No television show or movie can completely avoid production errors, and True Blood especially is known for having no shortage of slip-ups. Some of these mistakes will only be noticed by the most perceptive of fans, while other blunders disrupt important scenes. Whether it’s a lack of continuity between shots or disparity between characters’ words and actions, errors can make certain moments lose their charm. Through these windows into the production of the show, viewers’ experience may or may not change depending on the severity of the mistake. Even the tiniest of glitches can momentarily demystify the world producers have worked hard to build. We’re reminded of the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into presenting the supernatural True Blood universe, where any and all magic is possible– but only through special effects.
While some of these entries could have been easily avoided, others are more forgivable. It’s also important to remember that True Blood is an outstanding series, and these tidbits don’t take away from the plot and characters we’ve grown to love. Unlike most of the creatures on the show, the producers, writers, and editors are only human. It’s impossible for them to catch every single mistake. Still, it’s sometimes entertaining for fans to pick them out, not to mention some are just plain funny.
You might not have detected a lot of these moments, and some will have you going, “What were they thinking?” In any case, let’s take a break from the intense plot of the show’s vampire world and get into these production Easter eggs.
Here are 20 Mistakes Fans Completely Missed In True Blood.
Sookie says Bill is the first vampire she’s seen in Bon Temps
When Bill wanders into Merlotte’s Bar and Grill in the very first episode, Sookie can hardly contain her excitement to serve him. She says to Sam that Bill is the first vampire she’s seen in Bon Temps, Louisiana since they came out of the coffin two years before. Now we know Bon Temps is a very small town with only about 2000 people, but this statement just doesn’t add up.
In True Blood, Louisiana as a whole is rife with vampires, with some like Bill dating back to the Civil War– and beyond. This, coupled with the fact that Sookie can sense when someone is a vampire, makes it suspicious that she’s never come across one. Seeing how Bon Temps is a hotbed of supernatural activity throughout the series, it’s hard to believe the restaurant’s Tru Blood supply went stale.
Lafayette’s outfit changes within seconds
Trapped under Maryann’s Lafayette influence, briefly abducts Sookie in season two. However, a pretty glaring continuity error throws viewers for a loop in this dramatic scene. While Lafayette retrieves Sookie, he wears a denim jacket, black bandana, and cargo shorts. Seconds after he brings her to Maryann, though, he’s shown in a white toga and laurel wreath.
This isn’t just a small accessory missing, so it’s hard to imagine how this slip-up could happen. Perhaps production thought they could get away with it since the opening credits roll in the middle of the scene. Still, since the conversation picks up at the exact same spot, it’s obvious that only seconds have passed. He’d hardly have time to change.
Eric says he hasn’t seen Godric in 70+ years
In season two, Eric claims he hasn’t seen his maker, Godric, in well over seventy years. Producers promptly forgot this fact by season three. There aren’t any possible excuses for this one considering we see Eric and Godric as soldiers in World War II. In the flashback sequence, the title card specifically says 1945.
Even if we assume the second season is set as late as 2009 (the year it aired), there are only 64 years between Eric’s statement and the flashback scene. Who knows, Eric might have parted ways with Godric long after the War. In any case, maybe it’s a silver lining that Eric had more time with his maker than we were originally led to believe.
Sookie’s impossibly perfect aim
It’s quite the heroic act when Sookie saves Bill from the Rattray thugs wanting to drain his addictive blood. She takes on two of them at once in the dark forest. Sookie starts by threatening Denise Rattray with a knife and eventually throws a heavy chain at Mack Rattray. Without denying Sookie’s strength, it’s still pretty hard to believe that the chain wraps itself perfectly around Mack’s neck. It’s suddenly even tight enough to choke him.
It could be that this moment has something to do with Sookie’s still unrevealed faerie ancestry. However, she is only one-eighth fey, and her telepathy is the only power she knows about at this point. Even later in the series, she doesn’t seem to have the power to mentally manipulate objects. It’s more likely there was some disparity between the actual acting and the digital effects added in post-production.
Sarah Newlin’s disappearing necklace
There is a slight mistake fans may not have noticed in a certain high-stakes action scene. Though it doesn’t greatly affect the plot or viewing experience, it certainly doesn’t help the show’s continuity stats. When Sarah Newlin runs to escape Jason Stackhouse, she’s wearing a silver necklace with a small pendant. The necklace is still there when she’s lying on the ground. In the next shot it’s gone, despite her being in the exact same position.
