I think we can all agree on one thing after this week’s episode of True Blood (I mean besides the fact that Jason walking into a tree was sure-fire hilarious — nice writing, Alan Ball!): Evan Rachel Wood, playing Sophie-Ann, the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, made the best TV entrance of the year.
SPOILER ALERT: DON’T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK ON TRUE BLOOD.
“Want to join me?” asked Sophie-Ann, going down on a willing young woman as only a vampire lesbian can. There was nothing for True Blood to do but go straight to the opening credits: How do you top an intro like that?
Series creator Alan Ball, who wrote this episode, made the choice to play a lot of this week’s episode for laughs and campiness. The exhilarating thing is, this decision did not preclude the hour from also being scary and suspenseful. Having Bill come to Sophie-Ann to ask how to defeat the maenad Maryann and be forced to stick around for an endless game of Yahtzee — I can see sales of this game going through the roof tomorrow.
Wood may have learned a thing or two about making menace comical from hanging around with Marilyn Manson. On the other hand, Manson never had Alan Ball writing his material, and so Sophie-Ann’s explanation of how to deal with Maryann was specific, fascinating, and funny. (That Dionysus — who knew hoping for “his coming” is like waiting for Godot?)
Speaking of Maryann, she may not have had much to do this evening, but what she did was terrific: I’d hand Michelle Forbes an Emmy just for the way she delivered the line, “Must I do everything myself?!”
While Jason and Andy prepared for Armageddon and a “zombie war,” as well as debating who’s had the more difficult life (Jason won, I think: “I work out like a m-f and I watch a lotta porn to learn stuff”), Sookie and Lafayette had to go try and rescue Tara from her reckless effort to save Eggs.
And I’ve left the best for last: Eric. Eric, lusting after two children (“teacup humans”). Eric, getting the best of Sam effortlessly. And Eric, giving a big fake sigh as he competed with Bill for Sookie, groaning, “Oh, Billy… ” Yes, on a night filled with superb performances, I think I have to give the biggest hand to Alexander Skarsgard.
So many questions to ask you:
What did you think of Sophie-Ann?
What did you make of that giant egg in the nest?
What was the funniest/scariest moment of the night?
And finally, how do you think True Blood is going to wrap things up in two weeks, on Sept. 13? (The 13th! Did Alan Ball plan it this way?)
I don’t know, but I sure hope that Sam doesn’t die (or Andy). Any one else is fine with me. Making us wait two weeks is pretty evil. Like Mary Anne evil. Maybe the powers that be have turned into devil zombies.
I couldn’t agree more. Granted, my list of characters who shouldn’t die is a bit longer (Tara, Jason, and Lafayette all being included), but if Sam dies, I’ll just be heartbroken. As for devil zombies — I won’t call them really nasty names until they end the season on a cliffhanger and then tell us we have to wait until next summer for season 3.
Sam won’t die. He’s in all the books. But I guess if Alan Ball can keep Lafayette alive he can easily kill off a character that doesn’t die in the books. But I don’t see him killing Sam. If I had to pick one character that would die it would be Jessica. She’s a little too heart broken and very spontaneous. I can see her running out in the sun because of Hoyt.
am i the only one who is okay with the thought of tara dying? i really don’t like the character that much and find that i skip her scenes. the actress does an okay job, but the writting is so repetetive and frustrating. i didn’t believe her last night when she was worried about eggs.
What did you think of Sophie-Ann?
.
I’m probably going to be in the minority on this one, but I thought Woods’ acting was terrible. It felt both stilted and affected, one of the worst performances I’ve seen on the show. I actually had to go and google her just to see why people were so excited about her joining the case.
.
What was the funniest/scariest moment of the night?
.
That’s easy. Yahtzee!
I’m glad you said it first. But I agree. I did not like her acting. She looks great for the part but yes, the acting felt stiff, not natural at all.
I absolutely agree with BobDob – Woods’ acting was terrible.
You are not alone. I thought the exact same thing. Woods was horrible. I didn’t believe a single line of dialogue. In addition, I thought the writing on this episode was terrible–probably the weakest episode yet. I’ve noticed that when Alan Ball writes the eps, they are really bad (thank God he didn’t write the finale). I usually don’t complain , and I love this show, but what a disappointment this week was. Fingers crossed for two weeks.
Frenzy??? This episode should have been called “SNOOZEFEST”!!! It was a complete BORE! ERW is a LOUSY actress. She played that Queen part like some high school girl who just walked out of the nearest shopping mall. Pam’s all too brief appearance put Ev’s weak-assed performance to SHAME!
The only other good thing in this episode is learning that Eric can fly. No wonder he feels so superior.
I’ll join your minority Bob. And I’m actually a fan of Evan’s, she’s been great in anything else I’ve seen her in. This part however, she did NOT ace. ‘Affected’ summed it up nicely. She was basically trying to hard and ended up overdoing it.
You are not alone. I think Evan`s performance is really annoying.She is acting like nervous teenager or like nervous Sookie going to safe Godric from Fellas of the Sun.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one! Usually I like ERW and think she’s a great actress. I was looking forward to her role as the Queen. But agree that her acting seemed horrible as well as her accent and the way she played the character as a tennie bopper. Too bad.
Well in the book Sophie-Anne is only 16 so she got that down, but the rest of her performance sucked.
I agree wholeheartedly about Wood not working well. In fact, that whole first scene with her and Bill was unbelievably stiff- neither actor was convincing or entertaining.
Amen! Even during our TrueBlood party nearly all of the dearly devoted and dedicated diehards were simply laughing at how bad she was in the part…. Very surprised that no one in production caught this early enough to stop it….
I totally agree. She was horrible. She’s seriously over-rated. I cringed when I heard she was cast.
i couldn’t disagree more that evan rachel wood was the best part of last night’s episode! i thought she was a HORRIBLE choice to play the “young” queen. now, i know that the tv show is going to differ from the books, but this character is supposed to be a very young, very wise character. she hardly portrayed that at all. i have loved this show since the start. it got me to read the entire series. but the last 4-5 episodes have been quite disappointing. with the whole FOTS army camp, and the maenad story being WAY overdone, they need to get way better storylines. stick to the books. there is a reason they are bestesellers. i know there was a maenad in the book, but it took up like 20-30 pages max. sam won’t die. he is one of their star characters.
