Truly, Madly, Deadly_ The Unofficial True Blood Companion - Becca Wilcott [46]
If it feels like Tara’s backstory runs deeper, it’s because she isn’t plucked from the pages of Charlaine Harris’s books like most of the other characters. In the TV series, Alan Ball re-envisioned Tara as African American, working class, living with an abusive mother, and hung up on Jason. Much of this is changed from the books where she’s Caucasian, owns a fashion store, has lost both parents, and doesn’t pursue an interest in Jason. But it’s a great departure that ties together a lot of elements. As Lafayette’s cousin, she draws him further into the story so he isn’t left on the sidelines. And because Tara is so reactionary — often to a cringe-worthy extent — Sookie ends up looking rooted when she talks to her friend or calms her down, rather than judgmental.
Let’s not forget the final character we meet in this episode: SEX. Sex and all it represents is nothing Alan Ball has ever shied from. Sex is to mortals what bloodlust is to vampires. If it’s a part of who we are, Alan Ball’s not going to hide it. For someone like Jason, the change in times puts him at risk of becoming a minority: a straight, white, mortal male.
It’s not all good times in Bon Temps. For some it’s Armageddon, for others it’s ecstasy. And historically when emotions are high, people will do what they have to in order to save themselves, or to prosper in the confusion. The Rattrays bridge the worst of both worlds, those who drain vampires and resell their blood, an illicit yet powerful narcotic to humans.
Toward the end of this first episode, Sookie and Bill have just begun to explore the liberation that comes from knowing one another freely and without pretext. As “Strange Love” closes on Sookie being jumped in the parking lot, we’re reminded that monsters live among us, often in our own backyard.
Merlotte’s Bar and Grill. Interestin’ folk in here. I’ll have a gin and tonic, easy on the tonic. (Jodi Ross, courtesy of The Vault www.trueblood-online.com)
Highlight: Sookie [on Bill’s self-regenerative healing capabilities]: “Shut. Up.”
Nightcap: When we first meet Tara, she’s reading The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein, which features commentary on the economic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which would appeal to Tara as someone who doesn’t trust that the many will ever enjoy the same riches as the few. Lynn Collins (“Dawn Green”) and Carrie Preston (“Arlene Fowler”) both appeared in Alan Ball’s film Towelhead. Adele Stackhouse (“Gran”) is seen reading Last Scene Alive, a novel by Charlaine Harris. The set in Gran’s house is littered with artifacts brought in by Alan Ball and his crew.
Relationship Crypt Falls: Bill, we know you’re a bit rusty with the ladies, but telling them you have a penchant for groin arteries is what we in the 21st century like to call “TMI.”
Paging Dr. Creepy: Liam the Vibrating Vampire. Watching a vamp get his groove on is one thing. But watching a vamp watch me watching him get his groove on is almost too meta for me. Besides Liam, didn’t anyone ever tell you to keep your eyes front? Or, from rolling back in your head? Why not switch things up and wear a blindfold?
Location, Location, Location: Merlotte’s Bar & Grill exists as two sets on different studio lots. The bar’s exterior sits on the Warner Brothers back lot in Burbank, California. It consists of a lagoon, roadhouse, and cabin, enclosed by trees and foliage. Nicknamed “The Jungle,” it was built originally for the 1956 film Santiago, and has since been used as Sherwood Forest in The Adventures of Robin Hood, in The Dukes of Hazzard, The Waltons, Maverick, Bonanza, Fantasy Island, and Private Benjamin. The interior of the bar is an original creation by set designer Suzuki Ingerslev and sits on a sound stage at the Hollywood Center Studio, California. In season