"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Monday, September 13, 2010

True Blood Season 3 Finale: Concrete and Bubbles

A reasonably good Season 3 finale for True Blood on HBO last night, with some satisfying resolutions and surprises.

We last saw Eric and the King bound together, by Eric's hand, in the killing sun.  Godric makes an appearance as a vision to Eric, pleading with his creation to save the King and himself.  To no avail.   But Sookie first pulls Eric and then the King into indoor safety.  Both are seriously charred.   But Eric carefully feeds on Sookie - under Bill's watchful eye - and he soon looks much better.

All of this does cause Eric to reconsider what he wants for the King, but Eric's new plan is even worse for the King:  rather than truly ending him now, keep him alive, impotent, and suffering for a least a hundred years, during which he can do nothing but grieve over the loss of Talbot.   To do this, Eric inters the King, bound in immobilizing silver, in concrete.

And now comes the first surprise:  Bill looks on as the concrete pours and throws the still weakened Eric into the pit - apparently killing, or imprisoning, two vampires with one stone tomb.

Sookie and Bill may now finally have a chance to spend some quality time, back at Sookie's place, and they draw close to each other,  but ... here comes the second surprise:  Eric's at the door.   He wasn't bound by silver, and his smart-talking creation was able to save him.   None too happy with Bill, uninterred Eric now unearths some important truths about Bill to Sookie:  His meeting Sookie was no coincidence.  Bill was on the Queen's business.   More important, Bill allowed Sookie to almost get killed in Season One, so he could be the hero and save Sookie with his compelling blood.

Sookie is once again furious - at both Bill and Eric.   She dismisses both of them, in a torrent of tears and fine cursing, and eventually winds up somewhere down the road with the faerie people, and seems to ascend into some sort of bubbly space craft.

As for the other characters ... Tara's leaving town ... Hoyt and Jessica are finally together, but Hoyt's mother has a gun ... and it sure looks as if Sam shot his brother ...

All in all, a pretty good season, but not as strong as Season One.   But I'll be back with more recap slaps for Season Four next summer.

See also: True Blood 3.1: Oxygen vs. Phone ... True Blood 3.2: King and Wolves ... True Blood 3.3: Rolling Eyes and Spinning Heads ... True Blood 3.4: Running Hot, Winning Names ... True Blood 3.5: Square, Love, Crown, Power ... True Blood 3.6: True Life and Death ... True Blood 3.7: Lorena and the Magister ... True Blood 3.8: Break Up to Make Up ... True Blood 3.9: The King and the VRA ... True Blood 3.10: "Medieval on TV" ... True Blood 3.10: Here Comes the Sun
 
See also from Season 2  True Blood Pours Back In and  Love and True Blood in the Air and Likes Coming Together in True Blood and True Blood Boiling and Godric, Eric, and Sookie on the Roof and Maryann vs. the Good in True Blood and Illusion, Eisenhower, and Texting and True Blood Season 2 Finale

See also from Season 1  True Blood Calling ... Penultimate True Blood ... Last Bite of the Season






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2 comments:

M.P. Andonee said...

Honestly Paul, I tried to watch this show, but I can say --

and this is only my opinion, so take it as such --

this show has no redeeming value.

Lots and lots of blood. Lots and lots of pointless killing. And lots and lots of pointless sex (unless, that's the point of the show?).

Most fiction, has a point to make about the human condition, and in fiction we can find parallels between real life and what we see on the printed page, or the screen (be it big screen, or small screen).

But I ask you Paul: What is the redeeming value of this show? What are these characters about? Are the Vampires trying to become human while they celebrate the fact that they are stronger than the humans? Are the humans living their miserable lives because they are afraid of the vampires? None of it makes any sense. All I see is blood and gore and sex.

Just one viewer's opinion mind you.

Have a great day!

Paul Levinson said...

Hey M.P. - 'd say the show is indeed mostly about sex, and that's to the goood.

As to additional meaning - in the first season, we did get a tender story of someone (Sookie) coming of age, and finding herself in this strange world. In the past two seasons, though, that story has taken something of a back seat to the blood and gore, and this has definitely made the show less appealing, as you say.

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