It’s a detail that’s easy to overlook with all the chaos and emotional acting going on. Her neck is also covered in blood, so viewers would have had to look more closely to notice. Production likely didn’t complain, though!
Rosalyn walks into Fangtasia with the sun shining
In almost all vampire series, the vamps have some sort of major issue with the sun. True Blood is no exception, but apparently this particular scene is. Vampires aren’t supposed to be able to go out in the light of day, and in this show there’s no magic pendant or spell to help them do so. The only thing that briefly protects them from sunlight is faerie blood. Seeing as Sookie is the only part-fey in town, that must be hard to come by.
Yet when vampire Rosalyn walks into Fangtasia, the sun is inexplicably shining as the door closes behind her. For some reason, her skin isn’t frying. This undoubtedly was a production mistake rather than any magical plot twist.
Sookie’s disappearing pie
One of the most poignant True Blood scenes is not exempt from production mistakes. All fans must remember Sookie crying and eating her grandmother Adele’s final pecan pie. This scene has quite an emotional pull as we watch Sookie finally release her grief and experience something for the last time.
It’s a shame that the amount of pie on Sookie’s fork changes with each shot, which could be a slight distraction to audience members. It’s always hard to film scenes in which characters eat, and this was no exception. Even with Sookie only taking one pecan at a time and the pie remaining the same size, a continuity error occurred.
Jason’s eye color changes in a childhood flashback
Fans are expected to forget Jason’s memorable deep brown eyes during a flashback scene of his childhood. The actor who plays Jason as a child has some of the brightest blue eyes you’ve ever seen. It’s understandably challenging to find child actors for flashback sequences who look just their adult counterparts. At the same time, seeing as the scene lasts only a few moments, finding someone who matches Jason’s coloring should have been a priority.
Another uncanny part of the scene is when mini-Jason’s eyes are actually brown, but only for a split second. It’s as if the producers tried editing the color through special effects, but later abandoned the idea.
Maryann is from Ancient Greece but Sookie reads her thoughts in Latin
As an immortal Maenad, Maryann is easily one of the oldest beings in the series. She dates back to the Classical Period of Ancient Greece, making her about 3200 years old. Unfortunately for production, this means her native tongue would have been that country’s language– not Latin, which evolved much later in Rome. When Sookie reads Maryann’s personal thoughts, it becomes apparent that Maryann thinks in Latin.
Though she would have lived through the Latin period as well, this is still probably a continuity error. The writers might have been trying to emphasize her connection to antiquity, but even if she’s as familiar with Latin as she is with her native language, it’s hard to say why she wouldn’t just think in English instead. After all, that’s the language she has probably spoken for centuries, not to mention most recently.
Chess pieces reappear
If only real life could work like this when someone angrily flips the board game. This continuity problem is minor, but noticeable nonetheless. Eric and Talbot are playing chess by the fire when we see objects mysteriously materialize. After Eric declares checkmate, Talbot swipes most of the chess pieces off the board with his arm. In the very next shot, they have all reappeared and stay on the board for the remainder of the scene.
This error could be distracting for viewers since the shots are so close together. As soon as we see Talbot clear the board, the pieces reappear within a second. There’s no reason for editors not to have noticed it, either.
Dawn’s neck pulses after her demise
It’s a wild scene for viewers when Sookie discovers Dawn’s body, especially since the mystery isn’t solved until much later. Even so, the intended effect isn’t totally there, due to a hefty production error. Dawn’s body is still, yet the actress’ neck throbs forcefully with her heartbeat. Though it’s not noticeable in the wide shot, it’s hard to ignore in the brief close-up.
Granted, it is pretty hard to pull off this type of scene, but they definitely could have used only a wider shot or positioned her differently. The editors were capable of patching things up in post-production, but at least the mistake only lasts a few seconds.
Jason’s impossible arm
When Jason is fighting off the son of his former lover, his arm appears to be in two positions at the same time. In each cut, it alternates between being above his opponent and pinned to his side by the kid’s arm. It must be a challenge to shoot a scene like this where two people are intertwined yet still moving. The overall continuity of the fight is well done, so this error is the only distracting part of the scene.
Besides, fans may have been more focused on the fact that an actual child is attacking Jason for breaking up his mother’s marriage. The storyline may have been enough to divert audience attention away from this production mistake.
