Movie Info:
Writers: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Jim Parrack, Todd Lowe, Deborah Ann Woll, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Carrie Preston, Michael Raymond-James, William Sanderson, Adina Porter, Kristin Bauer, Robert Amjarv, Alexander Skarsgård
Rating: Uncensored
Studio: HBO
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: 2008
DVD Release Date: May 19, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $44.99
“…Giving Jason Stackhouse Vampire Blood is like giving ho-hos to a diabetic…You know he can’t control himself…” – Tara True Blood
Like Jason Stackhouse, I have a hard time controlling myself, though my compulsive nature is a rather harmless one. You see I have a hard time controlling myself when it comes to HBO’s smash hit, True Blood. I knew that I would love this show from the first moment I saw it. I was watching HBO and a preview for True Blood came on. I knew I would end up getting hooked. When it finally aired, I ended up watching one episode and then I kept missing it. I constantly told myself I was going to watch it, but something always got in the way. Finally, that fateful day came when it showed up at my door for review.
Unlike most television series I review, I watched this entire season (12 episodes) in two days. Since then, I have vowed not to miss an episode of the new season. I plan to watch it Sunday’s when it airs because I cannot stand the thought of waiting until the next season box set comes out. However, I do look forward to reviewing it when it does and I can only hope it comes out as good as this one has. This set includes all of the episodes from Season One, a few bonuses, and it’s offered in a gorgeous quality. The box (at least for the Blu-ray) is covered with cast and episode photos, inside and out and is constructed from a heavy cardboard. It’s a better quality box than most and it’s not your typical looking clamshell case, though it is foldout, which comes in handy.
For those of you reading this that do not have cable and have little knowledge of True Blood, it is a series created by Alan Ball that was originally a series of books called the “Southern Vampire Mysteries” by Charlaine Harris. The show does a fair job at sticking to the books from what I understand, though there have been a few changes, one of which, I am very happy about for my own selfish reasons.
The show is about a fictional town in Louisiana, Bon Temps. The main character (the narrator in the books) is Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin). She is a 25 year old, Southern girl with good morals and a lot of sass. Both Sookie and her brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten) were raised by their Gran (Lois Smith) because their parents were swept away in a flash flood when they were small children. Jason is known around town for being the town slut. Sookie, the exact opposite, is a virgin, though that is not what she is known for in this small town. Instead, being she is telepathic and can read minds, the residents of Bon Temps think she is either psychic or crazy. Either way they don’t want much to do with her. She works at the town bar, Merlotte’s and has a few friends, but other than that Sookie lives a solitary life with her family.
Of course, all that changes when a vampire named Bill (Stephen Moyer) rolls into town. Instantly attracted to one another, much to the dismay of the entire town, True Blood chronicles the relationship of Sookie and Bill, as their worlds collide. Vampires have just recently “come out of the coffin” by announcing their presence to the public, though many of the vampires in the area do not wish to be integrated into society. Likewise, many humans in the area fail to see the acceptable qualities in any vampire. It leads to a considerable amount of danger, a fair amount of romance, a lot of dirty sex, and more creatures than you can shake a stick at.
The True Blood: The Complete First Season Plot
There were 12 episodes in the first season of True Blood. A list of each episode with a brief synopsis has been included here for your benefit.
“Strange Love”: The town of Bon Temps, Louisiana and the people that live there are introduced. You get to see the town through the eyes of Sookie Stackhouse (Paquin), a 25 year old waitress working at Merlotte’s Bar. Despite the fact that vampires are now allowed to roam free, one has never been to Bon Temps, at least, not until Bill (Moyer) walks into the bar. Sookie takes an instant liking to him even though everyone else views him with an overly cautious eye. Meanwhile, Sookie’s brother Jason (Kwanten) gets in trouble with the law when he becomes a person of interest in a murder.
“The First Taste”: When Sookie is seriously injured Bill is forced to feed her some of his blood to save her life. She is reluctant to take it though she agrees because she has no other choice. The blood leaves her with heightened senses and opens her up to new experiences. This leads Sookie to inviting Bill over to her Gran’s (Smith) for a get-together. While there, Bill meets Jason and Tara (Rutina Wesley), Sookie’s best friend, who invited themselves. Sookie has suspicions that Bill killed the people that attacked her, when a freak “tornado” strikes their trailer. Meanwhile, Sookie gets a chance to meet some new vampires that appear to be much different than Bill.
