'True Blood' - 'Let's Get Out of Here': Monster's box
Jesus talks to a spirit, while the witch/vampire war heats up
Janina Gavankar from "True Blood."
Credit: HBO
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I was taking some time off last week and didn't get a chance to do my weekly "True Blood" talkback post. (Which, as always, is here so you can discuss the show until Leslie Gornstein's recap goes up on our Monkeys as Critics blog.) But things are getting pretty crazy in Bon Temps, between the vampires, witches, werewolves, ghosts, shifters, etc. What did everybody think of tonight's episode? And how is everyone feeling about season 4 at the three-quarter mark?
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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August 21, 2011 at 10:45PM EST Reply to CommentHow awful can this show get? I wanted to hang myself everytime Lafayette was on screen. And why do two guys gasp when Sookie drops her robe? Because she has the figure of a 14 year old?
Ken Raining Hey, at least she could still act when she was 14.
August 21, 2011 at 11:35PM ESTKatelin
August 21, 2011 at 11:47PM EST Reply to Commenthttp://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/blood-sweat-and-tears-20110818-1iypo.html
I can't believe this guy touts True Blood as a witty, sexy, luridly violent vampire romp and writes off Game of Thrones as pretentious dragon fantasy crap (personally I'm loyal to True Blood in spite of how incredibly stupid it's got and absolutely love and adore Game of Thrones).
Katelin Oops, 'this guy' is a woman. Hmmm.
August 21, 2011 at 11:50PM ESTArtemis I read that today and thought the same thing. They have clearly only seen one episode of each!
August 22, 2011 at 12:26AM ESTKatelin Probably - that would explain a lot. I didn't think True Blood got itself into irredeemable silliness until that graveyard scene last week, but as much as I've enjoyed True Blood over the years I've never thought it was in the same league as GOT.
August 22, 2011 at 1:59AM ESTBrendan D
August 21, 2011 at 11:52PM EST Reply to CommentThere are a few things that keep me coming back, but maaaaaan, those things are becoming fewer and further between. Terry has gotten darned interesting this season, and it's good to see him actually becoming a player. But boy oh boy, are most of the other characters being boring. Nan is never gonna have a line better than her civil rights line tonight, so I'm fine if they off her. I've been ready for Tara to be killed since midway through Season 3. The writers have obviously run out of interesting things to make Lafayette do, so he's in the dead pool, as far as I'm concerned.
Maybe that's what we need to do: make a death list for True Blood.
1. Tara (she's been cemented at the top here since the very beginning of this season).
2. Andy Belfleur (he's just boring, and the V addiction is trite at best).
3. Nan (the civil rights line, and Bill's subsequent reaction, were priceless, but they may also have been jump the shark moments for her character).
4. Lafayette (he's such a good character, but they're ruining him this season).
5. Sookie (has there ever been a central character on a TV show who's been less... central?).
One thing the writers have started to do right, I must admit, is their dealing with Tommy. Up until two weeks ago, he was the most obnoxious part of the show not named Tara. The last few eps, however, have begun to redeem him, as he's not nearly as whiny anymore. With this week's ep, I hereby revoke his designation as "Conoresque," given to the character on a supernatural-themed television program who best embodies the whiny, angsty, utterly annoying qualities of Conor from "Angel."
JD Yes,there is a lot wrong with this show,but Tara isn't even in the top ten! Start with the ridiculous idea of not one,but two men(well,vamps)being in love with the least sexy woman on the show,move on to the silly vamp/werewolf hate,vamp/witch war and the town sheriff being addicted to vampire blood. The idiotic Hotshot characters are gone,but now there are the equally ignorant and backward werewolf pack of Shreveport and their "alpha" Marcus. Don't even get me started on Tommy Mickens and his is skinwalking adventures!Then of course,there is Jason having sex with his best friend's ex two days after they break up. But to you Tara,who had about one minute of screen time in tonight's show, is the worst part? Did Rutina Wesley steal your parking space or kill your dog or what?
August 22, 2011 at 12:31AM EST
August 22, 2011 at 10:16AM EST1. Tara (she's been cemented at the top here since the very beginning of this season)."
You mean the first season since the first where her plotline hasn't entirely consisted of being raped, tortured, raped some more and monologuing about how she really really deserved it? As Lfayette might say: Hooker, please. Tara is least of this show's problems.
gregel
August 22, 2011 at 1:08AM EST Reply to CommentCan someone please explain to me why the whole Lafayette possession two-episode was necessary? Just, um, to give all the other characters not in the Wiccan storyline something to do?
Jobin It was to gloss over the fact that Lafayette and Jesus actually went to visit his uncle so that they could have "strong enough power" to fight the vampires that were going to attack the witch, because they were in the circle.
August 22, 2011 at 11:01AM ESTRemember that? Because the writers don't, now Lafayette and Jesus aren't part of the vampire/witch situation and it was just some wacky device for him to introduce someone who could be a medium for no apparent reason.
Lbsammills51
August 22, 2011 at 1:18AM EST Reply to CommentIt feels like they stole the Lafayette plotline from a Ghost Whisperer episode. That's not good.
I'm good with killing Tara. Honestly, as long as Eric, Pam, Jessica, and Alcide survive the season, I'm good.
jennyh I totally agree that the Lafayette story was totally Ghost Whisperer: Bon Temps. It was pretty predictable, and given how the writers are not exactly taking what you'd call a cohesive approach to the series, I don't know what the point really was.
