Here’s the action and zombie-packed trailer for Season 5 of The Walking Dead!
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Review: True Blood 7.1 “Jesus Gonna Be Here”
I have to start out this review of the 7th season premiere of True Blood with an explanation and an apology.
I always like to think that I can write a good review regardless of what else might be going on in my life. If I took a break from writing every time that I felt less than great, I certainly would not have ever reviewed Black Swan or The Perfect Teacher. Sometimes, you just have to take your medicine and get things done. That said, I should let you know that summer has just begun down here in Texas. Pollen is everywhere and I have spent today battling my allergies. I am definitely under the weather as I write this review and I apologize if that has effected my ability to properly consider tonight’s episode.
However, for the season premiere of a show that’s known for its complex storylines and huge cast, it doesn’t really seem like there’s much to analyze about what happened tonight.
Don’t get me wrong. True Blood has always been an uneven show. For every great episode of True Blood, there’s also a mediocre one. For every brilliantly drawn and acted character (like Kristin Bauer van Straten’s Pam), there’s been characters who have never quite reached their potential but yet remain in the cast. For every storyline that worked, there will be memories of Bill getting possessed by Lillith.
In the past, mediocre episodes or creative misfires did not worry me. I accepted them as being just a part of what happens with all long-running television shows. I accepted the occasional bad because I knew that the good would be great and I always knew that there was a chance that any creative miscalculations would be corrected in a future season.
However, we’ve now reached a point where there are no more future seasons. This is it! Season seven has ten episodes and then True Blood — as a television series — is over. Rumor has it that there will be a Broadway musical and I’m certainly looking forward to it eventually showing up on the community theater circuit because I really do think that I’d be a natural for it. But, until then, these final 10 episodes are all that we have left and True Blood — being True Blood — has a lot of storylines that it needs to somehow resolve so that viewers like me don’t feel like we’ve spent the last 7 seasons being set up for an anticlimax.
After all, we don’t want True Blood to end up like Dexter.
That’s why I can’t simply laugh off a mediocre or uneventful episode now. As I sat through tonight’s premiere, a part of me was thinking that things were moving slowly because the show is setting up the foundation for a proper and satisfying finale. However, another part of me wanted to scream, “HELLO — WE’VE ONLY GOT 10 EPISODES LEFT! THESE HAVE TO COUNT!”
And I will admit — though this may have been the headache talking — I did end up hissing at the screen, “Where. The. Hell. Is. Erik!?” As we all remember from last season’s finale, Erik was last seen naked on a mountain, bursting into flame as the sun shined down on him. The important thing, however, is that we never saw Erik explode into red goo. I chose to believe that Erik is still alive and, apparently, Pam agrees with me because tonight’s episode found Pam in Morocco searching for Erik. There really weren’t enough scenes featuring Pam but I was happy for what we got of her. Pam’s snarkiness always brings True Blood to life. Hopefully, Erik will show up next week.
As for everyone else:
Tonight’s premiere began where season 6 ended. A group of infected vampires attacked a human-vampire mixer at Bellfluer’s. During the attack (which was well-filmed but still a bit too chaotic for its own good), vampire Tara is apparently killed and Holly and Arlene are kidnapped by the infected vampires. Sam, who is now the mayor, orders that all the humans go home with an uninfected vampire, the idea being that the human will feed his vampire in return for protection. Nobody is really happy with the arrangement and, as quickly becomes apparent, everyone blames Sookie. What people don’t consider is that Sookie can hear their accusatory thoughts. At the end of the episode, she goes to church and tells everyone off. So, it looks like Sookie is once again frustrated with living in Bon Temps and thinking about saying goodbye to all of the drama and going off on her own. Then again, that’s pretty much what always happens to Sookie.
(Sookie, incidentally, is now in a relationship with Alcide and good for her! I still have a feeling that she’ll end the show with Sam but when you’ve been through everything that Sookie has, you’ve earned the right to spend a few nights with Alcide.)
Meanwhile, Sheriff Andy and Bill spent the episode looking for the kidnapped humans and I have to say that Andy has actually turned into a badass, even getting to save Bill from a group of human vigilantes. However, Andy assures Bill that, even if there are temporarily allies, Andy still hates Bill and every other vampire.
Jessica, meanwhile, is stuck outside of Andy’s house, protecting Adelyn. Despite the fact that Andy ordered his daughter not to invite Jessica inside, Adelyn does allow Jessica to enter to escape both the rising sun and to thank her for protecting her from a random vampire who wanted to drink Adelyn’s blood. Once inside the house, Jessica nearly attacks Adelyn but manages to stop herself.
And finally, Jason has sex with his vampire girlfriend. It’s not an episode of True Blood unless Jason is having sex with his vampire girlfriend.
I always enjoy watching True Blood and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season but I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with tonight’s premiere, which seemed to move slowly and, oddly for True Blood, didn’t really seem to be too concerned with moving any of the show’s dozen or so storylines forward. Hopefully, future episodes will pick up the pace because, after all, we’ve only got nine more left and they have to count!
And, hopefully, Erik will return.
Soon.
Trailer #2: True Blood Season 7
“Good Luck, Everyone”
I can still remember the day that my high school history teacher decided to teach us about World War I by showing my class the final episode of the classic BBC sitcom Blackadder Goes Forth. At first, I was just happy to get a chance to watch television in class but, by the end of the episode, I was simply devastated.
