Homicide: Life on the Street - Revisited

Some of our readers may have noticed that I've added a page called 'Reviews by Sparky' to the blog some months ago. In November 2009 Sparky Lightbulb startet a project "Trade It in for Twinkies", watching the work of a single actress (Michelle Forbes) and then writing about each piece. Courtesy of Sparky I'm posting excerpts of her latest review, revisiting 'Homicide: Life on the Street'. --chris

"For a viewer who has followed Homicide from the beginning, Season 5 is different. Detectives still work interesting cases, relying more on their brains than on their guns. And the variety of deaths still make a viewer conclude, as Det. Stanley Bolander [Ned Beatty] points out in Season 1, that any human is capable of murder, whether it is a child firing her father's revolver out the window [the stray bullet hitting a woman loading groceries blocks away] to planned executions by drug lord Luther Mahoney [Erik Dellums]. Circumstances, though, have crippled a number of the characters, and Season 5 inserts us into their shoes so well that we understand how badly shaken are their lives.

Sometimes the damage to a character is physical, as is the case with Pembleton, who returns to half-day desk duty until he can pass his firearms test. We immediately notice the lack of precision—in speech, memory, and small physical tasks like punching the correct numbers to return a call to his wife. The contrast is stark, for we remember the competent Pembleton of past seasons whose movement was as meticulous as his dress, whose voice had more agility than the hands of an archeologist as it excavated the truth. We get to see the indignity of his weakness: His wife Mary [Ami Brabson] doesn't trust him with the baby, Lieutenant Giardello [Yaphet Kotto] doesn't want him at investigation scenes, and the office staff sends him on lunch runs. Even after he returns to the streets, his tape recorder—a crutch for his still shaky memory—makes colleagues wonder if he is competent enough to do the job. These trials play out over nearly three months of episodes, which adds to the reality of the injury. And Braugher depicts a stroke victim with such authenticity that we want to believe, as his character does, that "bagel" is that dark brew people enjoy for a jolt of energy. [...]



Season 5 also introduces the new chief medical examiner Dr. Julianna Cox [Michelle Forbes], a character who initially seems the least damaged of the regular cast. In her first episode, Dr. Cox conveys such authority that we never ask how this young snot acquired the medical expertise and political savvy to run a big-city lab, and so we don't question what inadequacies her ambition must be filling. Her authority appears grounded in an appreciation for the big issues in life, not the small stuff too many people sweat. For example, she champions a dead prostitute, firing an established older peer for helping a lazy detective ignore a murder he could pass off as an overdose. She insists on professionalism, disciplining Det. Meldrick Lewis [Clark Johnson] when he moves a body before her arrival at the crime scene, but admits her own fault to another officer as she politely accepts a [deserved] speeding ticket. When she remarks at an exhumation that she likes cemeteries, it's not a goth fascination with death but an evolved recognition that our inevitable demise should inspire better behavior the short time we're alive. Her idealism and edgy beauty attract Kellerman, but when Cox learns the toll of the false accusations against him—his flirtation with suicide and spiral into self-pity—she withdraws, choosing drink and a long-haired poseur over earnest Mike. As many women would rush to fix a broken man, we can only wonder what damage Cox has suffered that makes her retreat in the season finale.

Despite all the crises in the characters' lives, the work still gets done, and done well. The focus of Season 5 might be different, but the stories are still first rate.

Video Teasers
You can view a very moving scene featuring Det. Bayliss and Dr. Cox at YouTube:"



Head over to Trade It in for Twinkies to read the full review.

Tragedy, Laughter and Acceptance

Below are the best parts of another insightful interview with Michelle on Durham County:

"The beauty of her acting is that we see the character, not the actress...she disappears behind their personalities. 'My [project] choices are instinctual a lot of the time,' she said.

'[Pen Verrity's] confronted with her own failures as a wife, a mother, a psychiatrist. Pen's so far gone; she's drowning...'

'It's still not acceptable for women to express outrage,' she said. 'It's just not socially acceptable. They're expected to keep a lid on it.'

'[Finstad]'s not afraid to walk boldly into this world,' Forbes said. 'She's able to show the frail, dark side of the human condition...'

'...I wanted to be part of [DC],' she said.'It was something you won't find in Hollywood, which I love.'

...despite the serious nature of Durham County, 'The great thing is Laurie and Adrienne have such a great sense of humor, and Michelle Forbes has an incredible sense of humor...'

'My way of dealing with tragedy is laughter...Directors sometimes worry when they see me laughing before a scene.'"
Source: chicagonow.com

Police shows are almost always just about the crimes. But what are the psychic after-effects? That's what we're exploring.

Note: Dear reader, you may have noticed that this and the previous post
have been edited a number of times. I received a bollocking by Chris, [-: I've quoted too much. - Randy

In Treatment in the UK - What the Critics Are Saying

The first season of In Treatment had its premiere last week in the UK. Though Kate will have her entrance not until episode 6, FYI a couple of reactions. What the critics are saying:

"[...] acted with the kind of subtlety, intelligence and smouldering power that makes you want to hug the television while you are watching it."
Source: telegraph.co.uk

"Nancy Banks-Smith in the Guardian: "Each episode is a perfect little pearl, luminous on its own but better still as a necklace... In Treatment reminds us that TV is essentially claustrophobic and intensely personal. The enormous audience is an illusion... The therapist (Gabriel Byrne) appears to do very little. It is a treat trying to catch him at it."

Brian Viner in the Independent: "It's exceedingly classy drama, reliant almost more on the pitch-perfect acting than on the excellence of the writing. It's impossible to take your eyes off Byrne's performance, which is all the more remarkable given that he has so little to say."

Benji Wilson in the Sunday Times: "You barely leave Paul's front room in the entire series, yet it is as addictive as a morphine drip."
Source: thefirstpost.co.uk

And from a negative review - yes, I kind of liked it, made me grin, though I differ in opinion. The author Rachel Cook has yet to encounter Michelle:)

"OK, cards on the table. In one sense, In Treatment (10pm, weekdays), which Sky Arts has bought from HBO following much acclaim and many awards, was never going to appeal to me. I am morbidly suspicious of therapy - where's the science bit? - and throughout my life have always found repression to be a vastly under-valued psychological tool. That and good old compartmentalisation. The inside of my brain looks not unlike the bottom of my wardrobe: basically, it's crammed with a load of old shoeboxes, some of which I'm willing to have a good rifle through now and then, and others that I would simply prefer to leave closed, thanks very much. [...]
Then the titles rolled. Oh dear. This show - which is based, sometimes word for word, on an Israeli series of the same name - is a complete disaster and I am at a complete loss as to why it has had American critics so bedazzled. Yes, its format is moderately brave, at least by the standards of US television. The saga is doled out to us in daily half-hour episodes, each focusing on a different patient, or on one of Paul's sessions with his own therapist, Gina (Dianne Wiest). In other words, each show is basically a two-hander and as static and wordy as a piece of theatre. But just because something appears to be "demanding" doesn't mean that it is also, merely by extension, good. This isn't good. The dialogue is hammy and clichéd, and you can see every kink and fold of what passes for its plot coming from about eight miles away."
Source: newstatesman.com

"In Treatment is stunning stuff that in just five half hour episodes has been shocking and thought-provoking. I can’t wait for the rest."
Source: thestage.co.uk

Pink Paper Magazine published an interview with series creator Hagai Levi:

"Given the programme's success in such a crowded TV marketplace, what makes its creator proudest when he looks at back at the first year?
Levi smiles and thinks for a moment: “The fact that, even with all this noise all around them on television, people will listen to two people sitting in a room and talking makes me very happy.”

