True Blood Season 5

Hey guys!

So roommate number two has moved in! Her name is Odessa, so I'm sure you'll be hearing more about her sometime. :) So, without further ado, my True Blood Season Five Review!

I got into True Blood about a year ago, and watched the first two seasons. Then I stopped. Earlier this year, as the hype started to build for season five, I shotgunned through seasons three and four, just in time for season five to break in June 10th.

As a disclaimer, this show is rated 18A (R) for violence and sexuality/nudity. It’s really graphic, and I’m saying that as someone who watches a lot of graphic shows. This one is rough, even by HBO standards. Also, this review is going to spoil the most recent one. You have been warned.

The season covers Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and their relationship with the vampire authority. After it’s revealed that Russel Edgington (super bad guy, played by Denis O'Hare) is still alive after being released by a mystery vampire, and that Bill and Eric killed Nan Flanagan, they narrowly avoid the true death. The Guardian of the vampire governing body, the Authority, says that they can live, provided they hunt down Russel. Of course, Sookie (Anna Paquin) cannot be left out of all this, so they enlist her. There’s also some side plot business involving Alcide and some drug addicted werewolves. There’s also another side plot involving Terry and his PTSD, but I’m not going to get into that. It turns out that there’s a vampire bible, and that God was a vampire. Cray-cray, I know. One of the chancellors of the Authority (named Salome, the same one from the bible, played by Valentina Cervi) broke Russel out, and with the help of Eric’s vampire sister, Nora (Lucy Griffiths), is working to install an ultra-conservative religious-based government called the Sanguinistas. The Sanguinista movement is about how humans are meant to be kept for food and nothing more. Bill succumbs to this school of thought after a religious experience, although Eric is more skeptical.

I really liked how this seasons seemed the most likely to have real world applications. I thought the storyline with the Sanguinistas has a lot of parallels to what America would look like with a religion-based government. Alan Ball (series creator) had mentioned that has drawn inspiration from Rick Santorum, and his campaign, which I feel you can see easily. I loved this season, because it was so real, even though it’s all about these supernatural creatures that couldn’t be farther from real. The same sort of real-life application was also visible in the struggles of the werewolf pack with drug addiction.

Over the past seasons, the characters have changed so much. I think that’s the sign of a well0-written show. Eric has gone from a hateful and heartless bloodsucker to a thoughtful and deep character that is universally liked. Bill has gone the other way. In the beginning he was the loving family-man, but now it’s difficult to say what he even is next season.  Even Jason has manned up. The corollary to this is Sookie. She has remained a constant this whole time.  Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you!

This is easily one of my favourite shows. Even though it’s about really outlandish subject matter, it’s edgy and relevant to current events. Fantastic. Check it out! (If you’re of age, and not squeamish!)