Okay episode though it felt like something was missing. The one thing I like about this show is the importance of detail which it does very well. Liked how they brought back bit players like the redhead at the bar and how Tara always puts her down. Liked the dancing with Belleflour who did look like someone on drugs. Worried about Lafayette and his future with the show after what happened last night. The way Eric was talking it didn't sound like he was receptive to turning Lafayette. I wish there were some scenes with Sookie and Eric but I think they will eventually get to that. Not a lot of Tara in this episode but not liking her with Eggs. Tara needs a man who can keep her on her toes and Eggs doesn't seem like that kind of man. Maryann makes the show right now and I love how she kept ordering all that food. Michelle Forbes has incredible chemistry with the entire cast and I can't wait until she interacts more with Sookie and meets Jason.

I wish we knew a little more about Maryann...like why is the voice in her head some ancient man tone and what's up with all the food?!!

"True Blood" rings of honesty
Jun 21, 2009 | by Ken Tucker

The second episode of "True Blood" was even better than the second-season premiere last week. The series has found a wonderful tone of humor mixed with suspense, with a dollop of eroticism (that is, when it isn't ladling on big spoonfuls of eroticism). I'm thinking of short but potent scenes last night such as Bill and Eric in the department store, and the way the saleswoman is turned on by Bill -- vampires are irresistible. And the bigger, more important scene later on, when Maryann casts a spell over everyone in the restaurant and they all start wiggling sensuously.

The subplot I'm most enjoying is Jason's time at the Light of Day leadership conference, where he's charming both leaders, Steve and Sarah (Jason + Sarah = it's just a matter of time, isn't it?). That silver "honesty ring" is going to come into play in a pretty dramatic way, I'm guessing. "True Blood" is avoiding cheap shots about evangelical Christianity in favor of a more nuanced exploration of the way people want to find and follow leaders, whether they're charismatic spiritual instructors or powerful otherworldly creatures like Bill or Eric.

Last season, Lafayette swanned in and out of scenes with a devil-may-care attitude; now, he's in league with the devil . . . or whatever it is Eric represents in his infinite cruelty. As for voluntary cruelty, you can't beat Jessica trying to get back at her parents by baring her fangs, can you?

So: what do you think? Oh, and what do you make of new-waitress Daphne?

EW's recap:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"True Blood" recap: More complexity, less clothing (thank you)
Jun 22, 2009 | by Jean Bentley

After the heaving sigh of relief that was last week's season premiere of "True Blood" (Lafayette lives! Thanks Alan Ball!), the second episode of the HBO drama's sophomore season brought a little more complication, a little less clothing, and a lot more guts 'n' blood than I ever really wanted to see. With Sookie and Bill helping Jessica acclimate to her new vampire life, Jason integrating himself into the Fellowship of the Sun, Tara continuing to delude herself into thinking the mysterious Maryann is helping her out of the goodness of her heart, and Lafayette begging for his life, the season's off to a much faster start than last year's slow-building mystery.

Last week, Sookie forgave Bill for turning Jessica into a vampire. This week, Sookie struggled with her feelings of guilt about the whole situation (Jessica's creation being a punishment for Bill defending Sookie's honor, after all), and tried to get Bill to treat the new vampire with a little more sensitivity. Sookie asked Bill, ''Parts of your former self are still in there, right? I wouldn't be with you if they weren't.'' Bill's response was brusque and blunt: ''When a vampire is as new as Jessica is, she has no humanity.'' Still, Sookie was suckered into taking Jessica to visit her family, which culminated in a fang-bearing standoff at Jessica's parents' house (more on that next week).

Meanwhile, the dim-but-lovable Jason happily settled into his born-again life, joining in bus ride sing-alongs and capture the flag games (wait, is this a church leadership seminar or summer camp?), and unknowingly striking up a rivalry with his bunkmate, the Lukeinator. I can't decide which part of Jason's storyline mesmerizes me the most: Ryan Kwanten's magnificent shirtless torso, or the Pantene commercial-volume and bounciness of the female Fellowship campers leaders.

Maryann is still creepy, we still don't know where she came from, and we still don't know what the crap is up with her. We do know that she's back to screw with Sam for some reason, and that she uses sex to her advantage (seducing a young Sam in a flashback we saw last week, hypnotizing the customers at Merlotte's into all but boning each other on the dance floor). And poor Tara is still under the impression that Maryann is helping her out just for funsies.