"You wouldn't think a drama filmed almost entirely in one room could be that compelling, but this is state-of-the art dialogue and brilliantly acted. Superb."
Source: culturejunkies.blogspot.com
_____________

Some of our gentle readers may know how biased I am when it comes to In Treatment, so you won't be surprised that this is a golden opportunity for me to post screencaps:



"I knew it deep down that if I came here it would turn into this history between you two. I’m sorry, it’s really not helpful to me." Kate (Michelle Forbes) to Paul (Gabriel Byrne) & Gina (Dianne Wiest) ~leaves~





"Kate: She's Tammy Kent.
Paul: WHAT?
Gina: Who's Tammy Kent?
Paul: How-how is she Tammy Kent?
Kate: You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.
Gina: May I ask who this is?
Kate: This was a girl that Paul was in love with when we first met....
Paul: A long, long time ago.
Kate: ...well, WHATEVER, they're EXACTLY the same type....
Paul: No they're not.
Kate: ....and he....yes they are, and he made Laura out to be this fragile little girl, and I'm telling you what I saw was this highly sexual woman who was wearing stilettos at ten in the morning....
Paul: I...
Kate: TAMMY KENT!"





Randy gave officially his OK: I'm allowed to keep posting - if I'm not hammered. We settled on the wording that my writing style is not odd nor is it weird, but it's eccentric :) And our visitors are a forgiving tribe of geeks and nerds, just as we are. Besides, this blog has become much too serious anyway, it was once meant as a simple refuge and replacement of a non-functional forum and website.
So, prepare for the next article tomorrow, titled: Lazy Sunday Afternoon. --chris

Friday Snippets

A new video tribute to Maryann Forrester:



"I’m going to miss Maryann. Or rather, I’m going to miss Michelle Forbes, who always played her with wickedly irresistible charm and a brilliant touch of craziness."
Source: A blogger

"With the Mary Ann Forrester arc, arguably the series’ best to date, Ball quite brilliantly mixed Harris’ vision with his own to form a grand, mad stew that featured elements from Greek mythology, zombie movies, Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy, and Caligula, and was by turns frightening, campy, disturbing, and hysterically funny. This is thanks in no small part to the dazzling Michelle Forbes, who, in her juiciest role to date, managed to take Mary Ann from protective if slightly unconventional do-gooder to enigmatic manipulator to full-on lunatic, playing every aspect of the character to the hilt and maintaining credibility even at Mary Ann’s most demented moments. Harris included a maenad character in her novels, but she wasn’t nearly as central to the series as Mary Ann, whose mythical nature wasn’t even revealed until later on in the season. Mary Ann is, in many ways, one of the second season’s major catalysts, leading all of Bon Temps into a wicked frenzy of Bacchanalian orgies, decadence, and worse."
Source: robwillreview.com



Michelle Forbes and Sam Trammell @ HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' season 7 Premiere, September 15, 2009 in Los Angeles.

"The True Blood season finale has left me in deep mourning. If it was up to me, the pouty, shape-shifting Sam Merlotte would have had his heart ripped out, and the Dionysus-worshipping Maenad would have gone on to rule Bon Temps for centuries to come. Based on the fanvids on Youtube, I’m not the only one who feels this way. In a show filled with guilty pleasures, it’s Michelle Forbes’ Maryann that’s the most delectable.
Most actresses playing a pleasure-worshipping immortal would have chewn the scenery and winked until their eyelids fell off, but Forbes played it straight. She didn’t care if the audience was in on the joke, and that made us love her all the more. In the season finale, Maryann tears up while watching her “bridesmaids” lick a giant egg. Although the situation is absurd, Maryann seems genuinely touched, a blushing bride. Like Bette Davis, Forbes knows that the secret to making camp sing is to endow a character with genuine, recognizable emotion. [...]
Source: thefastertimes.com



Update: Michelle Forbes yesterday at the EW's Pre-Emmy (or something like that) Party, West Hollywood.





Interview with EW from the event

@Michelle :: Keep telling them about Durham County :) --chris

We hated to kill her but we had to

True Blood S2 Finale - Beyond Here Lies Nothin' :: Reviews - Quotes - Recaps - Interviews



Q: As much as I loved Michelle Forbes’ portrayal of Maryann, the story felt like it dragged on a little long. Why did it take her so long to get to the endgame?
BALL: That’s part of what the queen talks about. They’re always improvising. She really can’t conjure up a God. But she’s so fervent in her belief; she keeps trying this sacrifice and that sacrifice. She’s completely delusional. She killed Miss Jeanette and I think she thought that was going to work. She always thinks it’s going to work. It never does because the God who comes never actually comes. But she so fervently believes that he will, and she’s been believing it for thousands of years. That’s how they were able to outsmart her.
Q: Have we seen the last of her?
BALL: Yes, she’s gone. They destroyed her. She will never rise — which I hate because I love [Michelle], and she was so much fun to work with. She’s really delightful and everyone loves her and we hated to kill her but we had to.
Source: ausiellofiles.ew.com

"True Blood fans have been rooting for evil Maryann, the mythical maenad creature played by Michelle Forbes, to bite the dust in Sunday's finale. But the actress didn't expect to wind up playing her swan song scene with a 3,000-pound Brahman bull as her co-star.
"I wasn't that scared," Forbes told Lifeline Live last week in a top-secret pre-finale interview. "I'm a massive animal lover." But she says, "It is intimating when you're standing directly in front of him -- when you see those horns! One quick movement of his head and you're on the ground."
There were two Brahmans hired for the job -- just in case. "Belle and Luke," says Forbes. "Belle got a little funny and aggressive so they decided to bring Luke instead. Ii didn't hear that until I went to shoot and thought, 'Oh boy.'"
There were animal wranglers on the set. "I wasn't concerned until I realized there were 10,000 people on set looking at each other oddly and they were making me nervous." In the end, she says, the "glorious, gory love scene" turned into a death scene. "It was just so much fun to do. I really hope people are satisfied and sated."
Source: usatoday.com

"God with Horns - worship him, bitches!" -- Lafayette



I'm sad that Maryann is gone, mainly because Michelle Forbes is so wonderfully compelling in everything she does. But dragging out that arc any further would have been a disservice to the character and to the audience, so I'm presuming the maenad and her nutty parties are gone for good.
Source: The Watcher by Maureen Ryan

I still find it a profoundly dumb show, and a donut show at that (Bill and Sookie make it empty at the center), but I have to admit that, on a purely pulp fiction level, there was some fun stuff going on this season. Now, most of it involved either Michelle Forbes or Alexander Skarsgard, but still - it's gone from a show I hated to one I... don't hate.
Source: What's Alan Watching

R.I.P. - Di-Meat-Tree



“You mess with the bull, you get the horns.” And so it was on last night’s “True Blood” Season 2 finale.
The big day’s finally arrived for Maryann and the God Who Comes and she has just about everything she needs for her holy union: Mothball-infested old lady wedding dress? Check. Bloody ostrich egg? Check. Slighted, contrary maid of honor? Check. Human sacrifice? Ch—dammit! Sometimes you can do all the planning in the world and still end up waiting til the last minute for everything to fall into place."
Source: creativeloafing.com

