True Blood: A Few Things To Quench Your Thirst
The people behind the True Blood marketing campaign got it right this year. ‘Waiting sucks…’But, dear friends, I have discovered that the wait doesn’t necessarily have to ‘suck’. There are things around us to help stave off the insatiable hunger that we have for fresh episodes of True Blood, which premieres June 13th on HBO, and I am here to help you sift through the offerings with a small, simple list that I suggest you take a look at. The few items might already be on the agendas of millions of True Bloodfans, but for those few lost souls who don’t know where to look for True Blood sustenance, it might be a beacon of hope.
Let’s began with the most simple of the lot
1) A Marathon of the First Two Seasons
If you have the season one DVD of True Blood, then you are in luck. If you still have the second season on your DVR AND the first season on DVD, then you are set for this little venture. Most fans of any TV show usually have marathons of past seasons to prepare themselves for the new crop of episodes to hit in the coming weeks. Some do it for fun, some do it as a refresher course of sorts, I suggest you do it for both. I also suggest that you make a list of all the cliffhangers or plot points that were left dangling at the end of last season such as: Sookie’s strange new power, the introduction of the Queen of Lousiana, and (my personal favorite) “Who Snatched Bill?” That’s just a few of the morsels to look for and elaborate on, but it’s a start.
2) Tune In To The “A Drop of True Blood” Minisodes
Alan Ball and the cast and crew have been generous enough to bless us with “A Drop of True Blood”, a collection of six minisodes that will lead us into the third season. The minisodes will feature main characters in rare moments never seen before or ever again in future seasons and will feature the main set of characters (Sookie, Bill, Eric, Tara, Jason, Lafayette, Sam, Jessica, and Pam) in situations that are sure to wet the appetites of millions of fans. You can discuss the minisodes in our True Blood forums by clicking here. The first minisode, “Fangtasia Tryouts”, is already available on HBO.com.
3) Read The Books That Started It All
The Sooke Stackhouse novels (also called The Southern Vampire Mysteries) served as the basis for what we now know as True Blood. Written by Charlaine Harris, the novels are told in the first person and have a such an engaging charm that you can’t stop reading them. I mean, I had to literally force myself to put one down during the storm this past weekend. They are THAT good! 
As of this writing, the latest novel in the series, titled Dead in the Family, will be released this month. Things to note when reading the novels: a) some of the characters have drastic different descriptions than the show, i.e, Tara has an “olive complexion”, Terry Bellefleur fought in theVietnam War, etc, b) character relations are different, and c) the books can serve as major spoilers since most of the material for the show is from the books. Unlike “Gossip Girl” and other book turned TV shows, Alan Ball utilizes a lot of plot points from his source. For example, Dead Until Dark, the first book in Mrs. Harris’ books, serves as the first season of True Blood with the second book, Living Dead in Dallas, serving as the second season. The third book, Club Dead, will feature major plot points from the upcoming season as well as introducing new characters that are to appear, such as Alcide Herveaux and Debbie Pelt, so be forewarned of potential spoilers if you attempt to read this book or any books in this series. It’s good to know your TB history, though.
As of this writing, the latest novel in the series, titled Dead in the Family, will be released this month. Things to note when reading the novels: a) some of the characters have drastic different descriptions than the show, i.e, Tara has an “olive complexion”, Terry Bellefleur fought in theVietnam War, etc, b) character relations are different, and c) the books can serve as major spoilers since most of the material for the show is from the books. Unlike “Gossip Girl” and other book turned TV shows, Alan Ball utilizes a lot of plot points from his source. For example, Dead Until Dark, the first book in Mrs. Harris’ books, serves as the first season of True Blood with the second book, Living Dead in Dallas, serving as the second season. The third book, Club Dead, will feature major plot points from the upcoming season as well as introducing new characters that are to appear, such as Alcide Herveaux and Debbie Pelt, so be forewarned of potential spoilers if you attempt to read this book or any books in this series. It’s good to know your TB history, though.4) Create A Drinking Game and Perfect It By Rewatching The First Two Seasons
Some of my favorites include, but are not limited to: a) Number of times Tara snaps on someone, b) How many times does Eric speaks Swedish, c) How long can Jason Stackhouse go without sex? d) How many times Andy is drunk? and so on. Get creative with them, at least better than mine… 
5) Find a Four Pack Of Tru Blood
Seriously, I have been looking since last fall. If anyone knows where they sell the drink (other than HBO.com) or if the drink is even in stores yet (it was announced last summer that it would be), please hit me up?!?!
SO, there you have them. A few suggestions to quench your thirst till True Blood arrives back on our screens, if you dare try. Do you have any yourself?
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