As a huge fan of Six Feet Under, there was no way I was going to miss creator Alan Ball’s return to TV (and specifically, HBO) with last night’s premiere of True Blood. (Read Ken Tucker’s official EW review of the show here; for the record, he gives it a C.) And that "God Hates Fangs" billboard in the opening credits gave me hope that the show might be able to mix a little of that patented SFU-style humor into the vampires-among-us plotline (taken from Charlaine Harris’s series of novels). Alas, however, while the pilot episode did a decent job of holding my attention — and while I’ll definitely tune in again next week to see if the show improves — True Blood succeeded only intermittently in providing biting laughs while still going for the dramatic jugular.
(I now take a brief pause to apologize for my overzealous vampire jokes. I totally suck.)
On the plus side, Anna Paquin (pictured, left), looking like a Vargas Waitress in her tight white t-shirt, clingy black short-shorts, and magnificent ponytail, succeeded in making Sookie Stackhouse a thing of wide-eyed sass. I chuckled heartily when she batted down her Grandmother’s request to ask her new vampire acquaintance to give a presentation about his Civil War experiences by explaining: "I think he might have a hard time showing up to the public library at noon on a Thursday." I also liked her bitchin’ use of a tire chain to take down that unsuspecting goon who attacked her would-be paramour.
But other parts of the hour played more like a broad CBS sitcom,especially when Sookie got into a shouting match with lovestruckemployer Sam and best pal Tara (a hammy Rutina Wesley), whilesimultaneously reading their minds. Part of the problem is theabundance of stock characters, a jarring and disappointing change fromSFU’s rich band of eccentrics. There’s the slacker best friend whodelights in refusing to take her job seriously (how Reaper!). There’sthe kindly grandma who serves buttery meals with a side of batty.There’s the stoic, pale blood-sucker (Stephen Moyer, pictured, right) who, despite having apparentlylived through the disco era, the Reagan years, and the fabulous ’90s,still utters groaners like, "May I call on you sometime?" Come on!
Still, that brief footage of a vampire-sex video was genuinely chilling. And while I saw the episode’s climactic (and vicious) assault coming from the minute Sookie shooed away Sam and insisted she’d wait in the darkened parking lot by herself, the end result was still deeply upsetting.
What did you all think of the True Blood premiere? Will you be back for a second helping? And should Ryan Kwanten (as Sookie’s buff brother Jason) get some kind of special award for most gratuitous exposing of the male torso* in a single hour of television?
*Non-Dancing With the Stars Division
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I was definitely underwhelmed by this first episode. However, I am waiting with baited breath for the introduction of Alexander Skarsgard’s (http://www.stellanonline.com/alexander5x.jpg vampire character. I am pretty sure that it will be worth the wait.
I never watched other vampire shows/ movies so I guess I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into this other than my expectation for great writing since I loved SFU. So I was a little disappointed but I too will stick around to see if things improve. I though Anna Paquin was great and didn’t over do it with the southern accent but I don’t think they made it very clear what her appeal was to the vampire guy, other than that she didn’t have to listen to his thoughts.
I’ve read a few of the Sookie Stackhouse books, and I was a huge SFU fan, so I had great hopes for the show initially, but the wave of mediocre to bad reviews kind of hurt my anticipation. I can’t say I was disappointed in this, as I had heard so many negative things that I was expecting the worst, and it’s not the worst. It’s not the best either, and dragged at points. I do have high hopes for future episodes, and hopefully some of the humor from the books will come across in the show.
I am “underwhelmed” by most television shows these days(with the exception of Bones and 30 Rock), but True Blood picqued my interest enough to make me hold out for another week. It was surely more satisfying that watching the embarassingly boring VMAs, and for that I am thankful.
I think there is a typo in the headline.
I think that I’m going to give this show a few weeks…. as of right now, I’m a bit neutral. I think that Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are wonderful, which make me interested in finding out what happens to them. The rest of the characters definitely seem a bit flat. I’d definitely like the show to succeed as I’ve always loved the better vampire story lines.
Side note: given the overabundance of vampires right now, maybe a more interesting book to TV adaption, would have been Anne Rice’s the Witching Hour series. Oh well
I don’t get why this got such bad reviews. I guess it’s just time for everyone to bash Alan Ball. This show was about ten times more interesting then the shallow junk EW usually slobbers over.
Loved Stephen Moyer in it. And Anna P. is phenom. Hope this does it for both of them. (The woman who plays her friend=pretty fab too). I just wish it wasn’t about blood. I hate blood!
Every pilot has its issues, even great ones like Pushing Daisies. So for a pilot I thought it was decent. I agree that the Bill/Sookie scenes were the best. I think that once we have some time to flesh out the rest of the characters it’ll be even better.
