Over the course of seven bloody seasons on True Blood (which you can stream anytime on HBO Now) many men, both supernatural and otherwise, sought the heart of Bon Temps most trouble-attracting fairy, Sookie Steakhouse (Anna Paquin). But while many sided with Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård), a dark horse entered the race in the form of Alcide Herveaux (Joe Manganiello) in season three. A good-hearted werewolf and protector, there were immediate sparks between Sookie and Alcide and that chemistry continued through the next four seasons. Yet despite that connection, there are still people who identify as Team Bill or Team Eric. If you’re one of those True Blood fans or someone who is just now discovering the show, here’s a quick look at some of the reasons why you’re probably best served signing up to be Team Alcide.
You Wanted Sookie To Have A Pretty Normal Life
After seven seasons of being vampire catnip and drawing all sorts of magical horrors into town, Sookie always made it pretty clear that she just wanted to do her job, live her life, and maybe have a family at some point. And as a fan, you wanted that for her. Unfortunately, Sookie’s various vampire relationships placed some serious restrictions on her ability to live a regular life (avoiding sunlight and solid food has some serious drawbacks). A life with Alcide could have been a steady one, though. Sure, he had his pack duties, but it’s not like he hangs around Fangtasia all the time or has to deal with his Civil War era demons. While the dangerous vampire life did have it’s allure, Alcide was really the most mature choice.
You Wanted Her To Have A Little Danger In Her Life… Just Not Too Much
With Alcide, Sookie could have had lunch after church on Sunday, and then fought bad guys later that night. There was always some sort of werewolf drama, especially after Alcide became the packmster, but it was less of a “life or death” kind of thing. Let’s face it, Bill and Eric brought way too much drama to the table. Alcide, on the other hand, brought just enough danger to Sookie’s doorway to keep things interesting.
You Recognize A Great Hugger When You See One
Rest ye weary head on Alcide’s flannel covered chiseled chest palace and feel warm and protected, Sookie. We’ll wait.
You Wanted Sookie To Get Her World Rocked
Eric may have been a centuries old Viking and Bill may have crawled up out of the ground for some graveyard shenanigans with Sookie, but Alcide’s blood ran hot, and as Debbie, Rikki, and Sookie can all attest, the man did not leave a lady unsatisfied. In a show filled with neck-turning, bone-crunching sex scenes, Alcide was often a breath of fresh air after all that blood. After Alcide and Sookie had settled into a committed relationship in season 7, it was still pretty clear that domesticity hadn’t taken away his ability to make her toes curl. A lot of fuss may have been made about Sookie’s “magic fairy vagina,” but she had clearly met her match in the wolfie intensity of Alcide, so how could you possibly favor another for her?
You Have A Soft Spot For The Nice Guys
On a show filled with morally ambiguous characters, Alcide stood out as a genuinely good man. He may not have always done the right thing, but he certainly always tried to do what was best for the people he cared about. While a lot of werewolves let their animal urges get the better of them, Alcide, who spent a long time as a lone wolf to avoid the pack mentality, showed that he was able to harness his wolf side for the greater good.
Things may have gone south for a while when the pressure of being the alpha went to Alcide’s head, but he eventually left that life behind when he didn’t like the man he was becoming. Later, when the world was coming to an end in season seven, Alcide was right by Sookie’s side. Ultimately, he is the only one of Sookie’s boyfriends whoever put her safety and the wellbeing of his people above his own self-interest. He’s just, simply put, the best.
You Saw Alcide’s Abs
Just look at them. Sookie knows it. You know it. You don’t throw away a lifetime with abs like that.
