True Blood

[Tyr]

Yeah, its not AH but it does make for a good ASB scenario doesn't it?

What does everyone make of this programme? The first few episodes I felt to be a rather lame, crappy twilight rip off and the accents just couldn't be took seriously but...it grew on me. I love it now.

And what of the world?
We see in the series how America treat the vampires coming out (stupidly underwhelming) but how about elsewhere?
I guess other 1st world countries will have much the same reactions in theory- but that the old world vampires will be so much older will change things...

But how about places like Iran? Poor vamps living there....

 

[Johnestauffer]

It is a fascinating series.
If Vampires could indeed come out of the closet, it would be interesting to see how many there really where (and who they were)
Given their longevity, they could develop great amounts of experience.
You might find they occupied some relatively important positions.

At the same time, as we become more computerized, it would seem harder for a true Vampire to remain outside society. Just about every transaction today involves some computer record. Having bank account that were centuries old would certainly send up some red flags.

I image that most of the world would reluctantly execpt the existance of Vampires. They might be problems in the less developed nations, but in those environments, the Vampires would have had to learn to function with limited visiblility, so I doubt the change would affect things much. They might chose to relocate.

 

[Tellus]

At the same time, as we become more computerized, it would seem harder for a true Vampire to remain outside society. Just about every transaction today involves some computer record. Having bank account that were centuries old would certainly send up some red flags.

Depends - obviously anyone intent on preserving the secret of his immortality will switch identities every now and then. Its not impossible to pull off no matter how computerized the world becomes. Some other features of an high tech world could benefit Vampires: some versions of the myth have them able to avoid, or unable to, cast a reflection - so they could get around futuristic systems of surveillance. They leave extremely little forensic evidence - no print, no viable dna samples. Also, as weapons-control becomes more widespread and even law enforcement trades their guns for tazers in the coming years, the martial differential between a human and a vampire would grow further, as the new weapons would bother them even less than a gun. It may seem I thought about it too much - but thats because I played a futuristic game of Vampire set in 2025

Back to True Blood. Personally I love the show; its very decent, I feel the Vampires and portrayed and their society to be fairly interesting and convincing, and it definitely reminds me strong of tabletop Vampire. The added-in mix of other supernatural creatures also builds a fairly good suspense. Maryann puzzled me enough that I ended up reading the books to find out what she was all about. It certainly didnt strike me as Twilight-ish at all. Unless it sparkles in sunlight, its an okay Vamp in my book.

Im actually sad there's only two episodes left this season, but its been renewed, so therell be more to come.

As for the consequences of an hypothetical emergence of Vampires - the reaction would likely be far less pretty than it is in the show. We cant get over skin colors still, I suspect Vampires are several leagues out of our tolerance threshold. People would want them all tagged and registered like the worst criminals - and only after it became obvious it was outside our capacity would people give up. In other words, unless it turned out to be an extraordinary gentle brand of vampires who've been feeding only on animals since a very long time, people would be afraid and theyd react like fearful people do.

 

[Tellus]

"'Sometimes you need to destroy something to save it.' That's in the Bible. Or the Constitution." - Jason Stackhouse, 02x11.

Hahahahaha.

 

[HistIdiot]

I think True Blood is a great show and since I'm not a teenage girl I think its a whole lot better than Twilight. The books go a lot further into vampire politics and area actually quite a bit different, but the show is great too. My big question is what happens to a modern person, who has a Social Security number, a 401(k), etc., when they become a vampire. I suppose vampires are not legally dead, but still.....

 

[Tellus]

I think True Blood is a great show and since I'm not a teenage girl I think its a whole lot better than Twilight. The books go a lot further into vampire politics and area actually quite a bit different, but the show is great too. My big question is what happens to a modern person, who has a Social Security number, a 401(k), etc., when they become a vampire. I suppose vampires are not legally dead, but still.....

In the true blood universe, theyd probably eventually admit legally that they are vampires - maybe not right away, but once they are granted rights, why not?

In a "Masquarade" universe - the answers are as numerous as the vampires. Pretending you are still yourself for the next 20 years whilst you build a basic power base seems like a good idea. Or you can fake your death. A universal trait of vampires is that they can absolutely fake a perfect state of death with minimal effort; "wake up" in the morgue and you'll just be a stolen body, blamed on organ harvesting. This one makes you vanish in the world's eye; which can have advantages as long as you have mortals willing to do your bidding (blood-bond, mind control powers, etc).

Personally Id arrange to be thought of as dead most likely. Easier that way.

 

[MerryPrankster]

I'm partway through the first season now. Hopefully the TV series won't get as weird as the books, with were-thises and that, fairies, etc.

It's extremely well-written and often quite funny.

About vampires "coming out," you'll have people who are afraid of creatures that are essentially mankind's natural predator, but on the other hand, you've got the "Twilight" cultists who think "vampire = squee!" and people like Sookie's grandmother who would think genuine immortals would be an awesome historical research opportunity.

