True Blood Post Mortem: EP Defends Finale Death, Explains Sookie’s Future
True Blood may have ended Sunday, wrapping up seven seasons of fang-banging fun, but Sookie Stackhouse’s story is far from over.
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The HBO drama’s final episode — in which Bill met the true death and Sookie found new love with a mystery man, among other twists — received a largely negative response from fans, garnering a big fat “F” from TVLine readers. But even more than anger, the finale left viewers with a million questions, which showrunner Brian Buckner happily fielded from the press on Monday.
First thing’s first: Who did Sookie end up married to? Sadly, it sounds like we shouldn’t expect an answer anytime soon — or ever.
“The idea was that we wanted Bill to be correct when he said that Sookie could have a normal life — the twist, of course, being that she chose to keep her powers and persevere,” Buckner explained. “[Author Charlaine Harris] took a lot of abuse for choosing Sam [in the books]; we felt like it was irrelevant who Sookie wound up with. What we wanted to know was that she was happy and living the live that she wanted to lead. To introduce a stranger in the last five minutes of the finale wouldn’t have made any sense. … We basically cast the man with the best arms from our stunt crew.” (That stunt man’s name was Tim Eulich, in case you’re wondering.)
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Buckner said there were never any drafts of the finale in which Bill lived, but there was one minor change for Sookie in the original pitch.
“There was a version of this finale that I pitched to HBO earlier this year where we tried to be very post-modern and have Sookie give away her powers,” he revealed. “I’ve come around to the point of view that that was wrong.”
As for why Bill had to die, Buckner believes his suicide was meant to feel “heroic.”
“It was all meant to tell the story of a natural course of a human life,” he explained. “What Bill came around to was similar to what Godric came around to. A human life is extraordinary too. … Niall told [Sookie], Bill told her, Gran told her — via flashback in the finale — that you can have any kind of life you want. … The natural cycle of life is beautiful … and death gives life meaning.”
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Many fans also complained about the lack of Eric in the episode — he appeared briefly in the beginning and end — but it sounds like we should be thankful with what we got. Due to scheduling conflicts, producers didn’t even think Alexander Skarsgard would be available for the finale, originally conceiving his character’s conclusion to be in Episode 8.
(Speaking of scheduling conflicts, Buckner acknowledged that characters like Sam and Lafayette may not have been seen in the end as much as fans would have liked. There was a lot of story to be squeezed into the finale, and they had already found their happiness.)
As for not revisiting Eric and Sookie’s romantic history in Season 7, Buckner said it simply wouldn’t have worked as well as it had in Season 4. “When Eric and Sookie [reunited] this season, I was really impressed with the romantic undertones,” he admitted. “But we didn’t go back there because it would have been sloppier, story-telling-wise.”
That said, Buckner believes “there is life in Eric and Pam running a multi-national corporation.” (Spin-off, anyone?)
Truebies, do you feel differently about the series finale after reading Buckner’s explanations? Drop a comment with your take on the final hour below.
Pam and Eric spin-off? I would watch.
I second this
I would even be happy with a Pam spin-off that occasionally had a guest appearance from Eric.
I agree. Pam’s character has benefited from some truly spectacular writing, and the actor plays the role like she was born to it. Eric, Pam, Lafayette and Jason are characters that kept the show alive. I agreed with the odd person who asked, “What’s the big deal about Sookie?” Yes, realize that, like Buffy, she was the conduit through which the other stories happened, but Sook was no Buff ;)
Tune in next season for NEW BLOOD.
^THIS^
I third this!!!
Yes please.
It’s as if the EP said “How can we outdo that Dexter finale? I got it! Do an entire SEASON to piss off fans!” What an awful final season to a show that, like Star Trek movies, seemed to alternate between good and bad seasons.
Word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Agree! It was so slipshod and scattered in terms of storylines and the actual storytelling. Really the worst. Sad to see it go out so badly.