I don't understand why Tara's been so implicitly trusting of Maryann from the get-go. Her character has always been so cynical about everything that it seems completely out of character for her to just accept Maryann's help. So when she told Sookie, ''Something inside me says 'This is weird Tara, don't trust it,' '' I was glad we finally heard her voice of reason. Here's hoping she listens to her instincts.

As a final note, I hereby move to instate the Shirtless Law upon Mehcad Brooks, who plays Hot Dude Macking on Tara (his name is Eggs, but that is a silly name). This law has clearly already been enacted on the aforementioned Kwanten, who appears bare-chested as frequently as possible. Shirtless Law section 2A would mandate both Brooks and Kwanten to remain free of the constricting garments known as "shirts" for at least 75 percent of future "True Blood" episodes.

I would move to include the brilliant Nelsan Ellis in the Shirtless Law amendment, but his scenes were so incredibly gory and disturbing this week that I'd rather not envision Lafayette digging through the entrails of his less fortunate vampire prisoner (i.e. this week's vom-inducing moments) in my fantasies, thanks. Maybe next week.

Speaking of next week: OMG Lafayette as a vampire?!?!?! His impassioned plea for Eric to spare his life (sort of, because turning into a vampire would technically make him dead) was 100 percent true -- Lafayette's powerful, convincing, and damn sexy, all characteristics Eric prides himself on. Lafayette's survival has already strayed far from the books, and turning him into a vampire would add a fascinating layer to the story.

What did you think of last night's "True Blood"? Ken Tucker thought the second episode was a solid addition to the strong foundation laid in last week's premiere, to which I say: hells yes. Also: sorry to focus on all the shirtlessness, but half of my notes are "Ryan Kwanten shirtless THANK YOU" and "PLEASE MAKE TARA'S BOYFRIEND SHIRTLESS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE K THANKS" so I'm just going with the moments that stood out for me. I'm sure you understand. And by "sorry" I mean YOU KNOW YOU LIKED IT TOO.

Episode Title: "Scratches"

Synopsis: When Sookie is attacked by a mysterious creature, Bill must enlist Eric's help to save her; at the Light of Day retreat, Jason has second thoughts about the sect's anti-vampire agenda, but Sarah and Steve counter with flattery and promises; after snapping at Tara and new employee Daphne, Sam decides to cut and run; in order to liberate Lafayette, Sookie strikes a deal with Eric; a bored Jessica heads over to Merlotte's, where a smitten Hoyt falls under her spell; at another Maryann-hosted party, Tara finds her attraction to Eggs mitigated by a persistent, aphrodisiac fog.

Discuss.

Jessica really grew on me in this episode. I think that her budding relationship with Hoyt could go places, and it's nice seeing the vampire/human gender dynamic reversed from Sookie and Bill. It would get old really fast if they wrote Jessica solely as the petulant teenaged vampire with no shadings to her character at all. I wish that they had shown exactly how Bill managed to glamour all of Jessica's family to get her out of last episode's cliffhanger. The monster thing that scratched and poisoned Sookie came out of nowhere, and it's another fun mystery for the show that has a lot of potential (and even more now with Sam's new waitress having the same scratch on her back that Sookie has on hers for some reason or another). The little doctor at Fangtasia was awesome. I love that they're giving Alexander Skarsgård more screentime this season. His Eric plays off of everyone wonderfully, and his connection to Sookie is great to watch unfold. He needs to be around all season, and then that would allow Pam to steal scenes with just a glance or some droll delivery (the pumps line was my favorite of the episode).

Jason's storyline didn't do much for me, except for that brief apperance from Stephen Root as Eddie. I'm guessing that Jason somehow gets involved with the preacher's wife soon, or maybe that's too easy a direction to go into. The preacher might become jealous of him, or Luke might do something or say something to him. I read that the storylines will be fragmented this season but come together in the end, but having Tara off with Eggs (who have little in common with each other other besides both being black), Jason off at the church retreat, and now Sookie and Bill off to Dallas to find that sheriff guy are a bit of a letdown, just b/c I want the ensemble back together playing off of one another like they do so well. Michelle Forbes continues to fascinate as Maryann. It looks like Tara's getting the message that something's off with Maryann's hedonism, but I wonder what that will mean for everyone else when she tries to leave her fold. Glad that Lafayette wasn't turned into a vampire (yet), though it looks like Eric's not quite done with him. Some interesting storylines they've set up with this episode.

