Every TV series has that one episode that everyone remembers, that provides mass thảo luận and discussion and that is the authoritative commentary on what the hiển thị is about. For True Blood, I think that episode is 2-9 ‘I Will Rise Up.’
What a fantastic episode! I honestly think this the definitive, game-changing episode of the season and possibly the series. There is just so much to say about this episode – the storylines, the cinematography, the characters and the wider implications for the vampire/human world.
OK, while I obviously understand that TV is fiction and purely a method of entertainment, I take TV seriously and am emotionally and mentally invested in the shows I watch and over analyse anything and everything (hence this article!). So while one could take True Blood at face value as a sexy Southern vampire hiển thị and the episode as just part of the ‘story’, I was thinking about why this episode is so revolutionary. Eventually I came to the conclusion that it was the ‘message’ of this episode. I could try to clumsily explain but I think it is best expressed bởi Jung “The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” This episode has relevance and meaning for not just the world of vampires, but the world of man and the reason for humanity.
But before we delve into the deep end, let’s take a swim in the shallow end of the pool. I have two words for bạn - Alexsander Skaarsgard. Oh. My. Good. Lord. What a delicious man!*Jumps out pool* So, back on topic *sigh*, the dream sequence between Sookie and Eric. This has stirred up mass thảo luận and conflict. Many were put off bởi this new ‘schmoopy’ Eric, arguing that it was completely out-of-character for Eric and was honestly just quite cheesy. However, we must remember that this is Sookie’s dream i.e. this is how Sookie imagines Eric in bed. For me the most powerful moment between Sookie and Eric was the moment where they just lightly brush hands when Eric leaves Godric with Sookie. So much was đã đưa ý kiến and unsaid in that tiny touch, in that infinitesimal caress.
Forget Bill and Sookie. Forget Eric and Sookie. The hottest new vampire/human couple in town is Hoyt and Jessica. Their sweetness factor is through.the.roof. It’s just such a cute tale of first love, but it’s not all sugar and spice. They’re going through some real difficulties but what I tình yêu about them is they don’t just use it as an excuse to break up and create thêm drama, they deal with it together and are growing up. In this episode, they are fighting the bigotry and hate of Mrs Foytenberry who is used as a foil to hiển thị us the bigotry and hate of the outside world. Their relationship shows us the ‘real’ issues a vampire/human couple face. Through their ‘supernatural’ problems, like Jessica’s hymen growing back, we glimpse into how they are as a couple and people and how together they work to find a solution. Too often with vampires, we assume they are these superior beings, but with Jessica we see she is just a scared teenage girl and through this, we glimpse their humanity.
There was FINALLY delevopment for the storyline of Maryann. If it wasn’t for the phenomenal work done bởi Michelle Forbes, to be honest I would FF through the Maryann scenes because there has seemed to be such little reason for this arc. bạn know I thought I would never hear these words out of my mouth but Jeez, am I glad there are no thêm orgies – seriously they were getting boooorrrrrrriiiiinnnnngggg. Now, this could have been deliberate storytelling bởi the writers to hiển thị us the banality of excess, but I’m slightly sceptical. In this episode, we were actually shown a glimpse into her psyche and what drives her.
However let’s get down to the real nitty-gritty. For me, Godric’s death is the most important event in the True Blood verse. I was struck bởi how delicately this was handled. I’m not sure how this event can be topped in terms of impact and emotion.
First we have the powerful imagery and cinematography. The sight of this child burning alive in blue flames against the background of the dusky dawn and the unknowing city. The audience were granted a rare chance in seeing someone with the utmost dignity sacrifice himself towards God. We saw this formidable 1000 năm old ‘super human’ alight due to the effect of the sun tiếp theo to this tiny innocent girl who stood bởi unharmed. It showed the true weakness of ma cà rồng – they are ultimately the dark.
This idea of light/dark is highlighted bởi the use of the Christian message of tình yêu and forgiveness. While I don’t want to get too over-involved in the discussion of religion (too many foot/mouth moments), I leave it to bạn to draw your own conclusions, I will underscore the different ways religion in particular the concept of sacrifice was portrayed. We had the act of war with Luke with the bomb, the frenzy of pagan excess with Maryann and the town; and then we had Godric, truly offering himself, still, willing and the true meaning of awe-some as in awe inspiring, breathtaking act of sacrifice.
One of the ways I think True Blood differentiates itself from other vampire shows, is that it not only tells us what it is to be a vampire, but what it is to be human. Alan Ball explores Life and all it means. Godric says “Why would bạn be so cruel?” when Eric is trying to convince him to live. For all the vampire benefits, the one that is the most sought after is eternal life. But through that one question, we see that life without end is meaningless and actually ‘cruel.’ We see the ultimate irony of how eternal life is perceived as heaven but in reality is the complete opposite - hell. Godric genuinely longs for mortality, for time with meaning, for life with meaning, for death with meaning. I believe in his last moments, like Pinocchio, Godric was bestowed the girft of life. Maybe not in body, but in soul. Where he expresses surprise in Sookie’s empathy – me=floods of tears. I hate to be all pretentious and slightly lazy bởi using a quote but Richter expresses eloquently what I am clumsily trying to explain “Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, hoặc else forgiving another.” Godric and Sookie were truly never so exquisite as that fateful morning.
