Doucheland, Summerland, Ferngully, Fairytown, Faeville, I am sure there are others but I cannot name them all. It has been called many a thing but I will stick with my personal favorite, Doucheland. Come on, it does look like something out of a Summer's Eve commercial.
Sookie arrives with Claudine via the 'light' underneath a tree of, you guessed it, 'light' fruit or lumiers. *shrugs because I could care less about the spelling* Sookie steps into a world unlike she has ever seen before. Everyone is just so cheerful and oh so excited. Way too cheerful and way too excited. Sookie learns that Claudine is her fairy Godmother, whom she proceeds to tell, "If your job is to look after me, can I just say, you suck"? Imitating Lafayette: "Go on Sookie, with our bad, snarky ass self" *flips hair*
Who should Sookie see next but an old friend from her days in Dallas. Barry, the bellboy, whom we last seen being thrown out a hotel room door by Bill, after he was bit by Lorena. Coincidence? I think not. Seems Barry has a fairy God 'mother' all his own, by the name of Lloyd. Yes, that's right, he's a dude, who's a god, who's a mother! It must be Barry's lucky day!
The two God'mothers' leave the duo to talk and Barry seems to think he has only been there a few minutes when Sookie asks. Not blood likely, Barry. Along comes a woman with a bowl of 'light' fruit and offers them each one. They each take one but Sookie is hesitant when she sees how everyone is reacting to the fruit. I will show you rather than tell you my opinion on this particular piece of fruit. Our Sook is growing up!
While Sookie is looking around at the people eating the 'fruit of light", she spots a familiar face, Gary Cole , I mean Granddaddy Earl, chomping on his piece of de'light". Naturally, she wonders right over,I mean who wouldn't? Sookie: "Grandaddy Earl, it's me Sookie" (cue flashback scene) He told her he just saw her last week! Say what, Granddaddy Earl!
She informed him, "Granddaddy Earl, that was twenty years ago" Poor Granddaddy Earl, he looks as if he is finally waking up from a long, long dream. Sookie, if I were you I would run for the nearest exit or better yet seek out 'Glenda the good witch of the North' to zap you right out of there with the help of some ruby slippers, because you sure as hell are not in Bon Temps anymore. There is something rotten in the state of Doucheland!
Sookie chanting: "There's no place like Bon Temps, there's no place like Bon Temps, there's no place like Bon Temps"
Well, there it was, the day I was looking forward to, May 3, 2011, the release of Dead Reckoning. I had my book on hold at the local Barnes and Noble for a while and could not wait to get my greedy little hands on it. Of course, picking up the book was not the only thing I had to do that day, ERRANDS, on that day of all days. The day ended up being more hectic that I originally planned and by the time I was able to sit down and read, it was midnight! I only got 50 pages in and before I knew it, I was DEAD TO THE WORLD (pun intended), passed out from exhaustion. I was up until four-thirty this morn finishing the book. I have to say it was worth the wait for I had remained spoiler free, except for the chapters that were released by Charlaine Harris previously.
In this 11th installment of the Sookie Stackhouse Novels or the SSN for short (NOT THE TRUE BLOOD BOOKS as they have been called by some *scoffs*), I found a “back to the basics” routine for the arc of the book series. Sookie has grown into her character more and more and knows what she wants and what she feels comfortable with, although she struggles with her religious upbringing. Sookie was darker and much more mature in this installment that in the past books and that was very refreshing. I found myself cheering her on in some instances and I felt incredible sorrow for her in others. When she read her Gran’s letter and her explanation of what happened with Fintan, I felt her sadness and her coming to terms with the fact that she did not really know her Gran at all. Her worry for Eric and Pam regarding their relationship was very heartwarming.
Speaking of Eric and Pam, the in-fighting between those two was very disturbing. Eric was as unhinged as anyone had ever seen him and not quite the vampire we had all come to know and love. Sookie knew it, not only due to the bond, but to the way he reacted to situations. I felt BIG TIME sorrow from Pam about not being able to turn Miriam to save her life, she loved her. When Sookie made the choice to sever the blood bond (this is when I cheered her on the most) between her and Eric, I was proud of her. It was no secret that I wanted the bond gone so she (and everyone else in the Sookieverse world you know who you are, *cough BILL FANS cough*) would know if her feelings for the VIKING were genuine.