The cliffhanger egg from two weeks ago was an ostrich egg, a fertility symbol, that completed what Andy would later refer to as the “giant statue of meat” that Maryann had built on Sookie’s lawn. Sam, as many of you thought, was indeed meant to be sacrificed (”the perfect wedding gift”) to Maryann’s god, Dionysus, who was to take the form of a white bull.
Instead of a white wedding, however, Maryann got her black heart gored and pulled out of her by a shape-shifted Sam. I was sorry to see Michelle Forbes go, but what a great performance she gave: her Maryann was scary, funny, and creepy, and the actress was able to go over-the-top and pull her performance back to human-scale. Her character’s death closed out the first half-hour with such finality (”It’s all over now,” said Sookie as Maryann lay in a heap and the townspeople came to their senses) that I thought, “Where do we go from here?”
Source: ivillage.com

'Electricity - do it again!' -- Maryann



[...] the Maryann character made this season thrilling; but she had served her demon-of-the-year purpose. If Alan Ball, aware that Michelle Forbes was making Maryann into a camp classic, found a way to keep her around for another season, the result would have been forced and disappointing. Maryann left us wanting more, always the better choice. Did anyone else think Maryann seemed almost touchingly pathetic as she stood expectantly waiting for her god, ready with her egg and her meat statue, deluded into thinking she was about to wed? A little supernatural Miss Havisham, with her “old, borrowed, and blue” zombie bridesmaids?!
Source: buzzonthetube.com

And while I absolutely loved how Sam dealt with Ms. Maenad, I was bummed to see it go down so early in the hour -- and even more upset that nothing really happened in the aftermath. Everything that led to Maryann finding herself on the business end of Sam's bull horn was perfection -- Maryann forcing Sookie to search within herself, the whole sacrifice scene, Michelle Forbes gleefully enduring her character's goring ... amazing.
Source: nypost.com



"You're marrying Sam?" Sookie asks Maryann. Nope, Sam is just the ideal wedding gift, she reports. Michelle Forbes hilariously shifts between Dionysian zealot and Ibiza party girl in this scene. She recites an austere oration of the virginal vessel that perfectly segues into her concerns that her crying will smudge her mascara. She explains coldly that Sookie is the bait, that once Sam finds out that she is being held captive, "he'll come running like a dog — maybe as a dog," she says with a cackle. [...]
Maryann is not pleased, and turns her wrath on her followers. "Allow me to sacrifice all of them for you!" she tells her god, as they all cringe and writhe. She plunges her hands into the earth and out pop those gnarly claws. In a flash, a chase ensues that echoes an earlier episode. Just as Maryann is about to bury her claws into Sookie again, a giant white bull appears in a clearing. Dionysus has arrived... maybe?
Her claws retract, and suddenly she's all moony-eyed and in lurve with her bull-headed suitor. "My lord, my husband," she says. "Oh, come, I'm here, my love. We're together at last." I wish I could see the blooper reel from this episode. They must have laughed their asses off between takes with all this ridiculous dialogue.
Source: tvguide.com

* ebassi: and true blood is done for this season; climatic finale (michelle forbes is above and beyond fantastic)
* itsjoewelch: Michelle Forbes should win an Emmy for her role on True Blood... Spectacular performance every episode!
* MewNeko: I'll miss Michelle Forbes. She was divine in that role. Sooo good.
* bananacylon: Soon, so soon, true blood season finale! MICHELLE FORBES!!!!!
* jimstoic: Michelle Forbes deserves a 2010 Emmy for her maenad Maryann on True Blood.
* RoushTVGuideMag: Michelle Forbes nailed that role to the last creepy moment.
* Megalicious09: Michelle Forbes deserves an award. Someone damn well better give her one!
* benelie: Not sure what to think about last ep of #trueblood Michelle Forbes was soooooooo beautiful and classy!!
* thecoldgun: True Blood finale: Michelle Forbes may be the greatest player of villains breathing. Admiral Cain and now MaryAnn Forrester. BEAST.
Source: Twitter

Instead of a white wedding, however, Maryann got her black heart gored and pulled out of her by a shape-shifted Sam. I was sorry to see Michelle Forbes go, but what a great performance she gave: her Maryann was scary, funny, and creepy, and the actress was able to go over-the-top and pull her performance back to human-scale. Her character’s death closed out the first half-hour with such finality (”It’s all over now,” said Sookie as Maryann lay in a heap and the townspeople came to their senses) that I thought, “Where do we go from here?”
Source: ew.com

'Never say never when there's the Internet.' --Sam

Chez Maryann - Revenge for the Pumps!

No 'True Blood' finale today, but ...

'Everything that exists imagined itself into existence.' HUH?



Michelle Forbes is probably the only person I can ever see playing Maryann.
Sookie: "I'm sorry, I'm usually really good at placing accents, but where are you from?"
Maryann (smiles): "Cape Cod."
The funniest lie ever.



How Do You Kill A Maenad? Or: The Party's Over

Bill: “So how do I kill it?”
Queen: “You can’t. She’s convinced herself she’s immortal and so she is.”
Bill looks puzzled.
Queen: “Well I’m sure you know that everything that exists imagined itself into existence.”

Queen Sophie Anne goes on to say:
Queen: “So, you’re f*-ing everything in the dirt - why not kill something and eat it raw? Hey you’re super extra pious, there’s nothing you can’t do. And each time you do it brings you one step closer to the divine.”
Bill: “Isn’t that delusional?”
Queen: “Never underestimate the power of blind faith. It can manifest itself in ways that bend the laws of physics, or break them entirely.”
Bill: “I bit her, and it poisoned me.”
Queen: “Of course it did. We can only drink the blood of humans and she’s no longer remotely human.”
Bill: “But she started out human?”
Queen: “Helloo, evolution? We started out that way too.”

And in the next scene:
Queen: “Maenads are sad silly things. The world changed centuries ago and they’re still waiting for the god who comes.”
Bill: “Does he ever come?”
Queen: “Of course not. Gods never actually show up. They only exist in human’s minds, like money and morality.”
Bill: “If I can’t kill her how do I get her to leave Bon Temps?”
Queen: “She has to believe that she’s successfully summoned forth Dionysus. In hopes that he will ravage her - quite literally devour her. Until she’s lost into oblivion.”
Bill: “So she seeks death, the true death. The one thing she’s evolved beyond.”
Queen: “Ironic isn’t it? You know they’re really not that smart, these maenads.”
Bill: “So how does she summon this non-existent god of hers?”
Queen: “I never said he was non-existent. I just said he never comes. She believes if she finds the perfect vessel, sacrifices and devours part of him, or her, while surrounded by the magic of her familiars, then her mad god will appear. And at that point when she willingly surrenders herself to him - “
Bill: “That’s the only point she can be killed!”
Queen: Smirks. “Who’s the smartest boy in class?”
Bill: “The perfect vessel, um, human?”
Queen: “They prefer supernatural beings.”
Bill: In awe. “The two-natured!”
Queen: Shifter, yes. And weres. Fortunately they show little interest in us. Something about our hearts not beating. But will try other being that straddles the two worlds.”
Bill: “As long as it has a beating heart.”
Queen: “You have to remember they’ve been trying for centuries. They’re constantly improvising the recipes in hopes of finding that one magic element that will make it all happen. Idiots.”

So, let’s recap:
1. Maryann started out as human but really embraced the mantra “I think, therefore I am.”
2. Maenads tend to talk about a god that’s coming and seem to always be preparing for that day, but the god never comes.
3. The god actually exists.
4. Maryann is actually seeking death, true death, which will occur after she devours part of her “vessel” and surrenders herself to her god.
5. Maryann is at her weakest at this point.

