Cool Hand Joe

True Blood is at it’s boiling point: Make it or Break it.

Here’s the way I see it. In television, once in a blue moon a show comes along that truly explodes. A show that’s brilliantly executed and adored by the masses. A perfect example is True Blood. I’m not going to waste time writing about the backstory because it’s unimportant but what is important to know is that in its third season, the show has some decisions to make that could extend its reign as one of the greatest television shows of the moment or extinguish it prematurely. Of course, those decisions have already been made and the viewers will just have to wait for the verdict.

This breaking point I’m referring to is the moment when a show has to decide how to balance the consumer’s demands with the integrity of the artists behind the show. Meaning, the viewer finds themselves hungry for more and more of what they want and subsequently the directors, writers, etc. have to decide how much more to give and where to make compromises.

Considering True Blood, I think the burden falls on the shoulders of Eric Northman, ancient viking vampire and fan favorite all in one. Personally, I love the show and I’ve loved the development of Eric over the first two seasons. I now, however, find myself somewhat concerned. Alexander Skarsgard once stated that he based his portrayal of Eric on a study of African lion prides. Now, we find the show in its third season delving deeper and deeper into the character. Exposing emotions, histories, relationships, etc… but why? I like Eric a lot and I always have. I also, however, am worried that the show is exposing Eric primarily because the audience wants more Eric.

Point; this is not Twilight! I don’t understand why there needs to be a battle between Vampire Bill and Vampire Eric over Sookie Stackhouse merely because she is the female lead and they are the two male leads. I liked where the show had initiated the relationship between Sookie and Eric. I liked that he was the ancient vampire and she was the small town girl  and that for whatever reason, he took a liking to her.

More specifically, I like Eric cold with just a hint of emotion. I don’t want him to be a human, I just like him as a person. That’s why this show works. It’s about humans, who aren’t always entirely human, dealing with new kinds of people, if you understand what I’m saying. 

Now, the show has absolutely not jumped the shark as of yet. I think it’s picking up steam in its third season (finally) and I like some of the new characters a lot. Specifically, I strangely enjoy Tara’s storyline surrounding insane freakazoid Vampire Franklin this season. Thank you, team True Blood, for saving Tara for me because I was a little scared that I would never like her again. Franklin is the perfect addition to the cast. Also, I’m happy to see more of Pam and Jessica. Oh, and I tend to ignore the werewolves. 

Bad Girl Bombshell of the Day: Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse

So some of you may have noticed at this point that every once in a while I feature a character instead of an actress. I think this is probably the most distinctive time I’ve done so because Anna Paquin has never looked better than she does playing Sookie on True Blood.

Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great actress regardless, and I’m a huge Rogue fan, but this is definitely her calling. I tuned into True Blood late, as I’ve done with most of my favorite shows like Weeds. I wait till the show generates steam, then I buy the season blindly without having sampled anything. That’s in my nature as a film kid, I think. Having said that, I think I ate through True Blood faster than any other series, and I find myself craving more.

I tuned in with just a bare skeleton of an understanding of how it worked, but I can say that I expected Paquin’s Sookie to play damsel in distress. She actually kind of reminds me of a Willow Rosenberg type, (if you didn’t know that was a Buffy reference, get off the blog.) only hotter, in that she is thrown into an alternate reality kind of universe and is forced to adjust regardless of her feelings. Instead of rejecting it, she embraces it and pretty much kicks ass.

Also, I think there’s something innate in Anna that makes Sookie hot beyond just looks, which was obviously a priority in casting the character. A lot of the show surrounds Sookie’s x-factor and attractiveness to guys, both human and not-so-much-human. I like Sookie because in a reality filled with vampires and shape shifters, she still stands out. Granted she has telekinetic abilities, but she still comes off as pretty human. I think this is a credit to both Paquin’s acting, and the show’s writers… but more so to Paquin. The show on the surface is vampire themed, but when you really get into it you realize it’s Sookie themed, in that you slowly begin to realize that’s she’s something special.