I loved how she was worried about the spell harming Eric and how she ran to the phone when it rang and they both made sure the other was okay after it was broken. I understood why he was upset that the bond was no more. I was relieved to hear him tell her he knew of a ritual to break the bond and why he did not offer it. If Sook did not have a problem with this revelation as well as the one where he had Terry looking out/spying on her (THIS IS MY THEORY IN TRUE BLOOD AS WELL, but I digress lol), well then, neither did I. My favorite line in regards to their relationship from Sookie was “I do love you, all on my own”! This is what she needed and I think Eric needed to know as well. I believe he was worried that she might have only loved him due to the bond, even though he never said it out right. Favorite line from Eric was “Yes, I am very fond of Pam, I made a great choice. You were my other great choice”. In my opinion, no more proof was needed that they loved each other deeply.
Bill, I really did not see a need for him at all in this book, AT ALL. He just seemed like a page filler for me. It seemed the author went out of her way to include him in the book somehow but it came off as obvious/forced and not related to the story at all. Of course, he made it known to Sookie that HE LOVES HER (as if we did not know, he says it every time) and that he would bed her at any time she wished. I almost choked on my CHERRY COKE when he said that she had the best breasts and could win an international competition. He was really not a factor in anything, except to be there for Bubba, who seemed to cling to Bill and trusted only Bill and Sookie. Oh, I forgot he gave Sookie a ride home from Fangtasia and offered some advice on the Eric situation, which was surprisingly wise and sage. So KUDOS to him for that. But that is as far as I will go.
DING DONG!! The wicked VICTOR’S dead, the thorn in everyone‘s backside! I never wanted a character deader than he already was, besides Sandra Pelt, who finally met her death in the closing chapters, with help from Jannalynn and Sam. Oh, I did not mention Sam much did I? Well, not much to say, except he seemed a little darker to me but it was CLEAR that he and Sookie were just friends. However, we were left with the impression that IT COULD BE more but I don’t see the VEILED hints that others do. It seemed to me they are great friends that think no one is good for the other. I see no HEA for them.
Overall, I loved, loved the book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it, as fast as I could and will be doing so again. However, with that being said it was satisfying in some aspects but not in others. We were left up in the air about the status of Eric and Sookie’s relationship, not just in the sense of him trying to get out of the marriage contract with Oklahoma, but in general. The last chapter was so open-ended and left to interpretation, especially in regards to Sookie’s newly acquired gift of the ‘cluviel dor‘. What‘s a girl to do with a gift like that? Think long and hard about it, Sook! I might have a few ideas and wouldn’t you like to know what they are? That is the mark of a good author to leave you guessing and that is exactly what Ms. Harris has done! Now, let's speculate away, shall we? :)
Angel/Spike, Stefan/Damon and Bill/Eric. Are you seeing a pattern here? Well, buckle your seat belts because we are once again, in for one hell of a ride. As season 4 of True Blood is currently filming and will start in June, it seems reasonable that the War, while on hiatus for a bit, will continue on in it's reasonable fashion. Personally, I would not have it any other way. BRING IT ON!! I will let the picture do the talking as to who my favorite vampire is, he really needs no introduction.
HELLO MR.NORTHMAN
The fandom that is True Blood blew up into a shit firestorm in the last couple of days. Why you may ask? I will tell you, because one part of the fandom took offense to a 'parody' page of the FICTIONAL character Bill Compton and proceeded to have it 'BANNED'! You heard me right, BANNED!!. Why this page, when there are pages upon pages of people that dislike or are against REAL PEOPLE! Can I get a WTH?. Anyway, I am still going to continue to post photos such as this:
I AM BEING VICTIMIZED BY THE RABIDS
Why they take offense to this I have no idea. It has never made any sense to me why Eric fans are told they are full of such hatred of a "FICTIONAL" character. Let's look at facts here, this has been going on in TV LAND for a long time. Everyone has had a favorite character and one they could not stand. I remember my mother saying that J.R. Hewing was the most hated man in TV America. Everyone loved to hate him, that meant Larry Hagman was doing his job. When he was shot and supposedly killed and the subsequent "Who Shot J.R." mantra was going on, that fandom rejoiced in it. My mother sure was not accused of hate speech of his character! *scoffs* I am positive that he did not take it personally or to heart. Stephen Moyer is a great actor to get half of the fandom to hate his characters guts and the very ground he walks on. I bet it does not phase him one bit. I don't think any sector of the True Blood fandom had any problem with this particular 'parody' so I will leave you with this video. I know I laughed my ass off! Join me, won't you?
