norwich36 | Blood Ties: Bad Juju

"I'm not much for tradition. Or treefrog."

Overall verdict: I'm going to keep watching this show, although I can tell it is going to drive me crazy sometimes.

I am deeply ambivalent about the representation of Vodou in film and TV, so I was worried going into this episode, and I can't say my worries were relieved, although I did like the twist that the Papa Samedi character was actually a good guy and that Vicki's client was the bad guy. I know this is a horror show, but the whole Vodou=zombies and human sacrifice thing gets pretty old. If the only depiction of Catholicism we ever saw onscreen was Satanic Black Masses, I think people would get upset.

Other than the minor detail of the whole case plotline (well, that and the wtf moment that a vampire needs to keep salt in his pantry) I really enjoyed the episode. They really have Vicki's characterization down pat--in fact, I'm remembering that her hard-headedness did drive me pretty crazy sometimes in the books, but for some reason it is working for me onscreen, maybe just because I like to see her jousting with Mike and Henry.

Henry was great in this episode. I wish they'd come up with better special effects for when he switches into his "Prince of Darkness" persuasive mode--it makes me laugh rather than convincing me he's badass--but I completely love his chemistry with Vicki, and he's actually convincing me that he's centuries old rather than a kid, which was something I was a little worried about last week. I really like his banter back and forth with Vicki--like that scene where he says "don't believe everything you see in the movies" and she makes the "undead vampire hands" back at him. I also loved something I noticed in the scene where he and Mike are fighting over Vicki: they kept that little detail from the books that he's shorter than Mike. That actually made made me very very happy, since it's historically accurate that someone born 400 years ago would be shorter, and it also levels the playing field between him and Mike a little bit. I still think they're rushing the Henry-Vicki relationship, but I did genuinely buy that he didn't want what happened to his friend in the 1920s to happen to her.

I'm liking Mike, too. Someone said last week that he kind of reminds them of Paul Gross, and I sort of saw that this week. I sympathize with his skepticism about the supernatural--"Vicki, it's pitch black and you're half-blind. I said that last part out loud, didn't I?" And I would be more annoyed with his overprotectiveness if Vicki wasn't quite so stubborn about jumping directly into the fire with no more protection than the complete conviction that she's fireproof. And damn, I love him sparring with Henry. Sure, calling him a cartoonist isn't *quite* as much fun as the books, when he could call him a romance novelist, but it still works for me.

And finally, Coreen is pretty fun, and I'm amused by the complication her crush on Henry is likely to cause. I still miss Tony, though. And I hope we haven't lost Henry's canonical bisexuality. I hope they're just waiting until we're invested in the characters to show that.

Edited to add: oh, and I found a Blood Ties community:

bloodties_tv.

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I totally fanwank Henry having salt because he may very well entertain. And at 450 years old where those years (a) aren't all him being a vampire and (b) probably include him having to sometimes 'assimilate', he should theoretically be able to cook. So. He might sometimes cook for his guests and it's hard to cook without some salt here and there. *g*

That's my fanwank and I'm totally sticking to it!

ITA about the depiction of vodou on TV and in movies. It's always set my teeth on edge, especially given my suspicion that if (more) white people practiced it/believed in it, it wouldn't have the stigma it does (and that's a ... post for another day). But I found that it was softened by learning that Papa Samedi was the good guy and that he was actually affronted at Vicki's client's misuse of their religion and trying to stop her.

I said almost the exact same thing about Kyle Schmid' portrayal of Henry in my own review: he does a great job of suggesting that Henry really is an Old Soul even though he looks, like, 19. I'm loving Christina Cox as Vicki and their chemistry together is terrific. I also enjoyed her with Dylan Neal/Mike more this week than last.

Yes, good point--we've already seen that Henry has lovers over to his apartment, so he may keep some food on hand for them.

As far as depictions of vodou in TV go, at least they got a lot of the details right, with the names of the lwa and the role of veves and stuff like that--but I agree with you that there's definitely racial politics and the exoticization of the "other" going on in the way it generally gets depicted. And I agree, it was good that they showed Papa Samedi's outrage at the misuse of the religion, and I also liked the fact that Vicki's client's outrage at having been "warped" by the religion at a young age turned out to be fakery, and that she was the one actually exploiting children.

