Good God ... talk about a sexy show! Even when the characters are fully dressed, "True Blood" spends more time being "hit-on-the-head-with-a-hammer" and subtext-y about sex than other programs (short of Skin-e-max's late-night programming) playing now. Still, Alan Ball's able to pull some real plots and story lines out from under the sheets, so that you're not only wondering when Bill and Sookie are finally gonna have their own romp: You're just wondering what the hell is going on with everyone in their universe, period.
The mystery in "True Blood" isn't just why the women Jason Stackhouse (Sookie's brother) sleeps with wind up dead a few hours later. This time, Dawn the half-dressed waitress is the victim, and Sookie has the unpleasant job of discovering her. The mysteries keep coming after Bill takes Sookie to the vamp bar where Dawn and Maudette visited.
While the bar scene is about the least creative aspect of Alan Ball's scenario so far (watch Blade, or Dusk Til Dawn, or any early episodes of Angel -- same *bleep*, different show), seeing Bill get vulnerable and Sookie get sassy are the best! This happens when Sookie meets Eric. Eric is not just the head vampire: He's Mr. Euro-Sexy (shining straight blond hair; leather form-fitting clothes; and hot enough to melt steel) -- and Bill resigns himself to taking "2nd Place" when Sookie points him out. Still, Stephen Moyer's portrayal of Bill is the very best thing about "True Blood:" You get a vulnerable, Southern Gentleman Human when he's in the bar; but when a cop pulls them over and harasses him for Driving While Vamp, you get Southern Gentleman Vampire ... and you can believe both. Damn, Moyer can play Bill both dangerous, rude, and cold; then turn around and do the sensitive, caring, and warm role -- and you're absolutely left without a clue as to which is the real one. Love it and him!
Still, the most interesting character in this episode, even just briefly, is seeing Sam's character. When he puts the latex gloves in his pocket just before walking Arlene to her car, you're wondering "WTF???" on the guy that, up to this episode, has been there for his ditsy, trampy, naive, preoccupied, "uppity" staff and all their issues -- and not much else, quite frankly. But then when Sam enters the late Dawn's home, starts sniffing her bedsheets, then rolling around in them, his weirdness meter shoots up another 15 points. Since only the first few episodes of "True Blood" will be more faithful to the book series than what's to come, I cannot wait to see where Alan Ball is going to take this new program.
The mystery in "True Blood" isn't just why the women Jason Stackhouse (Sookie's brother) sleeps with wind up dead a few hours later. This time, Dawn the half-dressed waitress is the victim, and Sookie has the unpleasant job of discovering her. The mysteries keep coming after Bill takes Sookie to the vamp bar where Dawn and Maudette visited.
While the bar scene is about the least creative aspect of Alan Ball's scenario so far (watch Blade, or Dusk Til Dawn, or any early episodes of Angel -- same *bleep*, different show), seeing Bill get vulnerable and Sookie get sassy are the best! This happens when Sookie meets Eric. Eric is not just the head vampire: He's Mr. Euro-Sexy (shining straight blond hair; leather form-fitting clothes; and hot enough to melt steel) -- and Bill resigns himself to taking "2nd Place" when Sookie points him out. Still, Stephen Moyer's portrayal of Bill is the very best thing about "True Blood:" You get a vulnerable, Southern Gentleman Human when he's in the bar; but when a cop pulls them over and harasses him for Driving While Vamp, you get Southern Gentleman Vampire ... and you can believe both. Damn, Moyer can play Bill both dangerous, rude, and cold; then turn around and do the sensitive, caring, and warm role -- and you're absolutely left without a clue as to which is the real one. Love it and him!
Still, the most interesting character in this episode, even just briefly, is seeing Sam's character. When he puts the latex gloves in his pocket just before walking Arlene to her car, you're wondering "WTF???" on the guy that, up to this episode, has been there for his ditsy, trampy, naive, preoccupied, "uppity" staff and all their issues -- and not much else, quite frankly. But then when Sam enters the late Dawn's home, starts sniffing her bedsheets, then rolling around in them, his weirdness meter shoots up another 15 points. Since only the first few episodes of "True Blood" will be more faithful to the book series than what's to come, I cannot wait to see where Alan Ball is going to take this new program.