True Blood: Season 2

In season two of True Blood, the writers moved the audience more away from the insulated world of Bon Temps out toward Dallas, Texas, where much of the major storyline came to a head. We were introduced to the Newlins, a fanatical Christian couple who were Pastor and First Lady of the Fellowship of the Sun Church, a vampire-hating organization equal parts parody and realism. Then, back in Bon Temps, we learn more about Tara's benefactor Maryann and the mysterious spell she begins to cast on the town that causes all Hell to break loose. Season one was kind of quiet and earthy. Like many shows, they upped the ante in season two. Much of this was due to the havoc Maryann was causing. I happened to find Michelle Forbes to be absolute gold in this role. I hated her but at the same time I was fascinated with her and secretly loved her. Forbes' powerful charisma and presence made it easy to why she had such a hold over almost everyone (besides her supernatural abilities). Her relationship with Tara provided some of the most interesting tension. As the viewer, I knew she was poison for Tara but I could also see how her feigned but very believable maternal energy pulled the wool over Tara's eyes, who'd never had a positive mother figure before. Wesley's Tara mellows a bit this season, compared to the spitfire of season one, but her dramatic abilities are more evident than ever, especially in her complicated relationship with Eggs (Mehcad Brooks, as talented as he is good looking). The Dallas storyline was bolstered by the newly introduced characters. Michael McMillan and Anna Camp are brilliant as the Newlins as well as Wes Brown who plays Luke, the Bible-thumping fanatic who becomes Jason's nemesis. Bill's maker Lorena (Mariana Klaveno) comes into the picture. She's spot-on, playing this evil, bloodthirsty creature who becomes completely sympathetic due to her desperate and unrequited love for Bill. But, the character who has the most impact is Godric (Allan Hyde). He's Eric's maker, a 2000 year old vampire who becomes repentant for all of his past sins. Hyde gives an amazing performance, one that's spellbinding due to the paradox between his youthful appearance and stature and his powerful aura of wisdom and inner strength. He also gives Eric some of his best scenes to play ever and a chance for us to see past the Viking's icy shell. No matter how many times I've seen it, the scene on the roof with Godric, Eric, and Sookie still makes me cry. All of the other actors, such as Paquin, Moyer, Kwanten, and Ellis, are fantastic as usual. The introduction of Jessica makes for a nice teenage love affair with Hoyt, the Mama's Boy of season one who's now starting to find his manhood and self-confidence. Jessica also matures from a petulant brat into a young woman with many inner conflicts and desires and yearnings. Season two is not as great as season one, but it's a very close runner up. The fleshing out of the many characters and the introduction of some solid storylines makes up for a few of the missteps along the way (I could've done without the Frenzier overload).

