Warning! Minor spoilers ahead!
I have been underwhelmed by the last two seasons of True Blood. Season four, with the witches, was an abomination; it was so bad that I don’t entirely trust my opinions on season five. (Was it good because season four was so bad? Was it bad because I was so bitter over season four? Who knows.) But I have to say I enjoyed several aspects of the season six premiere.
As is the True Blood way, we open precisely where season five ended: with Bill being reborn in Lilith’s blood and the Authority compound being brought down. What is going on with Bill is clearly the driving mystery of the season, so we won’t get any easy answers. In the first episode, we won’t get any answers at all. There are some new developments with Bill, but I think it is more enjoyable for you to find out as you watch.
As we have seen in the trailer, Governor Burrell is coming down against the vampires: a mandatory curfew is in effect, and all vampire-owned businesses are to be shuttered at once. Obviously this affects Pam, and she is losing control over a number of aspects of her life. It looks like Burrell will have a major role this season, and there is definitely something sinister about him. I think he is going to be a “big bad” this season, despite the fact that he (no joke) specifically says, “I am not the new ‘big bad.’”
Jason is still anti-vampire and anti-fangbanger, and this may cause a rift between him and Sookie. More than anything, Jason is just lost. Nothing new there. When Nora hears Jason utter the name “Warlow,” she loses her shit. Without giving too much away, Warlow is one of the oldest vampires and has a major role in vampire lore. We do get to meet Warlow in the season premiere.
Eric signs the Stackhouse house back over to Sookie. She rescinds his invitation to the house. Eric is clearly in love with her still, and Sookie seems to be in love with him, but right now, she needs to focus on Sookie.
Andy is having a hard time adjusting to being a dad, especially to what amounts to a litter of little girls. Arlene and Terry help him, but the little girls, being fairies, are going to be far more complicated to care for than regular babies....
As for the rest: There is not a whole lot going on with Alcide and the wolf pack. He is officially the pack master now (which is something I thought he got last season, but I guess now it is official). Jessica is having trouble with the whole Bill saga. Sam, Luna, and Emma all escape from the Authority compound, but there will surely be complications stemming from that. Tara is in love with Pam. Lafayette literally does nothing in the first episode. He has about three minutes of screen time in the season premiere.
True Blood returns to HBO beginning June 16th.