I'm trying to catch up on True Blood before Season 3 starts in June. I'm the slowest person in the history of Earth for trying to catch up. It's certainly not because the show isn't interesting. It's mainly because it's sort of racy and rated-R and I've had a lot of guests around. I did attempt to watch one episode on a plane, but naked breasts kept popping up unexpectedly, so I turned it off. (Much to the chagrin of the teenager sitting next to me.)
I'm not sure what exactly I like about the show because I certainly don't like the deep south (no offense) or people with thick southern accents (again, no offense), or even the vampires in this show. (The retractable fangs are a bit lame.) I do find it clever the show's vampire population is somewhat of a metaphor for the gay movement of the 60s and 70s. The basic premise is that vampires have suddenly come out of hiding and are demanding rights and acceptance as a race. It doesn't help that a lot of them are evil killers, but hey. I also like how Sookie is able to read minds, which adds another dimension to TV that's hard to get from the books.
It's so over-the-top that it's entertaining. Each character feels fleshed out and real. Since the show is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I read the first book. As far as I can tell, the show has taken the best qualities from the book and left out what didn't work. (Elvis as a vampire anyone? -- blech).
I suppose the most redeeming part of the show is the cute guys. I do not think that Stephen Moyer (star vampire) is nearly as hot as Sam the shapeshifter or even Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's dumb brother. Sam is the quiet type (my fave) and frequently turns himself into a dog. How rad would that be! Plus, there is something wholesome about him. Jason is just an idiot always getting into trouble for murders he is not smart enough to commit, but there is something endearing about him.
