Writer: Brian Buckner
Director: Michael Lehman
Cast: Anna Paquin (Sookie), Ryan Kwanten (Jason), Stephen Moyer (Bill), Sam Trammell (Sam), Tara (Rutina Wesley), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric), Gary Kraus (Married Man), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette), Chris Bauer (Andy Bellefleur) & William Sanderson (Bud)
Director: Michael Lehman
Cast: Anna Paquin (Sookie), Ryan Kwanten (Jason), Stephen Moyer (Bill), Sam Trammell (Sam), Tara (Rutina Wesley), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric), Gary Kraus (Married Man), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette), Chris Bauer (Andy Bellefleur) & William Sanderson (Bud)
Who would have thought a writer for chirpy sitcom Friends would turn in the best episode yet of vampire drama True Blood? Betraying his previous TV experience, writer Brian Buckner's "Escape From Dragon House" definitely sets out to tickle funnybones, eliciting welcome guffaws of laughter. It even successfully introduces frat boy sex-comedy…The main source of fun is tapped with Jason (Ryan Kwanten), who is arrested on suspicion of murder, after finding his girlfriend Dawn dead in her bedroom. Realizing he still has a vial of vampire blood about his person (purchased from Lafayette to act as a sexual stimulant), Jason unwisely gulps down the potion and spends his police interview with a crippling erection. The sex comedy interludes with Jason, particularly when he seeks medical help on the advice of Tara (Rutina Wesley), actually work surprisingly well. Kwanten has proven himself a committed performer, and he takes to this comedy of embarrassment scenario with spirited gusto.
Meanwhile, Sookie (Anna Paquin) asks for Bill's (Stephen Moyer) help in finding the killer currently stalking Bon Temps. The pair subsequently go on a "date" to an out-of-town vampire bar called Fangtasia (old vampires have a predilection for puns, apparently), where Sookie turns Nancy Drew to try and figure out who would want to kill Maudette and Dawn. It's here that we meet another key player in the show's blossoming mythology -- egotistical vampire elder Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), who takes a shine to Sookie after she warns him of a police raid using her mind-reading.
In terms of plot, that's pretty much it. But what it lacks in complexity and depth, it gains in entertainment value and memorable sequences -- like Jason's dash to the police toilet, the whole Fangtasia segment, a riveting scene where Bill "glamours" a cop who rudely interrupts his conversation with Sookie, and a heartwarming moment where mind-reader Sookie finds someone thinking kindly of dead Dawn (for her, an oasis in the cesspool of dark thoughts usually suffocating Merlotte's bar.)
There are also a few weird moments with Sam (Sam Trammell) that once again has me convinced he can shape-shift into a dog, despite the fact last week's episode appeared to nip that line of thinking in the bud. How else do you explain his bizarre behaviour in the final scene, though? The only moment of "Escape From Dragon House" that didn't fit snugly into place was a misplaced flashback to Tara's childhood -- showing how she took refuge at a young Jason's house when pursued by her drunken mother. While it was nice to see why she has such affection for nymphomaniac Jason (he actually stood up and protected her), the flashback wasn't necessary and probably should have waited for a better context.
Overall, "Escape From Dragon House" was an enjoyable and funny hour of incidents. It fleshed-out the vampire subculture a bit more, introduced a mysterious new character in Eric, provided Jason with some hilarious material, and devised a way to get Anna Paquin looking glamorous. It's not perfect by any means, but there's a playful sense of mischief here that was fun to watch. I'm enjoying the slow-burn nature of True Blood, too -- let's hope the inevitable explosion of drama is worth the wait.
Intriguingly, this is the first episode series creator Alan Ball didn't write. Make of that what you will, but True Blood looks like it's turning a corner.
28 September 2008
HBO, 9pm
