True Blood
Nothing But the Blood
TV Flash files “Nothing But the Blood” as a desk essential hour — True Blood (2008–2014) on HBO, season 2, episode 1, aired 2009-06-14, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S02E01: listed hour 13 of 80 in the True Blood guide, first listed hour of season 2. It aired 2009-06-14 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “You'll Be the Death of Me” (S01E12). Next is “Keep This Party Going” (S02E02).
Essential hour: “Nothing But the Blood”. Nothing But the Blood reopens year two already addicted to the title's pun: undead politics as prestige soap, the small town still the stage.
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
A shocking murder outside Merlotte's has Bon Temps reeling. Meanwhile, Sookie's relationship with Bill is tested when she learns of his siring of Jessica, and of his involvement in her uncle's death. Sam recalls a shape-shifting encounter he had with Maryann as a 17-year-old. Jason gets a sudden windfall that allows him to pay for a leadership retreat with the Fellowship of the Sun. Two adversaries find themselves sharing a mysterious dungeon and, possibly, the same fate.
Viewer FAQ
Where does Nothing But the Blood sit in the True Blood guide?
S02E01 is listed hour 13 of 80 — first listed hour of season 2, season 2 episode 1.
When did True Blood S02E01 air?
Nothing But the Blood aired 2009-06-14 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Do I need the Charlaine Harris books?
No. Ball's HBO series is developed from The Southern Vampire Mysteries, but it plays as Louisiana supernatural soap — sex, gore, allegory — on its own fangs.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse falls into vampire politics when the undead mainstream with synthetic blood. Alan Ball's HBO adaptation of Charlaine Harris: Louisiana heat, sex, gore, civil-rights allegory. Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård — prestige pulp that knew it was pulp.
The first useful image is a bottle of synthetic blood, not a fang close-up. Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse falls into vampire politics when the undead "mainstream" into society with Tru Blood as cover story. Alan Ball developed Charlaine Harris's *The Southern Vampire Mysteries* for HBO; the series premiered September 7, 2008, and ran seven seasons through 2014. Anna Paquin stars beside Stephen Moyer's Bill, Alexander Skarsgård's Eric, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, and Nelsan Ellis's Lafayette. Louisiana…
Filed against
- Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse
Anna Paquin’s Sookie Stackhouse fell into True Blood’s vampire politics as a telepathic waitress — Louisiana heat, synthetic blood, Alan Ball’s HBO adaptation of Charlaine Harris as sex, gore, civil-rights allegory. Prestige pulp that…
- Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton
Stephen Moyer bit True Blood as Bill Compton — the vampire who walks a telepathic waitress into undead politics, synthetic blood as civil-rights allegory, Louisiana heat and prestige pulp. Alan Ball adapting Charlaine Harris for HBO. TV…
- Alexander Skarsgard as Eric Northman
Alexander Skarsgård’s Eric Northman made True Blood’s Louisiana vampire politics look expensive — 2000s catalog pulp, a thousand-year stare, prestige sex-and-gore with a civil-rights wink. Generation Kill and Big Little Lies kept the file…
- Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte
Sam Trammell's Sam Merlotte poured True Blood as Bon Temps bartender weather — telepathic waitress Sookie, vampire politics, synthetic blood, Alan Ball's HBO heat, sex, gore, civil-rights allegory. Prestige pulp needed a shape-shifter…
- Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse
Ryan Kwanten's Jason Stackhouse kept True Blood's Louisiana heat looking like a brother with a pulse — telepathic waitress Sookie falling into vampire politics, Alan Ball's HBO adaptation of Charlaine Harris, sex, gore, civil-rights…
- Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds
Nelsan Ellis’s Lafayette Reynolds cooked True Blood’s Louisiana heat into a reason to stay through the gore — Alan Ball’s HBO adaptation of Charlaine Harris, telepathic waitress, vampire politics, synthetic blood, sex, civil-rights…