‘True Blood’ cult phenom returns for a 3rd season

June 10, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

McClatchy Newspapers

Other than kicking off an episode with someone munching on a bloody wolf ear, the third season of “True Blood” is off to a bit of a slow start, taking its time introducing new characters and plot lines during the course of its first three episodes.

By now, the vampires- co-existing-with-humans show is such a cult phenom that it can afford to be patient; the strength and familiarity of the characters overpowers the lengthy exposition.

Still, the early episodes are more about busy storytelling than they are about getting down to business.

With its sprawl of characters, “True Blood” has always had a lot going on, and the writers do an admirable job of juggling old plots and new elements without letting things get too muddled.

The directors maintain the lurid, steamy (in multiple senses of the word) atmosphere of Bon Temps, La., a small town where weird things happen among “mainstreaming vampires,” mind-reading waitresses, shape-shifting bar owners and the occasional supernatural interloper.

The series’ dark humor and erotic elements are all intact.

But even with the addition of a pack of miscreant werewolves, the early season-three episodes have yet to reach the level of season two, with its mind-controlling maenad (Michelle Forbes, who is much missed in season three) turning many of Bon Temps’ residents into orgiastic zombies.

The maenad story took a while to develop, but Forbes kept such an air of mystery about her character that she always kept you intrigued even before things really went over the edge, and despite some interesting new folks in season three, nobody’s working on Forbes’ level just yet.

The key season-three plot involves the search for vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) who proposed to his human girlfriend, waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), but went missing before she could make up her mind whether to say yes.

This keeps Sookie and Bill apart longer than some viewers might like, although it does open the door for more predatory flirtation by Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard), the malevolent vampire sheriff who also lusts after Sookie.

As usual, there’s a multitude of subplots: Sookie’s sarcastic friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) mourning the death of her lover Eggs, killed at the end of season two — but not by the person most of Bon Temps believes killed him; Sookie’s none-too-bright brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten), finding that guilt can have powerful after-effects; Sookie’s boss Sam (Sam Trammell) going on a search for his roots; Mississippi vampires talking about the potential for war with Louisiana ones; good werewolves, bad werewolves and a new vampire (James Frain) who’s up to something but so far it’s unclear what; pregnancies, mother-and-child reunions, Nazi-era flashbacks and troublesome corpses.

That’s a pretty full plate, and somewhat lost in the serving are the (often-heavy handed) metaphors series creator Alan Ball and his writers wedged in about prejudice and civil rights.

Despite maintaining the series’ twisted sense of humor, the writers also seem to be taking things more seriously in season three, even as they’re less intent on hammering home messages.

Because of its vivid characters, “True Blood” still has a healthy pulse, but its heart doesn’t seem to be pumping as hard as it did in the first two seasons.