True Blood's Vampire Romance
Having a vampire boyfriend doesn't have to suck.
Whether it's the forbidden thrill or the lure of immortality and hot sex, vampires have always fascinated, from Dracula to Anne Rice's Lestat to the sexy bloodsuckers of TV's Buffy, Angel and Moonlight, and the hero of the Twilight book series. Banking on viewers' unlimited "blood" thirst, Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball has adapted Charlaine Harris' Dead Until Dark for HBO into an fascinating series centering on the relationship between a telepathic waitress and a 173-year-old vampire, and it's as steamy as the humid Louisiana bayou it's set in.
In this parallel universe, the invention of synthetic blood has allowed vampires to come out of the coffin, as it were, though only at night, but they remain objects of suspicion and prejudice. Bar waitress Sookie Stackhouse, whose thought-reading powers make her feel similarly isolated and "other," finds an instant connection with the new vamp in town, the darkly handsome Bill Compton.
"He's sexy and dangerous. What girl doesn't like a bad boy?" asks Anna Paquin, analyzing her character's attraction to Bill (Stephen Moyer), labeling the lure "sexy, unknown and mysterious." (While she's constantly bombarded by the thoughts of others, she can't hear Bill's, something she finds both intriguing and peaceful.)
"He's from another time. He's experienced things that she can't even imagine," notes Paquin. "He's seen whole lifetimes of things. She instantly connects with him in a way that she's never been able to with anyone else, and I think that's what everyone's looking for: to meet that person who makes you feel like you can just be yourself."
But as with any forbidden romance, there are obstacles. "We get to see the roller coaster of that relationship because having a vampire as a boyfriend isn't always the simplest of things to choose," Paquin points out. First off, there's what Alan Ball calls "the dangers and terrors of intimacy." In their case, "intimacy involves feeding, and he's so much stronger than her."
They're also dealing with people who at the very least, strongly disapprove. "Romeo and Juliet, anyone?" remarks Paquin, who finds familiarity in the star-crossed lovers theme. Other similarities, literary and otherwise, abound. "It's vampires, but they totally work as a metaphor for gays, for people of color, for anybody who is misunderstood and feared and hated for being different," notes Ball. "I wanted to really explore what it means to be 170 years old, and what it means to fall in love with somebody and not being able to see this person except at night, and having the entire town think you're crazy."
Not surprisingly, Bill and Sookie take it slow at first. There's no sex for them in the Sept. 7 premiere, but that base is well covered by Sookie's sex addict brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten), who gets it on quite explicitly– and in a continuing storyline, becomes a prime suspect in a murder case. Paquin won't spill future romantic developments, but is happy to discuss Sookie and the experience of playing her.
Discussion
Anna and Stephen are really cute together, I also like Rob Pat and K Stew. Seregon O'Dassey isn't someone you want your kids looking up to. Seregon O'Dassey is a model, who claims to be a vampire. (She actually drinks blood.) Granted, there's abundant vampire fiction these days; Twilight, the Vampire Diaries, etc. A vampire is a mythical creature that drinks blood, and since the myth exists in many cultures (across continents), which would mean (to rational people; an endangered species) that it's a myth akin to the bogeyman. However, that stops no one – and it's doubtful that O'Dassey knows hide or hair about infectious disease or hematology. In reality, she's a bored goofball who the mysteries and grandeur of the natural world wasn't good enough for (it was good enough for Newton and Einstein, but they were rational and geniuses – she isn't, and neither is Anne Rice, who is a hack if you go by her writing) and needs a cash advance to find a hobby.
This was a nice story. It sounded very positive, where most stories you read these days are so negative and usually have rude or nasty remarks. I enjoyed reading it very much. As for the show itself and the actors who play the characters of Sookie and Bill (Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer) I think they are perfect for this role and I was so happy to hear that they have a close relationship in real life. That must be why the chemistry is so good on screen. Bill is so tender, caring and compassionate with Sookie. I love the way he caresses her so tenderly and they look into each others eyes so lovingly. I hope it is a lasting relationship on and off screen.
