Last night was the night we waited anxiously for all year, the premiere of season five of True Blood and what a premiere it was!
Last season had most of us Eric/Sookie fans on pins and needles because we knew that a real relationship between Eric and Sookie would be established in season four. We were dying to know how their love affair would come to life on the screen and how Alan Ball would find ways to mess it up. We were not disappointed on either count. Some fans were upset at season’s end by Sookie’s rejection of Eric and others expected it from the get-go. Some vowed not to watch True Blood anymore and others made it clear that Eric Northman was reason enough to watch no matter which way the story went. I am in that second camp and Eric Northman was clearly the star of episode one, season five. I am confident that he will have a kick ass story line this season and I will enjoy every second of it, Sookie or no. This first episode had such a great story and such great action that all the Sookie and Eric drama kind of melted away for me.
Though I must say the start was rocky and it had me quite angry…
It started out with Eric cleaning up Bill’s office after he and the King killed Nan Flannigan. Bill is leaving a chatty message for Jessica while Eric cleans solo and gets kinda miffed. Both settle in to finish the job and they sense Sookie’s fear. Eric’s response is to say “Fuck Sookie” and then rant about how she rejected them both and that if they don’t concentrate on their own fate they will be dead. He is of course absolutely right but it is yet another of those writing inconsistencies that drives many fans crazy. Eric was ready to die for Sookie not once but twice only days previous to this event. He and Bill also killed a powerful ally (Nan) just to protect Sookie’s fae heritage from being discovered. I don’t think our Viking would throw Sookie to the wolves (literally) as he is cleaning up the goo of a dead vamp he just helped kill to protect her! He wouldn’t do that, even if he is hurting. Bad form writers!
To make matters worse, when they hear a gunshot (the one that hit Tara) it is Bill who runs to save her, not Eric. Both end up being caught in silver nets by the Authority just then but the very idea that Eric stays behind while Bill gets to play hero, irks me.
Anyway…
Sookie is visited by Pam, who is looking for Eric. Lafayette asks Pam to turn Tara into a vampire to save her. Pam is not down with that, at all. She hates Tara and half her head is missing which could mean that she ends up one messed up vamp. She only agrees to try to when Sookie promises to help fix the rift between Eric and Pam and also owe Pam a favor. That should be good when that favor comes due. 
Pam goes to ground with Tara, wearing a pale yellow Walmart jumpsuit (LOL) and everyone waits to see what will happen.
Eric and Bill meanwhile are stuffed in the trunk of a car on their way to execution. They find an umbrella in the trunk which they use to puncture a hole in the gas tank and then they cause an explosion. A four vamps in the car are ejected but Bill gets the worst of it, getting hit by some shrapnel. Eric refuses to leave Bill behind even when told to. In a very heroic moment he tells Bill he will not leave him behind and thus we see some character growth and writing that makes sense. Eric has always had little respect for Bill, even as the King of Louisiana but his memory wipe and the experiences he had during that event have changed him I think. Bill did the honorable thing by allowing Eric to go free and pursue a relationship with Sookie and now Eric does the honorable thing by insisting upon saving Bill when it is his time of need. I have always felt that both of these men can be very good and honorable but the show rarely allows us to see that part of Eric. When together they bring out the worst typically. Now though we see a total flip of the switch and it is refreshing.
Though I did run across this script on Tumblr and I don’t know if it is real or not but if it is.. I soooo wish they kept it in the scene. That would have been awesome!!!
One of the vamps driving the car sneaks up on them and is about to go for the kill when the second vamp (a female) stakes him, saving both Eric and Bill. Eric identifies her as Nora and they walk up to each for one heckuva passionate make-out session. Bill asks if they are friends and Eric replies that she is his sister actually. LOVED that hilarious moment. We of course know that they are not really related but instead both are products of the same maker (Godric). The brother/sister references are quite funny though.
Nora explains that she is working within the Authority as a Chancellor and is working against some of their plans and actions. She took a great risk assisting them but claims she will do anything for Eric and he for her. She tells the Authority that Eric and Bill are dead and explains that they must now disappear and never return to their previous lives. They both agree to do so and they all shack up in an empty storage container as the sun comes up.
