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I don't understand people who say Sophie-Anne isn't scary enough- I think she's fucking terrifying. Not like Eric with his quiet self assurance and physical presence, no, but with her shifting moods and the way she completely socially dominates everyone- nnggg. Scary. And crazy. And she very clearly unsettles Eric, which I think is fabulous. Eric could use a little more unsettling in his unlife. He's more interesting when he's unsettled.
I'm a little in love with Arlene's kids- I hope they get some screentime next season, because they're charming and hilarious. The matter-of-fact way they turn to each other to talk about Rene- "Yup, I'm pretty sure he's dead." "Yup." Awesome.
I only just noticed Terry's shirt in the scene at Merlotte's- "WARNING I suffer from occasional loss of mental stability and become very violent with only slight provocation. The Veteran's Administration has determined that both mental and physical harassment of my person may be hazardous to your health and well being. So stay the hell out of my face." Best. Shirt. Ever. I will always love Terry.
I'm a bit displeased at the way Sookie apparently has super powers apart from her telepathy- but since they've been downplaying her telepathy severely this season, I guess they needed to find other ways to remind the audience that she's a Special Freak.
My thoughts on the end of the maenad story keep bringing me back to The Bacchae, and drawing parallels between Maryann and Agave. Agave ends up sacrificing her son in her mad, Dionysian frenzy; Maryann ends up sacrificing herself. In the end, you do feel a little pity for Maryann, being a demi-god in a world that chews its gods up and spits them back out, and so far from home. She's also an interesting parallel to Godric- both of them are very old and very powerful, and both of them find themselves living in a world that has moved on and left them behind. Both of them (if Sophie-Anne is to be trusted) seek meaning in death. Godric's just more self aware about what he wants, and rejects the idea of causing destruction to get it. And, I suppose, it's a lot harder for a maenad to self destruct than a vampire; Maryann never had the option of just waiting for the sun to rise.
I'm still a little meh on the whole thing, actually- Maryann's actual death was pretty powerful, but everything leading up to it and immediately following it didn't do much for me. I'm also annoyed at Eggs' death, because I don't think it served much purpose, and I would've been interested to see how he and Tara navigated their relationship without Maryann. Also, way to kill the black guy, show. Way to be. >_< (And I will always be disappointed that there was no scene of Eric in pink and turquoise spandex. I know, I know, it wouldn't have fit his character in the show. But damn, that would have been a sight to behold.)
I was pleased, however, that the maenad thing wrapped up in the first half of the episode. It was neat to see things end at a more relaxed pace, with everyone getting their own little conclusions and moments of character development.
I prefer not to take sides in Bill vs. Eric shipping debate- I like them both for entirely different reasons. And I do think Bill and Sookie are lovely together when they're not being horrible to each other. The way he holds her until sunrise after everyone finally clears out of the house post-maenad was a beautiful, tender moment. I enjoy that sort of hurt/comfort fluffy nonsense. Gives me warm fuzzies.
However! Much as I enjoy them, I also enjoy the fact that we can chalk up their relationship to chemical dependence on both sides. Vampire blood is addictive; so is Sookie's. Alan Ball says that season 2 takes place over the course of 8 days, more or less- and it follows directly on the heels of season 1, which also wasn't much more than a week or two. So Bill and Sookie have known each other for less than a month, and he's proposing marriage to her. It's easy to forget, when the episodes are spaced out over so many months, that all of these events are actually happening very quickly. (The fact that Sookie actually plans to accept- oh, Sookie. You're cute, but you're kind of brain damaged.) Sure, maybe there is some real emotion there, but Sookie's addicted to his blood, and vice versa, and that's got to be causing the majority of their attachment to each other at this point.
It puts the way other vampires treat Bill into somewhat clearer context- they treat him like he's a weirdo and an idiot because he's acting like one. He's adorable when he's being stupid, though- the dancing! D'awww. Also, the way he finally acts adorably paternal towards Jessica made me flap my hands with glee.
I hope Jessica and Hoyt work things out, because they are too cute for words. It's funny- in the first season, I just wanted it to be the Pam and Eric show, but now I'm pretty thoroughly in love with everyone. It can go on being the Sookie and Bill and Jessica and Hoyt and Pam and Eric and Jason and Tara and Sam and Lafayette and Andy and Arlene and Terry and Lettie Mae show. I'm good with that.