You said it
Yes I agree let’s boycott any new work coming from the same producer
Eric and Pam have the best closure.
and even THAT was just mediocre at best! (Except for the Eric head dancing. That was made in meme heaven.)
Agree. It was the only moment that was able to amuse me throughout the season.
Lafeyette? He made this big speech about deserving a peice of happiness and we don’t even get a glimpse of his future to know of he got it?
showing him at the end with James, 4 years later, I’d say he’s happy ;)
What do you mean? He was at the table with his partner James of (what we can assume) 5 years. That’s at least a glimpse (no less than Sam got).
What she means is that he got absolutely NO dialogue or anything actually showing his progression during the 4 year leap. Even Sam got to say “Hi.” They really didn’t care about him at all. Lafayette deserved way more than he got. That’s for sure!
I agree. He deserved more. MUCH more than what he got.
Be nice to see layfettye use some of those demon powers ,he was favorite character ,but they could have kept the vampire war vs human go on lol like i doubt people jusy forget all the vampire killing in america ,they wouldnt be able to sell newblood vampire would be america and world enemy
I still just am not happy with Bills death. Hero or not. Jessica married Hoyt with Bills support. So him wanting to die doesn’t make sense! The show has always been about LOVE! And the is what they both shared. I think they just killed him off to be dramatic and have hardcore fans like me talking(and being angry) about it forever =/
He was sitting at the table with James 4 years later… I think we can assume he found his happiness too.
It does make sense because Bill wanting to die had to do what Bill believed a life is composed of. Allowing Jessica and Hoyt to determine what life is meant to look like on their own terms has nothing to do with Bill’s decision to remove himself from the equation so that Sookie could decide what life is meant to look like on her own terms, without him. Bill decided that he knew what was best for her. It was incredibly insulting for him to behave as though she isn’t smart enough or strong enough to make that decision on her own, but that’s a different conversation. The reality is, Hoyt and Jessica came to an agreement about what they needed in order to have a full life. Bill and Sookie would have never come to that agreement, because Bill’s ideas about life and fulfillment are what they are. Or were.
Well the truth is that in the end they did agree on what was best for her. Sookie realized that she couldn’t be with a vampire even if she did love him. Which is why she agreed to stake him. And the only reason Bill wanted her to kill him with her light is because he thought to be normal she would have to be completely human. But in the end he realized that being herself IS being normal for her so he agreed with her that she should keep her powers. In the end they both agreed on everything.
Oh i agree with you Adelina!!! Killing Bill off was an EPIC FAIL!
Nope, still awful.
Would watch the spinoff though
“We basically cast the man with the best arms from our stunt crew.” Yeah, that about says it for how much effort went into this season…
LOL. Too true. They should have fired all the writers and hired new ones to tell the end of the story. At least they would have cared.
Too true! And before anyone asks, yes, I can do better.
But why would you put a huge book spoiler like that in an article about the TV series?
I’m only on book 10. :(
Yeah, I agree. I stopped reading the books at book 5 because I was getting confused with the plot differences. My plan was to go back and finish them after this season ends. Not a lot of point in that now that I know how it ends.
How long have those books been published? At some point people have to have the right to discuss them online, even if not everyone in the world has read them yet.
He does have the right to casually throw a spoiler out in the midst of an interview. I didn’t say he didn’t. I also have the right to be annoyed at it.
I don’t find spoilers all that spoiling. TV, movies, books … they’re like road trips, just because I know the destination it doesn’t diminish the fun of the journey.
I always say the same thing. I don’t mind spoilers because it doesn’t take away from the final product. It’s still just as fascinating to see how they got to that moment.
Sometimes they don’t bother me, sometimes they do. In this instance, my comment about perhaps not bothering to finish the books has more to do with the fact that I wasn’t enjoying the books as much as I enjoyed the show. So, now that I know the ending to the books, it’s one pretty big check mark in the ‘don’t bother’ column.
