winona Ryder’s character is mesmerized by Gary Oldman’s  vampire count. Although the film is quite graphic, The love story seems to prevail over much of the film. This deeply passionate love is quite evident from their first meeting,their first dinner date and especially near the nd of the film.  Mina  whispering  sweetly,”My love….my love  into her  bloodsucking lover’s ear.  It is because of her love for him that she is able to  release himm from the “curse” of being a vampire.  A most touching scene.

In Twilight, there is also a lot of  passionate expression of  love.  Bella says to Edward, “Im not afraid of you..I’m only afraid of losing you.”   Edward also says to Bella, “I don’t have the strength to stay away from you”  to which Bella replies “Then,don’t.”  This wordplay between them builds up the romantic tension  as their “forbidden love” grows more intense.  There is also a scene in New Moon, where after Edward and his family have departed, Bella is in a moviehouse with Jacob Black  and he says to her, regarding Edward’s  apparent abandonement of her, “Bella,I know what he did to you, I won’t ever hurt you like that…I promise!”  It’s quite clear that he cares for her deeply also. Part of the reason, I think, that so many are drawn to these vampire love stories is that they not only express love but also devotion to the object of their affection.  Their beloved becomes their reason for living or existing.  As Edward once again stated in New Moon to his beloved Bella “You are the only reason  I’m alive  or existing or whatever it is I’m doing”   People want to feel desired and loved deeply.  They seem  to connect with this strongly and ardently.

In the case of  True Blood, HBO’s megahit show about  vampires in the fictional town of  Bon Temps,  The big draw seems to be the ever growing relationship between  vampire Bill Compton and Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress who can hear other people’s thoughts.  From the onset there were memorable moments.  When Bill asks to see Sookie again, he says “May I call upon you, sometime” a manner reminescent of a long bygone age.   Bill Compton has a special way with Sookie.  He’s mannerly and courteous. He is also  charming and persuasive.  Early on in the first season, he  makes it quite clear that Sookie is his.   Although there relationship is not perfect, both are willing to try and make it work somehow. I have to admire their determination, their commitment to each other.  In the pilot episode, Sookie tells Bill, “I have to get back to work. People are looking at me!”  Bill responds ” They are looking at you because you are a mortal and I am a vampire!” Both of them pursue their “forbidden love” and it grows and becomes more intense.   He is not  just a  bloodsucking monster, He is everything a person could want in a romantic relationship.  He is attentive, passionate  and kind. He can sense when she is in trouble and rushes to her side to help her.   Their love story is as provocative as it is moving.   In the first episode of the second season, Bill confesses love for her. He calls her his miracle  and he tells her that she has helped him feel alive again.  She has helped him to find the best part of who he is.  Although Bill is a vampire, Sookie has a better relationship with him than she has had with anyone. Their love is deep and real.  When he stood beneath her window, Tara Thornton said “Do you think a vampire can really love a human?”  Ultimately, Bill and Sookie went out for a romantic dinner date where they danced and he proposed to her, something  that most vampires don’t usually do.   He also feeds off of her, but never without her consent. Something that vampires don’t usually ask for. He can be fierce and aggressive  and even moody, but Sookie loves him anyway. I think that one of the most touching  things is when Sookie tells Bill, “I know that there is darkness in you, Bill Compton…I know it and it scares the life out of me.”  she goes on to say, “There is also goodness in you, I see it when I look into your eyes.”   She looks beyond the fact that he is a vampire and tries to see the kind, good person he wants to be.  She knows he is a vampire but She loves him just as he is.    Perhaps these  vampire love stories offer us a glimpse into what we would want most for ourselves: to be loved just the way we are.. forever.

Sookie Stackhouse: A Tale of Three Suitors

In prepping for a possible story last week, I was reading a recent article on vampires in which a college professor, Dr. Thomas Greene of Northern Essex Community College was commenting on the vampire myth in popular culture. He said “Look at True Blood. Take out the vampires, and it’s Jane Eyre.”

Now I love speculating and looking for hidden meanings, and so reading that article got me thinking about literary comparisons for my favorite show.