(She tries to bring Bill to her "Glorious Dead" society)

And hopefully the presence of vampires will cause a reversal in the gun-control and police-not-using-guns idiocy in the non-US West. A "silver lining," pardon the bad pun.

 

[Tellus]

And hopefully the presence of vampires will cause a reversal in the gun-control and police-not-using-guns idiocy in the non-US West. A "silver lining," pardon the bad pun.

How? Guns are the worst weapons to use against vampires. Every single vampire myth makes them resistant or immune to regular bullets, largely on the grounds that their organs are dead on only massive structure damage can really harm them.

Whilst True Blood made silver-weak Vampires, silver is usually more associated with Werewolves... but assuming True-blood-like Silver-weak vampires existed, well, a silver bullet would still be a piss poor option compared to a silver blade, because youd need to find a way to ensure the bullet stays INSIDE the vamp rather than go through for maximum effect. "Silver nitrate" bullets like in Underworld probably wouldnt work at all in real life.

If anything, the desire to defend against vampires should make white weapons return to vogue, rather than guns. Admittedly whilst I believe in gun control, I wouldnt mind being allowed to carry a sword in public.

 

[fortyseven]

I'm up to the middle of the 2nd Season. It's quite good.

How? Guns are the worst weapons to use against vampires. Every single vampire myth makes them resistant or immune to regular bullets, largely on the grounds that their organs are dead on only massive structure damage can really harm them.

The Fellowship of the Sun has wooden bullets and bows and arrows. I haven't seen them used yet so I don't know how effective they are.

 

[MerryPrankster]

I'm wondering how long the vampires' shadow governments will be allowed to continue to operate after they've "come out of the coffin."

After all, the creepy Magister had Jessica kidnapped and then forced Bill to "turn" her and later in the series, Jessica attempts to murder her human father and Bill has to "glamor" everyone to forget it happened.

And that's to say nothing about the rights of vampires themselves. The Magister (being a Spanish Inquisitor in his human life) and Eric could be passed off as legal (or illegal) aliens, but Bill is a natural-born US citizen.

 

[aktarian]

Just once I'd like to see something about vampires that doesn't have eternal conflict between one group that advocates coexistance with humans and renouncing taking blood by force (or renouncing human blood altogether) and other group that sees humans as inferior and basically cattle.

Plus I hate the cliches that vampires are (mostly) cultured, sophisticated, high society beings while werewolves are one (small) step above beasts, brutish and interested in slaughter and fighting.

Come to think about it, I sense some sort of hidden pro-vampire, anti-werewolf PR(opaganda) machinery at work. Perhaps setting the stage for revealing their existance and tuning human attitudes to this?

 

[Patches]

Just once I'd like to see something about vampires that doesn't have eternal conflict between one group that advocates coexistance with humans and renouncing taking blood by force (or renouncing human blood altogether) and other group that sees humans as inferior and basically cattle.

Plus I hate the cliches that vampires are (mostly) cultured, sophisticated, high society beings while werewolves are one (small) step above beasts, brutish and interested in slaughter and fighting.

Come to think about it, I sense some sort of hidden pro-vampire, anti-werewolf PR(opaganda) machinery at work. Perhaps setting the stage for revealing their existance and tuning human attitudes to this?

The werewolves are kind of sophisticated in True Blood, they just like violence - there is an exception to this though with the man that travels with Sookie - but that's the same with Vampires, a lot of them just want to eat humans, and have savage sex with them.

I have watched all the episodes of True Blood that are out on the internet. Third episode of season three.

 

[August Akuma]

The Fellowship of the Sun has wooden bullets and bows and arrows. I haven't seen them used yet so I don't know how effective they are.

Who knows? After all, I'm more than sure that the FotS was about to get curbstomped if it wasn't for Godric who was over 2000 years old presumably has the strength and speed to make shortwork of the militia by himself.

Just once I'd like to see something about vampires that doesn't have eternal conflict between one group that advocates coexistance with humans and renouncing taking blood by force (or renouncing human blood altogether) and other group that sees humans as inferior and basically cattle.

Plus I hate the cliches that vampires are (mostly) cultured, sophisticated, high society beings while werewolves are one (small) step above beasts, brutish and interested in slaughter and fighting.

There is no conflict like that in True Blood. Some vampires are trying to go mainstream (drinking True Blood) while others cling to the old ways. If anything, the big conflict in the series right now is between people trying to get V.

The high society vampire thing doesn't exactly run in the show. Sure, royalty is pretty high society in the show but its rather easy to find examples in the show of vampires....well, not being high society.

Godric comes to mind.

 

[MerryPrankster]

Who knows? After all, I'm more than sure that the FotS was about to get curbstomped if it wasn't for Godric who was over 2000 years old presumably has the strength and speed to make shortwork of the militia by himself.

Seconded. The closest to a victory the FOTS scored was trying to jump Eric, who they might have been successfully able to stake if it weren't for Sookie warning him just before the wood was going to go into his back.

The Texas vampire militia was able to hammer down the FOTS militia in about five seconds and were going to drink then en masse if Godric hadn't intervened.

