True Blood: Difference between revisions

** {{spoiler|Maryann}}, apparently, along with {{spoiler|maenads}} in general.

** {{spoiler|Godric}} too.

* [[Deconstruction]]: Franklin full stop. Hot Vampire? Check. Cool calm and collected figure? Check. Mysterious past? Check. Bat-themed detective? Check. His own ''theme music''? Check. Psychopathic, socially-retarded, psychologically-damaged man-child with severe [[Psychotic Lover]] qualities? '''Double''' Check.' Makes you rethink how romantic the phrase "we'll be together forever" really is.

* [[Devil in Plain Sight]]:

** It took quite a while until anyone in Bon Temps apart from Sam noticed that Maryann wasn't just a slightly kooky, bohemian social worker.

* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: Any Wiccan worth their athame knows that Samhain is pronounced "sowwen" as it is a Gaelic word. So when a Marnie-possessed Lafayette pronounces it wrong, any knowledgeable neo-pagan would notice it stick out like a sore thumb.

* [[Dogged Nice Guy]]: Sam. Emphasis on ''[[Just for Pun|dogged]]''.

* [[Domino Revelation]]:: Vampires appear first then shifters, goddesses, fairies, and werewolves.

** Bill threatens a ditzy college coed within an inch of her life

** and lets not forget the oft mentioned runaway drug addict/long lost Stackhouse cousin Hadley, who eventually appears as a member of Sophie-Anne's court.

* [[Dude, She's Like, in a Coma]]: In "Frenzy," Rosie reminds Jason he did this to Patsy Lyle. His defense: "She was fine when we started!"

* [[Dump Them All]]: {{spoiler|In the finale of True Blood season four, Sookie turns down all three of her love interests. In the case of Bill and Eric, it's a classic "I'm not picking either of you" ending to a Love Triangle. Alcide gets a gentler "sorry, but I don't feel that way about you" rejection. }}

* [[Emergency Transformation]]

* [[Emotion Eater]]: Maryann feeds on the lust, anger and pride generated by those around her.

* [[The Fair Folk]]

* [[Fan Disservice]]: Bill has sex with Lorena and then breaks her neck and ''turns her head 180 degrees'' while still humping her! Don't worry, she's a vampire, so not only does she live, ''she enjoyed it!'' Quite possibly the most hilariously unappealing sex scene in the history of television.

* [[Fan Service]]:

** Eric's fanservice was ''off the charts'' in the Season 3 opener. His first appearance featured him completely naked having wild sex with a tied up woman and then calmly discussing {{spoiler|Bill's abduction}} with Sookie while still completely naked and ''then'' he has a conversation with Pam with a robe he decided not to close all the way. [[Female Gaze]], anyone?

** Crystal, Sophie, Lorena - [[It Makes Sense in Context|do we need to say any more]]?

* [[Fanservice Extra]]: Several, most notably [[Playboy]] Playmate Tiffany Taylor as the spectacularly gorgeous nude woman that Nan Flanagan is cavorting with in the back of a limo in Season 3.

* [[Fan Service with a Smile]]: The waitresses at Merlotte's wear very tight, skimpy uniforms. Also, the existence of a shirt on Lafayette is questionable at best in some of his scenes in the kitchen, so there's something for the ladies.

** [[Fan Yay|Just the ladies?]]

* [[Fetus Terrible]]: Arlene's baby with Rene survives a [[Magical Abortion]] and seemed to give her nightmares afterwards. Then things got even weirder and creepier, and Arlene worried that the baby was being possessed by the ghost of its father. {{spoiler|It turned out that there ''was'' a ghost communicating with the baby, but it wasn't Rene, and all of the trouble it caused was unintentional.}}

* [[Fiery Redhead|Fiery Redhead Vampire]]: Hi there, Jessica.

* [[Filk Song]]: The hilarious [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8tODhvb47s "Oh Sookie"] by [[Snoop Dogg]].

* [[Five-Bad Band]]: Season 3

** [[Big Bad]]: Russell Edgington

** Sophie's gambling was supposed to show her terrible financial situation, which is why she had Eric {{spoiler|selling vampire blood}} for her.

* [[Genetic Memory]]: Both Jesus and Lafayette receive and share visions of their magic-using ancestors after doing some V.

