Tara Thornton

Tara Thornton
True Blood character
Rutina Wesley as Tara in True Blood, the television adaption of The Southern Vampire Mysteries.
First appearance	Novel: Living Dead in Dallas Television: "Strange Love"
Created by	Charlaine Harris
Portrayed by	Rutina Wesley
Information
Nickname(s)	Tara Mae Thornton
Occupation	Novel: Owner of Tara's Togs Television: Bartender
Family	Lettie Mae (mother) Lafayette Reynolds (cousin) Ruby Jean Reynolds (aunt)
Religion	Atheist
Nationality	American

Tara Mae Thornton is a fictional character in Charlaine Harris's The Southern Vampire Mysteries and their television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.

Biography

Tara Thornton is a twenty-something Louisiana native and life long friend of the main protagonist, Sookie Stackhouse. Compiling a description of her character is a complex task because quite a few facts about her changed when her character was brought from page to screen.

The fact that Tara had a neglected childhood is one fact that remains the same, but in the books, we read that both of her parents were abusive alcoholics; on True Blood, the only parent we see and hear about is her mother. The television show also expands Tara's family to include the spared Lafayette Reynolds and his mother, Ruby Jean Reynolds.

The Southern Vampire Mysteries

Tara has two siblings, a brother and a sister. They both left Bon Temps and Tara behind as soon as they were able. In Living Dead in Dallas, Tara is engaged to "Eggs" Benedict Talley, but this relationship ends when a secret sex party they attend ends badly. She then opens up a clothing store called Tara's Togs, and then briefly dates the vampire Franklin Mott. He soon dumps her and gives her to the vampire Mickey who turns out to be a sadist. The situation with Mickey gets so bad, Sookie and the vampire Eric Northman must take steps to rescue her.

After owning and operating her own business for a few years, Tara becomes ready to settle down. During the events of All Together Dead, she and JB du Rone elope. Tara is currently pregnant with JB's twins. She confides this to Sookie, telling her that she did not plan on having a baby, but felt she should try her best and be the great mother that she herself never had. It is Claude who reveals that Tara is having twins, a boy and a girl.

True Blood

Main article: True Blood

In the HBO series True Blood, Tara is portrayed by actress Rutina Wesley. Actress Brook Kerr was the first choice to portray Tara, but she was replaced immediately after the pilot episode.

In the beginning of the television show, Tara lives with her mother Lettie Mae, who is described as an alcoholic turned fundamentalist who brings nothing but misery to Tara's life. As a child Tara would run to Sookie's house to get away from her mother's beatings. It is because of this and the fact that Tara accepted Sookie for who she was without dismissing what she was (a telepath) that the two became best friends. Despite enduring years of abuse, neglect, and disappointment from her mother, Tara still cares deeply about Lettie Mae's well-being, however, Tara is a very angry and wounded individual.

Tara leaves her mother's house and moves into Lafayette's home. The discovery of a hidden web cam in his bathroom results in her moving out and into her own apartment. After her mother undergoes an exorcism, Tara briefly moves back in with her, but then Tara is arrested for DUI, so Lettie Mae kicks Tara back out. Tara is later bailed out by the mysterious "social worker" Maryann and she takes up residence at Maryann's luxurious estate.

Sam Merlotte, Tara's boss, and Tara explore the possibilities of a romantic relationship, but it never establishes, and before they can give it another try, Tara meets "Eggs" Benedict Talley. "Eggs" also lives with Maryann and it is at the "social worker's" house that the two meet. Sensing that something is not quite right with the mysterious lady, Tara resists the temptation to live with them permanently and moves in with Sookie. However, Sookie goes to Dallas, Texas and leaves Tara alone. A vulnerable Tara succumbs to the draw of Maryann and Eggs, but instead of moving in with them, Tara invites the pair to move into Sookie's. Tara and Eggs use this opportunity to get to know each other, and Tara even falls in love with him despite his questionable past. The relationship ends when Eggs is killed by Jason Stackhouse.

Tara then crosses paths with the sociopathic vampire Franklin Mott. Franklin glamours and bites her, kidnaps her and holds her bound in a bathroom and takes her to the Mississippi mansion of Russell Edgington. Franklin mixes romantic talk and the prospect of turning her into a vampire with coercive actions, while Tara attempts to soothe him with compliant words, while plotting her own escape. She escapes him on her second attempt, and makes it back to Bon Temps, where she seeks help in a rape survivors' group. Franklin confronts her once more in the parking lot of Merlotte's a few nights later. Franklin is also killed by Jason Stackhouse.

Jason, the object of Tara's affection since she was a little girl, takes her back to his house to recover. They kiss, but then Jason confesses to being the one who shot Eggs. Tara leaves his place and goes back to Merlotte's where she finds a very angry-at-the-world Sam. The two end up spending another night together, and in the morning Tara feels a little less frayed around the edges. The feeling does not last, however, as Sam decides to reveal his shape-shifting secret to her. She leaves his house and goes back to her mother's house where she finds Lettie Mae in an intimate situation with the Reverend Daniels. It is all too much for Tara, and she leaves Bon Temps for destinations unknown.

In season 4, Tara has changed her name to Toni, and moved to New Orleans, working as a cage fighter. Tara is seen dating another female fighter, Naomi. In the final minutes of the season finale, she is seen pushing Sookie Stackhouse out of the way of a shotgun blast but the buckshot hits her in the side and back of the head and neck.

Bibliography

The character Tara Thornton appears in the following:

1. Living Dead in Dallas (March 2002, ISBN 0-441-00923-9)
2. Club Dead (May 2003, ISBN 0-441-01051-2)
3. Dead to the World (May 2004, hardcover ISBN 0-441-01167-5, 2005, paperback ISBN 0-441-01218-3)
   • "Fairy Dust" from Powers of Detection (October 2004, ISBN 0-441-01197-7)
   • "One Word Answer" from Bite (2005, ISBN 0-515-13970-X)
4. Dead as a Doornail (May 2005, hardcover ISBN 0-441-01279-5, April 2006, audio book ISBN 1-4193-3730-0, paperback ISBN 0-441-01333-3)
5. Definitely Dead (May 2006, hardcover ISBN 0-441-01400-3, audio book ISBN 1-4193-9326-X)
6. All Together Dead (May 2007, hardcover ISBN 0-441-01494-1)
   • "Dracula Night" from Many Bloody Returns (September 2007, hardcover ISBN 0-441-01522-0)
7. From Dead to Worse (May 2008, hardcover ISBN 0-441-01589-4)
8. Dead in the Family (May 2010, hardcover ISBN 978-0-441-01864-2)