(If Bill had followed through with this threat to kill all of them if Sookie were harmed, they might have been able to overpower him with numbers, but I wouldn't bet on them if he had been able to free Eric from the silver chains on the cross.)

 

[aktarian]

There is no conflict like that in True Blood. Some vampires are trying to go mainstream (drinking True Blood) while others cling to the old ways. If anything, the big conflict in the series right now is between people trying to get V.

Sure there is. OOH you have Bill who renounced violence, sticks to True Blood and only drinks from people who agree to it. Then you have vamps like Eric and Pam who may not see people as just walking food but consider them vastly inferior and are willing to use violence (or threat of it) to get their way. Then you have Queen of Luisiana who sees people as mere playthings or pets. Then you have that Texans who SPOILERkilled founder of FotS, well, because they couldSPOILER and so on. But this is found in many such stories, conflict between vamps trying to get accepted by humans, live among them and adapt so humans are not harmed and vamps who see themselves as Herrenvamp and humans as something that should serve them and be drained when needed

The high society vampire thing doesn't exactly run in the show. Sure, royalty is pretty high society in the show but its rather easy to find examples in the show of vampires....well, not being high society.

Godric comes to mind.

The vamps we get to know a bit better sure have that high society aura to them. Eric and his maker in 1920s, queen of Luisiana and King of Mississipi (or is it Missouri?). Eric looks like modern day yuppie, usining profits from Fangtasia and other sources to live large, ditto Pam. Granted there are vamps who are middle class but they only get passing mention.

We don't know much about Godric.

 

[aktarian]

The werewolves are kind of sophisticated in True Blood, they just like violence - there is an exception to this though with the man that travels with Sookie - but that's the same with Vampires, a lot of them just want to eat humans, and have savage sex with them.

I have watched all the episodes of True Blood that are out on the internet. Third episode of season three.

I disagree. SPOILERwws who took Bill are shown as pure savages acting like junkies trying to get their fix=v. Then pack which jumps him later are again shown as savages who are only stopped by Bill's brute force and King's command, I see parallel between Underworld where wws were slaves of vamps. Then comapre Fangtasia and that ww bar, Fangtasia is your typical vibrant nightclub where people get together for sex and drink whiskey and "fancy" drinks, ww bar is your typical biker bar, including clothes, where people get together for a beer and a brawlSPOILER Again, similar distinction is made in Underworld where vamps live in mansions and interact in cultured ways while wws live in sewers and pass the time fighting each other. Again SPOILERwws are shown as creatures step below vamps who do their bidding. Wws who took Bill work for King, guy who is with Sookie is in debt to Eric. Vamps provide brains and planning, wws provide muscles and brute force. Even ww with Sookie is in construction and owes Eric money. Basically footsoldier to boss relation, to use mafia analogySPOILER

 

[fortyseven]

If a human drinks vampire blood, the vampire knows where they are. At least one vampire in authority is selling their blood. Interesting implications no?

 

[MerryPrankster]

If a human drinks vampire blood, the vampire knows where they are. At least one vampire in authority is selling their blood. Interesting implications no?

And the sexual-attraction thing too. Given how Sam is having sexual thoughts about Bill, I wonder why Jason wasn't lusting after Eddie from the beginning of his V-addiction (since Eddie was Lafayette's source for V).

(Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Eddie is rather deficient in looks compared to Sam and Bill.)

Heck, this could be a means for police to track the source of V--quiz incarcerated V-junkies about who they fantasize about sleeping with. If it's someone they don't know, that's a lead on whose blood it is.

Is Sophie-Ann selling her own blood or blood collected from minions?

 

[fortyseven]

And the sexual-attraction thing too. Given how Sam is having sexual thoughts about Bill, I wonder why Jason wasn't lusting after Eddie from the beginning of his V-addiction (since Eddie was Lafayette's source for V).

(Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Eddie is rather deficient in looks compared to Sam and Bill.)

Heck, this could be a means for police to track the source of V--quiz incarcerated V-junkies about who they fantasize about sleeping with. If it's someone they don't know, that's a lead on whose blood it is.

Is Sophie-Ann selling her own blood or blood collected from minions?

The sexual-attraction is useful on an individual basis. Yeah, I forgot about the sex dreams. I don't think the physical attractiveness of the vampire is a factor. I had assumed it was Sophie-Anne's own blood but we'll see. Jason's dream about Eddie may just be psychological.

I wonder why Sophie-Anne is strapped for cash. Profligate spending and debts? Bad investments?

 

[Guarnasco]

I image that most of the world would reluctantly execpt the existance of Vampires. They might be problems in the less developed nations, but in those environments, the Vampires would have had to learn to function with limited visiblility, so I doubt the change would affect things much. They might chose to relocate.

My best guess is that vampires surfaced only in places where theyr society is rather weakly enforced, like the US.

Can't see how it could happen in places where the millennia old competent leadership will surely take some centuries to valutate how it will affect theyr power structure... May be the naive colonials are used as a field test to see how things devenlop?