Okay, so I'm a huge vampire lover. I've picked up authors like Laurell K. Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon, JR Ward, and several others. Honestly, I never picked up this series of books, and I'm usually a person who'd rather read the book and judge the series after than the other way around. To tell the truth it was the same with this series initially, and I was very hesitant to watch. Eventually, though, with the loss of other good vampire shows on other networks that I could watch after being only given a series of chance, I did start watching this series in the second season. While skeptical on the first episode, as I had no idea what was going on, I soon found myself inveloped in what was happening with each character, and couldn't wait for the next episode to hit. Since then, I've picked up the first season, with most of the episodes that I missed, and understand how Sookie lost her grandmother and important milestones were achieved. I can honestly say, I love the way this series plays out and the way each character develops. I love how Bill seems to care about Sookie and look out for her, because honestly, a character like Sookie I don't see falling for or having her first real relationship with someone who wouldn't. Which brings me to the books. Upon researching the books, I read several synopsis and listened to some friends describe them. I'll honestly say I still haven't read them, and I'm hesitant to. From what I've heard, it seems either Laurell K Hamilton gained a lot of influence off the author of this series, or vice versa, with her own vampire series. Apparently, in the books, Bill is more than a little self centered, and in the first book he did not save Sookie from the vampire that attacked her at the bar, but rather Eric. Allowing Sookie to fall for Eric later down the line. Honestly, there's a point where Eric tricks Sookie into sucking some of his blood out, both in books and show, from what I've read, and I don't see Sookie falling for a guy who would be so willing to trick her into loving him. Or, I suppose, Sookie wasn't ever really in love with Bill to begin with. Well, the whole vampire love hopping, really sounds disappointing to me. If you've ever read Sherrilyn Kenyon, you know that each of her novels pick up characters that are paired off and love one another. I like that. Characters aren't developed just so they can suddenly hop around and have any man of their choosing. Even Laurell K Hamilton, who admittedly has her main character in her vampire series switch between men a lot, has the main lover to her character as an old Vampire from the beginning of the series, who, even if cold-hearted at times, loves her. I much prefer some stability than a switch in lovers constantly. Now, again, I haven't read the novels, so I could be completely off, but the description of the novels from my friends and from what I've researched on my own makes me very hesitant. I probably will pick it up eventually, but I truly don't want another series where love means nothing after the first few books, and the main characters loose what essentially makes them who they are. I truly hope season three does not follow some of the paths of the books. It'll make me sad, and I probably will stop watching the series. But for now, I love the slight deviations from the books that add to more of a bond between Sookie and Bill, as well as the deviations that allow more characters to be developed and seen. Not everyone wants to fall for the bad boy type. And it's quite frustrating when authors will ditch the initial interests for the rough type who's more obviously someone they would prefer in real life, till they find out who they really are. I like that Sookie cares more for Bill, and vice versa. Anyway, I hope this series continues and can't wait to see what more is developed, because things like Lafayette still being alive could change some things a lot.

If you have never seen this show, BUY these DVDs! These are not your teenage vampires, they are compelling characters, and it's a fascinating look at life in the deep south. When I described this show to a friend, I called it "the sexiest show on television" and I stand by that. It's not really because of the occasional nudity though, it's because these actors are so good, they make these characters and their situations "real." Yes, there are supernatural beings in their Louisiana world, but it's not really about that. It's about relationships and problems and the deep south and all of the flavor of the "real" world, with a little twist that keeps things fresh and the action going. They do "desire" REALLY well, everyone from the actors to the directors and writers and everyone in between just does a fine job with this, and it's very sexy and compelling. It's also filled with action and danger, prejudice, hate, bigotry, love, and very different "people" learning to deal with one another. The DVD's have very good commentary, and it's obvious how much these people care about their show, and how much they appreciate one another. They give you a lot of inside information and stay on track while commenting, with interesting little side information. It's eye-opening to listen to the mix of accents and voices of these people who do an amazing job with those southern accents on screen, because on the DVD you will hear very different voices and accents. I have to say once again that the cast is simply amazing. I appreciate the faces that move (rather than botox robots) and the bodies of real people without a lot of silicone, or plumped lips, and and "Hollywood" ideas about beauty. It's just so refreshing to see a production that finds beauty in normal looking people (although yeah, there are many stunning men and women in the cast.) My ONLY complaint is that there is no "gag real" because? C'mon guys! That would have been wonderful.

The second season of HBO's smash hit True Blood picks up with a new murder mystery in the Bon Temps, as mind-reading waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her vampire boyfriend Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) take their relationship to a higher level, and no sooner find themselves tasked by Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) on a mission of great importance to the vampire community, all the while Bill has to deal with caring for and teaching his recently turned protege Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). On the flipside of things, Tara (Rutina Wesley) gets drawn deeper into the web that the demonic Maryann (Michelle Forbes) who is continuing to spin her plot to trap Sam (Sam Trammell), Jason (Ryan Kwanten) joins the quasi-Christian-fascist organization known as the Order of Light, and Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) finds himself in a very grave situation that he may not recover from. Having never read any of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels, I cannot account for how faithful True Blood is to the source material, but what I can say is that Alan Ball's adaptation is loads of addictive fun. Between the smoldering chemistry between Paquin and Moyer, and no lack of genuine surprises (who knew a vamp could fly?) and dark laughs to boot("teacup humans" indeed, Eric is fine form throughout the season), the second season of True Blood is definitely the best thing to come along on HBO in a while. If there's any drawbacks, it's that the season finale proves kind of anticlimactic, but it sets the stage for some major developments to come in the future. All in all, if you've been missing True Blood at all since its inception, saying you've been missing out is quite the understatement.