I never watched Six Feet Under so, I didn’t have any expectations vis a vis Alan Ball. I’m just a vampire geek. So I’ll be watching next week to see where AB plans on taking these vamps and their would be dinner!
I’m intrigued enough to keep watching. I really hope HBO gives Ball enough episodes to iron out the kinks. Once he gets the tone balanced properly, I think it might take off. Love the soundtrack, too.
I liked it. I might watch the whole season. I also really liked the returned of Entourage.
I LOVED it! My husband did as well. I have already set up my DVR to record the series!
I too was prepared to be disappointed after seeing the middling reviews, and I was anything but. I loved it so much I watched it twice. The whole new dynamic between humans/vampires should make for some interesting stuff (haven’t read the books). The atmosphere/setting seemed ever so slightly parallel-universe, which worked for me. It was good to see Ball is not shying away from the unnerving. Also, since apparently Sookie is something more than human, I’m guessing there’s more to Grandma than meets the eye. And of course, the fiery intensity of Sookie/Bill is delicious like I haven’t seen on TV, EVER. Some of the totally over the top characters need to tone it down some, and the greater outside world/world of Bon Temps need to gel better, but overall, I’m hooked solid through the jaw.
Can we please get the actors on this show a dialect coach?
I thoroughly enjoyed myself when watching this show. I thought it was dark yet funny and showed great potential as a solid ensemble show. I absolutely adore Anna Paquin as well. Cant wait until the next episode!
ive read the whole series of Sookie books!~ They are wonderful, I enjoyed the 1st episode, my husband who has not read the books actually programmed the tv for upcoming episodes, he loved it!~
Did not like it. Watched it with my wife, and she’s into the whole “Twilight” series, and she wasn’t impressed either. Sorry to be state-ist, but I could stand the accents and am just not interested in the whole southern angle of it.
I have read all all of the sookie stackhouse novels and i am truley happy with the first episode of trueblood. i am looking forward to the next episode.
I liked it but I really didn’t see the chemistry b/w Sookie and Bill, and that makes me sad. Alan Ball just wasn’t able to make me root for them as a couple: I found them predictable and boring. And upon first impression, the portrayal of people of colour on the show seems a little problematic. Just very stereotypical and over-the-top. But that might improve eventually. To be fair, all characters were pretty much stereotypical and over-the-top. S:
I think I’ll watch again. I really dug the setting and how the show plunges you deep into the Louisianian atmosphere, halfway between fantasy and legend, and harsh contemporary reality. And it’s still better than ¾ of what network TV has to offer.
But yeah, Sookie’s cool. She could be the next Buffy. Minus, you know, the vampire slaying part.
I LOVED THIS SHOW. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I ENJOYED THE FACT THAT IT WAS IN THE SOUTH! LOVED IT!!!
my family and i really liked this show. it showed lots of potential and even my 15 son liked it. we look forward to other episodes!
I loved it!! I thought it was true to the book series. And being on HBO we don’t have to see a watered down version.
Anyone who has actually read the first novel will understand the slow pace of the pilot. It only gets better folks…
I loved the show. I am an Alan Ball fan. I know this show will take us all on a gteat trip. I can’t wait till the next showing.
Where’s the TV watch for Entourage????????
I actually quite liked it. I was looking forward to it, since there hasn’t been a decent vampire on television since Buffy left Sunnydale. I’m a big fan of the vampire love story, and was intrigued by what I saw on “True Blood” last night. I will definitely be watching next week, and have set up the DVR to record it, too. And please, EW, let’s make a TV Watch for it!
Made it through 30 minutes and then had to turn it off. Very, very underwhelming. Bring back Moonlight!
The show was okay to me. From the advertisements I was thinking of something sexy and thrilling.
However this show was sexy, but lacked any thrill. I can even come to enjoy the storyline of Vamps being “Out of the coffin” I can not enjoy the character of Terra. She is horrible. I have no idea why television always portrays black women as either angry hoes, angry wives, or just plain angry. At least she likes to read books! Also whats with the little teeth? That make noises when they extend. It was so silly I thought it was a joke or something.
I’ll give the show another chance, but I feel that I will never find a better show than Buffy!
i can’t believe they replaced the original “tara.” the new one suuuuuuuuuucks!
I can see why some people may not like this show as it is not the gut griping storyline as in Six Feet Under. This first season is suppose to be following – with great effort – the exact storyline of the book it was based on. Which means the dialogue and the pace. Allan Ball didn’t veer too far off that first chapter or so and thus, the the characters and storyline are a bit awkward. The book wasn’t written to be a TV show or movie. I think, that after more shows, the characters will find their pace – although I think Allen Ball needs to get away from the book and make it his own. Then it will be an awesome show. i.e. use the “World” C. Harris created, and make NEW plot lines. That is how some of the more popular shows (based on old ideas) have stood the test of time.