In my mind, here are the key clues from Sophie Anne:
1. “She believes if she finds the perfect vessel, sacrifices and devours part of him, or her“.
2. “They prefer supernatural beings.”
3. “They’re constantly improvising the recipes in hopes of finding that one magic element that will make it all happen.”

Source: bestfantasystories.com

The world changed centuries ago -- and Maenads are still into marriage??
Maryann, marriage is the source of all harm in this world. Just saying.
Bye bye love, bye bye happiness, hello emptiness, I feel I'm gonna cry.





'I’m just glad that the bug-eyes haven’t decided to jump on the internet to spread their madness. The internet’s crazy enough with any gods who come.'




"The show excels, however, as a "Perils of Pauline" serial, one with lots of sex and crazy shenanigans in the woods. "True Blood" works best a suspenseful beach read come to vivid, southern Gothic life. It's not about vampires as metaphors, it's about calling your friends and exclaiming, "Oh man, how are they going to top that scene where the possessed minions of the Maryann the Maenad ate the human heart that had been chopped up and put inside a souffle?"
"True Blood" is a show that mostly defies analysis, intellectual probing and the search for subtext. As Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) put it, "The time for thinking is over." Exactly.
Every Sunday night, it's a chance to turn off your brain and enjoy a show that jams four or five episodes' worth of incident, plot and jaw-dropping moments into 50 minutes. [...]
What's most surprising about "True Blood," though, is how funny it has been amid Maryann's feverish preparations for a human (or half-human) sacrifice. Sometimes the show's characters take actions that are just plain dumb (because the hurtling plot regularly requires them to), but Jason, as played by the deft Kwanten, is the most entertainingly stupid character on television."
* As I said to a friend last night... "True Blood is trash, but it's such fun trash."
* Mo here: Exactly! I am loving the emails and comments that I'm getting that tell me in no uncertain terms that I don't "get" the show. Oh, I get it. It's fun trash! 'Nuff said.
* Mo here: My take is that when it comes to logical inconsistencies, the writers just don't care. That's sort of the impression I've gotten a couple of times when I've asked Ball about different aspects of the show I found problematic -- you get the verbal equivalent of a shrug of the shoulders and a fairly dismissive variation on the "Whatever, it's a vampire show" theme. So, you know, I've just given up on any sort of rigor being applied to the show's weaker aspects. It is what it is, I guess. And given the show's success, there's less reason than ever to change the modus operandi.
*Mo here: The last two seasons of 6FU weren't very good, imho. Headline on my "farewell to the show" piece: "Good riddance." What had been compassionate and heartfelt had, as you say, become random, shrieky and unpleasant. I can definitely see TB heading WAY off the rails if 6FU is any guide to what happens to Alan Ball shows.
Source: Maureen Ryan@chicagotribune.com

-------------------

"I don't understand what is the purpose of this post :P" -- Randy
"Me neither" -- Chris

True Blood Episode 11 - Frenzy

True Blood Episode 02x11 Frenzy :: Reviews - Reactions - Recaps - Quotes

'Must I do everything myself?!' -- Maryann



"It's been a little bonkers!" Michelle Forbes, who plays a sexy "Maenad" creature named Maryann Forrester, told ABCNews.com. "I was a part of Battlestar Gallactica, so I'm used to that world. But I didn't expect it with True Blood. I thought it was a show about a sleepy little town in Louisiana."
"People are scared by me now!" Forbes said. "I've had waiters tell me, 'Oh my god, I love the show, but you really terrify me. You're not going to do anything to me, right?' But having an emotional impact is a wonderful thing."
Source: abcnews.go.com



'That 'Thing' Owes Me A Pair of Shoes.' --Pam

[...] Sophie-Ann’s explanation of how to deal with Maryann was specific, fascinating, and funny. (That Dionysus — who knew hoping for “his coming” is like waiting for Godot?)
Speaking of Maryann, she may not have had much to do this evening, but what she did was terrific: I’d hand Michelle Forbes an Emmy just for the way she delivered the line, “Must I do everything myself?!”
----
* When I saw the egg, the only thing I could think of was “OMG, Jason was right!- Maryanne had Daphne shift into something and lay an egg before she died.” ;D
* I thought the episode was hilarious! I LOVED when Jason pulled those two stupid comments out of his strange little mind- the “do you think sam has ever turned into a dog then had sex with a lady dog” and “do you think sam could turn into a rooster and lay an egg?” HAH.
* I have read every one of the books by Charlaine Harris and enjoyed them immensely. The TV series though… Besides being typical HBO garbage and appealing to the lowest common denominator in the American TV viewing audience, I can’t even begin to enumerate everything wrong with it. It’s crude, pointless, NOT funny trash. Too bad. But once again, HBO has turned something worthwhile into a complete pile of crap.
* Maryanne, Michelle Forbes, Now that is a real actress!!!
* Michelle Forbes was, as always, excellent–I’m not sure why this woman is doing guest stints on TV when she has the talent and looks to be a screen star.
* I think Jason explained the egg perfectly. Sam clearly turned into a chicken and laid an egg :-;
* Michelle Forbes does deserve a Emmy nod for her portrayal of MaryAnn. Evil incarnate…literally. She wished her immortality into existence BY her existence….that’s fracking deep.
* Michelle Forbes is Great ! Just Great and i happen to like Maryann and i know she going to die , but i hope they find a way to keep MF on TB bring her back as someone else and make everyone think it Maryann is back ! lol Michelle should win a Emmy !
Source: ew.com

'I haven’t had a man since the Eisenhower era' --Queen SA
'Gods only exist in people's minds like money and morality' --Queen SA
'Maeneads are such sad, silly little things.' -- Queen SA



Sophie Ann explains that a maenad is a female follower of the Greek god Dionysus. Maenad’s only goal is to get Dionysus to return to the earth by offering them a person, preferably a supernatural creature like a shape-shifter. Ultimately, maenads seek death as they want to sacrifice themselves to Dionysus.
Source: transworldnews.com

I'm glad you've finally boarded the True Blood train, Mo! I really liked the first season, but this second season has seen the show develop into one of the best soaps on TV. Sometimes the writing is a bit clunky and obvious, but the cast is great, the plots are addictive as hell, and who's better than Michelle Forbes, really?
Source: chicagotribune.com

[Queen SA's] comments throughout the episode ranged from funny (”I haven’t enjoyed sex with men since the Eisenhower administration”) to cynical (”Never underestimate the power of blind faith”) to a combination of the mystical and the mystifying (”Everything that exists imagined itself into existence”), but the most telling of her comments came from her complete dismissal of Maryann and her actions. In short, she can’t really be bothered by this creature…or much of anything outside of her own existence, really. Looks like the holier-than-thou manner of royalty remains consistent within both the human and the vampire worlds.
Source: premiumhollywood.com

‘Sometimes you need to destroy something to save it.’ That’s in the Bible. Or the Constitution.' --Jason



I think anyone angry with Alan Ball's handling of characters just needs to look at his past work to get a feel for how he chooses to portray women. They are either castrating beyotches, troubled and drug-addled teens engaging in waaay too much casual sex, or emotionally distant and cold manipulating hysterics. When it comes to men, he's a bit better at showing us what they feel and think but he celebrates their acting out violently or when they degrade the women in their lives. The dude has issues is all I can say.
Source: IMDb board

