Steve Newlin has gone through quite the transformation on True Blood since the first time we saw him lobbying against vampire rights in Season 1. Nowadays he’s the new face of vampire rights movement having replaced Nan Flanigan, he’s participating in blood baths with his fellow vampires, and he’s cozying up to Russell Edgington (Denis O’Hare). McMillian sat down with TV Guide recently and talked about the Russell/Steve firtation, Steve’s survival instincts, and the upcoming battle between main-streamers and Sanguinista’s.
After poor Steve was shot down when he confessed his love to Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten), it seemed like love was out of the question for the newly turned vampire. The writers obviously had other plans! Both Russell and Steve have been extremely funny this season and pairing them up was a genius move. McMillian tells TV Guide that he thinks that Steve is very attracted to power and right now Russell is most certainly holding a lot of that. He goes on to say that while there is a similarity to the love that Russell had with Talbot, the romance with Steve is unique and contains a lot of humor. When asked if he thinks it is a good idea for the two characters to be associated right now given the war that seems to be on the horizon between Sanguinista’s and main-streamers, McMillian had this to say:
That would depend on whether or not Russell really is the ultimate enemy. I think the two of them are both acting in their personal best interests. You’ll see that as the season plays out. I think Steve is really happy that he’s not being killed off and is allowed into the Authority. I think he just can’t believe his luck. He’s a survivalist. He is going to go wherever he thinks he’s going to do best.
As for Jason, McMillian says that we will see more interaction between Steve and Jason and that ultimately that was Steve’s first love.
Now, for a PR representative we would think that the major bloodshed that happened in New Orleans could be hard to spin to the public, and apparently Steve will be earning his keep. McMillian says that as the war between the two movements heats up, Newlin will be called upon to do his job. But just what will that entail? His predecessor spent her time reassuring humans that vampires were just like them and that there was nothing to fear. The Authority seems to be adopting a completely new approach now and whether or not the majority of vampires fall in line remains to be seen. McMillian says that the second half of the season will really focus on those portion of vampires that were only complying to obey the law and whether this new message from the powers that be can bring down the mainstreaming idea all together.
What do Russell, Steve and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) have in common? According to McMillian they are all survivalists. He tells TV Guide that he thinks that the heart of Eric’s struggle is getting Nora (Lucy Griffiths) out in one piece, and not that he necessarily champions the mainstreaming movement.
One thing that has surprised Eric and fans alike in this storyline, is the seeming personality change that Bill (Stephen Moyer) has undergone. Bill has spent four seasons promoting mainstreaming but he can now be found giving advice to bomb Tru Blood factories worldwide. Has he fallen under the spell of Lilith or is he just playing along? McMillian isn’t saying either way but he confirm that everyone has an agenda:
It’s interesting because I think that Bill has always clearly been a mainstreamer at heart. As far as we know, the only people he’s really fed on are people that he’s been in a relationship with. I think everyone’s playing a game at this point. I think he keeps his cards close to his chest. Obviously, he was keeping a secret from Sookie for three seasons that he had been sent there by Sophie to spy on her originally. Whether or not Bill is falling into step with the Authority and the new agenda is a bit of a mystery in the second half of the season.
Season 5 is coming to a close all too soon and McMillian says that for his character the last few episodes will be on whether or not Steve can balance his job as the face of the AVL, and his baby vampire hormones and instincts. Let’s hope they keep Steve and Russell together because watching them flirt and be playful has been a highlight this season.
Source: TVGuide.com – True Blood: Steve Newlin Finds a New Friend in Russell Edgington
Image Credit: HBO, Inc.
