Hooray! for vampires on mainstream tv. We need more of it.
That's where my delight in this series ended. Two words: WHINY HEROINE.
God, she's awful. I just wanted to punch her from scene 2, ep one, and it didn't get better. I'm sure she can't be like that in the books, or they wouldn't be such a hit.
TV Sookie invades people's privacy and then complains like a squashed skunk when people do the same to her. She complains all the time without a thought for any one else's problems. And even though she's almighty perky (my, is she perky. TV Sookie: hey, bar patron whom I so clearly think I'm better than, can you see how perky I am? No? Can I push my titties out just a little more? See now? No? How's about I wiggle my tush? Get it now? Great. kthxbai) if a guy should find her attractive, that's a mortal sin. What a be-yatch.
TV Sookie is the Thought Police. News flash, Sookie: people are entitled to think what they like, even if it offends your virginal little sensibilities.
Oh yeah. Did I not mention she's a virgin? Riiiiight.
And she's so self-absorbed. Everything has to be about her. Example: ep 2, where Bill tastes her blood for the first time.
TV Sookie: "Do I taste different to everyone else?"
Spew. I was so hoping Bill would say, no, actually, you're common as dirt, girl :)
And what's with dressing up in a white nightie and running out into the forest? What a princess.
However.
The series wasn't a total loss. Redeeming features:
1) Bill. He's a clumsy fool, but he's kinda cool. This actor makes a much better vampire in Ultraviolet, btw. See:
3) Lafayette. Sassy. Alas, he's no more.
4) Rene being the killer. I like Rene. Pity he didn't kill Sookie too. Stay in the grave, Sookie.
Rant over. I was disappointed. I'll get over it. And, I'll probably watch Season Two. Even if just to see Eric in that muscle shirt again.
That's enough outa me -- what did you guys think of this series? Hit or miss?
I watched the first episode and got so annoyed that I never went back. Hubby liked it, though.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't even say WHY - it just didn't grab me, and I came out of it going, "Well, there was a waste of time."
Meh. Vampires done well are a dying breed, apparently.
Yeah, it's a shame. Unfortunately it's also put me off reading the books. No doubt I'm missing a good series.
ReplyDeleteBut lots of people really loved TB. Maybe I'm just jaded :)
I came to it from the books. Just as well I can say "Alan Ball did Six Feet Under, what in hell is he going to do here".
ReplyDeleteSuffice to say the books are 1st person. Alan has changed as seen fit but better to view the two as separate entities (Charlaine has been said to like what's happened to her characters btw). The books are also much more light/humorous in their take on the characters.
Sookie - yeah she's like that. Eric rocks. He & Pam are my favourties both in the books and the series (so far). I'm hoping Eric does get to follow the book developments (cause Jason, Lafayette, Sam & Tara are more removed to the point of which series was I reading in some cases).
It's not bad.......I'm holding verdict out for season two meanderings.
The ending of the TV series did look promising. I wanna see more of Sam the shapeshifter :) and that vampire girl Bill created looks like a whole lotta trouble...
ReplyDelete*humming My Lips are Sealed*
ReplyDeleteActually I wouldn't want to predict what Ball has planned (eg's a)Jason's 'Gaia' loving girlfriend is a complete Ball construct of a character, b)Arlene not Tara is more Sookie's best friend). I like Sam in the books, so far here it's not so good *sigh*.
I'm impatient for the were, shifters & faerie elements to appear...and of course waaaaay more Eric. *oops* LMAO
Mmm... Eric can come scowl in my nightclub anytime :)
ReplyDeleteI don't have Showcase (just basic cable), but I saw an ad for it one evening. Sookie was yelling about I-don't-know-what, and it was HILARIOUS! It's the accent. Some accents are just freaking hilarious when the person is yelling - Sookie's is one of them :-)
ReplyDeleteI never liked Sookie, and thus I never really connected with the books. Read or skim-read about five of them before I gave up. Just because something is a bestseller, that's no guarantee that I'll like it ;-)
Oh, so she's a pain in the rear end in the books too? :D How bizarre. Perhaps it's an American thing, like hair length... The meaning of the Australian term 'sook' doesn't do her any favours, either.
ReplyDeleteSouthern accents never really did it for me. Always make me think of those dudes on Jerry Springer who marry their sisters, or whatever... apologies to any Southern folk reading. I do understand you're not all like that ;)
Although after watching WOLVERINE last night, I'm rather partial to Gambit. A sexy Louisiana drawl if I ever heard one. No doubt the actor isn't even from Louisiana and locals would think his accent was terrible, a la Meryl Streep's dingo. But I liked it.
Sookie-Sookie-la-la...Hey, she lives in Louisiana, which is LA...Sookie-Sookie-LA-LA...
ReplyDeleteWonder if Charlaine knew all this and was being clever, but it went over everyone's heads but ours ;-)
Snicker. Yeah! That's what happened :)
ReplyDeleteI loved Lafayette the television version better.
ReplyDeleteI found Sookie in the books pretty hard going - I keep reading for Bill and Eric & Pam and other characters.
I had to take the approach that the television series is "based" on the books - it's not the retelling of the books. If that makes sense...
The Eric in my head is a totally different Eric to the television, but I'm really warming up to this version of him.
Jason I am over... in the books he was obnoxious, but in this he's downright moronic. Yeah Ryan has a great example of a Yoga Instructors body (that's what he was doing between TB and H&A) but I don't need to see it EVERY minute of EVERY scene he's in. How much sex can we be forced to endure with him in it. Not to mention his fruity gf.