* [[Genre Blindness]]: Sookie getting out of the car all huffy so she can go running alone through the dark woods. Of course the plot armor saved her.

** Tara not realizing that a mysterious social worker showing up out of nowhere and inviting her to live in her mansion where everything is handed to her on a silver platter is just a ''little'' suspicious, not to mention too good to be true.

* [[A God Am I]]: Maryann. Or at least, that's what her little suck-up {{spoiler|Daphne}} thinks.

* [[Gorn]]: Vampires drinking the blood of humans is not pretty. Usually thre is at least a little bit of blood dripping down the human's neck. And that's if they are being civil. Then there are the times when vampires get staked and pop like bloody balloons.

* [[Gory Discretion Shot]]: {{spoiler|Royce's death at the hands of Eric}}.

* [[Gosh Dang It to Heck]]: Sookie, although she has dropped several [[Precision F-Strike|precision F-strikes]], usually avoids swearing. She even uses "fudge" as a euphemism. She has also called Eric a "big, lying A-hole".

* [[Green Rocks]]: Vampire blood has traces of that. It not only heals, it sharpens your senses, makes you stronger and occasionally gives you [[Erotic Dream|erotic dreams]] of the vampire it came from. It also can be used as a drug and an aphrodisiac. The effects any specific character receives from "V" seem to depend on what the writers want it to do that day.

* [[Grey and Grey Morality]]: In a few cases, there are only one or two differences between the "good guys" and the "bad guys."

** In "I Will Rise Up" she's on the verge of tears when Tara and Eggs comment that the followers of hedonistic religions were crazy.

* [[Hemo-Erotic]]: it ''is'' a show about vampires.

* [[Hesitation Equals Dishonesty]]:

{{quote|'''Sookie:''' Did you kill my uncle?

'''Bill: ''' [[Dramatic Pause|...]] He...hurt you... }}

* [[Heteronormative Crusader]]: Parodied - The intro features the infamous Westbro Baptist Church slogan "God hates fags," modified to "God hates fangs."

* [[Homoerotic Dream]]: Lafayette for Eric and Sam for Bill.

* [[Honey Trap]]: A male case with {{spoiler|Eric}} seducing {{spoiler|Talbot}} so that he'll let his guard down.

** Lorena for Bill.

* [[Horny Vikings]]: Eric. Duh.

* [[Hot Men At Work]]: Jason, Lafayette and Hoyt work on the road crew.

* [[How's Your British Accent?]]: British actor Stephen Moyer famously struggles to manage an American accent. It must have been a relief when a flashback scene put Bill in an English punk rock bar, and he was able to speak in something pretty close to his natural voice.

* [[Human Sacrifice]]: Well, not ''literally'' human. Attempted by Maryann with Sam Merlotte and by the Fellowship of the Sun with Eric.

* [[I Feel Guilty You Take It]]: Sookie gets a big inheritance—but A)she never liked that relative and B)she feels responsible for his death, {{spoiler|because Bill killed him after she told Bill her uncle hurt her}}. She gives the money to Jason, and [[Hilarity Ensues]].

* [[Ignoring by Singing]]: [[Played for Laughs]] in one episode: One of the main characters is a psychic, and one of her friends wanted to keep a secret from her. When the psychic tunes into her friend's thoughts, all we hear is "LALALALALALALALALALALALALALA".

** Jessica was enjoying her new strength and freedom up until she realized she has a self-healing hymen, will never have babies, and can't control her murderous urges around her boyfriend's spiteful mother.

** Sam regarding being a shapeshifter. So what if he can change into any animal of his choice? He just wants what every man wants. A good life, a good woman.

* [["I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight]]: Jesus to Lafayette in the Season 4 finale.

* [[I Love You, Vampire Son]]: Bill and Lorena as seen in their flashbacks. Godric and Eric. Eric and Pam. Bill and Jessica platonically, after she gets past her [[I Hate You, Vampire Dad|teenaged vampire angst.]]

