"For the first time in 140 years, I felt something."
When you hear a line like that, you know that you're dealing with just any TV seriesand True Blood is certainly out of the ordinary, both in terms of content and quality.
The second season is, in many ways, superior to that groundbreaking first season. Backstories have been established and a lot more time is devoted to adventures and additional characters in a season that starts with a brutal killing and ends with more killings, the kidnapping of a major characterand a marriage proposal.
Of course, the main couple is mind-reader Sookie Stackhouse ( played by Anna Paquin ) and her vampire lover, Bill ( portrayed by real-life fiance Stephen Moyer, and said the quote above ) . True to form ( and Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels, on which the show is based ) , Sookie deals with head-turning events, including an attempted rape, a vicious attack from a mysterious creatureand steamy vampire liaisons with Bill ... and another.
The other regulars are back as well. Sookie's brother, Jason ( Australian hunk Ryan Kwanten ) may make Paris Hilton look like a Jeopardy! champion, but he plays a pivotal role in saving his sister as he rises ( in more than one way ) through the vampire-hating Light of Day Church. Tara takes a wild ride with Eggs ( the stunningly handsome Mehcad Brooks ) , who is a protege of Maryann ( Michele Forbes ) , a woman who comes with her own agenda for Bon Temps, La., believe me. Detective Andy Bellefleur ( the underrated Chris Bauer ) and shape-shifting Sam ( Sam Trammell ) play pivotal roles this seasonand do so convincingly. And gay cook Lafayette ( the wonderful Nelsan Ellis ) starts the season in unfamiliar territory, but is still one of the most engaging characters on this show. ( One of his best lines is, "Jesus and I agreed to see other people, but that don't mean we still don't talk from time to time." )
Besides Brooks and Forbes, two other characters who were introduced the first season are major factors in the second. Senior vampire Eric ( the compelling Alexander Skarsgård ) and Jessica ( the statuesque Deborah Ann Woll ) who Bill turns into a bloodsuckerhave prominent storylines, as the viewer finds out more about vampire culture, including the concept of hierarchies. Speaking of hierarchies, Evan Rachel Wood appears for a couple episodes as Sophie-Anne, the Vampire Queen of Louisiana; however, for someone as accomplished as she is, Wood seems strangely miscast.
The other complaint ( a bit more significant ) is that the climax involving zombies, a bull and Maryann seemingly lacks pop. For this viewer, there was some sort of weird disconnect during that scene. The resolution involving the Light of Day church seemed much more satisfying.
Overall, though, this season is a triumph. The cast, writers and creator Alan Ball have done a great job with a show that deftly mixes horror and comedy. ( An exchange between Bill and Jessica goes, "We have a guest coming over." "Can we eat her?" "No." )
And Ball did a smart thing in crafting a show that any disenfranchised minority ( including the LGBT community ) can find itself relating toin many ways. The anti-vampire church that has "God Hates Fangs" in front of it during the opening credits ( evoking Rev. Fred Phelps' anti-gay church in Kansas ) ? Brilliant.
As for special features on the DVD, they're a bit lacking. Commentaries accompany only a few episodes ( as opposed to, say, Mad Men, which sometimes has more than one with each episode ) . However, most of the ones are interesting, with Paquin and Forbes laughing their way through the finale. Besides commentaries, the other features are "Fellowship of the Sun: Reflections of Light" and "The Vampire Report: Special Edition."
Grade: B+