gribouille | Quick reflection about True Blood and its subplots

So now I've watched eleven episodes of True Blood. I like it just enough to continue watching. But unfortunately my interest in it is growing weaker with each episode, and I think this is mostly due to the subplots.

What do I like in True Blood ? As I have said previously, I really enjoy the idea of the vampire being (or beginning to be) commonplace, and I love when the show explores the consequences of that fact on society. For instance, I really liked the story of the vampire kidnapped by Jason and Amy. I also like the whole thing about a new law being voted - and I really enjoyed the part about Lafayette's lover (or rather client ?).

I also like the characters. Or rather : liked. Unfortunately, some of them are really beginning to get on my nerves. And this is the part where I talk about the subplots.

First, Tara. She has never been my favourite character, but I more or less liked her. And now she is really annoying me. The whole exorcism thing didn't really appeal me, and I just don't like the way she acts generally. The whole subplot about her mother being a drunk could have been touching, but actually their scenes together disgust me more than anything else. I don't know, I just can't stand Tara's mother, and I just want to skip every scene in which she is. I can even stand her less now that she is sober.

Well, when I say "I don't know", this is not totally true. I guess my personal history does not help. My mum was never drunk, but the whole changing personality thing... the fact of being helpless while a person you love is turning into something you fear... I guess that's what disturbs me. I just want to scream to Tara to get out of here, and fast.

When I stopped watching True Blood tonight, she seemed to have done so, and might be entering a new subplot which I hope will appeal me more than the previous one.

Now, Jason. I totally agree with

bitterfig who said he is the weakest link of the show. He just seems to be there just to sleep with girls/take drugs/be stupid. And the whole thing about him getting arrested every five minutes because he's been found in bed near a dead girl/was in bed with a girl who was found dead later is really pissing me off. I mean, once, ok. Twice, beginning to bug me. Three times ? And whereas I like Detective LaFleur when he more or less tries to defend Bill, his obsession with Jason being guilty is simply ridiculous.

As for the whole Amy subplot : painful to watch. I don't know, I just didn't like it.

So, as you may have guessed, I'm not a big fan of the subplots in True Blood, and I stick to it more because of the main story (a.k.k.a. : Sookie & Bill + the killer, Jason getting arrested excepted).

In the first episodes I was a bit afraid of Sookie & Bill being the new Meredith & Derek (from Grey's Anatomy) : I love you, well actually no I'd rather not, we won't be together before ages... basically, I was afraid that the moment they are actually together would be postponed for ages, probably the end of the first season. Then there was the end of episode 6, and I felt better : at last, a couple that will not make us wait.

Except that they slowly turned into Meredith and Derek again. Meaning : the whole thing with Sam was expected at the beginning, but they should have dropped it now. (ok, the fact that I ship Sam with Tara isn't helping much here). Sookie kissing Sam just as Bill comes back ? Classic. The whole quiproquo/everyone blames everyone consequence ? Please, spare us that.

I know what you'll tell me : if the leading couple was "steady", where would be the plot ? Especially now that we know who the killer is and oh my god it was so surprising ? (well, ok, I guess it should have been, except that, well, I had guessed, by deduction)

Well, let's see... everything except Jason/Tara and his mom/Bill and his creation (they could have at least spared us the cliché of the annoying little girl) ? I don't know, something about the vampires trying (or not trying) to adjust themselves to society and make the humans accept them ? The other creatures (shape shifters...) in all that ?

But I guess I'm expecting too much. In fact, all I wish is that True Blood would avoid the main clichés. It did pretty well in the first episode, where for once the girl was not being rescued...

Of course, I'll still watch the show, and even the second season. I just hope I'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first episodes...

..... not as quick a reflection as I thought it'd be, plus I'm getting tired now and maybe I should have waited till tomorrow in order to write this with a clear mind...

... yeah, I should have. But... hell.