There is some serious madness going on in the True Blood fandom. What I heard tonight really got my dander up and is now causing this rant. Trust me when I say, this has been building up inside of me for a while now. A certain sector in this fandom has started somewhat of a petition of sorts to report a page on Face book simply because they do not like the title,"Bill Compton is not a hero". I have a big problem with this as it violates the right to Freedom of Speech granted by the U.S. Constitution. I personally do not like when my or any other red-blooded person's civil liberties are put into question. No law is being broken nor is anyone being hurt in the process. There is also another reason I have a problem with this, are you ready for it, BILL COMPTON IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER!! It it not as if a real person is being talked about or slandered.What the hell does it matter if anyone puts down a character, at the end of the day, it really means jack shit.
We are having natural disasters going on in the world, terrorist's attacks and soldiers fighting for their country and their rights and people are complaining about a fictional character. NEWS FLASH, DON'T GO ON THE SITE THEN AND GET OVER IT. There are more important things to worry about in life than the well-being and feelings of a fictional character. Another reason is that some of the same people who are moaning and complaining about this site called people out BY NAME on another site and the last time I checked that was slander. You can't slander a fictional character but you can a REAL human being and I have seen it done.
According to them, Team Eric bashes not only the character but the actor who portrays him, which is so far from the truth, it's not even funny. I am sure the actor's don't give a rat'sass behind if their character is not universally liked by all of the fandom. In fact, I bet you they quite enjoy it. I like Moyer's acting chops, he sure can make me dislike his character, but heaven forbid if that is allowed. I find it very hypocritical that the same group of people that are doing the complaining are the same ones that have said "that Sookie is a real bitch" for how she treats Bill. Oh that is Sookie bashing, better look out, someone might report you or your site. I have also heard some of the same people talk about Anna Paquin and the gap in her teeth. I think a certain fandom needs to check themselves before they wreck themselves.
On March 5, 2011, True Blood fans converged for PaleyFest at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, CA, with a very long line to get in. Who could blame them when such a great show and cast is involved? Trust me when I say that if I could have been there, I would have been, with BELLS on. A happy dance would have taken place as well, dancing a jig and getting jiggy with it, the whole nine, but I digress.
I was one of the many who was glued to my twitter account last night. In a way I was a fly on the wall of the Saban Theater, or a bat in this case. Me friend Melody and co-creator of a Facebook fan page was there and I received her account as well. So here are my thoughts, impressions as well as my excited fan girl squeals, just a warning!
Alan Ball takes the stage and exclaims “Wow, there’s a lot of you” and they felt honored and humbled to be there. True Blood fans being passionate about the show might be an understatement because you bet your sweet fangs, we are Mr. Ball. A video of a compilation of the first three seasons was shown along with a bonus scene from Season Four.
If that little scene did not get your blood pumping for the upcoming season, then nothing will. Who knew Hoyt was so bad ass? Lol I cannot wait for this scene.
Once the awesome cast was introduced and were comfy in their chairs, the games began. A lot went on, much so that I really do not know where to begin, so why not with the good stuff? My good friend Mel said that Alex was the most vocal so why not start there. The following quote from Mel about Mr. Skarsgård “Alex looked young, lean, poised and very blond at the panel, playing amnesic Eric is agreeing with him!”
