When True Blood first burst on to the scene in October 2008, I was completely enamored by the show's wacky sense of humor and relentless combination of violence and sex. But over the years, the show deviated from its core premise and started subjecting its viewers to an onslaught of irritating supernatural creatures and dreadful subplots. Sure, there were bright spots here and there, and I always found myself eager to spend time in Bon Temps, but the show eventually fizzled out. Somehow, a small part of me always had hope that the show could perhaps go out on a high note. Obviously, that was never going to happen.




Only one aspect of the series finale caught me off-guard, and that was the show's willingness to actually go through with killing off Bill. I kept waiting for some last minute save throughout that painfully elongated cemetery sequence, but to my surprise, Sookie actually killed Bill in absolutely gruesome fashion. The visual of her straddling him and then getting splattered before making her blood-drenched way out of the cemetery was just wonderful. In addition, Sookie even got some character development in the process as she made the decision not to give up her own identity (her Fae-side), and ultimately decided use a stake instead of her energy ball to kill her one true "love."


As for Sookie's personal journey, she ends the show pregnant and married to a random guy whose face we never see. I appreciate the fact that we don't know the guy's identity because he's useless in the grand scheme of things. But pregnant? That's all Sookie amounted to? It's a pretty 1950's ending if you ask me. What did being a fairy ever really amount to? Was she ever a kickass protagonist? Nope. She was a passive lead who rarely gave us anything to root for. It's a terrible shame.




Perhaps the finale's biggest misstep is the absolute lack of attention given to Pam and Eric, who only receive around ten minutes of screen time. Sure, it was great to see them spearhead New Blood into a gazillion-dollar industry before making their return to Fangtasia, but they deserved a whole lot more. The two were True Blood's consistent bright spot, and they could have easily carried the show with their special brand of lovable evil. It's heartening to see their legacies as characters go out intact.


I can not stress how rushed Jessica and Jason's storylines were. Are we really expected to root for Jessica and Hoyt (and their random wedding) after all these years, not to mention Jason getting married to a random blonde bimbette who only joined the show a couple of episodes back? Nothing about these two pairings coming together felt organic or satisfying.




My favorite scene of the episode: Sookie's flashback with Grams. I still remember the latter's death as one of the most shocking TV moments of the series.  Andy got his moment in the finale, as he agreed to give Bill's house to Jessica and Hoyt. Too bad Arlene wasn't given anything a similarly poignant moment.  Not that I was ever Lafayette's biggest fan, but he didn't get a single line in the finale. Way to totally disrespect one of your regulars!

It's going to be difficult to look back fondly on True Blood.  This was undoubtedly a show that provided me with a whole lot of entertainment over the past few years, but it's also been the subject of a hell of a lot of disappointment. I never understood how the writers could waste so much potential with their multitude of pointless subplots and unconvincing characterization. It's a pity the ending had to be such a downer, further tainting a legacy that began with such promise. So long, True Blood; I hate to say it, but you won't be missed, and that is the greatest misstep of all.