In the end, True Blood feels dated because it is. And that's a good thing — imagine how disappointing it would be to look back on a show from a decade ago and finding that nothing has evolved. In 2008, GLAAD's annual diversity study found that of the 616 series regular characters on five broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC), only 16 identified as LGBTQ. By 2017, that number had increased to 58, or 6.4%, the highest percentage in the history of the report. On scripted primetime cable, that number increased to 173, including series regulars and recurring characters, and streaming services like Hulu, Amazon and Netflix had featured a combined 70 LGBTQ characters. Seventeen regular and recurring transgender characters were tracked across all three platforms, and for the first time, the study was able to track representation of non-binary characters. Shows like Orange Is The New Black Pose , and Billions , among others, have given us complex, nuanced, and diverse LGBTQ+ characters and relationships. In August 2015, 10 months after the True Blood series finale, the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage was legal across all 50 states. The vampire allegory has lost its bite.