Despite tripping over the odd sub-plot, season two of the youth-vampire saga still pleases...

Pipping Twilight to the post, the DVD and Blu-ray release of True Blood: Season Two is the first of our summer vampire action. In many ways True Blood is like the slicker more self-assured older brother of Twilight; The blinding first season brimmed full of originality and talent, oozing sexuality from its every pore.

Season Two picks up where One left off with the arrival of the mysterious too-good-to-be-true Maryann and the discovery of a body with its heart ripped out. Four main sub-plots are the focus of the second season – newly-made vamp, Jessica’s acceptance of her alternative lifestyle, Maryann’s intriguing intentions, Eric’s preoccupation with rescuing a missing vampire sheriff and the Fellowship of the Sun’s plans to start a war.

Episode two is the first appearance of the dreaded black frenzied eyes and episode three introduces the Maryann party theme. Tara moving into Sookie’s house heralds the decline of sensibility as the series descends into the ridiculous Maryann plot, lowering the tone. Maryann’s nonsense begins with entrancing the clientele of Merlotte’s to dance and from then on out, she creates a party wherever she goes - even bringing the party to Tara when she tries to make a break. Vibrating up extreme hedonistic, glutinous and self-indulgent behavior accompanied by incantations, Maryann induces Ibiza style party scenes with steamy sex and nudity and later, blood-lust naked orgies.

Sure all the flesh is likely to titillate some, but it's a relief to have other characters to escape to. The relationship between Jessica and Bill is entertaining and just as surreal in its own way as Bill lays down the rules telling her “we recycle in this house”, Jessica tries to find the right blood type and Sookie, in effect, becomes step mum to a vampire. Jessica's transformation parallels the teen experience of going through puberty she would have undergone had she not become a vampire. Watching her learning curve and her fledgling love affair with Hoyt is truly captivating as she experiences typical teen sensitivities: “This is so embarrassing, I’d die if I wasn’t already dead.”

While Andy Bellefleur loses the plot, cleared of the murders, a once promiscuous Jason has found God and the Children of Light. A jail stint gives him time to reflect, inspiring his wise words to Sookie: “When you love somebody, you got to love it all, otherwise it ain’t love.” Jason transforms from a bad boy to a religious fanatic who is determined to stay uncharacteristically pure for the leadership conference – no sex, drugs, alcohol or “fun of the fang”. Signing a vow of honesty and wearing an “honesty ring”, Jason is chosen for the elite spiritual army, “Soldiers of the Sun”, and attends training camp. By the end of the season it's all change as Jason takes on the persona of the action hero in the guise of a red neck Rambo.

"Although the Maryann plot tarnishes True Blood, the charm of the characters, cheeky scripts and other goings-on are enough to sustain viewer loyalty for the next instalment"

Jason's involvement with the Fellowship of the Sun provides fantastic opportunity for a satirical take on religion in the deep south. In a less pious moment, Jason shares an amazing theory he has that Jesus made vampires so was the first vampire, decreeing: “Hey y’all, drink my blood.” Jason's persuaded to find the initial camp fees after being told “there’s no price for salvation”. A singer at the Christian camp sings “Jesus asked me out today”. The stock room in the basement of the church is full of armaments and Christian games, like “Jesus Christ Vampire Exterminator”. On the exterior, church leaders Steve and Sarah Newlin are appropriately sickly sweet but the reality is an extremely hypercritical duo as Steve tries to encourage a war and Sarah believes God has “commanded her” to personally help Jason “find his way back to joy.”

After Steve Newlin's father is reportedly killed by a vampire, he wants blood, making him Eric's prime suspect in his hunt for the missing Dallas area Sheriff. Now sporting cropped hair and a tracksuit, Season Two presents Eric in a more humane light, despite his suspicious growing interested in Sookie. He still fires out some of the best lines like when he angrily objects to an escort calling him “baby”: “I’m over a thousand years old!”

