I’m horribly late on this, because I just watched it last night (power outage and all).

I found the second episode of True Blood more enjoyable. The awkward pacing was smoothed out and there didn’t seem to be that press to establish every single character ever mentioned in the books.

In this episode Bill rescues Sookie from where the last episode left her, being pummeled by the Rattrays for rescuing Bill (in the first episode they tried to drain him as “vjuice” goes for some big bucks on the black market). After sharing blood to heal her they have a moment where Sookie outright says she likes Bill so much because she can’t read his mind.

This has become an interesting point of discussion because I have never liked Bill and seeing the books represented in live living color makes me wonder if that’s the only reason Sookie likes Bill. It’s apt, because having never had a real romantic relationship before, despite her age, Sookie is set up to go through that first “But I love him” romance that most people get over in high school.

It become obvious from this episode that while the books are written in first person from Sookie’s point of view Alan Ball intends to make each charcter just as strong as the lead. I have to admit I loved the bit of eyecandy flashed in the very er, enthusiastic sex scene between Jason and Dawn. And I found Jason’s reaction to seeing the video of himself and Maudette (who was killed last episode, off screen) very compelling.

The other major player, Tara also seems to have smoothed out. She still doesn’t quite fit in the story, but with much of the sassiness Sookie displayed in this episode, and the flash backs of her childhood memories, it’s obvious why the pair are friends.

This episode leaves off on a similar tension filled semi-cliffhanger as the first. In this one Sookie goes to Bill’s place only to be threatened by a number of vampires there, including the vampire from Maudette’s sex tape.

While so far it’s been the world set up that vampires are victims of horrible, and violent prejudices this episode exposes that the vampires really do deserve the caution humans are giving them. While this is, in a way, a love story, this is the exact sort of love story that I adore, one that’s surrounded by a dark, exciting world.