'Teacup humans.' 'Good night, tiny humans.' --Eric



* mrbenjaminlaw: Downloading the latest version of The Awesome Maryann Forrester Show. Sorry, I mean, True Blood. It's called "True Blood". Keep forgetting.
* nathanieletc: I absolutely LOVE where True Blood is going. Their expansion of Maryann way beyond the book (while otherwise pretty loyal) is awesome!
* KevlarBrown: If they don't kill Maryann in the finale True Blood and I are done. As my dad used to say, that's not a threat, it's a promise.
* Leah_HR_37: Michelle Forbes is truly the best casting decision True Blood made. Everyone else is so-so, but Forbes kicks it up a notch.
* averita_: #trueblood was also incredible. I love Michelle Forbes when she's really irritated. ("Must I do everything myself?")
* queenkandis: Michelle Forbes is freaking fantastic. Though scary as hell.
* theMediaChick: Almost forgot, it's time for True Blood. Ok, I"ll admit it. I think I've developed a girl crush on Michelle Forbes.
* zackford: I think that actress Michelle Forbes knows just how to get under my skin. I hate it, but I love that I hate it. Ro, Cain, Maryann... ugh!
* dakinegirl: Someone else I'd like to see with her own show or at least one of the major stars of....is Michelle Forbes. She's phenomenal!
Source: Twitter

RIP Kaaarrrl



Sam will be forced to shift into a giant chicken and sit on the egg until it hatches. A little "ALIENS" type creature will pop out of it and eat Sam and all the orgy attendees. Sigourney Weaver will make a guest appearance as Ripley and blowtorch the entire town of Bon Temps. She will be knighted by the Queen and become the new sheriff. Shall I go on???? Because I can be just as stupid as this whole Maryanne storyline is....
Source: HBO Boards

New World In My View

True Blood Episode 02x10 New World In My View. :: Preview - Reviews - Reactions - Recaps - Quotes



In preparation for more blood tonight, we have the preview video and the synopsis handy to get you into the mood. Also, the stunning promo still says a thousand words. Whatever these are, is up to you. But it is clear that the concluding triad of episodes this season is going to be one wild ride.

*An interview with Michelle should be online very, very, very soon.

Update
The interview is online! Head over to BlackBook for: Michelle Forbes: Wild Force of Nature on ‘True Blood’

With the Dallas trip behind them, Sookie (Anna Paquin), Jason (Ryan Kwanten), and Bill (Stephen Moyer) all return home to Bon Temps and are shocked by the mess that Maryann (Michelle Forbes) has made of their neck of the woods. As they try to get a grasp of what has happened during their absence, Bill realizes he's outmatched when it comes to putting Maryann in her place.

Jason, on the other hand, has been training for a war and he knows this just may be the job for him. Can Jason save Sam (Sam Trammell) and the once sleepy little town of Bon Temps from the grips of Maryann?

Elsewhere, Sookie tries to break through the darkness that has been consuming her childhood friend Tara (Rutina Wesley). It's unclear what, if anything, can be done to save this poor soul at this point.

*********

Make your own Lo Lo chant

Lo lo Nachos
lo lo Tacos
lo lo burritos
lo lo Chimichanga
lo lo Margarita
---
Lo lo brontosaurus
Lo lo stegosaurus
Lo lo tyranosaurus
Lo lo brachiosaurus
Lo lo dinosaur

Nobody needed towels!
------
Lo Lo Bridgida
Source: IMDb clowns

(Click to enlarge)

What are you ?? - Maryann

Let me just pause to say I am in awe of Michelle Forbes. It really takes fortitude, tremendous courage and a willingness to be completely despised to be able to take on a character like Maryann. What is most amazing is the way Michelle allows us to fully understand that Maryann is not like us in any way, shape or form … and never apologizes for what she is. She does not have the slightest clue that there is anything wrong with what she does … in fact, she celebrates it. She shows us that Maryann glories in the power and the dark energy that she is able to summon. Maryann is one of the most talked about characters in the True Blood world … and the fact that she is able to get under our skin and make us shudder with fear and loathing shows that Michelle has made Maryann come to life in all of her evil splendor. Yes, there is something beautifully mad in the Maenad … a creature which thrives on the dark side of Life and delights in creating chaos and mayhem. It is hard to watch and impossible to ignore. Although I definitely would like to see the Maenad get her just desserts, I cannot help but be thoroughly impressed by Michelle Forbes. Brava!!
Source: truebloodnet.com



With only two episodes to go now, True Blood devoted this week to wild danger and a surprising amount of humor.

Sam stated the goal of the evening succinctly: that Maryann wants “to cut out my heart while a buncha naked people watch.” Indeed, Maryann’s moving into position as this season’s Big Bad has never seemed more apparent… that is, unless it’s the unnamed “he” that Tara referenced, saying, “He’s gonna kill us all.” (Maybe readers of Charlaine Harris’ novels know something I don’t about the series’ villains; I’m working with what’s on my TV screen.)

Bottom line: True Blood under the guidance of Alan Ball continues to mix sex and violence in ways TV has never seen. Helped by the first-rate performances being given by Anna Paquin and Michelle Forbes, women have rarely seemed as potent in the supernatural world conjured up by this deliriously good series.
Source: Entertainment Weekly



I mean, as someone who loves this season for its wild action and surprising character development, I can't ask for more. There are so many Sucker Punch moments in Episode 10 that I scarcely know where to begin...

Here's the way I see it: Maryann makes people act on their nastiest impulses, and since they're controlled by their ids, they recklessly provoke the people around them. Hoyt's mama, for instance, says nasty things when she's normal, but even she has limits. Under Maryann's spell, however, she not only unleashes her most vicious thoughts, but also uses them like weapons. She intentionally pushes Jessica's buttons until the poor vampire snaps. That adds to the chaos that Maryann loves. (Tara tries to do the same thing to Sookie when she tells her that she ought to commit suicide. Tara probably has thought such a thing in a hidden part of her mind, but Maryann's influence brings that cruelty to the surface.)

With that perspective in mind, I have a new respect for Maryann's presence on the show. More than just a movie-of-the-week monster, she's the engine for a sweeping allegory about a person's secret corners. She's both a positive message and a cautionary tale.

Because there are parts of Maryann's influence that are good, you know? She inspires confidence. She eliminates sexual shame. She gives people permission to be themselves.

But she also demonstrates that liberation can lead to catastrophe.



So what do we do with that? How do we read a character that does terrible things, but also has wisdom to share?

In this episode, part of the answer comes from Sam, who tells Andy that killing the black-eyed people would be wrong, because they are still the citizens of Bon Temps. In other words, we can't destroy people just for having wild streaks. When they succumb to vice, we can't cast them aside.

Lafayette embodies part of the answer, too. He's a great example of someone who celebrates his id, but who knows how to keep it in check. He sees the boundary that Maryann wants people to miss.

This is a big idea I'm working through, and it's possible that the last two episodes will upend it altogether. But right now, I'm liking the notion that Season Two is an allegory for learning to balance all the parts of ourselves. Let's table this for now, though.

In other news, Sookie rocks when she discovers her new "magic hands" power. That's a strong Sucker Punch candidate, since her ability is so surprising and cool.

This week's runner-up spot goes to Maryann's meat tree, because... eww. It's bad enough that she wants to sacrifice Sam. Sacrificing him on a tree full of rotting cold cuts is just gross.

This week's winner is Jason's crazy appearance as Fake Bacchus. First, he chooses to trick Maryann's followers into believing he's their god... but before he does it, he takes off his shirt. Then, he gets tongue-tied while he's praising his followers for bringing him Sam Merlotte. Then, he gets some broke-down horns, courtesy of Andy Bellfleur, and realizes he can't hear what Sam is saying because of his gas-mask headpiece. It's all just... awesomely ridiculous.

