Spoilers from June 10’s season premiere follow.
This is going to be a big year for Pam de Beaufort. True Blood’s prickliest lady vampire just entered the world of motherhood, even if the joy of becoming someone’s Maker was lost on her. After witnessing Pam turning Tara – her mortal enemy – into a vampire – the thing Tara hates most – fans were naturally brimming with questions. Luckily, Hollywood.com was able to catch up with actress Kristin Bauer van Straten and she was willing to explain the situation a little more thoroughly.
“I don’t think it will ever look exactly like my mother from Wisconsin,” laughs van Straten. We wouldn’t expect Pam’s turn as a motherly Maker to appear so wholesome, and according to the actress it won’t. “We were watching a documentary last night on Africa, and we saw the crocodile mothers carrying their little babies in those huge jaws and I thought, ‘That’s a little bit more like what Pam will be,’” she says. While it’s hard to believe that Pam could eventually get there, van Straten insists that somewhere under the surface, Pam has “some room for caring about someone besides Eric.”
Of course, it won’t be easy. “The person she wanted to kill more than anyone – maybe except Marnie — she has to now have as her kid. So, she would only do that for Eric,” she says. “Pretty much all of her actions this year are to try and get back with Eric.”
But as we saw in the June 10 premiere, familial love in vampire circles doesn’t translate the same way it does in human circles. It was in the season premiere that we witnessed Eric having furious vampire sex with his “sister” Nora – they are siblings because they were turned by Godric, not because they were born of the same mother. Apparently, this is just a reality we’re supposed to get used to.
“It’s pretty blurry in the vampire world,” says van Straten. “So, brothers and sisters was fine. Cousins? Great! Mortal enemies? Even better! … Vampires are rock stars and royalty,” she adds. Alright, but what about Maker-father and Progeny-daughter? Pam has always looked at Eric with a more than daughterly gaze, and the process of creating a vampire is such a sexualized, intimate ritual. Perhaps their relationship wasn’t always so… instructional?
Pam’s real world counterpart wasn’t so forthcoming about what exactly future episodes might teach us about Pam and Eric’s past, but she did note that a few revealing flashbacks are on their way. “At this point, over a century, [her relationship with Eric is] very close and very paternal,” she says. “But we also, in the flashbacks, see why she has such a loyalty.” Perhaps the “why” will add a little complication to their already complex relationship.
Of course, it’s not all pensive flashbacks and motherhood for Pam. The writers made sure to keep our favorite testy vampiress equipped with killer one-liners, like that one referring to Sookie’s er, anatomy (“How can you ever beat super snatch, you know?” jokes van Straten). And of course, there’s that fantastic Wal-Mart sweat suit. “That probably is one of my favorite Pam wardrobes, ironically … We put that outfit on in the wardrobe fitting, and burst out laughing. Like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t think we have to continue. This is the most perfect thing I have ever seen,’” she laughs.
Kristin and her fellow vampires return to HBO next Sunday, June 17 at 9 PM ET for the second episode of Season 5.
What do you think Eric and Pam’s past relationship was like? Do you think Tara will take Pam’s instruction as her maker?
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler.
More:
True Blood Season Premiere Recap: Turnin’ and Burnin’
True Blood Character Overload: How To Fix It
True Blood vs. Vampire Diaries: Eight Reasons We’re Seeing Double
