True Blood Season 5: Echoes Of The Past - "Merlotte's ..." (HBO) VIDEO:
The True Blood publicity machine must be overwhelmed by the Game of Thrones people cranking out sneak peek/teaser videos 'cos Merlotte's is not a 'house,' rather is is the Bon Temps local watering hole a/k/a Sam Merlotte's bar. Anyhoo, last night the Merlotte's "voices' video was released and it, like the previous three (below) has snippets of converstaons/exclamations that took place in this case, at Merlotte's in season's 1 - 4. Enjoy.
Colour me a tiny bit surprised by this trio of just-released True Blood Season 5 trailers. Each video focuses on a particular setting--Sookie's home, Eric & Pam's 'home', Fangtasia, and Bill's house. Over the four season of True Blood a lot has happened in these settings. The only one 'left out' is Merlotte's (Sam's bar) which has seen an equivalent amount of 'happenings, IMO. Small quibble, though. These teasers recap the entire series via 'tours' of each location with voice-overs from many of the cast. What they say illustrates seemingly innocuous comments like Sookie's first utterances about meeting Bill to Nan Flanagan's last utterance before she met her 'true death' (and a lot in-between so be sure to watch them!)
True Blood Season 5: Echoes Of The Past - "Fangtasia" VIDEO:
True Blood Season 5: Echoes Of The Past - "Bill's House" VIDEO:
Sookie Stackhouse Home on True Blood Set - Where Reality and Fantasy Meet:
Very interesting little piece over at the HBO True Blood series' production blog which provides a neat glimpse into the place--the Stackhouse home--where reality and fantasty blur. Check it out in the link below as well as this sweet comment from True Blood showrunner/creator Alan Ball:
This (here) is a shot of Alan Ball's mom from the 1930s. "I like having her on set," Alan said, "there is a picture of my mom and dad and brothers on the piano, and my Uncle Bud is over the fireplace in the dining room."
Source Inside True Blood Blog - 'Secrets of the Set: Things You Didn't Know About Gran's House'
I also have an album of detailed photos that were previously released of the Stackhouse home's interior as well as a few shots of both the exterior and Bill's home: Sookie's home - before the Maenad.
HBO — Jun 02, 2010 — Season 3 Ep. 0 — Lafayette tells it straight up about what happened in the previous seasons of True Blood. The new season premieres Sunday, June 13 at 9pm only on HBO. For more information, log onto HBO.com.
The Season 1 & 2 Recap Screen Caps will be up in about 30 mins. EDIT/LOL. It took me 5 hours. Enjoy. All Images are property /copyright HBO. I'm putting them up because HBO's True Blood has put out some great-looking promos---for all three seasons of True Blood.
Enjoy fan-art worthy caps of Eric/Alex, Bill/ Stephen, Anna/Sookie , Samx2, Tara/Rutina, Lafayette/Nelsan and Mr. 12 pack, Jason/Ryan. Jessica's looks good here in a few shots but she is getting deflowered by Hoyt and it's pretty fangy. Let's all thank both Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris for True Blood. If you want to see more screen caps for all episodes of Season 1 &2 and of promos for Season 3, just click the "Screen Caps and Videos" tabs.
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Season 2 Recap
HBO — June 08, 2010 — Only 5 days until the season premiere of True Blood. For more information, log onto HBO.com.
True Blood ( 6.08.10) – Only 5 More Days S 3 Promos 1- 3 (HBO) Screen Caps w/ Captions *SPOILERS
I thought Jessica's minisode quite clever. I'm really enjoying Alan Ball's story-telling. He is just so good with a turn of a phrase " "dirty whore" repeated about 10 times in 2 minutes by the "moralistic stranger" in this clip is one example but I liked even more when Jessica stood up for herself (though after glamouring the old coot), was when she admonished him to be grateful that he did not have to "tear people open for food."
Cut straight to the heart (no pun) of this conversation and the extended one too, about the morality--or lack of it in vampires.
Also this scene really seems like it came just prior to Jessica fanging that trucker at the end of season 2 after things had gone horribly wrong at Hoyt's house, resulting in Jessica fanging Mrs. Foytenberry who was under Maryann's spell and acting uber-annoying.
When Bill Made Jessica A Vampire
'To Love Is to Bury.' (Season One) Bill fulfills the conditions of his sentence, although Jessica doesn't turn (out) as expected.
Thanks to xdanceintherainx — June 11, 2009 — "I do not own True Blood or HBO, this is being uploaded for watching purposes, not infringement purposes."
