''True Blood'' is an American
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...
horror
Horror may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Genres
*Horror fiction, a genre of fiction
** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction
**Korean horror, Korean horror fiction
* Horror film, a film genre
*Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...
produced and created by
Alan Ball. It is based on ''
The Southern Vampire Mysteries
''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', also known as ''The True Blood Novels'' and ''The Sookie Stackhouse Novels'', is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. The first installment, ''Dead Until Dark'' (2001), won the A ...
'', a series of novels by
Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris Schulz (born November 25, 1951) is an American author who specializes in mysteries. She is best known for her book series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', which was adapted as the TV series ''True Blood''. The television show ...
. A reboot is currently in development.
The series revolves around
Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse is a fictional character and protagonist of ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' book series, written by Charlaine Harris. In HBO's television adaptation, ''True Blood'', Sookie is portrayed by Anna Paquin.
Creation and casting
...
(
Anna Paquin), a
telepathic waitress living in the fictional rural town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. It is set two years after the invention of a synthetic blood product branded "Tru Blood" that has allowed vampires to "come out of the coffin" and let their presence be known to mankind. It chronicles the vampires' struggle for equal rights and assimilation while anti-vampire organizations begin to gain power. Sookie's world is turned upside down when she falls in love with 174-year-old vampire
Bill Compton
William H. Compton, Jr. (October 6, 1945, Rockford, Illinois – August 27, 2007) was a mental health advocate in California who attained national stature. After a mental health crisis in 1989, he became heavily involved in self-help and ...
(
Stephen Moyer), and for the first time, she must navigate the trials and terrors of intimacy and relationships.
The show was broadcast on the premium cable network
HBO, in the United States, and was produced by HBO in association with Ball's production company, Your Face Goes Here Entertainment.
The series premiered on September 7, 2008, and concluded on August 24, 2014, comprising seven seasons and 80 episodes.
The first five seasons received highly positive reviews, and both nominations and wins for several awards, including a
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and an
Emmy.
Series overview
The
fictional universe
A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes ma ...
depicted in the series is premised on the notion that
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
s exist, unbeknownst to the majority of humans until two years before the series premiere, when the creation of synthetic blood ("Tru Blood") by Japanese scientists, which eliminated vampires' need for human blood to survive, allowed vampires to "come out of the coffin" and reveal their existence to the world. This so-called "Great Revelation" has split vampires into two camps: those who wish to integrate into human society (i.e., "mainstream") by campaigning for citizenship and equal rights, and those who think human-vampire co-existence is impossible, because it conflicts with the inherently predatory and violent nature of vampires. It has also caused similar divisions amongst non-vampires; some believe that vampires should be accepted and granted rights, while others view them as monsters to be destroyed. Throughout the series, other
supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
creatures are introduced, among them
shapeshifters,
werewolves
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
,
faeries,
witches
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...
, and a
maenad
In Greek mythology, maenads (; grc, μαινάδες ) were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Maenads were known as Bassarids, ...
.
The series revolves around Sookie Stackhouse (
Anna Paquin), a
telepathic human-faerie hybrid known as a halfling (not to be confused with similarly named, but unrelated
creatures
Creature often refers to:
* An animal, monster, or Extraterrestrial life, alien
Creature or creatures may also refer to:
Film and television
* Creature (1985 film), ''Creature'' (1985 film), a 1985 science fiction film by William Malone
* Creat ...
found in other fantasy works). Sookie is a waitress at Merlotte's Bar and Grill, owned by
Sam Merlotte (
Sam Trammell
Sam Trammell (born January 29, 1969) is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Merlotte on the HBO fantasy drama series ''True Blood''. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Richard ...
) in the small
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
town of Bon Temps. Sam is a shapeshifter, though this secret is kept hidden from most of the town. Other characters include
Bill Compton
William H. Compton, Jr. (October 6, 1945, Rockford, Illinois – August 27, 2007) was a mental health advocate in California who attained national stature. After a mental health crisis in 1989, he became heavily involved in self-help and ...
(
Stephen Moyer), a 173-year-old vampire who has returned to Bon Temps to take up residence in his former home following the death of his last remaining relative;
Tara Thornton
Tara Mae Thornton is a fictional character in Charlaine Harris's ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' and their television adaptation, HBO's ''True Blood''.
Profile
Tara Mae Thornton is a twenty-something Louisiana native and lifelong friend of ...
(
Rutina Wesley
Rutina Wesley (born December 21, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tara Thornton on the HBO television series ''True Blood'', and Nova Bordelon on OWN’s '' Queen Sugar''.
Early life and education
Wesley was ...
), Sookie's tough-talking but insecure best friend;
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek mythology, mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was marri ...
(
Ryan Kwanten), Sookie's womanizing brother;
Eric Northman
Eric Northman is a fictional character in ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries,'' a series of thirteen books written by ''New York Times'' bestselling author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire, slightly over one thousand years old, and is first intr ...
(
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm, he began acting at age seven but quit at 13. After serving in the Swedish military, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained his first role in t ...
), a 1000-year-old vampire and Sheriff of Area 5; and
Lafayette Reynolds (
Nelsan Ellis
Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017) was an American actor and playwright. He achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO television series ''True Blood'' (2008–2014), for which he won a Sat ...
), a
short order cook, drug dealer, road crew member, and
medium.
The show explores several contemporary issues such as the struggle for equal rights, discrimination, and violence against minorities and homosexuals, the problems of drug addiction, the power of faith and religion, the control/influence of the media, the quest for identity, and the importance of family.
Production
Development history
Series creator
Alan Ball had previously worked with the cable channel HBO on ''
Six Feet Under'', which ran for five seasons. In October 2005, after ''Six Feet Under'' wrapped, Ball signed a two-year agreement with HBO to develop and produce original programming for the network. ''True Blood'' became the first project under the deal after Ball became acquainted with
Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris Schulz (born November 25, 1951) is an American author who specializes in mysteries. She is best known for her book series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', which was adapted as the TV series ''True Blood''. The television show ...
