In my last entry, I discussed the craziness that has been going on in Season 2 of True Blood, including my frustration as I watch the inevitable tide coming in on the Sookie/Eric relationship. Now, I was told in writing for TrueBloodNet that we are neutral on the Team Eric-Team Bill issue. Everyone has their own preferences, of course, and there are often polls or discussions about why people like one or the other. But we cannot take sides inour articles or anything like that. We try to be positive, not critical. And that's a good model to go by even here, I think.
So. Why is Bill Compton the best choice for Sookie? The #1 reason can be found in Season 1, Episode 12, "You'll Be the Death of Me." Sookie is being chased through the woods by a serial killer, more afraid for her life than she has ever been. Bill, sensing her danger, leaves the safety of his underground sleeping room to go to her. He doesn't care that he will endure unbearable pain and probably die. He may not even make it far enough to stop Rene from attacking her. But he has to try. Completely self-sacrificing--a sign of the depth of his love for her.
Another sign: Season 1, Episode 6, "Cold Ground." Sookie runs to Bill's house. He is being so sweet to her. But, unable to control the reflex, his fangs come out. He hides his face in shame, thinking she will be afraid of him or disgusted by him. But she holds his head with her hands and kisses him. I love that moment.
Next, look at how Sookie and Bill have changed each other's lives. When Bill arrived on the scene at Merlotte's, Sookie was just a waitress. She had spent her entire life in Bon Temps, burdened with a telepathic ability that she never wanted. Most of the people around her thought she was crazy. Even her friends didn't understand her. (Dawn: "Well...honey...didn't you just know already?" Sookie: "I am NOT a psychic!!!") Her family loved her but rarely talked about this crucial part of who she was. And then she got to know Bill, and she couldn't hear his thoughts. She was intrigued by him but, most of all, relieved for the peace and quiet. And he made her feel like she was special and valuable. Here was this handsome vampire who had lived for 173 years, and he wanted to be
with her. "You are entirely different. And the beauty, and the tragedy, of it is that you don't know just how different you are." He comforted her when the most important person in her life died. He protected her when another vampire tried to kill her, in spite of the consequences he faced from his own kind. Sookie had found someone who she could be herself with, who could make her feel completely safe, and who could teach her so many things about the world. Then, for Bill: Sookie brought him back to his humanity. He had lived in the mid-19th century, fought in the Civil War, and been turned into a vampire before he could return home to the wife and children that he loved. For the first 50 years of his new life, he traveled as the companion of his Maker, Lorena, killing humans with animalistic cruelty. He separated himself from her because he couldn't stand to inflict pain like that anymore. He spent the next 75 years alone, interacting with humans only when he glamoured someone to feed on their blood for sustenance. Until he met Sookie. She was young and beautiful and spoke her mind.
She saved his life. She thought that he--a vampire--was worth saving. There was something different about her... The situation reversed the next night when he had to save HER life. He gave her his blood to heal her, knowing that it would form a lifelong connection between them. The more time they spent together, the more he cared about her. The first time he sensed her in danger, he woke up thinking she was being strangled in her bedroom. But the sun had not set yet, so he couldn't go to her. He lay there in agony until it was safe, and then he rushed to her side, only to discover it had been a dream. Later, when he sensed her in danger, she was being chased by someone who would kill her. And Bill didn't care that it was broad daylight. He went to her anyway. Thankfully, he healed, and she was so happy to have him back. He was a "boyfriend." He was in love with her. Sometimes, his vampire side got the better of him, and he did things that he shouldn't. But she forgave him. Because, by some miracle, she loved him, too.
So that's it--my reasons for loving Bill and Sookie together, as much as I can put them into words. I'm not going to bash Eric or Alexander Skarsgard. Eric is a fascinating character--he's a freaking Viking! And Alex does a wonderful job with him. I think he adds a lot to the story.
But when I see people on message boards bashing Bill/Stephen for being boring or annoying or unattractive, I'm disappointed that they would have that kind of attitude. We all love the show, obviously. Some of us are going to like certain things better than others or wish something were a little different. But, in all honesty, whatever Alan Ball comes up with is going to be better than whatever any of us could think of. And I truly believe that more of the book fans are getting to a place where they can appreciate the differences between the show and the books. Both are fun and entertaining. So let's just enjoy True Blood for what it is, and the Sookie Stackhouse series for what it is, without applying preconceived notions from one to the other. True Blood Bill has not shown himself to be a jerk like Book Bill. Stephen Moyer has developed his character in a different way. He has made Bill more of a gentleman and more protective of Sookie, so that the relationship between Bill and Sookie has been much more loving. So even if future events will change this and Sookie begins to gravitate towards Eric, let's not rush this part. Sookie and Bill are still together and in love. Eric isn't going anywhere. But Team Bill is not ready to give up yet (naked Eric dream scenes aside...).
