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'True Blood' - 'Beautifully Broken': I hate werewolf Nazis

Posted on Sunday, Jun 20, 2010 By Alan Sepinwall
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'True Blood' - 'Beautifully Broken': I hate werewolf Nazis

Get out of Lafayette's dreams and into his car!

Credit: HBO

Once again, I watch but don't much care for "True Blood," but I know that enough of you do that I'm going to provide these weekly posts to discuss the episodes after I've seen them. (I've watched the first three in advance; I'm not sure whether HBO will keep providing them in that fashion or if I'll be watching live or on a DVR delay as the season moves along.) 

Anyway, just as soon as a baby armadillo sleeps under my bed, what did everybody think of episode two?

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  • Default-avatar

    Ralph The writing has gotten better this season so far. Its much more dark and scary. Also, I love Denis OHare.

    June 20, 2010 at 9:13PM EST Reply to Comment
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    mwilson0701 As long as they never mention Mary-Ann again, I will keep watching.

    June 20, 2010 at 9:28PM EST Reply to Comment
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      Ralph I agree with you. The Maryann storyline ruined what was an otherwise near perfect season. That Dallas storyline was great though.

      June 20, 2010 at 9:42PM EST
    • Titus_talkback_profile

      semicolwin how can you call it a 'near perfect season' and then say that one of the biggest storylines of the season (Mary-Ann's) was bad? All the big, important storylines of a season need to be good for it to reasonably be called 'near perfect'.

      June 22, 2010 at 10:11AM EST
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    Max I don't really care for the changes they've gone with compared to the books. Not because it's different, that's fine, but they make changes and then insist on the show still obeying the rules set down by the books, when most every change they introduce violates every rule the books lay down. I'm really not cool with the "Eric is selling V!" storyline, it's just very out of character and kinda beneath him. The way they've portrayed the Queen of Louisiana is so fucking wrong. A horrible change. Also, has anyone noticed two episodes have gone by and Sookie seems to be a supporting character in her own goddamn series?

    June 20, 2010 at 9:39PM EST Reply to Comment
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      Jake "it's just very out of character and kinda beneath him."

      Hes doing it against his will. Hes being forced to do it by the Queen. Is he stronger than the queen? Sure, but he has to follow her orders because of the hierarchy, whhich is not chosen based on age.

      June 20, 2010 at 9:47PM EST
    • As a book fan, I have to disagree here. I think they're doing a pretty good job of taking threads of the book and weaving them into the world they've created on the TV show. (The jury's still out on this whole Nazi werewolf thing, though.)

      June 20, 2010 at 10:44PM EST
    • Madmen_icon_talkback_profile

      LJA I honestly think a lot of people who have read the books are at somewhat of a disadvantage with this show. I've never read the books, and therefore, I don't experience any of the frustration that many of the readers seem to have. The readers seem to have certain expectations about character or plot. I'm just experiencing fun and outrageous story-telling, and I'm just enjoying every campy, sexy moment of it.

      June 20, 2010 at 10:55PM EST
    • As a huge fan of the books, I hated the show at first, because of all the changes and such (and I hated Eric until they cut his Jenny Jones hair off).

      I chose to separate the show from the books and try to think of them as completely different things that have a few similarities. It helps me be able to enjoy the show way more, lol!

      June 22, 2010 at 7:25AM EST
  • I don't mind Eric and the Queen selling V because it adds more dramatic flare. Franklin, the new vampire, finding Biill's file on the Stackhouses makes me wonder if they're gonna go through at all with Bill and Sookie's relationship ending as it did in the books. I read somewhere that Alan Ball wants to keep them together but it doesn't work out that way at all in the books. I'm liking it so far how they're sort of re-imagining some things that happen but yeah.. Mary-Ann was a waste. She was only in the books for a couple of pages. Hope Tara shuts up soon.

    June 20, 2010 at 10:05PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Truck I've been wondering: is this one of those shows that is intentionally bad? I have a feeling I'm missing the point. I watch the show and think it is just straight bad, but maybe it's laughably bad and I haven't gotten it yet.