Sookie spends the day cleaning up her house and helping Lafayette cope. Alcide comes by to tell her that Russell Edgeington is alive and on the loose which comes as a surprise since Bill told her he was dead. Alcide offers to protect her but Sookie cannot take him up on his offer knowing that she killed his girlfriend just the night before. She almost comes clean but Lafayette interrupts and sends Alcide packing.
When the sun goes down Bill steps outside the storage container and Eric and Nora commence with knocking boots. It was HAWT and apparently brother and sister really, really missed each other. Bill encourages them to be quieter or all of New Orleans will hear them. They are interrupted by Eric’s cell phone ringing which spurs a little fight whereby Nora decries his stupidity and Eric yells at her that his phone is untraceable. Eric comments that they fight like siblings but they fuck like champions. Oh lordy!
In the picture above Bill looks like he is admiring the Viking vampire God.
Eric takes a phone call from Alcide who no doubt tells him about King Russell being on the loose. Shit storm number two is now ready to hit the fan. It has been a very, very bad couple of days for Eric and Bill. We never see if Eric explains to Bill because they meet up with some kind of underground to get new papers. Eric’s new name is hideous – Ike Abblebaum. Fortunately or rather unfortunately, he cannot slip into his new identity because the Authority shows up and kills all but Nora, Bill, and Eric. The trio are arrested by some seriously bad dudes.
While that is going down Sookie and Laffy are waiting for Tara to rise. Pam comes up first, prompting Sookie to unbury Tara and see if she wakes. At first she does not stir, leading them to believe their efforts failed. Then in a flash Tara is up and in attack mode, ready to feast on Sookie. She screams for help as the scene closes.
Overall the episode rocked. I loved the growth in Eric’s character and for the purposes of the story it made sense that Sookie is on her own and Eric and Bill are teaming up to take care of themselves. Eric and Pam still got all the funny lines and Eric got the hot babe. The relationship between Eric and Bill was also surprisingly believable. I think many of us groaned when he heard rumors of a season five bromance between the two but with such good writing and a plausible story, it works. Both vamps seem to have grown after the ups and downs of last season and while we always new Eric was likeable, Bill is also likeable when he is not trying to assert his authority or lay claim to Sookie.
I am THRILLED so far with season five. Bring it on!
This is going to be a longggggg rant…I’ve been saving up since last season…
I am one of those that “convinced” myself to continue watching TB for the sake of Eric Northman and the superb performance by Skarsgard, but I’m sorry, but last night’s episode not only broke my little heart, but confounded me.
I completely agree with you on the contradiction of Eric’s behavior. That was a major writing screw up and I have to wonder why. It almost convinces me that they do deliberately go out of their way to knock Eric down while lifting Bill up. Eric is sitting there cleaning up the mess from killing Nan, which was highly motivated by her threat to Sookie, and refuses to go assist her? Really? They had to sense her absolute anguish. This is fuckery number one for me, and starts my fall down the rabbit hole, in which I can’t seem to find the characters I have grown to love.
I’m going to continue my Eric rant, then I’ll move onto other characers….I read alot of message boards last night, and most seemed to like the scenes with Nora, and their screwing, of course they were happy to see Skarsgard’s ass. heh Now, I am always happy to see his shapely arse, but I’m sorry, but the scene disgusted me. Not that it wasn’t hot, it was. That is not to which I am referring. I know he believes his relationship with Sookie is over, but I am disgusted that he goes from being in love and devoted to her, to fucking Nora. Sorry, but I am.
I expected him to be angry and lash out at her and others, but not this. Yeah, the whole line about fucking like champions was great, it was, but I was still too pissed to be appreciative of it. What also surprised me, I couldn’t find a post where anyone else felt the same as I do, and I can’t help but think that if Sookie had screwed Alcide in this episode, the Sookie is a slut talk would start again, but because Eric is a man, it is viewed as him just doing what men do.
AB has most definitely NOT kept to the spirit of the books. I didn’t want this show to be exactly like the books, as I wanted to be surprised, but the way Eric is written now, I can’t even identify him as the same character from the books. I did not expect them to get back together this season, but this broke my little heart.