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Jessica's being made a vampire as Bill's punishment for killing bartender "Longshadow" just prior to Longshadow snapping Sookie's neck.
It's against vampire law to kill another vampire for the reason Bill did so Jessica was brought to him. You can get the details in the videos above.
I love screen caps as inevitably I’ll miss details. Admittedly I usually watch each episode of True Blood twice to start off but just the same…love, love love that in these scenes our pretty in pink Pam is wearing shredded stockings, a soiled blouse, leaves stuck in her hair and gracious! has ruined her new pumps! All because of being ordered–with Chow–to investigate the place on the backwoods road where Sookie was attacked by the “bull-headed thing.”
This is a very amusing sequence after in which Sookie's misfortune--the deep, long tears on her back inflicted by the "bull-horned thing," have put Eric into a vampiric-near-frenzy. The look on his face as he observes Dr. Ludwig at work on Sookie is one of animal hunger and it is ferociously funny.
Here is a perfect example of what there is to miss about Pam.
There's Vampire In Your Cleavage
1 x 09 - Plaisir D'Amour
Worth a look as I scoured. Hard to find some earlier promos and summaries for True Blood Season 1 now so I'll keep adding as I find them. They've got be out there. Somewhere.
I'll try one more time tomorrow to make the very recent Alexander Skarsgård short ,but fantastic and intimate music interview from Santa Monica public radio station KCRW linkable. It really messed my code up here and I don't want to try another install and have than happen again(!)
True Blood - From the same episode - 1 x 09 - Plaisir D'Amour
A scene that very strongly evokes the film "Carrie" but much worse because it appears that Anna drinks a gallon of the stuff*!
*which she says in interviews is "melted, chopped-up sex toys."
'Sookie' (Anna Paquin) and "Vampire Bill" Compton (Stephen Moyer) - Early Season One:
True Blood could and maybe should be subtitled:TheAdventures of Sookie Stackhouse...which is actually a good thing, at least for now. Anna Paquin rocks as the mind-reading ("Not psychic!") 20-something waitress/barmaid stuck in the northern Louisiana town of Bon Temps. Paquin plays Sookie Stackhouse, who happens to be quite a virginal character. And her new friend Bill (Stephen Moyer) is actually dead. He's 173 years-old so he's not really chipper and seems even a bit glum. But as the show played out you saw that he started to appreciate Sookie's guileless interest in him. At the least she'll make his life such as it is, interesting. Isn't that the beginning of what I'm guessing will become intense attraction? True Blood's Southern Gothic setting is probably necessary as this show features melodramatic vampires. I orderedthe bookand it should be here in a week maybe less with any luck, as I find the story quite compelling and want to read it while I'm watching the show (not literally, of course). :p
UPDATE 06.29.09/Caught up as of a week or so ago w/the Sookie Stackhouse series, finishing Book #9, "Dead and Gone". It is one of my favourites. In the top four. Read it in a few days (I was in no rush--some folks could easily read it in an evening or two) liked it a lot--would make a good season of True Blood. It'll be interesting to see if Alan Ball takes the True Blood characters in the direction Charlaine Harris does in her 9th Sookie book, Dead and Gone.". I wouldn't be surprised if he did--at least for maybe a season or so.
Across the country, vampires have “come out of the coffin” following the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood. In Louisiana, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a waitress with telepathic abilities, falls under the spell of sexy, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) – whose thoughts she can’t read. After saving Bill from the Rattrays (James Parks, Karina Logue), a pair of ruthless “vampire drainers,” Sookie tests the limits of Bill’s gratitude when the two are left alone in the dark. Meanwhile, Sookie’s best friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) goes to work for Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) at his bar and grill, while Sookie’s roguish brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten) finds himself in hot water when a “fangbanger” with whom he’s been intimate meets a tragic end.
Just finished a marathon re-watching of the first 12 episodes of True Blood. They were so compelling, so fun!--a real rollercoaster ride that I did not want to end. I can say without hesitation that season 1 True Blood has been the best of the three seasons that Alan Ball has helmed--so far.
We are about six weeks away from the premiere of season 4 True Blood and though I'm excited I'm also sort of bracing myself for it not to be as good as the first season despite my fervent desire that it be even better.
There are some weak links in the fabric of True Blood which I've talked about a number of times. Right out of the gate though I want to state unequivocally that the problem lies not with the cast--the entire cast is very talented but the characters, specifically 'Sam Merlotte,' 'Tara Thorton' and 'Jason Stackhouse' has had to one degree or another, flat storylines.