This scene truly becomes our Sucker Punch, though, after Sam disappears... then returns wielding a fire extinguisher and wearing nothing but an apron. When we see his bare butt, the show gets so trashy that you have to bow down.
Source: The Huffington Post



Spoilers--or spoiling meat. What is up with Maryann making that giant lawn ornament in Sookie's front yard out of flowers, feathers, Kobe beef and maybe even the kitchen sink? That bitch is getting crazier every episode. (I have to give Michelle Forbes props; she owns this role.)

And who knew that Sookie had another power besides reading minds? When she fights with Maryann, and emits a light from her hand that at first stopped Maryann cold. Then Maryann started laughing, and apparently loving it. "What are you?" she asks.
Source: chicagonow.com

That was a pretty cool scene where [Sookie] pushes Maryann away and that white light comes out of her hands. Could Sookie be the counter-goodness to Maryann's evil? Yeah, I know Michelle Forbes said she's not really evil, but that's how I see her. She's turned the whole town into a chaotic mess and cast a spell over everyone that causes them to do whatever they want, even kill people. To me, that's evil.

As was her weird statue of raw meat, flowers, veggies, kidneys, livers ... a gift for the gods ... and her wanting to cut Sam's "heart out while a bunch of naked people watch" (his words). At least that craziness led to the excellent scene where Jason got to play a god ("I smite thee, Sam Merlotte!") while wearing a gas mask as Andy held up "horns" behind his head. The whole lame Maryann storyline all season was worth it to get to that scene.

Then after Sam "disappears" and returns clad only in an apron with his butt hanging out the back, Andy says, "That's the last drink I'll ever take." Nice. I'm loving the kick-ass trio of Jason, Andy and Sam.
Source: TV Squad

* Maryann begging Bill to “Ravage me! Ravage me!” until he hurls. (This is how my Eric fantasy would probably play out.)

I'm done with the Maryann plot. I love love love Michelle Forbes as an actress and she is making a meal out of this interesting character – very cute how her small praise over the right choice of meat makes Karl blush like a geisha – but it's time to move forward.
Source: Seacoast Online



Michelle Forbes is the real Queen on this show.
Dammit. True Blood episode over already? And no Durham County tomorrow. Me so sad.
Michelle Forbes deserves an Emmy Nod for next year for playing Maryann, the character is just batshit insane.
can't wait to see the sexy Sophie Anne and Hadley next week! And Michelle Forbes is officially one of my all time favorite actresses.
Holy crap True Blood. I really like Michelle Forbes, but I hate Maryann.
I think Michelle Forbes is amazing, but I really don't like Maryann; I like her better in the books.
Michelle Forbes certainly has a knack for playing characters I want to see die.
Is it wrong that I think Michelle Forbes looks really hot right now?
Maryann is the scariest heifer on TV.
Hurricane Maryann hits Bon Temps



Wonder how much Maryann charges for landscaping?
Damn, Maryann was the art director for Texas Chainsaw Massacre?
call me crazy but i kinda like maryann
I still don't get what's so damn special about Sam that Maryann wants him so badly??
Holy shit #TrueBlood was AMAZING!!! Maryann is freakin' frightening! Can't believe there's only 2 episodes left. Talk about withdrawal!
What exactly is Maryann?
Every time this goddamned show ends, I feel like a reveler at one of Maryann's parties; I want to destroy everything and go wild.
Ah, yes. I am satisfied. That Maryann had better die spectacularly.
MARY ANN NEEDS GALLONS AND GALLONS OF HOLY WATER
Somebody please kill mary-ann! Where is scooby doo and the mystery machine when you need them?
I think Mary Ann has a very powerful voice. It commands attention. #trueblood. She'll be a good voiceover 4 Storm from xmen, lol
Source:Twitter

Michelle Forbes is TV Gold
Michelle Forbes guest-starred on Battlestar Galactica. Admiral Cain was a badass.
Now she's on TB as a greek goddess-creature. Like (or because of her character) Marianne she electrifies the set. There's layers to her character that we don't know about. Centuries of evil. - She is awesome!
----
spike, i fully agree! Michelle is AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!
i'm a gay man and Michelle makes me weak in the knees!! seriously!! i find her SO incredibly entrancing that even though the Maryanne character is evil and needs to die, a part of me doesn't want her to ever leave the show! LOL.
----
Michelle is FANTASTIC! I actually got chills during last night's episode her acting was so good!
Source: IMDb boards

Durham County 2 - Surviving the Fall

The final hour of Durham County's second season airs tonight: Surviving the Fall.



* If you haven't been following the last epsiodes, you'd be better off waiting for the reruns (starting on August 24) or the DVD.
* Filming of season 3 starts in September.

***********************

[Durham County] is not really about the suburbs. If there's any tincture of truth in that definition, then Durham County is about a suburb of the mind, and a sick mind at that. It is great, grown-up TV (it will air later on conventional TV). Let's classify it as that. It's disturbing and bleak, and it's wrong to reduce it to a drama about the suburbs. It's about angry, unhappy people who could be anywhere.
What's really striking about this second season is that while it follows in part the same plotline, it offers a reverse picture of evil and malice. The first was anchored in male rage. This time, the devil is a depressed woman filled with pain and loathing [...]
This second Durham County is as sumptuously dark and bleak as the first. But if that was about the mania of male rage, this season has been emphatically about the ferocity of female duplicity and destructiveness. In large part, it's been dominated by one female figure, Pen Verrity (Michelle Forbes), a forensic psychiatrist who, it emerges, has more anger and neuroses that all the patients she's analyzed, combined.
In fact, if you've been watching really good TV this summer, and that means watching True Blood and Durham County, you've seen a lot of Forbes playing women who are sugar-sweet on the surface and bitter agents of evil underneath. Forbes currently has a monopoly on such appalling women. And she's very, very good at it.
The Pen Verrity character is an excellent creation, a woman who could be a child murderer and who we know is responsible for the shocking murder of another woman. But she's also a cauldron of self-loathing. In one scene this season, she behaved in a manner that was a deliberate echo of a stunning scene of self-mutilation in Ingmar Bergman's movie Cries and Whispers [...]
This Durham County isn't about Ray. It isn't even about Mike Sweeney. It's about Pen Verrity and it's about Mike's daughter Sadie. As Sadie, Leboeuf has been marvellously good – a teenaged girl who has been through traumatic events but is shrewd enough to keep her own counsel and make her own decisions. In tonight's finale, everything will really depend on the Sadie character.
Source: theglobeandmail.com



Tonight's finale, directed with sensitivity and emotional grace by Rachel Talalay, is both unpredictable and in keeping with Durham County's solemn, introspective tone. The climactic courtroom scenes are nicely understated: There are none of the histrionics viewers have come to expect of typical TV dramas, but the tension is no less palpable for it. This is tough, uncompromising drama.
Sure, Durham County is disturbing -- intentionally so -- and unpleasant to watch. And I could have done without the artsy, horror-film ending. But it's worth seeing -- for its topical, important story, and for the fine acting. This is the series that won last year's Gemini Award as Canada's best TV drama, and based on tonight's evidence it's hard to imagine it won't win again.
Source: edmontonjournal