I remember reading Jane Eyre during my Master’s program, and that plotline doesn’t fit with True Blood’s story nearly as well, I feel, as do the books of Jane Austen. I’ve spent the better part of a week thinking through all the potential comparisons one could make, and I’ve narrowed the choices down to three which I believe are the most applicable to Sookie’s life–Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Emma.

ERIC NORTHMAN AS PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’S MR. DARCY

I feel that the most compelling comparison to Jane Austen’s work is that of Pride and Prejudice. The roles of her suitors are easy to identify, to my mind, though I know Bill fans are not going to be happy with what I’m going to say.

I truly believe that we will find out Bill Compton is the Wickham who charms her. Lizzie is convinced at the beginning that Wickham is the good guy, but later she realizes that she has been deceived and that the whole basis for their relationship is a lie. We already have hints in the show that Bill’s motives for coming to Bon Temps and for getting to know Sookie are not what they have seemed, and those who have read the novels know that if the show follows the books, then Bill fans are going to need to brace themselves for some ugly truths to be revealed in the coming seasons.

In Pride and Prejudice, Wickham also tells Lizzie lies about his rival Mr. Darcy, convincing her that Darcy is proud, arrogant, rude, unfeeling, heartless, and jealous. I see definite parallels here again. Bill has convinced Sookie of exactly those things about his rival, Eric Northman. And just as Lizzie comes to see that all of those assumptions were wrong, we’re already getting hints that Eric does not necessarily fit the villain image we’ve been handed from the beginning. There is goodness, kindness, and deep feeling in him, and his pride and arrogance, like Darcy’s, are perhaps instead simply an awareness of his own true superiority over others. He keeps his emotions very private, just as Darcy does, and he hides his true altruistic motives, just as Darcy does. We see this most clearly in the relationship between Eric and Godric, but Eric is beginning to show those characteristics to Sookie as well, and we can see her confusion as she tries to reconcile the picture she’s been given of Eric as a liar and a bully and the actions he took to save her from the Fellowship of the Sun as well as the depth of his feelings for Godric. That inner turmoil is only going to get more conflicting for Sookie in the seasons to come.

Turning to the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I see even more shades of Pride and Prejudice, as Eric does things for Sookie unasked without expecting anything in return (replacing her gravel driveway, buying her a new coat, replacing her broken door and cell phone), just as Darcy does for Lizzie. Eric is also always there in Sookie’s hour of need, just as Darcy is. And in the last novel, when he does not come to save her and she lashes out at him for not being there, he tells her that she will understand why later. This scene reminded me very much of when Lizzie tells Darcy that her sister has run away with Wickham and Darcy leaves immediately, giving Lizzie the impression that he has abandoned her because of her family’s shame. However, just as we later find that Darcy has been orchestrating a rescue behind the scenes, I truly believe that in Book 10, we will discover that Eric was not there to rescue Sookie because he was doing something much more significant for her safety.

By the end of Pride and Prejudice, Lizzie and Wickham are able to make peace and become friends, but she will never truly trust him again. I believe that this is what Sookie and Bill will come to by the end of the series as well. In Book 9, Sookie is able to look at him and see the man she had loved, but I don’t believe that they will be lovers again.

BILL COMPTON AS PERSUASION’S CAPTAIN WENTWORTH

However, while the Pride and Prejudice plotline seems to me the most likely way for Sookie’s story to play out, I could be wrong. It is also possible that Sookie’s story follows Austen’s Persuasion instead, in which case, there is a total reversal of all that I have said.

In Persuasion, the main character, Anne, is convinced by others to turn down the marriage proposal of Wentworth, a man she truly loves. She then comes to regret that decision, but she cannot reconcile with him. She is presented with an alternative suitor, William Elliot, who is charming and humorous and who has a wicked past which he hides from her and those lies eventually come out, ruining their chances for romance.

At the end of Season 2, Sookie still has not given Bill an answer to his proposal. Will she be convinced over the course of Season 3 to turn him down? If so, is Eric the charismatic suitor who charms her socks off, but later is revealed as a lying and manipulative snake?

