[caption id="attachment_7254" align="alignright" width="300" caption="True Blood Cast Paley"]
By Cheri and Kevin
Prepare yourselves for a non-stop wild ride! Alan Ball's True Blood has returned in all of it's glory, dripping purple passion and shenanigans galore! Did anyone notice the number of people wearing purple in Episode 1? Once you notice it, you might lose count! Purple is the combination of the total opposites of "hot red" and "cool blue" and can symbolize sensuality, hedonism, royalty, spirituality, imagination and states of confusion or euphoria (i.e. "Purple Haze") ... which pretty much describes some of the many and varying shades of the characters we have come to know and love (such as Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Jason and Lafayette...who Lives!! Yaayy!!) and new or fairly new characters who fill the screen with larger-than-life personalities (such as Maryann, Jessica, Steve and Sarah Newlin). I would be curious to know if there was a purpose for including so many shades of purple in the palette of this episode...or even cooler...was it just *serendipity*?
Best lines: From Andy, incredulous when told by his boss that he was both overworked and drunk and off the murder case. "What? I am not overworked!" From Lafayette in response to the redneck saying some people think he's an asshole: "No!" (and as it turns out, it's a magnetic Ass! Who thinks of these things???)
Best scene: Wow, lots to chose from here.....Maryann had some great ones, as did Sookie and Bill. However, I found the vampire dungeon scenes with Lafayette to hold the most intrigue, as the sets looked like a big budget film to me, and the action very compelling and realistic. Also, the scenes made you wonder what is in store for Lafayette. It looks like a gothic/vampire version of the Spanish Inquisition for my favorite resident of Bon Temps. Note to Lafayette: just give 'em your name, rank & serial number. Best discussion: Well, it could have been Maryann's rant at Tara's mother, delivered in cool, dismissive tone.....but I give the award to Sam, who needed a few bottles of liquid courage to finally tell Sookie that he isn't interested in playing 2nd fiddle anymore, and that he doesn't need every detail of her life to be told to him in agonizing detail. "I'm tired of charring my ass on your back burner." I love Sookie's character in True Blood, but this was long overdue. Bravo to Sam for finally delivering this long overdue message to Sookie, well done!
Most Changed Characters: The obvious one is Miss Jeanette, Opossums everywhere are celebrating her demise! But Sookie is the most changed ongoing character. Last season, Sookie was played way over the top, as if to a Broadway audience, in episode 1 she's very toned down and much more suited to the small screen, if anything, she's a bit too quiet now but hopefully they will manage to bring her up a notch to simmering instead of boiling over all the time. Coming in a close second is Sam. He's cranky, he's outspoken, he's scared, while still being an adorable sexy dog, and it looks like next week, he's the man in charge. Good for him!
Most Missed Character: Pam. No sign of her in the opening, couldn't she have at least yelled down the stairs to tell Eric his hair was going to overcook under those foils?
On to the Recap!
First up: Lafayette Lives! Or, we certainly find out that it isn't him in the backseat of Andy's car with his red-painted toenails hanging out the door (and I thought that big hint of Lafayette painting his toenails red at the bar in Season One was a sure thing! Just goes to show that you cannot possibly predict what kinda *crazy* Alan Ball has hidden up his sleeve this year.) Miss Jeanette is not so lucky and by the look on her face she did not die happy...and, of course, another major hint is the ginormous hole in her chest where her heart used to be. Shocking! We are left to wonder who might have done the deed ... and I am sure it will be a long while before we find out. In the meanwhile, Tara finally confesses (after a little mind-reading and prompting by Sookie) that Miss Jeanette is the exorcist/con artist who "cured" her and her mother (Lettie Mae) of demon possession. The scene with Lettie Mae, Tara and Maryann is chock-full of high irony ... Lettie Mae is unable (and unwilling) to comprehend the truth that she has been tricked into believing herself "cured"...and is most definitely NOT cured of her stubborn hypocrisy and out-and-out cruelty to Tara. While Maryann (savior? social worker? psychopath?) almost seems the voice of compassion and reason, comforting Tara and telling her, "let's get you Home". We have only begun to scratch the surface of who (and what) Maryann really is. Speaking of irony, when she tells Lettie Mae it is a rare opportunity to encounter someone so devoid of human compassion...I think she was actually paying her a compliment!
Poor Andy is really having a rough time of it...disintegrating in front of our eyes and finally being relieved of his duties in the investigation of the murder by Sheriff Bud (complete with square-dancing regalia and a first prize blue-ribbon stuck proudly to his chest). Why do I get the feeling Andy is about ready to have a major meltdown?
Sookie is really going to have her work cut out for her this year...as she laments, "Every time I think I know what's what, I find out I don't know anything". This especially rings true when she shows up at Bill's after the murder just looking for a little peace and quiet to discover Bill's newly-made 17 year old Vampire "daughter" in nothing but a towel. Highlights: Bill, the Recycling Vampire! Bill and Jessica trying various mixtures of Tru:Blood so it will taste less like ass to Jessica...When Jessica asks Bill (after he tells her that he has a guest coming over), "Can we eat her?" and when she tells Bill that he is "sooooo not Eric". The combustible combination of Bill, Sookie and Jessica can only lead to fireworks as the season progresses.
One especially touching and lovely moment happens when Sookie finally goes into Gran's room, apparently left untouched since her murder, and prepares to pack up her things. The music playing in the background is the same melancholy yet beautiful tune which played while Sookie sat in the kitchen, alone, after Gran's funeral and ate the pecan pie her Gran had made. That was one of my all-time favorite scenes and can I just say how much I miss Gran? sigh.
