Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine TRUE BLOOD

The new HBO series, True Blood, debuted tonight. A vampire story set in Louisiana by the creators of "Six Feet Under". It stars Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress at a local bar where a lot of the action takes place. Vampires started to "come out of the coffin" a couple of years ago when the Japenese perfected synthetic blood. A small Louisiana town gets its first vampire. There is a murder, a lot of fun characters, and some sex. I think this is going to be a hit. Did anyone else see it? What did you think?

I've been curious about this series for awhile especially when I found out the lovely and talented Miss Paquin would be playing a role. It didn't hurt that advertising for it was a large presence at SDCC this year.

As for the premiere episode I quite enjoyed it and I think it's off to a good start. I can't wait to watch the next episode.

Anna Paquin was great. HBO typically does a good job with casting, and this show is no exception

They really did have a lot of advertising for this at Comic Con; I thought most of it was fairly witty (particularly the fake ads for the synthetic blood). I also got one of the free comics they were giving away.

I missed the first episode, but I'm curious to see if it's available on On Demand.

like what i saw so far but i'm having trouble accepting Anna,..there's something about her,..could be her aweful accent that irks me. but i'm gonna watch the show every sunday or at least try to catch it on HBO on demand,..gotta love cable.

The second episode was great too. I'm going to be totally addicted to this show. I'm guessing that the Comptons and Stackhouses have a relationship that goes back generations -- perhaps Bill was married to an ancestor of Sookie?

Lots of great lines, lots of suspense, it looks like we're going to get to see Jason naked almost every episode, and the trio of Vampires in the final scene were just plain fun.

To someone like me, a vampire junkie, we've been reading these books for ten years or so and loving them. It's wonderful that someone besides Anne Rice gets a chance at a television hit series on HBO. Anne could never give up creative control to give HBO or anybody an opportunity to bring her characters to life on the small screen like this. Charlene Harris is, to me, a wonderful author and a witty, gorgeous BBW (big beautiful woman) who must be in 7th heaven with the success of True Blood.

The series is being right on faithful to the books, so far, and I can't see them changing that. The set decoration and costuming and 'feel' are so genuine you can almost smell the gumbo, beer, cigarette smoke and even the blood. The actors are so quirky and interesting and compelling that its very satisfying. With Anna's teeth left imperfect, and her haunted past as a telepath/empath, she brings Sookie to life for me. And I think that Bill is being portrayed perfectly as well. He is having such a hard time fitting into the modern world, and you catch his Civil War era mannerisms and ideology. ANd Jerry, you are onto something

The hardest thing for me so far is that the wonderful character actress playing Sookie's grandmother (she also played Aunt Meg in 'Twister') looks and acts very similar to my own dear mother. With the one year anniversary of mom's death coming up shortly, and knowing the fate of Sookie's granny, it is hard to watch. Scott and I both looked at each other and remarked during the first show that it was like having mom back with us watching that character.

I really enjoyed the sparkle Sookie's grandmother got in her eyes when she talked with Bill. You know that she has been raised her whole life with the misconception that the 'War of Northern Aggression' was very necessary and romantic and that the South was wronged. She is so eager to hear from a first hand source that her family ancestors and family associates and neighbors were all valient heroes. You can see Bill struggling with the truth, and yet being totally charmed by this fiesty old woman. Not to mention that he would do anything in the world for Sookie.

Oh I really want this series to take off and succeed! I want it to be the surprise hit that it is shaping up to be! And it's coming at the right time of year too, fall is vampire season after all Take it from someone with a vampire bite tattoo, this show has fangs!!!

Yeah, Gran is great. According to her HBO bio her name is Lois Smith and she made her first movie with James Dean.

Keep me posted, guys. I'm already planning to get the DVD set.

I don't get HBO unfortunately, but hope to catch the DVDs when they come out. I'm a big fan of the books

Wow. Stunner of an ending for tonight's episode. Aside from that, being able to see how Bill became a vampire was quite compelling. It also seems that parts of the series are developing a bit of a Twin Peaks feel. That's a good thing.

Is it poosible that Bill's creator is the one doing all the killing?

oh wait, too much blood, bill said no vampire could resist it so it couldnt be a vampire.

So I caught the first few episodes. So far I'm...meh. I like some of it but a lot of it leaves me flat.

I love Anna Paquin, and in fact, all the actors are great (especially both cops), but it didn't leave me as wowwed as some other HBO/Showtime shows (Rome, Deadwood, Dexter). I love the horror genre, and vampires specifically, so maybe I just have to get used to this type of setting/groundwork of vampires being so casually accepted and being served Type-O blood at bars.

I did really enjoy seeing Bill's history from the Civil War explored. I love in vampire fiction when a character's pre-Vampire past is explored, especially when its far in the past but still in cultural memory. It lays a strong groundwork for tragedy, and I thought this was brillantly done here, both actor-wise and pacing/story wise.

I'm on the fence still.

The season finale aired Sunday-- anyone still watching?

I liked this series quite a bit. I'm glad that I *hadn't* read the books yet, as I'm pretty sure whatever liberties were taken would bug me. As a rule, I like to see movies of books first, then read the book. That way the potential's there to enjoy both.

Anyway, if nothing else, TRUE BLOOD has one of the best theme songs in quite awhile.

On the whole, I find myself much more curious about Sam and the 'shifters' than the vampires (though the 'sheriff' and his droll deputy are more entertaining than Bill, IMO).

The actress playing Tara should get nominated for an Emmy.

Big downside-- the mystery resolution wasn't exactly the greatest.

During the series I have re-read all nine Charlene Harris books. I can tell you that the first book ends with the resolution of the killer's identity and the second book opens up with the discovery of Lafayette's body in Detective Bellefleur's patrol car. So they are going to start up the second season on the second book. I am so absolutely in love with this series!!!!! Yet it is taking liberties with the book, changing things around and adding things probably for the sake of television. But it is staying close enough to follow.

Secret guilty pleasure, imagining Sookie and Tara together.............

I haven't seen this yet (no HBO), but hope to see it on DVD at some point.

It seems that many series based on books take some liberties. They use the books as a starting point, and then modify as needed. The Blood Ties series was like that.

i love this show, however this thread doesnt say spoilers, now i understand the show is over and now people are talking about it, my fault if i see something i dont want to know about. But PLEASE dont discuss the books, i know that was lafayettees body in the car but i was holding out hope it wasnt, but thanks to someone who read the books i now know its him.

and how the hell did tara find out Sookie was attacked if she was at ensign ro's house and the creepy man servant hid her phone? How the hell would she know about it?

Just a note to hardcore True Blood fans..... I just found out that the 'behind the scenes,' the 'making of,' and the 14 different three minute interviews with various cast members will only be available until December 21st. This is the stuff mentioned at the beginning of the season and in the first couple episodes. Online at the HBO website.

Gee Labradorian, sorry about spoiling your day. But, um, on whom else in Bon Temps would you find long, shapley, well manicured, fire engine red polished toes on an African American male? When they showed the painted toenails that was a total giveaway...... But okay, if I ever talk about the show again here I will play the spoilers alert card.

i know i know
but i was holding out hope!! lol
i liked Lafayette

Has anyone been watching the second season of True Blood, its been totally fantastic, the first 3 episodes were verrrrrrrry good and left you eagerly awaiting the next episode. I wont get into what happened just yet for spoilers sake, but i have really enjoyed this season so far.

I agree that the second season has been loads of fun- though it's already taking a break? I think and hope it's just for one week.

I know you hadn't read the novels during the first season, Labradorian. Have you since then?

I won't spoil anything, but I will say that the TV series and novels are now so different that one could discuss the events in one without necessarily spoiling the other.

Still a risk of spoilerage, I suppose, since you never know when elements from the books will be adapted whole cloth for the series.

They're like parallel universes, really.

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Apparantly on someone else, and a woman at that!