I'm looking to season 4 to pull these characters up and give them something great to do.
(November 22, 2008)
Like an ever-increasing number of True Blood fans, I have read the Charlaine Harris book, "Dead Before Dark," that inspired the series True Blood--and I say "inspired" deliberately.
Creator-producer-showrunner genius, Alan Ball has said from the first interviews (that I've read) that he would be changing things up from the book. At that point he had no idea how the series would be received as it hadn't aired yet. Then, as you know, True Blood became the lifeblood for HBO's Sunday nights.
After only the second show HBO took the unprecedented step of renewing the show for a second season so viewers "could feel secure" in getting invested in the story.
Savvy move, methinks. However, as the faithful Sookie Stackhouse readers knew, Mr. Ball has switched things up, added things-taken things out--in other words Alan Ball is making True Blood his own. I read a lot of what True Blood fans have said about the series--and I think we can all agree that it is incredibly entertaining.
Why? Charlaine Harris created some fascinating and entertaining characters as well as a setting in Northern Louisiana which she breathed life into--and then Alan Ball took that and worked his magic on it. There is no reason whatsoever why fans of Ms. Harris and the Sookie Stackhouse series of books have to be upset when Mr. Ball tweaks or changes things. Unless you enjoy being upset. :/
Hers are books, this is television. I know this is stating the obvious but they are two very different genres. So please let Mr. Ball continue to work his magic, continue to bring a spotlight to Charlaine Harris's book series and we, the audience get to have the best of both worlds.
I'm trying to prepare you because in all likelihood Mr. Ball is not going to go line-by-line through Book II in the Sookie Stackhouse series- "Living Dead In Dallas." He said he would pretty much stick with Book I, "Dead Before Dark," upon which True Blood is based--and you see how far he's veered off into Alan Ball-world. Instead, lets look forward to some fantastic original television returning in June 2009 in the form of True Blood: Season Two.
(Above) Tara (Rutina Wesley) Season Finale: Season 1, Episode 12
NEXT on True Blood; "You'll Be the Death of Me"
SEASON FINALE~
AIRS~ 11.23.2008
Episode 1.12 - You’ll Be the Death of Me:
Sookie finds a link to the string of killings in Bon Temps - and ends up in the murderer’s crosshairs. Tara decides to make the most of her second chance with Maryann; Jason finds a new calling after anti-vampire zealot Orry (Michael Bofshever) visits him in jail; Bill tempts fate during his latest attempt to save Sookie; Sam is perturbed by an encounter with an old acquaintance; Lafayette finds himself in the wrong place at the right time.
Screen Caps/ Promo photos for Season Finale (spoilerish)
Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) Season Finale: Season 1, Episode 12
Renè Lenier (Michael Raymond James) Season Finale: Season 1, Episode 12
There is a clue in this conversation (click to enlarge)
Episode 1.10 - I Don’t Wanna Know Caught in a compromising position, Sam shares a secret with an incredulous Sookie. Thinking she’s been purged of her demon, Tara celebrates with Lettie Mae - but goes off the deep end when she uncovers Miss Jeanette’s true intentions. Sookie has a disturbing revelation during Arlene (Carrie Preston) and Rene’s (Michael Raymond James) engagement party at Merlotte’s; Jason and Amy debate what to do with Eddie; and Tara speeds into a bizarre roadside encounter that lands her in jail. At a vampire tribunal to decide his fate, Bill faces a harsh penalty for his offense, but the magister (Zelijko Ivanek) decides on a more creative sentence involving a young human named Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll).
This week's episode actually surpasses last week in the thrill and chill department with the vampire tribunal being among the most disturbing scenes thus far in True Blood (!)
'I Don’t Wanna Know' picks up where last week left off with Sookie (Anna Paquin) screaming upon discovering a nude Sam (Sam Trammell) curled up, sleeping at the foot of her bed. Sam hastens to explain that he is in fact, a "shifter" and that he means no harm. After he proves it to her by shifting to "Dean" right in front of her Sookie seems overwhelmed and shuts Sam out from any further conversation about his "issues."
Dean the dog (Sam)
Meanwhile, Bill (Stephen Moyer) is at a vampire tribunal where he is facing the consequences of having staked the thieving Longshadow to prevent him from killing Sookie.
Many vampires are gathered round anxiously awaiting Bill's punishment as rendered by the magister (Zeljko Ivanek). After another vampire has his teeth ripped out as commanded by the magister, things are looking bleak for Bill.
