There is a screenwriting rule that an audience will not be able to handle two kinds of incredible leaps from reality in one movie/series. For example, if you are making a picture about teen wizards, you can't have an alien invasion in Hogwarts. If you're writing about superheroes, you can't have a scientist bring back a fleet of Velociraptors to attack Gotham. True Blood has skirted this rule by keeping all of their new creatures within a loose family of "Halloween monsters": ghosts, witches, werewolves, vampires, etc. Still, with each addition of a new supernatural, the suspension of disbelief on the part of the audience is stretched a little further. At this point, if the suspension of disbelief were pants stretched around my brain, I'd be sporting serious camel toe in my frontal lobe. There's just no room for this BS to go:
Even Ryan Kwanten looked concerned.
Mediums are still allowed in the logic of the series, but it doesn't work onscreen. Everybody loves seeing Nelsan Ellis play Lafayette, but no one can really accept Nelsan Ellis playing Lafayette playing Mavis, the pidgin-French speaking 1930s-era community theater actress. Nelsan Ellis (as always) did an excellent job and wrung emotion out of his scenes, but Mavis' character was written with all the subtlety of a hobo clown, and the actress who played her was emoting like a Disney Princess. I can guess that Lafayette will be the key to getting Antonia's spirit out of Marnie's body, and that last night was an important set up for that, but good gracious God it was boring.
The baby snatch storyline dragged, maybe because it was heavily peppered with Andy, and I don't think he watches the show. His tone is so wildly different than everyone else, I think he just clocks in, shouts his lines while clenching his jaw, goes back to his trailer and plays a jug like a flute. You have all these people trying giving subtle range to monsters, and then you have Andy making one of the few human characters into a complete caricature.
Well, some characters are more subtle than others. Love Fiona Shaw. She is making no attempt to imitate the actress who played Antonia in the dream sequences. She's just created an entirely new Antonia who is INCREDIBLY sarcastic. Like an ancient, surly teen who just got to borrow the keys to the family vampire.
Another part of the episode that was too many layers of BS was Sookie's dream sequence. I can watch Sookie being torn between two vampires until my house falls down around me, but I get angry-bored when I see her rant about it in a dream. The whole long, blurry sequence seemed meant as a treat for the fans, but dream sequences can only be disappointing. We don't care about individual characters half as much as we care about how they relate to one another, and a dream is an exploration of only one character, not a relationship. Sookie loves both of them. Kinda got that already. We know she's married to one of the actors so thats not at all awkward.
I couldn't even concentrate on her rant, I was too busy watching her flex her intestines and pancreas. Anna Paquin is a beautiful, hot, tasty woman, but she's about to cross the line from "hot-thin" into "ambulance-thin". Want to put her in some jammies and take her up to a mountain retreat with a big group that sings songs like "Food is My Friend" and eats saltines while holding hands.
The show, as always, is its strongest when it mixes in relatable, modern life with vampires. Hoyt waking up full of fast food and rage in his KFC wrapper-filled apartment and putting together a box for Jessica was awesome. That actually happens. I love that Jessica reads Twilight, of course she would (Did you see Hoyt pack it up with her hairspray?). I loved Bill arguing with Nan while they were both in silver. Even a Vampire King has workplace drama.
Speaking of Twilight, we agree as a culture that bikers are werewolves, right? Tiny Packmaster owns a Harley shop and that makes sense to me. More sense than his definition of the word "Man."
Honestly, last night's episode was practically a Lifetime movie. Baby got snatched! Baby skeleton found! Bikers bro down about loving their women! Wiccans will trap you in an antique store! Makin' love to Taylor Swift!
These two. Now they're officially jerks, but I am very interested to see where this goes. I'm less interested to see where Tommy goes, I couldn't be more delighted his life is in danger.
