Ok, so I was in the hospital for a couple of days with a nasty issue of edema in my intestines. Could’ve been one of five things that caused it, until I get a scope done we will never know. I had three days off afterward and a weekend to bookend the event. I had been watching the True Blood series beginning to end. No real reason why, just picked up the first ep one day and the rest was history. For the last few days of recovery, I kicked it up a notch and finished watching the series.
My thoughts on rewatching the whole thing: I still love the show. You fall in love with campy characters and it is nice to revisit them and to remember their stories. Watching it again, I still remember the angst of not having the weretiger Quinn in the TV show. I also remember hating who Sookie ended up with in the book. (I didn’t hate HIM per se, just that she ended up with him in a weird “felt forced” ending). The last scene of the series was nice – showing that through the rough, your framily are what matters most. I remember not liking Bill in the book and was totally satisfied with his demise in the show.In the series (SPOILER HERE) Bill wanted Sookie to use her Fairy ball of light to kill him and to end her being fae, to live a human life and have a family. Thing is, she could have still had a fae child and then how would she be able to protect it? Or fae grandchild? I just hated that request. But I digress. The show had the “feel” of the novels but was so far removed from it (ie Tara’s larger TV role, LaFayette making it past the end of Season 1, etc). But, like I said – even with it’s faults it was still a good guilty pleasure.
Because I am trying to move all of my blogs under one website, I wanted to move my FB notes on the series to here. I know I might be doubling up on some of them – oh well. True Blood was a guilty pleasure in both show and book. I was a True Blood fanatic. Loved the show. It was an “easy no brainer” watch. The year I received my highest blog hits, I would live blog the show. The numbers were huge. I hope to one day recapture those numbers. Two years ago I decided to “clean up” my blog and delete old blogs that I was not fond of. I removed the True Blood blogs and I regret it. However, I used to post both in FB Notes and here. So I have the majority of my blogs (in one place or the other). I am trying to organize all of my blogs in one location (this one). With that line of thought, here are the old True Blood blogs from yesteryear….
Of all the pictures, blogs and posts I have put out there in numerous formats, the one thing that I posted that received the most hits of all times (in the THOUSANDS) was a picture of Ryan Kwanten that I found from his modeling days (almost NSFW)…
AND…on that note – here are a few blogs of my thoughts on Season 2 of True Blood as well as a few of the book blogs. Hope you like this throwback. Did you like the series? Let me know in the comments below!
A few technical items to mention:
- The series ran for seven seasons, between 2008-2014
- Release Date: 7 September 2008 (USA)
- Production Company: Your Face Goes Here Entertainment
- Run time of entire series: 4,800 minutes
Trivia:
- To shoot the title sequence, the production crew took a 4 day trip to Louisiana, Chicago (where the church was filmed), and Seattle (for the bar scenes and writhing bodies). They would jump out of their cars as soon as they saw something they liked, or got permission to shoot people’s homes, like the man in the rocking chair. He later had a few beers with them. Executive producer Mark Bayshore is the man dancing with the girl, her arm around him, and his sons are the boys with berry juice over their faces.
- Alexander Skarsgård originally auditioned for the role of Bill.
- Anna Paquin married Stephen Moyer on August 21st 2010.
- Fangtasia is filmed at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, California.
- Ian Somerhalder auditioned for the role of Jason Stackhouse.
- The name of the fictional northern Louisiana town, Bon Temps, means “good times” in French, and is a nod to the Cajun expression, “Laissez les bon temps rouler!” (“Let the good times roll!”)
- The American Southern accent sounding main cast includes Anna Paquin who grew up in New Zealand, British Stephen Moyer, Australian Ryan Kwanten and Swedish Alexander Skarsgård.
- Photos of the cast and crew are seen behind the bar at Merlotte’s.
- The name of the werewolf bar, “Lou Pine’s,” is a play on the word “lupine,” an adjective that means “having to do with wolves” (from the Latin “lupus,” for wolf).
- Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Eric, is from Sweden and the language spoken by him and his subjects is Swedish.
- Sam Trammell is the only cast member who is actually from Louisiana, the setting of the show.
- The Bon Temps police station is an actual jail in Hawthorne, California.
- Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Ryan Kwanten and Nelsan Ellis are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series. Scott Winant is the only director who worked on every season.
- The exteriors for the mansion home of Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi, and his husband, Talbot, were filmed on location at Longwood, a mansion in Natchez, Mississippi. Longwood is unusual in several respects: it is an octagonal structure, an architectural style that was otherwise unknown at the time in the region; the tower has a large, onion-shaped dome on its top; and because the Civil War interrupted its construction, it has never been completed – the family that commissioned it was never able to live in the main part of the house and instead furnished the basement. Longwood is a registered National Historic Landmark
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True Blood S2E1
There will be spoilers….
Season Two, Ep One – Strange Love
Ok, the first two minutes of the show and I see that it has deviated again from the book series. That LaFayette is still alive is troublesome for me. Do not get me wrong, I LOVED his character last season but he should be dead. Of course they replaced him in the backseat of Andy’s car with a character from Season One who did not exist in the books at all.
It took me a while to realize that the difference in Sookie was the move to curly hair.
And let’s talk about recycling…..lol What the heck was that about? True Blood’s way to promote green to the viewers?
And Jason will be following the Light? I can tell by the response to a certain picture I have posted for last season’s last show that we love Ryan Kwanten. I can see why HBO would want to increase his presence above what was in the book. Shame that he will be all Light-ish this season and less…um, well…naked.
I like the development of Sam’s character. Another deviation but I like seeing him as a pup.
Best lines of the night…. “One beer can led to another and then she was crushing my head with her tits.” “Now my hip is magnetic.” “I’m tired of charring my ass on your back burner.”
I like Chaos. I cannot think of her true name. I just remember her from the book and think of her as chaos.
I do not like the new girl in Vampire Bill’s life. She will prove to irritate me throughout the season if she is a constant.
Kudos to Anna Paquin that she is so comfortable with herself that she would do nude scenes. So many actresses shy away from it. Definitely not her.
And did I hear Randy Travis at the end? I have to find that song…..
Season Two Episode Names on IMDB
Watch it, let me know what you think….
Ciao
LaFayette asks to become a vampire? Will we see Bubba or will the omit him from the show?
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True Blood S2E2
Wow, in the opening scenes we have a confirmation – yes, Erik did eat a penis last episode. Hmm.
Scene Two – Sookie is a dirty whore. LOL Didn’t she just lose her virginity last season? And now she cannot get enough!
And as funny as it seems, I can so see a character like Jason Stackhouse becoming a leader in some cult movement. Young and handsome, appealing to young women – marketing at its best. Let’s just say – God Bless Texas. Great song btw. But here came Jason, shirtless, streaking down the field. I was wondering (if you recall) how they were going to show his skin as he is in a religious movement now…. But I could have done without the musical interlude. Hoping that is not going to become a regular occurrence. However, I can so see “Jesus Asked Me Out Today” being sold at WalMart. giggle “I bet you think you walk on water…. I am pretty sure that was Moses” great line – great laugh!
Let’s talk about Eggs (Mehcad Brooks). Oh my the body. I am amazed how this deep southern location has so many pretty people. Even the average people are still pretty. That sometimes bothers me about Hollywood. But I guess we would not tune in to watch a bunch of toothless rednecks, huh?
I believe the underestimated character/actor in this show is Sam Merlot (Sam Trammell). I am not sure that I am that big of a fan of him in the books. However, I like him on the show.
The scene maker for me was LaFayette and the hip. I am a huge fan of gore movies and I have to say kudos. Well done. That he asks to be made a vampire is typical LaFayette. It is said that there is supposed to be sexual chemistry between he and Erik.
“There was this one time I was at a club in Shreveport and I had a woman tell me I looked like an epileptic on meth.”
