Anna Paquin
Stephen Moyer
Alexander Skarsgård
Sam Trammell
Ryan Kwanten
Rutina Wesley
Chris Bauer
Nelsan Ellis
Carrie Preston
Deborah Ann Woll

Created by:
Alan Ball

2008-2014
Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
HBO
TV-MA

“True Blood” starts off strong. Its first two seasons are its best, by far; the second season (with the maenad, played by Maryann Forrester) is absolutely stellar. However, after the second season, it enters into a downward trajectory, reaching its nadir in the fifth season: The one that features the vampire authority council, headed by Christopher Meloni’s Roman Zimojic, and the quest for Lillith’s blood. It improves slightly in the sixth season: The one that features vampire Bill’s ascension to demigod status and the discovery of Warlow, a fairy-vampire hybrid. If none of that makes sense to you, don’t worry. Just remember that the first two seasons are what you should watch.

“True Blood” is best when it’s focused both on its central characters (Sookie, Bill, and Eric) and on how they affect the people around them. However, when this show explores its peripheral characters too much and introduces new characters to develop those story lines, its power diminishes. After a while, there are too many story lines of varying levels of effectiveness. This isn’t a new problem: Whenever story lines are unequal, that always brings everything down. Why do I need to focus on a weaker story line when the stronger one is more than sufficient? Plus, the weaker plot points take time away from the stronger ones: a frustrating thing.

Every now and then, in later seasons, “True Blood” contains a glimpse of what it once was: funny and thrilling, compelling and campy, sharp and brisk. Marnie Stonebrook (a troublesome and powerful witch in season four) and Russell Edgington (a self-absorbed and extremely dangerous thousands-year-old vampire in seasons three and five) provide some thrills after the height of Maryann’s season, but not enough. I just wish that this show would trim the fat and get back to focusing overwhelmingly on what’s at its heart: a mysterious damsel in distress who needs to be protected from a singular threat by creatures whom she has power over despite their status as threats in and of themselves. …

Clocking in at seven full seasons, “True Blood” more than overstays its welcome. It’s a shame that something that started so good ends barely with a whisper. And the writing in the final season is embarrassing at times. So sad.

Verdict: Somewhat Good Overall (Started Very Well, Ended Poorly)

About: (Source: trueblood)

Thanks to a Japanese scientist’s invention of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed from legendary monsters to fellow citizens overnight. And while humans have been safely removed from the menu, many remain apprehensive about these creatures “coming out of the coffin.” Religious leaders and government officials around the world have chosen their sides, but in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the jury is still out.

Local waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), however, knows how it feels to be an outcast. “Cursed” with the ability to listen in on people’s thoughts, she’s also open-minded about the integration of vampires — particularly when it comes to Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), a handsome 173-year-old living up the road. But at the service of Bill’s less virtuous vampire associates, Sookie is drawn into a series of catastrophes that will put their love to the test.

The latest hit series from ‘Six Feet Under’ creator Alan Ball, ‘True Blood’ delves into the meticulously-crafted world of novelist Charlaine Harris. Described by the Emmy®-winning Ball as “popcorn for smart people,” the first season of ‘True Blood’ caused an overnight sensation — and the new installments only build on his colorful cast of supernatural misfits.