One of the most fascinating things about HBO’s True Blood is the way it’s slowly unveiled a world full of intriguing supernatural elements. Readers of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels likely know what strange and unusual things lurk in the town of Bon Temps, but for those of us with no knowledge of the books, the show has provided one surprise after another. The series began with only vampires and a mind reader, but since then both evil demons and a weredog have been introduced. With the True Blood universe getting stranger by the episode, what supernatural creatures will Sookie (Anna Paquin) run into next? Check out our spoiler-free speculation below.
Demons
I love the way True Blood has been handling the concept of demons. We don’t know if Tara’s crazy, alcoholic mother actually had a demon inside her, or if her exorcism worked only because she believed it would. In the latest episode, Tara (Rutina Wesley) pondered getting an exorcism of her own, but would it actually change anything? I have a feeling that Tara is defensive and sassy because she’s led a difficult life, and not due to any demonic possession. I don’t think possession is possible in the world of True Blood, but I may be wrong.
Shape-Changers
Some people might rush to call Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) a werewolf, but weredog and shape-changer seem like more accurate descriptions. Is Sam the only person in town that can transform himself into an animal? I think he is, but I bet there are other people in the world who share his talent. I’m interested in finding out more about the origins of Sam’s ability. Did he come from a family of shape-shifters, or was he simply bit by a fellow weredog one fateful day? If Sam can turn into a dog, are there other people that can turn into wolves, bears or bats? The great reveal at the end of Sunday’s episode left us with plenty of new questions to ponder.
Leprechauns
Leprechauns are quite underrepresented in the world of television, even on popular genre shows. Neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The X-Files featured the little Irish treasure-seekers, so why not True Blood? The show could introduce the creatures to an audience that may not have seen them in South Park or those movies starring Warwick Davis.
Witches
I definitely think witches exist somewhere in the True Blood world, but I don’t think we’ve met one yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if Amy were dabbling in some form of the dark arts, but for now it looks like she’s merely a crazy person. I’m betting a witch will be introduced sometime before the end of the season.
Vampire Hunters
Most of the vamp haters we’ve seen on the show have been silly rednecks, but it’s possible there are professional vampire hunters out there somewhere. The True Blood vamps haven’t been out of the coffin for very long, but they’ve been around for hundreds of years, which means they’ve probably riled up a few wannabe Van Helsings. The only question is whether these hunters will have supernatural powers, a la Buffy, or be regular mortals. Could Amy be one of them? I wouldn’t be surprised.
The next episode of True Blood airs Sunday at 9pm on HBO. I’ll keep my fangs crossed in the hope that we find out more about Sam’s back story.
– Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of HBO)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
