True Blood season 4 ep 4
Jul. 18th, 2011 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightJust watched this. A few thoughts behind cut. Spoilers obviously.
In most ways, I could just post my review of last week's ep again, as this ep struck me exactly the same way - ie. that I'm enjoying all the storylines except for Jason's and Sam/Tommy's, and enjoying Amnesia Eric most of all. Drunk Amnesia Eric was even better, in fact. So funny! And the way Sookie speaks to him as if he's about 12 years old is also very funny. She has this weird motherly thing going on for him, which I find utterly hilarious.
I also - as I said last week - like that the witch plot and Bill's plot, and to a lesser extent Hoyt and Jessica's and Terry's and Arlene's plots are all linked to Eric/Sookie's. In fact, the witch plot is the main one and all the others kind of orbit around it, which is great and reminscent of the Maryann plot in season 2, which in retrospect was TB's best thought out season arc. I hope Alan Ball can keep this up all season. If so, I'll probably manage to forgive him for bringing the annoying Mickenses back (I honestly do not care what happens to Tommy, I hope Ma and Pa Mickens drag him away and we never see the three of them again), and for making Sam's storyline so dull. Well, it may not be so dull when Sam's new ladyfriend's ex turns up, but I can't say I care that much at the moment if he does.
On the other hand, I do care about Jason. He's one of my favourite characters and I've been really irritated by this Crystal/Hot Shot storyline he's entangled with, which I hate. I can honestly say after this episode that if Jason ever goes back to Crystal I'll probably be sick. I can't stand her. I wish Jason had killed her too. Am so glad Hoyt and Jessica found him, and hope that when he turns into a were panther (which I suppose is inevitable), they're all :shrug:, so Jason's a werepanther now, and they buy him a kitty basket rather than him having to crawl back to Hot Shot.
Or, better yet, Sookie could set Amnesia!Eric on Crystal and co (assuming she ever remembers Jason exists) and kill them all, except for the poor little girl. That would work best of all.
So several forgettable scenes in the ep (all the Tommy ones, Alcide and Debbie, who is obviously jealous as hell of Sookie, no matter what she says, Sam and the new girlfriend (forgotten her name)). Lots of memorable ones - all the ones with Eric and Sookie, Bill's discomfiture when he discovers he's been committing incest (or ancestorcest, whichever it is), Jason escaping, Marnie's flashback to the Spanish Inquisition, the evil baby and the writing on the wall, Bill and Nan Flanagan. Some extremely icky scenes - all the Jason ones at Hot Shot, and what happens to poor Pam at the end. I really hope she won't have to spend the rest of the season slowly decomposing until the spell is broken. That would be utterly, utterly horrid. However, given what's happened to Eric, it doesn't look good for her. :(
In most ways, I could just post my review of last week's ep again, as this ep struck me exactly the same way - ie. that I'm enjoying all the storylines except for Jason's and Sam/Tommy's, and enjoying Amnesia Eric most of all. Drunk Amnesia Eric was even better, in fact. So funny! And the way Sookie speaks to him as if he's about 12 years old is also very funny. She has this weird motherly thing going on for him, which I find utterly hilarious.
I also - as I said last week - like that the witch plot and Bill's plot, and to a lesser extent Hoyt and Jessica's and Terry's and Arlene's plots are all linked to Eric/Sookie's. In fact, the witch plot is the main one and all the others kind of orbit around it, which is great and reminscent of the Maryann plot in season 2, which in retrospect was TB's best thought out season arc. I hope Alan Ball can keep this up all season. If so, I'll probably manage to forgive him for bringing the annoying Mickenses back (I honestly do not care what happens to Tommy, I hope Ma and Pa Mickens drag him away and we never see the three of them again), and for making Sam's storyline so dull. Well, it may not be so dull when Sam's new ladyfriend's ex turns up, but I can't say I care that much at the moment if he does.
On the other hand, I do care about Jason. He's one of my favourite characters and I've been really irritated by this Crystal/Hot Shot storyline he's entangled with, which I hate. I can honestly say after this episode that if Jason ever goes back to Crystal I'll probably be sick. I can't stand her. I wish Jason had killed her too. Am so glad Hoyt and Jessica found him, and hope that when he turns into a were panther (which I suppose is inevitable), they're all :shrug:, so Jason's a werepanther now, and they buy him a kitty basket rather than him having to crawl back to Hot Shot.
Or, better yet, Sookie could set Amnesia!Eric on Crystal and co (assuming she ever remembers Jason exists) and kill them all, except for the poor little girl. That would work best of all.
