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True Blood: Thank You

"Love is love, plain and simple."

Not an unbearable series finale, I suppose. But even though I enjoyed this last season and all of the tying up of loose ends, this final episode was just a bit too feel-good for me.

After an entire season of Bill on the edge of death and acting like a suicidal toddler, I was very prepared for him to survive the finale. A lot of fans have been theorizing that Sookie would hit him with her Ultimate Fairy Ball and that it would make him human instead of killing him. Bill de-vamped and Sookie de-fairyed could then live happily ever after as humans and have those all-important babies she needs to have. I honestly thought that was where it was going, especially after she started reading his mind at the wedding.

Instead, Sookie killed her love for Bill by killing Bill. He said he should have died in the natural course of time as a human instead of outliving his own children, and now he's with his family forever. I did not like Sookie kneeling over Bill in his coffin and staking him; it just felt wrong. It should have gotten to me, and it didn't. I was going, oh come on. Tell me he's actually getting into his own coffin. Really?

Honestly, though, I get what they were going for. Sookie is and has always been a creature of light, and ending the series by making her a vampire would never have worked. Having her accept the fairy part of herself was good, too. Maybe the True Blood powers that be wrote themselves into a corner, because there was no way at this point that they could come up with a believable happily-ever-after for Sookie. (More about that further down in my review.)

Other than Bill and his coffin of goo, the rest of the finale was just too heartwarming for a series as violent, sexy and off the wall as True Blood. I adore Jessica, but her wedding was way too sweet. I was glad that Jason and Hoyt became friends again, and Hoyt deciding that amnesia was a-okay with him worked out for everyone, but how believable was that? The whole thing with Andy inheriting Bill's house and essentially giving it to Jessica, too – it tied everything up in a perfect bow.

The four-years-in-the-future Thanksgiving night picnic at the end with practically the entire cast and a whole lot of children was nice to see, but also way too sweet. Arlene was with Keith, Lafayette with James, Sam brought his daughter, Jason and Brigette had three kids (all girls, of course), etc. etc. Most importantly, we saw future Sookie pregnant, but not the face of her (I'm assuming) human husband.

Except that the entire point of the series was that Sookie couldn't handle dating a human because she reads minds, which is why she fell for a vampire in the first place. Why didn't they just leave Alcide alive and bring him back as her husband in the end? Sookie marrying a supernatural being that we knew and cared about who could also give her a family would have made more sense. Oh, well.

The trademark True Blood outrageousness had to be carried by Eric and Pam in this finale, and I'm pretty much okay with that. I had wondered why Eric didn't just decimate Gus and his minions, but as soon as Pam was safe and Sookie was in danger, he did. He saved Sookie's life again, and didn't even tell her. I loved him driving away in that car with the stereo blasting and blood all over him. Very Spike.


Eric and Pam not only survived the finale, they became New Blood zillionaires. I was happy that they still owned and ran Fangtasia, and that Sarah Newlin stayed chained in the basement, going crazy and being haunted by her husband Steve. Does that mean any remnants of vampire authority are gone forever? Not important, I suppose.

Plus there was a final shout-out to gay rights, with the Jessica/Hoyt marriage not being legal, Bill unable to leave his house directly to Jessica, and the Reverend Daniels telling Sookie that God wants us to exercise free will and make our own decisions. And we got a lovely little flashback to Gran. I had a feeling they were saving her for the final episode.

So, as I said, not an unbearable series finale. I'm not sure what I wanted, anyway. Oh, yes, I remember now. I would have liked if the writers had spent a season or two exploring the interesting book depths of the Sookie/Eric relationship. At least they didn't kill Eric off. That would have been unforgivable.

Bits and pieces:

-- Sarah had changed so much that she wanted Pam to do Bad Lesbian Vampire Things to her. Fortunately, Pam had better taste than that.

-- The scientists that created New Blood came from Sweden, not Japan.

-- Sookie was again driving Alcide's company truck.

-- I was hoping that they'd get Sookie out of that hideous shirt before the end of the series, and they did. And then I realized it was black with flowers on it, and I got it. A little obvious symbolism there.

Quotes:

Sookie: (to Bill) "You're choosing to die 'cause I have no self respect? That makes a lot of sense."

Eric: "Humans are slow."

Sarah: "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"
Pam: "Yes dear. You are."
Sarah: "Which is why I think I would make a kick-ass vampire, don't you?"
Sure, and Pam is so hot for you that she would throw away the vampire Hep V cure. Okay.

Pam: "I wouldn't let you go down on me for a billion dollars. And as for me going down on you, there's not enough money in the world."

Jason: "It's been a long fucking week and it's been a weird fucking week, but I figured something out along the way. We gotta live every day like it's our last, man. If we do that, it puts everything in prescription for us."
Not the best Jasonism, but the last.

Andy: "You may kiss your vampire bride."

