Is 'True Blood' off to a fangtastic start?

The world is crying out for a cracking new cult series to fill the void left by the end of Battlestar Galactica and the absence of Doctor Who in 2010. Step forward HBO's vampire series True Blood. Already on its second season Stateside, this blood-sucking new show is well worth sinking your fangs into if the pilot episode is anything to go by...

Originating from the mind of Six Feet Under creator and American Beauty writer Alan Ball, True Blood wastes no time in immersing us in an earthbound reality that's significantly different to our own. For vampires are now commonplace, but not accepted within society by its less undead members. They're treated as second-class citizens, with suspicion, despite the advent of a new synthetic blood that should curtail their cravings for the real juice.

This is one of the show's main strengths - we feel for the plight of the vampires while never really trusting them. There is no clearcut equation of humans = good and vampires = evil, with the pilot episode aptly demonstrating that blurred, ambiguous line. The tone is set by the behaviour of the vampire in the off-licence during the pre-credits sequence, as he threatens the youngsters and store owner who mock his kind, yet doesn't take any physical action and continues on his melancholic way.

Aside from the intriguing environment, complemented by the bawdy title sequence, the central relationship between empathetic waitress Sookie and miserable vamp Bill is key to the show's success. Anna Paquin is great as the mind-reading Sookie, basically a spin on the Matt Parkman character from Heroes, and brings out the internal pain she suffers as a result of her ability. Before he even says a word, Stephen Moyer is mesmerising with that contradictory expression on his pale face that makes you want to mother him yet fear him at the same time. Together, the pair share an electrifying scene at a table in the diner where all the eyes are on them, breaking down social barriers and transfixed with each other.

Supernatural goings-on in a close knit rural community echo the brilliant Twin Peaks, although True Blood appears to lack the appealing and unique supporting characters of David Lynch's series. It's still early days, but Sookie's sardonic mate Tara, with a racial chip on her shoulder, soon began to grate. Both the diner's owner and its pussy-fearing chef fared little better too. Hopefully their characters will be better fleshed out in future episodes.

For those who have seen the opening instalment of True Blood and are unsure of whether to commit or not, it's well worth checking out the first ten minutes of the second episode. For that's when the viewer can really sink their incisors into the meat of the story, which contains a superb twist in the murder case involving Sookie's brother Jason and some very surprising blood-related antics by Bill. It's well worth fanging around for...


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