Vampire Diaries - Brave New World, S02E02

When last week's episode ended, with Katherine (Nina Dobrev) killing Caroline (Candice Accola) and making her a vampire, I was concerned that she would be killed off quickly, as happened the last time a citizen of Mystic Falls was turned. I'm very glad that, instead, we will get to see Caroline adapt to the change and discover whether she will be able to continue a "normal" existence or not.

The thing I liked best was how they explained away the lack of confusion. Caroline never consciously knew that vampires existed, but as soon as her transformation began, she understood a lot more than Vicki had. Thank you, Damon (Ian Somerhalder). All the mind control he had used on her previously really saved her when it came to waking up a vamp in a hospital room.

I also loved the battle between her desire to eat and her desire to be a good person. Caroline may be neurotic and all, but she is a sweetheart, and she certainly doesn't want to hurt people. Watching her with Matt (Zach Roerig) in that final scene, where she gained control over her hunger, now that was just beautiful.

Meanwhile, poor Bonnie (Katerina Graham). Boy is that girl full of hate, and all of it is directed at Damon. I was glad Elena (Dobrev) stopped her from setting him on fire, even though Elena still hasn't forgiven Damon for trying to kill Jeremy. If anything, Bonnie may well still regret such a malicious act when she is not so marred by grief.

Finally, I actually really enjoyed the end of the episode. Not a true cliffhanger for once. Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Elena got to share a lovely moment as a couple, but the ominous future where those sweet moments can no longer exist is coming on quickly.

Vampire Diaries is definitely making up for my current disappointment in True Blood.

Hellcats - A World Full of Strangers, S01E01

Although by now I think that most Americans do have some sort of understanding that being a cheerleader in a competitive environment earns a person some respect as an athlete, I think it's about time we had this story back on the small screen. Plus, Hellcats made me like the characters and care about the outcome of their competitions very quickly in this fun premiere.

Marti (Alyson Michalka) plays the typical lead in a cheerleading story - the girl who is very athletic but has little respect for cheerleading until circumstances force her to join the squad at her university. The reason for her joining - the hopes of getting a scholarship to stay in school and eventually become a lawyer - are quite legitimate, and her obvious skill in the area (she was a gymnast until 2 years previous) as well as her pizazz earn her a place.

I gotta say, I was very impressed by her and by Savannah (Ashley Tisdale). In their first scene together, when they started yelling at each other in the middle of the financial aid office at the university, both actors gained my respect with their talent alone. Plus, Marti is a goofy and fun girl whom I can relate to, and Savannah I can't help but love because of her goodness and sheer positivity.

I was also impressed with how quickly the pressure was put on, as starting in the next episode, competitions begin. In some ways, the show is going to be like Glee - a mix of the talent of performance with the pressures of school - but whether because the writing is better or because I am more interested in the difficulties of university aged people rather than high school students, I'm far more interested.

But now it is up to you, my readers. Since I have so little time, unless I get mad responses that Hellcats is one of your favourite new shows, I am not going to be able to stay on top of it. I may well keep it on my roster, to watch when I have an afternoon to kill catching up on fun, but unless you want it, it won't get my attention every week for a posting before the week is out. Still, it was definitely worth watching.

True Blood - Evil is Going On, S03E12 - Season Finale

Altogether, I found the season finale to be disappointing, making the entire season of the show disappointing as well. Unlike Season 1 and 2, Season 3 did not give me any satisfying conclusion before setting up the chaos which would complicate Sookie (Anna Paquin)'s life next time, leaving me feeling as though I have only seen half a season, but will be forced to wait until June before I can see the next episode.

I recall being promised that by the season finale, our various characters' plot lines would come back together. They did not. Sam (Sam Trammell) and his issues with his brother, Tommy (Marshall Allman), as well as his issues with his past, which appeared for no discernible reason near the end of the season, had nothing whatsoever to do with Arlene (Carrie Preston) and her pregnancy or Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Jesus (Kevin Alejandro)'s witch powers. And Jason (Ryan Kwanten)'s involvement with the weres was also completely unrelated.

Now, I will give you that in a small town, there are so many things happening to all the different people who live in them, but Season 3 of True Blood was like Season 3 of Dexter. There was too much going on. We had too many different things happening, and it lost so much of its energy and intensity because of that. Hopefully, for Season 4, we will not only get some resolutions to this Season but we will also get back to having only one or two solid and involved stories.

Plus, I was really disappointed with what happened with Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare), Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), Bill (Stephen Moyer), and Sookie. What started out as a beautiful sacrifice from Eric turned into a somewhat odd mafia-concrete burial. Not a particularly fitting end for a vampire so wonderfully villainous as Russell. Plus, to have his loss overshadowed by Bill's attempts to get rid of Eric...well, all I can say is that I hope Russell busts out of his prison in sooner than 100 years so that we can fight him off again.