Sookie discovers over the course of the episode that Bill has been keeping some pretty major secrets from her (his vampire "daughter"Jessica and the murder of the heinous Uncle Bartlett). She tells him that she is alot stronger than he thinks and that he has no right to withhold the darker parts of himself from her, especially when she has bared her every tortured memory to him. My favorite part of the episode is when Bill tries with all his heart to explain to Sookie that she is "his miracle". He tells her "for all the times I have dismayed, aggrieved or failed you, I swear I will atone....I refuse to apologize for what you have awakened in me." Followed by mind-blowing, sizzling-hot make-up sex...Is it hot in here, or is it just Bill?
Jason Stackhouse is THE most aggravating of all of the characters...and seems an awful lot like "Stepford Jason" this year. Although I can imagine that thinking he was the murderer of 4 women last season (one of which was his own Gran and the other his true-love Amy) and being then "delivered" from his jail cell by the Fellowship of the Sun was enough to mush the brains of anyone...much less someone who is as easily led as Jason. Scenes of Jason using a highlighter on the "Vampire Eradication Manual" (my code for the FotS book he is reading), his hero-worshipfulness of Steve Newlin ( "I am reading your father's book and it is really making me...uhhh....think") and the "sign" from heaven in the form of the inheritance check from Uncle Bartlett (more irony!) to enable him to afford the 1200 dollar class fee for the Light of Day leadership academy...well, they really speak for themselves, actually. I am still hoping that Jason will finally see some real "Light of Day" one of these days. I have hope! Although...it does not bode well that the tagline running under Steve Newlin's face while he is debating Nan Flanagan from the American Vampire League is "Opening shots of the Human-Vampire war?" Also, it is not a good sign when he totally lies to Sookie about where he is going...could it be that he doesn't feel entirely good about his association with the Fellowship of the Sun? Me, still hoping.
Lets see...okay, what is up with Sam? He is seriously grumpy...and has turned into one mighty angry dog. Especially when he tells Sookie that he is tired of charring his ass on her back burner. Ouch! The scenes of Sam first "experiencing" Maryann (is it me, or does she remind anyone else of a cicada?) after running in to her house as a young beagle...ummm...17 year old... show how much Sam really has to fear from her. Though apparently, she is not after his money...and makes that clear, telling him..."How in the world did you get the impression that this is about you?" I think Maryann is going to stir up more trouble than Bon Temps can possibly imagine. Poor Sammy.
I am just silly over Hoyt Fortenberry...I absolutely love it when he tells Jason (after Jason tells him that it is cool with him if he wants to "hit that" about a woman at the bar) "I'm not much of a hitter, I like them nicer than that"...and, when he calls the FotS church a group of Vampire Haters, saying that his church teaches not to hate Vampires..not to hate anyone...Is he just the sweetest thing ever? Hoyt, you are a total dollface. Ditto Terry Bellefleur...Arlene's hero at the bar...I am rooting for those two to get together...(although Terry might get the worst end of that deal...)
Tara is "finding love" with Eggs-the-hunk...and Maryann is conspiring to heat things up between the two of them...so much so that she practically knocks out her minion Karl for bringing them some towels just as they were about to get hot and heavy down by the pool. That mansion is really quite the pleasure palace...and we have only begun to see just how hot this town can get with Maryann stirring the pot!
Okay...so, last but by no mean least...when we first see Lafayette (alive!!!) chained up in a muddy, shadowy dungeon, chained to some sort of...uhh...Grinding Wheel?... I thought he might have been kidnapped by the FotS. Imagine my total shock later when Eric comes humming down the stairs, highlighting tinfoil in his hair, telling Lafayette, "Shushing won't do any good sweetheart, we hear everything". Is that Fangtasia music we hear in the background? I have to tell you, when he purposefully removes his highlighting "cape", the juxtaposition of those amazing arms with the vision of the rest of his outfit (flip flops? track pants?) was really something to see! Note to self: don't piss off the 1000 year old Viking Vampire by screaming for him to die and sticking your silver cross on his face. He just might tear you to pieces and rip you limb from limb. Yikes. (we'll leave the Yahoo and Yum for later...) R.I.P. Royce. (and we really didn't need to hear that much about his magnetic ass [editors note: I LOVED that part...different strokes!]...although it was nice of him to apologize to Lafayette for the whole "Aids Burger" thing...)
Scenes from next week: Lafayette: Make me a Vampire...Eric: I beg your pardon?
Sookie takes Jessica to her former home and all hell breaks loose.
Jason attends the Light of Day academy (with someone yelling, "Die Fanger" in the crowd)
Maryann wreaks havoc at Merlotte's and Sam seems more than willing to fight for "his people and his town".
The True Blood second season opener certainly did not disappoint! We here at TrueBloodNet.com are so very glad that Alan Ball decided to keep the huggable, funny and incredibly intense Lafayette around. Being gay in Bon Temps was starting to be like wearing a red shirt in a Star Trek episode! You knew before the end of the show, that guy was a goner. I was pleasantly surprised that, although Sookie, of course, tried to break up with Bill over Jessica and Uncle Bartlett, it was more gently handled and the very touching scene with Bill pouring his heart out to Sookie was worth the eight month long wait all by itself, can Stephen Moyer act or what? So now we're back to counting down the days, hours and minutes till the next episode of True Blood! What a great summer it's going to be!
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