ELUSIVE LUCIDITY

him-e:

hsm7:

I think this confession is missing the point.  There are many types of love. I don’t think most people are questioning Eric’s love for Nora; however, what he feels for Sookie is wholly different than what he feels for Nora, just as it’s different from what he feels for Pam, and for what he felt for Godric. Eric has a familial love for Nora, while he has a romantic love for Sookie, and you can see the differences in that love conveyed in the physical expression of it. Also, his relationship with Nora is far from meaningless since ‘family’ is important to Eric; it’s just different than what he has with Sookie.

This is precisely why it’s so hard for me to accept Nora. Eric obviously loves her. Okay, his love for Nora might be different from the love he feels from Sookie, but it’s love. Now, in my opinion this basically blows up the portrayal that the show has been making of Eric since ep. 1x04. I’ll try to explain myself better. Eric is, substantially, a vampire who has suffocated his emotions and his loving potential for a millennia. He does love his Maker and his Child strongly and fiercely, but he isn’t open about it. He denies that what he feels for them is love (“Don’t use words I don’t understand”), even though he would do anything for them. The Eric I know is the Eric who isn’t vocal about love, and underplays it and tries his best to keep his emotions at bay; and he does it with Pam, whom he treats like a business partner and a sidekick, rarely in an openly affectionate way; and with Godric, whom he almost doesn’t dare to look in the eye, let alone to touch. Eric’s emotions are frozen, stuck behind a wall of ice. It’s only after he meets Sookie that this wall begins to crumble, little by little.

Now enter Nora. The way Eric acted around Nora proves that this is all wrong, because he showed a familiarity with expressing his love, physically and emotionally, for her. (see the kiss, for example… to me it doesn’t just scream “lust”, it screams “love”). A familiarity that apparently dates back to long ago, and that is really OOC for him and denies the whole complicated process of letting his emotions resurface that he’s been going through since season 2.

So, unless everything he did in 5x01 was only a ruse, I’ll try my best to ignore Nora and pretend she never existed in the first place: not because I dislike the character per se (I do like her, actually, kinda), but because she forces me to reconsider what I know about Eric in a way that I don’t want to, and doesn’t make a lot of sense either.

(Source: confessionsofafangbanger)

truebloodwillpsychuout:

switchbladekiller:

ohiogurl:

unreconstructedfangirl:

I like how he loves.

I do too, but I’m having trouble buying this ship. I have to agree with him-e on this. Nora’s character was introduced very abruptly. We went from—who is she? to kissing and having sex waay to fast for me to ship these two. I’m just not feeling it.

Their initial scene also fell really flat for me. Once Eric recognizes her and kisses her (which was fine), the three of them have a conversation while they walk. It was awkwardly expositional (usually True Blood is better at letting us in on Important Plot Details without it feeling like they’re clueing us in). Nora does an information dump on the audience and then announces she would do anything for Eric, a sentiment Eric promptly echoes. Problem is, I felt NOTHING from them. It was all too rushed and curiously unlike the show. Usually, Eric doesn’t admit to any emotions. It took extreme stress for him to cop to caring about Godric, Sookie, and Pam. It felt weird for him (both of them) to robotically announce their devotion. This is not a show where people DO that. Real people don’t talk that way, and True Blood is usually more realistic. So the whole beginning of their interaction felt fake.

Partly, I don’t think Lucy Griffiths (Nora) had quite settled into her role at this point. She’s lovely, and a quite good actress, but you can see her trying to play off of Bill and Eric in this dialogue and not quite connecting. I think she was feeling her way to the character, and trying to decide how big to play it. In the opening scenes she was too subdued—too restrained. This show requires a certain level of OTT-ness, and she was still using her British drama voice. Hopefully as the season progresses she’ll become more expressive. She got the dynamic just right at the end of their sex scene, when she berates Eric for keeping his phone, grabs him by the hair, and pushes his head away. But she plays all the expositional scenes too low-key and too straight.  

