'True Blood': It sucks to get old

I can't decide whether I love, hate or love to hate HBO's "True Blood" (8 p.m. CT June 16, HBO; 2 stars out of 4). With its many repeated plot points and an ever-increasing roster of supernatural beings, it doesn't seem to be aging as gracefully as its immortal vampires. But damn, it still makes me laugh with lines like this one from Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis): "That was the sickest [bleep] I ever saw on TV. And I watch 'Dance Moms.'"

The sixth season premiere, "Who Are You, Really?" picks up from last season's cliffhanger. After gulping the blood of first vampire Lilith (Jessica Clark), Bill (Stephen Moyer) has been reborn into a powerful, dangerous whack-job that Pam (Kristen Bauer Van Straten) dubs Billith. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) calls him "naked, evil Superman."

He could destroy mankind, all vampires, or neither. But Sookie isn't sticking around to find out. Once again, our faerie heroine swears off vamps Bill and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard). How long she remains fanger-free this time I don't know, but she seems to dig another half-human, half-faerie named Ben (Rob Kazinsky).

Sookie and Jason also meet their long-lost faerie grandfather, Niall (Rutger Hauer), who informs them they are descended from a royal line of faeries. Unfortunately for Jason, though, he hasn't been sprinkled with the pixie dust. "The genes skipped you," Niall tells him. The family reunion coincides with the arrival of Warlow, that mysterious vampire who killed Jason and Sookie's parents.

Warlow is after the same thing every other Big Bad on the series has wanted: Sookie. The hunt is on.
Meanwhile, Alcide (Joe Manganiello) has become werewolf packmaster and comes up against shifter Sam (Sam Trammell), while Andy (Chris Bauer) struggles raising his four fae babies. ("I don't know [bleep] about baby faeries!" he cries.)

With Bon Temps being so crowded, what should be this season's main focus--the war on vampires declared by Louisiana's Gov. Truman Burrell (Arliss Howard)--often takes a backseat to less interesting characters' stories. The show could take a cue from HBO's current all-star, "Game of Thrones," and start killing off characters.

"True Blood" still entertains with crackling dialogue and about half its plotlines, but it's starting to feel a little long in the fang.

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