One thing I always appreciate about fantasy/science fiction is when it approaches an old idea in a new way. I don't need more Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque shows and movies where vampires are all evil and in hiding, and there's only a select few who can save us; we already have seven seasons of that. And I certainly don't need the melodramatic teen angst of Twilight; I'm not twelve.
True Blood, however, is very different. I won't say it's completely different, because it definitely utilizes the vampire cliches that have made the whole genre a big fat cliche; but it's the differences that make this show so compelling. Though vampires have been in hiding for centuries, they live out in the open now and are even working towards establishing civil rights for themselves as people. So far, each episode shows this political battle going on in the background in the form of pundits talking on CNN and Bill Maher. While they do need blood to live, there's a synthetic product on the market called "True Blood," apparently manufactured as a way to ensure that vampires and humans can live side by side without fear.
 |
| Apparently, this is his only expression. |
I like that the show sets up vampires as sort of a downtrodden class of people who just want civil rights, but it still makes a point of showing that they're dangerous. They look like normal people until their fangs drop down, and even then that's the only change in their appearance (unlike in Buffy where their entire face becomes more demonic-looking). For the most part, they aren't super pale, wasted, emo people, which is emphasized in the opening scene of the series wherein a portly Southern guy in a hunter's cap and camo reveals himself as a vampire.
However, the main vampire character, Bill, plays up every cliche in the book, constantly staring down Anna Paquin's character, Sookie, with a smoldering gaze beneath hooded eyes. I don't know if it was their intention to make it so ridiculously over-the-top, but I found myself laughing at just how often he stared at her like that. I suppose being immortal and seeing everyone you know and love grow old and die would make a guy depressed, but his angst is overplayed. The character is primarily saved by the fact that Stephan Moyer is undeniably hot, and he has incredible chemistry with Paquin.
Since the show revolves around Sookie, it makes sense that her character is the most well-written and complex. The audience needs to sympathize with her right away, and this is accomplished very well by her courage and sense of right and wrong. She isn't intimidated by Bill, and actually teases him because he can't fly or change shape (which I guess some vampires can do). In those situations, Bill's character is redeemed because he is so obviously out of his depth around Sookie, easily embarrassed and flustered by her teasing. I really appreciate that the writers threw that into his character development because it shows vulnerability and that he's more than just a brooding hot guy.
Though I've only seen two episodes, I like where it's going; and there are lots of little hints that suggest there may be more than vampires out there. If you've already seen a ton of True Blood, NO SPOILERS!!! Even though I can usually anticipate what's going to happen because I've consumed so much fiction over the years, I still like to get there on my own without it being told to me before hand. If you haven't seen it, then I would recommend it, especially if you like shows such as Dexter and Battlestar Galactica.
WARNING: Since this show is on HBO, there are a ton of graphic sex scenes. That's actually another thing I don't especially like about the show; in my opinion, a good story doesn't need graphic sex, but I guess they felt that they might as well write it in since they're on HBO and they can get away with it.
No comments:
Post a Comment