Terry doesn’t really drive away
This intriguing continuity error isn’t about objects taking on different appearances after multiple cuts. Terry drives away in his truck, leaving Andy alone in a forest, but after a few moments he doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. It sort of takes the drama away from Terry abandoning Andy when the truck stops as soon as it disappears from view. The red brake lights can be seen through the trees, so we’re immediately taken out of the moment.
You would think the production team would have noticed this issue, given that it’s bright red. It doesn’t help that it occurs within a shot of Andy’s baffled and desperate look, with the red light grabbing our attention.
Tara’s shirt straps
Maybe it wasn’t a good idea for Tara to be wearing a tank top with multiple skinny straps during this scene. They keep getting twisted in various ways from shot to shot. While this would be forgiven if she were moving around, this is no action scene. In fact, her movement is almost entirely restricted. Lafayette had handcuffed her to a table as she’s forced to sit down and resolve things with her mother.
There’s no real way to fix this after the fact unless editors get creative with cuts. In the end, it might not be necessary anyway. The good news is it’s not too jarring for fans during this important sequence of events.
Sookie’s hair suddenly improves
Sookie’s dark brown roots and overgrown bangs magically get fixed over the course of breakfast with her gran. While she’s mid-conversation and wearing the same outfit, her look slightly changes as soon as she stands. Her hair looks more freshly dyed and her side bangs much shorter.
It’s not uncommon to shoot one scene over several days. However, the fact that Sookie’s hair changes that drastically indicates there was likely more going on behind-the-scenes. They might have made last-minute additions to the scene long after they filmed it, or they could have noticed unacceptable mistakes in post-production. Whatever the case, it seems they had to bring the actress back a while later to say a few more lines.
Tara doesn’t cry blood
Tara has every right to cry when her mother disowns her for being a vampire, but her tears don’t match up with what we know about vampirism. At least in the True Blood world, vampire bodies technically can’t work the way human bodies do to produce substances like water. This makes for a pretty harsh image when they cry, considering how the only liquid in their bodies is blood.
Maybe it would be distraction from Tara’s emotions to have her crying blood, but it’s never a great decision to allow plot inconsistencies either. Though the actress does an impressive job fake crying, we unfortunately still have to count this as a continuity error.
Eric says he loved Nora for 600 years
It seems production again forgot one of their character’s history. Godric changed Eric’s vampire “sister” Nora during the Black Plague in London, 1665. During the very same season that the show introduces Nora, Eric describes their relationship as lasting 600 years. You don’t need to be a math whiz to recognize these siblings could only have known each other for about 345 years.
It’s looking more and more like Eric is just really bad at math– or maybe he’s been around so long that his perception of time is distorted. However, it’s unlikely that producers had this in mind while planning the show.
Tara and Sam’s drinks from Canada
The scene in which Tara and Sam crack open some drinks in a hotel room has perhaps the tiniest error of the series. Plastered on the green bottles are Steam Whistle labels, yet this brand only made in select provinces in Canada. Though there might be rare places to get it in the U.S., you’d be hard pressed to find beer from Canada widely and cheaply sold in the deep South.
While it’s an interesting tidbit, the error doesn’t disturb the scene. Most people have no idea what Steam Whistle even is. Production also does a good job facing the bottles backwards for most of their screen time.
René’s fake Cajun accent is still there in flashbacks
By the end of season one we know that René Lenier is actually Drew Marshall, who came to Bon Temps under a pseudonym in order to start a new life. He had done things he wasn’t proud of before becoming René. The new name and accent helped him jump into a fresh start, at least until he developed a vendetta against vampire sympathizers and led many to their demise.
Despite René’s character being written off in season one, we see him in flashbacks as Drew Marshall all the way up until the fourth season. For some reason he still has the Cajun accent, even though this was merely part of his fake identity.
Sophie-Anne says vampires can only feed off humans
True Blood fans should easily be shaking their heads at this one. Despite Sophie-Anne’s claim that vampires can only drink human blood (and of course Tru Blood), the whole series suggests otherwise. There are a whole host of supernatural creatures that the show often depicts as vampire meals. Vampires feed off faeries, werewolves, and even other vampires. A key aspect of the plot is the irresistible taste of Sookie’s faerie blood to vampires, and especially its ability to allow vamps to be in the sun.
Sophie-Ann says this in order to justify why Bill couldn’t consume Maryann’s blood. Even so, producers could have come up with a better explanation to maintain continuity and not throw fans off.
Did you find any other production blunders in True Blood? Let us know in the comments!