“I’m scared for you”. This quote shows us why Sookie is the bomb. A lot of people have criticised the character of Sookie, and while she has her faults, I think this episode shows her best nature and why Bill and Eric are so fascinated with her because at her core she is a compassionate soul, which both of them have so little experience of. She is so novel to them in their world of night, ego and cruelty. Particularly to Bill from what we have seen in his flashbacks with Lorena.
Ah, Lorena. Psychopathic chó cái, bitch that she is, we see a certain, if not love, then bond with Bill. This bond of maker/makee is explored in the episode. We have the contrast of Bill/Lorena and Bill/Jessica compared to Eric/Godric. Bill and Jessica were both unwilling and their ‘turnings’ were violent, dark struggles. However, Eric sees Godric as his personal saviour, as his own god. This is almost reversed at Godric’s death. Godric till the very end is astounded and in awe of Eric’s vitality. The fact that Godric knows Eric still has ‘life’ left in him and so commanded him to leave is testament to their tình yêu and loyalty. We see their different outtakes on life - Godric is weighed bởi the burden of his years, Eric still has his joie de vivre and this ultimate disparity is encapsulated bởi their exchange: Eric “I would fight bạn now if I could.” Godric “I know.” It’s beautiful and reminds us of their history as warriors. They were not just brothers-in-arms, they are each others “Father, Brother, Child.” Godric says he’ll be all those things, and at the very end he is all those things to Eric and vice versa. The caress bởi Godric says it all. Such tenderness and hope. If anyone doubts whether ma cà rồng have feelings, this must surely prove otherwise.
And last but certainly not least, I must praise the diễn xuất in this episode which was absolutely stellar, in particular bởi Anna Paquin and Allan Hyde. Their exchange on the roof should be the one they both put in for the Emmys.
So, there bạn have it, my long, convoluted explanation of why bạn MUST MUST MUST watch True Blood, if not at least this episode. Cast aside your preconceptions of a vampire show, Twilight this certainly ain’t!!!
What a fantastic episode! I honestly think this the definitive, game-changing episode of the season and possibly the series. There is just so much to say about this episode – the storylines, the cinematography, the characters and the wider implications for the vampire/human world.
OK, while I obviously understand that TV is fiction and purely a method of entertainment, I take TV seriously and am emotionally and mentally invested in the shows I watch and over analyse anything and everything (hence this article!). So while one could take True Blood at face value as a sexy Southern vampire hiển thị and the episode as just part of the ‘story’, I was thinking about why this episode is so revolutionary. Eventually I came to the conclusion that it was the ‘message’ of this episode. I could try to clumsily explain but I think it is best expressed bởi Jung “The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” This episode has relevance and meaning for not just the world of vampires, but the world of man and the reason for humanity.
But before we delve into the deep end, let’s take a swim in the shallow end of the pool. I have two words for bạn - Alexsander Skaarsgard. Oh. My. Good. Lord. What a delicious man!*Jumps out pool* So, back on topic *sigh*, the dream sequence between Sookie and Eric. This has stirred up mass thảo luận and conflict. Many were put off bởi this new ‘schmoopy’ Eric, arguing that it was completely out-of-character for Eric and was honestly just quite cheesy. However, we must remember that this is Sookie’s dream i.e. this is how Sookie imagines Eric in bed. For me the most powerful moment between Sookie and Eric was the moment where they just lightly brush hands when Eric leaves Godric with Sookie. So much was đã đưa ý kiến and unsaid in that tiny touch, in that infinitesimal caress.
Forget Bill and Sookie. Forget Eric and Sookie. The hottest new vampire/human couple in town is Hoyt and Jessica. Their sweetness factor is through.the.roof. It’s just such a cute tale of first love, but it’s not all sugar and spice. They’re going through some real difficulties but what I tình yêu about them is they don’t just use it as an excuse to break up and create thêm drama, they deal with it together and are growing up. In this episode, they are fighting the bigotry and hate of Mrs Foytenberry who is used as a foil to hiển thị us the bigotry and hate of the outside world. Their relationship shows us the ‘real’ issues a vampire/human couple face. Through their ‘supernatural’ problems, like Jessica’s hymen growing back, we glimpse into how they are as a couple and people and how together they work to find a solution. Too often with vampires, we assume they are these superior beings, but with Jessica we see she is just a scared teenage girl and through this, we glimpse their humanity.