The sex scene was much hotter in GIFs than in reality. I saw the stills first, and thought it would be really passionate, but, again, it was underwhelming in reality. This is not the actors’ fault, BTW. Lucy and Alex are both hot people who simulate passion well, but I felt no chemistry at all. I don’t think we were supposed to feel chemistry. The writing and direction were undercutting taking this seriously at every turn. First of all, we’re dumped right into the middle of the act, without preamble. It’s supposed to be shocking, and it is. We also don’t get to see any of the initiation or foreplay, emotionally distancing us from their actions. Just to reinforce this distance, we have Bill eavesdropping outside, the voyeuristic audience stand-in, complaining about excessive noise and generally disapproving. 

If that doesn’t break the mood, there’s more awkwardness. They keep calling each other brother and sister while they go at it, a deliberately jarring move on the part of the writers (as well as a sarcastic in-joke aimed  at GoT’s incest plotline). There’s no sexy music, convenient lighting, or sensual camera angles to help us engage, either. They’re having sex in a filthy shipping container (again, no help from setting). Their behavior is affectionate and passionate, but not at all romantic. When his phone rings, they stop before climaxing and start arguing. They both remain partially clothed the whole time. There are just so many indications that this is fuck buddy sex lacking a shred of romance.

So while I’m enjoying their interactions, I’m not shipping them. 

I also don’t ship them, but do like their interactions too.And the way he loves is very tender.Its there in his affectate kiss at the cut short sex fest, and here when he is saying goodbye.

I think that’s the point. We are not supposed to ship them as a new romantic couple on TB. They are faux-siblings cum fuck-buddies. The best moment was when Eric kissed Nora on the forehead. That was the moment when everyone felt the familiarity and affection between them because it was reminiscent of how Eric interacts with Pam. Nothing in the dialogue or the sex itself was designed to really sell the Eric and Nora relationship.

And yes the gifs look sexier than the scene in the show because the lighting is better, the action is slower, and we get to admire more of Alex’s fine assets.

Agree with all of this actually! It WAS way too expository and the gifs do seem hotter than the actual scene. I am not shipping them either because it did feel a little out of the blue? And I too wondered about Eric so readily admitting that he loved his sister? That did seem a little weird to me! I don’t know that I buy that it was all a show for Bill’s benefit… But I was surprised by Eric’s open display of affection.
And yeah no romance between the two… Seemed very passionate and playful. Definitely a fuck-buddy vibe!

(Source: alexanderssskarsbrow)

True Blood 5 ratings down from last Season’s Premiere

ohiogurl:

The season five premiere of True Blood was watched by 5.2 million viewers, down 4% from last season’s premiere, but up 3% from the season 4 finale. A total of 6.3 million viewers  watched one of the show’s two airings on Sunday.

original

they didn’t drop that much and it’s Season 5 i think it’s pretty normal.

Since this season didn’t have the big draw of Eric/Sookie! Book 4! to draw in book fans and Eric/Sookie shippers, these numbers are actually pretty impressive. It was also competing against the season finale of Mad Men and the Tony Awards. The show’s ongoing popularity can also be read in the Facebook and Twitter posts on the episode. According to Bluefin, a company that analyzes responses in social media:

The episode generated more comments on social platforms than any previous premium-cable premiere in Bluefin’s historical data set, ranked second in comments for a cable drama season premiere (ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” is still tops by that measure) and came in sixth among any season premiere across all genres and networks.

It easily beat the Game of Thrones and Mad Men premieres in social media “buzz”.

The show remains popular, despite some pretty vitriolic critical pans. The show is very polarizing, as some reviewers LOVED it (USA Today, TV Overmind) and others hated it (the AV Club). In some cases, though, it’s a case of any publicity is good publicity. The AV Club has been incredibly negative about the show for some time now, but they keep recapping it because every recap garners a multitude of comments (averaging nearly 100 comments per episode). Even people who hate it love to talk about it, and why they despise it. I don’t understand the masochistic self-flagellation myself (I HATE this show—I must watch it weekly to discover what NEW thing I dislike), but it’s funny to read about. True Blood—an endless source of entertainment.