's Southern Vampire Mystery books.
One day, while early for a dental appointment, Ball was browsing through a
Barnes & Noble bookshop and came across ''
Dead Until Dark
''Dead Until Dark'', published in 2001, is the first novel in Charlaine Harris' series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries''. It was adapted into ''True Blood'' first season.
''Dead Until Dark'', like the rest of the series, is narrated by Sookie ...
'' (2001), the first installment in Harris' series. He read the entries that followed and became interested in "bringing
arris'vision to television".
Having already had two other adaptation options for the books, Harris said she chose to work with him, though, because "
allreally 'got' me. That's how he convinced me to go with him. I just felt that he understood what I was doing with the books."
The project's hour-long
pilot was ordered concurrently with the completion of the development deal. It was written, directed, and produced by Ball.
Cast members Paquin, Kwanten, and Trammell were announced in February 2007, and Moyer later in April.
The pilot was shot in the early summer of 2007 and was officially ordered to series in August, at which point Ball had already written more episodes.
Production on the series began later that fall, with
Brook Kerr, who portrayed Tara Thornton in the original pilot, replaced by
Rutina Wesley
Rutina Wesley (born December 21, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tara Thornton on the HBO television series ''True Blood'', and Nova Bordelon on OWN’s '' Queen Sugar''.
Early life and education
Wesley was ...
.
Two more episodes of the series had been filmed before the
2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike shut down production of the 12-episode first season until February 2008. That September, after only the first two episodes of the series had aired, HBO placed an order for a second season of 12 episodes, with production scheduled to commence in January 2009 for a summer premiere.
Title sequence
''True Bloods Emmy-nominated title sequence is composed of portrayals of the show's
Deep South
The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the war ...
setting, and runs to "
Bad Things
Bad or BAD may refer to:
Common meanings
* Evil, the opposite of moral good
* Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect
*Unhealthy, or counter to well-being
*Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good
Acronyms
* BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...
" by
Jace Everett. The original featurette was created around the
Jennifer Herrema
Jennifer James Herrema is an American rock music singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and model best known for her work as one half of the rock band Royal Trux.
Career
Herrema formed Royal Trux with her partner Neil Hagerty and lived ...
(
Royal Trux
Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band active from 1987 to 2001, reuniting in 2015 but disbanded once again in 2019. It was founded by Neil Hagerty (vocals, guitar) and Jennifer Herrema (vocals).
History
While still a teenager, Hagert ...
) song "RadTimesXpress".
Conceptually, the sequence was constructed around the idea of "the whore in the house of prayer"
by intermingling contradictory images of sex, violence, and religion and displaying them from the point of view of "a
supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
, predatory creature observing human beings from the shadows ..."
Ideas of redemption and forgiveness are also explored, and thus the sequence progresses from morning to night and culminates in a
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
.
The title sequence was created by the independent film company Digital Kitchen. The sequence also features images and themes of death and rebirth; the circle of life. A
Venus fly-trap can be seen engulfing a frog, while the rotting of a fox's head is sped up to reveal maggots feeding off the corpse. Rebirth is represented by an image of a woman being "washed clean" from her sins in a lake, and a preacher blessing and possibly performing an exorcism on a member of his congregation.
Some of the footage used in the sequence was filmed on location. Digital Kitchen took a four-day trip to
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
to film; it also shot scenes at a
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
church, and on a stage and in a bar in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
.
The opening sequence of TRUE BLOOD contains shots that are composed of original documentaries, tabletop photography, studio and found footage which are completely handmade. Creative director Matt Mulder explains that they wanted the
edit to “rumble through the swamps, wilderness and the cultures of the South to eventually reach into the hearts and minds of its inhabitants.”
During editing, individual frames were splattered with drops of blood.
The sequence's transitions were constructed differently; they were made with a
Polaroid transfer technique. The last frame of one shot and the first frame of another were taken as a single Polaroid photo, which was divided between
emulsion
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Althou ...
and backing. The emulsion was filmed being further separated by chemicals, and those shots of this separation were placed back into the final edit.
Eight different typefaces, inspired by Southern road signs, were created manually for cast and crew credits, as well as the show's title card.
In a 2010 issue of ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Mag ...
'', the show's opening title sequence ranked #5 on a list of TV's top 10 credits sequences, as selected by readers.
Music
Gary Calamar, who supervises the series' music, said his goal for the show's soundtrack is to create something "swampy, bluesy and spooky" and to feature local Louisiana musicians. ''True Blood'' soundtrack albums have twice earned
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
nominations.
Composer
Nathan Barr
Nathan Barr (born February 9, 1973; also known as Nate Barr) is an American film and television composer and musician. His television scores include ''True Blood'', ''The Americans'', ''Carnival Row'', and '' The Great''. He won a Primetime Emm ...
writes the original score for the series, which features the cello, guitar,
prepared piano
A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for '' Bacchanal ...
, and glass harmonica among other instruments, all of which he performs himself. The main theme song is "Bad Things" by
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...
artist
Jace Everett, from his 2005 self-titled debut.
Elektra/Atlantic Records released a ''True Blood'' soundtrack on May 19, 2009, the same day as the release of the DVD and Blu-ray of the first season. Nathan Barr's original score for ''True Blood'' was released on CD on the
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer ...
label on September 8, 2009. The second ''True Blood'' soundtrack was released on May 25, 2010, to coincide with the third season's premiere in June. The third volume was released on September 6, 2011, a few days before the season four finale.
Both
Nathan Barr
Nathan Barr (born February 9, 1973; also known as Nate Barr) is an American film and television composer and musician. His television scores include ''True Blood'', ''The Americans'', ''Carnival Row'', and '' The Great''. He won a Primetime Emm ...
and
Jace Everett won 2009 awards from
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 mil ...
in the BMI Cable Awards category for, respectively, ''True Blood's'' original score and theme song.
The show's individual episode titles are named after songs featured in the episodes, usually heard during the closing credits. The title usually indicates something about the events that will unfold throughout the given episode. For example, episode ten of season four is titled "
Burning Down the House", and the end credits feature a cover version of the classic
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talkin ...](_blank)
song performed by
The Used.
