I know you've been waiting for it, so let me apologize for the delay. It's just that, I had to think about this one. Had to think about it because, well, I really didn't know what to say.
Let's start with Lafayette--one of the best characters who never were (his character dies during an orgy-gone-wrong in the second of Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels)--was resurrected by actor Nelsan Ellis, a Julliard-trained thesbian who's range makes one look at Ellis as one of "les merveilles du monde"--wonders of the world. The V Jesus pushed him to do pushed poor La-la's supernatural intuition into hyperdrive. Now, Lafayette's seeing things like Renee holding Arlene in a strangle-hold--a seed that won't give up, and poor Arlene feeling like she's in the fiery pits of Hell--another storyline original to the HBO series. Perhaps Arlene's baby is Renee's--perhaps not--but either way, it seems the spirit of Renee is inhabiting Arlene's depthless soul--hey, someone was bound to move in--Arlene's on a permanent vacation....
Sookie is down-right mean to my other favorite actor/character, Denis O'Hare's Russell Edgington. I look at Russell's character as a naturalistic study of the human condition...if a human were to live through 3,000-years as a vampire. Do you blame the lion for hunting its prey? Of course not. Russell is doing what anyone would expect a character of his depth and fortitude and too-long existence TO DO. And Sookie's just being a hater because of it. Sure, he tries to kill her. And yes, he will always be a threat to her person now that he's tasted her ambrosia-like blood, but c'mon! He's an old vampire...someone turned him...does anyone ever consider what that trauma may have done to Russell Edgington? Nah, that's too difficult. It's much easier just to take Russell at face-value. Like Sookie did, as she cackled while pouring the love of Russell's long life down the drain. That was a bitch-move, Sook. As my grandfather used to say, you're off my list.
And Eric--a thousand years of life and all he can do is spit vengance? Eric hasn't acted much like a Viking in the show...he's duplicitous, morally relativistic, and always scheming his way through his own self-absorbed agenda. Russell Edgington is the same, of course--but he's straightforward about it. Eric, on the other hand....
But Eric does love Sookie, and though Bill always seemed the perfect gentleman (avec fangs), he's really been pretty shady from the beginning. Did you all notice the way he bit into our Sookie the first time they had sex? And he's known what she was from day one! Bill's more along the lines of a creepy stalker, but in fairness to his character, he's just an underling vampire--constrained by his "youth" and submission to those with more vampiric political pull. He really was trying to protect Sookie, it was just within the confines of his situation...a very shady situation. Sigh.
Such complexities are used to create gray areas for the audience--"Well, he's really a good guy, he just had to do this one bad thing because...." But no. There's never an excuse for bad behavior. Never. Edgington's behaviors are despictable--though I do love how O'Hare brings that character to life, his despicable acts aren't excusable. It's why Sookie made a (finally!) good decision in rescinding Bill and Eric's welcome from her home. But now, she's in Fairyland with her fairy-kin...maybe we'll all get lucky, and she'll stay there.
If only...but we all know she goes on to get engaged to Alcide. Now that's a dish well-served. How Alan Ball & Co. will serve it...we'll all have to wait another nine months to see. Sookie and Eric also have a rather long and winding relationship yet to come, as well as Sookie and a were-...not wolf, not panther, but tiger! Roar, baby, roar....
Sam shot Tommy...or did he? He's turned out to be quite a jerk (for lack of a better term), so my guess is yes, he shoots Tommy, but doesn't kill him. He's probably clipped him in the leg or arm. This is another original storyline to the HBO series. In the books, Sam is an all-around good guy. You might even call him a lion-heart...hint, hint.
Next season, Alan Ball referred to lots of upheavals in the vampire world...and he's right. I told you about a giant beat-down coming down the pike in the series...and I wasn't kidding. It's HUGE. Season 4 promises good things...wish I could say the same for Jessica and Hoyt.
Could the writers/director of the finale have beaten us over the head any MORE with the foreshadow in that storyline??? Jessica and Hoyt, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Hoyt in the baby carriage...or casket. Hoyt's Southern mama cannot be told what to do. You know how she revealed to Hoyt that his father committed suicide in season 2? I bet she killed him...maybe not with a gun, but pushed him to do it in some way. We see the sad, broken doll on the floor of the house that Hoyt built, right after he tells Jessica she'll never have to live without him. Switch scenes to Maxine in a gun shop, picking up a sight-rifle. Yup. Real cliffhanger there...not! She shoots somebody. If it's Jessica, it better be with wooden bullets. She aims for Jessica, but Hoyt gets in the path of the bullet and he's dying. Jessica has to make a choice...hmmm, what will it be? If I were Jessica, AFTER killing Hoyt's mama, I'd turn him. Will it go down that way in season 4??? Probably...or at least some variation thereof.