I feel guilty for ignoring my blog for the entire month of July. I just haven't made time for it. I've been sleeping/working/traveling/actually watching television, but not writing. I will be back in full force, though, because a lot of my shows are about to kick off their new seasons. I've already made a calendar of premiere dates! (Really. I do that kind of thing.)
When I'm at school, I watch most of my tv alone. I hope that doesn't sound like a pity party because it's not! I like having that time to myself. I've always got a few projects going with some of my friends, as well as weekly tv dates to watch Chuck or The Office or whatever. But I spend more time watching by myself, whether it be old favorite episodes or new stuff for my own television education (Learning is a lifelong process. I wonder if I will ever make it through my "Shows to Watch" list...?)
This summer, however, I have been less self-indulgent. I'm still not finished with Six Feet Under because I wasn't willing to watch even an episode every day. Almost all of what I've watched has been time spent with my family and friends.
So that's it for the explanation part of this post. Here's what I've been watching. But first! My Emmy dream ballot, as previously promised. I didn't choose 6 for each category because I know there are deserving shows out there that I have yet to see (Breaking Bad, In Treatment, etc.), so I leave slots open for them. A star indicates a place where the dream was a reality on the nominations list.
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Battlestar Galactica
*Lost
*Mad Men
True Blood
*Dexter
BEST COMEDY SERIES
*The Office
*How I Met Your Mother
Chuck
*Flight of the Conchords
The Big Bang Theory
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Jeffrey Donovan, Burn Notice
*Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Edward James Olmos, Battlestar Galactica
*Jon Hamm, Mad Men
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
*Elizabeth Moss, Mad Men
Anna Paquin, True Blood
*Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
*Steve Carell, The Office
Zachary Levi, Chuck
*Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Ken Marino, Party Down
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies
Yvonne Strahovski, Chuck
*Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
*Michael Emerson, Lost
Josh Holloway, Lost
*John Slattery, Mad Men
Michael Hogan, Battlestar Galactica
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Katee Sackhoff, Battlestar Galactica
Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
*Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
*Rainn Wilson, The Office
John Krasinski, The Office
Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies
Adam Baldwin, Chuck
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jenna Fischer, The Office
Cobie Smulders, How I Met Your Mother
Jane Lynch, Party Down
*Kristen Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
A few notes:
-It is truly pathetic that the Academy cannot bring itself to nominate genre shows like Battlestar Galactica. They are closing themselves off to some of the greatest work in television.
-I will probably end up watching the awards ceremony, if only to see Neil Patrick Harris as the host. With Jeremy Piven out of the running, I feel pretty confident that he will finally win for his portrayal of Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother. Also, I like Michael Emerson's chances. Ben is a badass.
-As long as Two and a Half Men is still getting nominated for anything, the Emmys lacks all credibility as a serious merit system.
-I realize that 30 Rock is better than I give it credit for- and I hope that one day I change my mind- but I just don't like it. So that's why I don't include it.
-The most criminal omissions on this list- Mary McDonnell as Laura Roslin. Connie Britton as Tami Taylor. Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet Burke. Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse. Where is the love for these stunning actresses?
So You Think You Can Dance- This was a special time for me, my mom, and my sister every week. We watched certain dances over and over ("Calle Ocho"! "Hush, Hush"! "Mad"!), voting hundreds of times for our favorites: Ade, Brandon, Janette, Jeanine, and Kayla. By the Top 8, we were all united behind one dancer- Jeanine. And she won!! Very fun and exciting. And now we don't have to wait until next summer to see more entertainment provided by those rockin' judges/choreographers/dancers/towering British hosts
named Cat Deeley. Season 6 premieres at the beginning of September. From what Adam Shankman has been tweeting about the auditions, it seems like we will be seeing insane amounts of talent.
Burn Notice- The first half of Season 3 concluded with an intense episode for Fiona. After fighting for several weeks with Michael over his dogged efforts to clear his burn notice and get back into the intelligence community, Fiona decided that she couldn't stay in Miami anymore. But an enemy from her past in Ireland came to hunt her down. Michael realized what was most important to him when Fiona's life was in danger. There were many touching moments between the two of them, without them explicitly stating their feelings (which would, of course, change the very nature of their relationship). So this does not imply that Michael is no longer trying to be a spy, but I think he will not be willing to do so "whatever the cost," as his attitude has been up to this point. This season has contained some of the best episodes of the entire show, although I don't think it has overall been as good as Season 2 and the Management/Carla storyline. The Detective Paxson investigation into Michael's activities never posed an effective threat and, as a result, was not a real source of conflict for him. After that situation went away, the rest of the episodes contained only small elements of forward plot movement, with Michael trying to find contacts in the spy business who could help him get back in. The cliffhanger involved the death of his main contact, so that should provide some momentum when Season 3 resumes in January.