Meanwhile, Bill's formal tone and pronunciation of Sookie, continues to amuse and their relationships grows with Bill admitting: “For the first time in 140 years, I feel something I thought had been lost in me forever”. Other relationships bloom to great comic effect – merely the sight of Andy Bellefleur in either of his two partnerships with Sam or Jason is enough to draw a smile.

And if all this doesn't satisfy, throughout Maryann's sinister interest in Sam grows, giant claw marks originating from some kind of tauro creature maim and inflict the community, characters experience worrying blackouts, kidnapping is becoming rife, Bon Temps' arrest rate dramatically increases and suicide bombers threaten the vampire community. Sookie and Sam discover they are not so unique while Bill must confront his maker.

The season’s sub-plots all culminate in a ridiculously laughable final showdown well suited to tongue in cheek B movies, featuring a cameo from the novels’ creator, Charlaine Harris, boasting hilarious lines like: “A God with horns – worship him bitches” and setting us up for the next season. Although the Maryann plot tarnishes True Blood, the charm of the characters, cheeky scripts and other goings-on are enough to sustain viewer loyalty for the next instalment.

Special Features:

· Episode Two: “Keep This Party Going” with commentary by Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette) and Michael Lehmann (episode director).

· Episode 7: “Release Me” with commentary from Raelle Tucker (episode writer) and Michael Ruscio (episode director).

· Episode 8: “Timebomb” with commentary from Alexander Skarsgård (Eric), Stephen Moyer (Bill) and John Dahl (episode director).

· Episode 10: “New World in My View” with commentary from Ryan Kwanten (Jason) and Sam Trammell (Sam)

· Episode 11: “Frenzy” with commentary from Rutina Wesley (Tara), Alan Bull (episode writer) and Daniel Minahan (episode director).

· Episode 12 “Beyond here lies nothing” with commentary from Anna Paquin (Sookie) and Michelle Forbes (Maryann) and a separate commentary from Alexander Woo (episode writer) and Michael Cuesta (episode director).

· The Vampire Report – Special Edition.

· Fellowship of the Sun: Reflections of Light

- Who needs marriage?

- Do you want to live forever?

- Detoxify your marriage.

- It’s hip to be alive.

Commentaries are an acquired taste and while the ones included make a useful comparison between the novels and series and give insight into cast members, relationships and working habits; location and sets; impromptu acting styles and special effects, their primary function seems to be to rather sickeningly sing the praises of everyone in the cast, overusing adjectives like “terrific”, “great”, “amazing” and “good”. The most insightful of the commentaries voices over episode seven as the writer and director actually talk about scenes in the episode, pausing to allow viewers to hear relevant dialogue, rather than incessantly talking over the top. Ryan Kwanten and Sam Trammel's discussion of preparations for the trashing of Bon Temps makes interesting listening, as does the commentary of episode eight that reveals both Eric and Bill's off- screen voices to be surprisingly unlike their characters.

The phrase “Good things come to those who wait” truly applies to these special features as the most imaginative and enjoyable are found on disc five. The four Reflections of Light three minute sermons by Sarah and Steve Newlin are ingenious, as is the Special Edition Vampire Report that includes an amazing mockery of Twilight in the form of teen soap “L.E.S.” that focuses on a romance between a vampire and human. The “Light of Day Institute” uncovered will raise a laugh as will the concept of shape shifting blind dogs.

***

Created/Produced by: Alan Ball
Studio: Warner Home Video
No discs: 5
Region: 2
Release Date: May 17 2010
Running Time: 565 mins
Certificate: 18

Starring: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Chris Bauer, Rutina Wesley, Nelsan Ellis, Alexander Skarsgård, Jim Parrack, William Sanderson, Carrie Preston, Deborah Ann Woll, Michelle Forbes, Mehcad Brooks, Michael McMillian, Kristin Bauer, Anna Camp

True Blood season 2 is out now.

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