James Frain as Franklin Mott
Franklin Mott sauntered into Merlotte’s (after breaking into Bill’s house and stealing Sookie’s file and Jessica’s random dead trucker) and asked Tara is she had any TruBloods, a question very similar to Bill’s opening line to Sookie. But there the similarities ended. Deliciously creepy from the beginning (and with those pointy-boots and freakishly long fangs, how could he be anything but villainous?), Franklin fell in love (and bloodlust) with Tara as he helped her beat the ever-living-snot out of the rednecks who meant to defile where Eggs was killed. He was drawn to her fuckedupness (to use Lafayette’s term), seeking a mirror to his own twisted inner-self. Tara was full of anger and hopelessness, and Franklin saw in her his own instability and darkness.
As a “procurer” for Russell Edgington, Franklin had a long history of disastrous relationships that ended badly. Both Russell and Talbot seemed less than thrilled by his turning up at the palace with Tara in tow. Franklin openly admitted to blacking out and waking up surrounded by body parts when the objects of his affection tried to get free from his clutches. He was the kind of guy who gave women eye-rollingly-incredibly orgasms, but wouldn’t bite when they wanted him to, only when they were afraid. He had no qualms about using glamour to get what he wanted, kidnapping or bondage, and he duct-taped flowers to his reluctant betrothed’s hands. In addition to his obvious psychopathy, there was a playfulness to Franklin: he delighted in showing how quickly he could text motherfucker and making Jessica’s dead trucker speak from the dead (eww).
For all Franklin’s crazy methods, he legitimately seemed hurt that Tara did not return his love. I would’ve liked him to stick around to see what he would do next because he seemed capable of just about anything, but killing Franklin was the only option, as he would never have let Tara go.
Franklin forced Tara to reevaluate her belief that she wanted to die. While her relationship did nothing to help her prejudice against vampires, it did show Tara that she would fight to survive (literally, with a mace in hand) and that she wouldn’t allow herself to be a victim anymore. And with his death, Franklin gave Jason the opportunity to atone for Eggs’ untimely end (not to mention, Jason’s been itching to kill a vampire for a while now; I’m just glad it wasn’t Jessica, Bill, or Eric. And thank goodness Jason has watched James Bond movies and knows to make his witty retort after the deed is done).
Sexy, dark, mysterious: Franklin Mott seemed to have it all. Like so many other characters, what seems too good to be true often is. But in the end, his final death has the potential to ripple through Bon Temps, leaving a wake of healing and hope that his undead life was incapable of. Rest in peace, Franklin Mott.
Franklin alternately intrigued and scared the living daylights out of me. I was surprised to see his ending be so quick and in my view, anticlimactic. Good point though about Jason being able to atone for Eggs death, though Tara will never know. I hate that Franklin gave Tara even more reason to hate vampires and screech and yell, yet am glad that she learned a lesson about finding her inner strength to survive.
RIP Franklin. I’ll miss your crazy fast texting… and maybe that’s about it.
oh and thanks latbfan for another great obit. What I love about your eulogies is that you always give me a little more perspective about the character that I would not have otherwised considered i.e., Jason atoning for killing Eggs. Your hard work on these is very much appreciated by this fan!
I will miss Franklin’s melodramatic enunciation! I… will… *moooouuuurrnn* you!!! Too bad he was too out of touch to be a decent bf. I was hoping that when Tara bashed his brains in, he’d somehow heal back more normal. Like when people sometimes have head trauma and wind up cured of some nervous system disorder! LOL!
Hahaha! You are so right, and I love that you point this out. That and his British accent added a delightful level of craziness when combined with the words coming out of his mouth.
Oh Franklin, you crazy, out of your mind sexy vamp you!
You’ll be missed! Ok, but not by everyone.
Thank you latbfan for another homage to our dearly (or not) departed.
“And thank goodness Jason has watched James Bond movies and knows to make his witty retort after the deed is done.” Bwhahha….love this, and so very, very true when it comes to vampires. The ONLY reason Jason could get off a shot at such close range was due to Franklin’s cavalier attitude about bullets of the common variety. If he has suspected anything else, Jason’s chances at success would have been slim indeed.
Franklin was a very memorable character and I will miss his wackiness, but this was his fated destiny, there was no other way out for him.
Thanks latbfan, for the well thought-out summary of Franklins good (and bad) parts. He’ll not be forgotten.
Oh, and I forgot to add how much fun it is to see the “bodies” stacking up on the RIP page. Truly a stroll down Memory Lane, but also quite shocking to me that I continue to really enjoy a show that has killed off so many of it’s characters, usually in a very gruesome way.
I loved Franklin Mott. He was a great character, from his creepy organisms to his psychotic love for Tara he was delicious.
James Frain was incredible and has left behind a memorable character.
Thanks Lat for another wonderful eulogy!
I agree with TruBNewB.
