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CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
TV Review: Strong Season Premiere For HBO’s Beloved ‘True Blood’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 25, 2011 - 6:41pm
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True Blood
Photo credit: HBO
The fourth season of “True Blood” premieres on HBO on Sunday, June 26th, 2011 at 8pm CST. It stars Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Deborah Ann Woll, Alexander Skarsgard, Jim Parrack, Carrie Preston, Kevin Alejandro, and Fiona Shaw. It was created by Alan Ball.
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CHICAGO – Let’s be honest “True Blood” fans — the end of last season was a plasma-soaked mess. It almost felt as if the writers of this often-great show had just set too many plates in motion over three years of seasons in which the plots ran consecutively. A few of them were sure to crash to the ground. Alan Ball and the team behind the Emmy-nominated hit have very wisely hit “restart” and pushed their characters forward into some fascinating new plot arcs. The first two episodes of the fourth season of “True Blood” feature the show stronger, smarter, and more fun than it’s been in some time.
 Television Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
Don’t worry. We will tread very lightly with spoilers. At the end of last season, Sookie (Anna Paquin) had decided not to deal with any more Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) drama and disappeared for the land of the fairies to learn more about her past. As usual, the new season picks up right there with Sookie on the other side, where she sees her grandfather (Gary Cole) and learns more about her past and her kind.
True Blood
Photo credit: HBO
Before you know it, Sookie is back in Bon Temps but the brief time she was away was much longer in the real world and over a year has passed. The push forward in time allows the writers of “True Blood” something of a clean slate. They can push forward relationships and characters beyond the typical episode to episode progression. It was a brilliant decision as the impact of what happened in season three can still play a role but the passage of time off-screen allows for a renewed energy.
What’s happened while Sookie was away? The campaign to make vampires tolerable to human society in a “Post-Russell World” continues and, of course, Bill and Eric will play major roles. As soon as Sookie returns to the world of the living, the Bill-Eric dynamic sparks up again with the latter making the biggest move to become a permanent part of the fairy’s life.
 True Blood Photo credit: HBO |
To be honest, a lot of the threads from last season appear to have gone somewhat dormant for the year that Sookie was M.I.A. as many of the characters are in similar or related predicaments to season three. Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) are still a couple and dabbling deeper into the world of dark magic, which brings forward the most intriguing new character of the season, the necromancer-in-training Marnie (Fiona Shaw).
In other plotlines, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) is finally a legitimate cop but he finds himself in a very dangerous situation (again). Tara (Rutina Wesley) is on the road and trying to ignore her past. Sam (Sam Trammell) is working through his anger by hanging out with other shapeshifters. Arlene (Carrie Preston) is nervous that her baby carries the demon seed of Rene. And, finally, in arguably the best subplot, Hoyt (Jim Parrack) and Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) are dealing with domestic problems as her vampire life continues to interfere with his human one. She never cooks her husband dinner because, well, she doesn’t eat food.
Most of the cast seems amped up by the promise of the new season. Skarsgard and Paquin have been the best things about the show for the last two years and they’re both strong again but even supporting characters like Woll, Parrack, Kwanten, Ellis, and Alejandro have a different/stronger energy than they did last season. And Fiona Shaw is a spectacular actress, arguably the best guest star the show has yet procured. The well-known stage actress is probably best-known to modern audiences as Petunia Dursley in the “Harry Potter” movies. I still think Trammell and Wesley’s subplots are the most under-written or just poorly-conceived. I’m tired of Tara’s overreactions and Sam’s anger but both are more underplayed at the start of this season than last time and I’m glad to see them fading into the background a bit and giving actors like Ellis and Woll more interesting arcs.
The renewed energy of “True Blood” seems focused in the right place unlike last season, where everything about the program just became more and more unfocused. The pacing of the first two episodes of this season, the dialogue, the performances — everything seems crisper, smarter, and more entertaining than where we left off. It’s going to be a fun summer.
 | By BRIAN TALLERICO |
The reviewer is getting
The reviewer is getting trashed because he dared to have an opinion that Skargard is a good actor? I had heard that Stephem Moyer fans were a bit fanatical but this is the first I have seen it. I think Moyer is a pretty good actor but he is a bit too theatrical for my tastes. In my opinion Nelsan Ellis is the best actor of the cast. Skarsgard, though, is pretty good and outshines many of his counterparts. Paquin on the other hand is pretty bad. I think Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica is the better actress.
Also Moyer fans need to calm and stop seeing praise for Skarsgard as an insult to Moyer.
Skarsgard / Paquin
Great review - and Skarsgard / Paquin chemistry definitely the best thing about the show (closely followed by RK). Some (slightly strange people) seem to think that actors being married in real life is more important than telling Charlaine Harris’s story.