There’s something very appropriate about the fact that one of the best depictions of the futility and destructiveness of war came at the end of a comedy.
And during this Memorial Day weekend, as we pay respect to the men and women who have died in the course of fighting the countless number of wars that have been waged over the course of this country’s history, it seems to me that this final scene is far more eloquent about the costs of war than I could ever hope to be.
Trailer: True Blood Season 7
The final season of True Blood starts on June 22nd and I’m looking forward to reviewing it. Judging from this trailer from HBO … well, it’s kind of hard to judge much of anything based on this trailer. It looks like there’s going to be a lot of death and a lot of Sookie/Bill bathtub action. In other words, it’s True Blood!
Teaser: True Blood Season 7
Another teaser clip for the final season of True Blood has been released and the emphasis is on action! Personally, I think this looks like a job for Buffy….
Trailer: 24: Live Another Day
On May 5th, Jack Bauer’s back! How many people will he kill this time?
TV Review: Bates Motel 2.6 “Plunge”
Now, I know what you’re saying.
“Gee, Lisa — late much?”
Well, yes, this review of the latest episode of Bates Motel is rather late and for that I apologize. I have spent this week dealing with the world’s worst cold. Seriously, it has been pure misery! However, as I sit here rewatching “Plunge” and working on my review, I think that I may finally be on the road to recovery.
In short, I think I’m finally well enough to take the plunge and review this week’s episode!
This episode was all about people taking “the plunge,” both figuratively and literally.
For instance, Emma — after being goaded by both her new pot-dealing boyfriend and Norman’s latest unlikely girlfriend, Cody — removed her oxygen tank and took a plunge into freezing water and nearly died as a result. Fortunately, Norman Bates was on hand to pull her out of the water and save her life. On any other show, this would lead to the rebirth of Norman and Emma’s romance but, since this is Bates Motel, Norman ends up going so overboard in his anger towards Cody and Emma’s boyfriend (who I know has a name but I can never remember it) that he quickly goes from being a hero to being the guy who freaks everyone out.
(On a personal note, I have to admit that this whole sequence freaked me out because I don’t swim and, as a result, I very much found myself identifying with poor Emma.)
Norma, meanwhile, takes a plunge into municipal politics. With the encouragement of her new friend Christine (who I don’t trust) and Christine’s brother George, Norma lobbies to be appointed to the city council. The Mayor — whose name is Rob — agrees while making it clear that he’s mostly appointing Norma because of who she knows (i.e. Nick Ford).
To a certain extent, you have to wonder just how naïve Norma is. At the start of this episode, Norma confronted Nick and told him that she didn’t want to work with him anymore. Nick, more or less, told her that she didn’t have much choice in the matter. Now, she’s been appointed to the city council and you have to wonder if she realizes just how much of a pawn she has actually become.
Speaking of being a pawn, Dylan has taken the plunge of moving in with Jodi Ford Wilson (Kathleen Robertson), Nick’s daughter and the head of one of the two drug cartels that are currently at war. Is White Pine Bay really big enough for two drug cartels? The drug war, to be honest, feels like it belongs in a totally different show. But, I like Max Thieriot so I can’t complain too much.
Sheriff Romero, who is still living at the Bates Motel, took the plunge of informing Norma that, from his motel room, he has a view of her whenever she undresses in her bedroom. The awkward flirting between Norma and Romero has been one of the highlights of the second season.
Finally, Norman took the plunge of trying to get his driver’s license. However, Cody told Emma that Norman suffers from blackouts and Emma responded by calling Norma and telling her (at the exact moment that Norma is watching Norman taking his test). Norma responds by running over to the car and telling Norman’s driving instructor. The end result: Norman can’t give his driver’s license and now has another reason to both resent and be dependent upon Norma.
Random Observations:
- Vera Farmiga kicks ass. I know that’s become a running theme as far as my Bates Motel reviews are concerned but seriously, she really does. This week’s Vera Farmiga highlight was the scene where she literally ran down a hill to jump onto Cody’s car.
- Speaking of kicking ass, just how scary is Michael O’Neill in the role of Nick Ford? That man can make a simple hello sound like a threat.
- “Who’s Rob?” That’s okay, Norma. I’m not always sure who my mayor is either.
- I found myself wondering which three senators George helped to get elected.
- “There are reasons he should not drink. Medical reasons. And that’s all I’m going to say.”
- Norman’s flashbacks while hiding in the closet were disturbingly effective.
- Wouldn’t it be neat if it turned out the Mayor was related to Nick Ford as well and his name was Rob Ford?
- If I was Norman’s mom, I probably wouldn’t like Cody either. Seriously, mother’s worse nightmare that one is. That said, I relate to the character. I went through my Cody phase when I was younger. I think everyone has.
- George gets extra cool points for liking The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
- Bates Motel has been renewed for a third season! So, we’ve got at least one more year of White Pine Bay melodrama to look forward to.
Rosemary’s Baby Comes To TV
Yeah, so this is probably a terrible idea….
Teaser: True Blood Season 7
True Blood will be back for its 7th and final season in June. And so will my reviews!
Sad to say, there aren’t many clues to be found in this recently released teaser as to how True Blood will end its run. However, this quick tour of the graveyard does have the proper True Blood atmosphere and, if nothing else, it reminds us that nobody is guaranteed to survive.
(That said, Erik better return….)