One other note about this, the kiss with Eric and Nora showed more passion that most of his interaction with Sookie, another disappointment for me. I’m trying to keep in mind he made love to Sookie but fucked Nora….ugh!
I wasn’t really surprised much with Sookie’s actions, though I did think her an idiot to almost tell Alcide that she killed Debbie. Overall, I liked both her and Layfayette’s interactions and storyline. Crosses fingers that Jesus is alive. No complaints there and for me, Pam was the star of the show. Or should I say, I appreciated her most this episode. Her quips were great, and I can’t wait to see what favor she pulls from Sookie. Ha! Lord only knows what she is going to do with Tara, and that MIGHT be enough to make me continue watching.
I just want to say, I do not care about Terry, Arlene or Holly and Andy’s storylines. I like them as secondary characters, and they get too much screen time. I had hoped the writers learned this lesson last season. Sigh.
Terry was acting completely unlike himself, and is another character that acts completely OOC. I just know this storyline is going to be as ignorant and pointless as the baby/spirit storyline from last season.
I was quite amused by Hoyt’s behavior. How childish was it that he turned his and Jason’s friends against Jason? I’m interested to see how they continue to interact.
And that brings me to Jason…I understand him not wanting 1 night stands anymore, as he has showed character growth in that way, but his following Jessica around with puppy dog eyes was a bit disconcerting. Grow some balls Jason. I mean, is this really Jason Stackhouse? I suppose her blood continues to affect him…I’ll try to keep that in mind.
The one character that I do think they continue to write well, is Sam. He still acts like good ol’ dependable Sam and the writers have really been consistent with him. So, bravo, for that. I’ll try to latch onto this storyline, I suppose….yep, I’m still pouting…
The revelation that Steve Newlin is gay and in love with Jason, fell a little flat with me. It was kind of like the storyline where Tara engages in a lesbian relationship, as in it came out of nowhere. It had me scratching my head in wonder…though I was amused by Jason’s response. Also, though Jessica has always been a bit of a wild child, she’s gone from being a virgin, being in a committed relationship with Hoyt, to being fuck buddies with Jason, and playing the field. She’s another one OOC for me.
The next few episodes are make or break for me, and I might be getting off this sinking ship. At the beginning of last season, on my homepage, Yahoo, there was trending and so much TB talk and anticipation. It was not there this time folks. If the writers don’t get their crap together and give us some consistency, keep our chacters, in character, and focus on the main plots, ratings will soon plummet. I’m glad I have Game of Thrones and Supernatural to fall back on.
Oh, quick note…although I think the bromance between Bill and Eric came on a bit fast, I am enjoying it. I think they will be quite the source of amusement in coming episodes. Also, even though I bitched about Eric, it is SO NOT a bitch about the acting. Skarsgard continues to amaze me, even without having to see his yummy ass. He is the king of letting emotions flitter across his countenance. It reminds me so much of Al Pacino, as does his great delivery of his shocking one liners. Just brilliant.
Ok…rant off…takes deep breath and goes to read some fanfiction.
I have to reply about the Yahoo thing and there being no chatter. It must be Yahoo that has gone downhill because according to Mashable the premiere last night resulted in record breaking chatter on Facebook and Twitter.