Ok, the musical emphasis needs to be dropped. Or, better music selected. Not that I do not like country music, but the songs do not sound like they are being sung by the original artists.
And Jessica, the teenage vamp – still irritates me. But am interested in seeing if the family turns up missing.
And although the music irritated me a little tonight, I really liked the closing song…..
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True Blood S2E3 Scratches
I can say this about Season Two, I definitely like the promo posters…. I see them at the bus stops and on the sides of buses and I smile every time…..
And now, the HBO original series, True Blood (I love hearing those words on a Sunday night)….
We start with a ride in the middle of the night, a fight and an annoying new vampire. I am quite intrigued by the true form of Chaos. She looked similar to a Minotaur. Wicked wet claws. I am looking forward to a parting of Sookie and Bill and hope that the heat of her next romance (according to the books) is as hot on screen as it was in writing… Nice convulsions and great alkaseltzer foam!! Good gore. Kudos from a lover of the genre. As for the doctor who was treating her, the actress was not the greatest.
Jason shirtless in bed. It seems the religious road offers us many more skin opportunities than the old dirty man whore Jason ever could have. And the Vampires Anonymous meeting? The chick that was all eat up. I like that Jason keeps his edge “…thought Jesus had a plan for me or some shit like that…” Great lines.. “Hating evil is really loving good.” “Sarah doesn’t just whip out her pudding for anybody.”
I heart the sexy Sam. Even if he is a little confused these days. I think that Terry Bellfleur was well cast. I also like his Boogy Bayou tShirt.
Sook has found LaFayette in the basement and found her own cajones. Slapping Eric for keeping him in the basement. “Perhaps I’ll grow on you. Like Cancer.” I like Pam a little more too. We are seeing more of the bitch that she was in the books. LayFayette locks himself into his house as if that would stop a vampire. Poor guy was beat to hell, not all sexy like we love him to be. But the quilt he wrapped up in…. my Mom has one just like it. But then again, there are a lot of those very crocheted blankets in homes all through the South.
Ok, the annoying teenager has an entry song of Sex and Candy by Marcy’s Playground. Great song. But with this random storyline we have her meet Hoyt? But wasn’t it Hoyt in Season One who tried to drink True Blood when Compton was lecturing at the church? He makes sense for her storyline. “Chicken fried steak. It’s like a chicken and a steak got together and had a baby.” In this scene, with her cleaned up and without her whining, I enjoyed her character so much more. But poor, simple Hoyt. That they compare her having to sleep in a hole to his Mama keeping her doll collection in his closet. That was priceless! “I’d die if I wasn’t already dead.” And the love scene that between the two of them that was interrupted by Bil.. Interested in this storyline.
And we have Andy Bellfleur show up in the middle of an orgy. And was it the stew with the juniper that got all these people riled up? And the disappearing pig in the pighouse? Then Tara sees it (and so do we…) a big fat guy with a nekked weiner. So much for all of the pretty people (chuckle)!
Ok, the closing scene…. there was a Daphne in the books but there was never one that received the same clawing as Sook. I hate how far this has strayed from the book series.
I am still on the fence. But to know that there is not another new one until the 12th?!?! What the hell is that about?
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#BookReview 2009-02-02 Book review on From Dead To Worse – final book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. As posted on FB Notes
OMG I AM FINISHED WITH THIS SERIES!!!
I cannot begin to explain, in all my grand OCDness, how great it is to finally freaking finish this series. And, yeah, I liked it in parts and not so much in others. But because I am a freak of nature, I feel beholden to a series until I am completely caught up (Harry Potter? Read it all in a matter of weeks. Twilight? Read in six days. Get the picture?). So, it is with great pleasure that I can say that I have read them all and have passed them along to another fanatic. Sigh.