I know it was meant to be a contrast when Tommy was beat up while Sam and Luna made passionate love as a fire blazed dangerously close to their tent, but both scenes were pretty good news for those characters. Well, good news for Sam. Luna needs to think twice about letting Creepy Uncle Sam more into her child's life. Waking up in the woods as a child would be disorienting, not an adventure, and considering Luna's daughter knows about shifters and werewolves, Sam hopping over so she could hold him was just weird. Would you watch your daughter cuddle your boyfriend in a bunny suit?
Am I supposed to even refer to last night's episode as a cliffhanger? Will Eric kill Bill? No. Will more faceless bodyguards get their guts torn out like so many yards of "Froot By the Foot"? Probably. Will the 150 people who attended the Tolerance "Festival" get out of there safely? More or less. Has True Blood "jumped the shark"?
No, but last night is as close as they've gotten. After a series of untouchably amazing episodes, this one stood out as weirdly unsatisfying. But even the storylines I don't particularly like are more interesting than half the series on network TV. True Blood has set a ridiculously high standard for this season, so I'll allow one lackluster episode to fall flat.
Questions:
…Will Jessica do Jason a solid and kill Crystal? Will Taylor Swift play while it happens?
…Will Antonia's spirit move on to Lafayette next and if so how will they get her out?
…Anna Paquin: too hot to be too thin or too thin to be too hot?
…Did Debbie betray Sookie in the Moon Goddess Emporium when she told ANTONIA that Sookie was behind her, or was that some kind of plan? What happened there?
Episode was good. Didn't like the Sookie dream. We already know the fool still loves Bill. I just didn't appreciate them throwing Bill in the middle of these past episodes we've enjoyed Eric and Sookie. Felt like taking steps back. I don't want to see Bill and Sookie again ever, in dream state or in awake state. Thought Lafayette did an excellent job with playing Mavis. Really was hoping they wouldn't have went there with Jessica and Jason at this time, too soon. Probably shouldn't have went there at all. Was hoping Tommy would have died, but Alcide had to butt in. Debbie did try to betray Sookie in the end. She was trying to take off before Sookie could get out too. You could tell she was hating that Sookie came to the car. I agree with coutterhill, it's time to kill Debbie. Kill her!!moreless
"Would you watch your daughter cuddle your boyfriend in a bunny suit?"
... That's probably one of the stupidest questions I ever hear in my entire life.
Really? I don't think this episode was weird at all. And no it wasn't bad either. It was actually pretty funny, especially the Sookie vamp threesome with Bill and Eric! Sure it might've been awkward for the actors seeing how Anna(Sookie) is Steve's(Bill) wife, but then again that's not really a concern for us.. Is it?
not at all awkard?
Paquin is way way too skinny. gross. The Lafayette story is odd, Sookie dream sequence offputting. Love Fiona Shaw! I think Debbie is not on the up and up, let's kill her!
This is your best re-cap. Nice editorial in the beginning. That first paragraph was very well written-- I full-heatedly agree. In this instance, your words deserve more space than your pictures. Seriousness is always something to consider.
The book series is very fresh and enjoyable even after 11 books because the characters and situations are changing all the time. When you have the same cast year after year it is hard for their story-lines to stay fresh. By the way, why does every character need to have a supernatural element?.. I was disappointed when they made Lafayette a medium.. his character is dynamic enough and they could have given that role to his boyfriend.
IMHO, I think that Anna Paquin is very unattractive and can't act very well. Plus, she is not voluptuous like Sookie was written and should be. All the guys are in love with her because she's got curves and sass which Anna just doesn't have. I guess people must think she's hot but I don't get it.moreless
only 1 thing to say ... "When you guys role play, does Lafayette ever turn into a woman named Mavis?"
Man! Do you read thoughts? (LMAO) This is the same I thought while watching this episode! Is wild but is still AWESOME!!! I Love this freaking show...
good season arite episode awesome show, deal with it or don't review it.
worst season so far...
Don't really agree. Sure, this episode was a bit less epic than previous installments, but it was good nonetheless. I like the "WTF?" moments.
Season 4 has been the best for me so far.
Me too, this must be the only show about vampires that keeps getting better and better every year.
