The 17 Most Disgusting Deaths on True Blood
A few things to remember about True Blood as we head into this Sunday’s season finale. First, the show was a foundational building block in the house of adult-oriented, trash-as-prestige drama that now includes far more respectable titles like Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, and Fargo. Second, it boasted a unique blend of knowing camp and rule-breaking storytelling that bad-faith critics regularly mistook for incompetence. Third, it was dirty, escapist, sexually gratuitous, and most of all, disgusting. Seriously, this thing was basically a vampire-themed Itchy & Scratchy cartoon at times. With that in mind, let’s take a look back at True Blood’s most gnarly deaths.
They say you never forget your first time and that almost certainly applies to the first time you saw a vampire get staked on True Blood. The context ...
They say you never forget your first time and that almost certainly applies to the first time you saw a vampire get staked on True Blood. The context isn't quite as important as the stomach-churning gore, but suffice it to say that if True Blood hadn't already re-contextualized vampires for teen romantics after eight episodes, this depiction of a vomiting and exploding vampire surely did. Top that, Twilight.
Bill Compton had always had a complicated relationship with his maker, but when his and Lorena's sadistic relationship crossed the line into outright ...
Bill Compton had always had a complicated relationship with his maker, but when his and Lorena's sadistic relationship crossed the line into outright murder attempts, Sookie had no choice but to stake her. The only problem was that Bill was lying underneath Lorena at the time.
It's still not clear what exactly a Maenad is or does or wants, but Maryann sure did mess up Bon Temps for a while. (And no, those black-eyed lawn org...
It's still not clear what exactly a Maenad is or does or wants, but Maryann sure did mess up Bon Temps for a while. (And no, those black-eyed lawn orgies did not look as fun as Maryann probably intended. The smell alone!) Fortunately, Sam was clever enough to impersonate a bullish deity and gore her when she least expected it! Classic shape-shifter stuff.
In the kill that possibly best encapsulates True Blood's disgusting, hilarious charms, Sam shifted into a fly and flew down the throat of this feisty ...
In the kill that possibly best encapsulates True Blood's disgusting, hilarious charms, Sam shifted into a fly and flew down the throat of this feisty Authority member ... Whereupon he proceeded to shift back into a human. Obviously Rosalyn didn't survive the encounter, but can you imagine what Sam must've experienced? He ended up seeming pretty chill about the whole thing, though.
It was the spine-ripping heard round the world, not only in the world of True Blood, but with IRL viewers too. Russell Edgington's insane murder of a ...
It was the spine-ripping heard round the world, not only in the world of True Blood, but with IRL viewers too. Russell Edgington's insane murder of a news anchor on live TV was peak True Blood, and if we're being real, hasn't been topped since.
What's more disgusting: A Yakuza member's jaw getting torn clean off his face or Eric wearing a bolo tie?
In another example of True Blood striking the kind of tonal balance few shows ever even attempt, here is a death that was not only nauseating to behol...
In another example of True Blood striking the kind of tonal balance few shows ever even attempt, here is a death that was not only nauseating to behold, it was also devastating. Nora was a newish and highly likable character, but, as Eric's sister, represented his eldest living relative. And suddenly she was slipping through his arms and melting into a puddle of goo. Do we laugh or cry or vom? That's True Blood's genius.
Many viewers (and certainly critics) stopped talking about True Blood with the kind of amused reverence they employed in its earlier seasons, but thos...
Many viewers (and certainly critics) stopped talking about True Blood with the kind of amused reverence they employed in its earlier seasons, but those who gave up entirely on the show before season six truly missed out on some insane happenings. Take this infamous scene, for example, in which Christian entrepreneur Sarah Newlin murdered a Japanese businesswoman with a high heel before sincerely praising Jesus for giving her the strength to do so. Over the top? Yes. Outrageously entertaining? Yes, yes.
One could argue that this vampire staking wasn't particularly graphic enough to count as "disgusting," but keep in mind it happened during s...
One could argue that this vampire staking wasn't particularly graphic enough to count as "disgusting," but keep in mind it happened during sex. Have you ever had sex with an exploding, human-shaped blood balloon? The context here was shocking, memorable, and — for those who are disturbed by the inclusion of gore during a sex act — a major trigger. Also, hey, Alexander Skarsgard!
Season six went a long way toward redeeming Bill after his awful "Billith" phase, and one way it did so was by temporarily imbuing him with ...
Season six went a long way toward redeeming Bill after his awful "Billith" phase, and one way it did so was by temporarily imbuing him with the ability to walk in daylight, whereupon he immediately paid the villainous governor a visit in order to bite his head off.
Do you enjoy seeing beloved characters, cast members, villains, and heroes alike get SHOT IN THE HEAD? Then True Blood is truly a blessing.
Hey, remember that time Bill drank Lillith's blood and then died in a disgusting puddle of blood and then Alan Ball handed the reigns to a different s...
Hey, remember that time Bill drank Lillith's blood and then died in a disgusting puddle of blood and then Alan Ball handed the reigns to a different showrunner and was like, "Here, you fix it," before cartwheeling out the door? But yeah, no matter what does or does not happen to Bill in the series finale, this death scene right here will never not be satisfying to behold. He was always kind of the worst.
Finally, it wasn't so much the death that was disgusting here — on True Blood a heart getting ripped out is so common it's downright boring — it's wha...
Finally, it wasn't so much the death that was disgusting here — on True Blood a heart getting ripped out is so common it's downright boring — it's what Eric did with it that will remain one of the grossest things ever broadcast on television. True Blood, I miss you already.