http://mashable.com/2012/06/11/true-blood-premiere-social-media/
I’m with you 120 percent!!! They are definately starting off with a bang with Eric being the ass once again and poor Bheel being the savior… Eric has every right to be bitter at Sookie’s rejection but she didn’t say “hey, I don’t love you Eric so fuck you” she said she needed time to be alone, to figure herself out….really it’s like AB wants to piss off book fans and Eric/Sookie fans (that tell it like it is with honesty and conviction) intentionally, kinda like I’m the boss/king of this show and you will not rule me or influence my choices so let me show you my rule…blah, blah, blah… I’m glad he’s leaving after this season, and hope the new head writer has the sack to stand up more for what the books contain and make it more closer to what Charlaine had intended for her series…. And really, Eric just told Sookie he loves (not loved) her a couple days ago and he’s already boning his sister??? Really?? I understand he is a man/vampire but fucking her out of his system is all bad in my book, he should at least have gave Sookie her time to realize her error and figure that yes he is the one for her…And they make is seem as if Sookie feels no pain or heartache over giving up Eric…When you love someone, you feel heartbroken until that feeling is extinguished (months later) you are not like “whatever, I’m happy with my choice” you drag along in your life until it passes, I mean she LITERALLY bonded with him knowing what it would entail, he told her we WILL be one, not a forced bond that both he and Bill set her up with in the beginning the emotional bond they should share is missing and by the blood it should not have just “went away”…..Now with that being said, I understand where love and sex are going out the window when you see your best friend get her head blown off, or the authority is coming let’s put Sookie on the back burner for now so we can live to love another day, eeerrrr night, but fuck I’m sick to my stomach…. However I will still continue to watch just to see Alexander Skarsgard’s sexy ass, even if he’s making me sick by playing like he doesn’t care or trying to save face… I have to hope for the best in the future and he and Sookie will reunite EVEN STRONGER!! Sorry for the rant, if my rant even makes any sense LOL…I’m a little emotional at the moment **snort** I hate it that I’m so invested in Eric and Sookie but the books are where I base my devotion and Charlaine should be pissed that her dynasty has been dragged through the blood/mud!! Thanks for the forum to whine LOL…
I can careless about the rest of the secondary characters… Alcide – snooze; Terry and Arlene – comatose etc…
I do however love Christopher Melone and Denis O’Hare so I’m lookind foward to their episodes but as I said above… Sookie ann Eric are more then likely screwed!!
Thank you Raleen and AK! I felt absolutly the same way after I watched the first episod of TB s5. I´d been waiting so long and the episode, mainly Eriks character made me very disappointed. Indeed I really hope the show will grow and get better, or otherwise I won´t watch it anymore
Even if I´m going to miss Erik!
OMG you are soooooooooo right about Eric breaking your heart! Me too-how can he turn off his deep feelings for Sookie just like that?! How cold, especially after just a day! I was astounded when she said they were over at the end of season 4 for sure (who on earth would turn him down?!). And I too was totally disgusted with his entire interaction with Nora, mumbling “yuck” the whole time they were “together” I believe, barely able to enjoy his gorgeous body. And I was really hoping one of the snipers that captured them at the end would snag her lol!
So refreshing to find someone who feels the same way I do about the whole situation. I REALLY hope Eric and Sookie find their way back together..Thanks!
Dont worry babe – I agree with you soooooo much about your rant regarding the first episode.
Your words hit home with me.
I’m wondering too if I should keep watching and we’re already 4 episodes in so far…
:/ what to do..
I’m glad there’s someone out there that has the same feelings about the latest tb season as I do.
Thanks for posting!
I don’t like how Eric is portrayed as not caring about Sookie when he has always cared about Sookie even when he didn’t say he loved her …he was willing to die for her so its not consistant with his character.
Eric and Nora sex scene didn’t do much for me because they said my brother and sister while having sex which is disturbing to me while having sex ….yes they aren’t related but still don’t need to go there.
I love Eric with Sookie hopefully they will get back to that but I don’t really have hope that they will again because Bill is always portrayed as the one that loves her no matter what …..that’s a problem because of Alan Ball’s love of Bill.
I am not excited about this season at all ….I will watch it because I have watched all the other seasons but between this Bromance with bill, Sookie getting with Alcide and Eric and Bill involved in a triangle with Salome that tv guide talked about ….the good parts should be the authority and Russell issues.
You’re saying there is going to be another triangle with Eric, Bill, and Salome??? You’ve got to be kidding me…ugh……………just ugh
Yep tv guide, says that Eric and Bill and Salome will be a triangle and alcide and Sookie will be hooking up too…Alan Ball B.S. as usual.
