This review contains MINOR SPOILERS for the second episode of HBO’s “True Blood.” It’s been a while since there has been a really good vampire-themed series to hit the screens. Sure, “Moonlight” made a valiant effort last season, but the show didn’t quite seem to have the same charm, wit and fun loving nature as anything from Joss Whedon’s arsenal. Of course, the same can be said of “True Blood” which instead draws its strength from another area entirely. You would be hard-pushed to find any of the trademark banter or oddly placed twists that made both “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” a constant joy throughout its seven year run and instead this series offers a far more adult view of the vampire mythology. Sure, “Angel” promised the same thing and while it did paint on a darker canvas than its parent series it didn’t quite make the jump to adult-themes in the same way as “True Blood” has. And it’s not just because of the sex (although it does help raise the maturity level a notch) as the show includes an assortment of characters dealing with more pressing issues than dating. Tara is struggling to hold on to her life through an alcoholic mother, Ryan’s sextivities are finding him in an all manner of compromising situations and Sookie herself is still trying to make sense of her own place in the world. But how far is too far, and how dark is too dark? Other shows have tried similar approaches. Most recently is the science fiction series “Torchwood,” whose opening installments was often bogged down by unnecessary reasons to use the word “fuck” or to have a sex scene for no other reason than to say “we done it.” What Worked The violent nature of the opening fight is an instant attention grabber: this is not a show that will back down from hard issues. The correlation between the outing of vampires and their desire to become part of society is a fantastic and creative exploration of some difficult issues such as sexuality and racism; is Bill any less of a person because he is undead? Jason’s belief that he did indeed kill Maudette Pickens was a wonderful introduction to the character, because although on the surface he may appear cold, distant and with only have one thing on his mind, he proved to be a very warm, and emotional person like everyone else. It is a tad unfortunate that his guilt was resolved at this early stage as it could have made a fantastic arc. What Didn’t Work Bill is no prince charming and in no way can he compare to the charismatic nature of David Boreanaz or Alex O’Loughlin, leaving the romance of the show somewhat lacking. There was no chemistry or connection other than the forceful exclamation that Sookie is unable to read his thoughts. One of the other problems with the so-called star crossed lovers is the nature in which Bill managed to save Sookie on the banks of the lake; sucking on another’s blood to survive may be an intimate affair, but the third season of “Buffy” managed the same thing with so much more grace, style and angst. Of course, those characters had three years of history to build on whereas this couple has been together for less than a day. And, as previously mentioned in Robin Brownfield’s review of the opening episode, “Strange Love,” the stereotypical approach to some aspects of the story are a little tiring ... and after only two episodes that isn’t a good sign. The southern accents do add to the tone and unique flavor that is “True Blood” but on occasion they seem over the top and off-putting. There was also a gangsta party that again played the stereotype card (although Tara’s use of that very same card did prove to be rather enjoyable) and she remains the most interesting character of the lot. The vampire political movements do add a touch of class and sophistication to the show (something that is needed through the sex and violence) but in “The First Taste” they were completely underused and under-developed. There was also the poorly conceived love-triangle with Sam that seems to be on the road to nowhere. Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due “First Taste” was written by Alan Ball and directed by Scott Winant. “True Blood” airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9 p.m. ET, and is available on HBO On Demand. Alan Stanley Blair is the assistant news editor for Rabid Doll and its sister site SyFy Portal. Contributing from his home in Scotland, he can be reached at ablair@syfyportal.com. Express yourself and be part of the news! Leave a comment below or join our rabid discussions on the SyBoards.