I have to admit that while I enjoy some of HBO's original programming, as I've seen most of the movies which are shown on the channel, I have trouble justifying paying extra for this channel. Therefore, at the insistence of my wife, I only subscribe to HBO when True Blood is airing, and this usually occurs the day before a season premieres. Because of this, I don't know what kind of promos are run for the show before the season begins. So I ask, for the final season did they have a contest where children were allowed to write the shows? That's the only explanation I can give for the bizarre and misguided turns which True Blood takes as it bows out.

As the show has gone on, the seasons have been very up and down as more and more characters and various villains have littered the landscape. So, one would assume that the show would want to go out with a bang. However, what we get with Season Seven is a series of events and plot-points which leave the viewer scratching their heads. This starts in the season premiere when a main character is killed off-screen. This event isn't as shocking as it should be, as we failed to see what happened and this leaves us to wonder if it was even true. A few episodes later, another major character is killed in very quick manner and no one seems to care. These odd choices continue through to the finale when what should be the high-water-mark of the whole series feels very hollow, as a character who could be saved is allowed to die. And the less said about the coda, the better.

On the one hand, we could applaud True Blood for continuing to take chances. Instead of allowing things to be wrapped up all nice and pretty where everyone lives happily ever after, the show went ahead and killed off a bunch of people. But, as stated above, it was done in a way which robbed these moments of their emotional significance. These failed big moments were surrounded by subplots which were decidedly hit or miss. The rescue of the hostages is very average. The introduction of the Japanese contingent feels somewhat racist and delivers scenes in which the vampires are conveniently helpless. I didn’t know what to make of the quest that Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) goes on, save for the fact that it ultimately feels inconsequential. The return of Hoyt (Jim Parrack) to Bon Temps is one of the few things which has any feeling to it.

It’s become very obvious over the past few years that it’s difficult to construct a series finale which will impress everyone. True Blood brings us an entire final season which is disappointing. There are a few good moments, but most of the season is bewildering and much of it feels nothing like classic True Blood. If you’ve seen every other season, you have to complete the series, but be prepared for some confusing moments and to walk away wishing that some more thought had gone into these shows.

True Blood: The Complete Seventh Season wisely brings back Anna Camp on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of HBO Home Entertainment. The four Disc set contains all 10 episodes of the show’s final season. The show has been letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 30 Mbps. The image is sharp and clear, showing only a hint of grain at times and no defects from the source materials. The colors look good and the show rarely too dark. The level of detail is good, as we can make out the textures on objects and the depth is notable. In short, this rivals HD broadcast quality. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 4.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The stereo effects are well done, especially those which alert us to sounds coming us from off-screen. We also get some nice surround sound effects during the action sequences. The music never drowns out the dialogue.

The True Blood: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Disc contains a selection of extras. Each episode has a "Preview" and a "Recap" if one chooses to watch them. Disc One has an AUDIO COMMENTARY for "I Found You" by Writer Kate Barnow and Director Howard Deutch. Disc Two offers a COMMENTARY on "Death is Not the End" by Writer Daniel Kenneth, Director Gregg Fienberg, and Kristin Bauer van Straten. Disc Three has two COMMENTARIES: "Karma" by Writer/Director Angela Robinson, Carrie Preston and Lauren Bowles; "May Be the Last Time" with Writer Craig Chester, Director Simon Jayes, and Chris Bauer. Disc Four opens with an AUDIO COMMENTARY for "Thank You" by Executive Producer Brian Buckner, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. "A Farewell to Bon Temps" (28 minutes) is a mini-documentary which offers a round-table discussion with Series Creator Alan Ball, Executive Producer Brian Buckner and various cast members who reminisce about the show. This is complimented by brief comments from other actors from the series. They all talk about the origin of the show and how it grew over the years. "The Final Days On Set" (15 minutes) is purely "fly on the wall" video showing a variety of cast and crew members working on the show. This does includes some comments made directly to the camera. "True Blood Lines" is an interactive feature which allows the viewer to learn about the shows copious characters and see how they are connected.