I thought Evan Rachel Wood did a great job. I thought it was perfect casting.
I COMPLETELY agree! Evan Rachel Wood was awful! She doesn’t have the acting chops or the gravitas to carry off a role like that of the Queen. This episode was also totally booooorrrrring, especially following last week which I thought was the funniest episode yet. I did enjoy the “Jason, meet tree” incident and the “Eric can fly?!” revelation. I wonder what else he can do…
So glad others felt as I do. I couldn’t believe how stilted ERW was – sort of that brisk, brittle 1930′s “madcap heiress” delivery that Katharine Hepburn did to perfection, only badly executed. I can’t believe this was not detected by Ball and Company. Perhaps it’s just a thinly-disguised cover for a richer, more interesting character. I can hope, right?
I completely agree with you. I didn’t like the way she played the character at all. I don’t know if it was just because of the poor acting or because I’m also a fan of the books and that is NOT how she was supposed to be.
Tho, I do love throwing Hadley, the cousin, in there. Other people who read the books probably really paid attention to that point too. haha
Favorite moments: any part Eric was in. haha. “Oh, Billy”
Woods now challenges Moyer as the most unconvincing actors on the show. Moyer isn’t that bad usually (not that good either), but last night he was horrible.
And Woods was even worst. The accent, the forced lines, the acting was all bad. Not to mention the lack of subtlety about her sexuality.
Another thing…Eggs, lays an egg? wow…that was horrible.
I agree with you too. I didn’t like her acting, thought she was cheesy. I also think they could’ve picked a WAYY hotter girl for the “Vampire Queen” of LA-
As far as the egg in the bed, wtf… Cheese and more cheese.
What is it and why…?
Also, why have they never told us anything else about Carl? I almost felt sorry for him just because of all Maryann has put him through.
We’ll see. I’m sure the Finale will infuriate me.
I definitely agree. Her line deliveries were really stiff. I’m not entirely sure we should put the blame on her, though. She’s been a fine actor in other performances. I’d cast a skeptical eye toward the director and/or Alan himself. Much as I love all of Alan’s work, he stuck the Sophie-Anne character with a lot of complicated exposition that sounded like a lot of complicated exposition. Still, other actors have pulled that off without as much trouble. Maybe Wood and Ball’s writing aren’t the best match, the same way not everyone can “perform” Sorkin or Whedon lines. Still, I have to say, she looked incredible. So I was able to tolerate it a little better.
i’m right there w/ you…there was so much ERW hype and i thought she was awful. 2 min into her being on the screen I turned to my sister and was like “I don’t like her!” lol
You’re totally not alone, I thought she was terrible as well, it felt weird, it looked so fake, everyone (well maybe not everyone) on the show is so good and she just didn’t fit in. But anyways… what can I say ERIC, ERIC, ERIC this man is so delicious! Love AS!
I’m with you all. Affected is right. It was overdone. The character itself has some potential, but ERW just goes to show how much better are the lesser known actors who comprise the cast. What’s with these young vampires (first Godric, now Sophie-Ann)? I guess if they’re written young, then they must be young, but ERW could have rehearsed a little more and slowed down her line-reading.
I LOVED Evan Rachel Wood as the Queen! I wish she were a regular character! I thought her comment on Eric and Bill’s feud was hilarious (you two should just f-k and get it over with)! On another note, I was a little creeped out at how Eric was salivating over the children!
I agree. Evan Rachel wood was weak. Forced, nervous, pretentious, after school dramaclub-level. I was really waiting for great acting, but she could not deliver at all. The humans standing in line silently stole the show. Heck, the lady she was sucking in the beginning stole the show.
she was not believable. How did she secure the part from thousands of talented actresses?
Actually, it was subtle, nuanced, period, and perfect. I’m not sure what you were watching.
I was very suprised at what an awkward performance ERW gave. She is a talented actress, and I kept wondering why I was bored during her Maenad explanation. Glad to see I’m not the only one who thought she could have done a much better job. My favorite moment of this episode? When Jason asks Andy if Sam were a chicken and laid an egg, is it weird to eat something that came out of you? Priceless.
I totally agree. she was plain boring and irritating. A total waste of time having that part in the show. Ive loved everything about this show so far. well amy was annoying im glad shes gone- she did far better in mean girls. even daphne in her death you kinda felt for her. But this new chick who ever she is–whatever!
I agree her acting was terrible, it was like watching a jr. high performance. I yawned everytime she was on screen.
You guys are being unfair. Her performance wasn’t that bad. Sure it was affected, but i think it was because the character is affected. So, in that sense it was pretty good performance. I agree with Agent227; when she said “stay, i insist” it was subtly menacing, but i was truly scared that she was going to do something feral and horrifying.
I agree about her performance. It felt forced and not natural at all, especially compared to Michele Forbes and Alexander Skarsgard (sp?)
Its a shame she is coming back next season.
Woods was abominable — absolutely the worst casting choice I’ve seen in years. A potentially juicy role that plenty of A-list-but-older actresses would have jumped at is wasted on complete no-talent. It was like watching the head cheerleader attempt Shakespeare. I was angry through the entire performance. This was a complete miss.
BobDob, I don’t think you’re in the minority. Her scene ended and I thought…”Maybe ERW’s just not that good an actress…” I liked her in The Wrestler…thought she have have been a little over rated in Thirteen – but not bad. I think what she’s doing wrong is she’s playing the archetype of a vampire queen and she’s not splaying the specifics of the character Sophie-Ann. It wasn’t nuanced, it was an outline of a performance, just a sketch of a character.
I agree 100%. She was by far the worst thing about the episode, maybe the season. She’s nice to look at, but her acting was horrible.
i thought this was the most boring episode yet. I barely made it through it. Thought Woods acting was good, she was suppose to sound like she was bored, because she was. what is going on in bon temps is boring to her.
I’m shocked at how awful she was. It was distracting. This show is fantastic and Alan Ball is great at getting wonderful guest stars, but she has to go.