Of course Debbie betrayed Sookie, she was surprised to see her when she wanted to drive off. She knows she can read minds, so she tricked her into thinking she wanted to help. She's jealous and back on V, that's gonna end bad.
Agreed on the Sam part, that bunny thing was weird. But I definitely liked some of the twists. Last week's episode was so fast-paced I'm glad this one took kind of a back seat. I liked the cliffhanger. Regardless of its predictability, it's still a good ending. Last week everyone knew Sookie would live, but its still a nice way to end an episode. Granted this episode was very off but I am positive things will turn up better next week. Though I'm not interested in this Terri/Andy stuff..at al..
I've read all the Sookie Stackhouse novels and have greatly enjoyed them. I've read on this site that there are many who think that the show is an improvement. I can only reply, "BS!"
The first season, which followed the book more closely than any other, was the best. Since then it's gone constantly downhill. I'm seriously considering no longer watching
Man-this was spot on! Lily Sparks will you marry me? Dude-I agree with all of this and I have been watching True Blood religiously and I enjoy the campy ridiculousness of the show but damn! This episode-with it's strange inclusion of crap music/soft porn elements I didn't know what the crap I was watching! That shit was a hot mess!
well I disagree I think the episode was GOOD. and for the reviewer i think its written awfully full of own personal hatred for the show and its liable. no offense but her review was BS. Just cause you have some capability to write doesn't mean you should spread crap to people who love this show. I mean come on comments on screen shots. Maybe you should work for DE-motivational poster creation. maybe then people can enjoy what you write. I am utterly disgusted by this review. like out of all the queer things in TrBld those parts happen to be weird to her. EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE A BIT WEIRD get over yourself lily. lol
Thanks for the comment!!however, if you read ANY OTHER POST about True Blood I've written or the last paragraph of this one & you'll see I've got nothing but love for this show. I think its the best show thats been on TV in a decade. Even when True Blood is bad, its still good, like pizza.
This episode was bad, but not near as bad as this reviewer makes it out to be, filling, yet unsatisfying... like a nice bottle of tru-blood lite, or tru-blood 64, while taylor swift plays in the jukebox......
i never got into True Blood... because i knew it would take a turn like this.... meh
if u dont watch, u dont get to comment. muah
I love me some True Blood and I am o.k. with the weirdness that comes and goes, but goodness.. this shit is getting out of hand. Why is the show even called True Blood at this point? It hasnt been about vampires in ages. I was fine with bringing in witches and werewolves, but keep to the damn plot.
To be honest, I was fine with about everything thats been going on until last weeks Dream-like stuff.. Then it happened again this week. Those dream scenes have got to be the worst True Blood scenes the show has ever had. One of the worst scenes Ive seen in any show in a long while.
This entire season has sucked so yeah, just end it. And the baby thing was just ***ed.
It was bad... it wasn't that bad... and your review killed it...
(even Tim's learned to be more subtle)
The thing is, every season of True Blood is different. Next season it will be something else all together - storyline wise.
The writer tends to take bits of the books and adapt it/change it for the screen. What I found I did enjoy is the fact that Jason and Jessica have a connection, whether its just sex or a real relationship remains to be seen. The truth is, there is attraction there. Jessica was young when she "died," she had no life experience really. She changed and realized she wasn't ready to settle down in a house or be with someone she didn't really love. Now that could be because shes young and like some people, they "chase the high of a new relationship" once things feel comfortable. They exchanged blood, much like Sookie and Bill, they fell in love - that's just based on what happened when Bill and Sookie exchanged blood. Who knows if Jessica and Jason will work out beyond whats shown, we all know Jason has very bad luck with relationships.
Lafayette wasn't doing anything with his character. He worked at Merlotts and was addicted to V, I am not sure what else they could do to progress his character unless they bought in something new for him, hense the Witch storyline. We will find out beyond this season if having magic abilities will continue for Lafayette or not. I believe the writer or someone else mentioned that once ONE thing seems resolved on the show, something else pops up even worse then last time. Its like they fix one thing but there is always some consequence of some sort.
