Since the section seems to cover so many recurring shows there seems to be a niche open to cover fledgling shows…enter True Blood. The second episode, “First Taste,” seems to showcase the driving force for the rest of the season, and just like the premiere it’s amazing. Very much like Heroes in its first season, the second foray into True Blood is above and beyond the premiere.
“First Taste” picks up right where “Strange Love” ended, with Sookie’s life in danger. After the vampire Bill saves her life the two decide to go on a date of sorts, meeting Sookie’s grandmother to discuss Bill’s time in the Civil War. The episode sets their burgeoning relationship into motion and sets up Bill to discover his limits on how close he can get to Sookie. We learn a bit more about Tara this episode after it is revealed her mother is an alcoholic. Jason is cleared for the most part in Maudette’s murder but comes to the conclusion that Bill is trouble and decides to horn his way into Sookie’s relationship.
Where “Strange Love” introduced the characters, “First Taste” is all about going into their histories. We get to see Sookie as a child and explore how she discovered she was telepathic and what that did to her mother. There’s also a huge glimpse into Tara’s life and why she is so protective of Sookie due to her mother’s alcoholism. The best part of this episode is learning about Bill and his extensive geneology. The man has lived since the Civil War and you really delve into his connections to the town and Sookie’s family. You also hear about his family and his friends who have died of old age. It really shows Bill’s loneliness and a bit into why him and Sookie are great together. The love story is slowly unfurled and it’s done subtly and romantically. It’s great to see the dynamics in plot where Sookie’s relationship is so sweet and filled with Southern charm and her brother’s relationships are just filled with sex and no love of any kind. It’s a great dynamic that is played up beautifully. “First Taste” also shows the real-world repercussions of vampires as citizens with a great debate between Bill and Jason. The vampires are very much the new class of minority in the show and this episode really gives the real-world view of what would happen if vampires were out and about.
The only thing I missed in this episode was the cast of Merlotte’s, the restaurant where Sookie works. Layfette, Arlene and Sam are present a bit towards the end but they aren’t as focused on as they were in the premiere. There are a lot of plots already but I do hope they are explored a bit more.
“First Taste” proves True Blood has longevity and hopefully audiences will return for this amazing second episode. I continue to give the show a great rating and this episode gets a 5/5.
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