Many fans were left scratching their heads and wondering if they had tuned into AMC’s The Walking Dead when the very last scene of True Blood Season 6 aired. A rabid band of vampires were approaching Bellefleur’s (previously called Merlotte’s) where a large group of Bon Temps residents were attending a special social organized by Sam Merlotte, the new mayor of Bon Temps. This group of ravenous vampires are infected with Hep V. They are sickly with blood running down their chins and moans a-plenty between them. With this, fans immediately took to social media to draw the comparison between the vampires of True Blood and the zombies of The Walking Dead.
But is this what True Blood showrunner, Brian Buckner, has in store for Season 7?
And why are these Hep V infected vampires living longer than Nora (Lucy Griffiths) did when she was first infected?
Here’s what Brian Buckner had to say to TVLine’s Michael Ausiello:
We did say that the virus had mutated, and we get to decide what those mutations are. Perhaps the demand for human blood goes up and that’s the only thing that keeps vampires with Hep V alive… That’s another reason for the time passage. Just like bacteria mutates and that’s why there are antibiotic-resistant strains. So what applied to Nora doesn’t necessarily apply to this gang. And they’re not zombies… In my somewhat limited zombie-genre experience, zombies are not organized. They’re just hunting-killing machines. So what was meant to come across there was that they’re organized, they’re in a formation, they’re hunting, they’re sentient, they can talk. They still have intellect.
Buckner also confirmed with Entertainment Weekly that the Hep V infected vampires are a little different to the vampires we are used to on True Blood:
They’re weaker and driven by a need to eat in a way that the vampires that we’ve come to know are not. They have to drink human blood in larger quantities and more frequently than before.
It also appears that there was concern among the writers that the last scene of True Blood Season 6 would draw The Walking Dead comparisons, something they didn’t necessarily want. They really didn’t want fans thinking they were jumping on the zombie bandwagon. However, with sick vampires on the loose, mutating and looking for human prey, it was hard not to create a scene like this. There was, however, a definite reassurance that True Blood Season 7 would not follow the path of the zombie.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources: TVLine - True Blood Scoop: Alexander Skarsgard’s Season 7 Fate Revealed! Plus — EP Talks That Nude Scene, Bill-Sookie-Alcide Triangle and More
Entertainment Weekly - ’True Blood’ season finale: EP Brian Buckner answers burning questions
(Photo Credit: HBO Inc.)
