It is truly the end of an era. In the world of vampire fiction one of the greats has thrown in the towel. “True Blood” is beaten, bloodied, and will soon be out of its misery.

When originally released in 2008, popular culture was flooded with an abundance of the sexy monsters. Viewers quickly drew conclusions that “True Blood” was only a sexier version of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” As a result, critics were skeptical that this reincarnation would have the lasting power needed to pull away from the pack. Despite this, a cult-like following of Fangbangers, a committed group of Comic Con fans, emerged to carry the show to its subsequent seasons.

Slowly, the serialized sex-fueled drama gained critical acclaim. It was nominated for a slew of Golden Globes, Emmys, and its soundtrack grabbed a Grammy nod three years in a row.

Show Runner Alan Ball worked loosely from The Sookie Stackhouse Novels to create an enthralling mix of sex, violence, drugs, and romance that HBO viewers have come to know and love. The show revolves around vampires coming out of the coffin due to the introduction of True Blood, a vampire sustenance drink that provides the vamps an alternative to human blood.

As the show progressed it introduced a wealth of mythical creatures to the Louisiana town Bon Temps; werewolves, shifters, faeries and other enchanted beings soon called this one horse town home. These additions worked because they adhered to what the audience understood to be possible in the fantastic reality.

Both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic show the ascending and plummeting reviews of the show’s seven seasons. The third season being the highest-rated and likability cliff diving in season six. But why did this show with a recipe for success take such a nose-dive?

For a fantasy to be believable it has to have a definite physical world, rules of magic and a consistent reality. When you deviate, the suspended disbelief needed to enjoy a fantasy crumbles.

In the finale of season five there are two fatal errors. Russell Edgington is the oldest and most powerful vampire in existence but he meets his demise when he is caught off guard and staked through the heart by Eric Northman. He lived 3000 years for that? It was neither cathartic nor plausible for the viewers who had seen Edgington escape much worse.

Then there’s Billith. In the final scene of the finale Bill drinks a vial of ancient vampire blood with magical properties and meets the True Death. However, moments later he reemerges. Even in this world where everything seems possible, vampires don’t survive the aptly named True Death.

Season six only goes further down this departure from the fictional world’s limitations with Bill returning as a demi-god possessing a slew of unmatched powers, the ablity to walk in the sun, fly, survive stake and fire, and to round it out: telekinesis. It seems too preposterous for even the most dedicated of fans.

One idea that show creators will never be able to live down is the farfetched haunting of lovable Terry Bellefleur by a smoke monster, an idea that makes no sense in or out of context.

Season seven has attempted to return to what the show does best, the drama of Bon Temps. But after some hasty killings of main characters, fans are hesitant to see what follows. With only three episodes remaining all I can hope for is a quick and painless True Death for the series, and pray that it won’t return.

Published on August 4, 2014 at 2:00 am