Pop Vultures

I have fallen in love with a new show.

It’s lovely, this initial rush. I’m willing to overlook all the show’s faults and just focus on the way it makes me feel, the way it takes me along for a ride I’ve not been on before. It ticks enough boxes on my “must have” list that I can’t be bothered that it fails on a few superficial elements. Yes, I’m dating True Blood, and I’m rather hopeful that we’re in it for the long haul.

In fact, this is the only new show I’ve seen that has inspired such blind love. I know it’s not perfect, but I plain don’t care. From the minute the opening credits kicked off with Jace Everett’s slinky “Bad Things,” I was a goner. Fortunately, it helps that I really like the story, as well.

True Blood imagines a world in which vampires not only live among us, but are a recognized part of society. With the invention of artificial blood, they’ve been able to “come out of the coffin” and are now fighting for basic human rights, despite the fact that they’re not actually human. Still, this is no urban fantasy; the story takes place in a small Louisiana town where you can’t swing a stick without hitting a redneck.

This small town setting separates the show from the traditional vampire tale, which tends to rely on the anonymity found in large cities. Here, we get a small community, offering the same sort of charm found in the Elmo of Men in Trees or the Stars Hallow of Gilmore Girls — though, with its heavy coating of southern gothic, this charm is far less wholesome. Plus, being on HBO, people in this town take off their clothes a whole lot more. Still, the appeal is the same, in that each week I get to visit a whole town full of people I enjoy spending an hour with.

Despite being an unabashed lover of the fantasy genre, mine is not a blind love. I thought Moonlight was really rather dreadful, and Blood Ties never sucked me in. (Come on, I can’t write an entire post about True Blood without at least one bad vampire pun, can I?) This one, however, works for me. It helps that the lead vamp, played by Stephen Moyer, doesn’t look like he was cast primarily for his flowing locks or his ability to quickly remove his shirt. The man has a quiet depth, making him a character I actually want to know. Still, the real star is Anna Paquin, who is an absolute delight as the cheerful, kind-hearted and extremely telepathic Sookie. She nails the portrayal of the sugar sweet, tough as nails southern woman, and the chemistry between her and Moyer is damn near irresistible.

Sure, the show has a few rough spots to work out. It’s a complicated blend of fantasy, horror, murder mystery, and small town soap opera, and right now it’s not a seamless blend. However, with Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) at the helm, odds are good it will find its way. I know I’ll be following it every step of the way. I’m too enamored not to.

Did you watch the premiere of True Blood? Was anyone else as smitten as I was?