So here we are, still not sure of what's going to come next, knowing that at least Sookie is getting together with her fairy kin to figure some of her own identity out, and the only thing I am really pleased, happy, and satisfied about is that Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) are finally back together.

Were you disappointed by the finale?

True Blood - Fresh Blood, S03E11

Oh my lord. What an incredible episode. True Blood's episode endings have always left me completely at the edge of my seat, but this time I fell right off my chair. And that was at the end of an exciting episode. How on Earth is the season going to end?

Wow. Can I say that again? Wow. Silver spray, Bill (Stephen Moyer) rescuing Sookie (Anna Paquin) from Pam (Kristin Bauer), Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and a clearly disturbed Russell (Denis O'Hare) meeting in an art gallery to discuss the late Talbot's artistic tastes, Sam (Sam Trammell) going off the deep end for no apparent reason, Arlene (Carrie Preston) being unable to lose Rene's child, and Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) having one crazy trip...

And now, left with Sookie potentially dying on the table while Bill is desperate to get to her, and Pam, unable to help as she is watching Eric sacrifice himself to the sun to kill Russell. I know Eric can't die. I mean, he can't because so many of the viewers love him. Plus, how can we not love him when we know he wanted to keep Sookie alive just as much as Bill did. And poor Bill and Sookie's mangled relationship. The trust is almost entirely gone when just 11 episodes ago, Bill was proposing and Sookie was ready to say yes.

But now it all has to come together. Vampires catching fire in the sunlight, shape-shifters robbing each other blind, weres coming after anyone and everyone, and Sam and Tara (Rutina Wesley) finally hooking up again. Excitement is in the air.

True Blood - I Smell a Rat, S03E10

The question is "Is Bill (Stephen Moyer) trustworthy?" And to tell the truth, I have no idea if he is. Certainly, I believe that his affection for Sookie (Anna Paquin) is more than a lust for her blood, but he is obviously not telling her everything. After all, he never even hinted that her blood might help (supposedly or actually) a vampire walk in the daylight.

Naturally, Sookie running to Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) to ask him why he thought Bill was untrustworthy wasn't a particularly good idea. Yes, that kiss was pretty amazing, and I certainly would not complain about Eric kissing me that way, but the follow up - Sookie getting dragged into the cellar where she was locked up as bait - was no better or worse than the reasons Tara (Rutina Wesley) has for hating Bill. When you get involved with Vampires, or members of the mafia, or simply con artists, sometimes your troubles just get lumped into the acceptable/necessary losses category.

Meanwhile, Crystal (Lindsay Pulsipher) finally caught my interest. I've really not cared particularly about her at all - an annoying werewolf who couldn't make her mind up and was mostly an inbred hick. Turns out, she's a were-panther. Far, far more interesting. I suppose that makes way more sense for trying to breed her with the right folk.

Also, Sam (Sam Trammell)'s back story about his con artist existence and the woman whom he loved and killed after she betrayed him gives our lovable puppy dog far more of an edge. Man, that guy had a really hard life before he found his way to Bon Temps.

Finally, a thought for Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack). Hurray!!!

True Blood - Everything is Broken, S03E09

It's hard to see how all the various plot lines of Season 3 of True Blood are going to pull together for the finale. Between the rogue vampires, the insane werewolves, the fairies, and all the normal complications of life, each and everyone of our favourite characters is waist deep in some kind of trouble. And the idea that those troubles are properly interconnected is rather complicated. I can't wait to find out how it all plays out.

I was pleased that this episode focused more of Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) than Sookie (Anna Paquin). Certainly Sookie wasn't neglected. After all, her cousin discovered that her son has the same abilities as Sookie, and she may well learn exactly what that means from Bill next episode, but more pressing that the concern over Sookie's supernatural identity are the political ramifications of Eric's involvement with Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare).

As I said, I loved Russell's reaction to Talbot's death at the end of the last episode. That was nothing compared to this one. When he arrived home to find the exploded remains of his lover, he grasped them, trying to put them back together. When we watch lovers on television trying to revive an obviously dead corpse, we can understand the pain despite the insanity of it, but to have a vampire react in the same way to blood and guts...well, that certainly had a different impact. And then, when Russell was plotting his revenge on Eric, that he had that crystal urn filled with Talbot's remains - He may not have brought his lover with him everywhere while he lived, but he certainly won't leave him behind anymore.

Eric, meanwhile, had to face the Vampire League. Luckily they believed him, although they tried to refuse to take responsibility for the rogue, werewolf-associating King. Too bad for them that Russell does not take being ignored well at all. His appearance on national television to kill the news host and screw over the Vampire Rights Bill was both brilliant and hilarious. There is no way that humans anywhere in the world are going to feel safe about vampires for a good long while, knowing that not all are willing to give up fresh meat.