Marketing
The premiere of ''True Blood'' was prefaced with a
viral marketing
Viral marketing is a business strategy that uses existing social networks to promote a product mainly on various social media platforms. Its name refers to how consumers spread information about a product with other people, much in the same way tha ...
/
alternate reality game (ARG) campaign, based at BloodCopy.com, throughout the summer. This included setting up multiple websites,
encoding web address into unmarked envelopes mailed to high-profile blog writers and others, and even performances by a "vampire" who attempted to reach out to others of their kind, to discuss the recent creation of "TrueBlood", a fictional beverage featured in the show.
A
MySpace account with the username "Blood"
had, as of June 19, uploaded two videos;
one entitled "Vampire Taste Test – True Blood vs Human",
and one called "BloodCopy Exclusive INTERVIEW WITH SAMSON THE VAMPIRE".
A
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term ...
comic
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
was handed out to attendees of the 2008
Comic-Con. The comic centers around an old vampire named Lamar, who tells the reader about how TruBlood surfaced and was discussed between many vampires before going public. At one point, Lamar wonders if TruBlood is making the world safe for vampires or from them. Several commercials featured on HBO and
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
aired prior to the series premiere, placing vampires in ads similar to those of beer and wine.
HBO produced and broadcast two documentaries to promote ''True Blood'', entitled "True Bloodlines". The first, ''Vampire Legends'', explored the earliest portrayals of vampires in legend, literature, and cinema. The second, ''A New Type'', discusses vampire culture from Nosferatu to today's sensual, sexual creatures. To that end, the show also covered the modern vampire subculture and real-life vampire clubs. Actors and writers from ''True Blood'' appeared in the documentaries. The shows first aired on September 6, 2008, on HBO.
Thousands of DVDs of the first episode were handed out to attendees of Midnight Madness, a special film festival.
Blockbuster Video
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Blo ...
provided free rental of the first episode of ''True Blood'' several days before it was broadcast on HBO.
On April 16, 2009, HBO released the first teaser poster for season 2. The image uses a perspective technique that shows observers one of two images. A minute-long promotional video advertising season two, which featured
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's "
Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
"Beyond Here Lies Nothin' " is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan (with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter) and performed by Dylan as the opening track on his 2009 studio album ''Together Through Life''. The title is a quo ...
", was released via ''
Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American first-run syndicated news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Paramount Streaming. ET also airs in Aust ...
'' in early May. There was also a website for The Fellowship of the Sun, antagonists from the book series, featuring videos about hot-button issues such as becoming a vampire.
In September 2009, HBO filed a trademark registration with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alex ...
for a possible future electronic game based on ''True Blood''. The network then launched a ''True Blood'' jewelry line in collaboration with New York-based designer Udi Behr. Inspired by the series, the jewelry has a Gothic look and features sterling silver, polished steel, and rubies. In the same month, HBO.com began selling Tru:Blood, a beverage branded to resemble the fictional synthetic blood that appears in the show. The beverage is a carbonated blood orange-flavored drink, developed and manufactured by
Omni Consumer Products, a company that specializes in defictionalizing brands from television and movies, and FMCG Manufacturing Company, a specialist manufacturer of licensed entertainment products.
In June 2010, HBO held a special event at a number of movie theaters around the U.S., complete with red carpet, searchlights, and swag bags. Contest winners were invited to watch a live special, the Season 2 finale, a preview of Season 3, and a live interview on the set of ''True Blood'' with the cast and Alan Ball. HBO also began selling ''True Blood'' figural
busts featuring Bill, Sookie, and Eric. Busts of other characters became available later.
HBO and IDW Publishing announced at the 2010 WonderCon that they would be publishing a comic book based on the series.
Alan Ball developed and wrote the comic. The first booklet, with a print run of 53,000, was released in July 2010 and soon sold out. The second issue went on sale August 18, 2010, with a second printing of the first issue going on sale August 25. Six comics were issued in the series, and they were compiled as the graphic novel ''All Together Now'' on February 15, 2011. This was the first in a series of four graphic novels released by
HBO under the ''True Blood'' franchise and sold in major bookstores. Ensuing titles include ''Tainted Love'', ''The French Quarter'', and ''Ongoing''.
Cast
''True Blood'' employs a broad ensemble cast composed of regular, central characters and a rotating group of impermanent supporting characters. Though the series is based in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, a noticeable number of the actors are originally from outside the United States. In an interview, Ball explained that he didn't intentionally seek out "non-American" actors, but was willing to go anywhere he needed to in order "to find the actor who makes the character breathe". Ball went on to explain that, in casting, there was more of a focus on who would portray the character in a compelling way rather than who would physically resemble the characters from the book. Noting that there's a definite difference between the characters and storylines portrayed in ''True Blood'' and the ones depicted in ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', he described Harris as being very understanding in terms of how her work was being reinterpreted.
Main characters
;Cast notes
The major characters of the
first season of ''True Blood'' are introduced among various intertwining plot lines that surround the Bon Temps bar "Merlotte's". The show's main protagonist,
Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse is a fictional character and protagonist of ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' book series, written by Charlaine Harris. In HBO's television adaptation, ''True Blood'', Sookie is portrayed by Anna Paquin.
Creation and casting
...
(
Anna Paquin), is a telepath and waitress at Merlotte's. In the opening episode she saves Merlotte's first vampire customer,
Bill Compton
William H. Compton, Jr. (October 6, 1945, Rockford, Illinois – August 27, 2007) was a mental health advocate in California who attained national stature. After a mental health crisis in 1989, he became heavily involved in self-help and ...
(
Stephen Moyer), when a local couple attempts to drain him of his blood (vampire blood is known on the show as a human narcotic: "V" or "V Juice"). Through the relationship that develops between Sookie and Bill, the viewer progressively learns more about vampire culture and the limitations of vampire physiology (e.g. susceptibility to silver and the sun).