Grade for "Scratches": B+

Yeah I'm enjoying where the stories are going. I too would prefer more interaction, but I'm ok for now as long as it does indeed come together in the end. I've read the books, and I actually like the fact that the series are playing a lot of things differently. It really keeps things interesting for me. And I agree with the earlier comments...Michelle Forbes has been the MVP so far this season.

Do we know who the other dog "shape-shifter" was who was with Sam? Did I miss something? Or is this just another mystery of the show that will be explained in time?

So many questions this season . . . and I'm loving it!

Damn! This season is on fire! 3 episodes in, and I'm already enjoying it a lot more than the first season!

At first, I was skeptical about adding MaryAnn & Jessica to the roster of regular characters. But now, those 2 are turning out to be the most well-written & compelling characters on the show.

I really loved Jessica in this episode. I felt for her, and I was rooting for her. That scene with Hoyt at Merlotte's was precious. And that look on her face when she was considering whether to tell Hoyt or not that she was a vampire? Brilliantly played.

And MaryAnn... aw man. The woman never fails to creep me out, which means Michelle Forbes is doing a great job. As curious as I am to find out what the real deal is, I kinda want MaryAnn to stay mysterious.

Then we have Daphne! Where the hell did she come from? What were those marks on her back? Was she the bull/human creature that attacked Sookie?

Argh! It sucks that they're taking a breather next week! I wanna see the rest of the season already!

quote:

Originally posted by JackBristow:
Do we know who the other dog "shape-shifter" was who was with Sam? Did I miss something? Or is this just another mystery of the show that will be explained in time?

So many questions this season . . . and I'm loving it!

I think the dog's just a dog. Sam can shape-shift into anything, and the dog's what he likes to shift into the most, or the easiest.

"True Blood" gets truly great with new episode
by Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

Now "True Blood"'s season has truly begun.

Not that the first three episodes haven't been great, gory, sexy fantasy fun, or that it hasn't been a pleasure to see new characters arrive and new stories begin. But with Sunday's episode, the first this season written by creator Alan Ball, you can just feel the show's main plots kick into another gear.

That is, by the way, par for the "True Blood" course: It was around this same time last go-round that Gran died, the event that jump-started the first season. Nothing quite that series-shaking happens Sunday, but major answers do arrive, including some important new information about that heart-coveting monster, as major shifts send the characters off and running in new directions.

For Sookie and her beloved blood-sucker, Bill (the perfectly teamed Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer), that means a trip to Dallas to hunt for a kidnapped vampire sheriff, with Bill's vamp ward Jessica (an amusingly petulant Deborah Ann Woll) in tow. No, the show hasn't left the backwoods of Bon Temps. But by taking a big-city sojourn, "True Blood" can explore a whole new humorous side of its out, loud and proud vampire metaphor, complete with luxury vampire hotels that play vampire porn. (Sample title: "Intercourse With a Vampire.")

ABOUT THE SHOW

"True Blood"
* * * * (out of four stars)
HBO, Sunday, 9 ET/PT

Happily, the new plot continues to stoke the fire Paquin and Moyer bring to their hot, star-crossed romance while adding a new layer of domestic comedy. Somewhat reluctantly, they're now raising a teenager — and underneath the vamp-vs.-human overlay is a smart exploration of the accommodations two very different people have to come to when parenting.

Other stories perk along, including one that reunites two terrific actors and characters: Alexander Skarsgard's Eric and Nelsan Ellis' Lafayette. Indeed, sparing Lafayette the deadly fate he met in Charlaine Harris' first book was one of the biggest and smartest departures the show has made.

The only story line stumble so far is Jason's (Ryan Kwanten) stint with an anti-vampire cult. It has been entertaining, but too much of the humor plays as an overly familiar attack on fundamentalists. If the plot (like the show itself) hasn't already shot over the top, it's skimming right along the border, and the writers would be wise to resist the urge to soar higher.