Wow, before I read these posts I honestly thought I was alone on this. I thought this weeks episode was basically nothing more than a “filler” episode to get us to the finale. That was the best thing I could come up with the describe this episode “FILLER”.
They have to do a certain amount of shows per season and it seemed as if they just threw some material together in this one to meet their quota. I thought the casting of evan rachael wood was a HORRIBLE choice. She was completely uninteresting, unmysterious, cliche and BORING. If they ever do a Real vampire housewives of louisianna then maybe she’d be your gal but for this show she was awful. I honestly don’t agree with some of the opinions on the episodes that alan ball writes always being the bad ones, I think he’s a fantastic writer. So I don’t really know what happened with this episode but it just wasnt good. I honestly hope if they bring the vampire queen back in the future they will using someone with a little more mystery to her and will bring a little more depraved & sexy yet funny vibe to the character that True Blood has been famous for (up til now that is) Oh and also I found myself not caring what the egg is. I think its going a tad to far with the maryann everyone is a mindless sex zombie thing. Enough is enough, its steering away from the scary into the ridiculous. I hope they pull the reins and get back to the formula soon.
Everytime i see Evan Rachel Wood act as Queen Sophie-Anne, I ACTUALLY FLINCH.
I thought Evan Rachel Wood’s acting was really bad. What a poor choice. Alan Ball has otherwise been excellent at choosing the talent. Kill her off as fast as you can. Is there time for acting lessons before the next season?
well, I almost guess that Tara may die or is at least willing to sacrifice herself..remember awhile back..when Lafayette was showing her the Taroo cards and she turned around when eggs came in to tell her he blacked out again..we, as the audience got to see the sacrifice card??!! but on the other hand..now we know that maryann wants a supernatural creature..
It wasn’t the “sacrifice card” it was the “justice card”
oh..ok! thanks a bunch..my bad;)
I bet (hope?) Eggs kicks it. He can take awful, awful Tara with him too.
hahahaha. i laughed really hard when i read that.
On the contrary, I thought her delivery, her vocal presence, it was very studied and affecting. It evoked the time period she was parading around in, the 40′s. She has a really subtle gift. If you look at some of her other performances, this is very much an interpretation of her character. It’s not like she’s just delivering her lines, or overacting. She’s sublimely original and organic. And I love that little edge she radiates when she does that passive aggressive thing with Bill. “stay, I insist.”
I thought this was a great episode, and I completely agree that the humor mixed really well with the suspense and action. I didn’t love ERW as the Queen, even though the writing for her was great and she looked slammin. She never really seemed that menacing to me. And the moment of the night for me is definitely when the crazy woman offers her finger to Sookie. SO CAMPY! Oh, and Eric in a dress, of course.
In the plot synopsis for the finale is says that Sam makes the ultimate sacrifice. I am pretty upset because I am fairly positive that sacrifice will be his life.
Did anyone see the commercial for next week? Why does Sophie-Ann want Eric to get rid of Bill? Any ideas?
I really don’t think Sam will be killed off. Alan Ball may not be sticking to the books exactly, but to get rid of Sam…he’s too important in the series. Who would run Merlotte’s? Not Sookie, definitely.
*maybe spoiler*
Could be wrong, but I’m 90% sure the Queen sent Bill AFTER Sookie (did you get that vibe from Eric and Bill’s confrontation about letting her drink his blood “the first night”?) And he was supposed to seduce her. I think Eric may be in on it after the fact and Bill I believe does love her, but only after he got to know his target so to speak
That’s a pretty good twist if true!!
You people need to read the books -they are so much better than the series. Of course, the queen sent Bill after Sookie.
In the Books, she did. That makes Sookie breakup with Bill and moveon to Eric.
(OH FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, SPOILER FOR NON READERS)
@jakenolan2:
It made Sookie breakup with Bill but she didn’t exactly move on to Eric now did she? I believe there was someone else in there, much to Eric’s extreme displeasure.
READ THE BOOKS!!!
They are excellent! The first season follows the 1st book pretty well. The 2nd season gets a bit off track. Maryann was NOT such a big part of the books. This last episode even pulled things from the 6th book into it (Hadley being w/the Queen….well, the Queen in general too)
S*P*O*I*L*E*R*
…
That’s exactly what happened- the Queen learned about Sookie from her cousin, Hadley, who is Sophie-Anne’s lover, and sent Bill because he’s from Bon Temps. Bill and Sookie start drifting apart in book 2 because Lorena causes a lot more damage in the book than in the show. Eric just wants Sookie, and very interesting things happen between the two of them in book 3 (I so hope next season is more faithful to book 3 than 1 and 2 have been to their books, ’cause I reeeeeeeally want to see that). I always liked Eric better than Bill for Sookie anyway. Now, we’re in book 6 (or 7?) and Sookie isn’t with a vamp at all. Eric still wants her (I think he’s just biding his time), and I don’t think we’ve seen much from Bill in the last 2-3 books, but Quinn is a shapeshifter (a tiger- so cool), who seems to know how to treat her right, so far. He’s going to be a hard one to cast in a few years, ’cause they’re gonna need off-the-charts chemistry, way better than Stephen Moyer has with Anna Paquin.
…
E*N*D* S*P*O*I*L*E*R*
You may just be right! *wink* If you’ve not read the books, I’ll just say that you’re headed in the right direction….
In the books, the Queen sent Bill to hook up with Sookie. Also, a lot of people are missing the part that Sookie fell for Bill after she sucked his blood out in the woods. Bill may be Boring, but he’s the underhanded one Sookie shouldn’t trust, not Eric.
In the books, the queen did send Bill to get close to Sookie. People are missing that Sookie was suddenly very romantically interested in Bill after she sucked his blood out in the forest. Bill the Boring is the one not being straight with Sookie and she should be wary of him, not so much Eric.
Relax, A.W. If Sam REALLY bit it, would they really give it away so freely? Hell no. My guess is, he offers himself up to die, willingly, to save everyone else, but isn’t actually killed.