The major plot of the first season revolves around the murder of several women connected to Sookie's older brother,
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek mythology, mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was marri ...
(
Ryan Kwanten). The women murdered include sexual partner Maudette Pickens (Danielle Sapia), on-and-off romantic interest and Merlotte's waitress Dawn Green (
Lynn Collins), grandmother
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...
(
Lois Smith
Lois Arlene Smith (née Humbert; born November 3, 1930) is an American character actress whose career spans eight decades. She made her film debut in the 1955 drama film '' East of Eden'', and later played supporting roles in a number of movies ...
) or simply "Gran", and girlfriend
Amy Burley
'' True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris.
This article includes main characters (i.e. characters played by a main cast memb ...
(
Lizzy Caplan
Elizabeth Anne Caplan (born June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films ''Mean Girls'' (2004) and ''Cloverfi ...
). Though the viewer is always aware of Jason's innocence in their deaths, Detective
Andy Bellefleur (
Chris Bauer
Mark Christopher Bauer (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for his television work in ''The Wire'', '' Third Watch'', '' True Blood'', '' Survivor's Remorse,'' '' The Deuce and'' the Apple TV+ original science fiction ...
) targets him as the prime suspect in the investigation he conducts with
Sheriff Bud Dearborne (
William Sanderson) to identify their killer. Jason's best friends and co-workers,
Hoyt Fortenberry (
Jim Parrack) and
Rene Lenier
''True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball (screenwriter), Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris.
This article includes main characters (i.e. characters play ...
(
Michael Raymond-James) provide him with support despite the turmoil he encounters. Rene, who becomes engaged to Merlotte's waitress
Arlene Fowler (
Carrie Preston
Carrie Preston (born June 21, 1967) is an American actress known for her work on the television series ''True Blood'', ''Person of Interest'', '' Crowded'', ''The Good Wife'', '' The Good Fight'', and '' Claws''. Preston received critical accla ...
), is eventually exposed as the Bon Temps murderer and is killed in a final confrontation with Sookie.
A secondary plot in the first season (that later develops as the primary storyline in the second) revolves around Sookie's best friend
Tara Thornton
Tara Mae Thornton is a fictional character in Charlaine Harris's ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' and their television adaptation, HBO's ''True Blood''.
Profile
Tara Mae Thornton is a twenty-something Louisiana native and lifelong friend of ...
(
Rutina Wesley
Rutina Wesley (born December 21, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tara Thornton on the HBO television series ''True Blood'', and Nova Bordelon on OWN’s '' Queen Sugar''.
Early life and education
Wesley was ...
). In the first episode, Tara is hired as a bartender at Merlotte's by bar owner, shapeshifter, and admirer of Sookie,
Sam Merlotte (
Sam Trammell
Sam Trammell (born January 29, 1969) is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Merlotte on the HBO fantasy drama series ''True Blood''. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Richard ...
), with whom Tara later has a brief relationship. Tara's cousin
Lafayette Reynolds (
Nelsan Ellis
Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017) was an American actor and playwright. He achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO television series ''True Blood'' (2008–2014), for which he won a Sat ...
) already works as a cook at Merlotte's (in addition to several other jobs that include road crew, prostitute, and drug dealer) with Andy's cousin and
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that h ...
,
Terry
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Ame ...
(
Todd Lowe). Tara's story is characterized by her relationship with her
alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
and abusive mother
Lettie Mae (
Adina Porter
Adina Elizabeth Porter is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lettie Mae Thornton on the HBO fantasy horror series ''True Blood'' (2008–2014), Kendra James on the HBO drama series '' The Newsroom'' (2012–2014), and Indra ...
) and her own inner "demons". During the season, Lettie Mae achieves sobriety but Tara's life begins to spin out of control. Kicked out of her home and totaling her car in a drunk driving accident, she's taken in by "social worker"
Maryann Forrester (
Michelle Forbes). While staying with Maryann, Tara is introduced to
"Eggs" Benedict Talley (
Mehcad Brooks), to whom she becomes attracted.
The final major plotline of the first season revolves around the elements of vampire society that Sookie and Bill's relationship introduce. While trying to prove her brother's innocence in relation to Maudette and Dawn's murders, Bill takes Sookie to the vampire bar "Fangtasia" to investigate. There, Sookie is introduced to Fangtasia's owner and the vampire sheriff of "Area 5" in Louisiana:
Eric Northman
Eric Northman is a fictional character in ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries,'' a series of thirteen books written by ''New York Times'' bestselling author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire, slightly over one thousand years old, and is first intr ...
(
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm, he began acting at age seven but quit at 13. After serving in the Swedish military, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained his first role in t ...
). Eric is immediately interested in Sookie and her strange abilities, but his progeny and assistant
Pam (
Kristin Bauer
Kristin Bauer van Straten ( Neubauer) is an American film and television actress, notable for her roles as vampire Pamela Swynford De Beaufort on the HBO television series ''True Blood'', Jerry's girlfriend Gillian ("man hands") on ''Seinfeld'', ...
) is less impressed. Eric employs Sookie to find a thief in his bar, but the perpetrator (a vampire named Longshadow) attempts to kill Sookie when she reveals his identity. Bill stakes and kills the thief to save her, but has committed a serious crime in killing another vampire. When Bill is tried for his crime, his punishment is to transform seventeen-year-old
Jessica Hamby (
Deborah Ann Woll) into a vampire to replace the one he destroyed.
A secondary plotline introduced in the first season (which later becomes a main plotline in Season 2) is that although many humans are attracted to vampires (referred to as "fang bangers") and flock to establishments like Fangtasia, not all people are accepting of the idea that vampires should be given rights equal to those afforded the mortals of the ''True Blood'' universe. During the first season, one of the ways in which anti-vampire sentiment is expressed is through regular televised appearances by the "Fellowship of the Sun", a Dallas-based church that in Season 2 becomes headed by the
Reverend Steve Newlin (
Michael McMillian) after his father and family are killed in a strange "accident".
