Watch True Blood Episodes

From LoveToKnow Soap-Operas

Why watch True Blood episodes? Alan Ball discovered the novels by Charlaine Harris while waiting for a plane. He found inspiration in the world Harris created for her telepathic waitress living in northern Louisiana.

Charlaine Harris created Sookie Stackhouse in her first novel Dead Until Dark.

The Reasons to Watch True Blood Episodes

The Southern Vampire Mysterieswas not Harris' first work, but her first Sookie Stackhouse novel: Dead Until Dark earned an Anthony Award for best paperback mystery. Despite the popularity of the relationships and romance within the Sookie Stackhouse books, they all contain an element of mystery hence The Southern Vampire Mysteries.

Sookie Stackhouse

The books focus on Sookie, a waitress at Bon Temps bar owned by Sam Merlotte. Sookie is played by Anna Paquin in the series. The stories in the novels are all told from Sookie's viewpoint. It is through Sookie's eyes that readers are introduced first to vampires, then to werewolves and shape shifters and more recently to the fairies.

In later novels, Sookie is revealed to be part fairy herself. The unique lineage explains the vast appeal that Sookie holds for nearly every vampire who meets her (vampires are overwhelmed by the scent of fairy blood) and why Jason is so attractive to women in spite of his often naive and spineless behavior.

True Blood Differs from the Novels

The series and the novels differ on many points. The novels serve as an inspiration and a guide. Season one follows many of the events described in the first novel Dead Until Dark including:

A serial killer murders women known to consort with vampires
Bill Compton moves to Bon Temps and catches Sookie's eye
Sam reveals his ability to shape shift while trying to guard Sookie
Sookie's grandmother is murdered when a killer comes looking for Sookie
Jason's presumed guilt for the crimes

Beyond these events, season one also:

Expands Tara Thornton's role as Sookie's best friend and Sam's part-time lover
Lafayette, the colorful and charming cook at Merlotte's who deals in V-juice (vampire blood), online porn and more
Jason's lovers and relationships, including town newcomer Amy

Unlike the novels, the television series is able to delve into the lives of all the residents in Bon Temps, to fill them out beyond just the aspects that Sookie sees and interacts with.

Living Dead in Dallas

The second season like the first is guided by Charlaine Harris' novel. Released in 2002, Living Dead in Dallas transplants most of the action from Bon Temps to the city of Dallas, Texas. Eric orders Bill to take Sookie to Dallas to investigate a missing vampire as a favor to the Sheriff of that area. Bill is honor bound to obey Eric, but Sookie requests payment to help cover her bills.

In Dallas, Sookie meets Barry the Bellboy who is the first and only other telepath she has encountered. For the most part, readers are not privy to what is happening in Bon Temps, although Sookie is attacked by a creature as a warning to Eric that the Sheriff should be paying the Manead tribute. Viewers should watch True Blood episodes for season two as it greatly expands what's going on in Bon Temps and what is going on with Jason as he studies with the Fellowship of the Sun. Lafayette's survival in the series is another noticeable difference, as Lafayette was found dead in the back of Andy's car at the end of the first book.

Season Three and Beyond

Will future seasons take their lead from Charlaine Harris' novels? It was announced in July 2009 that at least three more Sookie Stackhouse novels would join the first nine. So conceivably, if the series does well, outlines for a dozen possible seasons will be available.

Keep up with series announcements via Twitter by following True Blood HBO

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