Lynn, I was going to say the same thing! If he were really going to die, they would try to throw us off, not spill the beans. I’m guessing the ultimate sacrifice he makes is losing his awesome hair in some freak maenad-killin’ accident. If not that, then Merlotte’s is gittin’ blowed up!
And Ken, no mention of Hoyt and Jessica’s fight this week? Poor Jessica was brokenhearted, and Hoyt went home for abuse from his screw of a mother. But hopefully it was healing for Hoyt and he will climb out of his mama’s a s s.
I think it has to do with the V that Eric is selling that Bill now knows about. I think the queen is the one who told Eric to make Lafayette sell V. For what purpose, I’m not sure. It seems that the queen is playing both Bill and Eric. Both are apparently working on different things for her and she doesn’t want the other one to know. If there’s a problem with the V selling, I’m sure the queen will make Eric take the fall.
Yes I have an idea A.W. I take it you haven’t read the books, even though Alan Ball makes the story his own the underlying main theme or spirit of the books he has stayed true to. Sophie Anne want’s Sookie to be her telepath not Bill’s. In the books she is the one who sent Bill back to Bon Temp to “win” her over by meeting her, getting to know her & swoon her to make her fall in love with him. Bill started out this whole thing with Sookie under false pretenses. Now so I don’t piss off any Team Bill fans…I’m total Team Eric, Yes in this process Bill has really fallen in love with Sookie but bottom line is he did it under false pretenses, he lied, he hasn’t come clean about it & won’t until Eric forces him too when Sookie is in the hospital (in the next book &/or next season). So it’s going to get interesting thats for sure & the love triangle is certainly going to grow woohoo! At least with Eric you know where he stands.
I also think this is setting it up for next season because in the books Bill get’s captured by Lorena & brought down to mississippi to the Kings palace Russel Eddington….according to the books it’s all Lorena’s doings but I think Alan Ball is setting it up for next season & it’s Queen Sophie Anne that’s behind it & she seeks Eric’s help to do so. Like I just said….it’s going to get very interesting indeed.
Stephanie, I agree with you. Haven’t read the books but I know enough about the content. It was discussed on the TB Boards about this last season that Bill was sent to Sookie under those false pretenses by order of the Queen. This isn’t exactly a spoiler either. I’ve mentioned on the tvguide board for those who obviously know nothing about the books nor even watched last season to go there and learn more of the background stories, but don’t go into the SPoilers threads. Some are so way off on what they think is going on, it’s hard to read the posts without telling them outright what may or may not happen.
Gee, thanks for the preview of next season. Having not read the books, I was looking forward to WATCHING next season, but now I guess I don’t have to waste my time. Do you think that the next time you’re tempted to pass on your wonderfully awesome knowledge of the books to the rest of the class you might keep in mind that some of us haven’t read the books, and would appreciate a SPOILER ALERT before you destroy our enjoyment of the story by showing off? Thanks! Moron.
wow meowser take a chill pill. the books are not a true representation of the tv series. Especially since layfette dies in the 1st book or intro to the second. ALso the queen is not introduced to much later in the books. To be honest i think alan is trying to keep some of the characters but he has changed the tv show so drastically from the books that someone saying oh this happened in the books really is a void point now. So relax stop being rude and watch the show and dont let what happens in those books affect your viewing pleasure. The people who have taken the time to read the books deserve the righnt to comment on how the tv shows varies from the books. As it so does, i think the tv show has stopped using the books as a reference for plot altogether now and am disappointed.
Meowser–I believe it said SPOILER in the second line of the article. So if you’ve made it this far in the comments, you should have seen that. The definition of SPOILER: Revealing information of events to come.
Got it?
reading the books doesn’t give you the privilege of filling us all in on the topics the show hasn’t covered yet!
yeah Patricia: the ‘spoiler’ is for this week’s episode, not further instruction in how the books plot goes! Got it?
Umm, hello people…… this is a message board and this show is based on a series that already has 9 (?) books out so far. Of course those who have read the books are going to discuss it. This happens every. week. You should know by now that there are going to be book spoilers posted….
I don’t understand how Bill lied to Sookie. If he told her that she would be attracted to Eric for taking his blood, wouldn’t it be obvious that the same would apply to him (Bill)?
I think Bill and Eric’s characters in the show are very different than in the books. Bill is not the inconsistant character in the book. He’s been pretty solid in the show. Yes, I’m team Bill. Someone has to be ; )
I don’t seek spoilers, but honestly, folks, if you want a spoiler-free discussion, you need to go to a moderated forum where admins will make sure that offending posts are removed. It’s simply foolish to expect the EW comment sections to self-police.
Kels you are dead wrong.
People should have the simple courtesy to type “SPOILER ALERT” at the start of the message. Is that so difficult? No. Some people like to show off their knowledge and ruin what may (or may not) be a spoiler. Why risk spoiling it? JEEZ get a grip on reality.
Yay Debi – count me as a Team Bill member too!
I actually appreciate those who talk about what’s contained in the books versus what’s on TV. I used to be an avid reader adn def discussed books vs. film versions, but I don’t have time to read the books right now–but will one day. It’s interesting to see how some people vie for book loyalty and some people are open to book deviations. I can read it all because when I sit down to watch an ep, I forget all about what’s been written and just enjoy the moment (and make a million observations), until it’s over and then I ask a million questions. It’s ok. Keep the dialogue going about the books vs. the show. I like it.
Meowser,don’t worry, what’s mentioned is only a small part of what happens in book 3, and would all probably be covered in the first episode of season 3, assuming they stick to the book. There are whole groups of characters that haven’t even been introduced yet, so they will be plenty to enjoy
Yeah, the series definitely doesn’t follow the books to a T. Otherwise, poor Lafayette would be dead by now, and Tara wouldn’t even exist in the same form…no Jessica either. They actually pull things from other books, so you never know what you’re going to get, or when you’re going to get it. Because Sophie Anne doesn’t really appear until the 6th book. Maryann’s character lasted a whole chapter. So, yeah, no problems knowing what happens in the books.
