I liked it a hell of a lot better than the last episode, especially since the fax didn't really mean crap.
Rene was really creepy, and they did a good job of building up that suspense, and gave a good reason why Sookie couldn't tell. What I really liked though was the denouement - it seemed very fitting.
"She's annoying." Hah. Also, I like Belfleur's fall... I'm betting he becomes more of a hero next season. Sam obviously isn't telling the truth about his past, even to Sookie.
Ten says Bill fed on Lafayette.
Best part though was the Sheriff excusing himself during Andy's boasting.
I noticed very early on that the lady (Marianne?) had a theme of blue going on... the blue guitar, the blue dress... even the house seemed a bit blue. You might even consider the water blue as well, but who knows. There's not a whole lot from mythology I can recall off the top of my head associated with the color: mermaids, marids/undines/water spirits... aside from that I'm blanking.
As to the show as a whole... I'm of two minds.
One thing that really bothers me is that I get the impression we're supposed to see Bill and make the jump that there is hope for the vampires, and that's why they should get rights and such. The problem is that (most) everything we've seen of other vampires has left them pretty much umsympathetic. They're hedonistic, ultimate relativists, often very evil and certainly not remorseful. Sure, there was Amy/Stephen Root, who I guess was supposed to show that the juxtaposition of human/vampire is equal, but it never really feels that way, especially with the vampire trial. So in the end, I find myself asking, why am I supposed to care what happens to the vampires? It doesn't help that they are by and large written terribly, and in several cases poorly acted as well.
I think the character that I liked the most out of everyone was Sam, and that's probably because he's one of the most complex. He's a nice guy, with some crappy consequences, and he's trying to get by. I think that's also why I like Bill, other issues withstanding... he's a very decent guy, and gets turned into a vampire, and is trying to stay good. He gets put in situations where he does good, and gets punished for being good and made to do evil. It's complex.
I really can't stand Sookie. No offense to the actress... I have heard that the character is supposed to be somewhat of a ditz. I haven't read the books, but Sookie really feels to me like some sort of Mary Sue by the author. Maybe this is part of the role of all protagonists in contemporary fantasy... take Harry Potter, for a good example. It may not be fair, but it feels like it's there to me.
Other than Sookie, I think the characterization overall was well done, especially with the minor characters. They did a good job at taking a couple of character traits and making characters out of them. Amy was kind of a low point, but the phenomenal acting by the guy that plays Jason balanced it out a little.
I would like to see a little less skin. Not that it bothers me at all, but like many HBO shows it seems to be there simply because it can be. There are ways of being edgy without having extraneous parts.
The title sequence is way too long. That wouldn't be bad if it were visually interesting, like say Carnivale's opening. Even then, I would think it would need to be pared down. However, the title sequence has boring music, boring imagery... it really shouldn't be that long.
