True Blood..

“Strange Love” mentions how humans are quite addicted to and willing to pay good money for vampire’s blood. Its properties provide humans with “heightened senses” and “heightened libido”. In “The First Taste” Sookie will learn of how that is quite accurate. As “Strange Love” closed, the first episode of True Blood’s first season, the sleazy hick couple, The Rattrays, is assaulting Sookie, in retaliation for halting their collection of vampire Bill Compton’s blood supply. And the assault was so severe, so vicious, Sookie would more than likely died. But Bill returns the favor. He emerges from the shadows and isn’t seen. Faster than a speeding bullet is Mr. Vampire. Anyway, the Rattrays are incapacitated with ease and Bill carries Sookie in his arms to the bank of a nearby lake. From there she is to feed from him and regain the life slipping from her body. And does she feed! Just gnawing away and guzzling that sweet, sweet nectar, Sookie heals in relatively short order. We get a chance to see flashbacks from when Sookie was a little girl hearing the thoughts of her worried mother, and even a teacher testing her. Vampires have the ability to hypnotize humans, called “glamour”. But when Bill tries it on Sookie with her urging, he realizes he can’t glamour her. It surprises him, obviously. You can subdue them for a bit and drink from them just enough to survive for a while longer. 

Dawn, a waitress Jason fucks regularly, has faint fangs on her thigh proving to him (a vampire racist) that she has also been a “fangbanger”. The show hinted at Tara being in love with Jason in “Strange Love”, and “The First Taste” further emphasizes that when the two of them have a moment together on Gran’s couch. Bill had visited Gran to tell her he’d attend the Civil War historical gathering with her town lady friends, with Sookie just crazy to see him again. You definitely see that Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are mad hot for each other, and her face gets all lovey-dovey. Unlike the first episode, Bill isn’t as intense, more friendly and polite when meeting Gran. Jason is an ass with Gran having to tell him to mind his manners, and Tara is obviously suspicious of Bill. Sookie, though, owes him her life.

Going for a walk, the anticipation of Bill and Sookie’s first kiss gets its payoff. Sookie initiates it because she just can’t wait any longer but Bill must pull away as the urge to bite causes the fangs to come out. The chemistry is just off the charts between these two. Amazing how a show can introduce two folks and fireworks light up right on screen for us to experience.

Jason remains a walking male whore, but ironically Tara is like one of a short few he doesn’t even attempt to bed…and she is all the while ready to at any given notice if he would just try. Tara continues to mind the bar at Marlotte’s with Sam agreeing to let her just dress as she wants after an argument on sexualizing and objectifying his waitresses. Sam tells Sookie, her telepathy getting her fired from other jobs, she’ll always have employment at his bar. He’s just as crazy for her as she is for Bill. He challenges her to read his mind. She won’t. Reading the boss’ mind has done her no favors. Sam comments that it must be great to not have Bill’s thoughts crowding her mind. I think she’d actually like that.

Lois Smith is just adorable as Adele Stackhouse. Gran trusts Sookie and scolds Jason. They both hold great respect for her. She seems to earn it from Bill as well. I just hate when the show robs us of her over the long term. I remember thinking in the past just how unfair that was. She isn’t naïve or oblivious to what is going on outside her walls.

You don’t see a lot of vampires in the first or second episode. But you know that it is only a matter of time before those from Bill’s world meet (and possibly endanger) Sookie. Sookie is introduced to Bill’s abode and even might have someone available to add electricity to it. The final scene before leaving another cliffhanger introduces Sookie to some from Bill’s world.

Jason watches Maudette’s tape with the sheriff and his detective, learning that he didn’t kill her; that she pulled a sick trick on him leaving her believing he had strangled her was quite funny if repulsive. But it got Jason off the hook, with him retreating to the bosom of Dawn. Jason does that. Plenty of willing legs ready to spread for him.