Honestly, you need to have you head examined if you’re readin this article expecting not to be SPOILED. You know, TVGuide – where the spoilers are. You know, in the comments in an article clearly labelled SPOILERS. I’m not sure what’s unclear, but I’ll make it so: DON’T read articles on a show if you do not want to be SPOLIED. Got it?
**spoiler** methinks that Sookie’s cousin Hadley (who is the Queen’s Lover) told the Queen about Sookie’s telepathy. the Queen then sent Bill to find out about Sookie. He was not supposed to become her lover. (It happens very similarly in the books). Of course, now Eric finds about Bill’s orders, tells Sookie and well Sookie won’t be too happy about how/why Bill came to Bon Temps. As for my opinion, I loved Alexander last night. kids are stupid and annoying but “delicious”. oh, and the way he smoothed down his hair post flying — I loved it!
I need to see more of Sophie-Ann to make up my mind, but the beginning was good. WTF was up with the egg? THAT has got me curious (and even more ticked that there’s no new ep for two weeks). The whole scene with Eric, Sam and Arelene’s kids had me howling. Eric and Pam are not meant to be around kids, but if that’s the comedy that results, it should happen WAY more often!
I thought the WHOLE episode was genius!! But the part with Eric, Sam, and Pam was HILARIOUS!! I love how Pam said, “I hate them. Get them out of here.” And Eric wanted to eat them. And I’m so EXCITED we finally got to see him Fly!! Yay! But Jason was genius in this episode so was Lafayette. I wonder if he was lying about having sex dreams about Eric? I wonder if he only has those nightmares. Speaking of which…Alexander Skarsgard looks so SEXY in a dress!!
If you like Alex in a dress you should watch the movie, ‘Kill Your Darlings,’ he plays a transvestite.
The way Bill made his entrance to see Sam at the end of the episode suggests that Bill can also fly. I imagine that Eric knows that children are “delicious” because has has already fed on, and killed, plenty of them. I guess that’s why I have never thought of vampires as sexy or erotic. Knowing they kill people for food and fun (including children), is kind of a turn off.
Chappel, Bill can’t fly. That was stated in the second episode.
The delayed finale (quite the bummer) is most likely because this weekend, being Labor Day, traditionally has low audiences.
That’s totally not how I pictured Sophie-Ann. I pictured her as a Mila Kunis instead. Where were her huge body guards at too? They were suppose to never leave her side but yet I didn’t see them.
And I totally think either Jessica or Laffeyette or both will be killed off. I don’t think Sam will be killed off either. . .the book also makes you think that too but it doesn’t happen. But then again Laffeyette was suppose to die at the beggining. And I totally didn’t see that coming about Tara calling for Maryann when she had that exorcism.
And I do know one thing for sure. . .I can’t wait for the finale!!!! It’s going to be sooo awesome. . ..
Can’t wait til next season. . .people will hate Bill. . .I know I did for a while. . .
Yeah, what was with Pam’s absolute LOATHING of those kids? It was hilarious, and btw, why have we seen so little of her this season (if Alan Ball sees this, unlikely as it is), she’s probably my favorite vamp!
More Pam! More Pam! More Pam! More Pam!
The episode was pretty boring, but also had some scary parts. I think ERW did a good job portraying Sophie-Ann. She was funny and sexy. I’m glad Bill is starting to take some action, he is so sexy.. I hope he Saves Sookie in time…
I agree! Bill is so sexy! Even though the episode was a little boring and I was kinda dissapointed, I was worried that Bill was gonna mess things up with Sookie and Eric was gonna take over! I am glad it didnt happen in this episode and I hope it doesn’t ever happen! Team Bill forever! I like Eric, but he belongs with Pam!
I thought he looked like a dwarf. I am surprised they let him stand anywhere near Eric.
Oh shut it CRK and grow up.
Bill looked fabulous in his black henley. Bill/William/Billy is back! Yum.
@CRK: That was one of the funniest moments for me. When Eric was walking up to the queen’s and Bill was coming out. Bill looked so itty bitty.
Grow up? That’s what I want Bill to do. Now please take a chill pill and maybe a teaspoon of civility.
You’d look itty bitty standing next to a basketball player. I’m not taking anything away from Eric – cos he’s hot. But Bill is the same size as Lafayette, Sam, and all the other menfolk in town. So guess they’re all itty bitty. Some of you Eric people are ridiculous.
Oh and using the word dwarf in a derogatory fashion is civil? Ok. Surrre.
I’m not even going to bother with debating the Team Bill part which seems laughable to me but Pam’s by book is supposed to be a lesbian which sort of helps her opt out of Team Eric.
Pam is not Eric’s girlfriend. He’s just her maker and her boss. And she’s gay. Get used to it, folks-Sookie will not be with Bill forever.
You are rude to other posters. that is not civil. You can try to spin it any which way, but you are rude.
Actually,I think Bill is shorter than all of those noted. He is quite a small guy.
lol, bill WAS dwarfed by eric, and that isn’t derogatory, just statutory fact
Actually Stephen Moyer is 5-10, same as Ryan Kwanten. But Alex is 6-4– he makes everyone look short. But Eric is described as very tall in the books.
I thought he looks soooooo small next to Eric. Honestly it is distracting- he is a tiny man. He even looked small next to the bodyguards!
Patricia – you are wso right. Most men would like little next to Eric being that he’s above average in height. Height doesn’t make a man, character does ; ) In the show, Bill has shown nothing but good character as well as other good things LOL I like Eric as well, but I don’t want him with Sookie in the end.
Who the heck are you to tell someone to shut up? Rude much? It’s OK for someone to voice their opionions.
Folks, keep in mind that Eric is a Viking so he would “dwarf” most guys anyway.
I was surpised Eric didn’t make one of those itty bitty children comments
Damn, now you have me wishing that he had. Although calling him Billy was pretty perfect.
Lmao. I love how Eric called the kids, “Teacup Humans.” I can’t believe he was hitting on that little girl. He’s such a vampire. lol. But I love him!
ERW – horrible actress and the queen has a horrbile personality and was a complete turn off. I thought Eggs was bad actor..not anymore…a 21 year old girl is the queen and likes to play board games? The writing was so dull and juvenile.
