True Blood News at The Nest

Lorena and Bill

On a show that commingles sex and violence as a general rule, that last encounter between Bill and Lorena  may have shredded the envelope: testing the limits of vampire-on-vampire hate-sex, Bill twisted Lorena’s head completely around between thrusts — and true to Lorena’s malevolent nature, she loved it.

With True Blood resuming its run this weekend, she called up Movieline to discuss exactly how they made it work, why Lorena just can’t get over Bill, and how J.J. Abrams is inadvertently responsible.

So you had a very, shall we say, “head-turning” scene in episode three? You could say that. You could say “twisted.”

I’m sure you’re going to hear all of those jokes. We were making them on the day of filming, trust me.

Please tell me what your reaction was when you read that. I think my jaw dropped to the floor, and my initial thought was, “Oh, my poor parents.” [Laughs] There was sort of an anxiety about it, but upon reflection, I realized it was going to very much be a water-cooler scene for the season, and given the choice, I’d rather be in the water-cooler scene than not. I made my peace with it, although I’m nervous to actually see it! I’ve seen it in pieces because I had to go back and do sound for it, but I have not seen the finished product yet.

It’s insane. It was kind of insane, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, so many great scenes happen in episode three, and I don’t know that anyone will remember them when the last moment of the episode occurs.

The “twisted” sex scene between Bill Compton & Lorena is getting a lot of commentary in the blogosphere since the True Blood season 3 episode 3 entitled, “It Hurts Me Too” aired last Sunday. The much discussed scene has recently been listed in the Hall of Shame on the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) website. The article urges the audience to write to HBO to “tell them what you think about this violent, misogynistic scene in True Blood.”

I know that there are various reaction levels: of justice being done, acceptance, outrage & disgust provoked by this one scene. One thing is for sure, nobody has reacted with indifference. The question I am pondering after reading their take, is what if the roles had been reversed and it was a male vampire being so in “love” with the female vamp, that he compelled her to have sex with him and she was the one doing the twisting? Would that affect how we all interpreted this act?

Offender: Television show True Blood

Media Outlet: HBO, first airing 6-27-10

The Offense: Vampire Bill Compton has violent sex with his nemesis/”maker” Lorena, during which he twists her head around backward.

NOW’s Analysis: Here’s a quick backgrounder for the uninitiated: HBO’s True Blood is based on a series of books about vampires and other super-natural characters. The show frequently contains explicit sex and violence. Bill is a main character and romantic interest for the female lead, Sookie. Currently Bill is going through a personal crisis about loving a human while being controlled by vampire Lorena, who turned him into a vampire long ago and keeps popping up despite his attempts to break away from her. Lorena is the classic “bitch” character who viewers are encouraged to hate. Bill definitely despises her, but vampire rules compel him to follow his maker’s commands.

In this context, Lorena asks Bill to make love to her. He says “never” but proceeds to throw her on the bed and rip off her clothes. Apparently, he can’t stop himself from having sex with her, but in a form of protest, Bill literally twists her neck, turning her face around backward. He continues to have sex with her as the camera provides us with a wide shot that is disturbing, to say the least. Facing the floor, with blood spilling out of her mouth, Lorena proclaims to Bill that she still loves him.

True Blood might be make-believe, but the parallels to real life in this scene are too horrifying to ignore. The scene taps into a hatred of women that still exists in our society — a revulsion toward women with power and a desire to punish them for making men feel weak. Yes, we’re supposed to be shocked. This is our wake up call that Bill might not be a suitable lifemate for Sookie. But let’s forget for a minute who or what these characters are: Here is a scene that was written and filmed to allow viewers to watch a man have violent sex with a woman he hates so much he twists her head around, and she loves him all the more for it. Remember, the character of Lorena is fictional, her persona and actions are the creation of writers, directors and producers. She is presented, simultaneously, as a hideous, controlling “bitch” and a pitiful, deluded stalker. And while we are supposed to be disgusted by Bill’s violence, aren’t we given permission to believe, just a tiny bit, that this woman got what was coming to her? Bad girls deserve to get hurt, and, besides, they like it — right? Thanks, but no thanks, True Blood for this messed up depiction of women, men, violence and sex.

Walk of Shame

This week on True Blood, the weirdest on-screen orgasm ever, freeloading relatives and ill advised reunions demonstrate that families suck ass, heads in shopping bags and heads being twisted about and Pam giving awesome head, Sookie’s wardrobe takes a dive into the 1980′s bargain bin, a nice werewolf in a Henley (mmm, I like Henleys), and nobody does nihilism like Vampire Bill!

