This weekend came across as a great leap in the advance of my TV Land influences as I proved myself able to answer 32 out of 35 questions correct in a Test regarding Ethics in Medicine just by watching re-runs of THE PRACTICE and because it happened... Finally, I can scratch out that pesky note on the things I have to do before I die. I have found the vampire show that will save Western Civilization.
Well actually, my quest is more about the media that will bring about the definite return of the Vampire, because 8 years of zombies is too much to take. I'm just sooooooooo happy it is not TWILIGHT, though I must concede EMO TEEN SAGA definitely reigns supreme in it's own little world, but being me, I need my vamps with a little more depth and whole lotta meaning, things I never thought I would find it in the Louisiana backwoods. After tonight's episode however, I can assert, hands down that TRUE BLOOD is not only must see TV, but one of the most poignant contributions to the vampire myth since the arrival of Interview with the Vampire some 30 odd years ago.
It is in fact a pleasant surprise since I've never fully trusted adaptations, let alone material that was not originally conceived for TV, but Allan Ball and a very talented group of writers took Charlaine Harris original concept and knocked it out of the park.
As a Literature fiend first and vampire fangirl second, Southern Vampire Mysteries by Harris proves to be a fun read. However as it happens with pieces of writing that are not shattering in their own category, it reads like a PoBoy's guide to The Vampire Chronicles in which our heroine is involved in a weird love/hate triangle with the most pathetic version of Louis you'll come across ( vampire Bill screaming Sooookiiiiiieee is mihne!!!, more than we can bear ) and Lestat's inner child, you know, the one who should have stayed a rockstar instead of looking for spiritual insights (because Eric will always have his way or the highway with his long blond hair and his devilish smile).
What HBO delivers every Sunday is something different altogether. It is a blend of witty and funny, a hell of a lot sexier and much more social/political/humane in general than one might expect. They had reverted the vampire to what it has always meant to be, a dark mirror of the human psyche, the manifestation of Freud's infamous Id or Jung's often misunderstood Shadow.
Once in a while pop culture, when placed in the rights hands, can provide a world of insight. In this show, it's premise alone has opened a window of opportunity to bring about a whole series of subjects, some of them pleasant, most of them not. Funny thing is that for once in a long time, the point of view of both the human being and the supernatural entity are on the same level. By dragging the undead "out of the coffin" and throwing them into the daily (nightly grind), the figure of the vampire no longer needs to lurk in the shadows, or in this case, the fringe of society. They are front an center patiently waiting for mere mortals to face their fear, that when confronted with monsters of legend our humanity more often than not proves to be just "so called".
Season One was basically character set up with a bit of spice thrown in the mix, after all, it is HBO. Season Two has been coming at it as a freight train and all of the sudden, the audience finds itself questioning set views on human interactions-family dynamics of all things- morality, religion, fanatical extremism, justice, choice, compassion and forbearance. There is a lot to learn about ourselves from the archetype still, and HBO is taking us to school one Sunday at a time.
And yes because I'll be a hypocritical scholar wanna be if I didn't say so... looking at Alexander Skarsgard doesn't hurt either... I would place a quote, but I'd rather leave this... is funny as hell and will give you a True Blood fix if you happen to (GASP!!!) miss your weekly episode.
No comments:
Post a Comment