“Mine”: In order to protect Sookie from the other vampires, Bill claims her as his human. Sookie’s boss, Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) realizes that he may have blown his shot with her now that her sights are set on Bill. Tara cannot handle the thought of going home to her drunken mother so she finds an unlikely bed partner to keep her company. Meanwhile when Dawn kicks Jason out of her house because he can’t keep it up he goes to Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) for a little pick me up. Jason is later considered a suspect when Dawn ends up murdered, but thanks to the V (illegal vampire blood) he gets from Lafayette, being detained by the police is the least of Jason’s problems.
“Escape from Dragon House”: Gran asks Sookie to listen in on the residents of Bon Temps in an attempt to clear Jason’s name. When she doesn’t find much in the minds of the Merlotte’s customers she asks Bill to take her to Fangtasia, the vampire bar in a nearby city. Sookie is unable to find out much to clear her brother’s name though she does learn that both of the murdered girls had been to the bar before. Bill is apprehensive about Sookie meeting Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), a much older, more powerful vampire who is also the vampire sheriff in the area.
“Sparks Fly Out”: Sookie gets angry with Bill and decides to go out on a date with Sam when he asks. However, the date is to a historical club meeting where Bill will be speaking about his days in the Civil War. Bill manages to win over much of the town, with his kind and charming nature, though many still have their suspicions about him. Sam wants to give it his all with Sookie, though she’s definitely not ready to take things to the next level with him. When Bill is alone, he remembers when and how he was made a vampire. Sookie gets the shock of her life.
“Cold Ground”: Sookie is lost when the next murdered victim is someone very dear to her. Jason is shocked to find out the news, too, and ends up trying to take it out on Sookie, blaming her for the loss. He later apologizes for slapping her, but Sookie isn’t sure she can forgive him. Jason begins to feel withdrawal as he comes down off of V, craving more in the process. Tara’s mother convinces her that she is possessed by a demon and needs an exorcism to stop being an alcoholic.
“Burning House of Love”: Sookie’s Uncle Bartlett disappears after Sookie let’s Bill know about how he touched her when she was a child. Tara thinks her mother is crazy, though her guilt convinces her to pay for an exorcism. When Jason travels to Fangtasia looking for some V, he meets up with a free spirit named Amy, and they bond during a V-trip. The town rednecks decide to give some local vampires a night they will never forget.
“The Fourth Man in the Fire”: When Tara sees how different her mother has become she considers getting her own exorcism to cure her rage and anger. Jason falls for Amy, another V user, who is a big hit with friends and the people at Merlotte’s. Little do they know that she is much different when she and Jason are out of V. Jason’s best friend, Rene (Michael Raymond James) asks Arlene (friend and co-worker of Sookie) to marry him. Meanwhile, Sookie agrees to help Eric weed out a thief at Fangtasia.
“Plaisir D’Amour”: Bill saves Sookie from Longshadow though he is forced to go to trial in vampire court for killing one of his own kind. Jason and Amy kidnap Eddie, a young vampire, in order to harvest his blood. Tara decides to go through with her exorcism. Bill asks Sam to look out for and protect Sookie while he is away dealing with his vampire trial.
“I Don’t Wanna Know”: Sam tells Sookie a very big secret when he is backed into a corner and has no choice but to tell the truth. Tara is shocked to learn that Miss Jeanette may not be all that she claims to be. Someone tries to attack Sookie during Rene and Arlene’s engagement party. Jason and Amy struggle with the decision of what to do with Eddie. Tara gets drunk and almost runs down a woman with a pig, which sends her to jail. The vampire tribunal is called together to decide Bill’s fate and while it would normally be death, they decide to make use of a creative sentence involving an abused, homeschooled, 17 year old named Jessica instead.
“To Love is to Bury”: Much to his displeasure, Bill does what he is told in order to save his life. Unfortunately, both Bill and Eric are surprised by the results that Jessica soon offers. Sookie and Sam head off to a pie shop in hopes of getting information on a murder suspect. Jason loves Amy and even though she is testing the limits of that bond he cannot manage to break away from her. Tara cannot believe her mother won’t get her out of jail. Her anger doesn’t need to last long though because a wealthy “social worker”, Maryann, soon comes to Tara’s rescue. Sookie is able to be comforted by Sam when Bill is gone. Meanwhile, Jason again, finds himself in trouble with the law.
