That title doesn’t mean that I think True Blood is actually the worst show on TV. [I have seen the 9th circle of hell that is Basketball Wives or anything else on VH1, Bravo, or MTV]. It’s not even the worst show on TV that critics like (I’m lost to the appeal of Showtime’s “Mischievous Women” series of Weeds, Diary of a Call Girl, Nurse Jackie, The Big C, United States of Tara, shit, let’s just say any show on Showtime that’s not Dexter or set in a different century). But what is so frustrating about True Blood is that no matter how bad it gets–and it has been very bad lately–critics will NOT turn against it.
Most of the other shows I don’t like that they do–cough, Chuck, cough–have been consistent in tone/quality their entire run, it’s just that they’re not my thing. However, True Blood was my thing once, even if it hasn’t been good since the end of season 2, but you’d be hard pressed to find a TV critic that will properly slam it. Many will admit that season 3 (with its non-stop go-go rhythms that felt like a 10 year old was writing the scripts and its supremely campy villain that didn’t feel scary so much as awful) wasn’t the strongest season, but they won’t properly call it awful and they have given a pass to season 4. They’ve said season 4 is a return to form but it just looks like more of the same suck from where I sit (it also has the same script/pacing problems and a villain in Fiona Shaw that is less than interesting or scary or captivating or anything but a plot device).
True Blood’s chief problem right now is that at any given time there are approximately 400 subplots brewing among its 20-odd main characters. Just looking at a plot synopsis for a single episode is enough to give you whiplash. “Sookie has to run from an evil fairy.” “Eric breaks in on a coven of witches.” “LaFayette and his boyfriend join a coven of witches.” “The head witch is possessed.” “Jason is tied up in a basement in a totally unrelated story that has nothing to do with the other plots.” “Jason’s girlfriend is a were-panther.” “Sam joins a group of shifters.” “Sam’s brother…” and just on and on until we don’t even have time to care about how stupid it is to make Tara a lesbian.
The second chief problem is that NONE of those plots really pays off. True Blood is so breathless in going from one development to the next that it never thinks about wrapping up any plot in a satisfactory way or bothering to tie them together. Making it often feel like we’re watching 6 different shows at once but only liking one of them. And that’s the show’s third biggest problem: none of the characters are all that likable. [The fact that I don’t like most of the main cast should be a show’s number 1 problem. The fact that it’s third shows just how flawed True Blood has become.]
Bill was once a pretty likable vampire but now he’s an asshole I dislike seeing onscreen. I had real affection for Tara in season 1 but now she’s a whiny wreck that complains about being in situations…even when she’s putting herself in situations. Jason is so stupid he shouldn’t be allowed to procreate, same as Sookie. I don’t know, I’ll probably keep watching True Blood until they end in season 9 or 10–the great ratings mean the show will probably run five seasons too long–because I have a stubborn loyalty to shows and never quit watching them until they’re cancelled (thank you for canceling The Event NBC). Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t roll my eyes like I did at the end of last night’s episode when Sookie cheesily whines “You killed my fairy godmother,” and Eric is forced to say “Sorry.” Then the episode goes into a godawful cover of the great song “Season of the Witch.” Sorry indeed…
Supporting Scene Stealer: It’s hard to steal scenes in a cast of 30 people and only a few minutes of screen time for each one of them per episode. The standout is of course Alexander Skarsgard who dramatically livens up each scene. But I also like Sam Trammel (the only main cast actor actually from the South in a show that seems to go out of its way to cast actors from elsewhere) who remains likable even when the show surrounds him with craziness. Here’s hoping he and Tara get back together soon, because Tara and Sam is about the only way I like Tara.
I totally agree. The were-panther line is too much as well as other lines. When True Blood started it had some potential…..now…….????????
I just starting watching this show and i ttl don’t believe the hype! It’s like a carton
I haven’t seen the 2011 season yet, but I love True Blood. I’m a little surprised you mention Dexter as one of the *good* shows. I loved the first couple of seasons. Then the last one after the wife died and he hooks up with the sketchy young Julia Stiles character was just awful. I stopped caring whether he even gets caught or not. And I felt no emotions at all for the Stiles character. The rest of the cast is great, but that’s a show that really lost its appeal to me. True Blood, on the other hand–well we are just starting to find out about Sooki’s powers and I am loving it!
The show is based on a series of 12+ (and growing) of the worst books ever written. When reading, okay, I was in love with the voice of the narrator and character Eric to listen to a few of them.
When you are reading a book and the only compliment you give the author is that she got published (after a long self debate on how the hell did this crap get published) you know you have a problem.
So, when the show producers decided to bastardize the author’s work, I have to say, I got my payback, as for what they did in season three, well, I have one word: Schadenfreudegasm.
I agree with you completely about some of the characters. However, it isn’t the acting in this case, it is the writer of the show. Alan Ball actually wrote all of the episodes that were in season 1. He’s pretty clever. When the hollywood Mcwriters get there slimy hands onit, it goes bad. It hurts my head to watch it, cramming everything in.