During the
second season of ''True Blood'', the influence of Maryann Forrester and the conflict between vampires and humans is expanded. Most of the cast from the first season returns and several new main characters are introduced. The same style of interconnected storytelling used in the first season is repeated, with the foremost plot focusing on Maryann Forrester being revealed as a
maenad
In Greek mythology, maenads (; grc, μαινάδες ) were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Maenads were known as Bassarids, ...
with the power to influence humans. She begins by manipulating Tara and Eggs to achieve her goal of summoning her god to earth, and eventually takes control of almost the entire population of Bon Temps.
While Maryann begins establishing her hold on Bon Temps, Sookie is recruited by Eric to investigate the disappearance of his two-thousand-year-old maker and the Sheriff of Area 9 in Texas:
Godric (
Allan Hyde). While Sookie is absent from Bon Temps, Sam hires
Daphne Landry (
Ashley Jones) to join Merlotte's staff. Daphne (who is revealed to also be a shapeshifter) begins a romance with Sam, but is later exposed as working for Maryann. Jason also leaves Bon Temps for Dallas to join the Fellowship of the Sun, which Reverend Newlin has steered in a new militant direction despite the protestations of his wife
Sarah
Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pio ...
(
Anna Camp). Godric is discovered in the custody of the Fellowship, and one of Godric's lieutenants,
Isabel Beaumont (
Valerie Cruz), sends her human boyfriend Hugo (
Christopher Gartin) to assist Sookie in infiltrating the church. Though Eric's primary interest in Dallas is finding Godric, he also attempts to place himself between Sookie and Bill. To accomplish this, he enlists the aid of Bill's maker
Lorena (
Mariana Klaveno);, who thus becomes a more prominent contribution to the cast after a brief introduction in the first season. In the penultimate episode of the second season, once the conflict in Texas is concluded, the vampire queen of Louisiana
Sophie-Anne Leclerq (
Evan Rachel Wood) is introduced. Both Bill and Eric visit her in an attempt to find out how to defeat Maryann. Bill uses the information provided by Sophie-Anne to devise a plan involving Sam and Sookie, and the three manage to kill Maryann in the season two finale. Subsequently, Bill takes Sookie out to an exclusive French restaurant to propose to her. However, before she can give her answer, Bill is kidnapped.
Season three picks up straight after the events of season two with Sookie on the hunt to track down Bill and his kidnappers. She turns to Eric for help, who is not interested (seeing this turn of events as a chance to get Sookie for himself), but he ends up sending werewolf
Alcide Herveaux (
Joe Manganiello) for assistance after it is revealed that Bill was taken by V-addicted werewolves in the employ of the 3000-year-old vampire king of Mississippi,
Russell Edgington
''True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris.
This article includes main characters (i.e. characters played by a main cast member) ...
(
Denis O'Hare). Meanwhile, back in Bon Temps, Lafayette embarks on a relationship with his mother's care nurse and
brujo Jesús Velasquez (
Kevin Alejandro) and learns about his own special powers as a medium, while Sam hires a new waitress at Merlotte's, Wiccan Holly Cleary (
Lauren Bowles).
In season 4,
Jessica Tuck (
Nan Flanagan) and
Janina Gavankar (Luna) became season regulars.
Alexandra Breckenridge (Kate) and Vedette Lim (Naomi) became recurring actresses.
Joining the cast for season five was
Christopher Meloni, who previously starred on another of
HBO's own original series ''
Oz'' as well as ''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' for 12 years. Details on his character have yet to be released. Also joining the cast is
Scott Foley as Patrick, Terry's old war buddy, Louis Herthum as JD,
Kelly Overton as Rikki, a new werewolf curious how Marcus died,
Carolyn Hennesy
Carolyn Lee Hennesy (born June 10, 1962) is an American actress, author and animal advocate. Hennesy's early work consisted of guest appearances and roles in shows and television movies, including '' Dark Justice'' and in '' Deadly Invasion: Th ...
is expected to be Rosalyn Harris, a Texas vampire with twang, and Jacob Hopkins will play child vampire Chancellor Alexander Drew.
For season six, it was announced that
Robert Kazinsky would join the principal cast as Ben, a faerie and a potential love interest for Sookie. He will also help Sookie and Jason discover the truth about their parents' murders.
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick (born November 5, 1958) is an American actor. Known for portraying villains and honorable authority figures, he is a Saturn Award winner with four other nominations.
Patrick dropped out of college when drama class sparked ...
, who guest starred in season five as Jackson Herveaux, was promoted to series regular for season six.
Rutger Hauer, who starred in popular films such as
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick ...
and
Batman Begins
''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, ...
, was announced as a series regular playing Macklyn, a character with "strong ties to Sookie and Jason."
As reported by ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'',
Adina Porter
Adina Elizabeth Porter is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lettie Mae Thornton on the HBO fantasy horror series ''True Blood'' (2008–2014), Kendra James on the HBO drama series '' The Newsroom'' (2012–2014), and Indra ...
would be returning for the seventh season as a series regular after being credited as a Special Guest Star since season two. Also upgraded to regulars are season six guest stars
Amelia Rose Blaire as Willa Burrell,
Bailey Noble as Adilyn Bellefleur,
Luke Grimes as James and
Karolina Wydra
Karolina Wydra ( ; born March 5, 1981) is a Polish-American actress and model. She played Dominika Petrova on the Fox medical drama series ''House'', and vampire Violet Mazurski on the HBO dark fantasy series '' True Blood''. Wydra has starred i ...
as Violet Mazurski.
Season synopses
Season 1 (2008)
The main mystery of the first season concerns the murders of women connected to Sookie's brother, Jason. Maudette Pickens and Dawn Green are both strangled shortly after having been alone with him. Though Detective Bellefleur has little doubt that Jason is the killer, the town sheriff does not suspect him. Sookie's grandmother is murdered shortly afterward. After the murders, Jason becomes addicted to vampire blood and has a short relationship with another addict, Amy Burley, which ends when she is murdered as well. The season also focuses on Sookie's relationship with Bill and Sam's relationship with Sookie's friend Tara. Bill explains the rules of being a vampire to Sookie and, after killing a vampire to defend her, is forced to "turn" a young girl named Jessica into a vampire as punishment. The immature Jessica is left under Bill's care and starts to grow up both as a vampire and as a person. In the end, it is revealed that Arlene Fowler's fiancé, Rene Lenier, has been killing women who associate with vampires. Further, he is actually a man named Drew Marshall who created a false identity, complete with a fake Cajun accent. The season ends with the discovery of a body in Detective Andy Bellefleur's car in Merlotte's parking lot.