So several forgettable scenes in the ep (all the Tommy ones, Alcide and Debbie, who is obviously jealous as hell of Sookie, no matter what she says, Sam and the new girlfriend (forgotten her name)). Lots of memorable ones - all the ones with Eric and Sookie, Bill's discomfiture when he discovers he's been committing incest (or ancestorcest, whichever it is), Jason escaping, Marnie's flashback to the Spanish Inquisition, the evil baby and the writing on the wall, Bill and Nan Flanagan. Some extremely icky scenes - all the Jason ones at Hot Shot, and what happens to poor Pam at the end. I really hope she won't have to spend the rest of the season slowly decomposing until the spell is broken. That would be utterly, utterly horrid. However, given what's happened to Eric, it doesn't look good for her. :(
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Date: 2011-07-18 03:28 pm (UTC)2. Naked, Drunk Amnesia!Eric and Naked, growling Alcide. LORD HAVE MERCY
3. You have the best icons. God I love Pam. I also love Nan Flanagan. I know there's a lot of people who are tired of the vampire politics, but if it gives me more of Nan, I'll take it.
4. I wonder if Alan Ball and Co have ever been to the south? Have they ever even met anyone from the south? Because the uncle-daddy, brother-husband, dirty illiterate poor werepanthers of Hotshot are fucking on my last nerve. As are the Mickens. Not because their storyline is boring, but there's that too. It's because they are such outrageous lampoons. Such stereotypes of southerners, I can barely stand it.
the part where Tommy's mom is acting impressed that Tommy can read? IDEKWTF I was wondering if it was some kind of dream that Tommy was having, because he secretly wanted his mama's validation. GACK but then it was real.
5. I think it's interesting that Jason's getting raped, and it's cast in such a different light to when Tara was raped. With Tara, we were invited in to like her captor/rapist. He was charming and maybe just acting out his nature. With Jason, there's no room for admiration. There might be some pity, but that's it. It's clearly and unequivocally a terrible ordeal for Jason.
And then, too, I read somewhere that Ball said it was a bit of a comeuppance for Jason, who's a slut. SIGH RLY True Blood? RLY
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Date: 2011-07-18 03:55 pm (UTC)I don't mind Bill, as long as he stays away from Sookie. I start to get bored the minute they're in a room together. I could get behind Bill/Old Mrs Bellefleur as a 'ship, because they clearly have so much in common, but I suppose that would be ancestorcest too. :)
The icon is by
I don't know whether Alan Ball has ever been to the South. However, it does seem that he feels pretty safe caricaturing it. Even I can see that almost everything in the show is a Southern Gothic cliche. Except for Lafayette perhaps, but maybe even he is.
I think it's interesting that Jason's getting raped, and it's cast in such a different light to when Tara was raped. With Tara, we were invited in to like her captor/rapist. He was charming and maybe just acting out his nature. With Jason, there's no room for admiration. There might be some pity, but that's it. It's clearly and unequivocally a terrible ordeal for Jason.
Hmm, I'm not sure I quite agree with that interpretation. While Franklin Mott was an enjoyable character in some ways, I think it was pretty clear early on that he wasn't a 'normal' vampire, but in fact completely insane. If anything, giving him those likeable qualities (which really only consisted of some funny dialogue) was Alan Ball pulling the rug out from under the audience's feet. Make them like him, then make them see that he's actually an insane rapist. That aspect of it made me very uncomfortable in fact, because it reminded me of BtVS season 6. I know the circumstances/characters/nature of the show are very different, but I also know that for some people Spike is no better than Franklin Mott.
I actually don't like shows doing this to their audience. It seems mean spirited to me - like deliberate entrapment. However, at least with Ball I believe he knew what he was doing all along. With Joss Whedon, I don't at all.
So yeah, I think Ball took what happened to Tara very seriously indeed - much more so than what's happened to Jason here, in spite of the Jason stuff being more upfront - but he also used it to teach the audience a lesson, which as I say, I don't much like.
And then, too, I read somewhere that Ball said it was a bit of a comeuppance for Jason, who's a slut. SIGH RLY True Blood? RLY
Oh dear, really? That is bad. What happened to Jason in season 1, with the vampire viagra, that was teaching him a lesson. This was just all kinds of icky.
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Date: 2011-07-18 04:36 pm (UTC)Drunk Amnesia Eric was even better, in fact. So funny! And the way Sookie speaks to him as if he's about 12 years old is also very funny. She has this weird motherly thing going on for him, which I find utterly hilarious.
Me too.
Sookie: get out of the water, now, you crazy viking, before some gator decides to bite off your do-wiki.
or..
Sookie: No, you can't have more there is no more...you already drank one whole fairy that's it.
LOL!
Or, better yet, Sookie could set Amnesia!Eric on Crystal and co (assuming she ever remembers Jason exists) and kill them all, except for the poor little girl. That would work best of all.
Could he also kill the Minskie's? (Tommy and his parents).
Get rid of all of the annoying characters in one fell swoop! I think he kills Debbie Pelt in the books...but she's really not that bad here. At least not yet. S4 seems to have inherited the annoying characters that drug down S3 along with the grating annoying storylines. (Sam's and Jason's)
Bill's discomfiture when he discovers he's been committing incest (or ancestorcest, whichever it is),
Loved that scene. The old lady actress - is a major US comedy actress who's been on lots of sitcoms.
I really hope she won't have to spend the rest of the season slowly decomposing until the spell is broken. That would be utterly, utterly horrid. However, given what's happened to Eric, it doesn't look good for her. :(
Eric definitely got the better end of that deal.
