Warning: If you have not watched True Blood season five up through episode seven please stop reading.  Otherwise you will have this season spoiled.

With that fair warning I pose the question: Is it me or is season 5 of True Blood really over the top?  Anybody who is any bit of a fan will know that the show has always been a bit quirky and can be over the top.  The show’s premise is based on a world where vampires exist and they coexist with humans and drink synthetic blood.  As the seasons progressed they add just a little bit more to each season.  First it was vampires, then werewolves, then demons, shape shifters – OK, you get the point.  This season just seems to be a bit too over the top and here’s why I think that is.

Fairy Night Clubs 
We learned a couple seasons ago that Sookie is part Fae (fairy) and that they live in an alternate dimension.  Sometimes they breed with humans (sometimes against their will) and their blood is like a drug to vampires and when drunk vampires can survive daylight.  This season we’ve seen a lot more of the Fae – kinda cool, also kinda weird.  It seems that  the Fae all live and work and dance in a burlesque night club.  And into this nightclub they bring select humans.  Why is it always a party?

Ash Fire Monsters Haunt Army Vets
Terry and his Army vet buds are being haunted by an ash fire monster that is a result of an Iraqi woman’s curse after they murder some civilians.  What?!!?!  I don’t even know what to say there.  I have a very hard time buying it.

Hoyt Spirals Out of Control and  Joins a Hate Group
Hoyt’s been spiraling out of control ever since he and Jessica broke up.  He became a “fang banger” in an effort to find something in life.  Now he joins a hate group that hates all supernatural creatures.  Then he says things like he’s never felt more loved than in a hate group.  (Eye roll.)

Tara is Now a Vampire
‘Nuff said.

Too Many Supernaturals
I can’t keep them all straight this season.  The vampires have a couple storyies.  Sookie has another.  Alcide has a werewolf story.  Sam has a shifter story.  Jason has a vampire / fae story.  Terry is being haunted by a smoke monster.  It just seems that not enough time is devoted to a smaller amount of stories.  Everything seems just out of control.

Vampire Bible Thumpers
If any show could make a set of characters into vampire evangelicals I would certainly guess  it would True Blood.  I find that whole storyline a bit over the top.  There’s the Vampire Authority led by “mainstreamer” Roman (Chris Meloni) who believes in coexistence with humans because vampires are “born” from them.  He is charged with protecting the blood of Lilith, yup that same biblical Lilith.  She’s apparently the first vampire.  Then there are the “sanguinistas” who are fundamentalists who believe that humans are just food.  They are of course fighting.

That leads to this crazy storyline where they brought back Russell Edgington (season 4′s bad guy and former vampire King of Mississippi).  Russell kills Roman and then they all drink the blood of Lilith.  That puts them on this crazy high and they end up partying on Bourbon street.  As they mercilessly kill a bunch of humans at a bar Lilith comes back to life breathing out some red smoke that makes them more crazed.  Weird …

All of things combined (and more that I haven’t mentioned) make this one over the top season.  It hasn’t stopped me from watching and I’ll be honest, I am kind of enjoying it.  It’s like watching a rain wreck, you don’t want to watch but you can’t take your eyes away.  There are some good parts too, I don’t want to seem totally bias.

What do you think? Over the top or not?