The Original Pilot

"Strange Love" The Original Pilot
Season 1, Episode 1
Air date	-
Written by	Alan Ball
Directed by	Alan Ball
Episode Guide
previous -	next -

"The Original Pilot" refers to the unaired version of the first episode of Season 1 of the HBO original series True Blood. Shot in the summer of 2007, and virtually identical to the series' aired version, "Strange Love", the unaired episode's primary difference is the inclusion of American actress Brook Kerr in the role of Tara Thornton.

The pilot episode, shown to a test market which then decided whether or not the show was worth producing, was shown, with decent reception. The show was ordered by the HBO network for a 2008 premiere, and while Brook Kerr stars as the original incarnation of Tara Thornton, creative differences resulted in her being replaced by American actress Rutina Wesley when the series finally aired.

Summary

Two years after vampires have "come out of the coffin", the life of 25-year-old waitress Sookie Stackhouse is changed when 173-year-old Bill Compton walks into Merlotte's Bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Meanwhile, Sookie's friend Tara comes to work at Merlotte's while Sookie's tomcatting brother Jason finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

Synopsis

"Bill? I thought it might be Antoine, or Basil, or-or-or like Langford, maybe.
But, Bill? Vampire Bill?!"
― Sookie Stackhouse, to Bill Compton

The synopsis for the original pilot is identical to the synopsis for the series' aired version.

Differences between the original pilot and its aired counterpart

• The opening credits have been completely revamped.
• Character wardrobes have been completely revamped.
• Brook Kerr stars as the original incarnation of Tara Thornton.
• Tara's choice of reading material.
• An unidentified woman, later revealed to be Claudine Crane, is seen in the woods watching over the fight between Sookie and the Rattrays.

Trailer

The trailer below was the trailer released for the aired version of the series' first episode, "Strange Love".

Notes

Accolades

• This episode currently hasn't received any awards.

Allusions

• This episode does not contain any allusions.

Bloopers and Continuity Errors

• There are no bloopers that occur in this episode.

Continuity

• This episode marks the first appearances of main characters Sookie Stackhouse, Bill Compton, Sam Merlotte, Jason Stackhouse, Tara Thornton, Andy Bellefleur, Lafayette Reynolds, Hoyt Fortenberry, Arlene Fowler, René Lenier, Bud Dearborne, Dawn Green and Adele Stackhouse.

Flashbacks

• There are no flashbacks that occur in this episode.

Miscredits

• There were no miscredits that occur in this episode.

Music

• "Bad Things" - Jace Everett (True Blood opening credits theme)

Production

• The pilot was shot in the summer of 2007. Actress Brook Kerr originally played the role of Tara Thornton, but when the show was ordered to series she was replaced by Rutina Wesley.
• An unidentified woman is seen in the woods watching over the fight between Sookie and the Rattrays. It is implied that the unidentified woman is responsible for the telekinetic choking of Mack. This is confirmed in Season 3: the woman is Claudine, Sookie's fairy godmother.
• About 2.1 million viewers tuned into the premiere episode, with 1.4 million coming from the original 9pm broadcast and an additional 700,000 viewers from a 10:30pm rebroadcast.

Title

• The episode title and the song is probably a reference to the mysterious chemistry between Sookie and Bill the first time they look each other.

Trivia

• "Tru Blood" takes its name from the brand of synthetic blood that the Japanese have patented in Harris' novels. Vampires can actually drink it, thereby bypassing their need for human blood.
• In the first scene featuring Sookie's grandmother Adele Stackhouse (Lois Smith), Gran is reading the novel Last Scene Alive by Charlaine Harris, creator of the Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series of novels that inspired True Blood.
• In the opening credits, there is a brief glimpse of an old Victorian house. It is actually the "Florentine", an over 100 year-old former club and home in Shreveport, Louisiana. Gas Light Players did a fall haunted house there in 1999, called "House of Terror".

Memorable Quotes

Adele Stackhouse

• "Oh, if he does, I would love to have him to come speak to the Descendants of the Glorious Dead. You think he might want to?"

Bill Compton

• (to Sookie) "What are you?"
• "Oh, but you have many other very juicy arteries. There's one in the groin that's a particular favorite of mine."
• (to Sookie) "May I call on you sometime?"
• "I can bring you back to life."

Dawn Green

• "I'm sorry to break it to you, baby, but you are not my only source for a good time."

Good Old Boy Vampire

• "Fuck me? I'll fuck you, boy. I'll fuck ya and then I'll eat ya."

Jason Stackhouse

• "You know, I read in Hustler everybody should have sex with a vampire at least once before they die."

Lafayette Reynolds

• "That boy is sex on a stick. I don't give a good damn how stuck up he is."
• "They ain't scared of you, honey child. They're scared of what's between your legs."
• "Shit. Sam must've lost his damn mind 'cause you should not be allowed to work in no situation where you actually gotta interact with people."
• "I know every man, whether straight, gay or George mother-fucking Bush is terrified of the pussy."