I'm a bit sad about saying goodbye to True Blood, but it's time. What rating would you give this series finale, on a scale of one to four out of four bottles of New Blood?

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

14 comments:

  1. That was quick Billie!

    I loved season 7 but found the finale immensely dissapointing. I pretty much agree with you - everything was tied up too neatly. Plus I really wanted more Eric and Pam.

    Thanks so much for all of your True Blood reviews! It's thanks to them that I became a fan of the show!

    Now that True Blood's gone, have you considered reviewing another summer show next year? Perhaps The Leftovers (which gets better with every episode)?

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  2. Yeah, I'm not sure what to say about this episode. It was okay, but it just seemed to hit all of the wrong beats. Everything felt too rushed. I'm glad Hoyt and Jason made up, but it all felt a little too pat. I'm glad Hoyt and Jess got married, but it all felt a little too pat. And I agree that Sookie killing Bill just felt plain weird. I did find it moving, but I haven't really been vested in Bill and Sookie as a couple for a while now. I even thought Eric and Pam's ending was kind of lacklustre.

    And the picnic ending just didn't ring true. There were too many people missing from around the table for it to have that 'everyone there' feel. Obviously, Pam and Eric were elsewhere; Bill, Tara, Gran and Alcide are dead; but at least half of the people around the table were either new characters or strangers, and Sam hasn't felt part of the show all season.

    I didn't hate this finale, but I didn't love it either. You expect more from a series finale, and this didn't feel good enough for a season finale. If you'd cut out the picnic, it might have made for an average mid-season episode.

    I'm curious, Billie: do you think the last book did a better job of bringing the story to a close than the TV show?

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  3. Thanks, Sancho. I'll certainly be reviewing a summer show next year. No idea which one yet. The Leftovers turned me off in a great big way; I hated the pilot. I'm not sure I want to try it again, to be honest.

    Paul, I thought the ending of the book series did bring the story to a close in a way that made more sense. Harris had set up her ending starting with the very first book. I wasn't happy with it, even though I saw it coming. Most of the fans weren't happy with it, either. I don't think anyone working on the series had an ending in mind. Maybe they should have gone with devamping Bill and defairying Sookie, after all, rather than leaving us with Sookie married to a faceless nobody.

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  4. Some what less than satisfied about the finale. It had a forced Hollywood, "happy ending" to it.

    I did like that Pam and Eric, continued as Pam and Eric. Eric doing that infomercial was too hilarious, he had the perfect mixture of sleaze, sexiness and dishonesty. I think the "shamwoww and oxyclean" people better get in touch with his agent.

    I do hope someone creates a spinoff on Russel Edgington. They would have 3,000 years to work with. We know how he ended, but who turned him? What was he like before he was turned? Imagine the mayhem he must have caused during his 3,000 years. I am sure he has altered the course of human history several times. That could be a fun series.

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  5. Billie, I wondered, too, why they didn't have Sookie end up with Alcide. Yes, he's supernatural... but Sookie has always been drawn to that. I think it would have added a much-needed touch of whimsy: a sort of shrug that Sookie, while getting her normal life and children, can't completely stay away. I also loved the Jasonism, and had the same thought: it was exactly, "I love the smell of nail polish in the morning", but it was the last one. I also had a problem with Andy being so accepting of everything. He ends up marrying (and in the future renting to) the girl who murdered his daughters! Too big a hurdle. In my opinion, it was a mistake to have had Jessica kill those girls. It's too much to come back from. I'm a parent, and I'll tell you, no matter what, I'm never "forgiving" something like that, and I certainly wouldn't be in their lives, that's for sure. Last season, Andy should have had one fairy daughter (Adilyn) and perhaps Jessica could have put her in grave danger. And this season she would have made up for it by protecting her. Too many leaps. All that being said, coupled with way too much time on Jessica and Hoyt when there were other characters that needed to be dealt with, I did enjoy the finale. Doesn't sound it like it, I know, but I did. I just think they could have been smarter the last few seasons and provided us with a more satisfying pay off.

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  6. I liked the sweetness of it and I loved Jessica and Hoyt's wedding (though I agree with Heather - I'm not a parent, but having her kill Andy's daughters was a big mistake that he surely couldn't forgive). I didn't like Sookie - I was going to say euthanising, but there was a cure, he didn't have to die. And yet, his desire to was understandable and I was on board with Godric meeting the sun in season 2. Hmm, I don't know what to call it - anyway, I wasn't on board with it. I was glad Sookie decided to remain who she was, but Bill should have become human instead of dying (because Sookie's a fairy, or because he was Lilith, or whatever). And when he kept saying she had to be free of him, I really wanted her to say, well, if you die I'll just go back to Eric, so it makes no difference baby-wise.

    Loved Eric in the car, though. Very Spike.

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    1. Woder how many people noticed the Buffy reference in that scene, Eric was all Spike there ;) Great tribute to Buffy in the last True Blood episode.

