True Blood

Strange Love

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired 9/7/08

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Episode Summary

The series opens with two young adults driving down the road past a store sign advertising Tru Blood. They stop at the store and after a short confrontation with a vampire they take off. Next, Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress at a local bar notices a vampire who walks in and sits down in a booth. After locking eyes with the vampire she confronts him about what he'd like to order. The vampire asks for Tru Blood but due to a lack of local vampire patrons there isn't any in stock. Later Sookie runs out of the bar after the vampire and two people that lured him outside. She finds the two draining the blood from the vampire. Vampire blood is known to enhance the healing process in humans and give a bit of a sex boost. Sookie saves the vampire, who introduces himself as Bill.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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Anna Paquin

Sookie Stackhouse
Stephen Moyer

Bill Compton
Ryan Kwanten

Jason Stackhouse

Fan Episode Reviews (40)

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Found it dizzying, and then left wondering "is that it?". Hope it will grow on me, looks like with more information, it could be a great show. Could do with less sex scenes, and more character building.moreless

4.5

"Poor"

By Jacstar, Jan 23, 2011 Report Abuse

I don't know, I was left a little disappointed. Maybe I just wanted to get on with the "Vampire" aspect of the the show, and it left me unsatisfied and frustrated. Felt the characters were too sterio typed, or is that all the people in the south do? Drink and stick their genitals in anything possible, the sicker the better? Is sex TRULY the be all and end all of every southern born person? Sookie seemed like there was more too her, but everything else drowned her out. In amongst the sex, it caused her to seem prudish or naive, instead of truly pure. Bill, while trying to look like the brooding vampire came across as tired or weary. Take out the soft porn and the drinking, there was about 15 minutes left for Character building. Will give the next few episodes a try, if still nothing, might try the books.
Maybe I should just try and be patient, and the characters will grow on me.moreless

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4 4
Not bad, not great I reserve judgement till episode two. There was plenty to like though.

6.7

"Fair"

By SMGslayer97, Jan 23, 2011 Report Abuse

As a rule I don't generally expect to much from pilots because they are never really a good indicator of what a show could be or even can become as time goes by. The first episode of True Blood has a lot of typical pilot qualities, they spend a lot of time explaining vampires place in the world and what they are capable above (the stuff about tru blood, etc.) which is all great it works well but it does feel a tiny bit slowed paced at time, all explination nothing to detailed or even anything beyond that. But for a pilot I give it it's credit. It explained everything very well and more importantly interestingly. The characters were also introduced well. I'm not overly fond of Sookie yet but I like her well enough to hope that Bill comes to her rescue. I love Bill, the cast him well and he is very believeable as the old school vampires of lore we are all so used to. I also like the character of Sam, I hope he is a big part of the show because I think honestly their story is with Sookie, Bill and Sam. I thought the episode itself was as I said a bit of a typical pilot, a big introduction the series and not much else but the ending was an interesting choice. In some ways it was great because it makes us all want to watch if for no other reason then to make sure Sookie is okay and possibly who saves her in other ways I thought it was an odd place to end the episode, just because it doesn't exactly fit with the pilot feel of the rest of the episode. But that is a good thing when you really look at it, at least I think so. Overall A for effort, B- for final presentaion but I will be watching episode two.moreless

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The introduction to world where vampires are "out of the coffin" and a young waitress called Sookie with telepathic ability falls for an age old vampire called Bill..

4.0

"Poor"

By boywunda, Jan 23, 2011 Report Abuse

The pilot episode opens with interesting premise that vampires are semi-integrated into society and no longer feed on humans, and have their blood lust fulfilled by drinking synthetic blood designed in japan.. we are introduced to Sookie who has the ability to read thoughts, ably played by X-Men's Anna Paquin.. her little diner in a quiet town hasn't seen any vampires, that is until Bill strolls in one evening. Sookie finds that she is unable to read his thoughts and strangely drawn to him. After rescuing Bill from a couple seeking to drain his blood to sell on the black market.. Bill is now drawn to her as a feels Sookie is a little more than human.. The basic storyline is slow moving with Paquin's performance holding your interest throughout, although the same cant be said of Stephen Moyer's portrayal of Bill, his phoned-in performance fails to spark any interest in his character.. Hopefully his character will have more personality injected into him as the series progresses.. he certainly cannot hold a torch to previous TV vampires, such as David Boreanaz's Angel..moreless

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Just plain suckie! A psychic waitress with a lame fake accent and some vampires. Doesn't sound very good and it isn't.

