Television Vampires DVD Roundup
Television Vampires DVD Roundup
None of them bite
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TRUE BLOOD
True Blood is my favorite of the lot, so I'm going to focus on that fang-gang first. Season Two is available now and as with Season One and now Season Three, it's a fine standalone. The same characters are all there and their arcs wax and wane, but the dilemma and story are so strong there's no need for any (or least, not much) prior knowledge.
Season Two had three big, main plots involving feisty heroine Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Pacquin) a telepath who's in love with a Southern-gentleman vampire named Bill (Stephen Moyer) whose mortal existence was Civil War era. His courtly ways haven't changed, but in Season Two we get to see a little more of Bill's aggressive, killing side. We also learn a lot more about Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård) and the back-story of his making by the christlike Godric (Allan Hyde). This storyline converged with Sookie's none-too-bright but well-meaning brother Jason's (Ryan Kwanten) induction into the Fellowship of the Sun anti-vampire cult. The third, and perhaps most major and mysterious exploration, centers around Maryann (Michelle Forbes), a wicked witch (of sorts) who turns water into wine and normal, everyday people into wanton demons. Through this storyline, we also get to know Sam (Sam Trammel) and Tara (Rutina Wesley) better. The lovely Evan Rachel Wood makes an appearance as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, giving us just a tease as to how she might factor into future storylines.
When it comes to the extras, there are audio commentaries on seven of the 12 episodes, plus featurettes on Fellowship of the Sun and the faux news show The Vampire Report.
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
The Vampire Diaries follows two contentious (and of course undead) brothers, Stefan (Paul Wesley, the goodie) and Damon (Ian Sommerhalder, the baddie), as they vie for the affections of Elena (Nina Dobrev). The Vampire Diaries is a bit soapy and sometimes soppy, but the actors are incredibly good-looking and all the neo-Gothic accoutrement are well in place. It's slick, it's pretty, it's not a bad way to lazy away a rainy afternoon.
BEING HUMAN
Being Human is a British series about a vampire (Aidan Turner) , a werewolf (Russell Tovey), and a ghost (Lenora Crichlow) all sharing a modest flat in suburbia — you could call them all the roommates from hell. The show focuses on character; as the title suggests, it's more about the human element of each creature. This Twilight'esque premise presents some very interesting situations. Or at least, potentially interesting — personally, I find Being Human just a bit too tepid.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson