Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

True Blood: The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Another hit-or-miss season, another terrific AV presentation...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown May 20, 2014

Reactions to True Blood's penultimate season have been as varied as the supernatural beasties that call Bon Temps home. And it wasn't just the whole of the season either. Each episode struck diehards and detractors alike as more divisive than the last, with the series alienating and even abandoning more and more of its faithful fold in search of that ever-elusive killer season. To the showmakers' credit, executive producer Brian Buckner and the True Blood writer's room get a few things right. Sookie is largely downgraded to a bit player, thank God. (At least for half the season.) The vamps finally, finally steal what has become a wildly overcrowded show. Eric is back with a vengeance and Bill is at long last interesting again. A few new villains, supernatural and human, collectively pose a much-needed formidable challenge to the series' fanged antiheroes. The presiding sense of suspense and drama is arguably the series' finest to date. And several mainstays and newcomers get the chance to sink their teeth into some bloody good subplots. But... there's always a "but," isn't there?

Is Bill a god? An immortal? A leap in evolution? Or something else entirely?

But, unfortunately, for all of Season Six's promise and potential, Buckner and company fail to deliver a consistently satisfying 10-episode run. (Emphasis on consistently, not satisfying.) Love triangles are ridiculously common, except for busy little Ms. Stackhouse, whose romantic interests are more hexagonal than triangular at this point. Almost every pair of solid storylines is attached to a dull, haphazardly penned or downright thick-witted tangent. (Don't get me started on the revelations about Sookie's parents, Jason's mental and emotional elasticity, or the early scenes between Andy and his faerie daughters.) The Newlins and other cartoonish nuisances just. Won't. Die. Sam, Tara and a handful of other fan-favorites are wasted and, in some cases, minimalized. The season's twists can be spotted a mile off. (The mystery surrounding Warlow most of all.) Alcide is all over the place, and he isn't the only one. Semi-significant deaths are meant to pack punch but tend to be a bit too contrived. The series' subtext is as face-thumpingly on-the-nose as ever, if not more so. And the entire season feels oddly disjointed, with numerous sequences delivering the goods but others falling terribly flat or, worse, making zero impact.

The result? A season that's sporadically entertaining, a vampire-god arc that mostly turns out to be all hiss and no bite, yet another Sookie flesh-fest, a loosely wound second act of episodes that are memorable and unpredictable for all the wrong reasons, and, ultimately, a guilty pleasure series too high on guilt and too low on pleasure. Season Six is far more compelling and enjoyable than Season Five and its Authority fiasco, I'll be the first to admit. I didn't dread each subsequent episode anymore than I didn't race to put in the next disc. But topping Season Five wouldn't take much, would it?

True Blood: The Complete Sixth Season features ten episodes:

• Who Are You, Really?: The bloody reincarnation of Bill (Stephen Moyer) ushers in a new era for vampires, faeries and humans alike. Alcide (Joe Manganiello), now packmaster, discovers that the job comes with some unsavory side dishes, but other major perks. In Bon Temps, Andy (Chris Bauer) deals with parenting four newborn human-faerie hybrids. Meanwhile, Truman Burrell (Arliss Howard), Governor of Louisiana, vows open season on vampires.
• The Sun: A long lost relative (Rutger Hauer) reveals himself to Jason (Ryan Kwanten) and Sookie (Anna Paquin). Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) takes matters into his own hands in an effort to thwart Burrell's anti-vampire initiatives. On the road to work, Sookie is drawn to a handsome stranger. Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) is unnerved by a supernatural-rights zealot, and is confronted by Alcide and Martha (Dale Dickey) about Emma's future. Bill contemplates his new powers.
• You're No Good: Irate over Burrell's blatant aggression towards vampires, Eric takes matters into his own hands. After dangerously testing the limits of his powers, Bill enlists a TruBlood innovator to synthesize a new type of blood, but has difficulty finding the right donor. Sookie begins to learn why Warlow is after her. Sam receives some unexpected help.
• At Last: Sookie confronts her growing attraction to Ben (Rob Kazinsky). Eric counters Burrell's brutal anti- vampire initiatives by hitting his nemesis where it hurts the most. Growing up all too quickly, Andy's faerie daughters end up keeping dangerous company. Sam and Nicole (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) make a connection. Bill tasks Takahashi (Keone Young) to synthesize a new kind of blood.
• F*** the Pain Away: Seeking more answers about her past, Sookie enlists Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) to summon her dead parents. Meanwhile, Eric and Tara (Rutina Wesley) resort to drastic measures when Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) finds herself in dangerous territory. Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp) reconnects with Jason as Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) seeks atonement.
• Don't You Feel Me: With Sookie immune to Bill's influence after retreating to a plain that can only be accessed by faeries, Bill decides to seek out Lillith (Jessica Clark) for advice on handling the escalating human/vampire crisis. Eric, Pam, Nora (Lucy Griffiths), Jason and Jessica get up-close-and-personal looks at the perverse perils of Vamp Camp. Sam comes to a decision he hopes will be in Emma's best interest.
• In the Evening: Eric pledges allegiance to Bill in a last-resort effort to save Nora. A tragedy close to home forces Sam to ignore Alcide's warning and return to Bon Temps. Jessica shows her gratitude to James (Luke Grimes), a fellow incarcerated vamp, while an emboldened Sarah exacts a measure of revenge on Jason.
• Dead Meat: Sookie faces a major dilemma in deciding whether to broker a deal between Warlow and Bill. In vamp camp, Jason gets to know Violet (Karolina Wydra) while Sarah goes to extremes to keep TruBlood flowing. Still numb after a devastating loss, Eric cuts short Adylin's night out with friends. Alcide makes a decision that will impact the futures of Nicole, Mary and Sam.
• Life Matters: A desperate Bill tries to ferry Warlow away from the faerie plain, but Sookie is having none of it. Meanwhile, Eric arrives at Vamp Camp, looking to inflict serious human damage. In Bon Temps, friends and family take emotional turns remembering a fallen neighbor. Bill feels the pull from Lillith's sirens.
• Radioactive: Bill discovers that salvation comes at a price; Jason senses firsthand a vampire attraction. With the latest vampire crisis seemingly over, Sookie examines her future with Warlow while Bon Temps braces itself when a new crisis threatens both humans and vampires.

True Blood: The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

True Blood returns to Blu-ray with another striking, at-times stunningly crisp 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. Misbehaving grain, oppressive shadows and hot contrast return as well, but it's all in good stylistic fun, as intended. Detail is razor sharp, particularly in regards to close-ups, and nary a hair, pore or spatter-speck of blood goes unshowcased. Edges are a bit too well-defined, mind you; exhibiting hints of occasional ringing much like previous seasons. It's hardly an issue or distraction, though, so no worries there. Colors are as heightened as contrast (again, as they're meant to be), primaries pop (reds especially), skintones are quite capably saturated and black levels are bottomless. Better still, macroblocking, banding, aliasing and other things that go bump in the night are held at bay, and there aren't any apparent encoding mishaps to point to. The series' gritty, noisy, deep bayou aesthetic will, of course, leave some viewers irritated, but fans will be delighted.

True Blood: The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As is the case with HBO's previous releases of True Blood, The Complete Sixth Season boasts a ferocious DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that makes the most of every snarl, roar, implosion, faerie blast and clash of the claws. Dialogue is clean, clear and perfectly intelligible at all times, no matter how chaotic or explosive the human vs. creature conflicts become. LFE output is tremendously effective, backed by monstrous power and first-class dynamics. Rear speaker activity is excellent as well, with convincing, often playful directionality and an enveloping, sometimes genuinely creepy soundfield that balances the soundscape and series' score with deft ease. All told, Season Six is bursting with more action, climactic encounters and betrayals than past seasons, and HBO's lossless track is more than up to the task at hand.

True Blood: The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentaries: Kicking off a smaller supplemental package than True Blood fans have come to expect are five cast and crew audio commentaries. Tracks include "At Last" with writer Alexander Woo and actress Amelia Rose Blaire (Willa Burrell); "Don't You Feel Me" with director Howard Deutch and writer Daniel Kenneth; "In the Evening" with writer Kate Barnow and actor Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton); "Life Matters" with executive producer/writer Brian Buckner and actress Carrie Preston (Arlene); and "Radioactive" with executive producer Brian Buckner and writer Kate Barnow.
• Inside the Episodes (HD, 37 minutes): Each episode is accompanied by an "Inside the Episode" featurette that offers a quick, spoiler-packed look at the weekly revelations, developments, twists and turns that come to bear on the Bon Temps denizens.
• Vamp Camp Files (HD, 32+ minutes): Anti-fang crusader Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp) hosts this in-character informational suite that focuses on Truman Burrell's vampire containment and research facility and the vamps themselves. Text overlays and video segments are spread across several categories, among them "Vampire Solution," "Vampire Physiology," "Vampire Psychology" and "Vampire Defense."
• True Blood Lines (HD): An interactive but cumbersome character tree that provides information about the humans, vampires, werewolves and other supernatural beings in Season Six.

True Blood: The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

True Blood's sixth season will be a welcome return to form for some, more of the same for others, and a ghastly 23- character pileup for those ready to throw up their hands and give up on the show. I dug Season Six quite a bit -- in part -- and it was far better than Season Five. But the series still seems to have trouble building a consistent season, providing every character with storylines of worth, and juggling so many competing elements. HBO's Blu-ray release is much better, or rather its fit and faithful AV presentation is. True Blood rarely delivers the supplemental oomph of other HBO series and sets, and The Complete Sixth Season package is smallter and more forgettable than those of previous True Blood seasons. Even so, fans will be pleased and complaints will mainly be directed at the season itself.