That qualm aside, what we're seeing this season is a show that has grown confident and comfortable enough to expand its universe while maintaining its tonal control. Almost every comic scene includes the threat of horror, and almost every horrific scene has some small touch of comic relief.

All in all, "True Blood" is one of TV's true joys. Drink deep.

Hmm, kinda disappointing that he thinks Jason's current storyline isn't as good as the others. I actually like his storyline a lot right now. I mean I am glad things finally get kicked into high gear in all of the storylines with this new episode but I sort of thought all of the different subplots were getting off to a slow, albeit still good, start. Not just Jason's. Ah well. Still looking forward to the episode.

I am really suprised with myself for even liking this show, I normally loathe all things vampire related.

It does sound like Jason's storyline will come full circle with the others soon...that should be interesting. The church is defintiely more than it seems...but Maryann remains the biggest mystery.

Episode Title: "Shake & Fingerpop"

Synopsis: With Jessica in tow, Bill and Sookie head to Dallas to carry out Eric's vampire-reconnaissance mission -- but a surprise awaits them at the airport; at the Light of Day Institute, Jason falls victim to a practical joke, but has the last laugh when the Newlins anoint him for a higher calling; Maryann throws Tara a birthday party at Sookie's, attracting much of Bon Temps to its Bacchanalian revelry; Sam postpones his departure from town to attend the bash, connecting with Daphne in the process; having barely escaped Fangtasia, Lafayette finds himself reluctantly pulled back into Eric's orbit.

Discuss.

I don't even know what to say after watching that.

"It's like booze for dolls!"

LOL

This is the most fascinating show on television right now. My God. Alan Ball came through on this one! This was the first time this season where all of the splintered storylines felt compelling in their own rights and could hold their own level of interest -- Sookie and Bill and Jessica in Dallas, Jason and his dealings with the Fellowship of the Sun (now made even more interesting with Jason being attracted to the preacher's wife and the church attempting to capture Sookie at the airport -- yay for Dean Morris!), Tara getting caught up under Maryann's spell, Sam falling for Daphne, Lafayette being lured into Eric's world again (oh Alexander Skarsgård -- his need to understand/possess Sookie is so weird and unexpected), and the incredible reveal of Maryann being the dragon monster. Michelle Forbes and Tara's party spinning out of control and the use of music in this episode (that "Louisana Hot Sauce" song they played for Jason's dream sequence with Sarah was wonderful) and Lafayette dancing out of his mind high on Eric's high-powered V-blood. Insane. I've never seen anything like this before. And that last scene with the bellboy being a mind-reader too like Sookie? I wonder what that's all about. Fierce episode.

Grade for "Shake & Fingerpop": A

quote:

Originally posted by Bazookka Joe:
I don't even know what to say after watching that.

Word.

I have three words for MaryAnn - WHAT. THE. F*CK.


P.S. - Jessica glamoring Leon in the hotel lobby = priceless!!! Deborah Ann Woll definitely deserves some Emmy consideration next year. She's amazing!

I agree! Definitely the best episode of an already terrific season. Alan Ball did a great job of incorporating/advancing all storylines and they seem to be on-track to converge very soon.

I love how this show manages to combine drama/horror/romance and comedy in an hour. Favorite line of the night for me was Tara to a stubborn Lafayette about not going to a hospital for his gunshot wound: "If you die, I'm gonna be ****ed." Hilarious. Also, a nod to Ryan Kwanten for his continued, nuanced portrayal of Jason, who could easily come across as just plain stupid in the hands of another actor.

"Spoiler" Below:
I read on another site that the preacher was featured on the cover of a vampire porn (the middle movie) when Sookie was looking at the PPV options. I need to check again, but I missed this. Did anyone else catch it? Should prove to be VERY interesting, if true.

Grade for "Shake & Fingerpop": A
Grade for TB Season 2 (so far): B+

quote:

Originally posted by RichterScale:

quote:

Originally posted by Bazookka Joe:
I don't even know what to say after watching that.

Word.

I have three words for MaryAnn - WHAT. THE. F*CK.


P.S. - Jessica glamoring Leon in the hotel lobby = priceless!!! Deborah Ann Woll definitely deserves some Emmy consideration next year. She's amazing!

Agreed!

Deborah Ann Woll's Jessica is fast becoming one of my favorite characters. She is doing a fabulous job.