True Blood 4x01 "She's Not There" (Spoilers)
- Thread starter OmahaStar
- Start date
I'm confused by just about everything I saw tonight. First, why the late start, just to show us a five minute trailer of upcoming HBO movies and series? Could that have been done somewhere else?
It was great seeing Barry again, though he is apparently with Claude. At least, according to the credits. And that's just wrong, since Claude doesn't care about anyone but himself (and his sisters), so why would he be bringing Barry anywhere?
Jessica Tuck is finally in the opening credits (which are getting rather lengthy, I know) ... about time. I may have said it before, but ... years ago, I despised her on Judging Amy. The idea of that actress becoming one of my favorite characters is a pretty big stretch, but ... I'm happy to say she's grown on me, and the audience it would seem.
So ... are they trying to say that in tv-verse, all Fae are telepaths? That's new. In the books, it's well established that Sookie, the cousin, and Barry are the only known telepaths, and as a rule, Fae are not telepathic. But, we also didn't see Grandpa Earl in the books.
I'm not sure how I feel about the year+ jump.
Was this done for the actors? People do age, and though for the characters, the end of season 3 was just a few weeks after the pilot, though for the actors, a few years had passed. Is this a way to keep up with their real-life aging?
Sure, it could be for story reasons, but has any series done a time jump that actually worked? BSG, Desperate Housewives, The Mummy, they've done jumps (in one case, five years I think?) and it's never worked well for the stories. Alan Ball knows what he's doing ... I hope.
Jason's the responsible one, hmm? This is sort of a what-if? scenario. What would Jason have been like without Gran and Sookie there? Would he have grown into the idiot man-whore we know him as, or would he have taken another path?
Bill ... is the King? Where the F did that come from? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy as can be that we don't have the talentless hack playing the Queen again, but ... Bill?
It was great seeing Barry again, though he is apparently with Claude. At least, according to the credits. And that's just wrong, since Claude doesn't care about anyone but himself (and his sisters), so why would he be bringing Barry anywhere?
Jessica Tuck is finally in the opening credits (which are getting rather lengthy, I know) ... about time. I may have said it before, but ... years ago, I despised her on Judging Amy. The idea of that actress becoming one of my favorite characters is a pretty big stretch, but ... I'm happy to say she's grown on me, and the audience it would seem.
So ... are they trying to say that in tv-verse, all Fae are telepaths? That's new. In the books, it's well established that Sookie, the cousin, and Barry are the only known telepaths, and as a rule, Fae are not telepathic. But, we also didn't see Grandpa Earl in the books.
I'm not sure how I feel about the year+ jump.
Was this done for the actors? People do age, and though for the characters, the end of season 3 was just a few weeks after the pilot, though for the actors, a few years had passed. Is this a way to keep up with their real-life aging?
Sure, it could be for story reasons, but has any series done a time jump that actually worked? BSG, Desperate Housewives, The Mummy, they've done jumps (in one case, five years I think?) and it's never worked well for the stories. Alan Ball knows what he's doing ... I hope.
Jason's the responsible one, hmm? This is sort of a what-if? scenario. What would Jason have been like without Gran and Sookie there? Would he have grown into the idiot man-whore we know him as, or would he have taken another path?
Bill ... is the King? Where the F did that come from? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy as can be that we don't have the talentless hack playing the Queen again, but ... Bill?
I liked everything well enough except for the Lafayette storyline. I didn't understand it and I feel like they're just making up crap to give his character something to do.
To be fair, they've been doing that since the beginning of season two. In the books, it was Laf, not Miss Jeanette, in that car.
I'm with you. Never read the books obviously, but the Fairy plotline is a bit meh.
-Jamman
OmahaStar asked a good question. I was wondering myself if any of the time jumps have worked. I don't think they did for BSG or Alias. I'm wondering how it will affect True Blood. Perhaps it might have been more interesting to see the TB characters actually arrive at their current spots than to just be abruptly shown it, and then probably spend the season watching flashbacks.
That being said, I think they've set up some intriguing directions for many of the characters. Jason being responsible is a stretch. I also sort of like where they have taken Tara. The ultimate fighting thing seems to fit her for some reason.
I'm not big on the witch angle, but it does tie Lafayette to whom I'm imaging will be the season's big bads. His boyfriend's pushiness was getting on my nerves though.
The fairy thing threw me off. They looked more like goblins to me. Their appearance felt over the top, even for this show. It was a little weird and I'm glad that was handled fairly quickly. I did like seeing Gary Cole though.
I enjoyed Eric's promo/commercial. One of my favorite scenes. Also liked the Pam-Jennifer (?) bathroom conversation. The domestic scene with Jennifer and Hoyt was also amusing.
The season started with a lot of questions so I guess that's a good thing. It was a decent opening overall, but nothing that grabbed me by the throat.
That being said, I think they've set up some intriguing directions for many of the characters. Jason being responsible is a stretch. I also sort of like where they have taken Tara. The ultimate fighting thing seems to fit her for some reason.
I'm not big on the witch angle, but it does tie Lafayette to whom I'm imaging will be the season's big bads. His boyfriend's pushiness was getting on my nerves though.
The fairy thing threw me off. They looked more like goblins to me. Their appearance felt over the top, even for this show. It was a little weird and I'm glad that was handled fairly quickly. I did like seeing Gary Cole though.
I enjoyed Eric's promo/commercial. One of my favorite scenes. Also liked the Pam-Jennifer (?) bathroom conversation. The domestic scene with Jennifer and Hoyt was also amusing.
