No one vampire is alike, they are each unique in their own way much as the same as a human being but not quite the same. I believe some of the traits they once had as humans remain but it becomes jaded with time and the power an immortal has over a human being changes them. An immortal does not die a human death all over again and they feel quite superior. What does one do when living an immortal life? Do vampires change and grow as an individual with the times the same as the music and lifestyles change for humans or do they stay the same as when made? Ah but that is the question.
Bill Compton and Eric Northman from True Blood are as different as night and well night, quite frankly. Bill Compton is described as a southern gentleman who has found his humanity and is a noble and just vampire. Eric Northman is described as a calculating, selfish and manipulative vampire who would only do something if it benefits him in some way. This is what we are told but it is not what we are shown. What we see are two different things when it comes to these two vampires.
Bill is not the vampire that we have been led to believe he is, in fact what we have seen on the show is in direct contrast of what is said. It started with him killing Sookie’s Uncle Bartlett, a man who was feeble and in a wheelchair and not a danger to anyone. The man should have died in peace and it does not matter that he was a pedophile. God would have dealt with him. Then we see him in 1920’s Chicago playing his little games with Lorena taking advantage of innocent people by draining and killing them. It has also been noted that he was doing the same thing in 1905 San Francisco, again with Lorena. I will concede that he asked Lorena to let him go as he said he was tired of the killing but then how do we know that this was true? The fact is that we don’t know and we might never know.
Judging from the fact that he went from maiming and killing to procuring innocent people to serve as food and/or slaves for Kings and Queens, I don’t see how this is someone who has found their humanity. It is of my opinion that just because he did not kill those he fed off of does not mean that he had any regard for humanity and actually wanted to mainstream. One has to take into account that he used Sookie as his own personal soda fountain. The scariest thing about the Mendacious Bill Compton is that you don’t know who he really is and what he is all about. He has been living a life of lies and been in denial about his true nature for so long that I don’t think he even knows anymore.
Eric Northman is not the vampire that we have been led to believe he is as well. Eric is ruthless, calculating and can be manipulative when it comes to something he wants but there is the underlying compassion and sincerity in his words that we can all see. It is all just a front to protect him from further pain. One does not live a thousand years without putting up barriers. We saw first-hand how losing his human family affected him. We saw how loving and loyal he was to Godric when he met the True Death. We saw the love he has for Pam and how much it pained him to release her. They say that “if you love something or someone you have to let it go”.
We have seen just how much Sookie has affected him over time and how he fell in love with her. It pains him that they are not together but he is back to his old ways of acting like he does not care, back to the wall that he built around himself for protection. He cannot and will not put trust her with his heart again. Eric comes off as how he is described but one only has to look beneath the surface to see the real Eric.
I guess the question we need to ask ourselves is this: Is there a reason, a master plan so to speak, of why these two vampires are spoken about one way but written another? I would like to think there is a master plan but I cannot be sure because True Blood does not stick to its guns. I think that may be the most disappointing thing about the show, that it seems to be all ‘much ado about nothing’. That is sad, my friends, very sad as it once held so much promise.
What do you think of my ‘Tale of Two Vampires’? Sound off below.