Amazon.com: From Dead To Worse
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Harris outdoes herself in this pivotal eighth Sookie Stackhouse novel (after 2007’s All Together Dead), packing the story full of romantic tension and supernatural action. Having barely survived a catastrophic vampire hotel explosion, Sookie’s back at work in Bon Temps, La., serving vintage blood and waiting tables at Merlotte’s, a vampire bar. Participating in a friend’s wedding and fending off the advances of her vampire ex-lover, Bill, and her blood-bonded pal, Eric, leaves Sookie chafing over the recent lack of communication from Quinn, her weretiger boyfriend. When a violent Were power struggle erupts as Vegas vampires attempt to take over Louisiana from disgraced queen Sophie-Anne, Sookie dives into the middle of it, determined to help her shape-changing, blood-drinking friends. Harris provides many fun twists, most significantly Sookie’s meeting with her fae great-grandfather, Niall Brigant, which paves the way for a shock ending that will delight longtime fans. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
SPOILERS LEFT AND RIGHT>>>>
I read this book in two days flat. It was with sheer determination of a person wanting to get past something and put it behind her (giggle). I was left with mixed emotions overall. Charlaine Harris writes in plainspeak. She makes it easy to roll through her novels with little effort. But of course I have also likened her work to literary water (no nutritional value whatsoever). I find it fascinating that her books have created a phenomenonal show on HBO (Anna Paquin was honored with a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Sookie Stackhouse). I will be very eager to see how the sophomore season goes for the series.
In this installment we seem to tie up a number of loose ends. Eric remembers, Bill pines, Quinn resurfaces, Tanya depossesses, Bob resumes, Sam endears, Amelia chants, Alicide conquers… so, yeah, there is a flurry of activity. I can say that (huge spoiler) I am very disappointed at Sookie’s dismissal of Quinn. I really liked him and thought there was a future there. This book leaves the fans wondering who will be the love that Sookie deserves. And we are introduced to Hunter. Which, I think, is a great name for a kid. I think that will actually be a storyline with a lot of potential. Oh, and how can I forget Grandpappy? I am trying to picture who would play him in the show? Bill Nighy? I would love that.
Read it, let me know what you think.
Ciao.
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#BookReview 2009-01-14 Definitely Dead & All Together Dead aka True Blood Series
As posted on FB Notes:
Amazon: Definitely Dead
“From Booklist
Sookie Stackhouse once tried to keep her mind-reading capabilities secret, but the word is definitely out in Bon Temps, Louisiana, her hometown, leading local police to call on her to help find a missing child. There’s a new man, were-tiger Quinn, in the picture, too, but on their first date, two were-people attack them. Sookie isn’t sure whether she or Quinn was the target but is soon distracted by a more pressing problem. Cousin Hadley, a vampire, has been murdered, and Sookie has inherited her apartment, meaning she has to go to New Orleans to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death and meet with Hadley’s lover, the Vampire Queen herself. Though not quite as driven as past entries in Harris’ Southern Vampire series–Sookie doesn’t get to New Orleans until a third of the way in–this is a gratifying read for Sookie’s fans because of a major surprise for Sookie about one of her old lovers. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved“
Amazon: All Together Dead
“From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Harris mixes humorous Southern-fried fantasy with biting satirical commentary in her seventh novel to feature Sookie Stackhouse, the bubbly telepathic barmaid from Bon Temps, La. (after 2006’s Definitely Dead). Sookie attends an all-important central U.S. vamp summit on the shores of Lake Michigan as a “human geiger counter” for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, vampire queen of a Louisiana weakened by Katrina and who will be tried during the event for murdering her king. Sookie knows the queen is innocent, but she’s hardly prepared for other shocking murders, not to mention protests by the Fellowship of the Sun, a right-wing antivampire movement. Her sleuthing skills, along with those of her new telepath friend, Barry the Bellboy, are put to the extreme test. Harris juggles a large cast, including several romantic contenders for Sookie’s heart, with effortless exuberance. HBO’s True Blood, based on this addictive series, is scheduled to begin its TV run this fall. 11-city author tour. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. “
I read these two in about three days. I feel the series is progressing along nicely. I like it much better now than I did.