With this scenario, Bill fans can take heart, because in the end, Anne and Wentworth come together at last, finally telling one another how they truly feel and determined never to be parted again.

SAM MERLOTTE AS EMMA’S MR. KNIGHTLY

Finally, I have one other possible Jane Austen novel which leaves our heroine with none of the above. In the novel Emma, the main character is presented with several suitors, but in the end she realizes that the man she truly loves is Mr. Knightly, the man who has been her friend and confident all along, a man she thought of as a part of her family. Emma does not realize her love for Knightly until she thinks that she is going to lose him to another woman.

Given this plotline, there is only one man in Sookie’s life who could fit Knightly’s shoes–her boss, Sam Merlotte. We already know that Sam loves Sookie. Sookie relies on him, she trusts him, she confides in him, and he is always there to help her when she needs him most. He was even willing to risk his life for her, twice.  Could it be that Sam turns out to be the love of Sookie’s life after all?

Whichever potential storyline you favor, I also know that both Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball love twists and surprises. Like True Blood fans everywhere, I cannot wait to see how the story unfolds. Rather than labeling myself Team Bill or Team Eric (or even the dark horse Team Sam), I instead am Team Sookie. Just as I root for Jane Austen’s heroines to win the day, I am rooting for Sookie, whatever man she chooses.

Continue the discussion and share your views on this article in the forum here.

SOURCE: The Eagle-Tribune and the works of Jane Austen

(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)

Bill And Edward Vampire Gentlemen Or Bloodsucking Monsters?

What is it about vampires these days that captivates us, draws our attention, and keeps us enthralled as if under some irresistible enchantment.

Is it the “Lifestyle”?  Is it that they can act with full autonomy and freedom to love as they please or do as they wish without consequence?

Two of the most popular vampires these days are Vampire Bill Compton of True Blood and Edward Cullen of Twilight.

Both of these men try to be noble.  Both are deeply troubled. Both have learned to despise what they have become.  Both men are fiercely devoted to the ladies in their lives or un-lives.  Both of these story lines involve love triangles:  In Twilight, its Edward-Bella-Jacob, wherein True Blood its Bill-Sookie-Sam at first,  then its Bill-Sookie-Eric… or so it would seem.

The common thread that seems to bond these two together seems to be their ardent desire to try to evolve beyond what they have become.

Bill seeks to “mainstream” with humans. He wants desperately to be accepted and move toward integration. He would like people to judge him on merit and how he treats people, rather than the fact the he is a vampire and, to some people, a social pariah.  Edward Cullen feels the same way.  He also wants to be accepted and integrated with the humans.  Both of these undead gentlemen appear to want the same thing: tolerance, compassion, and respect of who they truly wish to be, not what people would characterize them as.

Both Bill and Edward seem to have been written as tragic anti-heroes; maybe not so much for Bill in the books, but very much in the HBO television series.

Bill Compton may be more of a tragic anti-hero though.  Partly because Edward Cullen does win the affection of his beloved and is able to build something of a life together with her.  For Bill Compton and his beloved Sookie, the road to lasting love may not be as smooth; not that it was for Edward and Bella either.

Both of these vampire gents want their special ladies to look beyond their vampire “deformities” and see them for who they truly are. Both Bill and Edward are seeking  acceptance, compassion, and respect for who they truly wish to be and not because they happen to be “monsters”.  These “Undead” gents want nothing more to “fit in” and “find their place” in a society that has all but rejected them.  It seems that when these men were “turned” that both of their “makers” saw some good in them and wanted to bring them into their “world”.  Carlisle Cullen saw a “son” perhaps one that he could never have otherwise.  Lorena saw a “good man” with a “kind heart” and wanted him for herself.  It seems that both of these vampire gents have known love, longing, sadness and being deeply troubled.  Both Sookie Stackhouse and Bella Swan saw this “brooding lovable anti-hero” aspect in their respective men.

(Photo Credit: HBO)

True Blood Love Triangle

There is certainly an interesting “love triangle” of sorts developing on True Blood, however it is probably not the kind of love triangle that normally comes to mind.  Though it is not the one that appears to be developing between Sookie and two of the hottest vampires, it does involve heat – heated arguments, that is.  Yes, I am speaking of Hoyt, Jessica and of course, Hoyt’s mother.