I couldn’t get through the first book, they are so horribly written. (IMO) But I did go to the last chapter of the last book to see how it ends. I do that with all the books I read. If the ending sucks, why bother. That is the best thing about TV. You can’t go to the end and see how it ends. I do know I would have ended the series differently, but I see why they ended the way they did.
Maybe I’ll just skip to the last book and read it then. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that wasn’t in love with the books. I started reading them last summer at the insistence of a friend who’s opinion I very much trusted. She couldn’t say enough about the books and how great they were. I found myself starting the next book with a ‘get it over with’ mentality because I told her I would read them and I felt like maybe the next book will be where I catch the fever. But I was almost relieved when I started getting the tv and book plot differences confused and so I decided to wait to finish the books after the show ended.
I say the same thing! If it’s a good show/book/movie it should be able to overcome the spoiler and still be enjoyable.
Still worth the read. I finally finished the last two just a couple of months ago, knowing how it ends. It will allow you to, perhaps, be less annoyed. I didn’t like how she just shifted Eric in the books, but I was still somewhat entertained.
Ugh I completely agree! I haven’t even started the books yet and after reading that one line, I know it sounds childish, but I don’t want to anymore. Asshats.
@Justagirl : the books are DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT then the show, in fact the show has not followed ANY storylines from the books in years (if I remember correctly) . Maybe had they followed the book series and just tweaked it juuuussssttttt a wee bit then the actual show probably could have gone on for a FEW MORE SEASONS/YEARS!!! Charlene Harris easily had wayyyy better material already written that the writers for the show could have used, but God forbid if the writer’s short themselves & possibly make themselves expendable rather than use material that would ACTUALLY MAKETHE FANS HAPPY !!! And yes I totally agree with whomever said the best scene of the entire finale episode was when Eric is driving back w all the dead men in the backseat and is weaving his head back & forth, up & down LOL !!!!! That was the only that reminded me of why I had started to watch & love this show so much in the 1st place !!!
My main problem with the last season was that it was boring… nothing really much happened after the first couple of episodes…and the cast was all over the place in their separate storylines that never connected like they had in previous seasons.
Wow! Well, he told the crap story he wanted to tell I guess. Too bad hardly anyone liked it. In fact, his ending doesn’t even make sense. Bill didn’t need to die so Sookie could be free to move on (oh please). He should have died as a way to seek redemption for his own choices in life, gaining Sookie’s forgiveness for his actions in the past. Sookie isn’t going to have a normal life. Ever. She’s still surrounded by supernaturals at her Thanksgiving Table and is one (that Buckner pointed out)…So, now reading thoughts of a human doesn’t bother her? Wasn’t that the reason she never dated to begin with? If they didn’t want her to end up with a vampire (I still think they should have followed through with Eric; they did with Hoyt and Jessica after it had been dropped…), then they should have kept Alcide around pointless and stupid death that it was. Him or Sam even would have made sense. I still vote F! Minus F! I would give it a big fat zero. And I don’t want an Eric/Pam spinoff. Not without Sookie.
I see your point. I think Bill wanted to die to be with his family he had in his human life. He loved Sookie, but he loved his family first. Just my take on it.
This is the only expiation that makes any sense to me.
Yes, all of this, except for the Eric/Pam spinoff. I would be so into that.
I agree! If Sookie was not going to end up with Bill or Eric, why kill off Alcide? At least I would have still been invested in Sookie’s marriage and happy ending. To me the whole finale was a major cop out.
I say I wanted her to be with Eric too if Alced hadn’t been killed off then that would have made much more sense then just putting her at the end with some stupid stunt man, no thought was put into that. Bills gone fine but I always just loved Eric, and I always kinda wanted to see sookie as vampire fay walking in day light. I’d like it if the spin off had that in it, js….
It’s sad that you feel so strongly about it. I firmly believe these writers cared about the characters and the story more than you give them credit for. I hope you’re not living a life where your best efforts in anything are belittled by somebody who doesn’t truly understand the hard work you put into it. Just some common decency and politeness wouldn’t kill you, would it?