Update
»» Screencaps of episode 6 are online

Alors que la date du procès approche, et qu’on ne sait pas si Sadie va oui ou non témoigner, Mike fait semblant d’être toujours épris de Verrity, encore psychiatre auprès de sa fille, qui a récupéré la garde de son fils, et se met à voir Ray Prager. Ce dernier point apparaît un peu comme une facilité scénaristique. Au départ, cela tombe un peu comme un cheveu sur la soupe, et la fin viendra appuyer son utilité, donnant à tout ceci des tournures de raccourcis [...]
On peut alors se tourner vers le Dr. Verrity, et là, l’épisode, concentré en grande partie sur Sadie, faiblit fortement de rythme et aligne assez mal ces scènes, perdu dans la conclusion de cette intrigue. Elle se trouve liée à Ray Prager, une façon très malhabile d’ouvrir sur la toute fin quelques portes, alors que Penn a trouvé un moyen de mettre un terme à ses souffrances, sans le faire elle-même. Assez lâche, mais suffisamment en accord avec sa personnalité plus manipulatrice et passive, qu’active – seule sa rage semble réellement la pousser vers ses plus sombres démons, et ce ne sont pas ceux qui l’auraient conduit à cette fin.
Source: critictoo.com



--OH, SADIE. Laurence Leboeuf needs to win a Gemini for this show. CONUNDRUM: Michelle Forbes also needs to win a Gemini for this show, leaving me with an IMPOSSIBLE DILEMMA re: who to root for [...]
--I like that, even with Pen's "confession", it was left ambiguous as to the mechanics of how Bonnie got into the pool: it's possible to read the progression of photos as Pen simply watching (and DOCUMENTING, PEN, WTF) Bonnie fall in, or as Pen moving closer because she would eventually, actively push her. Not that she's less culpable one way or the other for Bonnie's death--'cause she's wholly culpable, even if she didn't deliberately aggravate Bonnie's salt diabetes to the point where the poor kid tried to use the swimming pool for drinking water--but I think the uncertainty is an excellent narrative trick: we can know Pen killed her daughter with each act that led up to Bonnie's actual drowning, and we can know she killed her by not hauling her out of the pool in time to resuscitate her, but we can't be sure she's directly responsible for Bonnie being in the pool. (Again, obviously, she's guilty as hell: as with Glenn, who I'll get to momentarily, sometimes the passive crime is equal to--sometimes greater than--the active crime. I just like that, in wrapping up the story of Bonnie's murder/Pen's psychology, the show's denied us that one little absolute.) [...]
--Tom gets to keep his title of The Only Good Cop In Durham County*, as Glenn did indeed turn out, like all Ray's other cronies, to be operating from a very wrong premise in life. Namely, that if you only watch your buddies beat, rape and murder a woman, you're not culpable for what happened to her. - *The Only Good Man, one might argue. Discussion about the perceived political/social message behind the all-female showrunners' decision to make The Only Good Man In Durham County a gay man.
Source: serrico.livejournal.com

You Have Only Seen the Beginning

True Blood Episode 02x09 I Will Rise Up. :: Preview - Reviews - Reactions - Recaps - Quotes


The God who comes demands his sacrifice. - Maryann

Updated

True Blood returns to TV screens on Sunday night, for yet another explosive episode. It seems that someone will be taking matters into their own hands in a bid to unravel the recent incidents in the Louisiana town, and finally realise that none other than Maryann is doing her magic.

A wounded Eric plays Sookie for a sucker, to Bill's dismay, and ends up getting inside her head. Later, Sookie and Jason reflect on their recent adventure, and end up bonding at the feuding Newlins' expense. Blaming Eggs for Tara's bruises and bizarre behavior, Lafayette and Lettie Mae try to figure out a way to pry their kin from Maryann's clutches. Hoyt defends his relationship with Jessica to Maxine over lunch, to no avail. Jailed by Bud along with a group of Bon Temps revelers, Sam finds a novel way to escape his cell--and avoid capture by an increasingly obsessed Maryann. In Dallas, Eric and the vampires defend their recent actions to Nan Flanagan, and are shocked when Godric decides to take the fall for their PR disaster.

While in anticipation, have a look at the sneak peek below featuring Maryann, Tara (Rutina Wesley) and Eggs (Mehcad Brooks).



Also PopWrap has been chatting with Rutina Wesley about the recent and upcoming episodes, the trials and tribulations of acting under Maryann's influence, and much more. Below is an extract from the interview:

Although I've loved every moment of Dallas-set action -- Sookie taking on The Fellowship of the Sun, Bill taking on Eric, Jason taking off Sara's clothes -- for me, the second season of "True Blood" is all about the drama unfolding in Bon Temps!

Orgies! Feasts! Pigs!

Yes, Maryann rocks my world on a weekly basis, which is just one thing that Tara and I share. Actually, it's the only thing we have in common, because while I'm sitting pretty at home, jaw agape, Tara is fighting tooth and nail to save her town -- and her soul.



PW: Did [the Hunter's Soufflé] taste as bad as it looked?
Rutina: No, it didn't taste nearly as bad. It was a lot of vegetables and tomatoes and beef -- no chicken, Mehcad [Brooks] didn't want it to be too heavy on our stomachs because we didn't know how many takes we'd have to do devouring it.

PW: Tara has been the one in Bon Temps starting to put pieces together between the orgies and the blackouts and Maryann. Will she continue to do that?
Rutina: Yes and no. Tara is going to get taken in by the whole situation and lose a bit of control. Maryann is very strong right now and while a lot of us will try to get to the bottom of the problem, Maryann is standing in our way. She's a huge power and once you're under her spell, it's hard to break it. We'll see an intervention and a lot of other ways we try to save Bon Temps from Maryann.

PW: So anyone who thought they'd seen the peak of Maryann's chaos is dead wrong?
Rutina: Oh, you've only seen the beginning. It's going to get so much more chaotic. The end of this season is amazing: it's fire, it's sad, it's got so much jam-packed in there -- you guys won't know what hit you!

PW: And does it start with Sunday's episode?
Rutina: Yes, that's when it all starts to go bad. It gets violent, it gets insane. I mean, you saw Tara slapping her mother, which should tell you how far it goes! I mean, there are no limits for Maryann! She keeps going and going and going -- we're all under her spell. That leads into episode 10, which is the one I really can't wait to see! Things get really intense for Tara!
Source: The New York Post: PopWrap


But there's got to be some kind of control, or things would be...chaos. -Tara
Sounds good. - Maryann
I do like a little chaos. - Eggs
Of course you do. Everybody does. They just can't admit it. - Maryann

Meanwhile, this is yet another episode that leaves the characters in Bon Temps getting ready to do stuff instead of actually doing stuff, but at least they can't take another step without finally taking some decisive action. I mean, for God's sake, Maryann storms into Merlotte's claiming that the "coming God" demands a sacrifice. I'd say it's finally time for some capital-B butt kicking. If the throwdown is gigantic enough, then I will forgive all sorts of foot-dragging and sidetracking.

The Sucker Punch Silver Medal goes to Lafayette for busting Tara out of Sookie's house. Between the thirty-five brilliant one-liners and the do-not-touch-her punches he throws, he basically impersonates the entire cast of American Gladiators as he drags his cousin away from Maryann.
Source: The Huffington Post


Control is just a cage this stupid culture uses to block out who we really are. We need to be out of control. We crave it. - Maryann

But the bigger subplot was Maryann’s increasing power over Tara and Eggs, her striding into the jail and demanding to see Sam, and setting free the rest of the pleasure-addled citizen-prisoners. Sam escaped – he was a fly on the wall (er, table) when Maryann went to Tara’s house. Maryann has pretty much given up trying to hide her pleasure-principle powers, her let’s-party mood replaced by impatience and cruelty, as when she tried to lure Tara’s sober mom to relapse with a nice, chilled bottle of vodka.