In these two books we are introduced to Quinn, a Weretiger. He appears to be the new love interest in her life and things are moving nicely for her.
I am very upset that I cannot find the most recent installment that is currently out (and only available in hardcover). The series is such a hit the books fly off the shelf. I guess I will have to order from Borders. Sigh.
Read them, let me know what you think!
Ciao.
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#BookReview 2009-01-07 As posted on FB Notes: Dead as a Doornail AKA True Blood
Amazon: Dead as a Doornail
“Sookie Stackhouse just can’t seem to stay away from the supernatural denizens of Bon Temps, Louisiana. In Dead to the World (2004), she found herself embroiled in vampire politics; this time around, she’s involved in the machinations of the Were-people, whose pack leader has just passed away. -Alcide Herveaux asks her to accompany him to the funeral, where Alcide’s father declares his candidacy against a slimy, calculating rival. Angry at being drawn into the conflict, Sookie can’t distance herself entirely, because a sniper has been taking shots at Were-people, and the community suspects Sookie’s brother, Jason, a new shape-shifter. Sookie’s love life is every bit as complicated as usual, and her collection of would-be beaux continues to grow. Also, someone wants her dead, which she learns when an assailant sets fire to her beloved house. Harris’ southern vampire series remains one of the best of the breed, concocted out of just the right mixture of humor, intrigue, and excitement. Its latest entry does not disappoint. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “
This is the fifth novel in Charlaine Harris series featuring Sookie Stackhouse and the inspiration for the HBO hit True Blood. I was pleasantly surprised with this one as the two previous novels had let me down considerably. I still stand by my thought that Sookie is a ‘ho. LOL
I have started to consider this series ‘literary water’. Something to sate you for the moment but not sustain you. And I am OCD with my reading so I feel that I need to hurry up and finishe the whole series of books. I am also curious about when the new season will begin on HBO. I have read so far past the storyline that I am sure I will watch the show with a lot of “uh-huh that is NOT what happened in the book” which I did with season one.
***Spoiler****
This book was more a concentration on the two-natured community. Both the Weres and the shifters. Jason Stackhouse is now a shifter/panther. Many in the Were Hotshot community were being shot. We find that it was coming from an unwillingly changed shifter.
We see a lot of romantic movement for Sookie as well. In this novel she shows interest in the leader of the Hotshot community (Calvin), Sam makes out with her, Bill lays in her hospital bed and comforts here, Eric kisses her, Alicide asks that they take it to another level and now we have been introduced to Quinn, a Weretiger. Thank gawd she has a fairy godmother, Claudine, to look out for her along the way.
There was a lot to cover in this book. I felt like it was our more detailed introduction to the Were community. In the end I was left with a lot of questions:
Was Quinn going to be yet another love interest in her life?
Was Jason’s girlfriend going to have kittens?
Was Sookie going to have one big supernatural orgy and just get it over?
Why did Charles not say Argh Ye Maties?
Sigh, so many cliffhangers. I will buy the next one on my way through Penn this evening.
Read the book, let me know what you think.
Ciao.
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#BookReview 2009-01-02 Dead to the World AKA True Blood as originally posted on FB Notes
Amazon: Dead to the World
“ One of the best-known and best writers of the new American mythology is Charlaine Harris. Dead to the World is the fourth novel in her Anthony Award-winning Southern Vampire series. It continues the story of psychic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who has fallen out with her undead lover, Bill. Bill has no sooner departed for Peru, than Sookie finds the head vampire, Eric, running naked and terrified through the rural night. She helps Eric, and discovers his memory has been destroyed by a coven of unscrupulous, astonishingly powerful witches, newly arrived in her small Louisiana town, and offering a huge reward for Eric. Sookie tries to hide Eric, but her brother sees him–and immediately disappears. And Sookie finds herself caught in a war among witches, vampires, and werewolves. –Cynthia Ward“
AKA Sookie is a Slut. LOL Sorry. It just seems like the 26 year old who never had sex until Bill has unleashed her inner ‘ho. So we are now up to Vampires, Werewolfs, Shifters, Goblins, the wild woman with the pig, witches and fairies. Wow. Are there any humans? Are we all a supe of some sort and just do not realize it? I think that would be cool. But what kind of supe would I be? The panther thing sounded cool. Well, not the inbreeding part.
