Dear Alan Ball,
I am trying really hard to talk myself into watching season 5 but I am not sure it is possible at this point. The season was off to a great start and then things slowly started to fall by the wayside. I will get to those later in this letter. You have claimed time and time again that you were going to stay true to the 'spirit of the books' because "the books work" but yet you have strayed so far from the beaten path, that I believe True Blood has jumped the shark. Yes, the books do work and there is a reason for that, quite simply, that reason is character growth. I know that you like to shock people but to do so at the expense of character growth and development is simply appalling. A character's growth stirs the plot and makes it grow, not weakens it as is the case here, as it stands right now. This is where I begin stating the issues I have had in seasons past and have gotten progressively worse as this season went on. I kept hoping for change and got nothing.
WOULD THE REAL SOOKIE STACKHOUSE PLEASE STAND UP?
At the beginning of the season, we see Sookie returning from her trip into Fairy, where it is now a year later. That was the first mistake, if anyone needed a year's vacation, it was Sookie. I chose to let that one go due to the fact that the season was just getting started. When dusk approaches, she automatically goes outside to await Bill because, well she knows he is on his way over. Stop right there.....are you kidding me right now? In truth I can see her wanting to see him as it is one of the seven parts of broken heart syndrome. A woman is torn between wanting to see the man she loved so much and staying as far away as she can. Then she has some angry, bitter words for him as well as behind his back. It is a whole long, complicated womanly process, but hey it is ours.
All we got for this process was her saying "I know you must have been worried for me but in my mind, it was only an hour ago that you broke my heart, and shattered it into a million pieces". Really, that was all she had for the man who let her get beaten by two V-Addicted nut-jobs? Where was her anger? Where was her pain and lashing out at him? Am I supposed to believe that Sookie is a heroine or even a protagonist? At this point she is an antagonist in relation to herself.
I waited all season for Sookie to find time to tell Bill how the rat reveal made her feel and to get out her anger and I got nothing except I forgive you and I hope you can forgive me. For what???? There were huge gaping plot holes as well characters being used a plot devices, (Sookie and Eric mainly) and it all just became one HOT MESS. I am tired of Bill being shoved down my throat when it is not even feasible for her to forgive him without going through the seven steps a woman goes through when having their heart broken. How did she get to the last step so damn fast?
Eric said that there were two Sookie Stackhouse's and he was right about that, but I am thinking that there must be a third Sookie Stackhouse because from what I have seen of Sookie in the latter episodes, the two Eric described were no where to be seen. Sookie was used as a plot device to (1) prop up the character of Bill Compton and (2) to keep him in the mix with this stupid love triangle. There really was no reason for Sookie to have been shot, other than the need to have Bill offer up another donation of his blood. At this point, she is nothing but a damsel in distress yet AGAIN. Sookie and her microwave fingers of fail that she only uses when you writers decide it is finally convenient to be used, as yet another plot device. This whole "It only happens when I am upset" idea is just not flying anymore.
She used it in the Moon Goddess to stop Bill, Eric, Pam and Jessica from walking into the "wall of sun" but could not use it moments before when the two men she claimed to love were about to off themselves in the name of love. Nor could she use her power while she was trapped inside the ring of fire, she was upset so she should have used her fear, to set her hands aglow but no such luck. Sookie should be made of stronger stuff by now.
Speaking of Eric, Sookie has no problem calling him out on every thing he has every done but can't have a little talk with Bill about what he has done. Alex and his character, Eric have truly been the saving grace for me in an otherwise up and down roller-coaster season. He played Eric beautifully, even through all the crap that made Eric so 'out of character'. From what we have seen of Eric, he is a vampire with pride and after telling Sookie that he remembers everything and that he loves her, nothings changed, she throws in his face that she loves Bill too. He does not understand and he felt bitter and was not happy with her. Then you have him groveling at her feet, this was too much to take. Eric would not grovel at her feet, he may be a changed vampire due to his time with Sookie, but he still has his pride. I really wish you would quit feeding us these little bits of nasty food, because I am no longer swallowing this unbelievable crap.
What is the point of introducing things as part of a major storyline and then do nothing with it? In regards to the Rat Reveal, you stated it as a fact and then LET IT GO. Bill faced no consequences for it at all, in fact he was rewarded for it. Sookie did not hash this out with him and let her feelings be known about it. It all made no sense, it well and truly might as well have never happened at all. EPIC FAIL at best. Now he is the King/Queen and I had to watch him lord it over Eric and every other vampire when his position was earned at the expense of a woman who did not even know she was being used.
Now, I come to Hotshot, what was that bit of nonsense even for? Was it just to tell us about "Ghost Mommy' and "Ghost Daddy" hinting at the fairy connection? We could have done without all the raping of poor Jason by multiple woman to hear that little nugget you dropped us. Sometimes you go too far with this "shock value" crap. I needed my brain bleached after that and for what, Jason did not even become a were-panther. It was a big Epic fail and I will never get those minutes back.
This season has been full of hits and misses, mostly misses, especially in relation to the last couple episodes.I voted for Alex to win Best Horror Actor for the Scream Awards but picked Game of Thrones for everything else because it was much much better. Why I picked Game of Thrones to win over True Blood, a show I love (yes I do still love it) is really quite simple. That show stayed true to the "spirit of the books" and proved that the "books really do work". Changes were made but not at the expense of a character's arc and motivations. I am all for changes of a book series for a TV adaptation but not at the expense of beloved characters
With all that being said, I hope you, Alan and everyone else associated with this show take heed to what is in this open letter, as well as read what is on the HBO site discussion board. That will give you an idea of what people are wanting, and make the appropriate changes to ensure that you keep viewers. The show does not have to be an exact replica of the books in order to succeed, for that has been proven already, but it does need to be believable and consistent. There are so many things that have already been established on the show that is changed at the drop of a hat to suit the current story-line you are trying to sell us. I could go on and on about all the other things that really made no sense but I think you got my point.
Sincerely
Concerned Viewer,
Diane
