Pamela Swynford De Beaufort from The Southern Vampire Mysties by Charlaine Harris and True Blood
There is no way that I couldn’t love a cold, sassy queer vampire who frets about getting blood stains on her designer heels and prefers pastels over stereotypical gothic clothing.
Pam is sadly little used in Harris’ books. She mostly serves as Eric’s right-hand woman, taking over the business when he is otherwise occupied, and she briefly dates Sookie’s roommate Amelia. Pam also helps save Sookie a few times, and she refers to Sookie affectionately as her human friend. However, when reading the books, I often question if Harris actually knows what to do with a woman like Pam, who is not Southern and is supposed to be a little classier than the human women.
In True Blood, Pam has much the same duties. (Though the show hasn’t gotten to the part with Amelia.) However, Kristin Bauer has really stepped up into this role. As the series has gone on, Pam has been given a more prominent role on screen. Though I still want more backstory and plots for her.
My favorite parts with her are those exploring her relationship with her maker, Eric. Pam was turned in Victorian England by Eric. Harris’ books claim that she was a wild young girl off sneaking around, while Alan Ball’s canon places her as a prostitute from the time. Pam is very close to Eric, but I appreciate that she both defines her own destiny — she’s said to be helping out Eric with Fangtasia because she wants to — and that she and Eric have a platonic relationship. Of course, that may not be true for her entire existence, but Pam is portrayed as a lesbian and Eric states that he chooses not to sleep with other vampires.
In the latest season of True Blood, Pam is used as a pawn of the Magistrate to get information from Eric. When Eric feels that she’s in harm, he rushes to her. Likewise, when Eric fights Russell and believes he’s going to die, Pam refuses to stand by and let him sacrifice himself. Instead, Pam creates a plan to help Eric. I loved the scene where Pam refuses to listen to the lawyer about what she will inherit at Eric’s death.
I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Pam next season. Watch Pam snark while wearing pink, buy True Blood: The Complete First Season