The numbers are pretty impressive for a 5th season. And this in spite of the supposed hordes of viewers who jumped ship after S4. And you are so right about True Blood attracting a specific kind of vitriol! I personally don’t need the show to adhere to the books or to even cater to my ships. You could even say that I something of an apologist for the show…! I have grown to love it over the years and its the one thing I look forward to every summer more than anything! It’s really really nice to be able to have that feeling.

(Source: luvtheviking)

Eric, aka Ike Applebaum

him-e:

luvtheviking:

trueblooddiaries:

Followers have expressed a variety of feelings concerning the first episode of Season 5, many with valid points that defy dismissal.  As it often is with True Blood, things can be viewed from a variety of perspectives.  Personally I loved it.

There are many who will disagree, but I enjoyed Eric.  Looking at things from his perspective, for over a thousand years he has closed himself off to love, especially human love.  As someone pointed out, the severity of his reaction indicates the depth of his hurt and feelings for Sookie.  Yes, he loves Pam, but he is fresh off the heartbreak of Sookie’s rejection.  He opened himself to her in a way he hasn’t to anyone since he was turned and probably even during his human life.  Could he have handled himself better?  Of course, but while Bill has had a year to adjust to his breakup with Sookie, it has just happened for Eric.  He is unable to extinguish his feelings for Sookie, even with combat-sex with Nora.  (At least Nora is someone with whom he has had a previously relationship and not just a fangbanger from Fantasia.)  I suspect he will be unable to deny his love for Sookie indefinitely.

Eric’s knee-jerk reaction to Sookie’s distress (“Fuck Sookie”) was just that, a thoughtless reaction.  His world is crumbling around him.  He and Bill have just killed a member of the Authority (Nan and her storm troopers), bringing their impending wrath and his probable execution; he is estranged from his child (Pam); and he has been rejected by the love of his existence.  It seems unfair to Sookie because she had saved his life, but he had saved Sookie’s life as well.  Yes, he’s pissed, confused, hurt, and he’s acting out in the only way he knows… self-preservation, which includes hiding his feelings.  We expect vampires to misbehave, but human men often react badly to rejection as well.  Though I don’t support his actions, I understand them.  At least he did finally decide to follow Bill, though they were unfortunately intercepted.  Some have speculated that this behavior is for Bill’s benefit.  That could very well be true.  Only time will tell.

Speaking of combat sex with Nora, I found that to be sexy.  The man is sexy no matter who he’s having sex with, but it was different from his Sookie lovemaking.  With Sookie we could see his love for her.  Clearly, sex with Nora was not lovemaking.  But, hey, the man looks good anyway.

What I believe we’re seeing with Eric is his struggle to integrate the new or hidden Eric with the old, and as if that weren’t enough, he is up to his eyeballs in vampire politics with his very life hanging in the balance.  Add to that a 3,000 year old vampire with a grudge.  That would put even Mary Poppins in a bad mood.

I basically agree with all of this^. I just want to point out that while with Sookie it was passionate lovemaking we didn’t see the ‘real’ Eric with Sookie (i know amnesia was part of the real Eric but ykwim lol) and even in the books “real” Eric is a little more ‘wild’ which is fine with Sookie. I can’t wait to see them back together making love (if this is going to happen which i really hope it will)

Eric’s scenes in this episode left me with a bitter aftertaste, for reasons that don’t have much to do with Sookie herself. I didn’t like the Eric/Nora thing, even though I was fully prepared and even determined to like Nora. And I actually like her, I think she is a very badass vampire, but the thing is that I’m not buying her as Eric’s sibling, simple as that. Their scenes were weird and forced and no matter which amount of “but Eric never mentioned Nora because he couldn’t expose the fact that he had a sister in the Authority” shit they try to spoon-feed me with, I cannot buy it.