Hoyt’s mother – the typical bitter, mad at the world spurned woman – and she is not going to make things easy for Hoyt, especially when it comes to his relationship with Jessica.  Now that she is under Maryann’s spell, there is just no telling how heated things will get.

Hoyt – what can we say about him?  He’s goofy, but sweet and has the best of intentions.  He’s brow beaten by his mother, to say the least – and he is totally enamored with Jessica.  Though he started out a relatively unseen character, he is certainly becoming central to the dynamics of the True Blood series.  Hoyt is growing up.  He is maturing and learning that he cannot continue to let the world push him around, or else he will never leave his mother’s nest.

Jessica is probably one of the funniest characters and very likely one to whom many young women can relate.  Her home life is not that different than those of a lot of other females – strong father/weak mother – and that can make for a bad combination when that female is finally let out into the real world.  Quite often, those types of girls become the prey for those seeking to corrupt everything and everyone around them.  And so it was with Jessica that fateful night she met the vampires.  It is truly interesting to watch Jessica mature as well.  She is finally leaving her shell and growing into her own.  She should be grateful that it is with someone like Hoyt; it is so obvious to see how much he cares for her.  He means her no harm and only wants to take care of her.  It will be fun to see how their relationship plays out.  Will she “make him”?  We know what just took place on Episode 10 – or do we?  We could see the attack coming.  We were pretty certain that Hoyt’s mother would anger Jessica to the point of attack – and who could blame her for lashing out?  His mother is a piece of work, to say the least.

Hoyt’s mother certainly can bring out that kind of uncontrollable anger.  She is the stereotypical, small-town/small minded, gossip queen that plagues so many of our communities.  She starts off sweet like honey and by the end of the conversation, one can feel the poison just oozing from her deepest, darkest places.  Though Hoyt is the quiet type, I have a feeling that he has the ability to flip his mother’s world upside down.  She would be wise to give Jessica a chance, but I think we all know that is not going to happen.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  As the end of Season 2 really ramps up, I have a feeling, Hoyt and Jessica will become one hot item – and his mother – well, what happens to her is left to be seen.  Suffice it to say, it probably will not be good.  She would probably make the most irritating vampire of all time, should it turn out that Jessica has “made” her.  I chuckle to think of that.

(Photo credit: HBO)

True Blood’s Soldier of Bon Temps Terry Bellefleur

“Uh huh. Remind me never to get stuck in a fox hole with you…coward,” is the clear and strong reply Terry Bellefleur gives to Sam Merlotte’s, played by Sam Trammell, decision to run from Bon Temps in episode 3, season 2 titled, “Scratches”. Terry Bellefleur is played by actor Todd Lowe, known for his role as Zack Van Gerbig in the Gilmore Girls.

Alan Ball has developed and nurtured many characters and plot ideas from Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Series in order to create an atmosphere that is current and addresses what is happening in the world in the present moment, while also adding the biggest conflict of the show: a coexisting world of vampires and humans. We have seen Alan Ball develop minor characters from the book, such as Tara, played by Rutina Wesley, and Lafayette, played by Nelson Ellis; for the show, Ball has given these characters conflicts and situations that they must overcome, allowing the world of True Blood to be richer and more complex than simply the idea of people for or against vampires. The conflicts these characters experience are based on human emotions. And while many of their conflicts have nothing to do with vampires, their struggles will be the lens with which they view vampires and the supernatural.

Terry Bellefleur is an excellent example of a supporting character’s experiences enriching the world of True Blood. In the show, he is an Iraqi war veteran who has come home from the war with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). In Harris’ series Terry is a veteran of Vietnam, but I feel that changing the war Terry served in gives the viewer a feeling of the present. Everyday veterans of the Iraqi and Afghanistan war come home and must re-integrate themselves into everyday life. How do they stop being a soldier and start being a civilian? It’s a hard transition and it’s even harder because they carry all of these memories of the war with them…forever. Terry is no exception. As we see in his character, Terry must learn how to be a civilian again…a civilian amongst the supernatural. However, he is still reminded of Iraq and of being a soldier. Remember one of his first compliments to Arlene, a Merlotte’s waitress played by Carrie Preston, is making a connection to her red hair and a bomb exploding.