In the books the queen is 15 or 16 (or was when she was turned) and for those of you who don’t want to know spoilers, why do you keep coming back here? Retards.
I totally agree, it felt a lot more like a vanity role than anything. When you need to put that much effort into being sexy then sexy is the last thing it is.
You have a problem with the queen being young and a “girl”?? Seriously? That is just sad. I guess you don’t quite grasp the concept that old vampires are incredibly powerful, no matter what the appearances. In the books the queen is actually 15 and everyone is afraid of her. I find that awesome and fascinating. Yes, I do agree that ERW’s introductory appearance left a little to be desired in terms of how she delivered her lines, but give the woman a break, it’s only her first episode. I’m sure she will hit her stride over the course of the series.
I HOPE ERW finds her groove, because her acting was so forced! I was really disappointed. Look at Maryanne – that actress hooked me and pulled me in from her first word. ERW fell flat in my opinion.
Actually she was turned into a vampire when she was 16 years old, but in vampire years she’s over a 1000 years old.
ME: I agree. Why is no one getting that the Queen is a 1000 year old vampire? She just looks 16 or whatever. So she should not be acting like a 16 year old. She is a Queen for chrissake. I thought she was terrible. In general, I thought this was the worst episode of the show so far. ERW was terrible and everything was so campy and ridiculous. The whole show is like a caricature of itself. It’s really annoying. I hope they fix it in the finale. And just to contribute to the SPOILER-based theories….Sam can’t die. I don’t care if they did keep Lafayette alive. Keeping a character alive and writing extra stuff for them is different than killing off a major character and trying to fill all the holes left by their absence. And, there would be ALOT Of holes if Sam died. And, yes, please, for the LOVE OF GOD, let the Sookie/Eric storyline unfold as it did in the books. I think it will because they are already investing in getting viewers to feel more sympathetic to him (Godric). He is so awesome! Best thing in the show. He actually makes me giggle with his mischevieous manipulations. One more thing to complain about- Pam’s outfit in the show tonight. I know, it seems petty, but in the book she is sort of preppy and that outfit was way Studio 54. Was that supposed to be her work outfit that Eric made her wear or what? Pam is one of my fave characters in the book. I can’t wait to see more of her. And, also, why didn’t they ask the DOC how to deal with the saucer eyed folks? I bet she knows.
I wonder how sookie did that light thing to Maryanne. Like was it because she was defending Bill or could she do it at will? Maybe she can try to unsaucer the Bon Temps townfolk.
Unfortunately, the character of the queen is that of a narcissistic teenage spoiled brat with an overinflated ego, an underdeveloped mind, overweening conceit and almost unlimited power. Boring to adults.
‘Teacup humans’ was the best line of the night!
That was so funny!!! I love when Jason talked to Andy about Sam being shifting into chicken and laying an egg – it was so random and something I would imagine Jason saying. I roared on that one. I thought the queen was okay. I wanted her to be ‘more creepy’.
I agree, that chicken/egg comment was the best. Jason is one of the best parts of the show. I did also love the “Human Teacups” comment made by Eric.
As much as I like Michele Forbes, I really want this MaryAnn storyline to end with the finale. I get the fact that the town is possessed, but I’m a little tired of the black eyes and f**king constantly. It’s funny and all, but I want more of the vampires and sexual tension between Sookie/Bill/Eric.
Oh and is there a possibility that EW can publish some different photos of the cast? Every time they mention TB or show one of the actors – it’s always from the same stock photo shoot? Just a thought.
LOVED the Eric scenes. Wish there had been more of him though. And it looks like next week he won’t be in Bon Temps?
I thought the show was pretty good until Eric showed up.
You’ll hate next season then…… but I will be LOVIN it =)
she’s only being hating next season if Alan Ball follows the books, but so far, he really hasn’t …has he ; )
Yeah, don’t tune in next season if you really hate Eric. Personally, I think Eric is better with Sookie, and Alex and Anna light up the screen together. Anna and Stephen tend to seem forced, which has bugged me since minute one since they’re supposed to be in love those two just don’t feel natural together.
So you only like episodes 1-3 of Season ONE?! WTF?! Eric is one of the best characters in the books and on the show.
Maybe we’ll get lucky and see Eric au natural again.
OMG i know we are all supposed to think that Bill and Sookie are supposed to be together “forever” (hahaha i had to) but I am really building up a thing for Eric! I mean did you see him in that gray suit!!?!?!?!?!? But the one thing i am really confused about is the egg in the “nest”. All I kept saying to myself was “did tara just lay an egg?” o well i guess I’ll have to wait for the 13th and watch it with my true blood beverages!
I think that if you haven’t read the books then you should because Eric becomes a major player and one of my favorites.
hey there! I actually have read all the books and even though Eric is somewhat of a player in the books, because Alan Ball has sorta not kept on the same track, i am thinking of them as two different sets of things with “similar” storylines ahha but i do love eric and his sassiness in the show haha
The ninth Sookie Stackhouse novel is, forgive me, “made of win” if you’re an Eric fan. So is the fourth book, come to that.
OH yes… Books 4 and 9 are my favorites! But Eric is a major player in almost all the books, he even had a more significant role in book one (as he is the one who actually kills Longshadow to save Sookie, not Bill)
In case all you Eric/Sookie people haven’t realized by now, Alan Ball isn’t exactly sticking to the books….so don’t look for Sookie/Eric happily ever after….AND AB has stated that Bill and Sookie will always be the core of the show.
Hey Suzanne,
Bill and Sookie being the “core” of the show does not mean they always stay together. That hasn’t even been ultimately decided in the books. They can be the core and NOT be together!!
I haven’t read the books yet, although I plan to…I am attatched to Bill and Sookie relationship and couldn’t see it any other way!
You know the more the show goes on the more some of you book Eric fans become harder to understand. I’m not going to argue about whether or not book Eric is good, in love with Sookie, etc. But it is OBVIOUS that tv show Eric is EVIL. No he isn’t that simple – and that’s why I love him – but crying out loud look at what he did to Lafayette?! You think Sookie is gonna go tripping through the daisies with him? I’m not saying this doesn’t change but crying out loud it’s so ridiculous the way you’re trying to make the tv show character something isn’t. At least not yet.
