As fans of this show, we have a right to air our grievances and have our voices heard. We have sat back for too long, season after season, waiting and hoping that the writers and powers that be would take our concerns to heart. Every season, we end up disappointed in the overall quality of the show. It appears the only concern they took to heart is the multiple storylines that have nothing to do with the main. Bucky and company, that was just the tip of iceberg.
We are a shipper site, hence the name but most of us know that particular ship has sailed. I am fine with it as Sookie does not need a man to define her and Eric deserves someone who knows what she wants. The best thing about Season 6, hands down was Eric as his story was the most compelling while the rest fell short and was lackluster. Ben/Warlow had awesome story potential but it was wasted by simply tying him to a gravestone.
The only thing that would have made Eric BETTER(is that even possible?) this season was to utilize him more in the more Warlow plot, it would have been an interesting dynamic but seeing as how Ben’s supposed power was underscored, Eric would have easily kicked his ass, just like Jason did. I found the execution of Ben extremely boring and not well thought out, seeing as Bill; infused with the blood of Lilith COULD NOT be staked and killed but Ben can when they have the same blood flowing through their veins?
HOW LAME!
We can’t continue to sit back and NOT let the writers know how badly they are dropping the ball. TV critics have been saying the same things we are and yet nothing has changed. We are still getting characters that end up being ‘much ado about nothing’ and plots that make no sense. I don’t know about anyone else but that finale was craptastic and I felt like the inhabitants of Bon Temps were taken away on the MOTHER SHIP and were replaced by aliens. STEPFORD BON TEMPS ANYONE? INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS? Who were these masked people?
So before the writers get their heads together and start plotting out their usual story for this next season that hopefully (after this) won’t be as crappy as the last three, we thought an OPEN LETTER was in order. If we have to post it everywhere and anywhere to get the attention of the powers that be then so be it. If it ends up being a total waste of time, we can say we at least tried and our efforts still won’t be as bad as the season 6 finale was. So without further ado, here is another OPEN LETTER and here is hoping that it gets taken seriously this time.
An Open Letter to Brian Buckner:
I don’t know about anyone else but I watch television to escape but that does not mean that the show I am watching has to be utterly ridiculous and void of any real-life substance, delights, repercussions or consequences. We may use TV as an escape of the mundane but that does not mean that TV should not be mirrored with some reality. I read something somewhere and it was wise in that in real life there is no ‘reset’ button and there should not be one in shows either. It is time to wake up the True Blood writers and give them a reality check of their own.
This is NOT about ‘ships’ in this fandom and I am not trying to tell you how to do your job or how to run your show but I am going to tell you about your lack of respect for this fandom. There have been many a time that fans of this show have expressed their concerns about this show and for the most part, those concerns are largely ignored by the powers that be at HBO and True Blood. I guess we need to express those concerns again but this time with much detail.
It does not take a rocket science to discover that this show continues to make any sense at all, no matter who tries to spin it. Every time I think they are going to do something HUGE from something that occurred previously or with one of their so called fantastic plots (Warlow), they do nothing with it and therefore missing out on a huge opportunity to really shock or surprise the masses and give the viewer some satisfaction and reward for watching. Instead we get nothing for our efforts, it is maddening. As far as I am concerned, it all amounts to ‘much ado about nothing’ for all the energy (or lack thereof) they put into it.
1. Continuity
The story being told from season to season should adhere to the already previously established mythology or plot points. The writers cannot change things on a whim with no regard to something they have made crystal clear. It is flat out lazy and makes the writing team look incompetent. The fans remember every bit of what has been said and done previously and they do not appreciate being treated as fools.
2. The overall plot
Outside of continuity, fans want a story that is complete and concise with no glaring plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon. You can’t just write something and let it go at the drop of a hat like it was nothing. Case in point: Jason and the whole hotshot mess, we had to sit through that man being gang-raped and then be told it was his comeuppance for the way he treated woman. Now, we get him stuck in this ridiculous relationship with a bitchy female vampire whose character seems pointless. I would have much rather we kept Ben/Warlow who could have actually brought something to the story; instead we get this vampire who is a bossy, jealous witch and Jess’s new vampire James, who happens to sing in a band. BORING! Who cares if a vampire is a singer in band? Talk about terrifying! There are many more examples but who wants to go there or watch it.
