True Blood Sucker Punch: Episode One
Ed Note-- This blog contains spoilers
Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week's episode of True Blood.
Because come on, y'all... gaudiness is True Blood's specialty. Yes, HBO's Southern Gothic vampire drama serves up a variety of delicious moments---ranging from steamy sex scenes to sensitive revelations to scary fights---but everything's infused with trashiness. People don't just die: They get their hearts ripped out. Characters don't just go to church: They join cults. Vampires don't just go to bars: They go to black-leather sin pits with names like Fangtasia. If the show were more over the top, it would under itself.
And frankly, that's why I love it. The series, created by Six Feet Under and American Beauty's Alan Ball, pulses with such reckless, lusty energy that I cannot wait for each new episode.
Which brings me back to Sucker Punch: Instead of simply reviewing each week's installment, I'm going to tease out the moments that best embody True Blood's tawdry heart. I hope you'll join me in my quest!
I'm happy to say that "Nothing But the Blood," the first episode of season two, is just as florid as I'd hoped it would be.
The first scene, for heaven's sake, reveals that the dead body in the back of Deputy Andy Bellefleur's car (discovered at the end of last season, you'll remember), belongs to Miss Jeanette, the voodoo priestess who drove demons from Tara and her mother. Except Miss Jeanette isn't just dead. Her heart has been torn from her body, and her face is frozen in a rictus scream on par with that girl in the opening scene of The Ring. It's a deeply disturbing image that also sets up a potentially season-long conflict between Tara and her mother. Now that Tara doesn't have faith in Miss Jeanette's healing powers and her mom still does, we can see battle lines getting drawn between them. Even though they love each other, it seems like they're pushing each other toward an ultimatum: Choose to see the world like I see it, or choose to live without me.
It seems like Sookie and Jason are headed that way too, doesn't it? What with Sookie continuing her relationship with her vampire boyfriend Bill, and Jason clearly getting ready to go buck wild in this cultish, anti-vamp church of his. So long as they keep giving Jason reasons to take his clothes off, I'll be interested to see where this goes.
Speaking of disrobing: Did you notice the scene where Ryan Kwanten (who plays Jason) reads a book about his new religion but forgets to put a shirt on? It's definitely on this week's Sucker Punch shortlist. Same deal for Bill and Sookie's fangy-bloody sex scene, though it's interesting how tangential both of the series' main characters feel in the season opener. Sure, Sookie discovers that Bill both killed her pedophile uncle and turned young Jessica into a vampire, but all gets forgiven in the aforementioned fang bang. They don't leave the episode with any pressing problems.
You know who does, though? Lafayette. As I've written, he's just about my favorite character in the history of ever, and this week, he is involved in one of the most out there spectacles I can recall seeing on television. You see, Eric and the other meanie vampires aren't just imprisoning the humans who have displeased them (for burning their friends or, in Lafayette's case, selling V). No, they're chaining them to some kind of medieval wagon wheel beneath Fangtasia and forcing them to turn it. For no apparent reason. Maybe to spin a disco ball? Who knows?
Lafayette makes the situation even more outre by keeping up his sass talk. Nelsan Ellis' reaction shots to a fellow prisoner are priceless. Even when Lafayette isn't talking, you can almost hear him say, "This redneck over here needs to shut his mouth before I get crazy."
And yet he still doesn't deliver the Sucker Punch of the week! That's because Tara has been taken in by Maryann Forrester, a woman who clearly has some kind of connection to ancient Greek magic and who has six kinds of crazy lurking behind her eyes. Whenever Maryann's onscreen---whether she's telling off Tara's mother, or seducing a young Sam Merlotte in a flashback---she turns this episode awesomely nasty.
Her best moment? Right after her cabana boy interrupts what would have been Tara and Eggs Benedict's first kiss. The servant brings them more towels, thus cooling their poolside flame, and a few seconds later, Maryann slaps him to the ground, screaming "Nobody needed more towels!" I guarantee you that right after she did that, drag queens across the land quivered with delight at hearing the latest thing they can holler from a cabaret stage.
Maryann's rage is total, surprising, and ludicrous. Why does she want those two together? Why does she hate towels? We'll probably find out in a few weeks, but for now, we can thank her smackdown for giving us the season's first Sucker Punch of the Week.
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Thanks, Mark, for linking that wonderful scene of Lafayette's with the 'aids burger'. Just watched it again. I'll be looking forward to your weekly blogs on this over-the-top show. Alan Ball has delivered another one to us - and it's a keeper. /TotallyAmazed
"Why does she hate towels?" Priceless, I laughed so hard! Thanks for that! Loved hearing you on "Loving True Blood in Dallas" yesterday!
