Wow, I was really anticipating having the same reaction as many of you when I first heard about the show.
The books did nothing for me, and the ads made it look terrible. I am, however, a sucker for a cheesy horror-drama series, and this one is doing just fine for me so far. I've only seen the second episode, and not being familiar with the books that much, I honestly really enjoy it.
It's definitely hard for me not to see the Buffy comparisons because I was...am, a Buffy fan. With that aside, I have hope for the show.
As far as Tara, I don't think she's the typical bitchy black friend. I think she's got layers, she's merely projecting her frustrations of a so far wasted life in the South. Her situation would probably make me bitchy too.
My only main question is why couldn't Anna Paquin hold down a Southern accent as Rogue for the X-Men movies, especially having already won an Oscar?