Ahh, one night stands, we’ve all been there, and if you haven’t, you kinda should, so you learn the full horror of waking up next to someone uglier than Bret Micheals and/or crazier than the woman off that Fatal Attraction movie (a fricking role model for Lorena if there ever was one), slipping discreetly out the door and doing the head down ‘OMG what have I just done?!’ facepalming walk of shame back to your house/coffin the next morning/evening. It’s all part of growing up, y’all. And suitably, the black and evil heart of Season 3 contains many a bitter lesson about bad sex and how love is to be avoided at all costs, especially vampire love. How come whenever anyone on True Blood has sex with a vampire except Sookie ‘I is Perfect’ Stackhouse, it’s totally gross? Remember crazy, bald headed eye flipping tattoo guy from Season 1? And now Franklin the hissing howling Tantric Sex weirdo. And Bill…oh dear, so many of my cherished and colourful sexual fantasies RUINED in one gut wrenching minute. I totally understand why he didn’t want to gaze upon the Black Widow while doing the ‘I hate myself and the world’ nihilistic deed, but surely a brown paper bag over her head would have been less disturbing?

Now I’ve dealt with that in an ass over tit fashion (and shall return to it at the end, because it was just so gob smackingly WTF), I have calmed down and can coolly skim through the jam packed episode without having to pause to scrub my brain yet again. And lets hope during the two week break I can claw back my horny glee over poor ole Vampire Bill, because a girl needs her X rated daydreams or she gets really fucking ratty. Seriously. Warning, this episode was long, and therefore this recap may be too much for short attention spans. I’m verbose, so bite me….or perhaps not, I’m kind of off vampires at the moment. Werewolves aren’t doing that much for me either, though new guy Alcide has a lovely, smoky voice doesn’t he? Shame he’s going to fall under the spell of Sookie along with everyone else and automatically lose his balls. Even Eric’s been lacking in supervillain snark lately. That girl eh? Nothing but trouble, and she hasn’t done a lot to prove her worth this season except run around yelling ‘Beeeeeell!’.

Eww, I know he's going to taste like greasy dog...

Speaking of the rather subdued Northman, Sookie’s just shot him after he did the slow mo ‘noooooo’ jumpy thing between the gun and the werewolf in her lounge, because some information on who sent the wolf would be useful before offing his hairy ass. Wolfie turns back into the creepy ginger biker from the woods last week, who being a junkie, loses focus as soon as he scents Eric’s tasty blood.

Surprisingly, Eric is a bit weak and unsteady and gets chomped a couple of times before throwing off the nekkid dude. Prior to ripping his throat out (after spotting the rune on his neck) Sookie picks up the word ‘Jackson’ from the biker’s mind. Come on, Eric totally knows where these werewolves are coming from and who has Bill, doesn’t he? Why is he not sharing? No matter whether he tells Sook about King Russell or not, she’s gonna stage a daring rescue attempt eventually, so it’s not about her safety. Meh, it must be more twisty vamp politics.

LOL...Russell prays for better behaved houseguests.

In Jackson, crispy fried Lorena is unfortunately not dead, but hilariously pissed off. So is Talbot, as a prized tapestry was used as a fire blanket. Russell is vexed at this show of bad manners, and Bill is triumphant and fangy for a brief second. Alas, it doesn’t last, as the King is the master of sinister yet gracious reality checks.

Due to Lorena selling him out, Bill has two deeply unpleasant options if he doesn’t join the Mississippi Dark Side- watch Ms Stackhouse get killed in an inventive fashion by the jealous bitch ex, or turn her.

He’s completely and utterly screwed, and due for a long and disturbing flashback to really put the boot into his self worth and fragile grasp on humanity, and indeed his sanity. I am wondering whether Russell poking him on the forehead was a dream trigger of sorts? He is freaking old and powerful. Hmm…anyhoo, are any not-mental vampires going to be part of the plot this year?  I’m weary of all these eeeeeeeeeeevil vamps already. The Great Revelation had a point, right?

'I wish you horrible dreams...'

As I fume, Tara is having the multiple of her life in a cheap motel, but somehow it just looks odd and not very exciting what with the eye flickering and rolling, and since when could vampires bestow drawn out, tedious orgasms by howling a bit? Mysterious British vampire Franklin has a smexy accent and a good line in pillow talk, and is clearly a kinky bastard, but Tara quite rightly wants to get the hell out of that room and do the walk of shame back to Lafayette’s. My ‘spot the bastard’ radar is going OFF, and I despair of Tara ever getting out of her victim hole this year, as he’s SO not going to leave her alone.

HBO is just chock full of post-episode goodies for us. Enjoy!