While this show is filled with vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves, and several other magical creatures, the writers have done a fantastic job creating a realistic society in which these creatures have been proven real. The resultant curiosity, turmoil, and fear is colored by prejudice and preconceived hatred, which do seem to occur whenever a new group of different or special individuals is unearthed. However be warned that this show, in true HBO fashion, contains frequent sex scenes and violent/bloody images. This season especially has constant blood and gore, usually combined with the sex scenes. It IS about vampires afterall. I would highly recommend watching the first season first, as most of the plot twists and revelations about characters would make absolutely no sense to someone who has not seen the show before. The easiest way to not have you freaking out and/or scratching your head confusedly at this show is to watch all of the episodes in order. Despite almost constant gore and considerably-more-than-just-ra​cy sex scenes, I do suggest watching the series. It is not some Twilight-ensue happy fairytale land where everyone is fine with the existence of mythical creatures; this series is dark and really gives the viewer a lot to think about (once they get past the raunchy-ness). The characters are very real, and everyone seems to have their own motive and drive throughout the series. Even the characters that would usually be considered caricatures of people (or vampires) have a descriptive and usually disturbing past that slowly becomes unveiled during the series, making them more real and relatable with every episode. WARNING: DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW UNLESS YOU CAN HANDLE LOTS OF GORE AND RAUNCHY SEX SCENES. YOU PROBABLY DO NOT WANT TO WATCH THIS ON YOUR FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT.

Actually folks, this is not a review of the show....there are enough of those posted. Just a comment or two....recently got "TB:2". Like many others, my one big quibble is it took so long for HBO to release it [that's a major drag for me since I don't have HBO]. Can Amazon get this feedback to the suits @ HBO for next time? Anyway, just finished watching the episodes & I was NOT disappointed [altho' some of the novelty of "TB:1" was gone, it was still loads of fun!!!!] Great characters, situations, cattiness, camp, gore, humor, humanity, etc. I have been getting a real kick out of some of the reviews posted here....a lot of folks apparently take their fantasy TV show viewing VERY SERIOUSLY >>e.g., "the show just wasn't believable"...Well I, for one, believed EVERY minute....Here's to all you maenads out there [here piggy, piggy].

As someone who hasn't read the books I must say I'm glad I haven't and I won't until the show is done. I've noticed many of them are disappointed in the show while most who have only seen the show love it. I thought this season was awesome, yeah mabye the FOTS thing went on a bit long but people have to realize this is only the 2nd season - who knows where Alan Ball is going to take us so there's no need to rush & pile everything into each season. I love the story lines and as far as the Bill/Sookie/Eric love triangle is concerned I feel that if he were to have Sookie leave Bill for Eric that would be ridiculous based off of what's happened on the show. I love Eric's character on the show but Eric would not be good for Sookie because he only wants her for her gift and because of the fact that he just can't have her. People who've read the books need to back off and let us enjoy the show without having to read about how unlike the books it is. I'm loving it all, ordering season 2 and waiting with baited breath for season 3. Book people - either enjoy the ride or please stop watching, you're spoiling it for those of us who love this show.