** Many of the vampires, especially in their behavior towards humans.

** Detective Andy, in Season One and early Season Two. Good Lord, Detective Andy. Constantly dribbling an [[Idiot Ball]], he's convinced that he is a good cop even though he's actually a drunk who likes to jump to conclusions and genuinely make an ass out of himself, especially after he gets fired and then ''continues to interrogate people without a badge.'' On the positive side, he's one of the few Bon Temps residents not prejudiced against Bill, even defending him against the Sheriff, and he later teams up with {{spoiler|Jason}} to save the town from Maryann.

*** Possibly explained by [[Freudian Excuse]] given in the series 3 finale. Either way, it's a rough fate.

*** And the first time he shifts into a human being - his brother Sam who just saved him from prison - he succeeds in both [[Kick the Dog|''firing Sookie'']] AND being a total douche with Sam's girlfriend '''that he just fucked'''. Hardly justified, even with his [[Dark and Troubled Past]].

*** He's actually got two book counterparts- Godfrey and Appius Livius Ocella- and he's significantly better than both of them ''combined''.

** Although not much has been revealed about Sophie-Anne's background story, it's obvious she wasn't turned at twelve like her book counterpart.

* [[Love Hurts]]: Sookie gives up a little on Bill when he leaves her with no promise to return. And because he tends to do things without explaining to her.

* [[Love Makes You Dumb]]: Tara's affection for Eggs causes her to pick up the [[Idiot Ball]] late in the second season, and in the beginning of the third season, when {{spoiler|she attempts suicide after his death}}.

** Sookie and Bill tend to bring the stupidity out in each other, their single-minded devotion to each other apparently leaving little room in their brains for any coherent, let alone reasonable, thoughts.

* [[Love Makes You Evil]]: In his zeal to protect Sookie {{spoiler|Bill turns on Eric, sends a killer after Pam and challenges Sophie-Anne to a fight to the death, all to keep Sookie's fairie-ness a secret.}}

* [[Magical Abortion]]: Arlene believes that [[Good Girls Avoid Abortion]], so she tries to have one of these instead (don't ask how it's any different - it's Arlene, she isn't that bright).

* [[Magical Queer]]: Jesus. Lafayette is this in a literal sense, but he is a main character with depth and his own storyline.

* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Russel's speech to the world after he kills a news anchor on-air. See [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]] below.

** Eric is fantastic at this because he does it twice in "Evil is Going On". After Sookie has told off all the vampires in Fangtasia and Bill is glaring at Alcide, which prompts Eric to say: "Well, if you two are finished eye-fucking each other, we can go." The second time occurs in that same episode after {{spoiler|Eric tattles to Sookie that Bill had manipulated her into falling for him and Sookie kicks him out of her house.}} While Bill lies on the ground, emotionally ravaged, Eric looks at him and says: "I want my phone back."

* [[Morality Pet]]: Godric might be called that in regard to Eric.

** Pam, though morally gray herself, has an awful lot of [[Pet the Dog]] moments with Eric in season 3.

** Fittingly, Eric is possibly the only person who makes Pam show a more emotional side.

** Talbot, for Russell.

* [[Mr. Fanservice]]: In a subversion of usual Hollywood casting, there's only one average-looking man in the cast (Andy Bellefleur); the others are all muscle-studs each with their fair share of admires (even...''especially'' the more depraved ones like Eric and Franklin). The women on the other hand are slightly more ranged in appearance.

* [[Mummies At the Dinner Table]]: Russell and {{spoiler|what's left of Talbot}}.

* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: Anyone familiar with [[William Shakespeare]] or perhaps ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' should recognize that Sookie's in trouble the moment [[The Fair Folk|Mab]] introduces herself.

* [[Neck Lift]]: Pam does this to Tara in "Cold Grey Light Of Dawn".

* [[New Powers as the Plot Demands]]: Sookie's magic-light-shooting-out-of-her-hands thing.

** Bill just got in some of the action with voice mimicry and the apparent ability to float.

** And in season 3 we find out that {{spoiler|she's part fairy and her blood is sought after by vampires because drinking it allows them to be safely exposed to daylight}}.

* [[No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine|No, Mr. Compton, I Expect You To Dine]]

* [[Not So Stoic|Not So Sociopathic]]: Most vampires put up a front that they're violent, cold, and heartless. [[Hidden Depths|But]]...

* [[The Omniscient Council of Vagueness]]: The Authority.