Just finished watching episode two (and in the middle of the second showing right now on HBOW), Mark, and our Maryann = Circe idea seems to be right on course..*spoiler ahead* I think Sam looked so cute, still wearing his plaid shirt whilst 'going K-9' (thanks to Maryann), don't y'all..? ;) ...
Reading the books by Charlain Harris (eight Sookie Stackhouse mysteries in total) will help answer 'some' of your questions. Not all, of course, because the series is based on the novels, but is not 100% faithful to the novels. Alan Ball still has some great curve balls he is throwing us. It seems like they are doing one book per season, so hopefully we will have many more to come. Also, rating for the first episode of this season (9 million viewers) were through the roof, and equalled the ratings of the series finale of The Sopranos. So that should be a good sign for us.
I loved the show but why did she have so much fruit around?
Fruit has all sorts of connotations attached to it, Charmed..it can be 'immature', 'over-ripe' or (my favorite) 'forbidden'. And if you think about what symbolizes decadent hedonism, sweet, ripe, fresh fruit whilst basking in the warm sun and cool breeze certainly fits the bill as a metaphor..! ;) ...
Wow, I enjoyed your article more than the episode! lol I actually loved the show last season but really found that this one fell flat. I'm ever hopful for the rest of the episodes though.
I'm here to rain on everyone's parade. I haven't watched an episode of this show, and don't intend to. After what HBO did to Carnivale, Deadwood, and Tell Me You Love Me, I don't know how anyone can invest their time in any episodic drama put out by them. People might love this show, but that's no ticket to long life. HBO likes cheap shows with middling quality, like the last season of Big Love. Big sets? forget it. Well paid actors? Not unless it's The Sopranos, and even then, they had to sc rew the actors out of the pay increase for a 7th season. Enjoy HBO's original dramas at your own peril.
Oh Boo Hoo. so you didn't like some other shows, so you are going to sit there and say that the guy who wrote 6 feet under isn't going to know how to keep this show going? Give it a rest.
I'm saying quality doesn't matter to HBO anymore, and if this show costs a dollar more than HBO wants to spend, it's gone. And 6 feet under was BO RING!
Blankenship that sucker punch had me howling...!! "Nobody needed more towels" Sucker Punch!! I was like, wtf? Cabana boy got owned. What is the deal with him, anyway?
What a twist, last season' finale had a dead person in a car wearing red toe nail polish. I assumed it was Lafayette. I was dead wrong it was Ms. Jeannette. My guess is who ever killed the voodoo priestess Miss Jeannette they were defending Tara's honor.
Sookie FINALLY got her comeuppance from dog boy. He sure did tell her.
Best verbal beat down of the last night's episode - Maryanne putting Tara's mother in her rightful place. She sure did tell her! Left Momma standing there alone looking quite defeated. AWESOME!
I believe Maryanne is that women in that statue by the pool with Pan. She's a mystery but she's obviously very sexual.
To save his life Lafayette has to become a vampire? I can't wait till next week's episode to fine out the outcome.
"True Blood" is the definitely the tv series of the summer. Hands down! Nice blog by the way Blankenship. Thanks!
That's not Pan. It's Dionysus.
Maybe that's the trick... her lifestyle fall more under Dionysus.
Vampires recycle!! How cool is that???
I was laughing out loud at that one. But when you think about it, the vamps have more of a vested interest in saving the planet - they're going to be here a LONG time!
I totally lost it when I saw that scene. Vampires recycle - who knew? /TotallyAmazed
Jason Stackhouse and his inflated storyline are the least compelling things about TB - I suppose it's lucky for Ryan Kwanten that his abs and ass are obviously so alluring to the producers (and you) because they're the only thing he has going for him. He's a decidedly mediocre actor. But the producers love him, which is a shame, because the moronic, venal Jason sucks up screen time which would be better spent on the more interesting characters, namely Eric, Lafayette, Sam and, oh yeah, those pesky main characters Sookie and Bill.
This was a fairly lackluster premiere to me, actually. I hope it picks up next week.
"I suppose it's lucky for Ryan Kwanten that his abs and ass are obviously so alluring to the producers (and you) because they're the only thing he has going for him."
You'e the one letting Kwanten's abs and ass get in the way your judgement. Learn something about acting and you might have a clue.
this series is so much less entertaining than the original mysteries-but then, ask Alan Ball to rely on someting other than sex, sex, or sex to sell a story and he'll fail miserably .
The first few episodes of True Blood season one were entertaining, but Ball just can't resist going way overboard.
And the Books are not filled with Sex?