Eric (Skarsgard) has been the star of the show since season 2 and I can only see this continuing. Long live Eric Northman!
Great review! ITA alot of
Great review! ITA alot of the actors are stronger and yep Paquin and Skarsgard are amazing, esp together, their chemistry is fanstastic. Skarsgard totally embodies Eric, he was born for this role in my eyes. Having seen ep 2 I can now see why Skarsgard is getting so much praise from critics and why he is front and center this season :)
WOAH calm down rabid Bill
WOAH calm down rabid Bill fans, it’s a free country and the man is entitled to have any opinion he wants, you can’t change it no matter what you say. The difference is that he talked about who he liked best but didn’t bash others. Talk about hypocritical, you come on here praising one actors while bashing another as if your opinion is higher than others? Just like that is your opinion, this is his, get off your high horse. Pretty damn rude to be so hateful towards any of the actors on the show, or do you hate Eric so much that you forget that AS is only the actor who plays him and not really Eric, you do realize how crazy that is lol.
I understand favoring one over the other but I think for some it turns into crazy obsession lol. When it gets this bad, how about stepping away from the computer and obsessing over Mr. Bill Compton and go out and enjoy real people, it might do you some good.
Apologies to the author for the rabid TB fans, I swear we’re not all that crazy.
Thank you
Chipping in a little late to say Thank You for an honest and comprehensive review. I agree with you on so many points and am a little sad that some parts of the Fandom have chosen to express such vitriol towards you for you expressing your opinion. There are so many great actors on this show and kudos to them all.
It saddens me that some parts of the Fandom seem to see any compliment to one actor as being a declaration of war against the other. All reports suggest that Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgård have become good friends since the show started so I would ask BOTH sides to remember that before they start hurling personal insults.
Also can we please separate the actors from the characters? It is possible to detest Bill with a passion that a thousand fire hoses couldn’t extinguish but still admire Stephen Moyer’s performance. I happen to be Team Eric and have been since I read the books and I think Alexander Skarsgård has consistantly nailed the role - but at the same time I can openly admire Stephen’s acting. Consider this: do you guys really think that people would loathe Bill so much if he was being portrayed by a substandard actor? Of course not! The difference for many of us at Team Eric is that we can hate the character and tip our hat to the man behind him.
Great review
I have to agree with everything you’ve said,and I really like your review :)
I really hope to see an end to Sam’s anger issues (kinda got bored of them last season) and Tara’s over reactions have just never warmed me to her. Paquin’s sookie kinda got on my nerves last season but this season looks promising,as for skarsgard,well the guys a brilliant performer. Nothing more to say there. Also think Moyer as a shifty politician type might be interesting this season. Once again great review!
The team Bill and Team Eric crap is getting out of hand
I loved the review!! Depending on what “Team” your on,and since you left out there precious Bill,you are going to get alot of backlash from them! All the actor’s do a great job on this show,Skarsgard is brilliant (certain people don’t want to give him any credit)! Kwanten and Ellis are also very good at what they do! I think certain people can’t get that there is a difference between the actors and the characters they play!! I think that I hate Bill so much because Stephen does such a good job,but I think Skarsgard steals the show!!
I agree with
I agree with you…Alexander’s performance it’s what keeps me watching. Fiona is a wonderful actress. People who haven’t watch the 2nd episode will be in for a treat. Fiona and Alexander hit it out the park. You’ll see. I love Ryan he makes me smile eveytime he comes on screen. And of course love my Pam, Kristin is a great actress. Sookie (Panquin) seems more like the Sookie from the books when she is around Eric. just saying.
WOOT!
Hi Brian!
Finally! You were so spot on when you said this; “Skarsgard and Paquin have been the best things about the show for the last two years”. No Alexander, No Show.
I like TB and Eric and
I like TB and Eric and Sookie relationship as it is described in the books.
I also like Eric-Sookie on screen, BUT something turns me off sometimes.
Is it the way it is directed or maybe there’s no chemistry between Paquin and Skarsgard?
I mean… Moyer married Paquin after those love scenes they had during first season. Skarsgard dated both the actress who played the queen and the model who played Iveta. Weird huh? Where is the “proffesionalism” the actors throw at our faces when they asked about love scenes?
So, my conclusion is this: Either someone is a very very good actor and plays love scenes that seem pretty real without having to date with the co-star in real life, or someone is a medium actor and plays love scenes that seem real and steamy only if there is a hook-up between the co-stars in real life. Maybe that’s the reason I sometimes turn off when I see Skarsgard and Paquin acting a love scene.