Bite into the juicy details of the ‘True Blood Season Five’ Blu-ray

New on Blu-ray from HBO Home Entertainment is the latest season from HBO’s smash hit supernatural series “True Blood” with the release of Season Five. The show has garnered fans and acclaim with its very adult and racy take on the world of Vampires, Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Witches and other supernatural phenomenon, but also takes hints and inspiration from other shows and movies to mix into its blend. But is this season worth your purchase money?

True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Review

Starring: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Alexander Skarsgard, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Evans, Carrie Preston, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristen Bauer van Straten, Lauren Bowles, Joe Manganiello, Michael McMillan, Janina Gavankar, Denis O’Hare with Scott Foley, Valentina Cervi, Tina Majorino and Christopher Meloni

Created by Alan Ball

True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season finds Sookie (Paquin) triumphant over her climactic encounter with Marnie. However, her showdown with Debbie may have had fatal consequences for Tara (Wesley). Meanwhile, the denizens of Bon Temps are approaching a new crisis with the return of the thought to be dead Russell Edgington (O’Hare).  Bill (Moyer) and Eric (Skarsgard) are dropped in deep with the Authority and new threats from unexpected sources loom. Alcide (Manganiello) faces a new challenge with the death of the packmaster Marcus from season 4 and his continued allegiance to Sookie.

Season Five of True Blood sees the vampire civil war edge closer and closer to exploding out of control and Eric and Bill are caught directly in the middle of it. The season features some unique action sequences throughout the season as it builds the back story as well as the raunchy debauchery that True Blood has become famous for. The series has evolved to incorporate many similar features and aspects from other books/films like Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and even Harry Potter, but for the most point they have been able to incorporate them very nicely. The ‘love cube’ (instead of triangle) between Sookie and her paramours Bill, Eric and Alcide is straight out of Twilight but Paquin’s abilities as actress eclipse Kristen Stewart’s so thoroughly and completely it feels original and fresh. Of course the 2 Vampire love affair/protectors is reminiscent of the last seasons of Buffy and the spells and vampire ‘glamours’ remind one of Harry Potter’s potions classes.

The performances are solid, with the series being 5 years old now most of the actors have had years to learn their characters and their traits, but some of the actors do shine more than others. Moyer gets to flex some range here as his character gets further and further embroiled in the affairs of the Authority. Other regulars like Kwanten, Trammell, Ellis and Bauer get juicy sub plots to ‘sink their teeth’ into, but Wesley is captivating in her characters adaptation to her new circumstances. And Deborah Ann Woll really emerges here with her performance as Jessica as it becomes one of the best of the season. It should also be noted that Majorino and Meloni both add significant contributions in minor roles that despite their brief nature will have impact well beyond season 5.

The traditional settings of the Stackhouse residence and Merlotte’s bar are augmented with the usage of the more secretive lairs of the vampires and faeries. The faerie dominion in Bon Temps, in this case in the form of a secretive nightclub in alternate dimensional rift whose entrance is in the middle of an empty field, is a lavishly draped and seductive layer to lure in human and faerie alike. In stark contrast is the almost clinically cold and granite underground headquarters of the Authority, which is lavish in its own right, but belies the cold exterior and interior of the vampires that inhabit it. The effects work is excellent here as well; the team behind both the CGI and practical effects have honed their craft well and are on the top of their game this season.

The Blu-ray set is packed with special features which include, ‘True Blood Episode Six: Autopsy’ – an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how True Blood is made. ‘Authority Confessionals’ – Learn more about the mysterious institution known as The Authority. ‘Enhanced Viewing Mode’ – Character Bios, Vampire Histories and Hints/FYIs and the Flashback/Flash Forward option which allows the viewer to flashback to relive pivotal moments or Flash Forward to see the impact of their decisions. ‘True Blood Lines’ – the True Blood guide and archive, ‘Inside the Episodes’, audio Commentaries and previews & recaps. For anybody trying indoctrinate their friends and family into the show, the Enhanced Viewing Mode is excellent, along with the ‘True Blood Lines’ feature, for filling in the gaps and providing an entry point into the show.

The blood drenched fifth season of True Blood finishes with one of its biggest cliffhangers ever, something that is truly monumental and will drastically alter the course of the series for season six and epic battle that leaves blood everywhere. The finale, combined with some great writing this year, make the set a must own for fans of the show, and the extensive special features with in depth analysis of every aspect of the show means it will stay on your shelf for a long time.

Till Next Time

Movie Junkie TO

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