Sam... a little disappointing. I like him in the book, and I was really looking forward to seeing the shifter element on the screen... but it's not working for me. There's just something... off?
Will I still watch it in Season 2 - hell yeah! It's the only Paranormal we have (outside of Supernatural). And it's paranormal focused, not focused on killing paranormal which is a nice change.
Hearin ya on excess naked Jason. And his character is almost TSTL.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I think this whole shows tries way too hard to be confronting. For a long-time uf/paranormal reader like moi, the material just isn't that racy or erotic or surprising. Ooh, a girl who enjoys it when a vampire sucks her blood! Sorry, but it just ain't new or shocking to me.
Still, as you say. Mega points for even being on TV in the first place.
OMG, Eric... Suddenly I want to reread these books.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, Sookie was the reason I did stop with the books. I found her just a bit too irritating to cope with as a narrator. Too much time wangsting over her powers and too much "OMG, ANOTHER supernatural hottie finds me attractive, ohnoes!"
LOL! @ 'wangsting'! Perfect!
ReplyDeleteEven in one series of TV, 'everyone loves Sookie' was getting tiresome. After seven (or how many is it?) books... ew. Apparently some kind of explanation for this comes out eventually?
And yeah, poor thing. Getting it on with Eric would be a real downer.
Glad to see that you are acknowledging the superiority of Ultraviolet... :)
ReplyDeleteUltraviolet is way cool! Kinda like Spooks with vampires. And Jack Davenport before he co-starred in any pirate movies. And Philip Quast, who sang Javert in Les Miserables. Sad characters. Unhappy ending. Good British TV :D
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a common theme in urban fantasy though - the overly-complicated love life wherein all the men love the heroine and, oh, however shall she chose?. I think LKH probably started it. Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of sexual tension and eye candy in my novels, but sometimes you get too much and it overshadows everything else.
ReplyDeleteThe Sookie character is pretty much like that in the books. A bit more humorous and sarcastic maybe in that she doesn't take herself quite so seriously as in the TV, but she is still a bit dumb in the books. And she even acknowledges this fact in the books.
ReplyDeleteAs the series progressed, it started going into the possible "Mary Sue" zone for me. Too perfect on everything and her powers. Then add in the "everyone is hot for her" and it reminds me of Anita Blake's relationships which is boring.
I have only seen the first piloot episode and remembered being a bit upset that so much is focused on the "sex". I have read the books and don't remember such focus being on it to the point where it looks like soft porn (at the beginning especially). There are elements I like, but Tara is annoying as Sookie. It has potential, but again, that is just from seeing the first pilot episode. I am not dying to watch it or impatient. Found the books a bit better at the beginning, but it is getting too predictable now. Prefer Harris's Grave Sight series now.
...and it works better if the heroine is, like, a nice person?
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I've heard many fans of the books wondering why the series had to be so seedy and raunchy, when it's clearly not like that in the books.
ReplyDeletePity the networks can't see past 'sex sells' -- you would have thought they'd have a captive audience of paranormal readers even without the added soft porn factor!
I love the premise of the Grave series. Struck by lightning, yes!
I must admit the Grave series is my favourite of all the Harris series out there. Tried the other two, one is Teagarden the other I can't remember - d'oh.
ReplyDeleteI wondered how much the 'sex sells' angle is generic TV issues vs HBO taking it on board (I think it was SFX..geez my brain is on holiday today *stoopid m/s draining my brain*....anyway, SFX has a section in its TrueBlood Spoiler Reviews "Sex please we're HBO" or something like that).
The books from memory (been awhile since I've read any) aren't as sex-filled/graphic or generally speaking as the show.....someone may need to correct me on that.
I do think the trend has been 1 girl to have them all.....in a number of series of late.
Precisely!
ReplyDeleteWell I still loved it.
ReplyDeleteLike with most tv shows I love the charater around the main person more. When Bill first came into it I thought Oh My - finally a guy whos seems to get the vampire vibe not like that wussie Angel (from the Joss Whedon series & don't get me wrong - still loved the series but not Angel) - Okay where was I, oh yeah - Bill. By the end of the series I was not so pleased with Bill - esp when Eric is SOOOO much the better Vampire. I will watch season 2.
You Jade-d - Never. Sorry - had to use the pun - couldn't resist.
ReplyDeleteHa! You are so-o-o funny :)
ReplyDeleteYay! A dissenting voter :D
ReplyDeleteI didn't find Bill so much a wuss as... well, a bit of an idiot. Maybe in the transition from book to TV, his motivations got nixed, because a lot of what he did just didn't make sense.
I'll be there for Season Two. Like I said, even if it's only for Eric in the muscle shirt :)
scarry
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. I thought everyone had gone mad by loving this series. I like the books a lot, so I was extremely disappointed with Alan Ball's vision. But I will continue watching for Eric. This season, however, I will tape each episode so I can fast forward whenever Sookie (without Eric or Bill), Tara and Jason are on screen.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to Shadowfae.
Laura
Hey, Laura, thanks for dropping by!
ReplyDeleteIt's always disappointing when adaptations don't measure up to the original, or try to make it into something too different. Have to admit the series has kind of put me off reading the books, which is a shame.
Oh well. We'll just have to hope Eric gets lots of screen time :)