** It can be safely assumed that more details about the Authority will be revealed as the series progresses.

* [[One Head Taller]]: Followed by most of the heterosexual couples on the show.

** Reversed by Talbot (Russell Edgington's "husband") who, despite taking the more feminine role in the relationship, is taller than Russell.

** Also reversed by Eric and Godric (depending on how you interpret their relationship); Eric is practically a giant while Godric, who is depicted as the dominant one in the relationship, is unusually short for a man.

* [[Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping]]: BILLBILLBILLBILLBILL. Often seems to resort to chewing the scenery to disguise it.

* [[Order Versus Chaos]]: The religious imagery (Order) and sexual debauchery (Chaos) in the opening. All mixed with images of animals, death and rebirth.

* [[Please Put Some Clothes On]]: Most of Bon Temps under Maryann's influence.

** Also played straight- more or less- when Sookie walks in on Eric in season three, although she seems to have a hard time trying to be [[Distracted by the Sexy|entirely horrified.]]

* [[Plucky Girl]]: Sookie [[Character Development|gradually develops into this]] over the course of the seasons, arguably taking the bravery part of the trope a bit too far.

* [[Police Are Useless]]: The show goes back and forth on this, but mostly the police are just completely outclassed when dealing with supernatural entities, and sometimes seem a bit clueless.

** Andy acting as a witness to Maryann's orgy. [[You Have to Believe Me|"A bull! In a dress! With claws!"]]

* [[Power Perversion Potential]]: Jason speculates on the [[Power Perversion Potential]] of Sam's powers.

* [[Product Placement]]: Oh, what a cruel hand fate has dealt me, for I can no longer see the light of day, or eat normal food. Thank goodness I have my [[Nintendo Wii]] to pass the time. Well, [[Biting the Hand Humor|he used to.]]

** Fresca!

** "Powers can't be traded like fucking Pokemon cards!"

* [[Property of Love]]: The series {{spoiler|at least until the third season}} has this as one of it's basic premises. Sookie have given herself to Bill out of love, without being hypnotized like so many other fangbangers. Also, being his makes her off-limits to other vampires.

* [[Protagonist-Centered Morality]]:

** The vampires vs the witches. The vampires raped and murdered Antonia and her coven in the past, and in the present they attack and terrorize Marnie and her coven. But in the end, it's Antonia and Marnie who are the villains.

** Bill really does not seem to care about the welfare of humans very much. He has no moral qualms about fucking with their minds, and in season four he tells Sookie that killing innocent humans is justified if it keeps ''vampires'' safe. He kidnaps Marnie and holds her prisoner back when she's still harmless. When he arranges a peace talk with Antonia, he promises to go alone and breaks his word since he fully intends to kill or capture her rather than work something out. But since he's always nice ''to Sookie'', he's supposed to be a good guy, or at the very worst an [[Anti-Hero]]. Similarly, Eric has murdered and brutalized people in situations where it was in no way necessary. He kidnapped tortured Lafayette and several others based on the possibility that they may have had something to do with his maker's disappearance when he could have simply glamored the truth out of them, then he forced Lafayette to work as his personal V-dealer on pain of death. Later, he attempts to kill Marnie because she doesn't immediately obey when he tells her to disband her coven when, again, he could have just glamored her to get her to do what he wanted. He also ripped out the throat of one of the Wiccans who as present at the meeting between the vampires and Marnie's coven, completely unprovoked, and this was while still had amnesia--the amnesiac Eric is supposed to be the ''good'' Eric, mind you. But, like Bill, all his actions are supposed to be seen as morally ambiguous at worst just because he has feelings for Sookie.

* [[Psychotic Lover]]: Lorena. Even after Bill tells her multiple times that he hates her guts and can't stand the sight of her, she still has the nerve to ask him "When will we see each other again?"

** Franklin Mott is an excellent male example of this.

{{quote|Tara: We need to talk.

Franklin: Don't say that. Women say that, everything goes black, and I wake up surrounded by body parts. }}

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]:

** Eric, most notably in the third season.

* [[Punny Name]]:

** "Eggs" Benedict.

** Also averted with Crystal and every nubile female in Hotshot, as they {{spoiler|line up for their turn with Jason, who is wounded, feverish, strapped to the bed and under the effects of iagra. He did NOT enjoy it}} and the scene is creepy as all hell.