They wiped Eric's memory, will he go back to the way he was once he gets his memory back? Will he get it back if Antonia dies? Does she have to reverse it? Will it come back on its own? Will Eric behave differently toward Sookie? Will he even remember the time they had together? I am betting the writers will give him his memory back and he won't remember the time he and Sookie shared, it will default right back to the second he lost his memory. I hope this isn't the case and Eric ends up somewhere in between who he was and who he now is. Much like his maker, nice but taking action if he needs to.
I do take issue with Nan. She seemed like she was very much interested in helping the vampire cause. There is more to her and more to whoever the authority is, some "alternate agenda." I think it could be "get the humans to feel safe," only to do something terrible. Nan is like a regular politician in this sense. On the surface she has good intentions, under her "media face," shes not a nice vampire.moreless
Good episode could have been a lot better! Don't know what will happen with Jess and Jason, Lafayette is key to defeating Antonia, Anna is Hot, and Debbie didn't betray her, she knows what Sookie is capable of.
Sookie needs to get hit by a toilet seat from space and return as a Reaper.
This site became something so far away from what it was. These critics have no sense and people writing them just want flying, kicking and they have no idea of what good TV is about. NEVER a comment on how a character develops or a subplot twist or another point of view except Jersey Shore meets Fast and Furious.
What on earth does AWKARD mean? (6th screenshot down "NOT AT ALL AWKARD")
Proof read your screenshots before posting, Lily :-)
Loved the episode. I really like Jessica and Jason, and I hope they will not bring this stupid werepanter stuff again (I know, I read the books, but it's still boring).
I didn't mind this episode. Like most, I wasn't a huge fan of the dream sequence but I did appreciate that Sookie finally admitted to herself that she still has feelings for Bill. I liked the ghost scenes. Yes, the yellow light, ascension into heaven was a little over the top, but really, this show is packed full of supernatural. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the new fantasy things being thrown in, I feel content and curious as to what other thins COULD possibly be added.... Though if zombies come in, I am done :P
All in all, season 4 has been good enough to keep people interested and I don't plan on tuning out anytime soon, so I agree with Lily. The writers can have a few mediocre scenes in a phenomenal show.moreless
I like yur comment....... except for the zombies I love zombies :0
It looks to me like they're just making stuff up so they can link the porn sequences together. Anna Paquin please eat something. I thought the stuff with Lafayette was the best stuff in the episode. That actor is a genius.
this was a funny episode, but ok
The first time they did a dream sequence, sure it was cool. It added some mystery, and it was necessary to explain how the blood affected humans. However, this sequence was drawn out, longer than necessary. Normally an episode is fast pace, and they've been able to get some character development through it. The dream sequence, however did very little to do any of that. We came in knowing that she had feelings for both. We came in knowing that it's complicated. It essentially spent an in-ornate amount of time trying to tell the audience in a heavy handed way what the audience already knows.
I know that I'm watching a show where vampires, shifters and werewolves are real. I know that shifting into a bunny and sitting in you girlfriend's daughter's lap is perfectly acceptable in Bon Temps, but I found the Mavis storyline absolutely ridiculous. I couldn't stop focusing on her resemblance to Princess Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog". Not only that, but the fact that Lafeyette became de-possessed while sitting next to a ghost, holding skeletal baby remains and didn't even bat a mascaraed eyelash... it was a stretch.
If you're writing about superheroes, you can't have a scientist bring back a fleet of Velociraptors to attack Gotham.
haha tell that to the silver age
I really didn't care for the dream sequence. It just felt pointless.
I dont think true blood really cares which direction they are headed in. Its all a fun ride to both the writers and the fans.
In fact, if you insist on hinting that true blood has jumped the shark, I won't be too surprised if the writers come up with a new character - wereshark, and then have all the main characters jump over the wereshark.
That would be awesome! Total tongue and cheek humour.
this review had me laughing so hard.i can see why a fan would say some of this stuff but i find nothing wrong with season 4.some fans need to chill:)
thx for the support lol