Sookie’s Cryin’ Pie and eating your grief
upon a time in the mid aughts 2008 to 2014 to be exact, there was a drama series about vampires in Louisiana on HBO that I loved to watch. Tru Blood was based on a book series by Charlaine Harris called The Vampire Mysteries.
The popular series was centered on Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress who worked at Merlottes grill and bar and had a penchant for attracting trouble and boyfriends of the supernatural persuasion.
But she did have a grandma whom she loved very much and, being southern, believed in comfort food.
Following her grandmother's unfortunate and gruesome death, there followed the traditional gathering at the Stackhouse's where, after a confrontation with a nosy and gluttonous neighbor who found grandma's last pecan pie while rifling through the refrigerator, Sookie sat down and ate the whole pie all by herself. Metaphorically eating her grief and transitioning from the innocent young girl to bedding the first vampire in Bon Temps, Bill Compton who also happens to be her neighbor and has a hidden agenda. Anyway, the books and the series are very entertaining and I do recommend at least the first and second seasons.
One of my favorite episodes is the scene I described of Sookie eating the pecan pie her grandma Adele had made. The symbolism is relatable and Anna Paquins performance is touching. I've seen the episode several times as I like to watch reruns, a product of my youth when seasons ended at the beginning of summer and we watched reruns and movies-ofthe week until the next season started that fall.