This review is long overdue! A Sookie Stackhouse Novel series by Charlaine Harris picked up by HBO to become an iconic vampire series of all time. Here we go!
True Blood The Original HBO Summary
From True Blood to New Blood, now how did it all begin?
Sookie Stackhouse works as a barmaid in Louisiana and can read people’s minds. Her life changes when the vampires in her town reveal their existence to the world. — GOOGLE
The Town of Bon Temps
Louisiana had many French settlers back in the colonization days. As a result, many of those towns share the same names as ones in the French province of Québec, formerly Acadian now New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
However, Bon Temps, meaning Good Times, is a fictional northern Louisiana small town created by the mind of Charlaine Harris.
Bon Temps is a town where not only vampires live, but also werewolves, were-panthers, shifters, fairies, witches, and demon worshipers even! The idea of this little town attracting so many creatures has one wonder how one could live there except me. I’d voluntarily choose to move there.
The town has a special place in the heart of those watching the series and call themselves Trubbies. Places like the cemetery, Merlotte’s Bar & Grill, the local church, and even the Compton House or the Stackhouse home become part of the routine.
That was quite a beautiful job from the creators of the series who followed the passion of its original author.
The Fantasy of Fangtasia
While we meet iconic characters in Bon Temps, such as Sookie, Bill, Sam, Arlene, and Jason, it is in Shreveport that we meet the iconic duo: Eric Northman and Pam. Fangtasia is the vampire bar just outside of Bon Temps.
It is the vampire sheriff’s moneymaker, and everyone in Louisiana reports to him. Fangtasia is one of the first vampire places that opened the moment vampires “came out of the casket” after the revelation of the synthetic blood beverage, “True Blood.”
The bar is exactly what you would expect it to be in terms of appearance. It has the black and red walls, bars to serve humans and vampires, and a dance floor. It also has its own sexual attractions, such as dancing polls and on a pedestal is a throne where Eric sits.
Fangtasia becomes a place Trubbies dream to go! Not only because of Eric and Pam but also because of the crucial heartfelt moments it captured throughout the seven seasons the show gave us.
“If you plan in rescuing a vampire during daylight, I have seriously overestimated your intelligence, Sookie.” — Eric Northman
HBO, True Blood, Eric Northman
The history of the establishment and the place it has in Eric’s heart is engrossing. You have to watch it to the end to fully understand the status of Fangtasia in the heart of humans and vampires and…Ginger!
The Southern Charm & Drama
The South has both Romanesque and horrifying history. True Blood stays right to both faces of the South. You cannot bring in vampires that are over a hundred years old without speaking of the Civil War, its history, and what it implied.
Charlaine Harris did not hide the war’s grotesque visage with the character of Bill Compton, who many of the town’s dwellers asked questions concerning their ancestors.
Despite his personal thoughts against it, Bill Compton was a Civil War soldier and served for the Confederate side. He fought alongside many of the “current” dwellers’ ancestors and walked among them as a “mainstream” vampire. In Bon Temps, Bill’s name was “Vampire Bill.”
Through Eric Northman, we see Swedish man and thousand-year-old Viking vampire. He fought against Hitler, fought for the freedom of the United States for the North in the Civil War.
“I enjoy a good head-ripping as much as any vampire, but in this case it might be wise to consider the value of the heads in question.” — Eric Northman
HBO, True Blood, Eric Northman
He is a genuine representation of freedom, and yet, he is the meanest vampire you can meet. Also, don’t be fooled by Pam de Beaufort‘s beauty, she is Eric’s progeny and just as cruel.
While Bill lived through the Southern wars, melee, and the aftermath of slavery, railroads, and pandemics, his rival faced much more. Eric saw his people going across seas, fighting the Saxons, Francia, his family butchered, he even had a brush with death.
He walked through the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, the French Revolution, and saw all plagues and torture possible. His perception of life and humans versus immortals entirely differs from Bill.
Fuck Sookie And Her Fairy Vagina!
Now that we’ve established the ambiance and the two leading male characters let’s get into the goods and evil of the main one: Sookie Stackhouse.
While in the books, it doesn’t seem to be as cliché, Sookie Stackhouse is a blond girl with that typical southern charm who is a virgin in her twenties. Due to her bloodline, she is a telepath but finds peace once among vampires whose minds are, well…dead. She starts off as this kind-hearted girl who falls for the first vampire she meets, Bill Compton.