The season started with a lot of questions so I guess that's a good thing. It was a decent opening overall, but nothing that grabbed me by the throat.
I find Rutina Wesley's apparent no-nudity clause increasingly distracting. I mean beyond simply prurient reasons it takes me out of the moment since I've started to notice it since she gets involved in a lot of intimate moments.
Another thing that bugs me is the near-infinite speed exhibited by the vampires. Once again, I find myself wondering how the humans could pose any significant threat to them.
We are starting to get our seasonal setup, and I wonder if maybe they are juggling too many elements. We have fairies, vampires, werewolves, telepaths, time jumps, shapeshifters, etc. etc. Hopefully they'll pull together a focused narrative through it all but I'm worried it might get too scattered.
Another thing that bugs me is the near-infinite speed exhibited by the vampires. Once again, I find myself wondering how the humans could pose any significant threat to them.
We are starting to get our seasonal setup, and I wonder if maybe they are juggling too many elements. We have fairies, vampires, werewolves, telepaths, time jumps, shapeshifters, etc. etc. Hopefully they'll pull together a focused narrative through it all but I'm worried it might get too scattered.
Checkmate
Commodore
Mab was clearly the leader of the Unseelie Court, or whatever its equivalence is in the True Blood mythology. And as an aside, goblins are a type of faerie. The fey are extremely varied. Pixies, sprites, goblins, etc. And they can be of either court (the other being the Seelie Court), which is what her godmother's brother was likely a member of. Looks like they're on the losing side at the moment, too.
As for the fellow talking about there being too much, I'm not sure what that's about. I liked how he decide to split faerie, telepathy, and time jumps up as if they were three different things to prove his point though. I'm surprised he didn't add blooddrinking, flying, and sleeping during the day to the list, too. Since, apparently, those are all different from vampires.
Hoyts' mum is doing it with the delinquent dog boy Tommy.
I wouldn't mind see more of that.
it will make us appreciate all the young firm bodies in all the other nude scenes.
Besides, a relationship like that is about power.
He does what she says, or he starves and freezes.
Death or intercourse with an obese sexagenarian?
Almost like slavery.
...
The Coven is getting a little Cthulu-ey.
Gods knows what they're going to call up?
Unless it's just Maab because that would be drabb.
I wouldn't mind see more of that.
it will make us appreciate all the young firm bodies in all the other nude scenes.
Besides, a relationship like that is about power.
He does what she says, or he starves and freezes.
Death or intercourse with an obese sexagenarian?
Almost like slavery.
...
The Coven is getting a little Cthulu-ey.
Gods knows what they're going to call up?
Unless it's just Maab because that would be drabb.
I guess I've missed all the time jumps every time Sookie reads someone's mind.
Seriously though, I think those three elements are distinct. I think telepathy, fairyness or whatever you want to call it and the time jump have created distinct plot lines.
I applauded myself for not being sucked into the lesbian magic trick.
That drunk who Tara was berating was the audience paying their HBO bills.
What we should have been seeing was a broken person on the run from pure horror and a regular person who did not know what shit she was being sucked into.
Girl on girl, pishaw.
That drunk who Tara was berating was the audience paying their HBO bills.
What we should have been seeing was a broken person on the run from pure horror and a regular person who did not know what shit she was being sucked into.
Girl on girl, pishaw.
Rutina Wesley has a no-nudity clause? She looked pretty naked in season one with Sam and then in season two with Eggs. What does the clause necessarily entail?
Thanks for the clarification about goblins and fairies. I'm not well versed on that. Have no idea what the Seelie/Unseelie Court is but at least it gives me something else to look up on the internet.
Checkmate
Commodore
The point I was trying to make, facetious as it was, is that traits of a supernatural creature aren't "storylines." They're traits of a supernatural creature.
There is no "faerie storyline." Sookie has a storyline which involves mind reading and time jumps, both of which are traits of her fey heritage.
There is no "vampire storyline." Hoyt and Jessica have a storyline centered on building a healthy relationship between a human and a vampire. Eric has a storyline centered on operating a vampire nightclub and dealing with vampire politics as well as his lust for Sookie. Bill has a storyline apparently based on his earning of a new title. Tara has a storyline about being the victim of a fucked up vampire and trying to build a new life despite that. Andy has a storyline about being addicted to V. There's a shitload of "vampire" storylines.
There is no shapeshifter storyline. Sam has a storyline involving other shapeshifters. Hoyt's mother has a storyline involving Sam's brother. Jason has a storyline involving werepanthers. Alcide has (had?) a storyline involving redneck werewolves addicted to vampire blood.
etc.
Those are all independent storylines. Not a "vampire" storyline, not a "faerie" storyline, not a "mindreading" storyling, but character storylines. Some of them involve multiple topics, others only one or two.
And on top of that, all of these storylines are interconnected one way or another. I can't think of a single one that isn't more than two steps away from another. Making it all one giant storyline that simply has a bunch of branches.
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^^
Fair enough, hopefully all the storyline threads make for a compelling whole.
Hmm, well I don't remember those well enough to comment so if I'm wrong there so be it.
Fair enough, hopefully all the storyline threads make for a compelling whole.
Hmm, well I don't remember those well enough to comment so if I'm wrong there so be it.
She have never shown her boobs or vag in the show. She is always wearing a bra or something. She clearly does not want to show off the goods. Paquin only agreed to to nude scenes because she was engaged (now married) to Moyer. If there is any sex scene with sookie and someone else (eric, alcide?) I will garauntee you wont see her nude.
Haven't watched it yet or read anything in this thread, but did they premier 2 episodes last night?