True Blood [US] ** Spoilers **

pickarooney

Has anyone seen the first episode of this yet? I will watch it tonight - the premise sounds ridiculous, but I'm going to suspend disbelief as I have faith in the creators.... for now.

Mr E

Thread renamed, just to be safe...

Interested to hear feedback on this too. I don't think it was too positive from the pilot a few months back, but they might have changed things to improve it.

JP Liz

I prefer Moonlight.

Is this also based on the Twillight book series?

Auvers

I saw the pre-air pilot a few months back, have they changed anything?

Basq

Pilot was woeful.. and I absolutely love everything Alan Ball has done.

Gonna watch the second episode this evening and see if anything improves.

Not The Real Scarecrow

JP Liz wrote: »

I prefer Moonlight.

Is this also based on the Twillight book series?

Not based on those books at all.Have got first 2 eps but haven't watched em yet.Reckon must be decent enough though if its on HBO.

chalkitdown1

Thought the 2nd episode was much better than the first. Really looking forward to the third one, now, especially after that ending. The chemistry between Sookie and the vamp is wonderful and of course Paquin looks absolutely gorgeous.

Not The Real Scarecrow

watched em both last night and was instantly hooked.Nice to actually see an adult take on it.KNow I'm gonna be going crazy every week waiting on the next episode cause it's obviously going to keep ending on these unbelieveable bloody cliff hangers.Really impressed with the vampire fx as well.

djkeogh

saw the pilot a while back and wasn't overly impressed it with. Interesting premise but poorly executed in the pilot I felt. I'll take a look at the 2nd episode though and see how it goes. Am loving 6 Feet Under so have faith that this can improve.

Not The Real Scarecrow

Read a review of it on the web the other day.The reviewer has seen the 1st 5.He said that it changes a fair bit with ep 3.Gets more violent and the main story with the vamps actually begins properly.Looking forward to em.The bloody end to episode 2 is driving me nuts and still have another week to go to see the outcome of it arrrggggggg.I feel like Cartman waiting for the wii.

Basq

I'm still torn on the show.. episode 2 wasn't much better to be honest!

But I've faith in Alan Ball.. so I'm gonna stick with it!

Ivan

Ah, thanks basquille. I was worried that I might have to download episode 2 with all these glowing reviews.

You've saved me the trouble

I dont have faith in Alan Ball and I recognise a **** show when I see one, cutting my losses on this one...

Mr E

Well HBO are very happy... after just 2 episodes, they've renewed it for a second season.

dRNk SAnTA

I saw the second episode earlier, thought it was a big improvement on the first. The actress who plays the black "sassy" friend has been replaced, thankfully.

Yakuza

dRNk SAnTA wrote: »

I saw the second episode earlier, thought it was a big improvement on the first. The actress who plays the black "sassy" friend has been replaced, thankfully.

Are you sure about that? I watched eps 1 and 2 back to back and I'm sure that it was the same actress, and tv.com confirms it. There, I saw it in the internet so it *must* be true

Mr E

The actress changed since the pilot (released earlier this summer). Thats the first episode Santa must have watched.

jor el

Are there any other changes from the pilot to the one aired on TV last week? I've seen the pilot, wasn't too impressed, but have the 2nd episode so am going to watch that. Just wonder is there any point in watching the aired 1st episode, or is it pretty much the same as the pre-air pilot?

Basq

Think it's pretty much the same jor el.

JP Liz

HBO has just announced that, after only two episodes, the network has renewed its freshman vampire series True Blood for a second season.

Michael Lombardo, president of West Coast Operations at HBO said, "We are absolutely thrilled that the critics and our viewers have embraced True Blood," noted Lombardo. "Alan Ball has done it again - made an addictive series that is unlike any other."

After a disappointing showing in the ratings for its premiere episode, Blood rebounded after its second episode on Sept. 14 with an "unprecedented" 24 percent gain in viewers.

Ball says he's "thrilled to be able to continue to work with such a talented group of writers, cast and crew to explore the characters and world created by Charlaine Harris in her novels."

True Blood airs on Sundays at 9 pm/ET on HBO.

staying put

Mr E

I commented on that last night, JP Liz.
Try and keep up. :)

jor el

Watched the 2nd episode, much better. I'll have to continue with this one for now. Killer ending to that episode too. I wonder is each one going to end like that?

The Sparrow

I really liked both episodes and I'm surprised about the negative reviews here. In fact I thought the first episode was the better one.

Am excited to see more of this.

matrim

Watched the first 2 episodes the other day and quite liked it. I'll definitely watch some more to see if it can keep going.

Does anyone else think the Granny has some secret history with vampires?

The Sparrow

matrim wrote: »

Does anyone else think the Granny has some secret history with vampires?

Yes!

djkeogh

Saw episode 2 last night. Was sure the actress had changed and indeed she has. Alot more sassy now. Wasn't overly impressed with the first episode as I said before but the 2nd one seems stronger. Looking like a real cliff hanger show judging by the first 2 episodes. looking forward to episode 3 now as well.