I am tired of people saying the series is so much more sexual than the books. Man once Bill takes Sookies virginity,very graphically described sex is the name of the game... Sex with Bill, Eric and the tiger.. The difference is that you are seeing other peoples sex life not just Sookies.
I've never seen the show, but one of my college friends is really into it.
Questions:
1. Who killed Miss Jeanette? Was she there at Merlotte's to speak with Tara? Maybe Mary Ann had something to do with it, maybe not.
2. Who was the woman in the blue dress chained to the wheel with Layette and the other guy?
I don't remember any other show I"ve ever watched being this much fun. I love the show and I love all the little details.
Remember how Maryann read Tara's mother the riot act. I think Maryann killed MIss Jeanette. Maryann's an upfront defender of Tara, even if her reasons might be suspect, and she killed Miss Jeanette and in such a vicious way because she was defending Tara's honor. Maryann is the arch vigilante defending those she needs or wants from a perceived and perverted sense of right and wrong.
True Blood is deliciously decadent, rich with luscious detail. Moments that stick out, in no particular order: Warning, spoilers ahead.
MaryAnn seducing a 15 year old Sam.
Eggs & Tara's kiss.
Lafayette not dead! Hooray!
Jason's meeting with the sleazy couple leading the Fellowship of the Sun.
By the way, where do you get that the FOTS is a cult? Seems like the Family Research Council to me, et al.
Jessica & Bill "Now remember, two parts 0 to one part B".
Bill's look of adoration at Sookie after she asked Jessica if she'd like to do a girl's night out.
The moment when someone said to Sookie that you have to love the good with the bad, if you really love somebody.
The moment when Sookie asked Bill if he had killed her uncle.
The moment when Eric came on the scene with his roots being touched up, wearing a salon covering.
The moment when Mary Ann opened the bag that Sam gave her and said, "Money?"
The moment after Bill bit Sookie's neck and then kissed her on the mouth with blood going everywhere. Ewwww.
The person who told her you have to love the good with the bad was Jason.
"MaryAnn seducing a 15 year old Sam." - Sam said "17" when asked how old he was by Maryann.
Why does Maryann want Tara and Eggs together? We don't know that much about Eggs so maybe he's not what he seems. As to the names of the characters, (Jason (Jason and the Argonauts in ancient Greek mythology), Jason felt sorry for Phineas when he came to his court because Phineas revealed the secrets of the Gods and chose to deny the sun (Sun cult in he show) so the Harpeis, who are actually the the Sun cult were sent to destroy Phineas and Jason kiled the Hapries which is exactly what Jason in this series will do to that Sun cult eventually. Also, Sookie is sucked in literally by her love for a vampire, Tara, as much as an indepedent person she is, is a slave to her emotions as when she gave into her mother's voodoo ritual and now to Maryann, and Tara lives among a plantation of horror and contradictions. Great character. Lafayette, like his French namesake is a freedom fighter who doesn't take bull from anyone, a foreigner or 'outsider' and yes, the best character on the show. I really thought he was done for considering last season but he's got more battles to fight. Is Bellefleur going to grow into a hero like some beautiful flower? Only future episodes will tell.
Yes. Why does Mary Ann want Tara and Eggs together? Also, what was Mary Ann hoping was in the bag that was given to her by Sam?
I have no idea what's supposed to be in that bag of tricks. Maybe a piece of jewelry that shapeshifter stole that has some significance for Maryann. Some mystical piece?
It's a doggie bag, of course.
I was expecting Miss Jeanette's heart to be in the bag and I was left believing that was the sort of thing Maryann wanted to find in it.
My favorite show, and I loved Maryann's No More Wire Hanger's moment. Jason's so hot he gives me third degree burns. This series always has surprises such as the shapeshifter's youth and connection to Maryann. Somehow I suspect that the guy who introduced Jason to that money grubbing head of that religious cult is the one we're going to find out who really killed the cutist's head's father and not vampires. As for Jason, he goes from hot to cold in his opinions etc so he may wind up bringing down that church when he realizesm, and he will, that they're only using him and the bottom line for them has nothing to do with spirituality but power and money. After all the cult head's wife even mentioned that the governorship of Texas is in the air and what better place for these cons to target their ambition for power.
Maybe Jason will end up with Jessica, Steamboat? They really are similar in their mindset..both experienced in the 'ways of the world' (Jason definitely more so than Jess), and yet still retaining a darn near-adorable naivete. I think they would make a good couple, especially with Bill and Sookie to keep an eye on them (almost all the time, anyways)..! ;) ...
Actually I think Jessica and Hoyt will be the next plot line. They are closer in age. I felt was Jason's younger friend. Now that could be a juicy twosome. I'm sure that Jessica could teach Hoyt a thing or two after Fantasia and Eric.
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