Will Eric and Sookie fans get their wish about them getting together? It sure sounded hopeful. While Anna Paquin played it quite coy when asked if Sookie would “act on her attraction’ to Mr. Northman, Alex mouthed “it happens” which was music to these ears. Speaking of Mr. Northman, what did we learn from Alex, since we know he was very outspoken? He let us know just enough to make us want to know more. On the amnesia front, (more affectingly known as AE) and how he came to be that way was because “He messed with the wrong people.”, do tell Alex as if the Bookies do not know or do we? It is AB’s world after all, to an extent anyway as he was quoted as saying “the books work”. Yes, Alan they do, thank you Ms. Harris.
Alex went on to further explain that his character Eric will not be the same this upcoming season “This powerful character is just gone—it’s not what we’ve built up over the past three years; it is just gone. And it’s a lot of fun for me because it’s the polar opposite of who Eric really is…He is lost. He doesn’t know who he is, he knows he’s a vampire, but he slowly finds out stuff, like, ‘Did I do that? I killed those people? Why would I do that? Oh. Really?’ It’s not easy to hear—and not knowing who he can trust, who’s a friend or an enemy. He’s very vulnerable.” Stephen at this point made a sad clown face, which I have to admit was pretty damn funny. Kristin Bauer van Straten when talking about her memory-stricken maker had the following to say, “[Eric's] being 10 years old, basically. He’s so sweet and cute, because he’s got amnesia. So our whole dynamic has changed. You’ll see how incredibly comedic and brilliant Skarsgård is, which everyone doesn’t know.”
I love the relationship Kristin and Alex have, Kristin notes that Alex is used to how she is. Alex talked further of his character in season four noting that “Things are definitely not stable for Eric. He doesn’t know who he is, so 1,000 years of resentment for humanity is just gone. He’s very innocent…so Eric needs help. There are a lot of friendly people in Bon Temps who are kind enough to give him help….Pam is obviously very helpful as well—my lovely daughter.” Kristin said “Hi Daddy” while Alex said “ I’m just trying to make her cry”, her reply “that’s not very hard”. Needless to say, that whole conversation brought the laughter.
What are some other things Alex would like in season four, one of the things he asked of Alan Ball were for “some Pam/Eric flashbacks” as well as for Godric to return in either a flashback or dream form. Which leads me to a comment made by Alan Ball that answered a question I and many others have wondered about. DREAMS BABY! Alan Ball said that “ they (vampires) can appear in people’s dreams, and vampires can dream” Explains so much to which I won’t get into here as I will be digressing once again but anyone who watches the show will get it. Alex notes that there will be a flashback involving Eric and Bill that will be “amazing” and when asked to elaborate, all he would say was “Just watch it!” 80’s flashback, London Calling? It was called months ago by most of the True Blood Fandom. I cannot wait to see the reason for all the mistrust between these two vamps. This scene should prove to be EPIC and very telling.
Now, Sookie, oh Sookie, where we last left her, she went on a little trip to Faeville? Do you think she had fun? I am betting not so much. Bookies, know what I mean when I say Book Sook and True Blood Sook are two different people. Where is the Sookie we knew of in the book? We caught a glimpse of her towards the end of season 3 and Anna Paquin states that “We will see what she learned tempering the way she goes about looking for independence.” BRING ON MORE BADASS SOOKIE! Here is hoping that she comes back revamped (pun intended), drained of all vampire blood and Sookie Interrupted will return to Bon Temps feisty and determined to get back to her normal self, TRUE self. “She comes back. But things are different” When asked if she has control over her “microwave fingers” Paquin revealed “No. But she’s new at this fairy stuff”. Just what did they tell her in Faeville, inquiring minds want to know?
Alcide and Sookie, not my cup of tea at all but Sookie seems to fancy him. Will she act on it? Paquin notes “Well, he doesn’t turn into a ball of charred fire during the daytime. But he comes with baggage.”. You cannot blame the girl for wanting to have a warm body and can be with her during the daylight hours, and not just when the sun goes down, she just has to be aware of the monthly full moon and the fact that he can change at will. Debbie Pelt, well she is nuttier than a fruitcake! Enough said, moving on!
Well, that is it for part one, there is more to tell, although by the time I am done with part two, everyone will know it all by heart. I, however shall post it anyhow because I always finish what I started. lol
