The Late-Night Heat
by Joel Champagne
So after my laptop died, there were only two events left in my night. The first was the panel for True Blood, and the second was the screening of Torchwood: Children of Earth. It was a rather odd night, as both series were fairly unknown to me, but judging from the fans’ reactions, both are incredible in their own right. Also, due to me being stuck in Ballroom 20 all day, I haven’t been able to get any food since breakfast at 5 a.m. Can someone please bring me a sandwich?
The HBO series True Blood seems to be one of a dozen “blood, sex, and vampires” stories that have popped up since the success of Twilight. However, unlike all of the new posers, True Blood has the unique characteristic of actually predating the preteen bombshell. Based on the books by Charlaine Harris, the series is insanely popular. Now, having never actually read the books or watched the show, the panel was really rather confusing to me. It’s at the end of the second season, and everyone already knows all the characters, so they just jumped right in. That said, I was clearly the only one in the room of 4,000 people who didn’t. The fans were absolutely thrilled to see the stars, the writers, and the author of the original series. I may just have to find out what all the fuss is about. Assuming I can get HBO, of course.
Torchwood was much the same. I was completely mistaken in what I was going to see. I thought it was some new stand-alone series airing at Comic-Con. Thanks to some of the people in line, and the internet, I found that Torchwood is a fairly long-running Doctor Who spinoff, and that this latest installment is a five-part miniseries. The first four parts were already aired, and we were being shown the fifth and final part. As you can guess, I was rather confused throughout the screening. Not only did I not know any of the characters, but I also didn’t even know the current story arc. I was at a loss, and yet the subject matter alone, combined with some pretty powerful acting, affected me deeply. Aliens, demanding 10 percent of the world’s children, have forced the government to round up kids, tearing them from school and homes and even their parents’ arms. The hero ends up saving the day, but at a terrible personal cost. And even with the aliens gone, how will the populace ever be able to trust its government again? I really need to find the rest of this series.
It was a very emotional end to an excellent day. I need to find some food, before I fall over.
Joel Champagne
