Fay, how could you forget Lafayette? His character didn't get much love in the books (seeing as how he died fairly quickly), but I really like him in the series. That scene where he takes off his earrings to beat the crap out of the rednecks is priceless.
Christ, how DID I forget Lafayette? I mean, I wasn't actively thinking through all the characters, but still, fuck, he's totally one of my favourite characters. And, yeah - did he even get ANY 'screentime' in the book? The one that mentioned Lafayette was actually the one that made me lose all patience and stop reading for a year or two, because it was so appallingly reductive and patronising and OMFGWhut??? ("Our cook is dead! I haven't ever mentioned him before, but look, his death will be a plot point! The others didn't like him, because he is black and gay, and they are not liberal like me! But I liked him, because I am Just That Lovely And Caring! Even though he was black! And gay! And because he was gay, he wore makeup, like all gay people do, and had unsafe kinky orgies, like all gay people do, so really, he had it coming, what with being black and gay! But I will still shed a tear for his death, even though he was black and gay! Because I am Just That Sweet! And because now I can't say I have a friend who is black or gay! He was a two-fer! Although he wasn't actually a friend, of course, more of an acquaintance - I mean, I wouldn't have invited him over for a glass of iced tea or anything - but if he'd shown up unannounced, I would totally have let him in, because I am a real lady, even if I'm not rich like some people, and I know the meaning of Southern courtesy even when faced with people who are black and gay." ...er, I'm sure she didn't actually SAY any of that, but this is how I remember the book.)
Whereas in the show, he is absofuckinglutely made of win, and I was wildly hoping that somehow he would be saved from his fate. I love what they did with him and with Tara, and their extended family. The two of them were my favourite part of the show.
And I do enjoy the Tara/Sam relationship and am intrigued to see what happens now that Tara's been sucked into the world of the shapeshifters. I haven't read the books, so I have no clue where they are going with that, but I find that whole subplot way more entertaining than anything cooking with Bookie (love that!).
Yes, I'm very disarmed by Tara/Sam too, and I'm rooting for those crazy kids.
I'm not sure that Tara's been sucked into the world of the shapeshifters, though. My impression was that she'd fallen afoul of a REAL witch (after her previous witch turned out to be an awesome fake), and that Sam, when he was wee and vulnerable, had also run afoul of the same witch back in the day, and been her bitch, and managed to get away. But i may be misremembering? (I'm not sure if I've read all of the books, but Tara's onscreen character and plot is TOTALLY different from what we get in the books, so no clues there. The TV show does kick the books' asses in terms of worldbuilding and characterisation, imho.)
And I enjoyed Bill's awful sullen!teenage!vampirebaby for the same reasons kat outlines - it made sense to me, and I quite enjoyed seeing Bill within the context of that relationship, since it's so resolutely unAngsty and unEpic. I like that he (and Erik and Pam) is all OMGWTF and at the end of his tether; particularly since the act of making her was so dripping with tragic emo angstcakes (as it rightly should be). I liked the juxtaposition.