Maybe it’s because I’m just plain sick of vampires or maybe it’s just that I want them to go back to being feral vicious monsters but “True Blood” always bordered on “Twilight” for me to properly enjoy it and as hard as I wanted to enjoy it, I just couldn’t come around toward liking it as much as my family who found the show to be a breath of fresh air. Sure, the ad campaign was genius, but that’s just about where we end it.
From every Southern cliche ever muttered down to some of the most predictable story arcs I’ve ever seen on a series, “True Blood” is that show that will have only a select fan base. As for this man, I never saw the big deal in spite of my urgency to see what HBO would serve up. In spite of providing us with some demonic bloodsuckers here and there, “True Blood” feels like an extension of the Anne Rice vampire universe where secret societies are formed and primary characters moan about how long they’ve lived. Really it’s just a show that puts out the vibe that it’s original when it really isn’t when you sit down to dissect what the storylines entail.
To make it worse not only are we introduced to a society where vampires have come out from the dark to reveal themselves as a part of our society, but we have a telepathic waitress named Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) who conveniently always knows the right people to mind read and this helps her to become embroiled in a plot involving druggies who get off on vampire blood. On the meantime there’s a murder mystery involving her brother that’s so predictable and lacking in any sense of surprises and twists that it’s almost brainless work to sit down and watch it all unfold before the more intelligent viewer who will know what’s coming way before it even comes. “True Blood” isn’t the worst HBO series ever nor is it the worst about vampires I’ve ever seen, it’s just not good enough to influence me in to watching it for the second upcoming season.
As for the five disc DVD set I can not lie, HBO has literally outdone themselves in the features department for what the series entails. They take the viral marketing that propelled the series in to word of mouth territory and blast it on to the DVD’s. First and foremost we get the wicked True Blood beverage ads that come in both English and French. I remember watching these ads on television and couldn’t believe how cool they were, and yes I wondered if they were real. Following the viral marketing gamut we get Vampire Service Ads. One is for Lovebitten.net an online dating service for lonely vampires, another for the Styx River Suite Motel a special hideaway for vampires looking to relax with rooms that have coffins for beds and zero windows (to block the sunlight of course).
Last but not least, an ad for Delbert & Delbert, a law office that will help vampires integrate in to society with credit cards and passports. All are fairly short but fun and round out the reality we witness in the series. We also get a PSA for the debate of pro and anti vampire rights in America as well as a documentary called “In Focus: Vampires in America” which discusses the integration of vampires in culture as minorities. We’re also given Audio Commentary for Episode 11 “To Love is to Bury.” “True Blood” definitely doesn’t break the mold as far as vampire fare is concerned. It’s cliche, predictable and truly a bore at times but its strengths lie in the performers and the great DVD set that’s packed with extras for fans of show to suck on for a while.