Source

Jessica made a v-log entry last night after her surprise guest left Bill’s house.

Source

Hey people, already pissed off about having to wait a whole week to find out what the hell is going on? Well, here’s the preview for Episode Three to puzzle over. I’m still way too excited. I need another big ass drink. Enjoy!

Fans got a sneak peek of Andy Mackenzie in the number three teaser released by HBO. Mackenzie has a long list of credits under his belt from CSI to My Name is Earl and although it may look as if he can only play a Creepy Biker Dude, his acting ability is versatile. Just check out his demo reel and you will see why we quickly became Mackenzie fans.

We caught up with Andy while he was filming Burn Notice in sunny South Florida to ask him about his experience on True Blood and how he got the part of “Creepy Biker Dude.” Andy was nice enough to take a break from shooting guns from a Harley to share his experience on the set of True Blood, his vast knowledge of the industry, his band 33Degree and what’s up next in his career.

Andy Mackenzie: Oh, the “Creepy Biker.”  I actually have three different character names.  Starts with “Creepy Biker,” then “Wolf,” then shifts into “Biker” while I’m fighting with Eric.  You’ve seen some of that scene in one of the behind-the-scenes teasers.

The casting was a lot of fun.  It’s always crazy not knowing how it’s going to go and what the casting assistant is going to do when there’s action involved.  Not to mention, the room could’ve comfortably seated six but walked into eight, plus me. Read the material, did it pretty much how I wanted to do it; Alan simply replied “Fantastic.”  I left proud and pleased.

I did shoot two eps, “Beautifully Broken” (302) and “It Hurts Me Too” (303).  When I booked the role, I knew I would be showing 99 percent of my skin and I had about six weeks to hit the gym extra hard.  So, that was my life for those weeks.  Who knows if it will show?  The first ep was quick for me, not much for me to do.  Second ep was cool.  Alex and I spent some time chit chatting and reminiscing about some mutual Swedes and Finns.  We may get us all together sometime.  Between the chit chats was definitely different for me.  Stunts have been a big part of the job anyway but naked stunts are something else.  No place for pads.  “Closed set?”  Nah. I’m not shy.  Maybe Alex, since he had to …

People have seen the first three episodes of Season 3… And naturally, they’re blogging about them.

I’m torn about spoilers. Part of me (that would be the fan(g)) has no self-control. On the other hand, the sensible part of me doesn’t want to know, and that side of my brain has always regretted major spoilers.

For the moment, at least, the sensible side of me is beating my fan(g) into submission. But the Nest is committed to bringing you the most up-to-date information that we can. You can decide for yourself if you dare to know…

I haven’t read it, but televisionaryblog.com is the place to be if you’re hungry for more and just can’t wait.

Edit: Okay, so I made it about an hour before reading… *hangs head in shame* Actually, it’s a very well-written over-view, and it doesn’t give away spoilers (nothing that the Nest hasn’t already posted). I have a feeling that’s a contractual thing, but whatever the reason, I’m extremely grateful. All it served was to fan the flames of my enthusiasm for Season Three (not that I needed any help, but still). It seems as though Alan Ball and his team of writers brought their A game, and I cannot wait!

Lil Mirkk

Although I don’t recall a casting call going out, IMDb has Lil Mirkk listed as Trey for 4 Season 3 episodes (“It Hurts Me Too,” “9 Crimes,” “Trouble,” and the currently untitled 3.11).

A last name for the character is not listed, so I’m not sure if this is Trey Dawson, who appeared in the later books, or if he’s some other character who happens to have the same first name.

He doesn’t look how I pictured Trey, but then again, they never ask for my opinion on these things.

UPDATE: Lil Mirkk’s people have been kind enough to let us know that he’s NOT playing Trey Dawson. He’ll be another character who happens to have the same first name. Thank you to them for the clarification.

Andy Mackenzie

You may remember a casting call that went out awhile ago for True Blood season 3, episode 2:

[CREEPY BIKER] This biker/werewolf menaces Sookie, but just might find she’s not the easy victim he anticipated…1 line, 1 scene MAY RECUR

It looks like Andy MacKenzie has been added to the cast and will portray this Creepy Biker! He’s been on the set this week and shared these photos. What do you think? Does he look creepy enough to scare our heroine?

Seems like Sookie’s at Merlotte’s already folks! I can see her POS car parked right in front!

Hey Andy, how do we get True Blood bottles with skulls on them?

Andy will appear in episodes 2 (Beautifully Broken)  & 3 (It Hurts me Too). Andy has been in a gazillion films and TV and also will appear in the MacGruber film to be released this April.