Really? I had heard most people didn't like the premiere. The two reviews I read weren't very positive. I thought it was fine but more of a transition episode, setting up the season.

Cash, were you already reading the books, or is this a new 'verse for you?

It's new to me, Epic. I don't have as much time for reading as I'd like, unfortunately and fiction gets short shrift from me.

Ooo, I'll be intrigued to see your reaction, then. It's very close to the book (at least so far) so I can't really gauge my own reactions because it was really just making a story I already know 3-D.

And seriously, just you and me? That can't be right in this crowd.

And seriously, just you and me? That can't be right in this crowd.

We don't have cable. And while Pete was all set for us to get cable (so I could watch True Blood and he could watch BSG), I was ... wary. I'm kinda so-so on the books, and did not have high hopes for what a vampire show would be.

So! Tell me about the premier! What did you think?

I saw the pilot over the summer and I didn't much care for it. They've changed actors and changed other things so I'm going to watch it again tonight.

So! Tell me about the premier! What did you think?

So far so good. It stayed very true to the book, but hasn't actually progressed that far into the book yet. It wasn't exposition-y with establishing the characters, etc., but I think they did intro them quite well. One thing that I noticed it did for me was to really put it into the South. My brain knew it took place in the South, but I've lived my whole life in San Diego. I literally couldn't give them appropriate accents and speech rhythms and whatnot. Now they have them. I was very unsure about the casting of Anna Paquin as Sookie. I pictured Sookie as a young Crystal Bernard-type. But Anna's making it work. It wasn't stellar, walk-don't-run material, but I think it's got potential.

Definitely worth a second watch.

Mildly amusing note: they pronounce her name differently than I've heard anyone on this coast pronounce it. Everyone here seems to go with the long "o", Sue-Key. They use a shorter, almost schwa-er, rhymes with "bookie" pronunciation. At first I thought it sounded silly, but I was getting used to it, then Stephen Moyer gave one delivery where he just made it sound...like a proposition. Or a promise. He's growing on me very quickly.

And, assuming I manage to keep it up, I'm taping, so I can loan you the tape, at least after the first 6 eps (assuming you still kick it old school with a VCR in the house).

I also discovered a ton of extras on the OnDemand channel that they've apparently been running since June. Mostly 2-minute news-bloggy stuff. Pretty fun with trying to establish the World in advance.

Also, also, of the three rather attractive fellows on the show, two of them are Brits IRL. So they're automatically extra hot. At least in my brain.

And, assuming I manage to keep it up, I'm taping, so I can loan you the tape, at least after the first 6 eps (assuming you still kick it old school with a VCR in the house).

Oh, that would be fantastic!

I watched True Blood last night, because vampires and pretty people! Yay! I didn't know anything about the books prior to catching this show, so I really had no idea what to expect. It was fun in parts, but it also seemed to be trying way too hard. I also felt like some of the characters, the cook/road worker and the best friend especially, were way, way over the top. I guess maybe they're just drawn that way? I'd like those two to take it down about 5000 notches.

I enjoyed Sookie and her family. And the brother is very pretty. All of him, my goodness. Yes, very very pretty. I'm enjoying Bill and Sookie thus far, too. Although, for my money, the bartender is much yummier (And he calls her Cher! I love that. It reminds me of Gambit from the X-Men cartoon series) so I'm not getting why she doesn't just jump on that.

My main problem with the story thus far was that I found it entirely predictable. I hope there weren't supposed to be any surprises in this first episode, because everything seemed horribly telegraphed. And the ending just annoyed me and made me think that our heroine is the least intelligent creature on the planet. Which is not, I hope, what they were going for.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Sunday evening. The show definitely did enough to get me to watch again.

It was fun in parts, but it also seemed to be trying way too hard.

Hoping that since things are now sketched into place they can chill a bit in future and won't feel the need to draw people so broadly.

I also felt like some of the characters, the cook/road worker and the best friend especially, were way, way over the top. I guess maybe they're just drawn that way? I'd like those two to take it down about 5000 notches.

You're completely right about Lafayette and Tara, especially Tara. Although Lafayette was being pretty close to the way he's written in the books, Tara was definitely cranked up to eleventy. Hopefully now that they've pounded hard all the personality points we're supposed to get, they can tone down her obnoxiousness and make her less of a cardboard cutout.

My main problem with the story thus far was that I found it entirely predictable. I hope there weren't supposed to be any surprises in this first episode, because everything seemed horribly telegraphed. And the ending just annoyed me and made me think that our heroine is the least intelligent creature on the planet. Which is not, I hope, what they were going for.

I think the first ep's pretty standard set-up stuff - no surprises. And it's true that the ending is pretty obviously gonna happen, even without having read the books. I think maybe it's Harris highlighting Sookie's naivete that she didn't expect it - her world wasn't that real, or graphic, or violent at this point, so she keeps stoutly saying "I can take care of myself!" because it's not even a possible scenario in her head. (Or maybe Harris was just lazy and wanted the set-up. But I like my first theory better). Maybe for people (audience members) who haven't been raised with Joss and Tim, the ending wasn't so obvious? Maybe they'd believe the Rattrays are all talk and no follow up. Though I must admit there have been times (once or twice) in the books where I either didn't get Sookie's motivation or thought she was overreacting to things.

Anyway, high hopes.