True Blood Guide, Season 1: “You’ll Be the Death of Me” with Commentary by Alan Ball

In tonight’s season one finale, Sookie finds a link to the string of killings in Bon Temps – and ends up in the murderer’s crosshairs. Tara decides to make the most of her second chance with Maryann; Jason finds a new calling after anti-vampire zealot Orry (Michael Bofshever) visits him in jail; Bill tempts fate during his latest attempt to save Sookie; Sam is perturbed by an encounter with an old acquaintance; Lafayette finds himself in the wrong place at the right time.

Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Alan Ball.

Sam and Tara talk things over. / Photo: HBO

Alan Ball: That has the great chase and Sookie’s realization that she’s alone with a guy who killed everybody, including her grandmother. I directed that episode, so that was fun to do. And the fight, with Bill coming out into the daylight — it all felt really satisfying. Some people criticized that Bill was in the daylight too long, but I tried to layer throughout the series that things we think about vampires are really misinformation they themselves put out. We knew we were going to be doing this, so when he takes Sookie to Fangtasia and she says, “I had a dream you burst into flames,” he replies, “I wouldn’t burst into flames. At least not right away.” So it’s a longer process than you’re used to in vampire mythology. (SciFiTVZone.com)

Watch the season one finale of True Blood tonight at 10 p.m., on Channel 4 in the UK.