True Blood 5.02 "Authority Always Wins" discussion/spoilers
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I can't wait for that, and wonder wtf they are going to do with Tara this time?
This isn't most series, this is True Blood. And it's been going on this way for four years. If having 12 threads in the span of one year is too much, then by all means, start a 13th thread that covers the year. Otherwise, I don't see the problem.
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Poor Rev. Steve. He just can't get any satisfaction. The "bitch fight" between Steve and Jessica was hilarious and over the top in a perfectly TB sort of way.
Ah, Maxine, bless her heart, she's baking Jason a pie. She may talk a good talk, but she's a good, caring mother deep inside.
Happy to see Crystal again. Poor girl has been glamored out of her mind, but she is a trip and a half.
I think I found new Tara more interesting in this one episode than in the previous four seasons combined. Maybe it's because for once, she's not the "victim" or overcompensating for her own insecurities? Doubt it'll keep up, since I'm so over the character, but who knows? Maybe with interesting material, Rutina will learn how to act? Or is that asking for too much?
Cats, not a problem. Other animals, if they look similar I go "whatever" ... So, what was the little girl? Was she a shifter as a little doggy, or was she a wolf? Or did she shift into a wolf? (there's a difference - Sam can shift into a wolf form, but he's not a Werewolf) I dunno ... what was that?
When LaLa isn't being over the top, he's a fun likeable guy. When he was showing concern for his cousin here, and not being all "bitch" this and "hooker" that, he's rather enjoyable.
Sook's telepathy sure is convenient. She hasn't used it for several episodes, but suddenly when her best friend needs her, she remembers that she has it. LaLa is right there in the house with her, which means she knows what he's thinking 24/7. Why'd she wait until he was right there holding the stake before remembering that she's a teep?
I'm liking this new guardian character. He's got spunk.
Bill and Eric actually standing up for each other ... how far they've come!
Speaking of Eric, I was *extremely* disappointed in the Pam flashback. The people working on the show have completely forgotten that he's a blond guy. Yes, the wig was horrific, but was necessary. He did not become a brunette until Pam died his hair at the beginning of season 2. Which begs the question - why is it still brunette? Didn't we have that year when Sookie was off with her faery godmother and her grandpappy Earl? Why is his hair still brown? In a flashback such as this, his hair should be blond, and long. It was neither. They didn't even lighten it up a shade.
Ok, we've got vampires, fairies, shifters, Weres, small w-weres, and whatever the fuck the Doctor is... now we have zombies too? I had to rewind it a couple times, just to make sure, and whatever Terry and the hottie Foley were doing in Iraq, it involved at least one zombie. So now, they're part of this world too? That's a pretty big "wtf?" moment.
It was nice to see Biggy from Sanctuary. I hope the character continues.
I didn't find the previous episode to be that riveting, but this was better. I don't like this show as much as I used to, unfortunately. I feel like it peaked with Russel's live broadcast insanity a couple seasons ago. I look forward to having him back, though I have the sneaking suspicion he may not appear much, and just be a looming threat in the background over the course of the season.
I'm sick of Tara, and turning her into a vampire will just give her yet another excuse to throw perpetual pity parties for herself.
That business with the Authority sure was weird.
I'm sick of Tara, and turning her into a vampire will just give her yet another excuse to throw perpetual pity parties for herself.
That business with the Authority sure was weird.
It's suffering from Heroes syndrome. Too many cast members and the writers can't seem to put a coherent narrative together. They're just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. There's talented cast here. It's a pity, because they have the ingredients to put together a compelling, if slightly hokey, story. This is what needed to be done:
1.)Get rid of Terry and Arlene. There's nothing wrong with either actor but there is NO ROOM for them to take screen time. The story with Rene's possible demon baby has fizzled. It was what? A female ghost? I didn't really watch last season that attentively after certain events which pissed me off.
2.) I can't believe I'm saying it, but Tara needs to go. The time to turn her into a vamp was after season 2. It's an opportunity lost. It could have been compelling story watching a major character with whom we'd been previously familiar turn into a vampire. Now it's just a way to keep her around. Sadly, Nelsan Ellis could also be let go. I love Lafayette, but there's nothing for him to do. He's a medium, then he's not a medium. His boyfriend is dead because of this crazy spirit woman....oooookaaaaay. So?
3.)I love Ryan Kwanten, but there isn't enough room to focus on Jason and Sheriff Bellefleur. The show could go on without them.
4.)More Pam and her back story.
5.)More focus on Jessica and no, not a love story with Jason. Deborah Ann Woll is so hot I'd be willing to experiment with her, and I'm a straight woman. She's a fine, underrated actress.