After reading so much negativity about the Maryann subplot, I was prepared to like this season less and received the pleasant surprise of actually looking forward to more of the supporting characters than our main two leads (Paquin and Moyer). I thought the Maryann plotline brought out the best in the actors playing Tara, Sam, Arlene, Terry, and especially Andy Belleflour, who was a riot this season. Lafayette didn't have his same flare this season, but still made me very happy that they didn't kill him off like in the books. The Fellowship of the Sun storyline was also compelling to watch, with Steve and Sara Newlin's religious zeal, and Ryan Kwantan (as Jason Stackhouse) proved he is so much more than a hot bod. As a reader of all of the books, I think they stuck to the book (Living Dead in Dallas) rather well even though they made the Maenad a much more prominent plotline, made Godric much more significant, and didn't kill off Lafayette. I actually didn't want to see Eric in hot pink spandex (don't think any self-respecting 1000+ year old Viking vamp would actually do this, even for Sookie). Trust me he rocks a tank top much better! I truly think the scene stealers of the show are the vamps...Eric, Pam (who's coming on as a regular this season), and Jessica. Notice I didn't say Bill! As much as I like Stephen Moyer the actor, his character is such a wet blanket during the entire season...petulant, insecure, scolding Sookie as much as he does his ward, 17-year-old Jessica, who continues to deliver excellent performances as the rebellious new vamp. Her storyline was sweet and tender! And finally for Eric, Alexander Skarsgard absolutely shown the brightest this season. Even my husband, who's never watched the show, could understand my err, lust. He doesn't play the character over the top, kind of sizzles and smolders just standing there on the outskirts looking in on Sookie and Bill's relationship, and slowly getting under Sookie's skin. Can't wait to see how Alan Ball and company develop this storyline in season three.

Couldn't wait for the second season to come on DVD and I finally got it!!! I finally know what happened to Lafayette (my favorite character) and all the happy gang in Bon Temps. Can't wait for the third season to come out on DVD. (In case you're wondering, I don't get the channel the show plays on and I couldn't wait for the French version to play on regular TV...). Love it love it love it!!!

Tra le migliori stagioni di True Blood, questo dvd non poteva mancare nella mia collezione. Un solo difetto: gli extra. Come per il dvd della stagione 1 gli extra non sono ricchi, belli i commenti audio ma avrei preferito delle interviste o dietro le scene con i protagonisti.

J'avais aimé la saison 1, mais j'ai ADORE la saison 2. Les caractères, sans exception, deviennent plus profonds, plus mystérieux : Eric, ENFIN, se révèle et trouve la même puissance que dans ses livres, Bill, bien sûr, ah ... il est parfait, Lafayette est franchement génial, Jason est attachant, même le personnage secondaire de Ginger est réussie ... bon, je ne vais tout de même pas lister la totalité des caractères. Pour résumer : ce qui m'a gênée dans la saison 1 - certains personnages trop lisses et une omniprésence du V-juice - a disparu. L'ambiance générale reste sombre, le sexe reste sale, sucer le sang n'est toujours pas propre ... Bref, c'est une réussite de HBO ! Attention,si vous êtes, comme moi, fan des livres, la série, si elle suit la trame générale des romans, est différente, p.ex. en ce qui concerne la "création" de nos deux vampires préférés (Bill & Eric). Mais il faut tout simplement faire abstraction. Dans la saison 2, personnellement, j'ai beaucoup aimé l'intrigue du "fellowship of the sun" (qui suit assez les lives, mais je dois vraiment cesser de faire des liens). Avec la saison 2 je suis devenue une vraie addict! Vivement la saison 3.

Et une nouvelle saison pour Sookie et son vampire préféré ! Une saison passionnante, pleine de rebondissements, et qui permet de creuser davantage les personnages - en particulier des personnages "secondaires" tels que Lafayette - et leur environnement. L'univers des vampires, leurs règles et leur administration nous apparaît mieux. Sans oublier l'ambiance Sud profond de la Série qui constitue véritablement un personnage à part entière (peut-être moins présent ici compte tenu des déplacements des personnages). Cette deuxième livraison ne fait que rajouter à l'effet addictif qu'avait déjà su instiller la première saison. Pour ceux comme moi qui avaient déjà pu apprécier la maestria d'Alan Ball, notamment avec "Six Feet Under", on découvre une autre facette de son talent. Son goût pour l'ironie (qui a dit le mordant ?) et le cocasse est ici encore plus sollicité. On attend la saison 3 en se pourléchant d'avance les babines...

Watched the first season and was left on a cliffhanger when I realize the second season I thrifted was bluray lol. Arrived in great condition and came with the old page adverts of merch too which is a nice keepsake for fans.