Bonny, where did you find details on the actors' # of appearances?

On that wonder of the 21st century...imdb. Each character has the number of episodes played. One of the blogs I perused said that much of the filming for the entire season is finished already.

I also like Bill more this week than last. I do think Bill and Sookie have really good chemistry together and he was adorable with the grandmother. And the kiss was very hot. Sadly, I still don't find him all that attractive. Eh.

I agree about the chemistry. It's very hot. I like that Bill isn't socially inept. He's an outsider, obviously, but he can operate smoothly when he has to. I like that. He only appears flustered with Sookie. He's growing on me. I didn't think he was all that to start but I'm definitely seeing the attractiveness.

Tara's story would be more compelling if there were some subtle strokes to it. It's all anvils and obnoxiousness. Her only saving grace is her loyalty to Sookie. Her pining for Sookie's brother is getting on my nerves.

I love Grandma. She's awesome.

I like hot nekkid men as much as the next person (maybe more) but I have had enough of watching hot brother fucking. Did it really add all that much to last night's show? I don't think so. Just because you can get away with more on pay cable doesn't mean that you should.

Amen, my sistah. I was actually glad to be on tape delay last night (bday party) because I could FF over the non-plot-advancing, sweaty-naked-flesh-because-we-can, sex scenes. Jason's a horndog. Got it.

Why so corny, bad vamps? Poor form.

Just 'cause I wanted to see it again. Hee.

And the kiss was very hot.

Oh yeah. I'm always a sucker for the ones where the old-world-y guy holds back a bit for fear of scaring her until she ends up just grabbing him by the neck and going for it. Good times.

On that wonder of the 21st century...imdb.

Ah, I believe I have heard tell of this wondrous tool.

One of the blogs I perused said that much of the filming for the entire season is finished already.

Considering they had at least one episode completed for Comic Con (not sure how many, panel was closed by the time I got there after work - curses!), I wouldn't be surprised if they were done or nearly done already. CC was at the end of July.

Tara's story would be more compelling if there were some subtle strokes to it. It's all anvils and obnoxiousness.

Yes, this.

Her only saving grace is her loyalty to Sookie.

Even this I'm getting a little sick of, because she and Jason both are reminding me of the worst days of Super Self-Righteous Xander, with the Power of Insisting That I Will Save You Regardless of Whether You Want Saving!

I like that they're protective, but since they, unlike most of the townspeople, KNOW that she's not crazy, they could act like she's capable of independent thought.

I just realized one of the thing's that's really getting up my nose about Tara is the whole, "I'm so awesome and independent, the rules don't apply to me" crap. I think her first scene in Walmart is supposed to set her up as, what?, free-spirited and quirky? I thought she was being an asshole. Lots of us might have thought the lady was a dumbass, but we're socially trained enough not to say it. And we don't act like we've been injured when we get fired from jobs where we sat down on the job to read rather than waiting on customers. And if there's a dress code or uniform, we wear it or we find another job. She was really pissing me off the way she talked to Sam, then accusing him of trying to "sexualize her" by making her wear the same t-shirt (not especially snug or low-cut) that everyone else is wearing, when all we've seen her in is skin-tight strappy camis?

Whoops. Mini-rant. This Rules-don't-apply-to-me thing is a little bit of a button of mine. Sorry.

Anyway, just continuing to concur with the Tara is annoying theme.

Anyway, just continuing to concur with the Tara is annoying theme.

So much this. And from the jump. The lady who came into FauxHome Depot? That would definitely be me. I have no idea what things are called and, BTW, I don't work there. Since you're getting paid to provide customer service, why not just give it a shot? Beer dude at the bar? Just asked for a beer. Not even rudely. And he gets a lecture about the racially charged nature of naming a black girl Tara? That poor, drunk woman didn't need someone to go all Dr. Phil on 'roids on her. And the waitresses in the bar wear black shorts and white t-shirts. The slutty one is the only one rocking the severe booty shorts and I assume that is a personal choice. Sookie's are perfectly respectable. And as Epic points out, her own camis are showing off a lot more than the tees.

Gah. I said I liked the character more last night than the first episode, and I guess that's true. I mean, the scene where she blew off afro pick dude was funny. And maybe someday it will even have a point. But Tara seriously needs an off button. Her behavior just does not seem justified by the alcoholic mom/hard knock life back story we've been shown. And her "devotion" to Sookie seems more like obsession. Maybe if she had some of her own business she wouldn't be all up in other folk's kool aid.

The original actress who played Tara was SO MUCH WORSE than the current Tara.

Which still doesn't make the current Tara likeable.

Ok, question for people who have read the books:in this second episode, there's a scene where we see that Ted Newlin and his family have died. How are they going to work this into later seasons? Aren't they supposed to be based off the books? How can you have the second book without Newlin? And he's also in the third book -- he stakes Sookie in Club Dead.

Or did I get the scene wrong?

True Blood has already been renewed for a second season, by the by.

I have to say, not having seen the show but having read quite a few of the books, it's fascinating watching people's reactions and speculations.

wrt Sam's presence in episodes - for quite a while, imdb was showing that Sookie was only in 4 episodes out of 12 - I mean, I actually concluded that the show was going to diverge wildly from the text and make her a supporting character rather than the main role. So it could just be that he's not been updated yet. (Or not.)

Re Erin's whitefont:

I haven't read the early books in a while, but you're definitely correct that this diverges from the text. IIRC, we're only barely aware of the Fellowship of the Sun's existence at this point. They definitely weren't killing off leaders this early in the first book. However, they can just tack some other name on the character and still have him do Newlin's stuff. Much like Tara's really a much more peripheral character in the books, but she's taking the best friend role that was more Arlene's in the books.