Very much agree, I want Amensia!Eric but really NOT Decomposing!Pam.
The show is a bit over-the-top with it's Southern Gothic cliches...I think just about everyone but Lafayette and Tara are cliches to be honest. Although that may be short-lived, since we appear to be delving a bit into voodoo which is about necromancy and zombies.
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Date: 2011-07-18 04:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-18 05:11 pm (UTC)Also, although Alcide is very, very pretty, I find the character pretty boring. But during the scene where Eric's swimming and Alcide's naked and growling, my hubby turned to me and said, "This scene's all for the ladies, isn't it?"
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Date: 2011-07-18 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-18 06:12 pm (UTC)Sookie: No, you can't have more there is no more...you already drank one whole fairy that's it.
LOL!
Heh! That was my favourite line too.
S4 seems to have inherited the annoying characters that drug down S3 along with the grating annoying storylines. (Sam's and Jason's)
Yes. Bizarrely, I think Alan Ball really wants the audience to like Tommy, or even worse thinks that we already do. :shudder:
The old lady actress - is a major US comedy actress who's been on lots of sitcoms.
Ah, interesting. I thought she was very good.
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Date: 2011-07-18 06:14 pm (UTC)Also, I think it was
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Date: 2011-07-18 06:15 pm (UTC)Seriously, is there anyone who likes those characters?
And heh! your husband was right, but that's okay. Most weeks it's the women who end up naked.
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Date: 2011-07-18 06:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-18 07:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-18 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-18 08:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-18 08:23 pm (UTC)But no, it's a lot more equal ops than Game of Thrones.
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Date: 2011-07-18 08:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-19 12:30 am (UTC)Go here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Helmond and here:
http://true-blood.net/2011/06/23/exclusive-meet-caroline-bellefleur/
Yep. Katherine Helmond.
Be careful on the second link - and I went and spoiled myself. Although, to be honest - it was difficult to figure out what was what. A bit of Good news? I think we're rid of the hotshot people, at least for this season. (I really really hope this is true!)
Yes. Bizarrely, I think Alan Ball really wants the audience to like Tommy, or even worse thinks that we already do. :shudder:
Male writers and their love of annoyingly psychotic teenage boys. Sigh.
Although I actually liked Connor. But then Vincent Kartheiser is a better actor and Connor was better written. Tommy is just a bad cliche - verging on parody but not quite getting there.
I can't stand Tommy or the parents. Shame, it could have been an interesting story - I see potential there. But it's played too over-the-top and far too cliche.
Prefer Arlene and Terry - which is done far better.
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Date: 2011-07-19 12:33 am (UTC)Anyone else getting weird deja vue flashbacks to Chucky?? (Not that I ever actually watched those movies - but definitely saw all the previews and parodies of it.)
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Date: 2011-07-19 12:36 am (UTC)So...I think Game of Thrones may be ahead on that score. Granted it's not great male frontal nudity..but still.
HBO and it's gratuitous shots of breasts.
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Date: 2011-07-19 11:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-19 11:39 am (UTC)True, but in neither case was it meant to be titivating, which is certainly untrue of all the Ros scenes, so yeah, I think TB beats GoT in the equal opps nudity stakes.
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Date: 2011-07-19 11:41 am (UTC)I'm pretty sure we're meant to think of it. I haven't seen those films either (not a horror film fan), but have of course heard of them.
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Date: 2011-07-19 12:24 pm (UTC)I've realised where I've seen her before. She was Jessica Tate in Soap. I loved that show. So daft.
A bit of Good news? I think we're rid of the hotshot people, at least for this season. (I really really hope this is true!)
Really? That would be brilliant, if true. Whereabouts in the spoilers was it? Maybe I can look at that and avoid the others?
I quite enjoyed Connor too. Didn't care for the character much (though Kartheiser is certainly a good actor), but he did bring good stories to the mix. If Tommy was doing that I wouldn't complain about him nearly as much.
Prefer Arlene and Terry - which is done far better.
Yes, plus Terry is a sweetie.
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Date: 2011-07-20 04:10 pm (UTC)Nope. It was in episode blurbs - short summaries of the episode that they release to DVR's, DVD's and TV Guides. You'd be spoiled. I got more spoiled than I wanted to be.
Although they are vague and some of them make no sense. But saw no more mention of Hotshot, from the vague idea I got of where they plan on going with Jason - my guess is the Hotshot story is over or Ball accomplished what he wanted with it at any rate.
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Date: 2011-07-20 04:14 pm (UTC)While the Wire, Trueblood, and Sopranoes got explicit...they aren quite as "openly" exploitive in regards to women in their sex scenes. I'm wondering if the reason is that the producers persist in thinking the target audience for the series is young males between the ages of 18-35?
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Date: 2011-07-21 09:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 09:36 am (UTC):crosses fingers hard:
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Date: 2011-07-21 04:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 04:34 pm (UTC)Seriously, come online.
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Date: 2011-07-22 08:56 am (UTC)Yep. I think they feel able to say whatever the hell they want without the restrictions they might impose on themselves in RL. Which is depressing.