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  7. Oh, and re the books, the book ending was actually the one I wanted way back when I first got into the series. I think whatever you think of it, it was certainly better set up - it didn't involve us being required to be happy that Sookie was with a faceless stranger.

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  8. Completely agree about the series finale. I wanted something much darker and found myself bored by most of it. I thought they did a huge disservice to long standing characters like Lafayette and Sam by barely having them in the episode. I also thought they should end the show on a cliffhanger because every episode apart from this one ended on a cliffhanger. Something similar to what they did on Angel maybe. Disappointing.

    I did want to thank you for your reviews though Billie. Haven't missed one in the last 7 years.

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  9. First off, thank you, Billie for your great reviews. I watched this episode half-wondering what you'd write.

    To me, the show got the finale it deserved.

    I've been a fan of the show from the very beginning and, as such, kept watching through the wonkiness of S7. Kept hoping that there'd be a point to Bill's mega-tedious flashbacks, that Tara and Alcide had not died in vain, and that TPTB would (somehow) tie everything up.

    This might come off as fan entitlement, but, to me, series finales are meant to be a kind of reward for the fans (whether long-time or new). You're supposed to feel a little wistful, perhaps, as a show you've really liked or loved comes to an end.

    My reaction to the finale was more along the lines of "Bye, True Blood, you won't be missed.".

    All throughout today I've been thinking of Charmed. Just like TB, it had a really bumpy final season. Unlike TB, however, its series finale was touching and gave its fans a sense of peace. Granted, the tone in both shows couldn't be more different. The thing is, TB had the opportunity to go out on a high note instead of the sad trombone that we all watched last night. :-/

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  10. Agreed. Way too neat and lovey dovey for this show's finale.

    I really thought the ending they were building up to was one where both Bill and Eric die for Sookie.

    Like in the beginning, I knew Eric would kill Gus and the Yakuza, but wind up dying himself. That's what I thought the flashback to the '80s earlier this season was all about: when he hast to choose who lives between the vampire and human he loves most, and is refused when offering to die in their place. Eric living is great too, but that would have been very poetic. And Pam would still be alive to be the figurehead of New Blood, run Fangtasia, and make Sarah's life hell.

    And I thought Bill's death by fairy light-ball would have been awesome to see, a nice callback to Godric's emotional true death. I still got cold chills when Bill put his hands over Sookie's to help her drive the stake through his heart. They just couldn't help drenching Anna Paquin in blood one last time, could they?

    Really didn't like that Sookie all of a sudden liked being a fairy. That was bullshit. Bill totally had a point about her being a huge supernatural target so long as she's a fairy.

    If the wedding and Bill's death had been a little shorter, there might have been more time to flesh out this finale. Like you said, it wasn't crazy, funny, sexy, or even tragic enough. So yeah, I'm guess I'm kinda sad the ending wasn't as bitter as it was sweet. Still one of the best seasons, I think.

    My favorite bits in order: Stephen Moyer's entire final performance as Bill (who I've always liked as much as Eric). Eric jamming in the car with the eviscerated Yakuza piled into the backseat. The flashback of Adele Stackhouse (such a touching scene, especially considering her and Tara are both dead in the present); plus those girls played Sookie and Tara very well. And last, but not least, Steve Newlin's huge cheshire cat grin in the Fangtasia dungeon (hilarious!).

    Goodbye, True Blood. It's been fun.

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  11. Well, hell..that was an oddly sweet finale except for Bill dying.
    Really why did Alcide have to die?
    I agree he could have been enough of a human hubbie for Sookie. And we knew him.
    Not enough of Lafayette and James, but I guess the conflict was over.
    I almost felt bad for poor mad Sarah at the end. She would have been a great vampire.
    But Eric and Pam lived so yay.
    The last Jason-ism wasn't the greatest, no. Bye now show.

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  12. I had pretty low expectations for both the season and finale, and they were exceeded by a bit. So I'm going to be satisfied with that.

    I can't really say I'm sorry the show ended. As Billie said, it was time.

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  13. Just seen the finale, True Blood has been declining in quality for a while however this was as low key as i could have ever anticipated

    The scene with Bill forgets everything that made the show great, he has been questionable at best for the past four seasons but for him to surrender his life for Sookie just to give her the kids and a normality that she never expressed a desire to have just doesn't ring true

    He was quick enough to encourage Jessica and Hoyt to marry knowing kids would never be a possibility either and it was hardly a successful relationship the first time round

    Its not that i am disappointed that Sookie ended up with Mr Generico but as stated in the review and other comments why could she have not ended up with Alcide who whilst not hugely popular at least always looked out for her?

    The exclusion of Lafayette, one of the shows strongest characters is unforgivable, not nearly enough of Erik and Pam who are arguably the shows strongest characters, i am however happy with their ending (Eriks car scene being a highlight)

    Its sad that its all over as this is a once genuinely great show with one of the most disappointing finale's i have seen

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