True Blood Episode 6 Blog Review:

 

“The big ol’ scary vampire went to the sun to fry! –Be here all day!” Now this is a show I can get behind! It has the humor, the camp, the welcome surprises and some of my favorite lines of dialogue and exchanges between the characters of this season. A strong open gave us a flavor of Eric’s particular…ennui – he is simply very old and bored-in search of new stimuli. It was very gratifying that the writers chose to show this with his exchange with the er…”blood donor”, rather than force it into an awkward bit of dialog.

 I had initially felt that the Lorena/Eric maniacal conspiring would irritate me. Over the past few episodes I have come to abhor the characterization of Bill and Sookie as “holier than thou” set against what appeared to be Eric’s thin mustached villain as in some 1920’s melodrama. Things began to feel too much like a soap opera to me. Elements of the soap utilized to heighten the campiness are more than ok with me. In fact, I love it. However, a series of conversations between morally superior lovers about who loves who more was taking away some of the appeal of the show for me. It also seemed for a moment that they were turning Eric into a two dimensional “Stefano” from “Days of our Lives”, always conspiring against the “good guys”. Rather than a rich and complex character that is interesting to watch.

 However I was very pleasantly surprised with the exchange between Lorena and Eric. It was done with finesse and I understood that his desire to experience something unique, to have the sensation of fresh experience again, makes him ruthless in the pursuit of that opportunity.

I was a little less sold on the exchange between Bill, Sookie, Isabelle and Hugo as well as the initial exchange between Sam and Daphne, and between Sookie and Hugo in the bar. These were the moments that had the most flattened out daytime drama feel to me. I felt that the Lafayette/Andy Bellefleur exchange could have benefited by intercutting flashback images of Lafayette locked in the Fangtasia basement. As well as a rapid build of quicker, closer cuts to build the tension, and perhaps a low hum of disharmonious sound playing beneath the scene to increase the sense of menace and oppression. Though each of the actors executed their role with excellence, I was not entirely sold. Though I loved to see Pam with Lafayette later in the episode and wonder what they are up to selling “V”. Combination money making opportunity/bring all enemies out into the “light” perhaps?

The episode really turned around for me with the scene with Hoyt and his mother. He is turning out to be a great character, he is sweet without being saccharin, and now is showing a steady strength “reactivate it, or the next step’s gonna be all mine”.  The relationship between Hoyt and Jessica is quickly becoming one of the most engaging on the show, it feels tentative and loving and real to me. I believe it, and I believe the actors. Hoyt is not playing at being “innocent” he is simply blissfully unaware that he is so vey innocent. A much more powerful choice.

The Light of Day storyline this week is where it all really came alive for me. These scenes had the best character development as well as some of the best dialog. Luke’s breakdown of the level of sexual sins to Jason was simply hilarious “Gods an open minded guy…to a point.” The absolute ease with which Jason, who truly with all he is wants to do right, is manipulated is genius. He simply cannot help that he is fundamentally selfish and stupid, nor does that detract from the fact that he is also in so many ways, fundamentally good. 

The scenes between Sookie and Sarah were some of my favorites from both characters all season. Their initial meeting was the epitome of the southern woman. Sookies “In person she looks like vanilla pudding” followed immediately by taffy dipped in ice cream dipped in powdered sugared compliments is so completely the way of the southern belle. “You are just as cute as a button!” “And you’re like a cool breeze on a hot summer day!” Later when things turned dark between them, I really felt the anguish each of the women were experiencing. Sookie and the absolute panic of knowing she was being taken, that the situation was fully out of her control and pleading with the one person she sensed may have the heart to assist her, Sarah. Sarah struggling to hang n to any semblance of herself and what she knows to be good and right, in the face of a situation, a man, a movement that she had put all her faith in that is quickly spiraling to a place of utter darkness. Steve Newlan represents a very real danger in human nature, a fantastical dogmatism that turns all good intentions into bloodthirsty hate.  Best put by Sarah, “He’s vicious and he’s cruel and he uses the C word!”

The introduction of “evil” Bill was a surprising and interesting twist for me. It has me wondering what they are going to do to create and inciting incident for his “reform”. Though this is a far more extreme version of both evil and good Bill than we saw last season, I am glad to see him given some dimension at this time.

Now to the episodes big twist. Daphne. I had theorized that Daphne had been sent to Sam by Maryanne but did not know she was the pig or just what they had in store for Sam. I am still unsure what they have in store for him. My guess is that they are going to command him to kill rather than be killed. This cliffhanger really does have one on the edge of the seat looking forward to what will happen next week. Overall a great twist for Daphne and culmination on all the hinting around the mystery of this character throughout the season.

 - Roth

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