At this point, I’m so confused that I don’t even know whom or which ship to root for anymore.

The rest of the episode was okay. I even liked Sookie. She was pretty badass, except when she almost revealed everything to Alcide, but I can understand her.

It’s ALWAYS fun to have True Blood back on my television and very little can sour the show for me.Though I have become divested of the rabid attachment that I had in the earlier seasons, I still love the show - warts and all.  And I am not a die-hard Eric/Sookie shipper this season either. Maybe the nine month hiatus and a little distance from the fandom, has made far more lukewarm about E/S than I used to be. But I am pretty sure that I will still feel all warm and gooey if and when Eric and Sookie finally re-unite…so it’s all good!

Eric/Nora - How ridiculously gorgeous is Nora? Sigh…I did not mind the sex scene itself. I did not think that it was melt-your-panties sexy the first time I saw it (it did feel just a little bit awkward,) but if I stare at some of those gifs long enough…damn! And that KISS…frankly, I think that’s the hottest kiss on TB, bar NONE. I don’t think any of it was meaningless, robotic, fuck-sookie-out-of-my-system sex either. I think that they were genuinely horny, missed each other, and just wanted to have some passionate and playful sex. Which they did. It’s not romantic love-making sure. But not everything has to be Narnia lovemaking (of which, frankly, less is more) for it to be meaningful. Would Eric have had sex with Nora if he were with Sookie? Probably not. But we would have probably never had a chance to find out. That entire scene would have likely never been conceived in the first place!

Also about Nora making an appearance out of the blue on the TB canvas - that’s just par for the course on the show!! The writers probably came up with this Authority plot around S4 and lo-behold we have a new Sister in the picture. It would only bother me if I believed that the writers had everything planned seasons in advance. I think that they pretty much make up the story as they go along. I am certain the overall arcs are consistent…but plots, characters…all of that are created ad hoc to suit the “story of the season.” That doesn’t really bother me. 

Eric/Bill - I just felt that it was too much too soon. The writers are definitely going for a “bromance” angle - the deleted script is proof of that. I don’t hate Bill with a raging passion…so I am generally okay with this. I see the two being tied at the hip for a few episodes at least. The sudden camaraderie did however feel a little too forced - but maybe they are commiserating with each other in the wake of the joint-rejection?  I personally don’t think that Eric/Nora were putting on any kind of show for Bill’s benefit. I just don’t see that kind of conspiracy theory ever panning out on True Blood. But what I do think is possible (not probable) however is that Bill becomes a turn-coat at the end of the season and Eric pays a high price for having been too trusting of the mendacious Mr.Compton. That would make for a good twist and is entirely within the realm of what this show can pull off.

Liked Jason/Jessica and Pam/Sookie/Laffy/Tara. Did not really care for much of Arlene/Terry or Sam/Luna stuff….

So basically it was an okay episode for me. I have seen much better writing - really sparkling in fact- on this show…so let’s just wait and see if it picks up in the future episodes.

When people start correcting grammar

luvtheviking:

face-down-askars-up:

in TB discussion threads I think it’s time for me to step away from tumblr for a few days. Stating an opinion that is contrary is expected and welcomed, being a grammar asshat is just being anal and rude.

There’s something really telling when you are a True Blood blog and you want to tumblr savior everything about it.

I hope this ends soon, but I know it won’t.  I don’t remember it being this bad last season.

it’s a common issue my dear. 

I do see a lot of bullying on Tumblr these days…especially from some posters who are ridiculously intransigent in their views, not to mention plain boorish and condescending in their expressions. I am so tired of the in-your-face bellicose shit, that I have semi-sworn-off Tumblr! I too sadly don’t see this changing anytime soon.

(Source: )