However, as quickly as she fell for Bill, she falls out of it and right into Eric’s arms, which redeemed her character. The kind-hearted Sookie we come to know in the first season somehow becomes this heartless bitch that goes from one vampire to the next.
“I am so over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina and her unbelievably stupid name. Fuck Sookie!” — Pam
HBO, True Blood, Pam de Beaufort
Her actions and reactions are quite unrealistic in the series. However, Eric’s character arc finds a way to redeem her for the time she spends with him.
Of course, why stop at a love triangle when you can have a love square? Wait, what? Yes, once Eric walks out, another comes in, Alcide Herveaux, the humongous werewolf!
The new love interest, but it is always a “will it happen or won’t it?” situation until Warlow, a vampire fairy of all things, comes in the story and now Sookie’s all over the place with her legs wide open.
Pam, I was with you from the beginning! You know how to read people!
What About The Others?
After watching all seven seasons living through its ups and downs, I say this series is a gem that won’t happen again. Bon Temps, Fangtasia, Merlotte’s Bar & Grill, the overwhelming charm of this small town, and its dwellers are bewitching.
There are many adventures I don’t want to reveal as I’ve already said too much of it! But secondary characters such as Jason Stackhouse, this adorable dumb-dumb who only wants to protect everyone, is a sweetheart.
There is Jessica Hamby, whose role is all over the place until she finds herself and redemption. Sheriff Bellefleur and Harley the Wiccan.
But, there are two characters I loved so much it hurt when the series end because it was over, Lafayette and Arlene. Lafayette is this flamboyant feminine Creole gay man who steals your heart right from the start.
“Hookah I ain’t in the helpin’ business no more. I’m in the fuck off while I smoke a blunt business and business is about to pick way the fuck up.” — Lafayette
HBO, True Blood, Lafayette
Along with his cousin, Tara, you can’t have True Blood without them. They are so loving and caring over the wonderful top characters.
Arlene is this underrated characters who went through hell and back four times, and yet, nobody gives her a trophy for surviving all this time. She is there from the start and goes through all the vampire trouble and other creatures’ trouble with two kids to protect and still underrated. Arlene, you are a hero in my book!
The True of True Blood
Through seven seasons, you encounter many characters, each bringing something extra to the show’s flavor. Each season has a subplot adding to the main plot leading you to the end of the series.
Like any other show, the first three, four seasons are the best. Personally, the fifth season was the worst, but picked up with sixth and redeemed it all with the final one who had a “first season feel” to it.
In my eyes, the only two characters that stayed themselves from the beginning were Eric and Pam, maybe Sam Merlotte. Bill Compton is probably the single character that has the hardest and biggest character arc in the entire show.
Not even Sookie surpasses his journey in the show, but maybe that is due to Anna Paquin not being as good of an actress as her husband, Stephen Moyer.
It is strange, while in the HBO series, I watched the show for every other character than Sookie, in the book; I love the character so much. It’s what different mediums do. One is in your head written by the fingers of an author while the screen adaptation goes through a team of writers.
True Blood is a roller coaster of emotions and well-worth the ride! The cutest little moment is when you see Charlaine Harris for a second in the last episode. I loved it with all of my heart because it was a scene with Eric and Pam. Trubbie for life!
True To The End
This review was an overall view of the show, speaking of characters and their place in the show. I gave subjective impressions, mostly regarding Sookie, but I had to because she is the main character, after all.
The show pulls you in easily, and because of it playing on HBO, be aware that nudity, adult language, and subjects are all over the place and for the better.
I believe that is why I could not feel the embrace of another vampire show ever since True Blood. I prefer to read novels as no shows so far pulled me in as True Blood did.
Wait, I’m lying here, Hemlock Grove did capture my attention I wonder why…it has nothing to do with another Skarsgård playing a vampire. I’m kidding. Hemlock Grove is fantastic.
True Blood is one of those shows that once you watched it stay with you. It is well worth your time and attention. The series offers everything for everyone over eighteen!
I give True Blood and an overall review of 8.4/10.
I have to take points off because of Sookie’s bipolar misrepresentation and the fifth season. Otherwise, it’d be a solid 10, but nothing can be perfect, and Eric Northman can redeem not everything. I know! Blasphemy!
© Gothic Bite Magazine 
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