Tara takes off. She cuts her hair, gets in her inherited Mercedes convertible, and barely looks back. How could she do that to Lafayette? Tara, like Arlene, is just another hollow shell of a character. Yes, she's been through a lot--no question--but so has Lafayette. And he never abandoned her. She's leaving La-la to the wilds of Jaguar-Jesus, the vamps, the witches, the wardrobes...oops! Wrong storyline, but you get the idea. Uncool, Tara, uncool. Especially since we know you'll be back....
Finally, Mr. Jason...he's so adorably genuine as played by Ryan Kwanten. Crystal takes off with her cousin-brother-fiance at gun-point, leaving Jason to protect the in-bred were-panthers of Hot Shot...now that "Uncle-Daddy-Calvin" has been shot, that is. Oy. What a tangle! Jason's now connected to the communuity of Hot Shot...but will he ever become a were-panther, like his character in the Sookie Stackhouse novels? All will be revealed in about nine months...just like having a baby. Boy or girl? In nine months, you'll know for sure!
Season 3 was SO MUCH fun...thank you to Alan Ball & Company, to the cast, the crew, and all the people at HBO, as well as the originator of the storyline, Ms. Charlaine Harris. It really was a fun summer of True Blood. Though I feel a bit like a hostage being held at gunpoint (or fang-point) from episode to episode--it's worth the torturous ride...kind of like life. You can get off anytime, but why would you do that??? It's all about the journey, not the destination.
Hey, TB-fans, look for True Blood & Philosophy: We Wanna THINK Bad Things with You online and in your favorite book stores...as well as three very special essays on season 3 from THE True Blood experts. I can't tell you much about the essays, but I can tell you you'll learn more about Arlene, Sookie, Hot Shot, Sam...and maybe, just maybe, Jessica, the world's fav baby-vamp! So where can you find them? More on that to come in future "Publication News."
Stay tuned! Until next time....
Let's start with Lafayette--one of the best characters who never were (his character dies during an orgy-gone-wrong in the second of Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels)--was resurrected by actor Nelsan Ellis, a Julliard-trained thesbian who's range makes one look at Ellis as one of "les merveilles du monde"--wonders of the world. The V Jesus pushed him to do pushed poor La-la's supernatural intuition into hyperdrive. Now, Lafayette's seeing things like Renee holding Arlene in a strangle-hold--a seed that won't give up, and poor Arlene feeling like she's in the fiery pits of Hell--another storyline original to the HBO series. Perhaps Arlene's baby is Renee's--perhaps not--but either way, it seems the spirit of Renee is inhabiting Arlene's depthless soul--hey, someone was bound to move in--Arlene's on a permanent vacation....
Sookie is down-right mean to my other favorite actor/character, Denis O'Hare's Russell Edgington. I look at Russell's character as a naturalistic study of the human condition...if a human were to live through 3,000-years as a vampire. Do you blame the lion for hunting its prey? Of course not. Russell is doing what anyone would expect a character of his depth and fortitude and too-long existence TO DO. And Sookie's just being a hater because of it. Sure, he tries to kill her. And yes, he will always be a threat to her person now that he's tasted her ambrosia-like blood, but c'mon! He's an old vampire...someone turned him...does anyone ever consider what that trauma may have done to Russell Edgington? Nah, that's too difficult. It's much easier just to take Russell at face-value. Like Sookie did, as she cackled while pouring the love of Russell's long life down the drain. That was a bitch-move, Sook. As my grandfather used to say, you're off my list.
And Eric--a thousand years of life and all he can do is spit vengance? Eric hasn't acted much like a Viking in the show...he's duplicitous, morally relativistic, and always scheming his way through his own self-absorbed agenda. Russell Edgington is the same, of course--but he's straightforward about it. Eric, on the other hand....
But Eric does love Sookie, and though Bill always seemed the perfect gentleman (avec fangs), he's really been pretty shady from the beginning. Did you all notice the way he bit into our Sookie the first time they had sex? And he's known what she was from day one! Bill's more along the lines of a creepy stalker, but in fairness to his character, he's just an underling vampire--constrained by his "youth" and submission to those with more vampiric political pull. He really was trying to protect Sookie, it was just within the confines of his situation...a very shady situation. Sigh.