*** Not quite so averted. The director of the episode, David Petrarca, and Alan Ball have basically said that [http://www.fangsforthefantasy.com/2011/07/true-blood-if-you-love-me-why-am-i-dyin.html he deserved it].

* [[Real Song Theme Tune]]:

** "Bad Things" by country music singer Jace Everett. Yes, ''country music'' singer.

** Each of the closing themes are real, and usually [[Title Drop|reference the episode title]].

* [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]: [[Nightmare Fuel|Russell gives one]] [[Humans Are Bastards|to humanity]] in "Everything is Broken". Probably the best piece of writing the show's ever had, and worth quoting in full:

{{quote|'''Russell''': Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Russell Edgington and [[Exposition of Immortality|I have been a vampire for nearly three-thousand years]]. Now, the American Vampire League wishes to perpetuate the idea that [[Not So Different|we are just like you]]. I suppose in a few small ways we are. We're [[Narcissist|narcissists]]. [[It's All About Me|We care only about getting what we want no matter what the cost]] just like you. Global warming, perpetual war, toxic waste, child labor, torture, genocide, That's a small price to pay for your SUVs and your flat screen TVs, your blood diamonds, your designer jeans, your absurd garish McMansions! Futile symbols of pertanence to quell your quivering, spineless souls. But no, in the end we are nothing like you. [[Living Forever Is Awesome|We are immortal]]. Because we drink the [[Title Drop|true blood]]. Blood that is living, organic and human. And that is the truth the AVL wishes to conceal from you because let's face it [[To Serve Man|eating people is a tough sell these days]] so they put on their friendly faces to pass their beloved VRA but make no mistake. '''[[Beneath the Mask|Mine is the true face of vampires!]]''' Why would we seek equal rights? [[Fantastic Racism|You are not our equals.]] '''We will eat you. After we eat your children...''' [[Mood Whiplash|now time for the weather. Tiffany?]] }}

* [[Redemption Equals Death]]: The reasoning behind {{spoiler|Godric's}} suicide-by-sunrise

** Also kind-of the case with {{spoiler|Tommy Merlotte. His "skin-walking" shifting is pretty literally tearing up his insides every time he does it, but after realizing how much he's completely screwed up his life, and everyone else's lives that he's touched lately, he decides to do it one more time to encounter a surefire beat-down if not deliberate murder in his brother's place. Turns out they didn't actually want to kill him just "kick the shit out of him", but Tommy was so messed up from the shifting that it was fatal anyway, and he asked to be taken back "home" to Merlotte's instead of a hospital, since he [[Death Seeker|didn't want to keep living anyway]].}}

* [[Redshirt Army]]: It seems that werewolves are even less apt at taking on vampires than regular humans. Why they continue to pick that fight is something of a puzzle (although, I guess most of them aren't that bright...)

* [[Refuge in Audacity]]: Lisa, Arlene's daughter who's like ''ten'', dressing as a pregnant tramp for Halloween because she loves ''[[Teen Mom]]''.

* [[Schmuck Bait]]: Lafayette warns Jason that if he's using vampire blood for sexual purposes to have one drop, two at the maximum, or things will get "intense, and ''not in a good way''". Jason, downs an entire ''vial'' and pays the price for it.

* [[Sealed Evil in a Can]]: See [[And I Must Scream]]. {{spoiler|Invoked when Eric mentions how Russell should be effectively contained for at least 100 years in concrete and silver, which Russell laughs off as "a nap" for him, swearing that he will get out.}}

* [[Sequel Hook]]: Subtly done with Jesus and Holly revealing their magical abilities towards the end of season 3, implying that witches would be a significant factor in season 4.

* [[Serial Killer]]: {{spoiler|Rene}} had some issues.

{{quote|Stephen: [[Take That|What's Twilight?]]}}

** Another ''Twilight'' Take That comes after Hoyt breaks up with Jessica. He throws a copy into a box of her possessions labeled "For you, monster."

* [[Tears of Blood]]: ''[[True Blood]]'' vampires cry blood because [[Our Vampires Are Different|they have no other body fluids]].

** [[Unfortunate Implications|So when a male vampire has an orgasm...]]