True Blood

Episode 1 - Strange Love 9/7/2008 Edit details Across the country, vampires have “come out of the coffin” following the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood. In Louisiana, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a waitress with telepathic abilities, falls under the spell of sexy, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) – whose thoughts she can’t read. After saving Bill from the Rattrays (James Parks, Karina Logue), a pair of ruthless “vampire drainers,” Sookie tests the limits of Bill’s gratitude when the two are left alone in the dark. Meanwhile, Sookie’s best friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) goes to work for Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) at his bar and grill, while Sookie’s roguish brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten) finds himself in hot water when a “fangbanger” with whom he’s been intimate meets a tragic end.

Written and directed by Alan Ball.

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Episode 2 - The First Taste 9/14/2008 Edit details Bill returns Sookie’s favor by rescuing her from the Rattrays’ revenge, healing the wounded waitress with his own blood and leaving her with temporarily heightened senses. After being invited into Gran’s (Lois Smith) house for a “get-to-know-you” gathering with Jason and her family, Bill joins Sookie for a nocturnal sojourn. They end up at Bill’s dilapidated antebellum estate, where he fights off his primal vampire urges for the acquiescent Sookie. Later, Sookie’s desires get the better of her as she returns to Bill’s – and is greeted by a gaggle of his bloodthirsty vampire friends.

Written by Alan Ball; directed by Scott Winant.

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Episode 3 - Mine 9/21/2008 Edit details Foiled in their attempt to “glamour” Sookie, vampires Malcolm (Andrew Rothenberg), Liam (Graham Shiels) and Diane (Aunjanue Ellis) make a hasty retreat after Bill lays claim to the waitress. At Merlotte’s, Sam seeks a short-term remedy to his long-term loneliness, while Tara seeks respite from her mother’s alcohol-fueled rage. Spurned by Dawn (Lynn Collins) for lack of performance, Jason turns to Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), Merlotte’s short-order cook, for help with his problem.

Written by Alan Ball; directed by John Dahl.


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Episode 4 - Escape From Dragon House 9/28/2008 Edit details .

Another killing in Bon Temps finds Jason back in custody with officers Andy (Chris Bauer) and Bud (William Sanderson). Tara gets him off the hook, but neither she nor Lafayette has the antidote to his current ailment. Urged by Gran to use her telepathic abilities to weed out the murderer and exonerate her brother, Sookie persuades Bill to take her to a Shreveport vampire bar called Fangtasia, where she impresses a dominant Nordic bloodsucker named Eric (Alexander Skarsg?rd) with her prescient powers. Later, Bill demonstrates his own considerable powers when an abusive patrolman stops the couple on their way home.

Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.


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Episode 5 - Sparks Fly Out 10/5/2008 Edit details Spurned by an exasperated Sookie (Anna Paquin), Bill (Stephen Moyer) ends up winning over Adele’s (Lois Smith) church audience with his vivid recollections from the Civil War, though Andy (Chris Bauer) and Bud (William Sanderson) remain suspicious. Sam (Sam Trammell) tries to make the most of his opportunity with Sookie, though she’s clearly not ready to commit. Ignoring Tara’s (Rutina Wesley) rebuff, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) convinces Jason (Ryan Kwanten) to give vampire blood, aka “V juice,” another shot. Alone at home, Bill remembers the painful wartime incident that changed his fate forever.

Written by Alexander Woo; directed by Daniel Minahan.

Episode 6 - Cold Ground 10/12/2008 Edit details Numbed by tragedy, Sookie looks for refuge from the cacophony of her friends’ and neighbors’ inner voices. After lashing out at his sister and decking Andy, Jason wrestles with withdrawal symptoms from his V juice habit. Tara resists the overtures of her mother Lettie Mae (Adina Porter), who’s trying to rid herself of a demon and needs her daughter’s help. Sam and Tara make a connection in their mutual search for “something real.”

Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Nick Gomez.

Episode 7 - Burning House Of Love 10/19/2008 Edit details Sookie’s painful childhood revelation about her Uncle Bartlett spurs Bill into action. Despite her skepticism, Tara agrees to pay for an exorcism to purge Lettie Mae of a demon. In search of V juice, Jason travels to Fangtasia, where he bonds with an adventurous young woman named Amy (Lizzy Kaplan). A trio of rednecks decide to exact vigilante justice on a pack of vampires who crashed Merlotte’s in search of their wayward mate Bill.

Episode 8 - The Foruth Man In The Fire 10/26/2008 Edit details Sookie tries to hold herself together in the wake of another possible tragedy. Tara is amazed by Lettie Mae’s turnaround, and considers similar therapy for herself after lashing out at Sookie and Sam. Jason’s new squeeze Amy charms the crowd at Merlotte’s, but shows a darker side to Jason when their V juice well runs dry. Rene (Michael Raymond James) pops the question to Arlene (Carrie Preston) while Sookie is baby-sitting her kids. Later, at Bill’s request, Sookie agrees to use her gifts to help Eric (Alexander Skarsg?rd), a powerful vampire sheriff, root out a thief at Fangtasia.

Written by Alexander Woo; directed by Michael Lehmann.

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Episode 9 - Plaisir D’Amour 11/2/2008 Edit details

Episode 10 - I Don't Wanna Know 11/9/2008 Edit details

Episode 11 - To Love is to Bury 11/16/2008 Edit details

Episode 12 - You'll Be the Death of Me 11/23/2008 Edit details