May 25, 2010

True Blood - The Complete Second Season

Christopher Sandlin READ TIME: 2 MIN.

While the first season of HBO's True Blood was a solid hit with viewers and critics alike, the show's slow narrative pace and few stabs at excitement held it back. In True Blood: The Complete Second Season the whole cast is back with a bang (and some fangs). The second season picks up right after the last one ended in Bon Temps, a backwater parish of Louisiana, as Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), our mind-reading heroine, discovers the gruesome murder of a local faith healer (or quack). The 12 episodes of this season follow two main story lines that ultimately converge in a horrifically frenzied end-of-season arc. In the first story line, vampire Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) enlists Sookie's help in Dallas after learning of the disappearance of his estranged, 2,000-year-old fellow bloodsucker Godric (who also happens to be the vampire who turned Eric into a vampire, and may have had a romantic entanglement with in the past). Things have been heating up in vampire-human affairs as the Fellowship of the Sun, a glorified cult, rapidly gains followers and is believed to be behind Godric's disappearance, as well as a spate of anti-vampire attacks. It turns out that Sookie's brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten) is the Fellowship's number one new recruit.

Meanwhile in Bon Temps, several worlds are set on a collision path as it becomes known that Maryann (Michelle Forbes) is an ancient supernatural creature with an evil plan of her own, involving shapeshifter Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell). As the second season progresses, Sookie finds herself even more torn between her vampire boyfriend Bill, and alpha vamp (and oh-so-sexy) Eric. This is a sizzling season that ramps up everything that's great about True Blood, while also playing to its campy nature and not taking itself too seriously: From glimpses of new supernatural powers and creatures, to gory pagan rituals, heightened tension between vampires and humans, and a lot of graphic (and sometimes funny) sexual scenes - this is one season you have to see to believe.

Special Features

  • The Vampire Report (Special Edition): Make sure to check out these fake (but fun) TV news spots about vampires. There's even a segment with Top Chef's Tom Colicchio touting a vegetarian version of the True Blood drink for humans.

  • Fellowship of the Sun: Reflections of Lights: Faux infomercials by the Sun leaders Steve and Sarah Newlin, warning viewers of the vampire danger.

  • Audio Commentaries: Seven commentaries with cast and crew, including series creator Alan Ball, and stars Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Michelle Forbes, Alexander Skarsgard, Rutina Wesley, Ryan Kwanten and Sam Trammell.

    by Christopher Sandlin , EDGE Gulf Coast Regional Editor

    Christopher Sandlin is the Chief Correspondent (Gulf Coast) with EDGE. His work has been published in The Dallas Morning News, International Herald Tribune and other local, national and international newspapers and and magazines. He can be reached at [email protected].

    • Read These Next