Courtesy of HBO
True Blood races towards the finish line as the cast cleanse continues and another series regular bites the dust…or dissolves into a steaming husk of goo.
Let’s bitch it out…When Brian Buckner, the latest showrunner of True Blood, indicated that he was planning on bringing the season into sharper focus, I didn’t realize that he meant he planned on killing off half the cast. Not that I’m complaining, mind you!
Thus far, no matter how much I may like them, I won’t quibble that the people who have bought the farm in the last few episodes were good to go. Terry (Todd Lowe) was a nice guy, but he was never integral to the plot of the show. Ditto tonight’s casualty, Nora (Lucy Griffiths) who just kinda appeared in the first episode of season five and never left. Actress Lucy Griffiths has been fine in the role, but once Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and Bill (Stephen Moyer) – back when he was still Bill – lost their minds in the Authority, her role was greatly diminished. This season she’s been more of an afterthought, buzzing around the Stackhouse home, getting sent to Vamp Camp and then last week turning up solely to get infected with Gov. Burrell’s (Arliss Howard) Hep V concoction.
As far deaths go, this one is fairly memorable though. It’s not every day we get to see a vampire wither away slowly on this show (if this was The Vampire Diaries that would be a different story). The flashback to Eric and Nora’s first meeting mirrors the deathbed imagery in the present, though there’s still a pervasive “too little, too late” feeling – it’s nice to get the insight into their relationship, but maybe not two minutes before she croaks. There’s a symmetry in having their first and last moments surround her death(s), but without more investment in her character, I can’t say I felt the same level of emotion I’ve felt with other deaths (include Terry’s). I will give props to Skarsgard however, for rising to the occasion, as well as the FX and make-up team for creating the truly disgusting sight of Nora’s body decomposing in Eric’s arms. Deliciously gross.
Courtesy of HBO
Other Observations:
- If the show continues to kill its cast at the current rate, we may just have a reasonable number of characters by the end of the season.Obviously the 64 thousand dollar question is if you could pick someone else to die, who would it be? As much as I like some of the men on this show, I think we all know who my choices would be
- I’ve often wondered if the quality of the show is directly proportional to the amount of skin shown. The question seems particularly relevant because the last batch of episodes have shown a marked increase in quality…and it seems like we’ve seen more nekkid bits bumping together. For those keeping track at home tonight we got Sam (Sam Trammell) and Warlow’s (Rob Kazinsky) bum, as well as Sookie’s (Anna Paquin) boobs and peek-a-boo cleavage from both Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Pam (Kristin Beau van Straten)
- Speaking of Pam, can we talk about her masterful manipulation of the psychiatrist (Pruitt Taylor Vince)? Earlier when Pam dismissed Baby Vamp’s concern about the Hep V in the True Blood I was really annoyed. What’s happened to the kick-ass Pam that we know and love?! Sure we got the extended monologue about how Pam doesn’t care about other vampires, but the blatant disregard for our other cast members locked up in Gen pop is frustrating. Then suddenly she delivers a virtuoso display of Freudian knowledge and she’s completely won me back. Well played Ms. De Beaufort
- I’m less impressed with Jess. Perhaps her new storyline with hot sensitive vamp James (Luke Grimes) is an unfortunate causaulty of this condensed sixth season (only three episode remaining, folks!), but going from loving Jason three episodes ago to boinking James on the Vamp Camp conference table seems like a pretty quick turnaround. I do think the scene between Jess and James has solid chemistry and Ann Woll kills the emotional vulnerability as always, but knowing Jason (Ryan Kwanten) is just outside raises the ick factor pretty high
- Jason’s situation is nearly a dream come true – tossed into a room of ravenous women…if only they weren’t vampires…and if he hadn’t been repeatedly raped by panthers a few years ago. Yeah, okay maybe it’s a nightmare scenario after all
- Sarah Newlin’s (Anna Camp) plan is actually pretty feasible, all things considered. Usually the grand plan for villains on these shows is out there (I just watched the last Resident: Evil…wow). In comparison killing time until the infected Tru Blood hits shelves is perfectly doable. It’s practically downright pedestrian
- Obviously we know that Sam isn’t going to stay away from Bon Temps, though I figured it would be Terry’s funeral that would bring him back. Now it seems it might be the funeral AND the fact that whatsherface has been captured by Alcide (Joe Maganiello) and his stupid wolf pack. At this point I’m wondering if any amount of character rehabilitation can save Alcide, much less this storyline. Silver bullet anyone?
- Hope someone offered Rob Kazinsky a blanket to cover up with in Faerie-land. Sookie’s taking her sweet ass time getting back to him and that dude was all kinds of naked
- I didn’t really expect Arlene’s (Carrie Preston) grief to be played for laughs, but in hindsight nearly everything involving that character ends up being funny, so I guess this is on point. The speed with which she sobers up from her drunken stupor when Billith arrives in the daytime is pretty hilarious
- Finally, that meet-cute moment between Andy’s (Chris Bauer) sole remaining daughter and Holly’s (Lauren Bowles) son? Barf (like the consistency of Nora’s body barf)
Best Lines:
- Sarah (discussing disposal plans for Burrell’s body): “And I don’t know how.” Pause. “But I hear that acid is effective.”
- Sookie (after Billith lists the vamps who will die without her help): “Pam’s my friend?”
Your turn: is there any mystery left to how Billith and Eric end back up at Vamp Camp to save the day? Did you find Jess’ timing and proximity to Jason insensitive? Are you sad to see Nora go? Can Tara (Rutina Wesley) protect Jason without the show dissolving into a grindhouse women-in-prison film? Sound off below
True Blood airs Sundays at 9pm EST on HBO
Excellent review of this season so far. Pam was magnetic in tonight’s episode. I feel like we get just the right amount of Pam. Any more and it might be overdone, but it’s great that she’s a part of the storyline and not simply an accessory. I also love that characters on the show find her as magnetic as viewers do.
“Pam’s my friend?” HA!!
I was frustrated at first too, but it’s not out of character for Pam to do that. She told her sister to warn Tara and Jessica, the only other vampires she knows there, but forget everybody else.
I’m ecstatic that they are thinning the herd. I agree that Nora’s back story was a bit “too much, too little, too blah-blah-blah”, but I suppose it was necessary. As usual, I appreciate the campy subject matter juxtaposed with sincere, charismatic acting, however.
I am most interested in Vamp Camp because I am assuming someone will die. I don’t want to choose among Bill (OK, BILL!), Eric, Jason, Jessica, Pam and Tara, but I just feel like someone must die. If it’s Tara, it does seem like a waste of some goodness with Pam. They have been separated for the whole season, though, so . . .
Then again, maybe the reason why Lafayette hasn’t had a storyline is because they are choosing him. Maybe the actor already chose.
Clearly, Blll and Eric will help save the day. I assume Warlow’s (Oh, how he bores me!) blood will have something to do with it, but we still have the issue of Sookie’s fiery fairyball of magic. They’re not really going to just drop that, right? It might be the deus ex machina for the season. Then again, I have ceased to care about her storyline, too.
The short season definitely keeps the action moving. The sexing seems to put everything on hold, though. Other than Jess’s vampiric romp, all of it has been a distraction to me. Mostly, the actors just don’t seem to have a lot of chemistry (Well, Jason is Just Jason;)). Makes it less fun to watch.
I guess it’s going to be up to Tara to save the day. Or at least Jason. Besides have we had any sapphic sweetness, yet? Maybe they’re saving the best for last!