6.)For God's sake, keep Bill and Sookie apart. Bill is perfectly strong and compelling as a character when she doesn't have his balls tucked in her pocket.
7.)Keep Eric in Pam's orbit. Don't turn him into a pussy again.
8.)Keep Steven Newlin around in some capacity to stir up trouble.
9.)GET RID OF THE DAMN WEREWOLVES the entire lot of them, Alcide included. They serve no purpose.
Focus on the authority. No more drama about Russell Edgington or Nora or what the fuck ever. Build up that mystery. Build up that threat. Use it to throw Eric and Bill in each others' orbit. There's your season long storyline.
And, finally, there's the best actor on the show, bar none. Sam Trammell. Time and time again the writers create potential story for Sam and they throw it away. They give him a brother in the form of extremely talented Marshall Alman, then he and Sam can't get along for two minutes before Sam throws him out for no reason and shoots him. Do we get to play the aftermath of that? No, the show time jumps a year. Do we get to see the aftermath of the two people Sam murdered? No. They have Sam and Tommy bond at last over concealing the death of their parents, then they have Tommy immediately sleep with Luna and go get himself killed to atone. No emotional aftermath to that other than Sam throwing Tommy out--again. They can't even let Sam do the deed and kill the packmaster to avenge Tommy. Alcide conveniently saves the day. We can't even have any more fun with skinwalking because Tommy's dead. No more Sam as Tommy or Maxine as Tommy. The writers even threw that away. Now he and Luna are broken up? For what?
They won't use Trammel. I wish they would or just let the actor go and find a job worthy of his talent. It's like Adrian Pasdar and Heroes redux.
1.)Get rid of Terry and Arlene. There's nothing wrong with either actor but there is NO ROOM for them to take screen time. The story with Rene's possible demon baby has fizzled. It was what? A female ghost? I didn't really watch last season that attentively after certain events which pissed me off.
2.) I can't believe I'm saying it, but Tara needs to go. The time to turn her into a vamp was after season 2. It's an opportunity lost. It could have been compelling story watching a major character with whom we'd been previously familiar turn into a vampire. Now it's just a way to keep her around. Sadly, Nelsan Ellis could also be let go. I love Lafayette, but there's nothing for him to do. He's a medium, then he's not a medium. His boyfriend is dead because of this crazy spirit woman....oooookaaaaay. So?
3.)I love Ryan Kwanten, but there isn't enough room to focus on Jason and Sheriff Bellefleur. The show could go on without them.
4.)More Pam and her back story.
5.)More focus on Jessica and no, not a love story with Jason. Deborah Ann Woll is so hot I'd be willing to experiment with her, and I'm a straight woman. She's a fine, underrated actress.
6.)For God's sake, keep Bill and Sookie apart. Bill is perfectly strong and compelling as a character when she doesn't have his balls tucked in her pocket.
7.)Keep Eric in Pam's orbit. Don't turn him into a pussy again.
8.)Keep Steven Newlin around in some capacity to stir up trouble.
9.)GET RID OF THE DAMN WEREWOLVES the entire lot of them, Alcide included. They serve no purpose.
Focus on the authority. No more drama about Russell Edgington or Nora or what the fuck ever. Build up that mystery. Build up that threat. Use it to throw Eric and Bill in each others' orbit. There's your season long storyline.
And, finally, there's the best actor on the show, bar none. Sam Trammell. Time and time again the writers create potential story for Sam and they throw it away. They give him a brother in the form of extremely talented Marshall Alman, then he and Sam can't get along for two minutes before Sam throws him out for no reason and shoots him. Do we get to play the aftermath of that? No, the show time jumps a year. Do we get to see the aftermath of the two people Sam murdered? No. They have Sam and Tommy bond at last over concealing the death of their parents, then they have Tommy immediately sleep with Luna and go get himself killed to atone. No emotional aftermath to that other than Sam throwing Tommy out--again. They can't even let Sam do the deed and kill the packmaster to avenge Tommy. Alcide conveniently saves the day. We can't even have any more fun with skinwalking because Tommy's dead. No more Sam as Tommy or Maxine as Tommy. The writers even threw that away. Now he and Luna are broken up? For what?
They won't use Trammel. I wish they would or just let the actor go and find a job worthy of his talent. It's like Adrian Pasdar and Heroes redux.
^^^Hey, Merlotte was the only convincing love for Sookie, ever. (In the books too I think.)
The Sookie problem could be helped by actually writing Jason as a brother, instead of Sookie's cross to bear. A character who isn't sexually enthralled with Sookie would be refreshing.
And speaking of Jason, there's your Reverend Steve.