However, Terry’s time as a soldier has given him a strong personality; he speaks his mind and uses the skills he has learned as a soldier to stand his ground against injustice. He has become a soldier for the discriminated in Bon Temps. One of the best examples of this is when Terry stands up for Lafayette against Andy’s brutal verbal attack. Andy, played by Chris Bauer, overreacts in his search for answers over the recently discovered dead body outside Merlotte’s in the second season. After firmly sending Andy off with his own verbal jab, Terry sits with Layette and comforts him. Terry proves to be strong and understanding, which has won viewers over. From the moment Terry’s character was introduced, we, as viewers, have seen the vulnerability and strength our troops come home with. We respect Terry; we want to look out for him. I can’t count how many times I’ve jumped out of my chair to applaud something Terry has said. I wonder if Alan Ball knew that fans would fall in love with Terry the way that they have.

Right now Terry, like most of the people in Bon Temps, is under the influences of the Maenad Maryann, played by Michelle Forbes, which has caused many to let go of their inhibitions and give in to extreme pleasure and anger. However, each person under Maryann’s influences acts differently. Terry has been able to express his interest in Arlene with more confidence, but he has also closed up from her because he isn’t sure of what he has done when he blacks out. In the last three episodes of the season, we have to wonder what will happen to Terry and his already fragile mind. What will another war, this time with the supernatural, do to him?

The decision to develop Terry as Iraqi war veteran has given the Iraqi veterans air time on a popular show. How many people watch True Blood every Sunday night? How many people are being reminded of the newest veterans our country has? In a world where television has forgotten veterans, True Blood has pushed the issue forward. Now that these men and women have come home, how can we help them? How can we make the transition easier for them? Because, as Terry has proven to us, they have so much knowledge to give us. Terry expresses to Sookie in Episode 12 of Season 1 titled, “You’ll Be the Death of Me”,

“Nobody ever listens to me, but they should.”

Well, Terry, maybe the people from Bon Temps aren’t listening to you, but you’ve got fans upon fans listening.

Source: imdb.com

(Photo credit: TrueBloodGuide.com, HBO  Inc)

Bill and Godric: Kindred Spirits

For someone who appeared in only four episodes of True Blood, Godric managed to make quite an impression on us. The 2,000-year old vampire showed himself to be a gentle, compassionate soul, and as his body dissolved in blue flames on the hotel roof, I found myself wishing he would stay a while longer, even though I knew he was “full of joy.”

Watching the towering Eric fall to his knees at the feet of his Maker and tearfully beg him not to leave was an emotional thing to behold. Allan Hyde, the young Danish actor who played Godric, exuded wisdom beyond his years as he comforted Eric: “There are centuries of love and faith between us.”

But what happened next between Godric and Sookie was among the most poignant and beautiful moments of the entire series. He was weary of life and of the perpetual fighting between humans and vampires. In the end, he found peace. He was ready for whatever awaited him after he left this earth.

Sookie, waiting for the sun with him, began to cry. Certainly, she was grateful to him for saving her from Gabe in the church basement. What one writer for the Boston Globe suggests is that, on another level, Sookie’s tears were also for Bill:

She will probably never get to witness Bill’s “end”– she will probably die first. So she had an opportunity to shed tears for a gentle vampire like Bill while he left the world.

This connection was probably intentional. When Sookie told Bill that she needed to be with Godric, she said, “You of all people should understand how he feels. What if it were you, Bill? What if in 1,800 years, you were Godric?”

Bill has proven that he still has a heart, even if not the literal, beating one. Though a vampire, he cares for humanity. It must have been a great relief to him when synthetic blood became available. He no longer had to feed on humans to survive. He willingly cut himself off from the vampire community — which he knew to be a corrupting influence — and began “mainstreaming.” He regained some semblance of his former humanity. And all of this was magnified further when he met Sookie. He fell in love with her. She was his miracle.