Bill attempts to explain to the magister the circumstances in which he staked Longshadow. Surprisingly, Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) vouches for Bill about the veracity of Bill's statements. The fact that business was involved seems to move the sadistic magister to reduce Bill's punishment from five years locked in his coffin bound in silver, to "replacing" Longshadow by siring a new vampire.
The magister pointedly refers to the fact that Bill has not yet ever sired a vampire in his entire existence as a vampire. A terrified teenage girl named 'Jessica' (Deborah Ann Woll) is brought in at the behest of the magister. Bill is commanded to sire her and he first glamours her to attempt to calm her but is admonished by the magister--no glamouring.
Meanwhile, back at Merlotte's, a engagement party for Arlene (Carrie Preston) and René (Michael Raymond-James) is in full swing. Sookie is in attendance, sitting glumly by herself at a picnic table, watching the festivities in the converted parking lot. She goes to fetch some ice from inside the bar. Within moments the lights are cut and Sookie quickly realizes that she is in mortal danger. She has a vision through the
killer's mind of his prior victims. Sookie evades the killer, whose face neither she nor we ever see and as she runs to the entrance she crashes into Sam who is on his way in (now, quite obviously not the Bon Temps killer). Sookie appears to forgive Sam for being a shifter.
While this is going on Tara (Rutina Wesley), still worried that she has a demon inside her, pays "Miss Jeanette" the $800 to be exorcised. Later, after tripping on the peyote Miss Jeanette gave her and puking her guts out because the peyote was mixed with Ipecac, Tara discovers that she was in fact, used by Miss Jeanette. She visits the party, drinks too much, and is turned away by Sam after she tries to make out with him. While drinking and driving on a lonely road Tara loses control of her car and plows through a picket fence. We briefly see the face of the actress Michelle Forbes.*** scroll down
At the engagement party, after discovering evidence of Jason's (Ryan Kwanten) involvement in vampire Eddie's disappearance, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) verbally lays into Jason, telling him that he is mortally endangering everyone with his loose lips.
Jason seems to take this to heart and listening to the advice of René on how best to get his woman in line he goes home intending to release vampire Eddie. This terrifies Amy (Lizzy Caplan), who picks up part of a broken picket fence in the basement of Jason's house and plunges it into Eddie as Jason is trying to free him... Much like Longshadow, Eddie dissolves into a pile of mush./end scene
Meanwhile back at the tribunal, Bill wrestles the shrieking Jessica and plunges his teeth into her throat, rising up and howling and then ripping again into her throat continuing his feast of blood.
***Michelle Forbes is said to be playing a Maenad [MEE-nad] a female worshipper of Dionysus, the Greek god of mystery, wine and intoxication. The word literally translates as "raving ones."
Episode 1.11 - To Love Is to Bury Bill fulfills the conditions of the tribunal’s sentence, although he and Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) find that Jessica doesn’t quite turn (out) as expected. Trying to solve the mystery behind her most recent vision, Sookie heads to a pie shop with Sam and later puts the squeeze on a philandering police officer to get info. Jason helps clean up Amy’s mess, worrying about their future, but unable to break away. Tara’s anger over Lettie Mae’s refusal to bail her out of jail is tempered when Maryann Forrester (Michelle Forbes), a wealthy “social worker,” comes to her rescue. Disgusted by the hypocrisy of a vamp-bashing state senator, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) decides to pay him a visit on the campaign trail. In Bill’s absence, a vulnerable Sookie finds comfort in Sam. A distraught Jason finds himself in hot water with Bud (William Sanderson) and Andy (Chris Bauer), again.
Anna Paquin ... Sookie Stackhouse, Ryan Kwanten ... Jason Stackhouse, Rutina Wesley...Tara Thornton, Jim Parrack... Hoyt Fortenberry, Carrie Preston ... Arlene Fowler, Michael Raymond-James ...Rene Lenier, Stephen Moyer ... Bill Compton, Alexander Skarsgård...Eric Northman Nelsan Ellis...Lafayette Reynolds, William Sanderson... Sheriff Bud Dearborne, Sam Trammell ... Sam Merlotte, Chris Bauer ... Andy Bellefleuer, Kristin Bauer ... Pam, Michelle Forbes ... Maryann, Amy Burley... Lizzy Caplan, Todd Lowe ... Terry Bellefleur, Deborah Ann Woll... Jessica, Stephen Root ... Eddie,
