Feeling It Out: Journaling About True Blood (some spoilers)

So, do to extenuating circumstances, I wasn't able to watch last night's season premier of True Blood until tonight... and honestly I wasn't really looking forward to it anyway.  Let's be real, the show has been going a bit downhill lately.  In my humble opinion it's been going down hill since season 2, and yet I continue to watch, mostly for my favorite characters.  Even the Nudity and Adult Content warning at the beginning of Sunday nights premier episode couldn't cheer me up.  Here's what I think happened to True Blood and how it just may save itself.

I'm one of those people who read the books.  Not all of them, I stopped reading once the show had gotten so far away from the original material watching became unbearable.  But there is something the books do very well that the show utterly utterly fails at.  The books are from Sookie's point of view, so there isn't room for a million different characters and plot lines.  In fact, half the characters that share the book and the TV show are either dead, in jail, or such minor characters that they hardly show up.  Alan Ball doesn't have... well the balls that GoT's David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have.  He is just unable to kill characters, so much so, that when characters die it is almost a relief.  Unfortunately, for every character they kill, two more are magically added.  There are just TOO MANY PLOT LINES!  TOO MANY!  We do NOT need to have every single character having their own separate story.  It's overwhelming!  Just because characters are popular with the audience does not mean that a) they have to stay alive or b) if you keep them alive they need their own plot.  Watch the Red Wedding and learn something Ball.

But, the season premier is looking up.  Here are the pros and cons of the first episode:

Pros:

1. Bill was not stuck as crazy blood soaked Billith.  We seem to somewhat have our old gentlemen Bill back.
2. They seem to be headed back to an Eric/Sookie love story, which is a huge part of the books.  I know she rescinded his invitation, but HE LOVES HER SO MUCH!
3. Despite my hatred of so many characters having their own plots, the Andy fairy babies plot adds much needed humor to the reining Billith plot line.
4. Pam is fucking awesome.
5. Sam's girlfriend died.  I know I'm awful, but somebody had to go.
6. Most of the characters are entangled in the Billith/Warlow plot which revolves around Sookie.  As they should.

Cons:

1. Didn't Jason do this already?  Like twice?
2. What the hell is going on with the werewolves?  I have no idea why this plot exists, how it effects Sookie, what happened to the relationship between Sookie and Alcide, why they are all still on V...  the of whys and whats involving this plot is endless.
3. What the hell is Sam doing in life?  
4. When the fuck did Tara become the wise voice of reason?  WHO ARE YOU TARA?!
5. I hate Eric's sister.  I don't understand why she exists.  I'm on Pam's side all the way.
6. The Governor.  Great.  A new character.

It's too soon to tell if the show will turn around, because honestly I almost stopped watching last season.  Here's to hope!  Praise Billith.