True Blood is True This Year

I first reported on this show last year. I was somewhat doubtful and slightly bored with it. Oh how times have changed this year. 'True Blood' has been "bloody" fantastic this year. I don't know what happened. I think the material has been better. I've been reading the novels and I have to say that the writers on the show are much better writers than Charlaine Harris. The show writers have really made this season their own. Charlaine Harris is very creative but she's not the best writer in the world. Anne Rice has nothing to worry about.

The show writers really improved on Charlaine's 2nd book, which is what the 2nd season is based on. I think that may have been the issue, the 1st season followed the book pretty closely. Whereas this season the show writers deviated from the source material, however, they still followed the Godric/Fellowship of the Sun storyline, but the show writers made it so much more believable and they made the Maenad, played by the lovely Michelle Forbes, more of a central character.

I really loved the flashback scene with Godric and Eric earlier this season. I've enjoyed Eric's (Alexander Skarsgard) character immensely this year. It was a very good idea to make Godric Eric's maker. In the books Eric's maker was not really focused on, which given the magnetism of Eric, was a mistake.

As for the Maenad, as you know, Michelle Forbes is near and dear to the sci-fi community. Any chance I get to see her I'm giddy, but yes, this Maenad needs to go. She's too much trouble. Poor Sam. In the book, Sam and the Maenad were traveling companions when Sam was in dog form. The storyline really wasn't based on her. She was just a nuisance and not a main part of the storyline in the book--what a mistake. Michelle has been absolutely delightful to watch this season.

One huge mistake I think Alan Ball made last year (which has slightly cont'd this year), is his stance that the "series" should focus primarily on the relationship between Sookie and Bill. Bill doesn't really have a prominent part in most of the series, excluding the 1st novel. Eric is Sookie's main love interest in most of the books. So hopefully, Alan will get with the program and recognize that rising star Alex Skarsgard, who plays Eric, is the character we want to see most.