True Blood is a HBO show that got people talking, and had a long and successful run on the air. I recently decided to give it a re-watch with a HBO Max subscription, after being obsessed throughout its original run. While I've had fun watching the True Blood cast back in their signature roles for the start of Spooky Season, I can't believe how much foreshadowing about the series as a whole was crammed into the first few episodes. Talk about some well done storytelling!
While True Blood was eventually full of a ton of magical creatures, the first season told a smaller story. It was mostly about the town of Bon Temps, especially Anna Paquin's Sookie Stackhouse, adjusting to having vampires. But in just the first four episodes we got a number of teases about what's to come. And yes, my mind is blown.
True Blood Season 1 Set Up A Ton Of Future Plot Lines And Characters
True Blood is one of the best vampire shows ever, and creator/writer Alan Ball was doing a ton of world-building in the first season. The show's success wasn't a guarantee, but the fact that it was a book to screen adaptation meant that the writers had an understanding of where things could go narratively. That's exactly what we saw happen, including the early tease of future characters.
First up is the character Nan Flanagan, played by Jessica Tuck. She's shown on TV various times in Season 1, defending Vampire rights as a public figure. She'd later get a larger role as future seasons explore the Vampire Authority.
Another of these that I noticed was an early (and brief) appearance by Michael McMillian's Steve Newlin. His father's death was blamed on vampires thanks to his anti-vamp stance, and Steve can be see on the news making these types of accusations early in Season 1. As you might remember, Steve would become a fan favorite villain and eventual vampire, who appears in all seven seasons in one way or another.
Another character that was teased early on is Evan Rachel Wood's Queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq. While not mentioned by name, Episode 3, "Mine," features conversations between vampires about her. While Malcolm, Diane, and Liam are visiting Bill and trying to get a taste of Sookie, he says that there are "higher authorities" he could go to. They reference a female figure, which will be revealed to be Sophie-Anne during Season 2. She'd later appear in the third and fourth seasons, as well.
Then, of course, there's the the source of Sookie's telepathic powers. In Season 4 it's eventually revealed that she's part Fairy, explaining her abilities and why she smells and tastes so good to vampires. Her fight with the Rattrays in Episode 1 show her using her fae skills to wrap a chain around Mack's neck. The fact that it took years for an explanation to these events further shows how impressively methodical the storytelling of True Blood was... even in its early days.
True Blood is streaming in its entirety now on HBO Max. We'll just have to wait and see if the 2025 TV schedule offers anything nearly as spicy and vampirical as the beloved series.
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