I felt a little let down by this novel. They build up the wiccan community so big and then the “war” was like…blah. It should have been a little bigger.
Because I am let down will not deter me from reading the next installment of what I consider literary water (you know, no substance). I thought the first two novels were very promising. The third was eh. This one was a let down. She slept with Eric. Seriously? I would have rather seen her in an affair with Alcide. To me, Sookie sleeping with Eric was so far removed from her character that it made me not like her a bit. Sure she flirted with him. What woman doesn’t want a Viking lover? But come on.
Yeah, I will read the rest of them. I am thinking of reading the next five as quickly as possible just so I can be finished with them.
Oh yeah, Jason Stackhouse is now a Werepanther. Go figure. He becomes a supe and Sookie Stackhouse is still some creepy human that can sometimes read minds….
Which reminds me – if the witch could “feel” her reading her mind at Merlott’s, why was she not felt outside of the compound?
Ok, read it (or not). Tell me what you think.
Ciao.
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#BookReview 2008-12-27 Club Dead AKA True Blood as originally posted on FB Notes
“Sookie Stackhouse is having man trouble. Her vampire boyfriend, Bill, has been distant and inattentive lately. Then he announces that he is going on a business trip, which clearly is more than it seems. After a werewolf tries to abduct Sookie at work, Bill’s boss, Eric, tells her that Bill fell under the sway of his–Bill’s, that is–ex, a sexy vamp named Lorena, and has been kidnapped. Eric wants Sookie’s help in getting Bill back, and despite her hurt over Bill’s betrayal, Sookie agrees to go to Jackson, Mississippi, to find her wayward lover. Eric has persuaded Alcide, a dashing werewolf, to get Sookie access to Josephine’s, aka Club Dead, the local hangout of Jackson’s supernatural element. In between dodging kidnappers, the advances of amorous Eric, and her growing feelings for Alcide, Sookie has to find out who kidnapped Bill and figure out a way to rescue him. With some droll touches–Elvis, now a vampire, is Sookie’s faithful guard –Club Dead is ideal for readers who like their vampire fiction light, humorous, and fast-paced. Kristine Huntley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved“
This is the third book in Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series. This series is the inspiration for the HBO show True Blood.
It was a decent read. I do not feel it was as strong as the first two, maybe the novelty of it has worn off for me. I hope not. We are shown Eric on another level, more caring and concerned for the wellbeing of Sookie. This book had only a passing reference to Tara (other than to note the initiated friendship of Tara and Sookie) as well as Jason (Sookie’s always-in-trouble brother). Although Bill Compton is in this book, it is more about his rescue and little about him in detail. The book concentrates on Sookie, Eric and the introduction of a new character – Alcide (a werewolf).
As I have said before, there seems to be a parallel of sorts between this series and the Twilight series. Or maybe all vampire novels reference a love triangle with a human and a werewolf? Maybe? I like Alcide. The gentlemanly nature of his character is nice. I find it interesting that the people Sookie shows faining interest in (Sam and Alcide) both decide to “hook up” with others during the story line. Who can blame them though, she is so stuck on Bill (who with a twist of irony ALSO hooks up with an old lover).
I do like how this series explores Supes (supernatural beings) as a whole. It notes a Goblin bouncer by the name of Hob. It is not limited to just weres and vamps.
It should be interesting to see the development of the relationship between Eric and Sookie. There is chemistry there. However, is he more interested in the chase or in the girl herself? Hmmmm.
Decent read. I will be picking up the fourth just to see if it is loosing the edge or if it was just me during this read.
Read it, let me know what you think.
Ciao.
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Thoughts and Ponderances 