The mixture of Christian and pagan faith, […] it was another genre-bending, mind-expanding edition of True Blood.
Source: EW.com


Why be embarassed about pleasure and laughter? Why be ashamed of letting go? - Maryann

Maryann Forrester, baker of tweaky souffles, party animal (literally) and cruise director on the ship to hell that she has made out of the bayou burg and it's inhabitants.

The second she enters the frame your attention goes right to her. She attacks the role with a ferocity and abandon that it requires and that sly smile and sideways glance just gets you.

Of course you have to chalk up a lot of the Maryann fervor to the arc Alan Ball and the writers have laid out for her and the remarkable settings in which they place her and her Maenad powers. The campfire scene? The blood rushing out of the hunter's souffle? That vibrating thing?

Huge, powerful images with her at the center and she not only hold her own but in most cases eclipses the visuals with her performance.
Source: IamaTVJunkie.com


What about the saints of India, what about the mystics of every religion?...They'd black out, run and dance in the streets, levitate, act like monkeys running around, naked...They were ecstatic. - Maryann

Mainly, the episode is much more enjoyable because Maryann does not seem to have everything under her fingers. Sam continues to elude her with his shape shifting skills, and teams up with an unlikely ally. The ever dominant Lafayette also rescues Tara, although the efficiency of this tactic still remains to be seen. Not only is the town offering miniscule amounts of rebellion, it is only making Maryann’s reign of terror more fearsome. The most interesting moment, however, occurs when Maryann nearly breaks down while preaching her usual anarchist views. It shows that despite all the manipulation, she has true conviction when it comes to her beliefs. Like any good villain, she is simply doing what she believes to be real.

All in all, the episode continues the high quality storytelling the last few episodes of “True Blood” have given. The blend of finality and continuing tension gives the show a nice end to a chapter, but leaves more for viewers to come back to. A difficult assembly of numerous storylines makes this episode somewhat of a masterpiece.
Source: Examiner.com


All that fake civilisation bullshit just fell away so they could dissolve into the infinite, so they could lose themselves and unite with their God. - Maryann

I’m excited/depressed that there are three episodes left. I really can’t wait to see what happens with the Maryann subplot. She obviously has been weaving her web for some time now and has ultimate control over the population of Bon Temps, with some exceptions. But most of this has happened while Sookie and Bill have been out of town. Now that they return I assume they will get into the mix. It also looks like Jessica may have a part to play as well.

But is there a way to stop Maryann? If she’s immortal there may be nothing that can be done, right? And just who is the “the God who comes”?
Source: IF Magazine


Look at you. A few bumps and bruises. It's a small price to pay for bliss. - Maryann

Thirsting for a True Blood "V" cocktail? Something that will keep you safe from the clutches of Maryann? Or maybe connect you on a cellular level to Bill or Eric? Either way, Our Lady of Weight Loss's Louisiana Swamp "Maryann" will save your soul and deliver you from evil!

Virgin Maryann, Louisiana Creole Style
Guaranteed to keep you safe from Maryann's clutches and give you a jolt of energy that will send you into a happy spin!

Ingredients:
4 oz Spicy V-8
juice of 1/2 lime
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
6 dashes Tabasco® sauce
salt, pepper to taste
1 lime wedge
2 celery stalks

Instructions:
Add juices and sauce to a shaker with ice, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Shake vigorously enough to burn calories and send a clear message to the Devil, himself, that you are not playin' his game.

Strain over ice cubes into a highball glass and add a lime wedge and both celery stalks.

Variation: Bloody Maryann
Add Vodka!
Source: blog.beliefnet.com


I don't know what you is, but I'm feelin' you, and you a soulless bitch. - Lafayette to Maryann
Ouch. That almost hurt. - Maryann

Ooooh True Blood is getting SO good! Michelle Forbes IS a goddess
Did anyone see True Blood last night? OMGOSH!!!! I can't believe Maryann, she is such a good villain. I can't believe only 3 episodes left!
Maryann the Tornado went through Bon Temps.
is so excited about True Blood tonight... screw the bomb... just give me more Maryann... and Jason... and Eric... and Sam... and Godric...
Ikea is like MaryAnn from true blood. Shoppers eyes are glazed over for hours, no one can remember what they bought, or why
True Blood was awesome tonight. Can't wait to see a showdown between the vampires and Maryann. .. Also, the black eyes thing is creepy
Maryann is the best thing could have happened at q true blood!
Michelle Forbes rocks on True Blood! // riiiight? looooove her!
It's so cool to see Michelle Forbes play a character on True Blood who is pretty much the polar opposite of Admiral Cain.
Ok seriously. HBO stylist who is dressing Michelle Forbes character, MaryAnn, on "True Blood" - I need a shopping list. I :::heart::: you!
Michelle Forbes rocks on True Blood!
I don't believe...Maryann of True Blood will ever cease to amaze me. Bitch is crazy.
True Blood: What I like about vampires is that they have a conscience, principles, feelings. What I like about Maryann is that she doesn't.
watching true blood. maryann is so fantastically insane!
Woohoo! Maryann just whipped out a bottle of Stoli on True Blood! Yummy.
True Blood Music Thoughts: I love how the jail radio was playing Marty Robbins' "Devil Woman" while Maryann is walking in.
i must say, i kinda fancy this maryann gal. shes foyne :)



Lafayette keeps getting better. Why am I starting to like Maryann...she is awesome.
Maryann just gets weirder and more intriguing
I like Maryann, but she's starting to get on my nerves, which is exactly what they want! Already know it's likely she won't die.
Michelle Forbes deserves a Golden Globe, at least.
That smile is so sinister. MaryAnn is scary as Hades. Oh wait....
Maryann is the most perfect, for sure! Michelle Forbes deserves a Golden Globe, at least.
Omg @ the new True Blood. Godrick/Mary-Ann/Jessica&Hoyt = the most awesome storylines ever.
Can True Blood get any better? Post-Godrick power vacuum and an inevitable confrontation in Bon Temps with Mary Ann!! So good!
OMG!!! true blood is so good. that mary ann!! she's so wicked and fierce.
oh and: yes, I did watch True Blood tonight. am way into the Mary Ann subplot. vampire-related melodrama, not so much.
Tonights True Blood is a bridge to the final 3 of season. Bill vs. Mary Ann. I can bit wait. It is the best show on tv.
Next week's True Blood episode looks crazy! Mary-Ann is a nut. They don't expand her story in the books this much! Sheesh! GO HBO!!!
Mary Ann on True Blood is a certified nut job!
amazing episode of true blood....Mary-ann is one crazy person...cant wit for sam to kill her...lol
NOOO TRUE BLOOD!!! MARY ANN IS REALLY SCARING ME :(
the episode where Maryann dies a righteous death will be my favorite episode of True Blood.
SoOoOo nobody hate but... I think I'm like totally in love with Mary Ann from True Blood. Cookin hearts and still mad cute. ^_^ ★☆
peoplemag: LOL! RT @ ohrohin screw #TeamBill or #TeamJason, i'm #TeamMaryann
Really hate what they've done w/ the Maenad, but at least Michelle Forbes rocks the house like she always does whatever she's in
true blood? Maryann is *FIERCE*! I am LOVING Michelle Forbes in this role!
BSG is my buy-in to true blood. Michelle Forbes is one bad ass motherfucker, no matter what she is on.
Michelle Forbes rules.
hey true blood fans..anyone else see similarities between Mary Ann & Sarah Palin?(stirs everyone up and watches as everything turns 2 chaos)
Source: Twitter