I don’t need Bill and Sookie to be together. I just need my Bill to have his story told. Obviously, they’ll break up because that’s good for the story. I take it when they say the core of the show he means the two lead characters. Which they are.
Actually Bill is just as evil as Eric. just wait. oh, and also, you have to remember that in the books, Lafayette is dead at this point, so what Eric is doing to him is all Ball’s creation. In the books, Eric doesn’t even know Lafayette, and there is no “V” that he is selling.
I give up. Yes Cshrerw, I know that’s what Eric’s doing to him is a Ball’s creation because I’m watching Ball’s creation. You know, True Blood. The show we’re discussing?
The keyword is “yet.” I think a lot of Eric fans are Eric fans from the books. We have some hope that Alan won’t change everything. Yes, Eric is bad but he’s a vampire and he punished Lafayette in a suitable fashion to his lifestyle. Plus, you never know what Eric will do later to make up for some of the terrible things he’s done.
good lord how many books are there? no insult intended, but they can’t be very thick
The 4th and 9th books are my favorite also.
lala- why don’t you try reading the books and then you would know how thick they are! Eric punished Layfayette like a vampire punishes those who commit crimes against them. It is his job as the sheriff. He is not pure evil and Bill is not pure good. That much is obvious even from AB’s Bill driven bias. AB adds things and definately scews things in Bills favor but he does stick to the major themes in the books- like it or not and Bill turns out to be a less than perfect guy. They will break up and she will be with many other people and Eric will always be in that group. Maybe Bill will too. Bill will get his story told, so will Sookie and Eric but that doesn’t mean that Bill/Sookie stay together.
@lala:
There are 9 books so far with the 10th due in May and three more signed for after that (and that may or may not be the end of the series). They are incredibly fast but entertaining reads. The 9th book, because it’s right in front of me, is 312 pages (hardback). The 8th book, also because it’s right in front of me, is 359 pages (also hardback). You can read about one book a day.
As Sookie’s character progresses in the books, she becomes more worried about keeping herself alive and feels if someone else has to die in order for her to live, then she’s all for someone else dieing.
Any Sookie/Eric scene is made of win! I cant wait to see who they cast as Quinn and Alcide…hopefully they’re taller than Bill.
Sookie and Bill forever? no never
Bill fades into the backgroung, after book 2, eric is the main guy through the whole series
Which is what I love about the books!! Although certainly Eric in the book is not quite as bad as Eric on True Blood. And Bill is worse in the books (I actually prefer when Sookie is dating other guys). I like that Charlaine Harris has Sookie with two or three other men in the books because it’s realistic. After what Bill does to Sookie, I wouldn’t expect her to stay with him! He’s not as good as you all think.
Don’t forget Alcide in Book 3 and Quinn in a couple of the later books! I have Ausiello on RSS to see who gets cast as the hunky werewolf!
Tara has laid an “Egg” but maybe not the white one on the bed.
hahaha
Lmao!! I was waiting on someone to make that joke.
I was wondering who in the hell had laid that egg. Is that what Carl was carrying when he got shot? It looked like it was moving too. Weird stuff.
I just thought it was interesting that Tara and EGGS …were tending an Egg. Was this a bit of literary foreshadowing in some way? I mean who is named EGGS afterall?
That’s what me said (lol).
His nickname is Eggs because his first name is Benedict….as in Eggs Benedict. Can’t remember which episode they said it in, but I thought it was clever.
his name is Benedict–as in EGGS BENEDICT–Eggs
Remember – in the credits it clearly states that Alan Ball (a brilliant man) only based the series on the “Sookie Stackhouse” novels by Charlaine Harris, so he is free to wander from the plot and character of the books. ALso, note that he does not mention the actual book series name in the credits – The Southern Vampire Series.
Three words. Eric, Jason, and Pam. Well-four but you get it.
I love the fact that Pam hates kids and how Eric just wants to taste them, and how he just teases Bill-sorry Billy. Hah. Jason, pretty much made every macho moment hilarious, “Can Sam turn into a chicken and then lay an egg? Like he eats what he makes…” Or something along those lines. I swear this episode didnt disappoint. My thought on the egg…I havent pondered over it that much to actually come up with some crazy elaborate theory. But when i did see it I thought, “What the eff.”
Two weeks is way to long. Guess I’ll just read the books while I wait.
Oh p.s. Eric can up, up and away. Thanks Alan Ball
lol don’t hold your breath.
That was in the books too. Eric is so badass he can fly. lol.
When I saw the egg, the only thing I could think of was “OMG, Jason was right!- Maryanne had Daphne shift into something and lay an egg before she died.” ;D
LMFAO!!
I definitely think there is a MAJOR correlation with Eggs name and the presence of an ACTUAL egg. Maybe Mary Ann nicknamed him that for a reason???
Loved everything….but the egg at the end.
Agreed…I loved it until the end egg WTF?!
Alexander, I love you. From the blouse to the teacup humans to that great evil smile, to confronting Bill..I love you. It’s just too bad that in the promo you’re on the pool floor with clothes on…if Bill was in trunks, I wanted you in a Speedo. Great episode Alan Ball.
If we’re lucky…the Queen will rip his clothes off. Please GOD let her rip his clothes off!
not a huge fan of ERW as Sophie-Ann…much too campy for the Queen of Louisiana and if i had to watch her fling her hand in the air and roll her eyes one more time i was going to lose it…. i loved the Eric/Pam/kids interaction. despite ERW, it was a great lead up to the season finale!
I agree. I thought she was basically awful. The worst forced acting we have seen in this show.
I mean they must have had to redo her second scene many times, because those blood droplets on her cleavage changed; number, position, shape many times over.
She did a great job! Sophie Ann is like that in the books too. We just haven’t seen her darker side yet….
someone said they thought the queen should’ve been more like mila kunis, that would’ve been cool
The queen in the books was nothing like Sophie Ann was last night on True Blood. She looked younger and was 1000 years more mature. All of you who think Eric is evil would think Sophie Ann is the devil because she was much more ruthless and calculating than Eric. There is no sitting around playing yahtzee or spewing nonsense like the queen was last night. Also, I like ERW, but that was definetly not her best performance and it makes it that much worse that she’s on a show with such a talented cast because it made her flaws that much easier to see.