3. RINSE, LATER AND REPEAT
Every year it is the same thing. A New season means a new villain and always a one season villain who turns out to NOT be much of a villain. Ben/Warlow was touted to be the BIG BAD and this strong UBER hybrid but he ended up being written into a corner that the writers could not get him back out of. He spent the majority of the season tied to a gravestone and showing little of his almighty powers until the final moments of the finale. This was a complete and total waste of a gifted actor and to a character that could have brought something great to the table.
Alex and Rob have a natural quality to them that sets them apart from the others and Rob should have been used to the max. Along with the character of Eric (who always entertains and brings such goodness to the table) Ben was adding new life to the show and he was wasting away in a cemetery. It was a shame really as there could have been so many things that could have happened with this character. For as strong as he was touted to be, he was taken out much too easily and ended being a big joke. I feel bad for Rob as his talents were not used to their full potential.
I am also tired of hearing about Bill and about how he can he be forgiven. Every season, it is the same thing, over and over. The writers say they don’t want Bill to be an asshole but yet they constantly write him that way. They always have him doing something very, very bad and it is always something or someone else’s fault. There is always the ‘redemption’ of Bill but yet he has really done nothing wrong, according to you writers. This is where fans of the show get irritated. You cannot have a character, such as Bill who has done one bad thing after another and there are no repercussions or consequences to his actions.
In fact, he gets rewarded, every time. You cannot ‘reset’ Bill for he is too far gone and people are tired of this happening. There has to be some reality here mirrored in with the fantasy, otherwise it gets old and stale. Quite frankly, this story of Bill you are telling has been stinking of the final death for a while now, end it will you or breathe new life into it. At least, something the fans can appreciate and get satisfaction from. I am so over your love and obsession with Bill Compton, it is bringing the show down. Bottom line, where all areas of the show are concerned, you need to quit doing the same old tired stuff. Surely, you are capable of it.
One thing that stood out to me was that you felt you had to appease the Eric fans somehow because you knew how they would feel about his ‘supposed’ death. I am all for nudity but it has to be done right and NOT mass marketed as a way to try to appease people for the supposed death. We knew he was not dead but it should have been a proper cliffhanger and we should not have been appeased with the ‘tonight you will see more of Eric than you ever have before’. Others in this fandom might fall in line with the ‘I am okay as long as I get to see him nude’ but it does not fly with me.
I don’t know about anybody else but I want more for my buck and if your show cannot deliver anything more than stupid plots that end up going nowhere why should I watch it with any seriousness or give it accolades? Mocking it would make more sense at this point. I prefer quality over quantity any day of the week.
You and your team of writers cannot seem to remember what they have said and done as far as already established myth and change it to suit their plot needs at the time. Fans remember everything because they are PAYING ATTENTION! It really is a kick in the gut when fans concerns over a series they spent time writing about on a blog is largely ignored and we are told to trust them. Sorry, you have proven you cannot be trusted. Fans can still make or break a show and so it is important to remember that if you don’t ‘give us what we want, we WILL go away’ and then the show will just be mocked mercilessly. All fans really want is a consistent, exciting story that makes cohesive sense. I really don’t think that is too much to ask.
I don’t like wasting my time so the True Blood powers that be need to prove to me and other fans that they are worthy of being promoted in the manner of which they are used to. Why should I or anyone else back a show when it writers constantly sling crap our way? Anyway, the ball is in their court, put up or shut up! There is no magical reset button in some or any of these issues and there is no going back and there are repercussions and consequences to actions taken and they cannot be ignored any longer.
Sincerely,
Unsatisfied Disappointed Fans
Well, there you have it folks. It might end up being a HUGE waste of time but it needed to be done. Let’s face it, we have wasted our time on much worse things than this. Here is hoping that the writers take heed and give us something more for our buck than shit for I am tired of scrapping it off my shoes!
As usual sound off below and share it with your friends. This is Nymerias, stepping down off her soapbox now.
