- Chantez et vous trouverez votre chanson -

Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.
     -George Bernard Shaw

It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves- in finding themselves.
      -Andre Gide

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Fall '08... Vampire Fever

I returned from France to a vampire-obsessed country.  Then I decided to join it.  

After hearing good things about HBO's series, True Blood, I decided to download the first episode of the season (albeit almost 3 months late) and check it out.  Instant addiction.  

I managed to watch the next ten episodes within a span of 4 days (to get ready for tonight's season finale).  And when I finished watching the next-to-last episode on Friday, I couldn't wait until tonight's finale... so I ran to B&N and bought the first of the Sookie Stackhouse novels (the novel set the series is based on), Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris to hold me over.  Finished it in a day.  Whew.

I don't know what's come over me, but I cannot get enough of vampire Bill Compton!  I don't know the last time I've been like this about a TV show.  Wait, maybe I do.... May 2007, Heroes season 1, ha, but this is different.  

This quickie vamp obsession is probably helped in part by the fact that I do not currently have a day job.... but man, do I love this show.  I love the intense attraction and deep love between Sookie and Bill, I love Bill's charming ways, I love the witty dialogue, I love the allusion to real life issues in this fantasy world, and I love the quirky cast of characters. 

In case you haven't caught the bug yet, here's a brief little synopsis...

Two years ago, vampires officially "came out of the coffin" and now wish to be accepted into society, due to a new Japanese synthetic blood drink on the market (meaning they no longer must kill for their blood fix).  In the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, the townspeople haven't quite accepted the idea of vampires in society when Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer) arrives.  A vampire from the 1800's, his family originates from Bon Temps, and he is hoping to "mainstream" and live amongst the townspeople once again.

Cue in Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a waitress in her mid-twenties and the only truly open (and somewhat naive) person to accept Bill.  She has no qualms about an outsider since she is one herself... ever since she was a girl, she's had the "gift" of reading people's every thought, making it difficult to fit in and especially difficult to date.  With Bill, she can relax and be herself.  Yet as she grows closer to Bill (very, very close... wink wink), the danger around her increases.  The small town of Bon Temps witnesses more murders than it ever has and the prejudices of the townspeople try to break them apart...

Throw in her extremely hot (yet very dumb) brother Jason, who has made his way through every hot girl in town (not too bad to see...hahaha) and gets hooked on the designer drug of the day, V (vampire blood), her "watchdog" of a boss Sam, her outspoken and wise-cracking best friend Tara, Tara's flamboyantly fabulous burger-flipping cousin Lafayette, a set of vampires with perfect deadpan humor, and a cast of crazy Southern good ol' boys and you have yourself a show.  Trusttt me, you need to watch it if you haven't started yet.

Season 1 ended tonight and sadly it will not return until Summer 2009.  I may make it through all eight Sookie Stackhouse novels by then, but hopefully I can hold out for the show....sighhh.  I miss Bill already, haha.

Now, I haven't read any of the Twilight series nor have I seen the movie, so I have no real way to compare, but from what I've heard others mention, it seems in some ways, Twilight is the PG-13 version of True Blood.  Both are love stories between a human and a vampire (yet both stories have other plot twists and turns), but after all the intensity, blood, drugs and well, sex in True Blood, I don't think Twilight would interest or hold any mystique for me anymore. Thoughts?  If you've seen and/or read both vamp series, comment and tell me the similarities and differences.  I'm really curious!  And if you just loveee Twilight... tell me why it's so great (other than Robert Pattinson, I can tell he's great myself, hahaha).

Big love for True Blood - great article from msnbc.com today about True Blood