Prepare to cry bloody tears True Blood fans, the series is coming to an end. But rest assured, there's still one more season to go before that happens. It was announced today that the HBO vampire drama will finish up after the seventh season, which is expected to air next summer.
We learned back in July that True Blood would be back for a seventh season in 2014. The series was picked up for a 10-episode season, which is about standard for the bloody HBO drama. Up until last season, the series was putting out twelve episodes per season, but the order was decreased to ten for Season 6. Today THR reports that HBO has officially declared Season 7 the drama's finale season. If there's a bright side to this scenario, it's that the announced cancellation gives the writers the opportunity to shape the season around the conclusion, rather than to be blindsided by it partway through production or worse, after Season 7 wraps up. This way, fans will hopefully get some closure out of the series in its final season. And to be fair, seven seasons is a healthy run for a premium cable series.
Set in Louisiana, in a town called Bon Temps, True Blood is based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris, and follows Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress who can read minds, and finds herself drawn to the vampires who have recently "come out of the casket." Set in a world where supernatural beings have gone mainstream, thanks to the existence of a synthetic blood drink called "Tru Blood," the story focuses on humans, vampires, werewolves and other beings whose paths cross in various ways in Bon Temps. As a fan of the series but not the books, it's my understanding that the show has taken generous liberties with the plot each season.The TV series was originally developed and run by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), but Ball handed stepped down as showrunner before the start of Season 6, with Brian Buckner taking over. Buckner will remain at the helm for the series for seventh and final season.
In his statement in response to the series' planned conclusion, Buckner thanked the fans, going on to say, "As we take a final walk through Bon Temps together, we will do our very best to bring Sookie's story to a close with heart, imagination and, of course, fun."
It took me until partway through the second season of True Blood to figure out the right way to watch the series. The trick for me was not to take it too seriously. Once I allowed myself to indulge in the bloody melodrama and campiness, True Blood became a lot more fun. Season 6 wasn't the series' best, but it had its moments. It'll be exciting to see how the writers wrap up the story. What will become of Sookie Stackhouse and her mostly-supernatural friends and acquaintances? Most importantly, who will make it out of this series alive? These are questions we'll be mulling over until next summer when the series returns one last time.