“You’ll Be the Death of Me”: Sookie learns who the killer is, but it could be of great cost to her when she does. Tara gets comfy in her new role at Maryann’s home. Jason is visited in jail by a member of the Fellowship of the Sun church, a group of vampire hating evangelicals. Not being the brightest in the bunch, he takes this kindness as a sign of what his calling should be now that he has lost his way. Bill does everything in his power to save Sookie, even if it could mean the end for him.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
True Blood looks absolutely amazing on Blu-ray. It’s a new show, so it should look good, but it really looks amazing. The funny thing is that considering the backwoods location town and the consistent dark lighting, you would expect there to be some problems. None seem to exist though. Even the moments that appear to be grimier, look good. It is apparent that any possible “flaw” is there because of it’s natural appearance or because it is supposed to be there.
The 1080p and 1.78:1 encode offer a stunning picture all around. The level of detail is beautiful and the colors are fantastic. Best of all, both sides of the coin are well represented. In the moments during the day that lack vampires, you are presented with natural shots and light and airy scenes. Meanwhile, the blacks and darker tones are good when the nighttime is being represented and the detail is just as high despite the lack of light in numerous scenes. Oh, the reds look amazing too which is important considering all that blood, which flows more than freely.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sounds just as good, if not better, than it does when you watch this show on television. The dialogue is clear and crisp enough to not only offer plenty of emotion through the voices, but to also allow their specific accents to shine through when the characters speak. It is quite an impressive presentation and it certainly shows off the best of Blu-ray. The dialogue is amazing, but the rest of the audio aspects are just as good.
Fans of the show will be excited from the moment they hear the catchy (fitting) theme song (“Bad Things” by Jace Everett) played before each episode. The sound effects resonate through the speakers, hitting a variety of channels. You hear the small things like the sound of crickets in the area wilderness or the crunch of dirt under some tires, but the more forceful sounds come through just as well. The sound goes from frenzied and harsh to quiet in an instant and it does it all without an issue. In addition to the English audio, there is a French DTS 5.1 track and a Spanish DTS 2.0 track included. Subtitles are included in English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
I don’t normally talk about the menus when I write DVD or Blu-ray reviews, but as this is by far the best menu I’ve ever dealt with on a television show, I felt it was worth a mention. Every episode for True Blood comes with a separate menu that allows you to play the show, watch the special features for that episode, and fix the audio options to suit your needs. You can even watch the “Previously On” and the “Next On” episode beginning and end to give it a more television like appearance, if you want.
Out of 12 episodes, there are commentaries for six episodes. The commentaries are done by the creator, crew, and occasionally the cast. The episode commentaries include:
“Strange Love” with creator of the series, Alan Ball
“The First Taste” with director, Scott Winant and Anna Paquin
“Escape from Dragon House” with writer, Brian Buckner and director, Michael Lehmann
“Sparks Fly Out” with Stephen Moyer and director, Dan Minahan
“Burning House of Love” with director, Marcos Siega
“To Love is to Bury” with writer/director, Nancy Oliver
I’m normally not a big commentary person, but these were all pretty good. Ball’s track kept me interested from beginning to end. It’s interesting to hear how his being early for a dentist appointment led to him reading one of the books and falling in love with the series. This is just one of the interesting stories that he offers. It’s also fun to see what he gets from other vampire movies and what he learned to avoid. Most of the other tracks are good, too, with my favorites being the ones with the actors.
The only other special feature is the Enhanced Viewing Experience. This is the episode with added pop-up boxes that offer information about the characters. Sometimes the information is general and other times characters will pop-up to talk about other characters. The only downside here is that there aren’t too many of these pop-up boxes in each episode. If you don’t want to re-watch the episode you might be sitting there bored while waiting for the next box to pop up. However, if you’re like most fans this should not be much of a problem.
Bonus Features: 
Bottom Line:
After HBO lost The Sopranos and The Wire I wasn’t sure just what the network would have to offer. While I have watched Big Love since the beginning, in the last year or so, it’s been the only thing that I have watched on HBO that is an original series. Then came True Blood, and like many HBO series’ before it, I can honestly say that I am thoroughly hooked. This is an amazing Blu-ray set. The show is engaging, the writing is great, the acting is spot on, and the quality is top notch. This box set is money well spent. As you can imagine this is highly recommended.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Blu Ray, Blu-ray Review, The Complete First Season, True Blood, Sookie Stackhouse, Vampire, Shapeshifter, Supernatural, Original Series, TV on Blu-ray, HBO
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
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