My fangirl is about to start showing here, but I just figured out exactly WHY I think Eric is the vampire for Sookie. And it’s very similar to why I thought Spike was the vampire for Buffy. In fact, to me, True Blood is just a more grown up version of this Buffy love triangle. Same exact dynamics in play, in my opinion.

Bill, and also Angel are first loves. I understand that some people idolize first loves and tend to be all schmoopy about it and can’t seem to let go of it. But one characteristic of a lot of first loves (the types that don’t make it), is that in a first love it’s all about “perfection.”

Oh this person is PERFECT! He/she is wonderful. And in the effort to hold onto this level of wonderful, both parties reduce the other person to a caricature and actively stifle anything real about the other that doesn’t fit their vision. Bill is a vampire, but somewhere in there Sookie needs to believe he’s human. Sookie is a smart ass, but somewhere in there Bill wants her to be something else.

I identify very much with Sookie because I’m a smartass. Many times Sookie makes a smartass comment with absolutely no true venom in it that is just “Sookie being Sookie” and then Bill gets dark, broody, moody, serious, etc. The subtext is that he’s just trying to protect her. But that is bullshit. Most of the other vampires are reacting off of Bill’s reaction not Sookie’s. Sookie is just a dinky little human. What the hell do they care if she’s got a mouth on her?

And Bill does this same thing to Sookie in private. He, in essence tries to shame her for a core part of who she is as a person. And having been around people who have tried to shame me for being me, I can say it’s a shitty enough feeling that that is why I think Bill sucks. Angel pulled this same kind of crap with Buffy. Anything about Buffy that was genuine to HER had to be shut down for the mission and Angel’s idealized view of who Buffy should be.

Both Bill and Angel are interested in Stepford wives, not real women, in my opinion.

Eric on the other hand, finds Sookie’s smart mouth amusing. He appreciates her wit and bravery. They banter like nobody’s business. (Same dynamic with Spike and Buffy.) Everything isn’t always pretty and sanitary, but neither is real love.

The reason Sookie and Eric work so strongly and IMO embody a more mature love possibility, is that Eric refuses to let Sookie forget he’s a vampire, and he’s not going to even pretend to feel guilty about it. Why should he? He is what he is and if Sookie can’t handle that she needs to date a real live boy. It should be noted that Eric isn’t really all that evil for a vampire once you get to know the character. It’s not like I’m endorsing unrestrained evil here.

But by the same token Eric doesn’t expect Sookie to stop being Sookie. She can be herself, without any barriers with him. He can be himself with much less pretense around her. There is a real potential for these two to open up to each other and become something great and stronger together as a team. That potential, IMO doesn’t exist for Bill and Sookie.

In addition, throughout the books, Eric is constantly doing little things for Sookie because she needs them done and even though she isn’t really his yet, he sees her in that way and lives toward that end goal. He takes one look at her crappy driveway and puts in an order which he pays for to have it paved for her. He’s doing the little cavemen protective things that men have done as a part of a mating dance since time began.

This is not Eric trying to control her cause he’s an “evil vampire.” This is Eric doing what men do for women they love and wish to provide for. And no matter how “equal” you want to be, biological imperatives are hard to overrule and I’m not so sure they always should be. I fell in love with Eric a little bit when he fixed her driveway. After that point he continues to do things on this level.

Meanwhile Bill, I guess in the interest of us thinking he sees Sookie as his equal (which he clearly does not), is completely inconsiderate and rarely does much to actually protect or care for Sookie. This is why I think Bill is an okay casual friend for Sookie, but most definitely does not belong in her bed in the most intimate relationship between a man and a woman.

And now that you all think I’ve lost my reality button and don’t realize these are imaginary people, I’ll shut up now. :P