So it is easy to picture Bill, a thousand years or more from now, becoming like Godric. Sookie would be long gone, but he would have held onto the goodness that she awakened in him. If he ever became a vampire leader, he would probably try to calm the animosity between humans and vampires, knowing that it was possible for them to live peacefully if they would only let go of their prejudice. For Bill, protecting humanity would be like protecting Sookie because of humanity’s connection to her.

Eric did not understand what Godric meant when he said that the very existence of vampires was wrong. “You taught me there is no right or wrong. Only survival… or death.” This has been Eric’s truth for 1,000 years. It’s not his fault that he believed his Maker, but Godric lied to him. So Eric held the fundamental assumption that surviving is the only thing that matters. Bill, however, knows that survival is not the most important thing. He has proven many times that there are things worth dying for: he would have staked himself to be free of Lorena and the cruelty she made him inflict on humans; he would rather have spent years in a coffin with silver chains than turn Jessica into a vampire; and he would have allowed himself to waste away in the sunlight trying to save Sookie from Rene. Bill is only 173-years old, but he already has a gentleness that Godric acquired after 2,000 years of living.

SOURCE: www.boston.com

(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)

Can True Blood’s Vampires Love?

HBO Producer Alan Ball has taken the ageless question of love flourishing between different ethnicities or cultures to a wider stance as he closes the second season on his award winning series “True Blood.” Each week millions of fans explore love and humanity trying to flourish between species or, to be more exact, between humans and the un-dead. After her first close encounter with a vampire, Tara Thonton, played by Rutina Wesley, looks thoughtfully out a window and asks,“ Do you think they are capable of loving a person?”

Alan Ball has challenged fans with what may be the central core of the show, an important dilemma in the search for our souls. How much morality and humanity is needed for love to flourish?  Must some seed of morality and humanity be planted or can one will themself to evolve into new dimensions? The AVL (American Vampire League) advertises, “Vampires were people too.” A handsome and remorseful Bill Compton insists, “I am not human” yet professes his undying love for Sookie Stackhouse. Conflicting messages given throughout HBO’s “True Blood” leave me wondering, “Are vampires susceptible to and capable of human emotions? Can their morality evolve toward the humane? Or, like their physical appearance are they doomed to the limits of their emotions as they were when turned?

True Blood’s three sexiest and intriguing male vampires, Bill Compton, Eric Northman, and Area 9 Sheriff, Godric (Godfrey), give us mixed views.

Bill Compton, dark and brooding, played by Stephen Moyer was turned a hundred and forty years ago. He is merely a teenager in the immortal life span of a vampire. In Bill’s thirty human years, he was an honorable family man. His high moral character, religious beliefs, and patriotic duty led him to a military position. Having survived the horrors of the civil war, his family reunion is tragically destroyed by Lorena, an old vampire who is immediately drawn to Bill’s morality and sensitivity. Lorena, although intrigued by Bill’s humanity, leads him into decades of death and destruction by feeding off the lives of humans. It may have taken years for Bill’s remorse to will out his blood thirst, but ultimately, his suppressed morality wins and he becomes the repentant and loving creature that has captured not only the heart of True Blood’s favorite waitress and telepath, but millions of fans throughout the world.

Our sexy controlling vamp, Eric Northman is played by the long, lean 6’4” Swedish import, Alexander Skarsgard. Eric, a former viking, was born in 1047. Most Vikings of that era did not live past 40 years old, thus it was common for men before they were  20 years old to marry brides as young as 12.  If we are to apply the common life of Vikings in the 11^th century, we can assume Eric chose the life of a soldier and left his family at a young age. Given that vikings were well known as sailors, he would have traveled to many parts of the world. Our speculation is strengthened by the scene of Eric being turned in 1077 at the age of 31. Fresh from a viscous battle, fellow soldiers try to comfort a gravely wounded Eric, who makes the comment “wherever I am, there will always be women.” Now, we have the vision of a sailor with a girl in every port. Our conclusion is drawn that Eric was what we would refer to in today’s world as a “player” Not to suggest that he was of low moral character, but more to the idea that, although Eric had many women and sexual encounters, there was never love.  With a thousand year afterlife under his belt, Eric dresses, talks, and has the strut that he is undeniably a “player” with no outward display of regret.