The Closer- Episodes so far have been consistent but not extraordinary. I'm not unhappy with them, I just haven't found any standouts. Brenda's grieving over her cat lasted too long. From there, things have shifted to a new houseguest for Brenda and Fritz: her teenage niece, Charlie, who had become too difficult for her parents and grandparents to deal with. Played by Kyra Sedgwick's own daughter, Sosie Bacon, Charlie is bringing out Brenda's maternal instincts. She needs to have a baby already!! Fritz would be such a good daddy. I'm looking forward to an episode that touches my heart. One always comes. Maybe it will be the one that brings back creepy lawyer rapist. I've never seen Brenda as terrified of someone as she is of him, even crazy woman burner, Billy Kroelig.
Nurse Jackie- With only 1 episode remaining in Season 1 (actually, 2 have yet to air, but for some reason, Showtime OnDemand puts up the next week's episode), I officially like this show. Moral ambiguity fascinates me (see: Dexter) because it explores people's complex motivations. Jackie Peyton is a nurse who cares for her patients. After all her years at that job, she still gets emotionally invested. She will do anything necessary to work the system to help her patients. At times, this means doing something illegal. Jackie is deeply concerned for her family. She is also deeply concerned for her boyfriend, Eddie. And for her drug habit. My absolute favorite aspect of this show, and what sets it apart from any other hospital show I have seen, is that it always manages to find the humor in a very serious world. Hospitals are centers of pain, tragedy, and misfortune. But these people do not allow themselves to be darkened by it. They work within it and maintain their optimism. Nurse Jackie is a drama. Yet, I am constantly laughing. Like when Dr. O'Hara steals Zoe's stethoscope and finds great amusement in watching the timid nursing student try to get it back. Like when Jackie's adorable daughter Fiona (played by Daisy Tahan) says ANYTHING. Like when the sweet and oblivious Zoe tries to hug Jackie. Like when bureaucratic administrator Ms. Akalitus grows attached to an abandoned baby and then pretends that the baby is dead when the irresponsible parents try to reclaim their child. Like when Peter Facinelli's Dr. Cooper acts like a little boy (which is all the time). Good show. I'm looking forward to seeing how they do a season finale next week.
True Blood- Saving the best for last! An awesome development: I have started writing for the True Blood fansite, www.truebloodnet.com, as a contributor of news articles related to the show and the people involved with it. The show itself is 8 episodes in to Season 2, and it just keeps getting crazier and better with each week. Sookie and Bill traveled to Dallas at Eric's behest to find out what happened to the Sheriff of Area 9, Godric.
There they met with the Dallas vampire-cowboys, who were convinced that the Fellowship of the Sun Church was responsible. Stan, the leader of the nest in Godric's absence, wanted to go into the church, guns a-blazin'. (Isabel: "Vampire-hating church annihilated. Wonder who did it? Brilliant.") Sookie offered to go to the FOTS posing as someone interested in joining their congregation. She would listen in on people's thoughts and discover the truth about Godric. Isabel knew how worried Bill was about Sookie's safety, so she sent her own human, Hugo, to accompany Sookie on her undercover mission. Problem was-
Steve Newlin knew exactly who Sookie was when she got there, so he locked her in the basement. And Bill sensed that she was in danger. But he couldn't get to her because stupid Eric summoned Bill's Maker, Lorena, to keep him occupied so that he could save Sookie himself. Just as she was about to be attacked by one of Newlin's goons, Godric stepped in to protect her. Then Eric came to Godric (his Maker, from the Viking period), who instructed him to get Sookie out. Newlin was arming his people for a war, which very nearly happened when Bill finally got away from Lorena and made it to the church, followed closely by Stan and the other Dallas vampires. But Godric kept the peace. They all returned to Godric's lair, where Lorena confronted Sookie (Cat fight! It made me very happy to see Sookie get so defensive about her man. Go Team Bill!), Jason apologized to Bill and Sookie for being such an idiot, and Luke from the FOTS brought in a bomb of silver chains and tiny wooden stakes...To be continued after the next episode.
Meanwhile, Jessica made a love connection ever with Hoyt Fortenberry. Too
cute for words!
Maryann has been exercising a powerful control over the citizens of Bon Temps. Wild parties that turn into drunken orgies with demonic black eyes and lots of violence. She is cra-azy. Tara and Eggs are unable to resist her influence, even though they both feel suspicious about the circumstances in which they find themselves. Wake up, morons!
Maryann has a strange fixation on Sam. Like, she wants to eat his heart. She used shapeshifter Daphne to seduce him and then killed her when she was unable to deliver her prey. Sam is definitely going to start fighting back soon! And so is Sookie, when she gets back from her trip and learns what has been going on in her town.
In other True Blood news, Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin are engaged! I am so excited and happy for them. Sookie and Bill 4-eva, no matter what Eric does! I'm not ready for them to break up on the show, even though I know that's where things are headed because stupid Charlaine Harris made Bill a stupid jerk in the books and made Sookie start jumping from man to man like a big stupid ho. I'm speaking out of anger... I love this show.