    I guess my question is: why do people like this show? Do they really like the plot and acting?

    June 20, 2010 at 10:29PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Cranky2_talkback_profile

      xbrooklyngrrl I keep wondering the same thing. I watch it, but reluctantly; it just keeps not quite working, and definitely doesn't mesermerize the way Breaking Bad did this season. It just doesn't fall together; too much and yet not enough. ANd sorry, maybe it's a guy thing, but I really don't like Anna Pacquin, she just seems drippy, and her true vampire love is too courtly.

      And Nazis? Did they have to go there?

      June 20, 2010 at 10:35PM EST
    • Madmen_icon_talkback_profile

      LJA To me, it's a guilty pleasure. I think a couple of the actors are giving legitimately decent performances, but mostly it's just fun, kitchy, outrageous, campy pulp. If you don't take it seriously or judge it with the same criteria you'd judge Mad Men, there's no harm done.

      To me, it's like this: People who listen to NPR tune in to Howard Stern every now and then for a laugh and to blow off steam. There's no point in comparing apples to oranges.

      June 20, 2010 at 11:01PM EST
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      Loretta @LJA: Agree completely, and great analogy. I love and appreciate serious television (Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Wire) but sometimes I just wanna watch Jason Stackhouse be stupid and hear Lafayette say something sassy. I'm completely aware that it's a silly, over-the-top show.

      Also, to all those saying that Sookie seems like a supporting character in her own series, I say: thank goodness. She was definitely the weak link in the first season, and I'm glad to see them focusing on others (Eric, Sam, Jason, etc) more.

      June 21, 2010 at 7:16AM EST
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      PotatoSolution I watch it because I have nothing better to do at 9pm on Sunday night. And this show makes me laugh at least once an episode (sometimes intentionally).

      June 21, 2010 at 10:44AM EST
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      Chazz_Goodtimes No- I don't think the show is intentionally bad, though it is my favorite source of unintentional comedy. I think to some extent they write it, and act it, a little bit campy so it is entertaining enough on a Sunday night for me. Think The Mummy movie franchise and you're alomst there.

      I think the biggest problem is that Sookie is an excruciatingly annoying character made worse by Anna Paquin's awful acting and accent. Her scenes go beyond the fun unintentional comedy to something thats just bad television.

      June 21, 2010 at 1:41PM EST
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      Miles Ellison It is a pretty bad show, but people love trailer trash vampire sex romps.

      June 23, 2010 at 7:59PM EST
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      jen The plot and acting on this show are excellent. They just aren't plots you apparently care about. There are plenty of shows people talk about as excellent that I find completely uninpired and boring re-treads of the same old same old. Castle is one of those - It's just not going to be my taste, no matter how many people tell me that it's well-written. Alan Ball has done an excellent job with True Blood of putting together pulpy, dramatic, interesting plots, that still manage to have deeper meaning and underlying themes that run through the seasons.

      June 24, 2010 at 10:34AM EST
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    James Truck, the writing this season has been a major improvement over seasons 1 & 2. It's like the 3rd season of Big Love. That's how good these last 2 episodes have been.

    June 20, 2010 at 11:24PM EST Reply to Comment
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      Tom One of the best shows on tv. I agree with James, in fact I think it's better than Buffy was.

      June 20, 2010 at 11:32PM EST
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    J Watching:

    Vampires < Paint dry

    June 21, 2010 at 12:46AM EST Reply to Comment
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      rachelmed Wow. Thanks for being so insightful and adding a lot to the discussion!

      June 21, 2010 at 1:56AM EST
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      J You're welcome.

      June 21, 2010 at 5:08PM EST
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    Matt Write a comment..."I don't like True Blood, but I'm going to post about it! I'm totally doing it for the fans and not to be a self-serving whiny little internet troll too! Really!"

    Gimme a break. If you whine about something you hate online, you're doing it for yourself, usually to get attention.