Such complexities are used to create gray areas for the audience--"Well, he's really a good guy, he just had to do this one bad thing because...." But no. There's never an excuse for bad behavior. Never. Edgington's behaviors are despictable--though I do love how O'Hare brings that character to life, his despicable acts aren't excusable. It's why Sookie made a (finally!) good decision in rescinding Bill and Eric's welcome from her home. But now, she's in Fairyland with her fairy-kin...maybe we'll all get lucky, and she'll stay there.
If only...but we all know she goes on to get engaged to Alcide. Now that's a dish well-served. How Alan Ball & Co. will serve it...we'll all have to wait another nine months to see. Sookie and Eric also have a rather long and winding relationship yet to come, as well as Sookie and a were-...not wolf, not panther, but tiger! Roar, baby, roar....
Sam shot Tommy...or did he? He's turned out to be quite a jerk (for lack of a better term), so my guess is yes, he shoots Tommy, but doesn't kill him. He's probably clipped him in the leg or arm. This is another original storyline to the HBO series. In the books, Sam is an all-around good guy. You might even call him a lion-heart...hint, hint.
Next season, Alan Ball referred to lots of upheavals in the vampire world...and he's right. I told you about a giant beat-down coming down the pike in the series...and I wasn't kidding. It's HUGE. Season 4 promises good things...wish I could say the same for Jessica and Hoyt.
Could the writers/director of the finale have beaten us over the head any MORE with the foreshadow in that storyline??? Jessica and Hoyt, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Hoyt in the baby carriage...or casket. Hoyt's Southern mama cannot be told what to do. You know how she revealed to Hoyt that his father committed suicide in season 2? I bet she killed him...maybe not with a gun, but pushed him to do it in some way. We see the sad, broken doll on the floor of the house that Hoyt built, right after he tells Jessica she'll never have to live without him. Switch scenes to Maxine in a gun shop, picking up a sight-rifle. Yup. Real cliffhanger there...not! She shoots somebody. If it's Jessica, it better be with wooden bullets. She aims for Jessica, but Hoyt gets in the path of the bullet and he's dying. Jessica has to make a choice...hmmm, what will it be? If I were Jessica, AFTER killing Hoyt's mama, I'd turn him. Will it go down that way in season 4??? Probably...or at least some variation thereof.
Tara takes off. She cuts her hair, gets in her inherited Mercedes convertible, and barely looks back. How could she do that to Lafayette? Tara, like Arlene, is just another hollow shell of a character. Yes, she's been through a lot--no question--but so has Lafayette. And he never abandoned her. She's leaving La-la to the wilds of Jaguar-Jesus, the vamps, the witches, the wardrobes...oops! Wrong storyline, but you get the idea. Uncool, Tara, uncool. Especially since we know you'll be back....
Finally, Mr. Jason...he's so adorably genuine as played by Ryan Kwanten. Crystal takes off with her cousin-brother-fiance at gun-point, leaving Jason to protect the in-bred were-panthers of Hot Shot...now that "Uncle-Daddy-Calvin" has been shot, that is. Oy. What a tangle! Jason's now connected to the communuity of Hot Shot...but will he ever become a were-panther, like his character in the Sookie Stackhouse novels? All will be revealed in about nine months...just like having a baby. Boy or girl? In nine months, you'll know for sure!
Season 3 was SO MUCH fun...thank you to Alan Ball & Company, to the cast, the crew, and all the people at HBO, as well as the originator of the storyline, Ms. Charlaine Harris. It really was a fun summer of True Blood. Though I feel a bit like a hostage being held at gunpoint (or fang-point) from episode to episode--it's worth the torturous ride...kind of like life. You can get off anytime, but why would you do that??? It's all about the journey, not the destination.
Hey, TB-fans, look for True Blood & Philosophy: We Wanna THINK Bad Things with You online and in your favorite book stores...as well as three very special essays on season 3 from THE True Blood experts. I can't tell you much about the essays, but I can tell you you'll learn more about Arlene, Sookie, Hot Shot, Sam...and maybe, just maybe, Jessica, the world's fav baby-vamp! So where can you find them? More on that to come in future "Publication News."
Stay tuned! Until next time....
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