I also liked her as Sophie-Ann, I thought she was hilarious, although I think she needs to rein it in a bit. Also, she’s supposed to have Andre, who is her companion/bodyguard I hope he’s in the next episode she’s in, because he is a real interesting character!
She was awful from start to finish. And about the blood. I was getting dizzy. Three drops. The she wiped one off so two drops. Then she sat down and there were three. Turned her head, 2. Turned back 3. Stood up 2. Looked into the camera 3. I thought the same thing. How many times did she have to redo her lines that they had to keep reapplying the blood? Also, they need a new continuity person. Speaking of continuity, Eric is not the same personality as he was before. You would think after losing Godric he would be a little more serious and not all of a sudden become “humorous”.
they are trying to butter him up for us
I need to watch again, I didn’t notice the number of blood drops changing. However, when Tara was handcuffed to the table and talking with her mama, her top strap was down, then up and then down again. Her hands handcuffed she couldn’t have pulled it up, so this was a continuity issue as well. On the other hand, I liked it that Maxine’s fang marks were covered with alien or Spiderman bandaids. I can SO see Maxine buying those to his 28 year old son!!!
The whole handcuff scene looked weird. She was up to high to have had her wrists handcuffed. But the blood was hilarious. How could thye not have seen it. Do they just not care?
I disagree. Maybe I was seeing something other than what everyone else was, but I thought ERW was fantastic (and I’m not a fan from prior to True Blood- I’d heard of her but have no idea what else she’s done, couldn’t name one of her movies or songs or whatever if my life depended on it), because it felt like there was a LOT more going on behind that flawless face than what she was saying. To me, it seemed like Sophie-Anne was putting on a show for Bill, acting more frivolous than she is. I kept listening for a sub-text, and the finale preview seemed to indicate that I’m right, since it looks like she and Eric are plotting something.
ITA, I thought she was cheesy…acting 101 in parts. She did look lovely though watching in HD I could see her bad skin under the pancake makeup.
I noticed her skin too!
I thought she was okay – she was given the part of the one who gives information which is always hard to act out naturally. Based on her past acting, I blame it on the part she was given. She is a jaded, spoiled young person who is immortal with lots of power – she was playing it like Paris Hilton and every other young pop tart out there with more money/fame than sense. In that context, her acting was spot on.
even without HD, you could still see her bad skin.
I thought ERW was terrible. It was like watching a high school play performance. She played it totally wrong.
I did not like ERW as Sophie Ann either. She is incredibly annoying. I feel that she could get just as annoying as Maryann soon…I wish they’d picked an unknown actress to play the role. The build-up to ERW was not all it was cracked up to be!
I agree, though I think ERW is normally a good actress, I thought she was pretty bad tonight and was forcing it. In general I thought the episode was lacking outside of Eric and Jason
i think tara laid the egg, why else would she and “egg (!)” be out there creating the nest. But i think egg ultimately dies as well, no way the show is going to have a happy ending for Tara and Egg anyway. a happy ending for a black relationship on TV?? Nah, don’t think so. Poor Lafayette. The words from Tara and her mother were very hurtful, especailly coming from family. in fact, a lot of hurtful words in this episode from family. Hoyt’s mother to him about his father as well. i agree with sophie ann, eric and Bill shud just sleep together and get it over with. Yes honey, I’ll watch too!! lol. And bill wearing Tara’s mother’s dress!! LMAO!
Eric was wearing the dress not Bill.
I would also pay to watch some Eric on Bill (and Bill on Eric, for that matter) action. How come we girls never get any hot guy-on-guy scenes on television? I think it’s hotter when the guys are “straight,” too, such as with Bill and [straight enough] Eric.
I’d definitely line-up to see some Bill/Eric action. You know AB put that line in there because Stephen and Alex have AMAZING chemistry. The simply crackle everytime they are on screen together. I think Alex plays off Stephen the best on the show. I sincerely hope neither of them go anywhere and that they get a lot more scenes together next year.
Someone else said this…but vampires are more omnisexual. They’ve been around so long that they’ve tried everything. Male, Female, and who knows what else. But I don’t think Eric and Bill would ever get it on because they both hate each other too much. Eric does sleep with a male vampire in the 3rd book though so maybe Alan Ball will write that into the show. I really dont care as long as he’s naked.
And how eggxactly did Tara push out a big ass egg and not only NOT remember it but not feel any after effects??
when layfaette asks sookie for handcuffs and she says but they are furry. i laughed/
If True Blood isn’t up for a bunch of Emmy’s next year there is no justice. It’s one of the best written and acted shows on TV. Anna Paquin, Alexander Skarsgard and especially Michelle Forbes are possibly outacting everyone else on TV right now.
You’re joking, right? The Emmys haven’t even nominated anything in the sci-fi genre *ever*. They are so dull, old, and boring; nominating the same old crap year after year.
Yeah, the Golden Globes are much more accepting of shows like TB, hence Anna’s award last year (and I’m pretty sure the show was nominated, beat by the wonderful Mad Men). But who gives a crap about awards anyway? I don’t need anyone telling me what I should like, and I think the cast should feel pretty effing spectacular by the ratings, critical acclaim, and mauling by fans. Sure, it’s nice to be announced to the world how great you are, but it’s not everything, especially considering how often those award shows get the winners wrong.
EVER WATCH THE X-FILES?
You are wrong..the emmys nominated Xfiles a number of times.
True Blood will win REAL awards like the Golden Globes and the SAGs. The EMMYs always snub shows that take risks. They like to give awards to shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives (which are still good, but they’re not as risque and brilliant as True Blood).
I’m just hoping that the show continues. My friends were just saying…”We’re fans, but what if there aren’t enough of us and they discontinue the show?!?!?” I reassured them by showing them the ERW article in US and the photos of Anna and Steve in People. They are getting more coverage than ever, so the show must be doing well in La-la Land.