August 24, 2011 at 1:25PM ESTrowan729
August 22, 2011 at 11:59AM EST Reply to CommentJesus this show stinks now. It has lost all redeeming qualities, and seems to exist only to be outrageous, whether it makes sense or not. None of the storylines are converging at all, nor will they in any coherent way with only 3 episodes left, and the essential characters to this show have all been dramatically changed by Alan Ball and co., so that this is not the same show it started out as. It's like they set the source material on fire and decided to just do whatever stupid thing might shock the most people or provide an unnecessary cliffhanger.
For instance, all that nonsense the first couple eps about Jason in HotShot, and there's been no mention of it since. Lafayette's possession and the demon baby storyline seem like nothing more than a distraction, since they cannot write anything good for the central characters.
Last year one fan site had some "predictions", such as that Bill would become king because he'd secretly been working with the AVL all along, and that the shot of the creepy doll in Hoyt's house would lead to some kind of demonic power/possession, along with some other guesses. To me, it feels like the TB writers took their storylines straight from the fans, and that is just stupid.
And did anyone else think it looked like Anna Paquin's head was on someone else's body they way they shot that scene? It was painful to watch, and she didn't even seem to enjoy playing it. That's a bad sign, when your Oscar winning actor cannot summon the personality necessary to pull off a scene like that.
At this point, I do not plan to watch next year.
Thank god for Breaking Bad, or else my Sunday nights would be shot.
JanieJones I have to co-sign your commentary. TB has tried my patience to the fullest extent. It's become background noise until Curb. I then turn on the dvr and watch Breaking Bad which is the best television can offer, quite frankly.
August 22, 2011 at 7:33PM ESTJohn @MovieTripp
August 22, 2011 at 2:09PM EST Reply to CommentSome of you arent liking the story...dont get that confused with the performances...because Nelsan Ellis(Layfayette) gave a helluva performance last night! #MovieTripp
Ken Raining
August 22, 2011 at 2:13PM EST Reply to CommentHey Alan, out of curiosity, have you liked this season any more then the previous one, or is it just more of the same? You've been pretty mum.
BTW, it looks to me like your True Blood comments have dwindled down, so you can probably get away with discontinuing these posts.
Jonas.Left
August 22, 2011 at 2:17PM EST Reply to CommentSomehow, I knew I wasn't the only one thinking "Did this turn into the f---ing Ghost Whisperer?" Jesus this was bad. What the hell? I stopped watching 6 Feet Under bacause the characters were so committed to being miserable it was just a drag. I'm 0on the bubble with True for insulting my intelligence. This ghost crap is just embarassing. Even worse is the increasing use of pointless dream sequences. Okay so this isn't actually happening and it's written like some kinky soap opera? Bravo on the waste of time although if it kept Ghost Gabber off screen then maybe it was worth it. This was never Masterpiece Theater but ... man. is it getting bad.
Sven
August 22, 2011 at 2:30PM EST Reply to CommentI think the show has several problems since season three:
1. There are basically no normal characters anymore. Everybody is either a vampire, werewolf, panther person, ferry (oh please), shapeshifter, witch or medium. It just lessens the impact of every persons "special" powers.
2. Way too much plot. In every episode, five millions things seem to happen and you don't care much about anything anymore because everything is oh so spectacular/surprising.
3. Too many changing love stories. This makes me think of a bad soap. And the fact that the ensemble cast is so large, you just don't have any true character development anymore that would explain in a credible manner why he breaks up with her, him with him, her with her, and her with him... what a mess.
4. Shock and Awe. The show just throws in stuff to shock, you get the impression. And as with a shock and awe war, it numbs your brain.
5. No real plot or season story arc. It's a bloody mess, excuse the pun. While season one and especially season two had a season story arc, season three and four seem just so unmotivated. I really can't say that I care about anything anymore and I actually have sore eyes from rolling them all the time. Just one example would be the Lafayette storyline. First he becomes a wicker, confronting a vampire, then runs of to mexico to see a kind of shaman then back in hick town he gets possessed by a ghost from the past (just like the other witch, by the way, both out for revenge. Basically twice the same story line) and there are a million other story lines, all just scratched at the surface so why care about any of them. Total sense overload. Just makes you regret the two excellent story lines from season two (the goddess and the religious fanatics) which had you hooked till the end of the season, permitted good character development (Jessica, Jason who was a total dud and became sort of a hero, Eric and his mentor). That season was pure bliss, a guilty pleasure, but a good guilty pleasure.
6. The acting is getting worse and worse.
Oh, and for Game of Thrones. True Blood (especially season 3 and 4) could be happy if it had a quarter of the quality writing, story line and acting that show has.
Jerry B
August 22, 2011 at 5:35PM EST Reply to CommentI missed Nan's civil rights line. What was it?
JedyKnight Bill: "How can you have an event, in honor of the living dead, without any living dead? It's like having a civil rights movement without any black people."
August 23, 2011 at 9:18AM ESTNan: "They're called African Americans..." "…and maybe there would have been less bloodshed if they hadn't been there."
As someone who graduated college with a PoliSci minor, my first reaction to that line was of disagreement, but it was followed by a feeling of 'wow, that would have made for a hell of a theme for a debate final'.. (and yes, i know this isnt the place for that discussion in lieu of the No Politics rule)
ninja
August 23, 2011 at 1:04PM EST Reply to Commentpitiful season, you have a lot of characters that you don't give a damn, the last sequence that are is supposed to be suspense gets hacked off between another major scene with jessica, this is just bad writing
Miguel
September 5, 2011 at 1:44PM EST Reply to CommentAgreed. It's a damn shame what an utter piece of crap this show has turned into. Wouldn't have thought HBO would let it happen but here we are...