Unfortunately, much as I like the Bellefleur brothers, they don't get good script, do they?
As for the Authority, for a series called True Blood, the vamps spend very little time drinking any. To use the Authority as the centerpiece would involve really establishing what they're about. The weird communion ritual isn't promising.
The Sookie problem could be helped by actually writing Jason as a brother, instead of Sookie's cross to bear. A character who isn't sexually enthralled with Sookie would be refreshing.
And speaking of Jason, there's your Reverend Steve.
Unfortunately, much as I like the Bellefleur brothers, they don't get good script, do they?
As for the Authority, for a series called True Blood, the vamps spend very little time drinking any. To use the Authority as the centerpiece would involve really establishing what they're about. The weird communion ritual isn't promising.
Given that they seem to have a lot invested in "mainstreaming," I'm hoping there is a more sinister motive behind it than simply "peaceful coexistence." No doubt they want to provide the illusion of it, but what's their real agenda? World domination, as usual? 
Given that they seem to have a lot invested in "mainstreaming," I'm hoping there is a more sinister motive behind it than simply "peaceful coexistence." No doubt they want to provide the illusion of it, but what's their real agenda? World domination, as usual?
I really hope there is no sinister motive and that coexistence really is their goal that would be refreashing! Seeming all sinister with their rituals and torturing and all that stuff but actually being the "good guys" among the vampires...
I'm rewatching Season 3 as a prep for Season 4, and in one of their "Post-Mortums" they have a vampire being interviewed by a government agent, and he says that there is an agenda behind the Authority and they caused the recent economic crash as a part of that plan. I was wondering if that was a set up for the new season.
Definitely agreed. My God, if Sam was after me I'd throw Bill over in a heartbeat. Sam is luscious--and he's a nice guy. Just the kind of guy that stupid women throw over for not being "exciting" enough. Then complain that there are no good men.
Screw True Blood. I just watched the very first episode of a show I've never seen because I can't afford HBO. Game of Thrones via online streaming.
OH.MY.GOD. What a fantastic show. Lena Headey is such a beeyotch from hell.
All the men have facial hair. Trammell would be soooo good as part of Eddard Stark's family or village.
Not that Bill is any great prize, but did everybody forget that Sam's "nice guy" routine is basically an act? On top of being an unrepentant serial robber, he's killed people in cold blood and even tried to murder his own brother. He may have some good qualities, but not enough to gloss over what a bastard he can be.
Yeah, but Trammel's a great actor and they give him little or nothing to do in favor of Skaarsgard. I'm sorry, but AS is not a great actor in any way, shape, or form.
I was really only speaking to the characters, not the actors.
I agree that Trammel is a better actor and deserves better material.
Eric was more interesting when he didn't speak much and kept that air of mystery about him. Now that we know so much of his backstory, both the character and actor just come off as very bland.
Tara is not fucktarded after all. Bummer, it means she will continue to waste screentime.
The vampire authority vs Russel might be good, but will probably be stupid and will end with some lame bullshit, like any other major story.
Please get rid of everyone who's not connected to the authority story, except for Jessica.
2.5/5, slightly better than previous week.
The vampire authority vs Russel might be good, but will probably be stupid and will end with some lame bullshit, like any other major story.
Please get rid of everyone who's not connected to the authority story, except for Jessica.
2.5/5, slightly better than previous week.
My biggest complaint with the show has always been the number of storylines that don't really relate to each other at all. It's like they have an A, B,C,D, maybe an E plot each season, and, while A & B come together, C,D, and E may do so only tangentally or not at all. That's bullshit writing and it makes for a cast that, while high in variety, comes across to me as far to many for too long. It's one thing to have recurrent characters, it's another to set it up to have what amounts to several subcasts within the entire cast.
With respect to this series' Authority story, my guess is that the Authority is really run by Vampire Fundy's after all, and they don't like Russell because he's just overt about it. Whereas Russell broadcasts his bloodlust; this lot is really no different; they're just sneakier about it. Put another way the push for peaceful co-existence and Russell and his lot is the difference between raising chickens in a humane manner on a small farm and raising chickens in close quartered pens and treating them like shit. In the end, you're still raising chickens for food.
With respect to this series' Authority story, my guess is that the Authority is really run by Vampire Fundy's after all, and they don't like Russell because he's just overt about it. Whereas Russell broadcasts his bloodlust; this lot is really no different; they're just sneakier about it. Put another way the push for peaceful co-existence and Russell and his lot is the difference between raising chickens in a humane manner on a small farm and raising chickens in close quartered pens and treating them like shit. In the end, you're still raising chickens for food.