    June 21, 2010 at 1:10AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Cranky2_talkback_profile

      xbrooklyngrrl I often don't agree with Alan, but I get what he's doing, and there's NO whining. He doesn't like the show, but he's providing a forum for his readers cause many of them do....and he never said Hate, that's a word used too often on b logs.
      It's not hating to find something not your style...we do NOT have to all agree.

      June 21, 2010 at 1:17AM EST
    • Madmen_icon_talkback_profile

      LJA Matt - I'd rather have Alan say upfront, like he does, that he's not a fan. There's another writer on HitFix who is recapping (vs reviewing) the episodes who is also not a fan. The difference is, the recapping writer openly mocks the episodes, and by extension, insults the viewers with her tone. Alan's upfront with his indifference to the show and doesn't take it so far as to mock the rest of us. I'm happy for Alan's space to convene and wish HitFix would change writers over in the "recap" blog.

      June 21, 2010 at 10:37AM EST
  • Cranky2_talkback_profile

    xbrooklyngrrl @ LJA: I prefer a whole lot more pleasure with my guilt, this show leaves me always wanting it to be better. It's like sex, but lousy sex: was it better than nothing when I know how good it could be??? It's like Big Love, which last season was taut and this season abused my loyalty. And the acting, well, it's barely there, lots of posing and bare chests, bad accents (why hire a full cast of Brits and Aussies????). But I get that people enjoy it....I'll quit commenting.

    June 21, 2010 at 1:13AM EST Reply to Comment
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    EOTW As a longtime fan of your first blog, why even bother to keep watching a show you obviously detest? I hated this show from the first minutes of the pilot and could barely finish that (Ball lost it after the third season of 6FU anyway). Concentrate on the shows you care about, not this crap. How far HBO has allen. Life is too short for this garbage.

    June 21, 2010 at 1:16AM EST Reply to Comment
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      Bill Garbage? This show is just as good as Buffy was.

      June 21, 2010 at 1:29AM EST
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      Canadianskeezix Allan is a television journalist, and like any journalist he doesn't necessarily just follow the stories that interest him the most. As a fan of his blog, you would know that he keeps track of what is happening in television by following, to varying degrees,high profile shows that he does not necessarily count among his favourites.

      June 21, 2010 at 11:47AM EST
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    Bill This show is very taut.

    June 21, 2010 at 1:33AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Like Eric's ass.

      June 22, 2010 at 7:28AM EST
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    rachelmed I really liked this episode and agree with others that the writing has gotten much better in these two episodes. I was also over Maryanne way before her storyline ended and now my only real gripe with the show is Tara and her pouting. I like James Frain who plays the vampire Tara met this episode so hopefully having them paired will get me back on her side.

    I also enjoyed Sookie's little line about expecting Bill to come through the door at any minute and say "Sookeh!", haha. I like that it can laugh at itself and Anna did a pretty good impression of Moyer's delivery herself!

    True Blood is a kind of guilty pleasure for me and I'm very thankful you provide a place for us to discuss it even though you don't like it much yourself Alan. If you continue to do this I don't think you need to watch it though and torture yourself. A space to write is good enough for me.

    June 21, 2010 at 2:03AM EST Reply to Comment
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      Pedestrienne Agree with all you've said, rachelmed!

      True Blood is a fab guilty pleasure, and I think a lot of the writers and actors are canny enough that they know it and enjoy throwing us a bit of juicy ham. Evidence: Paquin's "Sookeh!"

      I too think the writing has tightened up. I didn't mind the Maryanne storyline, but I did feel it was overhyped, although I was happy with the conclusion.

      Yes, "Nazi werewolves" is a bit cheesebags, but didn't Eric confirm in the episode that that's not really what they are, hence directing us toward shedding that moniker for them already?

      June 22, 2010 at 4:31AM EST
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    timb First Spartacus and now True Blood? If I didn't know better Alan, I'd think you were blogging for the Family Research Council or Brent Bozzell

    June 21, 2010 at 9:10AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Sara I hate to play spoiler Nazi, or even spoiler werewolf Nazi, but is there any chance we can classify plot points from the books as spoilers, Alan? Thanks to someone upthread, we now know that Bill and Sookeh's relationship ends somehow.