There was FINALLY delevopment for the storyline of Maryann. If it wasn’t for the phenomenal work done bởi Michelle Forbes, to be honest I would FF through the Maryann scenes because there has seemed to be such little reason for this arc. bạn know I thought I would never hear these words out of my mouth but Jeez, am I glad there are no thêm orgies – seriously they were getting boooorrrrrrriiiiinnnnngggg. Now, this could have been deliberate storytelling bởi the writers to hiển thị us the banality of excess, but I’m slightly sceptical. In this episode, we were actually shown a glimpse into her psyche and what drives her.
However let’s get down to the real nitty-gritty. For me, Godric’s death is the most important event in the True Blood verse. I was struck bởi how delicately this was handled. I’m not sure how this event can be topped in terms of impact and emotion.
First we have the powerful imagery and cinematography. The sight of this child burning alive in blue flames against the background of the dusky dawn and the unknowing city. The audience were granted a rare chance in seeing someone with the utmost dignity sacrifice himself towards God. We saw this formidable 1000 năm old ‘super human’ alight due to the effect of the sun tiếp theo to this tiny innocent girl who stood bởi unharmed. It showed the true weakness of ma cà rồng – they are ultimately the dark.
This idea of light/dark is highlighted bởi the use of the Christian message of tình yêu and forgiveness. While I don’t want to get too over-involved in the discussion of religion (too many foot/mouth moments), I leave it to bạn to draw your own conclusions, I will underscore the different ways religion in particular the concept of sacrifice was portrayed. We had the act of war with Luke with the bomb, the frenzy of pagan excess with Maryann and the town; and then we had Godric, truly offering himself, still, willing and the true meaning of awe-some as in awe inspiring, breathtaking act of sacrifice.
One of the ways I think True Blood differentiates itself from other vampire shows, is that it not only tells us what it is to be a vampire, but what it is to be human. Alan Ball explores Life and all it means. Godric says “Why would bạn be so cruel?” when Eric is trying to convince him to live. For all the vampire benefits, the one that is the most sought after is eternal life. But through that one question, we see that life without end is meaningless and actually ‘cruel.’ We see the ultimate irony of how eternal life is perceived as heaven but in reality is the complete opposite - hell. Godric genuinely longs for mortality, for time with meaning, for life with meaning, for death with meaning. I believe in his last moments, like Pinocchio, Godric was bestowed the girft of life. Maybe not in body, but in soul. Where he expresses surprise in Sookie’s empathy – me=floods of tears. I hate to be all pretentious and slightly lazy bởi using a quote but Richter expresses eloquently what I am clumsily trying to explain “Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, hoặc else forgiving another.” Godric and Sookie were truly never so exquisite as that fateful morning.
“I’m scared for you”. This quote shows us why Sookie is the bomb. A lot of people have criticised the character of Sookie, and while she has her faults, I think this episode shows her best nature and why Bill and Eric are so fascinated with her because at her core she is a compassionate soul, which both of them have so little experience of. She is so novel to them in their world of night, ego and cruelty. Particularly to Bill from what we have seen in his flashbacks with Lorena.
Ah, Lorena. Psychopathic chó cái, bitch that she is, we see a certain, if not love, then bond with Bill. This bond of maker/makee is explored in the episode. We have the contrast of Bill/Lorena and Bill/Jessica compared to Eric/Godric. Bill and Jessica were both unwilling and their ‘turnings’ were violent, dark struggles. However, Eric sees Godric as his personal saviour, as his own god. This is almost reversed at Godric’s death. Godric till the very end is astounded and in awe of Eric’s vitality. The fact that Godric knows Eric still has ‘life’ left in him and so commanded him to leave is testament to their tình yêu and loyalty. We see their different outtakes on life - Godric is weighed bởi the burden of his years, Eric still has his joie de vivre and this ultimate disparity is encapsulated bởi their exchange: Eric “I would fight bạn now if I could.” Godric “I know.” It’s beautiful and reminds us of their history as warriors. They were not just brothers-in-arms, they are each others “Father, Brother, Child.” Godric says he’ll be all those things, and at the very end he is all those things to Eric and vice versa. The caress bởi Godric says it all. Such tenderness and hope. If anyone doubts whether ma cà rồng have feelings, this must surely prove otherwise.
And last but certainly not least, I must praise the diễn xuất in this episode which was absolutely stellar, in particular bởi Anna Paquin and Allan Hyde. Their exchange on the roof should be the one they both put in for the Emmys.
So, there bạn have it, my long, convoluted explanation of why bạn MUST MUST MUST watch True Blood, if not at least this episode. Cast aside your preconceptions of a vampire show, Twilight this certainly ain’t!!!
We started to wonder...what would happen if some of the most known ma cà rồng from both TV and film faced off against one another in a battle? Who would emerge victorious? That's for bạn to decide! Help us out bởi voting in our Ultimate Vampire Face-Off!
Round 1 begins Friday (6/12) and will end Saturday at 2PM PST. There will be a new round everyday this weekend until a winner is declared Tuesday, so check back to add your vote for each round!
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