TRUE BLOOD Season 5 - On Demand → On Demand Weekly

TRUE BLOOD Season 5 - On DemandJune 10, 2012

HBO

Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies and shows on demand from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: TRUE BLOOD (HBO).

TRUE BLOOD
A Whole New Kind of Special Victims for Stabler

By Jean Tait

Once again jumping right in where we left off, Season 5 of True Blood hits the ground running. At the midpoint of Season 4, I wrote, “If Alan Ball would just give me a little more Pam and Nan, my “True Blood” life would be complete!” Well, he killed Nan (sniff), so we start off with Bill and Eric trying to clean up the mess before the Authority catches them and sentences them to the true death. That roller coaster ride starts right at the top.

However we also jump right in to Werewolf/Shifter drama which I could do without. Much like NBC’s Smash trying to force Katherine McPhee down my throat as a “star,” HBO seems to be trying to convince us that Joe Manganiello is an irresistible hunk. Well, he’s hunky, but clunky. His acting is so wooden, he drags down every scene he’s in. (Maybe he should have been cast as Pinocchio in “Once Upon a Time?”)

Joe Manganiello / TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

Another new storyline that drags is the PTSD Terry story. In a show where all the violence is fantastical, the real horrors of war have no place. I don’t like reality intruding on my fantasy! It takes all the humor out of it. This storyline also requires a change in Terry’s character that doesn’t make any sense. Terry’s post-war trauma made him charmingly befuddled. Now he is sharp and brittle, and completely unbelievable as the man we all fell in love with along with Carrie Preston’s Arlene. All the time devoted to this storyline would be much better served with more Jason/Jessica time.

Carrie Preston, Scott Foley / TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

Jason’s (the Emmy-worthy Ryan Kwanten) growth from a careless, dumb-hick playboy to a caring, compassionate, though still bumbling, cop is a delight. As he navigates the choppy waters of responsibility, he is always on the edge of drowning, but keeps pulling himself out just in time. His encounters with the newly vampiric Steve Newlin are funny funny funny. Michael McMillian was perfect as the murderous, holier than thou evangelist and he’s even better as the obsequious, clean-cut Gay Vampire American. His return to the show is very welcome.

Another welcome note: Season 5 does give me more Pam. No one does bitchy ennui like Kristen Bauer van Straten. We get to see how she met and bonded with Eric, and the beginning of the animosity between Bill and Eric as well.

Kristen Bauer van Straten / TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

However the most anticipated return is Denis O’Hare’s charming psychopath Russell Edgington. I can’t wait to see what mayhem he stirs up!

The fairies return as well. I’m not quite as eager to see them back, but I’ll reserve judgment for now.

Christopher Meloni / TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

The best newcomer to Season 5 is Christopher Meloni as Roman, the Authority of the Authority! I had my doubts about this casting, as he is so familiar as Detective Elliot Stabler on “Law & Order-Special Victims Unit.” It only took a couple of seconds to wipe my fears away, as Meloni brings an ageless and timeless quality to his oh-so-comfortable in his power role. This is a perfect next big role for Meloni. The rest of the Authority has promise, but no one can make up for the loss of Jessica Tuck’s bitch-fest Nan, although their replacement will be fun to watch!

- Jean Tait

Jean
Jean Tait is a contributing writer to On Demand Weekly. Currently the Director of Programming for the Connecticut Film Festival, Jean has programmed for the Jacksonville Film Festival and Sundance Channel.