Danish heartthrob, Allan Hyde plays Godric, sheriff of Area 9, and the newest vampire on the scene.  Having been turned early in his human life, he still has the look of a teenager. Godric, however, is well over two thousand years old. He is the oldest vampire in North America. With an afterlife so lengthy, he implies that the thirty three years of Jesus’ life is a mere moment to him. True Blood’s creator has left much of Godric’s past open to speculation. We can infer by his Ancient Roman tattoos, he may have been a gladiator or soldier. Both of which would have started training as early as 14 years old. Strong in his conviction, absolute in his authority, Godric fans have little problem with this conclusion.

Our first image of Godric is at the turning of Eric Northman. Unlike Lorena’s savage and unwilling turning of Bill,  Eric’s turning is kinder, with a promise of love, companionship, and family. After brutally killing Eric’s companions, Godric gives a near death Eric, the choice of an afterlife.  Godric must surely have fulfilled his promises, seeing the respect and loyalty Eric, after a thousand years, still shows for his maker. We know of only one instance, but being vampire and having survived over two thousand years, we can only assume Godric has had many moments of savagery and taken his share of lives.

We find Godric as a willing hostage to the Fellowship of the Sun Church. He is fully aware that he is to “meet the sun” and his ultimate destruction. Why is he so willing to end it all? Is it that he has evolved into humanity, or was the morality always inside him, thus gradually making him remorseful for the lives he has taken? At what point did the remorse begin? How many, decades as with Bill, or centuries did it take for Godric’s evolution to humanity? Having freed the human traitor, Hugo, and showing respect for his lieutenant, Isabel’s feelings, we clearly see that he not only recognizes, but also understands the concept of love. Actions, which have endeared Godric to his own legions of faithful fans.

Now battle lines have been drawn,  Sookie & Bill vs. Eric. Millions have seen the interest Eric has shown in the telepathic barmaid. Is it just her special abilities Eric wants? Many would argue that there is something there. Bill sees it, and even Eric may admit, there is something…. But what? Eric admits he does not understand the concept of love.  As a player, does Eric see Sookie as just another of his many conquests? Conquering Sookie would certainly put the hierarchy of sheriff planted firmly in Bill’s mind. Is Eric’s toying with Sookie a game, pure entertainment, or is it rooted in an unknown emotion? Eric takes pleasure in teasing Bill’s “love” for Sookie. Is Eric’s taunting simply to hide the fact that Eric himself has been bitten. A feeling with which he clearly, is not accustomed.

What is behind Eric’s desire for Sookie? Many fans would cheer for Eric to realize he love’s Sookie. But, is it possible? Can a thousand year old vampire who has never understood love, evolve to enough humanity and morality to accept the concept?  Does Eric secretly thirst for the ability to love?  Can he will the evolution of his feelings? Must the seeds have been planted before he was turned? If the latter is the case, Eric’s dalliances with Sookie will be looked upon as pure physical lust and sport, thus, crystallizing his bad boy persona.

Many of Eric’s fans will vote for the evolution of his humanity.  This evolution will, however, bring a new set of problems. Will he know how to act and react with his new found feelings? His 31 human years and thousand year after-life may not provide him with enough emotional experience to carry an adult relationship. Has Eric’s recent flirtation the resemblance of pulling a little girl’s pigtails so she has to look at you? Is it too late for Eric? He may find that his new feelings will bring him more anguish than happiness.

Do we have enough facts to solve our dilemma? Bill knew love, knew what it was to lose his humanity. He fought very hard to get it back and find love again.  Eric, we can determine, although he may have had some sense of morality, true love most probably had always been a foreign concept to him. We only have hints of Godric’s level of morality before he was turned. We can, however, see that he now has a clear understanding of morality, humanity, and love.

Unfortunately, we have no concrete answers. After all, humanity, morality, and love are the most complex of human issues. Maybe that’s why Vampires prefer the unemotional lifestyle. We will have to wait and see what Alan Ball has in store for Eric and his Fans.

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