“Sookie, this is very strange.” (Bill)

What a strange thing this is. I still can’t make head nor tail of it. But I’m enjoying myself, so I stick with it. Queue in this week for more vampires, gay black men, crazy cars and an alabama thunderpussy T-shirt. It’s True Blood!

This episode was all about defining the rules of vampirism – one of the many things the title is referring to, aside from Sookie and Bill’s strange relationship. Let me see if I can remember them all. There was the bit about inviting a vampire to your home (und uninviting him, too). Then, the whole thing about vampire blood linking sucker and… well, suckee. Then a whole lot of other stuff I can’t remember. But the thing that definitely stuck: Bill can bring Sookie back to life. There’s some dramaturgical foreboding.

But vampires enter the life of our protagonists. Everyone got their first taste. Different reactions, all of them believable, some of them annoying, others right on the money. What about slaves, when you think about it? What about equal rights? And what about that tornado – and the mysterious death of that anti-vampire guy?

I have to say: my favourite character so far is Tara. She’s one of the few ones that make sense to me: she’s smart and educated – or likes to think she is – and is annoyed at the world’s incredible ignorance. That makes sense. Others, like Jason for example, I don’t quite get. He’s not just some sex-craved redneck, there’s something more (or at least there ought to be). But what?

Thoughts and things

• Oh hey, it’s the vampire with the skull on his… skull. Now tell me exactly: why should I care about him?
• In comparison to the other series I’m watching, the characters in True Blood dress extremely poorly. But then again, I’m currently watching Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire, so take that as you will.
• On the other hand: that doesn’t mean this series isn’t pretty to watch. The location is haunting and romantic at the same time; the architecture is old-school classy and the cars… well, they’re certainly old-school.
• Why does everyone Jason sleeps with have bite marks? Is Jason… gasp! …a vampire?!

In All

True Blood is setting a new bar in unintelligibly strange TV series. I got the first season on DVD after someone explained to me it’s less about vampires and more about small-town mentality – like Twin Peaks. I can see what he’s getting at. But it’s not Twin Peaks.

So what is it?

I can’t wait to find out.