These eulogies are great :)
I’m glad to see Franklin finally gone. He was too creepy. Not creepy sexy like the others, like he was crazy as hell and didn’t belong with the rest of the characters crazy. His accent was kinda hot though. I do feel bad for Tara though. Can someone please teach that poor girl how to kill a vamp. Almost every episode she either claims or thinks she’s killed one vamp or another, and she’s always wrong. Somebody needs to help this poor girl out before she ends up as crazy as Franklin was.
SH/ I think if Tara was panicking less at the moment, as if the other person in the room could not talk of love while stringing her up by the intestines (while weeping and mooourning tragically, apparently), then she would have had more sense to be pounding his heart out with the mace and burying it. Vampires seem to need hearts to walk and talk. Or will they just regrow them? That would be frustrating.
I enjoyed watching James Frain play Franklin Mott. His deliciously psychotic remarks and actions (including the adorable brags about texting) combined with the British accent made a strange but fascinating combo. I loved his last words to Tara, the parts when he talked of mourning while his hand crept up to strangle her (tragically, of course. Almost every part about that character was tragic and nauseatingly addictive.).
There will definitely be many people who will miss Franklin Mott and his loveliness. What’s there not to love?
i will miss ya franklin
Another great obit latbfan – will miss crazy psycho Franklin Mott more than any other departed vampire . He was just brilliant to warch – kudos to James Frain for making him so likeable despite being one of the bad guys !
I will truly miss you, Franklin!
Franklin was the best new character on TB. It excited me to see his return…and then my heart was riped out with Jason’s wooden bullet.
As wrong as it is, I adored Franklin…loved the crazy mutherfvcker. He was evil but he was also mental and in so much pain. I wanted to know how he got that way…who made him…and what was he like as a human? I was ticked that AB made him so irredeemable. The character had a load of potential and it was sad to see that wasted. But, it was a lot of fun while it lasted and I’ll never forget him. I’ll mourn him to the marrow of my bones :)
RIP my lonely crazy love sick vamp :(
Franklin is gone already?? I liked him, I am going to miss him much! RIP
I mourn you Franklin, you big freak. I want to scoop you up and carry you around in a candy dish urn and talk to you all day. And I would’ve let you have a turn at the casino, too.
I can’t believe we’ll never see him again. I’ve watched this one tribute vid about ten times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VSNc9EoaEA&feature=player_embedded
What a terrific one-man freak show Franklin was! Even in his brief time on the show, we got to see his many colours, too – the droll fang-off with Jessica and the gruesomely funny Talking Trucker Head, the show of fangs AND macho contempt for the gay supernumerary Talbot, the direct but courtly respect in his dealings with his royal boss All heavily hooded eyes and mongoose sinew. He got the job done at the business end, too,which is more than you can say for Russell’s entire wolfpack.
Perversely, Tara has never been more enchanting and empowered then she has been in captivity with a psycho. Great writing, even if James/Franklin chewed the scenery a bit at times.
When he met the True Death, Franklin went out with possibly the most Shakespearean performance of the series. A real Othello number, and it was a thrill to hear Frain caress those lines like the classically trained actor he is.
And for once I have nothing but praise for the lighting and the camera work. For a moment there it looked like an hommage to Alien.
And as for Jason,he could teach those Old Boys a few tricks about avoiding the James Bond escape clause. Play it safe: Kill the guy first and then explain your plan to his dead body.
Ltbfan, we loooove your obits. Never, ever stop as long as there are bodies to be be counted.
Franklin Mott was killed by an idiot just like Eggs was killed by an idiot. The only difference is, this time Jasone got it right – someone was in danger of being murdered, Tara. Why can’t Tara have a love interest? Her love interests either loves someone else or gets killed? Are strong people meant to be alone and tend the bar for eternity? Why does Sookie have all the admirers? Is it because she dances with fairies in her mind? Lorena, you should have killed Sookie when you had the chance. That wearing her hat as a rib cage speech was priceless. I toast to the psycho vamps in love: Franklin and Lorena. You weren’t as bad as the creator of this show.
I’ll mourn him to my very marrow. :(
I miss him, True Blood hasn’t been the same without him. I want him back dammit!
Please bring Franklin back!!! He was such a good character, we still don’t know anything about him. :’( Bring him back to life, the show needs him.
I LOVED Franklin! He was birlliant, and i will deinitely miss him on the show. It’s a shame he had to die.
I loved Franklin! I thought he was brilliant! And oddly enough, I enjoyed his macabre sense of humour. When you’re that powerful, how could death – and life – be anything but a tragic comedy? If I were a vampire…. all I can say is God have mercy on all of you. I would be one ruthless, clear-conscienced vampire and I’d have alot of fun doing it. Franklin’s comfiness in his own dead skin was admirable… same thing with Eric’s. I would not be a brooding, ever-determined-to-feel-guilty kind of vamp.