Season 2 (2009)
The second season loosely follows the plot of the second novel of ''
The Southern Vampire Mysteries
''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', also known as ''The True Blood Novels'' and ''The Sookie Stackhouse Novels'', is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. The first installment, ''Dead Until Dark'' (2001), won the A ...
'', ''
Living Dead in Dallas''. In addition, the character of
Sophie-Anne Leclerq, initially introduced in the sixth novel ''
Definitely Dead'', was introduced as a major supporting character. The main theme of the season involves the disappearance of
Godric, the 2,000-year-old vampire Sheriff of Area 9.
Eric
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* a ...
enlists Sookie and Bill's aid in finding the ancient vampire in Dallas. Their paths cross Jason's as he seeks to discover meaning in his life with the Fellowship of the Sun, a church dedicated to anti-vampire activities. A second theme concerns a
maenad
In Greek mythology, maenads (; grc, μαινάδες ) were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Maenads were known as Bassarids, ...
named
Maryann who visits Bon Temps after
Tara attracts her attention at the end of the first season. Maryann is a figure from
Sam
Sam, SAM or variants may refer to:
Places
* Sam, Benin
* Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Iran
* Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place
People and fictional ...
's past and knows his true identity as a shapeshifter. Her influence on the town and its residents results in mayhem that grows more destructive as the season progresses. At the end of the season, Bill proposes to Sookie but is kidnapped by unknown assailants when Sookie retreats to the bathroom to consider his proposal.
Season 3 (2010)
Season three loosely follows the plot of the third novel of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, ''
Club Dead
''Club Dead'' is the third book in Charlaine Harris's series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', released in 2003. In ''Club Dead'', Sookie's boyfriend Bill disappears while working on a secret project, and Sookie heads out to Jackson, Mississipp ...
'', and introduces
werewolves
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
to the show's mythology through Alcide, a werewolf hired by Eric to help Sookie find Bill. It also introduces the characters of
Russell Edgington
''True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris.
This article includes main characters (i.e. characters played by a main cast member) ...
, the Vampire King of Mississippi, who wishes to overturn the Vampire Authority. In addition, some characters from the fourth novel ''
Dead to the World'' are introduced:
Crystal Norris as Jason's love interest, her family of
werepanthers from Hotshot, and Sookie's "faerie godmother", Claudine. Sookie's heritage as part
faerie is also revealed later in the season, a major plot element from the eighth and ninth novels ''
From Dead to Worse'' and ''
Dead and Gone''. This season ends with Jason left to take care of the werepanthers of Hotshot, Tara leaving Bon Temps after a traumatic experience with a vampire, Sookie discovering that Bill was first sent to Bon Temps by the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sam shooting his brother, Tommy, and Hoyt and Jessica moving in together. The final cliffhanger involves Claudine taking Sookie away to the land of Faerie.
Season 4 (2011)
A coven of witches, led by Marnie, poses a threat to vampires when they discover the witches are working on necromancy. Sookie returns to Bon Temps after a year (even though for her she was away for only a few minutes in Faerie) to find Bill as the new King of Louisiana and that her brother and friends had given up hope of finding her. As the series progresses, a powerful necromancer from the 16th century, Antonia, possesses the body of Marnie in order to exact revenge on all vampires. Sookie starts a romance with Eric who has amnesia due to a spell cast by Antonia/Marnie. The witch Antonia eventually realizes the wrongdoing she's caused to innocent people and decides to stop. Yet Marnie, addicted to Antonia's power, binds her against her will to acquire her powers. Subplots include Lafayette's introduction to the world of magic and his abilities as a medium, Sam's family troubles, Alcide and Debbie's troubled relationship, and Jason, Hoyt and Jessica's love triangle. The finale is a series of cliffhangers, including a warning from the ghost of Rene that Terry will cause Arlene trouble, the escape of Russell Edgington, the reappearance of Steve Newlin as a vampire, and the shooting of Tara.
Season 5 (2012)
The season starts with Sookie and Lafayette asking for Pam to turn Tara into a vampire. Bill and Eric are captured by the Vampire Authority for killing Nan Flanagan. The two are almost sentenced to death by the Guardian, Roman, before revealing that Russell Edgington is alive and free after being released by a mysterious vampire. With the help of Sookie, the team discovers his hiding place and brings him in. Russell and his new vampire-companion, Steve Newlin, along with Salome, and Eric's vampire sister, Nora, redefine the values of the Authority and view humans as nothing more than food: just as Lilith of the Vampire bible wanted. Meanwhile, Alcide deals with his troubled rise to pack-master, Terry learns he is death-cursed after committing a terrible crime during the war in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, while Tara learns how to deal with her newly given life as Pam's progeny. Jason and Sookie discover that their parents were murdered by a vampire named Warlow. Hoyt gets involved with a hate group, then decides to leave for Alaska, just as Andy heads towards life as a family man, and Lafayette tries to deal with the powers given to him by Jesus. The season ends with the Authority leadership being wiped out during the True Blood crisis, and Bill drinking the entirety of the sacred vial of Lilith in front of Sookie and Eric. He soon meets the "true death", but shortly after, he "rises from the blood", as an even more powerful vampire reincarnation of Lilith ("Billith").
