Southern vampires

I’ve been obsessing on vampires again. And I’m not talking about Twilight, which I’ve neither read nor watched. I’m obsessing on vampires mixing with red necks and Southern belles in otherwise uneventful, tiny Bon Temps, a fictional town in Louisiana. I’m obsessing on vampires that wish to reintegrate into society, demanding equal rights and marrying or carrying on love affairs with humans. I’m obsessing on vampires that can now survive on synthetic blood, which they can easily order—warm, of course—in any respectable and disrespectable bar. The world of True Blood is so crazy and sexy and chaotic, I’m totally loving every single episode of it.

Based on a series of novels known as The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, True Blood is a creation of Allan Ball, the same man who brought the unforgettable Six Feet Under to HBO.

True Blood’s main protagonist is Sookie Stackhouse (an all-grown up, sexy Anna Paquin), a waitress at a bar called Merlotte’s. Sookie is a telepath—meaning she can read most everyone’s mind—and she falls in love with the first vampire that steps into the bar, initially because she can’t read his mind and can, thus, feel relaxed around him. As Sookie’s relationship with 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton progresses, mysterious deaths of people around her and her sex-obsessed brother Jason commence until it is clear that she herself is in danger.

As the story progresses, interesting facets of vampire co-existence unfold: while many vampires have “come out of the coffin” and worked hard on reintegration, there are still vampire packs that feed on humans; the vampires have their own justice system, with areas being monitored by sheriffs and a primary chief; vampires can have affairs with humans and are, in fact, popular among ladies dubbed as “fang bangers” by those opposed to giving them equal rights; and vampire’s blood, called “V,” gives not just a boost to the libido, but the ultimate high, making it a valuable narcotic.

And then there are the shape-shifters. The maenads. And, so I heard, the werewolves. Trouble of the supernatural kind is brewing in Bon Temps and every ounce of it is promising to be bad and delicious.

Sookie’s hick universe is a refreshing change to the slick world of city vampires, where sophisticated protagonists can defend their lives and the lives of possible victims wearing high heels and dishing out witty, if not eloquent, lines. You find none of these in Bo Temps; nevertheless, the characters are fascinating and the twist and turns of the series are compelling.

Season 1 premiered on MAX (peviously Cinemax) Asia. Season 2 is currently being shown on Saturdays, at 9pm. For more information on screening schedules, visit www.cinemaxasia.com or add @hboasia up on Twitter and Plurk. They also have a Facebook account.

Email your comments to [email protected] or text them to (63)917-9164421. You can also visit my personal blog at http://althearicardo.blogspot.com.