You can work hard building a giant monument shaped like a turd that is made out of turds, but people aren’t gonna care about how hard you worked.
I agree with you a hundred percent. This series finale was awful and Sookie should have ended up with Eric. Also as much as I love Eric a spin off with Pam just wouldn’t do it for with Sookie .
I would have preferred a “sloppier” revisited Eric Sookie romance than the boring Bill crap they gave us the last few episodes. Buckner was the worst show runner in the history of TV!!!! What crap they spewed out the last few seasons! If it weren’t for Alexander Skarsgard True Blood would have bombed after season 2.
Completely agree that Eric is the reason why most people watched TB after season 2. The last poll TV Line did asking who Sookie should end up with in the end 75% choose Eric. Brian Buckner ruined True Blood. I am still a huge fan because I love the characters, especially Eric & Pam but was very disappointed in this last season except for one episode…
I know he, Pam, Lala, and even Jason are the main reasons I watched it anymore. I was hoping for season 7 to tie up a lot of loose ends that were still dangling here and there. I mean I don’t MIND the way it ended for Eric and Pam, that’s a decent ending that took them back to their roots of thinking of themselves 1st. But all the undertones and innuendos between Eric and Sookie and they didn’t even end up together? Wtf?! He saved her butt soooo many times, was ALWAYS there for her, did so much for her, and even offered to sacrifice his life possibly so Bill could live, only to make her happy. She was drawn to vampires because she couldn’t read their minds, so how does she seemingly end up with a human? Yeah she wanted kids and all that, but she could have adopted a kid or had artificial insemination with whatever vampire she ended up with, etc. This season was a disappointment majorly. Whoever led the show the first season or 2 should have kept at it.
Bull. Suicide is never a heroic choice. Shame on Bucker for saying that.
I think we are to think it more along the lines of euthanasia. There are many people with painful terminal illnesses who would love to be able to choose to end their lives.
Except there was a cure, so his illness wasn’t terminal. He committed suicide.
It was suicide. Awful lets emotionally manipulate my ex girlfriend into pulling the trigger for me instead of meeting the sun with some resemblance of class suicide. Bill Compton is the worst.
I agree! This bothers me more than anything! Let’s not glorify suicide. Basically Bill wanting to die is like some mopey teenager wanting to die because they think their girlfriend is “better off” without them. So let’s encourage that! It’s heroic? NOT!!! comparing his death to godric’s is asinine. Godric’s was joyful. This was not. It was just…sad.
Thank you Matt! SUICIDE is NOT NOBLE Buckner!
The entire cast and crew clearly phoned this final season in. The only upside to the finale’ was the Jessica/Hoyt wedding. The Pam/Eric ending should have had more bite, Tara deserved more, and everyone else was just an afterthought. This may go down in history as one of the worst series finales
I liked how they wrapped up Tara’s storyline, with her Mom. I agree on the rest though.
He makes no sense. Bill’s suicide at the hands of the woman he supposedly loves is not heroic. Why would you force something like that on someone you love. It was selfish and narcissistic. If he wanted to free Sookie, he could have done that by going away, meeting the sun alone, or a number of other options. Having Sookie stake him forever links her to him. Ugh! Bill forcing Jessica and Hoyt into a marriage is again selfish and narcissistic. BB and the writers are so, so wrong in their way of thinking. Sookie living her “normal” life ended up being what Bill choose for her. In the end, it was all about Bill.
And it’s no surprise that BB was surprised by the romantic undertones for Eric and Sookie. I’s been clear that he was forcing Bill and Sookie down our throats despite all of the “lying, threatening, and almost raping” that he’s done to her. His idea of romance is some misogynistic garbage. What a waste.
Well said.
Agreed!!!!!!
1000% agree!
I agree.