Season 6 (2013)
The sixth season of ''True Blood'' premiered on June 16, 2013. After Alan Ball's departure from the series at the end of season 5,
Brian Buckner replaced Ball as the show's showrunner. Season six focuses on Bill's abilities after he had drunk Lilith's blood. Sookie and Jason try to find Warlow, the vampire who killed their parents, with a fairy grandfather named Niall who arrives in Bon Temps while Louisiana governor Burrell leads a platform to eradicate the entire vampire race with Sarah Newlin. Sam and Alcide fight for Emma's safety; Terry struggles to live with himself after having killed Patrick; Andy raises his fairy daughters. Eric decides to turn the governor's daughter Willa into a vampire to convince him to stop his campaign, but she is put into a vampire camp by her father along with Eric, Pam, Jessica, and Tara, where they are all supposed to meet the sun according to Bill’s prophecy. Bill asks Sookie for help, who is considering becoming Warlow's vampire-fairy bride after discovering her parents tried to kill her when she was young. Eric has discovered that Sarah Newlin created a virus that kills vampires, later witnessing Dr. Overlark and Governor Burrell infect Nora in front of him. When the vampires are about to meet the sun, Bill offers his blood to them, allowing them to walk in the daylight. The season finishes six months later where Sookie is dating Alcide, Bill has released a book about the effects of drinking Lilith's blood, and Sam being the mayor of Bon Temps and selling his bar to Arlene, and a group of infected vampires heading toward the bar during a human/vampire outdoor night barbecue mixer.
Season 7 (2014)
The seventh and final season premiered on June 22, 2014, with the last episode was airing on August 24, 2014. In this season, Bon Temps is terrorized by a group of vampires infected with the virus created in the previous season. They kill Tara and kidnap Arlene, Holly, Jane Bodehouse, Kevin and Nicole. Pam travels the world in search of Eric, who is found in France infected by the virus. They return to Bon Temps and help Sookie, Bill, and Jessica rescue the people who were kidnapped, after Sookie and Bill’s first attempt results in Alcide's death and Sookie being infected by the virus which she later transmits to Bill. Eric and Pam search for Sarah Newlin, who supposedly has an antidote for the virus. Several characters encounter closure like Lettie Mae making peace with Tara through visions caused by vampire blood, Jessica and Hoyt getting married after reuniting during the season, Lafayette entering a relationship with Jessica's ex-boyfriend James, and Sam leaving Bon Temps with Nicole. At the end of the series, Bill refuses to take the antidote to heal himself from the virus and asks Sookie to give him the "ultimate kindness". Sookie eventually agrees and strikes Bill's heart with a wooden stick in his grave at Bon Temps cemetery. Pam and Eric successfully sell the new Tru Blood with the antidote. The last scene of the series shows a pregnant Sookie sitting outside at a table full of people on Thanksgiving beside a mysterious man. They kiss and drink, and everyone around them appears to be happy.
Reception
Critical reception
The series has an approval rating of 70% on the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website Rotten Tomatoes.
The first season of ''True Blood'' received positive reviews, despite initial impressions being mixed. Linda Stasi of the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' wrote of the opening episodes:
If HBO's new vampire show is any indication, there would still be countless deaths – especially among vampire hunters and the viewers who love them – because everyone would be dying of boredom. And so it is with HBO's new series from death-obsessed Alan Ball, creator of the legendary '' Six Feet Under'', whose new show ''True Blood'', won't so much make your blood run cold as it will leave you cold.
Robert Bianco of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
'' concluded:
Sexy, witty and unabashedly peculiar, ''True Blood'' is a blood-drenched Southern Gothic romantic parable set in a world where vampires are out and about and campaigning for equal rights. Part mystery, part fantasy, part comedy, and all wildly imaginative exaggeration, '' rueBlood'' proves that there's still vibrant life — or death — left in the 'star-crossed
"Star-crossed" or "star-crossed lovers" is a phrase describing a pair of lovers who, for some external reason, cannot be together. The term also has other meanings, but originally means that the pairing is being "thwarted by a malign star" or ...
cute lovers' paradigm. You just have to know where to stake your romantic claim.
The series achieved its highest
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
rating of 95%, with an average rating of 8.25/10 based on 22 reviews, during its third season. The critical consensus of the season reads, "''True Blood'' seems to fully understand its appeal, and its third season provides plenty of graphic thrills, steamy romance, and biting satire for its fans."
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, another aggregator of critical responses, found "generally favorable reviews" for the first five seasons, with ratings of 63, 74, 79, 74 and 74, respectively.
[
The sixth season, notable for being the first of the series not to have Alan Ball as showrunner, was met with mixed reviews in contrast to the acclaim of the previous five seasons. Many critics noted the decreasing quality of the scripts and production values. In his review, Brian Lowry of '' Variety'' remarked:
]People can debate when “''True Blood''’s” creative rigor mortis officially set in — somewhere during that stretch when the show began piling one supernatural creature upon another (werewolves and witches and faeries, oh my!) — but suffice it to say this once-significant and hugely lucrative HBO series limps into its seventh and final season looking pretty anemic.
The sixth and seventh seasons each received an approval rating of 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus of season six reading: "A major letdown coming off the end of season five, ''True Blood'' seems to be running out of steam and isn't aging as elegantly as its eternal vampires." On Metacritic, the sixth season rated 58, while the seventh 54, both indicating "mixed or average reviews".[
The cast received positive reviews for their performances, with praise going to the performances of Anna Paquin and ]Nelsan Ellis
Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017) was an American actor and playwright. He achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO television series ''True Blood'' (2008–2014), for which he won a Sat ...
. For the first season, Anna Paquin won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
at the 66th Golden Globe Awards; she was also nominated the next year and won the Saturn Award
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
for Best Actress in a Series, Drama at the 13th Satellite Awards
The 13th Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2008, were given on December 14, 2008.
Special achievement awards
Auteur Award (for his signature scope and style of filmmaking) – Baz Luhrmann
Mary Pickford Award (for ou ...
, a ceremony in which Nelsan Ellis
Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017) was an American actor and playwright. He achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO television series ''True Blood'' (2008–2014), for which he won a Sat ...
also won Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. Stephen Moyer won the award for Best Actor on Television at the 2010 ceremony.