Otherwise, I did love that Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) are talking again. They make such a great couple. I'm also glad Tara (Rutina Wesley) is getting help, and that Jason (Ryan Kwanten) killed her vampire-stalker. Finally, I am super interested in what is going on with Sam (Sam Trammell). Sure, he hates werewolves, but we have not ever seen him get that violent before.

Oh where will True Blood take us in the next three episodes? I can't wait to find out.

True Blood - Night on the Sun, S03E08

True Blood is not really known for being particularly episodic. Everything that happens is always part of the journey, with very few resting places from the start of a season's arc to its conclusion. This episode, however, was tied together very nicely by the dominating theme of family.

There were calmer family moments, such as Terry (Todd Lowe) singing to Arlene (Carrie Preston) and the baby, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) trying to protect Sookie (Anna Paquin) from herself and Bill (Stephen Moyer), or Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) massaging Tara (Rutina Wesley)'s feet. Sure, Arlene's peace was disturbed by a vision of Rene (Michael Raymond-James), Jason was threatening to kill Bill, and Tara was suffering the trauma of a surviving victim, but as far as True Blood moments go, those were pretty calm.

On the other side, you had the particularly touching moment when Bill tried to release Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) from his power only to have her refuse to go. When he realized that what she really needed was for him to be there and involved in her life, suddenly their bond was all the stronger. When Russell (Denis O'Hare) threatened her life, Bill's pain was made more clear by his choice to help her out before he went to Sookie.

I also really loved that Sam (Sam Trammell) was there for Tara when she started freaking out about all the crazy stuff she's just been through. I really liked their connection in the first season, and frankly I hope they get it back.

Otherwise, I cannot neglect to mention the appearance of Lafayette's mother. What exactly she meant about him being powerful and therefore a target for Vampires and Witches, I cannot begin to imagine, but it certainly felt like the beginning of something even more important than his relationship with Jesus (Kevin Alejandro).

Finally, I am sure I am not alone in having loved Eric (Alexander Skarsgard)'s role in this episode. I was actually somewhat disappointed that his love scene with Talbot (Theo Alexander) didn't last longer, but to know that Eric finally avenged his family after 1000 years really made me happy. And, while I was glad that Russell's pain over the loss saved Bill, I was also quite pleased that he was suffering so greatly because it made me care about him despite the fact that he is an evil SOB. To know that he truly loved his partner and for more than 700 years, that gives even the most evil of vamps some humanity.

I am looking forward to watching the rest of the season; I suspect I will do it fairly quickly now that it is over. It's hard to believe that I fell behind on such a fantastic show, but I guess we are all able to be distracted from television. I hope you enjoyed watching the season finale last night, and that you will read and comment on my posts for the last 4 episodes as soon as I get them out.

Vampire Diaries - The Return, S02E01

Vampire Diaries continually has me on the edge of my seat. The season finale left me so concerned about what the return would bring, and it brought me excitement and surprises which I did not expect. I'm not surprised that Kevin Williamson continues to write so excellently, but it is quite a delight to get to watch it all.

It started with the surprising survival of John Gilbert (David Anders). We were convinced Katherine (Nina Dobrev) had succeeded in killing him in the finale, but when Elena (also Dobrev) found him, he was still alive and, indeed, survived the entire episode. Next, we discover that Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen)'s attempt to become a vampire was unsuccessful, and that, instead, he is still alive. I cannot express my relief over this as I think it would have been a waste to so transform him. That left only Caroline (Candice Accola) still in danger, but after Damon (Ian Somerhalder) gave her blood at Bonnie (Katerina Graham)'s request, she too would live.

None of these survivals took away from the continued dangers of the show. After all, all the tomb vampires were killed, as well as Anna and Mayor Lockwood. I haven't stopped believing that we could lose someone unexpectedly at any moment, a feeling which makes me want to continue watching since the likelihood of something surprising me continually looms.

As for the body of the episode, with Katherine succeeding in F-ing everything up for Damon and Stefan (Paul Wesley), I was again most pleased with Damon's continued reactions of anger and vulnerability. Sure, Katherine can get under anyone's skin, but her comments to Damon found their mark all the more easily. And when she told him that it had always been Stefan, it was the perfect set up. Elena loves Stefan, not Damon. Notice I do not say "too". Who knows if Katherine is even capable of love. She is far more capable of destruction.

The final moments of the episode, I was not expecting. Damon's anger, his attempts to make himself hated, his regretful move of breaking Jeremy's neck, all these things were so powerfully portrayed. I was so grateful that Jeremy was wearing John's ring. I did not believe he would remain dead, but was glad that he did not become a vampire either. And for that to be so quickly followed by Caroline's murder, which would result in her being a vamp. Frankly, the part that hurt the most about that was how hard it will be on Liz Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) if she ever discovers her daughter has been turned.

It looks like we will have a second season that is equally intense and equally unpredictable. I can't wait till next week.