Sookie should have tried to kill bill with her powers but in doing so he just becomes human
I want pam and eric spin off.they are the best characters for me and I always want more scenes with them sooo yes I want SPIN OFF with pam and eric
Definitely don’t agree with him about Eric & Sookie. I had been waiting for their reunion and I know a lot of other fans felt the same way! It would have been an amazing ending. Buckner’s ending was lame!
“To introduce a stranger in the last five minutes of the finale wouldn’t have made any sense. … ”
I completely agree. Which is why it irritated me that we introduced a complete stranger for Jason in the final 3 episodes. A forced ‘happily ever after’ for him seemed like the easy way out.
gotta say i was disappointed with the ending…bill should have become human with fairy magic or something. it was bad that sookie after all of this time ended up with someone we didn’t know or care about. it was as if our time investing in their relationship was for not…Bit of a double-standard that Jessica was ok to marry Hoyt, but sookie couldn’t be with bill.
JUST my opinion…though Eric & Pam were GREAT!
Bill lived for something like 150 years. Jessica was only 22 at best, so if we believe any of his reasoning, she was young and had the right to cultivate a life with Hoyt or with whomever she chose. Bill’s argument was that he has already lived, and had the life he was meant to, so it was his time to die. Plus all that other stuff about giving Sookie her freedom, which I didn’t particularly care for, but I understood. Hoyt and Jessica chose each other. Oddly enough, Bill felt like dying was his way of choosing Sookie.
I was totally convinced Bill was en route to becoming human again – Sookie hearing his thoughts, his description of his plight, and even the color of his skin. I could see them explaining it as the fairy Hep V bringing his body back to life even as the hep V kills his vampire self. I actually expected Sookie to stake him and have him die a normal, human death instead of bursting like a blood sac.
I found Eric and Pam’s story to be the most interesting; I was actually a little bored of Bill and Sookie and the rest towards the end. And the random Sookie got pregnant with? I am disappointed to say the least. I am glad that Sookie kept her fae juice, though. If she’d wasted it just to kill Bill, I wouldn’t have been able to stomach it.
I thought the same thing about Bill becoming human. It would have been such a great twist. Also would have made making Sookie royal have a point of some sort.
Heroic? Did he just refer to suicide as heroic? Oh dear lord….So we get a “Heroic” suicide, misogynistic overtones, marginalized characters, and piss poor excuses for all of it. Yeah, but a Sookie/Eric ending would have been sooooo sloppy.
Right on!!
That’s why I stopped watching in season 2. Loved the book but the showed murdered it. I came on here just to see if it ended close to the books at all and it didn’t. Shame.
One of the worst series finale ever like last year’s series finale of Dexter. These two shows (True Blood and Dexter) should be on my Top 10 worst series finales of all time.
My only ‘real’ problem with the finale is Bill’s suicide. But how can you really call it that with his insistence that Sookie do it for him? Go outside in the daylight! Or stake your own heart, as he clearly was able to do, but without including someone else it in. She didn’t want him to die, as she stated over and over and over. Or hell, he could have waited for nature to take it’s course and die that way. Making her involved in his selfish action wasn’t love, it was rude.
The only person who was probably truly happy with this finale was Charlene Harris; she who spent endless pages on small town trivia must have loved the Thanksgiving gathering.
The finale is still crap sorry!!! Lafayette is among the fan’s favorites so he deserved at least one scene with James whatever Buckner says. It is obvious to me that their priority should be to please the fans a bit, at least so more Eric and Lafayette and less Bill and Bridget shoud have been the moto
So true!
Lafayette was basically absent for 2 seasons. Would it have hurt them to make that overly long wedding 20 minutes long instead of like 30 so Lafayette a couple of others got something too? I think not.
I normally think people go very overboard with hating series finales. But True Blood deserves the hate it’s getting. That was a pitifully written ending. Not one bit of it rang true to the characters. It was a disservice to the characters and the viewers. Terrible, terrible, terrible.