I like th vampire conspiracy they are building up, in that the vampires can kill people and stage it so it looks like an accident or whatever Hope they go somewhere with that idea.

Basq

Still unsure of whether I enjoy the show..

I like that's it dark, different and very atmospheric.. but more often than not, find the dialogue quite un-natural and the performances all a bit wooden. And also the random sex scenes are tiring me a bit.. most of the time they're completely outta place and I'm convinced they're put in merely for shock value.

I do however love the theme tune - not a fan of country but there is definitely something about this song: 'Bad Things' by Jace Everett.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9osYNb5jmGQ

chalkitdown1

Really liked episode 4. Vinnie from Home & Away is great in it.

I wish that black woman would piss off and die, though. She's highly irritating.

chalkitdown1

I guess I'm the only one watching this, now?


Anyway, I thought episode 5 was brilliant. The best so far. I'm really coming 'round to the show, now.

jor el

Having all but given it up on this after watching the pilot, I'm still with it. Episode 5 was great, liked the background into Bill, and how he was turned.

Spoilered just in case, though they shouldn't really be needed here.

What was the deal with the dog watching Sookie/Bill at the start? That was strange. Also, Sookie is not always able to read Sam's thoughts, so there's something strange about him, apart from him probably killing those women. Then, at the end, with the Grandmother, is she dead now too? And if she is dead, was it Sam that killed her too?

Basq

Nah, I'm still watching. It's definitely getting better.. though still finding some of the dialogue a bit iffy and Anna Paquin's acting is non-existant.

Ryan Kwanten (Jason) and Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette) are the two best things about the show.

jor el wrote: »

What was the deal with the dog watching Sookie/Bill at the start? That was strange. Also, Sookie is not always able to read Sam's thoughts, so there's something strange about him, apart from him probably killing those women.

Regarding Sam, it's seeming more and more obvious

that he is a werewolf or has some type of canine influence.

- Always having that dog nearby.
- The dog watching Sookie and Bill may have been him.. this is where it's patchy as I'm unsure whether he can actually shrink to the size of a dog or whether he can transfer his psyche into a dog.
- The sniffing and rolling around in the sheets of Lynn (her name was Lynn, right? The waitress Jason was screwing, and had the fight with!)

jor el

basquille wrote: »

Regarding Sam, it's seeming more and more obvious

that he is a werewolf or has some type of canine influence.

- Always having that dog nearby.
- The dog watching Sookie and Bill may have been him.. this is where it's patchy as I'm unsure whether he can actually shrink to the size of a dog or whether he can transfer his psyche into a dog.
- The sniffing and rolling around in the sheets of Lynn (her name was Lynn, right? The waitress Jason was screwing, and had the fight with!)

I wanted to say that, but it just sounded silly. Now that you've said it, it really doesn't sound any less silly. It kind of makes sense though, while remaining quite ridiculous. I was thinking

werewolf too, but that dog is quite small, so not sure how that would work.

I'd say that Sam is the killer, and he is definitely stalking Sookie. He probably killed the Grandmother too, and possibly while in wolf/canine form, given all the blood this time, whereas the other two women were strangled and there was no blood.

Will keep watching, though there have been some comments on IMDB about how crap this will be if it follows closely to the book. I haven't read the book, or the comments, so I'm not sure what way that goes, or if the TV show is currently following that path. Don't really want to know either.

djkeogh

Hmm, Interesting episode alright, Definitely something strange going on. Did Bill not say something in the first episode about Vamps having different powers and that some could change form? Seeing as the dog has been seen from the first episode I always figured it was just another vamp we've yet to discover.

I agree with Basq that Jason and Lafayette are the best characters in the show. It's not truly hooked me like other HBO shows but I find it entertaining enough to keep with it.

chalkitdown1

Fantastic episode last night. Loved it. Felt very much like an episode of Six Feet Under, what with all the grieving & mourning and whatnot.

opr

Just watched Ep5 and Ep6.

Episode 5 was by far the best of the season. The next episode is fairly slow moving but i guess it had to be in the context of what happened.

I have to say i am really liking this show now and i almost gave up on it after watching the first two episodes.

Opr

DapperGent

I'm really enjoying it as well can't wait for the next one. It's nowhere close to the amazing quality of other HBO stuff like The Wire or The Sopranos or more recently Generation Kill but it is a lot of fun. Personally I really like Tara and obviously Lafayette is brilliant, I'm finding Jason's continual idiocy a bit trying and unfunny. I thought I was going to dislike as the premise is a bit choiceless and silly for me, Vampires AND mind reading? One I can handle but both seems a bit much, it works pretty well surprisingly
though. Definately worth checking out.

Also I think the opening title sequence is just amazing, I've watched it again and again, so artistic and unsettling and beautiful. Great song too.

