The Five Best Moments From True Blood Season One

 

There’s really not a lot of good television on at the moment, but fortunately, True Blood begins its second season on June 14th.  I didn’t watch Six Feet Under, so I wasn’t real familiar with any of Alan Ball’s prior work, but True Blood proved to be one of the best dramas on television.  Gone were the mopey, emo vampires that to which we have become accustomed, replaced with violent, aggressive, and overly-sexual bloodsuckers placed in a context of social commentary.

The first season of True Blood started a bit slow, but that’s because the show took its time introducing and fleshing out its characters.  This paid off big time, as once the show got moving and the plot developed, you actually gave a crap about what was going on with the characters.  With the second season coming up real soon, I figured now was a good time to take a look back at the first season.  After the jump, check out the five best moments from season one of True Blood (not presented in any particular order).  Spoilers ahead.

Sam’s Revelation as a Shapeshifter

Early on, it was tough what to make of Sam Merlotte, owner of the local bar and friend of Sookie Stackhouse.  He appeared to be a good guy and it seemed as though he meant well, but there was something a bit shady about him, too.  The fact that he frequently appeared at the scene of murders didn’t help his cause much, either.  It turned out, however, that Sam really was a stand-up guy all along, and despite his attraction to Sookie, he geniunely cared for her and wanted her to be safe.  Sam was able to effectively watch over Sookie in Bill’s absence by roaming around as a Collie.  Waking up naked in Sookie’s bed – who was naturally freaked out – Sam’s only method of calming her down was to change forms right before her – and our – eyes.

Jason and Amy Have Sex on V

In the True Blood universe, ingesting vampire blood, or “V,” will make you a sexual dynamo as well as connect your soul to the universe in a realm of bliss.  Dim-witted Jason Stackhouse tried some V to get better in bed, but didn’t know how to use it properly.  After a trip to the emergency room, Jason put his life on the line for the sake of more V, seeking it out at the local vampire bar, Fangtasia.  It was there that Jason met Amy, an adorable hippie chick with an amazing body and a strong knowledge of V.

Jason and Amy do V together, and fall in love, but it isn’t until they’ve captured a relatively harmless vampire named Eddie that they drink his blood and fornicate right in front of him.  It’s easily the most bizarre and trippy sequence on the show…and man, I’d love to try it.  Especially with Amy.

Tara’s Mother Gets Her Demon Exorcised

Tara’s mother, Lettie Mae, is a pathetic, abusive alcoholic whose inability to function has alienated her daughter.  Ms. Mae insists that there’s a demon inside of her responsible for all her bad deeds, but of course the cynical Tara quickly dismisses any notion of demonic possession.  Which is a bit puzzling: in a world where vampires exist, why not demons?

Tara finally agrees to accompany her mother to see Miss Jeanette, a strange women who claims that she can exorcise the demon inside of Ms. Mae.  It all seems like a big fraudulent scheme, but Tara figures there’s nothing to lose.  And the exorcism works…sort of.  After the placement of some mystical rocks and the drowning of a shrieking possum – a very intense and suspenseful scene – Ms. Mae becomes a productive member of society and has written off booze for good.  Was there ever really a demon, though?  According to Miss Jeanette, it didn’t really matter so long as Ms. Mae was cured.

Bill’s Vampire Trial

Eric (easily the coolest vampire on the show) asks Sookie to use her telepathic abilities to question people he suspects of stealing money from his bar, Fangtasia.  Bill must submit to Eric’s demand, but is allowed to accompany Sookie to the questioning.  Sookie discovers that the thief is Longshadow, a vampire.  Longshadow attacks Sookie, but Bill steps in and stakes his fellow vamp, killing him instantly in a *very* gory scene.

Because he murdered another vampire, Bill travels with Eric to a vampire tribunal where Bill’s fate will be decided.  The magistrate would have likely sentenced Bill to a silver-lined coffin for several years, but because Eric vouched for Bill, Bill’s sentence was instead to turn a young girl named Jessica into a vampire.  Jessica cries and pleads with Bill not to kill her, but to the delight of his fellow vampires, he viciously sinks his teeth into Jessica’s neck and prepares to turn her.

Bill Glamours a Cop

Many people compare the treatment of vampires in True Blood to the treatment of homosexuals by society, but I’m convinced that the proper analogy is the treatment of blacks.  That is in and of itself another article entirely, but one parallel can be seen when Bill and Sookie – an “interracial couple” of sorts – are pulled over by a policeman who then proceeds to harass them.

For the first time, we see what “glamouring” can do to a person: it puts that person in a trance-like state, completely controlled by the vampire doing the glamouring.  Bill instructs the offending officer to hand over his weapon, points it in his face, and makes it quite clear that the officer should never, ever harass vampires again.  As Bill and Sookie drive off, the cop pisses his pants.

Are there any season one moments of True Blood you found particularly awesome?  Let me know in the comments section!