4.0

"Poor"

By masioka, Jan 23, 2011 Report Abuse

I didn't laugh and I didn't become and excited, the only thing I did was looking at the clock and waiting for it to end.

People use to say the book is always better than the movie or in this case TV-series, I usually don't agree but in this case it's must be true or else the book must really suck.

After fifteen minutes all I was waiting for, besides for the episode to end was to see my Swedish bro Alexander Skarsgrd to come in to the picture but what the heck he didn't and that means that I need the go trough the torture and watch the next episode too if I want to see him. If they don't screw me over again and he isn't in that one either.

I did not like the story and I did not like the characters.

No, I did not like, I did not like at all.moreless

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3 2
The jury still out on this show.

5.0

"Mediocre"

By Knightshade03, Jan 23, 2011 Report Abuse

The premise of known vampires, considering I'm familiar with Vampire: The Masquerade, was intriguing. A waitress who reads minds and a vampire who's mind she can't read; in a way it sounds like a perfect match-up. I liked the showing of Real Time in the background which explains the premise of the vampires discarding their "masquerade": With the creation of synthetic blood, called "True Blood" vampires no longer need to prey on humans. Our heroine meets a vampire, saves his life or unlife as the case may be,and realizes around him, her mind is quite. Considering all the noise she has to deal with in the bar, I can understand the attraction. In other items we see lots of sex, a murder, and how humans relate to vampires which isn't necessarily positive. Overall, I just wasn't compelled by the show, however, I do plan on watching a few more episodes to see if it hooks me. I do find the premise interesting; however, I find none of the characters compelling. It's bad when I realize I really don't care about anyone in the show. Hopefully that will change. We'll see.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- When Sookie comes home from work the first night, her grandmother is reading Last Scene Alive, written by Charlaine Harris who also wrote the Sookie Stackhouse books "True Blood" is based on. Edit
- The camo-clad hunter/vampire purchases the synthetic drink "Tru Blood" in the form of a 4-pack of bottles. Typically wine coolers are sold in 4-packs, beer is generally sold in 6-packs. The tag line for "Tru Blood" is "Real Blood is for suckers!" Edit
- Vampire Bill Compton is 173 years old. Edit
Notes
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- Special billing is given to Bill Maher (Special Guest Star) and P.J. O'Rourke (Special Guest Star) for this episode.
  Edit
- International Episode Titles: Czech Republic: Podivná láska (Strange Love) Edit
- This episode won both the 2009 Artios for "Outstanding Achievement in Casting-Television Pilot-Drama", and the 2009 Eddie Award for "Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television". Plus, the opening credits were nominated for the 2009 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Main Title Design", and the scene where Bill meets Sookie won that same award for "Best Breakthrough Performance". Edit
Quotes
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- Lafayette: (Thinking about Sookie joining Vampire Bill at his table) Looks like she likes 'em tall dark and dead. Edit
- Sookie: I am NOT psychic! Edit
- (Customer snaps his fingers to get Tara's attention for a drink) Tara: Uh-oh do... do not snap at me. I have a name. And that name is Tara. Isn't that funny a black girl being named after a plantation. No I don't think it's funny at all. In fact it really pisses me off that my momma was either stupid or just plain mean. Which is why you better be nice if you plan on getting a drink tonight. Customer: Sorry. Edit
Allusions
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- HBO Arlene: Honey, if Rene tells you you're too young to watch a scary movie on HBO then I'm siding with him. Arlene mentions HBO which is the station that True Blood airs on. Edit
- Hustler Jason: You know I read in Hustler that everybody should have sex with a vampire at least once before they die. Hustler is a monthly adult magazine published in the United States. It was first published in July 1974 by Larry Flynt. Edit
- Katrina Clerk: New Orleans is a mecca for the vampire. Frat Boy: Even after Katrina? Hurricane Katrina is one of the 5 deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. In August, 2005 the hurricane devastated the city of New Orleans in Louisiana where the television series is set. Edit