    June 21, 2010 at 11:14AM EST Reply to Comment
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    SR Error on the photo caption. That's Eric, no Lafayette.

    June 21, 2010 at 12:19PM EST Reply to Comment
  • I have to say, this is one of my favorite shows on television. It's, by far, not the best show on TV, but to me, it's funny, scary, sexy, and thrilling. Sookie is probably my least favorite character. Her character is very annoying, and I don't care much for Bill's character either. Doesn't seem that Bill has much of an edge, especially for a vampire. I love Eric, and I think that he and Sookie would make a hot couple, and I am sure we will see this in the show's near future. I also like Lafayette. I love how he goes off on Tara's mother, says to her what everyone is thinking. Lafayette provides great comic relief for this show, I am glad the show didn't kill him off as the book did.

    June 21, 2010 at 1:38PM EST Reply to Comment
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    organ Since Alan won't be recapping TB much this season, may i recommend Videogum Gabe's hilarious recap-reviews : http://videogum.com/tag/true-blood/

    Though i gave up on TB as a quality show halfway through season one, i'm still watching despite all the plot contrivances, too many characters which leads toa lack of any deeper characterization and the "let's sex it up even further" reasoning of the producers.

    June 21, 2010 at 1:40PM EST Reply to Comment
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      SaneN85 LJA desribes the recap this link is to perfectly, "The difference is, the recapping writer openly mocks the episodes, and by extension, insults the viewers with her tone."

      I've found that TVGasm does a great True Blood recap without suggesting their readers are idiots for watching it. Now, if only they can get it out in a timely manner.

      June 21, 2010 at 4:42PM EST
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    Lepidoptera I'm completely ashamed that I once enjoyed this disaster. A part of me still stands by the contention that the first season was good TV, but the idea of this has been so obscured by this pathetic attempt to keep up with Twilight that simply divorcing myself from this trainwreck is far easier to do.

    The werewolves subplot (main plot??) is not just insulting, predictable, cliched, juvenile, and small-minded. It's insanely poorly written. This has devolved into soft-porn with the kink being strange, inexplicable appearances of every tired supernatural creature imaginable. Think "the Thriller video" with less plot, less reason, smaller imagination, and fewer clothes.

    Is Sookie going to sleep with Eric? Is Bill going to sleep with Eric? Is everybody going to sleep with Jessica? Who cares, here come the werewolves to distract you from the fact that no character has a story worth following. I am done, done, done, and shamed by the fact that I made it this far.

    June 21, 2010 at 10:37PM EST Reply to Comment
    • I totally understand your frustration with this show. The first season was awesome, and original. Because of the current vampire craze that was set forth by Twilight and True Blood, it has gone into predictable mode. But in Alan Ball's defense, the Sookie Stackhouse series of did incorporate all of these predictable elements into the books, so at least the show is staying true to the overall concepts provided in the books, even though some of the actual storylines differ from the books considerably. But I do feel that the show is straying from it's first season's originality. I will continue to watch, because the show is entertaining, but it is not turning out to be what it promised.

      June 22, 2010 at 11:54AM EST
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    Michael I've found these two episodes highly entertaining. Is that so bad for a tv show? It's fun, light, fantasy with great production values. I'd say the dullest scenes for me are the flashbacks (this season as much as last). But the rest zips by and I have a great time. Plus, it's one of the few series I can enjoy equally with my boyfriend (who likes stuff like Desperate Housewives while I prefer shows like Deadwood/The Wire).

    June 22, 2010 at 5:20PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Tim Fairweather I was disappointed ... the werewolves are much too weak to really be a threat.

    June 23, 2010 at 3:20PM EST Reply to Comment

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  • All through his childhood, Alan Sepinwall's relatives told his parents, "All that boy does is watch television! How's he going to make a living doing that?" His career as a TV critic has been 14 years and counting of his attempt to answer their concerns. "What's Alan Watching" is a blog whose title is self-explanatory: Alan watches TV shows, then writes about what he watched.

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