Cultural influence
''True Blood'' was the subject of a ''Sesame Street'' sketch parody titled "True Mud" (2010), featuring puppet versions of Sookie, Bill, Lafayette, Sam, Tara, and Sheriff Dearborne. In the skit, Muppet Sookie struggles to fulfill Muppet Bill's pleas for a pint of "True Mud", as the other characters speculate whether or not he is a "grouch".
Anna Paquin (Sookie), Stephen Moyer (Bill), and Alexander Skarsgård (Eric) appeared on the September 2010 cover of ''Rolling Stone'' covered in blood and completely naked. This cover drew criticism due to the image's supposed promotion of sexuality and violence. The show's creator, Alan Ball, stated in the magazine, "To me, vampires are sex... I don't get a vampire story about abstinence. I'm 53. I don't care about high school students. I find them irritating and uninformed."
Professional wrestler Matt Hardy credits the show as the inspiration for his "Broken" Matt Hardy character.
Comparisons to LGBT rights
The struggle for vampire equality in ''True Blood'' has been interpreted as an allegory for the LGBT rights movement. Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris Schulz (born November 25, 1951) is an American author who specializes in mysteries. She is best known for her book series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', which was adapted as the TV series ''True Blood''. The television show ...
, the author of the book series
A book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their pub ...
on which the show is based, stated that her initial characterization for the vampires were as "...a minority that was trying to get equal rights". Several phrases in the series are borrowed and adapted from expressions used against and about LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term i ...
people, such as "God Hates Fangs" ( God Hates Fags) and "Coming out of the coffin" ( coming out of the closet).
''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
''s Ken Tucker
Kenneth Tucker is an American arts, music and television critic, magazine editor, and non-fiction book writer.
Early life and education
Tucker was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. He earned a ...
wrote that the show is built "around a series of metaphors: Vampire rights stand in for gay rights, and now the clever laughs elicited from this bratty-vampire girl represent an extreme of adolescent rebelliousness". David Bianculli of NPR wrote, "''True Blood'' is big on allegory, and the tension about accepting vampires into society is an obvious play on civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...
in general, and gay rights in particular". However, the series' creator, Alan Ball, who is gay, has stated that such a comparison is lazy and possibly homophobic
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...
; and Lauren Gutterman of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies has expressed concerns that the show might perpetuate negative stereotype
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for exampl ...
s of homosexuals as deviants.
Ratings
The first episode of ''True Blood'' debuted at a very modest 1.44 million viewers compared to the network's past drama premiers such as '' Big Love'' which premiered at 4.56 million, and '' John from Cincinnati'' which debuted at 3.4 million. However, by late November 2008, 6.8 million a week were watching: this figure included repeat and on-demand viewings. The season finale's viewership was 2.4 million.
The second-season premiere of the series (June 14, 2009) was viewed by 3.7 million, making it the most watched program on HBO since the series finale of ''The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
''. The total number of viewers for the season premiere, including the late night replay, was 5.1 million.
The tenth episode of the second season (August 23, 2009) was seen by 5.3 million viewers, a new record for the series. The second season's finale (September 13, 2009) was seen by 5.1 million viewers. An average of 12.4 million a week watched the second season.
The ninth episode of the fourth season (August 21, 2011) set a new record with 5.53 million viewers, making it the most viewed episode to date.
''True Blood'' is HBO's most watched series since ''The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
''. The show was declared the eighth highest rated show for the first ten years of IMDb.com Pro (2002–2012).
U.S. Nielsen ratings
Awards and nominations
The show won an Outstanding Casting for a Drama at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! broadcast the Creative Arts event; both took place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations were announced on ...
; the two lead actors have both been recognized for their performances:
* Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse is a fictional character and protagonist of ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' book series, written by Charlaine Harris. In HBO's television adaptation, ''True Blood'', Sookie is portrayed by Anna Paquin.
Creation and casting
...
, for Best Actress in a Drama at the 13th Satellite Awards
The 13th Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2008, were given on December 14, 2008.
Special achievement awards
Auteur Award (for his signature scope and style of filmmaking) – Baz Luhrmann
Mary Pickford Award (for ou ...
* Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton
William H. Compton, Jr. (October 6, 1945, Rockford, Illinois – August 27, 2007) was a mental health advocate in California who attained national stature. After a mental health crisis in 1989, he became heavily involved in self-help and ...
for Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to th ...
at the 37th Saturn Awards
The 37th Saturn Awards, honoring the best in science fiction, fantasy and horror film and television in 2010 were held on June 23, 2011.
Winners and nominees Film
Television Programs
Acting
DVD Releases
References
External links
Officia ...
The show received an American Film Institute Award in 2009 as "One of the 10 Best TV Programs" and was chosen as "Favorite TV Obsession" at the 36th People's Choice Awards. Its stunt performers
A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
have been recognized for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards.
DVD and Blu-ray releases
The ''True Blood'' DVDs have been consistent best-sellers in the US. By the end of 2009, the first season DVD had sold over 1.6 million units and taken in over $57 million. It was the only TV show in the 50 top-selling DVDs of 2009. The second season DVD sold a total of 1,159,509 units in 2010, earning over $41 million. The third season DVD was the 61st best-selling DVD of 2011, selling almost 1 million copies and earning over $30 million. It was the best selling TV box set of 2011. In its first week of release—the week ending June 2, 2012—season four debuted at number one on the UK "TV on Video" chart. However, it reached only number six in the combined DVD chart. In its first week of release in North America, it sold over 660,000 units, earning nearly $20 million. In its second week of release in North America, it sold a further 120,000 units (making a combined total of 784,000 units sold), earning another $4 million.
Reboot
In December 2020, it was announced that HBO is developing a reboot of ''True Blood''. The original series' creator and original showrunner, Alan Ball, is set to executive produce the reboot.
See also
* ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries
''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', also known as ''The True Blood Novels'' and ''The Sookie Stackhouse Novels'', is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. The first installment, ''Dead Until Dark'' (2001), won the A ...
''
* List of vampire television series
* Vampire film
* Vampire literature
Notes
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References
External links
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