I'm a little in love with Arlene's kids- I hope they get some screentime next season, because they're charming and hilarious. The matter-of-fact way they turn to each other to talk about Rene- "Yup, I'm pretty sure he's dead." "Yup." Awesome.
I only just noticed Terry's shirt in the scene at Merlotte's- "WARNING I suffer from occasional loss of mental stability and become very violent with only slight provocation. The Veteran's Administration has determined that both mental and physical harassment of my person may be hazardous to your health and well being. So stay the hell out of my face." Best. Shirt. Ever. I will always love Terry.
I'm a bit displeased at the way Sookie apparently has super powers apart from her telepathy- but since they've been downplaying her telepathy severely this season, I guess they needed to find other ways to remind the audience that she's a Special Freak.
My thoughts on the end of the maenad story keep bringing me back to The Bacchae, and drawing parallels between Maryann and Agave. Agave ends up sacrificing her son in her mad, Dionysian frenzy; Maryann ends up sacrificing herself. In the end, you do feel a little pity for Maryann, being a demi-god in a world that chews its gods up and spits them back out, and so far from home. She's also an interesting parallel to Godric- both of them are very old and very powerful, and both of them find themselves living in a world that has moved on and left them behind. Both of them (if Sophie-Anne is to be trusted) seek meaning in death. Godric's just more self aware about what he wants, and rejects the idea of causing destruction to get it. And, I suppose, it's a lot harder for a maenad to self destruct than a vampire; Maryann never had the option of just waiting for the sun to rise.
I'm still a little meh on the whole thing, actually- Maryann's actual death was pretty powerful, but everything leading up to it and immediately following it didn't do much for me. I'm also annoyed at Eggs' death, because I don't think it served much purpose, and I would've been interested to see how he and Tara navigated their relationship without Maryann. Also, way to kill the black guy, show. Way to be. >_< (And I will always be disappointed that there was no scene of Eric in pink and turquoise spandex. I know, I know, it wouldn't have fit his character in the show. But damn, that would have been a sight to behold.)
I was pleased, however, that the maenad thing wrapped up in the first half of the episode. It was neat to see things end at a more relaxed pace, with everyone getting their own little conclusions and moments of character development.
I prefer not to take sides in Bill vs. Eric shipping debate- I like them both for entirely different reasons. And I do think Bill and Sookie are lovely together when they're not being horrible to each other. The way he holds her until sunrise after everyone finally clears out of the house post-maenad was a beautiful, tender moment. I enjoy that sort of hurt/comfort fluffy nonsense. Gives me warm fuzzies.
However! Much as I enjoy them, I also enjoy the fact that we can chalk up their relationship to chemical dependence on both sides. Vampire blood is addictive; so is Sookie's. Alan Ball says that season 2 takes place over the course of 8 days, more or less- and it follows directly on the heels of season 1, which also wasn't much more than a week or two. So Bill and Sookie have known each other for less than a month, and he's proposing marriage to her. It's easy to forget, when the episodes are spaced out over so many months, that all of these events are actually happening very quickly. (The fact that Sookie actually plans to accept- oh, Sookie. You're cute, but you're kind of brain damaged.) Sure, maybe there is some real emotion there, but Sookie's addicted to his blood, and vice versa, and that's got to be causing the majority of their attachment to each other at this point.
It puts the way other vampires treat Bill into somewhat clearer context- they treat him like he's a weirdo and an idiot because he's acting like one. He's adorable when he's being stupid, though- the dancing! D'awww. Also, the way he finally acts adorably paternal towards Jessica made me flap my hands with glee.
I hope Jessica and Hoyt work things out, because they are too cute for words. It's funny- in the first season, I just wanted it to be the Pam and Eric show, but now I'm pretty thoroughly in love with everyone. It can go on being the Sookie and Bill and Jessica and Hoyt and Pam and Eric and Jason and Tara and Sam and Lafayette and Andy and Arlene and Terry and Lettie Mae show. I'm good with that.