Sam Merlotte

• "You willing to pass up all your favorite foods and spend the rest of your life drinking slim-fast?"

Sookie Stackhouse

• (Seeing Bill Compton for the first time) "I've been waiting for this to happen ever since they came out of the coffin two years ago."
• "I'm not so sure you even have another side; you no account backwoods trash!"
• "Hey, you just shut your nasty mouth, mister! You might be a vampire, but when you talk to me, you will talk to me like the lady that I am!"
• "No, it makes me sick that they're getting a thousand bucks to lay there and do nothing while I bust my ass for ten bucks an hour plus tips."

Tara Thornton

• "Oh, this ain't rude. This is uppity. (slaps manager) That's for pattin' my ass too much!"

Memorable Dialogue

Sookie Stackhouse: "Oh, they’re just staring at me because my brother’s in some kind of trouble with the police. But Bill, did you know Maudette Pickens?"
Bill Compton: "I did not. They are staring at us, because I am a vampire, and you are mortal."

Lafayette Reynolds: "What are you doing here?"
Tara Thornton: "I work here."
Lafayette Reynolds: "Oh no the hell you don't!"
Tara Thornton: "Oh yes the hell I do too you ugly bitch. You need to make peace with that."

Cast

Starring

• Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse
• Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton
• Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte
• Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse
• Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton
• Chris Bauer as Andy Bellefleur
• Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds
• Jim Parrack as Hoyt Fortenberry
• Carrie Preston as Arlene Fowler Bellefleur
• Michael Raymond-James as René Lenier
• William Sanderson as Bud Dearborne

Recurring

• Lynn Collins as Dawn Green
• Lois Smith as Adele Stackhouse

Co-starring

• James Parks as Mack Rattray
• Karina Logue as Denise Rattray
• Danielle Sapia as Maudette Pickens
• Bill Maher as himself
• Josh Kelly as Frat boy Brett
• Jessica Stroup as Kelly

Guest starring

• Lorna Scott as Sav-A-Bunch shopper
• Jessica Tuck as Nan Flanagan
• Graham Shiels as Liam
• P.J. O'Rourke as himself
• Lorin McCraley as GrabbitQuik clerk
• John Henry Canavan as Good old boy vampire
• John F. Schaffer as Sav-A-Bunch manager
• Larry Udy as Man at bar
• David Lewis as Teenage customer
• Brendan Patrick Connor as Man with beer
• Jennifer Hasty as Woman with fries

Uncredited

• Ken Kobus as Man at bar
• Retson Ross as Riot boy

Gallery

Opening Credits Sequence

Merlotte's - Scene 001

Lafayette and Brook Kerr in the role of Tara.

Lafayette, Brook Kerr and patron.

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton.

Lafayette

Lafayette

Brook Kerr and Lafayette

Merlotte's patron, snapping his fingers at Tara.

Brook Kerr as Tara, upset at patron who snapped his fingers at her

Patron, in disbelief

Lafayette, shocked at Tara's behavior

Brook Kerr still telling off the customer, while Lafayette walks away in disbelief

Lafayette, smiling while Brook Kerr as Tara tells off patron

Tara, talking about being named after a plantation

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton

Merlotte's - Scene 002

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton, working at Merlotte's Bar and Grill

Sam approaching Tara

Sam and Tara

Tara asking Sam how much he is paying her

Sam and Tara

Sam reaching for $20 in the tip jar to give to Tara

Sam telling Tara she made $20

Brook Kerr as Tara, and Sam

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton, not really happy with only $20

Sam telling Tara she only worked an hour and that she was only covering for someone

Tara, distraught about not being an employee

Sam, thinking it over

Tara, asking for a job

Sam, listening to Tara

Sam, taking a drink of coffee

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton

Sam, feeling sorry for Tara

Sam, still thinking it over

Sam Merlotte

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton

Tara, excited because Sam is going to give her a shot

Sam Merlotte, handing a book of cocktail recipes to Tara Thornton, to study

Tara, looking down at the book Sam gave her

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton, telling Sam Merlotte that she has been mixing whiskey sours for her mom since she was in the first grade

Super Save-A-Bunch - Scene 001

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton, lounging in an aisle at the Super Save-A-Bunch

In walks a customer

The customer happily marches in, looking for an employee

Super Save-A-Bunch - Scene 002

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton, after having quit the Super Save-A-Bunch

Sookie, talking to Tara

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton, talking to Sookie Stackhouse

Sookie Stackhouse, talking to Tara

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton in front of the Super Save-A-Bunch

Sookie, talking to Tara

Sookie, talking to Tara about Sam

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton, on her way to see Sookie Stackhouse

Brook Kerr as Tara Thornton telling Sookie Stackhouse that she needs a margarita - a "big one"

Video