They really need to reveal the murderer pretty soon if it's going to turn out to be Sam the Werewolf (or whatever). I don't think there's too much more dragging out they can do there and it'll start to get irritating. Unless it turns out not to be him and there's some clever twist but the only other person who seems vaguely possible is the assistant coroner kid and that would just be stupid. Personally looking forward to them getting the murders out of the way and on to more Vamp origins and agendas and stuff.

chalkitdown1

I love the opening credits too. Great song.

Although, like every other HBO drama, they are a tad too long.

matrim

I finally got around to watching some more of this, and am enjoying it.

basquille wrote: »

that he is a werewolf or has some type of canine influence.

- Always having that dog nearby.
- The dog watching Sookie and Bill may have been him.. this is where it's patchy as I'm unsure whether he can actually shrink to the size of a dog or whether he can transfer his psyche into a dog.
- The sniffing and rolling around in the sheets of Lynn (her name was Lynn, right? The waitress Jason was screwing, and had the fight with!)

I think something like this too, although my GF disagrees with me and thinks that it's a silly idea.

The other thing that seems to point to Sam is that

when Bill has the dream about Sukki being strangled after her granmother died, the bit of the guys shirt you can see look like the one Sam was wearing. Well that and running through the forest naked

and possibly while in wolf/canine form, given all the blood this time, whereas the other two women were strangled and there was no blood.

I thought they mentioned knife wounds on her body?


And as with others, I really like the opening credits too.

chalkitdown1

Excellent episode yet again.

Was that Melvin from Office Space as the Vampire that supplies Lafayette with V? Great piece of casting. And a great ending, again.

I love how each episode blends into the next, like a really long film.

opr

Its the only show i am following at the minute that i can't wait to see the next episode after i have watched it.

Opr

matrim

I liked this episode too. The pace of the series is going well.

chalkitdown1 wrote: »

Was that Melvin from Office Space as the Vampire that supplies Lafayette with V? Great piece of casting. And a great ending, again.

I thought it was the guy from dodgeball, who had to get angry.

djkeogh

yea the cliffhangers at the end of an episode usually leave you with a Prison Break style feeling of how are we gonna get outta this situation. The show has definitely gotten alot stronger as it's gone on.

So Jason looks set to commit his first real crime now with the new girlfriend. Next episode should be interesting. Still no real glimpse of the overall murderer is. They've almost forgone that plot point at this stage now and only just about thought to remind us of it when Sam was being interviewed last night.

I've got a bad feeling that it's going to end with a poor twist.

Block (8

djkeogh wrote: »

yea the cliffhangers at the end of an episode usually leave you with a Prison Break style feeling of how are we gonna get outta this situation.

Damn your right there!
How is Sam going to get out of the ending in episode 9:D
I really laughed out loudly at the end of the episode, what an ending!!!

Basq

Never thought I'd say it... but it's turned into quite a wonderful little series. I still think it has some flaws - the writing can be extremely patchy but it's one of the show's I'm most looking forward to each week (especially now that 'Dexter' has lost a lot of it's spark in it's third season)!

Called Sam's shape shifting ability over a month ago - but it was pretty damn obvious!

Very funny ending to the episode too.

djkeogh

Ohh, Looking forward to Episode 9 alright. I'll give it a viewing this evening. Have to say though the girl Jason's been banging in the last few episodes is top of the range. Very nice.

chalkitdown1

After a flakey start, this is now one of my favourite shows on tv right now. Infact, I'd say that if The Shield wasn't airing right now, this would be my number one.

The season's flown by. Can't believe there's only 3 episodes left.

djkeogh

Really liked that episode it has to be said. I did laugh at the end of it even though it was obvious enough what was going to happen. The show really has grown on me as well. definitely my favourite of the new shows that i've been watching.

TheHairyFairy

Really enjoying this at the moment. Grabbing it in 720p is making it even better, my first series watched in HD \o/.

matrim

Episode 9 was good, and I'm looking forward to Ep 10 tonight.

One thing is that there have been scenes where Sam and the dog have been show at the same time,

so it might mean that there is a second shape shifter around.

jor el

I'm sure we saw Sam, with that same dog (a Collie is it?) in the previous to last episode, ep8 I think. Either there's another person like him, or there's just an ordinary dog around the place.

It's getting very interesting now, really need to know what the hell is going on. Did Sam kill the women? What do the Vamps want with Sookie? What are they going to do to Bill? What exactly is Sam? And so on.

Basq

The more pressing question is..

.. why does Bill persist in pronouncing Sookie as 'SSSHOOKIE!!"?

Basq

Another great episode this week.

The one thing is.. I think I know who the killer is..

Bear with me..

I'd be willing to bet money it's Terry - it's the oldest trick in the book. Introduce a small character a few episodes into the season.. then slowly integrate them more and more while the storyline is progressing. But never give them enough dialogue to really make them noticeable. Dexter - Season 1 anyone?!

Terry has been present more and more recently.. and his interaction with Sookie when he said something along the lines "there's some dead people I wish were here too!"

It's all a bit cryptic.. and I'd be willing to eat my large hat if it turned out to be someone other than Terry.