Truebie Sundays with Neubie

It's finally here !! Season 5 of "True Blood" premieres tonight on HBO.  Over on there website you'll find Season 4 recaps, promos for Season 5 and more.  Right here however, I want to chat about the books vs. the show.  Past precedent has proven that the show's creator and producer, Alan Ball, has taken a main plot point/story arc from each sequential novel and spun it his own way to include new characters, ideas, and plot twists in a wonderful way that ads surprises for the faithful readers without alienating them.  If you haven't seen Season 4 and don't want any spoilers, nor do wish to read my speculation of Season 5 don't read any further.  You've been warned.

Last season, was loosely based on the fourth novel of Charlaine Harris' "Southern Vampire" series, "Dead to the World."  In this installment, vampire Sheriff Eric looses his memory after being cursed by a coven of vengeful witches.  This novel also marks the first time Eric and Sookie hook up although he won't remember their hookup for books to come.  The show, "True Blood," covered this major plot point but really amped up the witches coven and gave their leader, Marnie a more detailed back story than in the books.

Also unique to the show, was Bill's promotion to King of the Louisianna territory.  In the books as in the show, Bill and Sookie broke up after he was called to be with his maker, Lorena, and she came to his rescue.  Personally, this bothers me as he didn't cheat on her with Lorena, a vampire can not deny their maker anything.  He had no free will in this decision.  Anyway, after their break-up Bill becomes a minor character in the novels.  However, I loved the way Bill's promotion was explained on the show.  It stayed so true to what I know of his character.  Bill would love nothing more than to be human.  Of course, he really would've loved to die a human alongside his wife decades ago after years of being a happy family.  However, he surely would accept mainstreaming as a vampire in the human world as the best outcome after being made.

The most startling difference of the show versus the novels was Sookie's trip to the land of the Fae.  As of the 12th novel in the series, Sookie has never ventured to the land of the Fae.  I appreciated how violent the fairies were depicted though.  I never really cared for Claudine in the books or any of the fairies for that matter.  They were always described as being so beautiful and wonderful that I couldn't help but wonder what they were hiding.  Quite a lot it seems if you've read the 12th book.  In the novels, Claudine isn't killed by Eric.  She lives much longer.  As much as I dislike the fae, I disliked her early death more. 

Claudine is actually a triplet and her brother Claude becomes a central character novel in the series and from what I've read in Entertainment Weekly and other media magazines, Claude will be represented on the show this season.  Other new characters will also be introduced such as a love interest for Pam.  I'm very excited to see this as in the books, Pam is described as being bisexual whereas on the show, most viewers I've talked to think Pam is a lesbian.  I'm wondering who will be fashionable enough and sassy enough to be with Pam, my number one girl crush.  Another character that I'm really looking forward to meeting on the show is Roland, as played by Christopher Meloni.  Meloni is one of my favorite actors.  He can completely transform himself from one role to the next.  It will be quite interesting to see how he shed his Eliot Stabler-Law & Order persona for that of this fierce vampire who is said to be the new leader of the vampire authority.

The fifth novel, "Dead as Doornail," doesn't seem to incorporate any of the plot of elements that I've read will part of the fifth season.  "Dead as Doornail," finds Sookie trying to find the person(s) responsible for hunting shifters which includes Sam and the Hotshot werepanther community.  In the books, Jason has become a werepanther and thus Sookie is determined to protect him.  Meanwhile Alcide uses Sookie to try and help his father's bid for pack master.  When we last saw Alcide on the show, he had killed the current pack master.  So, it will be interesting to see who takes over.  Following what little I know of werewolf lore, this would elevate Alcide to packmaster but we'll see.  I am sure there are many surprises in store for us Truebies tonight !  I can't wait.  I'm sure we'll have plenty to discuss right here, next week.   And please, share your thoughts with us below.  I don't bite......much :)

See you in Bon Temps, Neubie the Truebie

 

Season 5 Trailer #2