Unpopular Opinion: There Are Too Many Storylines and Too Many Characters on True Blood 

First, let me say one thing: I’m a huge fan of the show. Well, that’s not technically accurate anymore. I used to be a huge fan and now I’m a fan. Lately I’ve started feeling a strange discontent. There are certain characters I’m more invested in and more interested in and I feel they’re not getting enough screen time. I’m sure you feel the same about this and every show you watch. Most of the time I’m still interested, if not intrigued by the storylines of who I consider to be the “lesser” characters. But for the first time since True Blood debuted in the summer of 2008, I’m bored. This happened for the first time a few weeks ago. I’m not saying entire episodes have lost me but there are moments I want to fast forward through and that’s never a good thing. Does anyone else feel like Bon Temps is getting overcrowded?

If I talked about everything I liked and didn’t, we’d be here forever. I’m just going to hit the highlights of what I’m really liking and not liking right now.

What’s working:

Although I’m still a hardcore Bill/Sookie shipper I actually like Sookie’s flirtation (and now sexual relationship) with this version of Eric. I think she should have heeded her grandmother’s advice, but that wouldn’t have interesting. I’m in for as long as this lasts – which should be until the old Eric returns. On a different note, I never thought I was a prude but I thought their sex scenes – from last week and this week – went on a bit too long. I actually found myself wanting to look away. Awkward!

Pam’s rotting flesh, while disgusting to look at, is doing really interesting things to her. I’ve always loved her but now I feel like she’s becoming someone completely separate from her maker and I like it. She’s somehow been empowered by her rotting flesh. However, I don’t think I’m the only one who will be glad to see her somewhat restored after her procedure in this week’s episode. She was getting very hard to look at.

What’s not:

Tommy Mickens. No matter what he does, he will never be redeemed in my eyes. NEVER. He’s been a bane to Sam and has taken his storyline in a direction I don’t really care for. What would I like to see from him? Nothing. I want him in the ground or out of Sam’s life or both. He fired Sookie (ok, that was kinda funny). He killed his (horrible) parents. Well, that was maybe the only good thing he did. He raped Luna. I’m sure I’m leaving things out. I just can’t stand him. I really liked Marshall Allman when I saw him at the PaleyFest panel but liking the actor won’t make me like his horrible character.

Where is Hoyt? I love Hoyt but we’ve barely seen him at all this season. I know his relationship with Jessica has hit a serious rough patch but why does that mean he’s been banished from our screen? I do have to admit loving Hoyt’s cameo in Jason’s sex dream about Jessica. That was amazing. I thought Hoyt’s little speech to Jason this week about Jessica was overkill, but at least it’s making Jason feel guilty. I’d love to see Jessica came clean about cheating on Hoyt and glamoring him. I do love these two together but maybe it would be good for both of them to spend some time apart.

I think Ryan Kwanten has more than proven he’s a good actor so why does he keep getting saddled with the crappy storylines? His best arc by far was from Season 1 with Lizzy Caplan‘s Amy Burley. Thank God that werepanther business is done. It would have been interesting to see the fallout of Jason’s gang rape at the hands of Crystal’s people but I guess Jason’s already forgotten about that. Typical. SPOILER ALERT: Alan Ball has said his favorite couple to write for is Jason and Jessica, so I guess that’s going somewhere.

What the hell is going on with Lafayette? Is it just me or is Lafayette much less interesting with Jesus in his life? I usually like Kevin Alejandro but he isn’t doing much for me here. And I guess part of me is glad to see Lafayette in a relationship but it seems to be making him way less interesting. I’m willing to see where this medium thing goes, but please make this storyline more interesting as soon as possible.

I just don’t know how to feel about Tara. I thought her storyline last year with James Frain‘s Franklin Mott was so interesting. I completely understand her motivation to join forces with Marnie/Antonia but I can’t support it. Maybe she’s just meant to be a lost soul – always searching for a place to fit in and never finding it.

What’s up with Alcide? Part of me likes that he’s trying to make things work with Debbie but it’s kind of hard to forget how crazy she was last season. I like that she and Alcide have joined this new pack because you know it’s just going to cause trouble. I would love to see some Sookie/Alcide action. Maybe that’ll happen next season or whenever Eric gets his memory back and Sookie kicks him to the curb. Can’t wait.

The Witches and Marnie/Antonia. Again, the writers are just waiting too long to put things in motion. Set it up and knock it down quick. We’re used to that in this world. I thought Marnie was kind of sad and whiny (I don’t think we were really supposed to like her but still), so we’re supposed to find Antonia a bit of an improvement? I like that she’s trying to make all the vampires meet the sun; talk about great conflict. But I’ve also become attached to quite a few of these vampires and I don’t like that she’s trying to bring about the true death for them. They haven’t hurt her and I don’t really understand the motivation of the circle, aside from Tara. I can’t really say I want to get to know these people because that would be even more time away from the characters I already know and love. But I guess I would like to know why they’re following Marnie/Antonia so blindly. I know it happens all the time in real life – the weak following the strong – but for some reason it’s not really working for me here. It’s not a total loss since Antonia did cause Eric’s memory loss and Pam’s disfigurement. But what has she done for me lately?

What do you think? Am I being too critical? Are there other storylines you’re loving or hating? Do you think it’s time for some people to die in Bon Temps to thin out the herd? I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.