I hated it. I pretty much agree with what has been commented on by others so far. The whole “Fuck Sookie” comment was fine with me, but then they have Bill be the one to try and run over there. My only thought of that was “Ball is making SURE book fans and E/S fans know that he has NO intention to get them together. Let’s make Bill the hero again!” And then they punctuated that with Eric having sex with Nora. As I have said many many times, if Ball & Co. had got a hold of the rights to Twilight, Bella would have married Jacob. The relationship that makes the books what they are is Eric/Sookie. I am sick of Bill being the “hero” and Eric the “ass”.
I am also with those saying Eric/Nora was not hot or appealing in anyway. It felt out of left field ridiculous. It felt like Alan Ball putting the last nail in the coffin to show us book fans that Eric is the dick…..it’s just all leading up to Bill & Sookie being Soul Mates. There is nothing of the books left anymore. Yes I get it that they want to have surprises for book readers but this is just horrible fanfiction. You can have surprises and still remain true to the books. Walking Dead does it perfectly. I wish these idiots would watch that show to get a freakin clue.
I have no interest what so ever in Andy, Terry or Arlene. They are SECONDARY characters and should have stayed that way. The storylines for them are horrible and take time away from what is interesting.
Tara a vampire…..uh..ok. They should have killed her off, it actually would have MEANT something, now it is obvious this will waste time until someone stakes her. At least I hope she gets staked, but this feels like death means absolutely nothing and no one is in real danger unless you are just introduced in that particular season.
Steve Newlin is gay….well duh! That was obvious before he was a vampire. Boring move, next.
I have read we won’t even see Russel until episode 5, he appears for 5 seconds until then, so I am wondering if I shouldn’t just tune out the show and come back then.
I used to LOVE this show, I really did. Now………..well, I think this show pretty much sucks. After last night, it is no longer a priority for me. Weeds is coming back soon so my summer isn’t all bad, but now I have to wait until October and Walking Dead to get excited for a TV show again. True Blood has finally staked me for good. I’m done, unless I read that this giant clusterf-k somehow is magically saved in the next couple of weeks. At this point I don’t even think King Russell can get me to turn this on every Sunday night now.
I am not happy at all! with this episode! the truth is that I believed that only Alexander Skarsgard saved this series, but I realized that even he can save her! Allan Ball not only ruined the essence of the original story, but in addition to ruined the essence of the characters themselves!, Watch True Blood, is like watching a series that has absolutely nothing to do with the books of CH, actually the only thing they have in common now are the names of the characters!
Now I understand why CH wants no part of this “adaptation” of his books! has every reason to be upset with the way they have distorted history to the point that they no longer recognize their books in True Blood, I’m sorry but I am one of the thousands who have stopped watching the series for this lack of respect from the start Alan Ball has had with the books of CH!
I’m a latecomer to this show, but I like Eric and Sookie together. I’m not really that upset with last night’s episode. Even if Eric and Sookie don’t get together in the end, Alan Ball would be stupid not to cash in on the tension while it’s hot. Writers never waste the opportunity to cash in on a popular couple. Even when they don’t get together (as in X-Files, Buffy, whatever) they always write in some special couple moments when it comes to the big episodes.
So don’t worry about it. Maybe Eric’s angry reaction is evidence of just how hurt he was by Sookie’s rejection. When people are really hurt, they don’t always cry and whine. They get vicious and defensive and hateful too. And Eric is a bad ass, so I wouldn’t expect him to take rejection lying down. I wouldn’t worry! More Eric/Sookie moments will happen sooner or later. Probably it’ll be better if it’s later. The pay off will be bigger.
Lost all trace of the Eric we fallen madly in love from season 1 to 3. I can’t bear watching this. Firstly , Eric dont scrub and clean. He make phone call to loyal cleaning services. I dont mind them changing the book plot but goddamnit dont make Eric a pussy, He IS a viking god. yeah yeah..nora is cool , their chemistry is great… bla blah… but its almost not enough to make up with flawed acting and bad scenes. i hate pam’s attitude now (she has better sass and flare in the book) , find jessica a waste of space , and really hope tara was dead for good.. le sigh… worst season opening ever.
I agree with the Rants.
1. Eric is not the same…wth?
That is a total bummer. Hey that rhymed!
2. Yawn to the 2ndary plots
3. If what is to come — is more of this same crap — I’ll get to bed earlier on Sundays this summer.