I can tell Henry's going to become one of me new TV boyfriends!

well, that and the wtf moment that a vampire needs to keep salt in his pantry

Thank you! I actually asked that outloud...to an empty room, but whatever.

it makes me laugh rather than convincing me he's badass

Myself as well.

Yeah. In the book, his "Prince of Darkness" thing is scary--but I don't find the black eyes and fake voice scary at all. Alas. They're doing a good job with the other effects, though, so maybe they'll get better.

I completely agree with you about the Vodou. In the second episode, no less. I flinched seeing the preview, especially when there is a book covering zombies, not in a magical way, but with science (and it's creepy as fuck). Props on the kairos of reminding viewers that the people from New Orleans haven't disappeared, but it loses points for Othering in ep 2.

I really like his banter back and forth with Vicki--like that scene where he says "don't believe everything you see in the movies" and she makes the "undead vampire hands" back at him.
Ditto. That was wonderful. Becky and I were chattering on YIM during the ep and both laughed at that. I also enjoyed the bit where he asks her if she's going to keep countering everything he says, and she replies with "Only if you keep talking." Oh, Vicki :D

Coreen is fun, and she's also a helpful character to have around. It's always good to have a Willow/Hermione/Chloe character who has probably read the information you need somewhere or has good GoogleFu/haXX0rz. I'm iffy about her crush on Henry (but it was cute when she suggested online dating), because... she JUST lost her boyfriend in the last episode. That's kind of weird for her to be looking so soon, and I don't want her to be a "replacement" for Tony (though Henry does need to be shown nibbling on guys!). Also, she and Vicki are developing a nice vibe, and I would like to see a show once where women character continue to relate to each other for other reasons than men (so I hope they don't just... give up on their interaction). But none of that has happened yet, and Henry is so hot. How could anyone blame her?

Yeah, it's been too long since I read the one with zombies, but I was pretty sure it didn't have the Vodou angle. (The universe must not want me to reread that one, though--not only can I not find my copy of it anywhere, but when I went to the bookstore and bought it today to read again, it managed to fall out of my bag somewhere between the bookstore and home!! Very frustrating!)

"Only if you keep talking"--oh yes! That was another great line. I may have to start taking notes during the show to keep up on the good lines.

Yeah, good point about Coreen's research skills. Also, they need someone besides Vicki to be regularly endangered--that seems to be the second function of the sidekick.

Glad you recommeded the show otherwise I wouldn't have known it was on. Hadn't read the series but I did read the follow up series where tony is the main character after reading a good fanfic on yultide.
Am enjoying the show but wish it was on earlier so I could watch it and then BSG. (Battle star...) Oh well.

Glad you liked it, anonymous person! Thanks for commenting.

You could do what I have to do, and iTune BSG.

I liked the books and I decided to watch the show because I remembered Kyle Schmid from watching Beautiful People( a so-so show). Haven't seen the Juju ep yet, but I thought the premiere was ok.

Yay, another fan! I hope you continue liking the show.

the wtf moment that a vampire needs to keep salt in his pantry
Hee! The most amusing moment for me was Vicki staggering around looking at teenie graves until she suddenly notices the OMGWTFENORMOUS mausoleum of a crypt bang in the middle of the cemetery. Seriously, I don't care how sick you are--how could you miss that? But the badness is part of the amusement...

The "undead vampire hands" (and Henry's face when she does that) was my favourite moment of the episode. I agree that they're rushing the Vicki-Henry relationship though, because I'm not really feeling the chemistry when they turned on the sexy stuff at the end of the ep. They need to have more faith that it would grow over time, because banter-wise I'm loving them. I also love that Henry comes across as a big softie despite his 'prince of darkness' routine (which, no, I don't find all that convincing either--more kinda cute)!

I put it down to her eye disease. (Ok, that's lame fanwankery, because it was the biggest thing in the cemetery, so if she could see anything it should have been the crypt).

Their banter really is amusing; the writers just need to have faith that if they take it slowly, the audience will come along for the ride.

Blood Ties: Bad Juju

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