True Blood Season Opener Heats Up!

Based on author Charlaine Harris’ series of novels dubbed The Southern Vampire Mysteries, the most perverse, and, yes, sexiest, show on TV returned for the 4th season with a BANG, not whimper and fans’ expectations were sky-high. And the episode DID NOT disappoint. Let's put it this way: If you weren't watching HBO's Season 4 Premiere of True Blood... to say that you missed one of the most fast-paced, erotically-driven, stunning, surprised-filled shows of the year would be like saying that cliff diving is really boring. Last year, True Blood increased its grown-up appeal in ways that were unabashedly virile (sexy shirtless men, who turn into werewolves, for the ladies), shockingly gruesome (head-twisting sex), and thematically intelligent (a new political edge added to the bloodsucker mythology, via actor Denis O’Hare’s dynamic “King of Mississippi” character).

Late last month, True Blood: The Complete Third Season arrived on DVD and Blu-ray, affording viewers both faithful and new to familiarize themselves with all of the sordidness, which should come in handy, since creator Alan Ball promises that the rest of season four will take the sex, gore, and fascinating characters even further over the edge. And just when we thought it couldn't be done... trust us, it will ALL be jaw-dropping, arousing, stimulating and deliciously gruesome.

Ball, who previously won an Academy Award for writing American Beauty and created HBO’s beloved Six Feet Under (the show that brought us Dexter’s great Michael C. Hall), took some time out of his hectic schedule, leading up this weekend’s True Blood season debut, to chat up the show. Ball explains his adoration for the show and its fans, "For me, this show is really my first time working in something that’s so 'genre'. I’m learning all kinds of geeky genre terms, like 'the canon'.[Laughs.] And we’re always adding to the show’s canon. It’s very interesting, and it is daunting, but that’s just sort of the nature of what the show has evolved into. That’s what it comes with."

All of us here at UPBEAT cannot wait for Alcide to make his move for Sookie... Ball feels that the character is progressing rather well. "Alcide is a really beloved character in the books; that was a very difficult character to cast. And, again, the goal was to keep his own story alive, where it’s not just about being a possible love interest for Sookie. And we get more into that during this new season, making him a developed character in his own light. Sometimes, some of the characters in the books— especially due to the fact that they don’t really exist unless they’re in Sookie’s story— tend to come across as just a hot guy waiting in the wings, or something to that effect. But that’s not very interesting when you put that up on screen, so we try to find ways to give them all their own stuff and give the actors something to play.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Sookie can't forgive Bill. Now that Sookie knows the truth about Bill, she can't forgive him and we can't either. "The betrayal is so deep that I don't think she sees a way back from that," series creator Alan Ball says. Eric's a total disaster. He's a hot mess with a pile of issues. His memory now erased, "The powerful character he was is just gone. He's the polar opposite of who he used to be." says actor Alexander Skarsgard. "He's just completely lost... and very vulnerable." Sounds HOT. Bring it on Eric!  And of course... the werewolf is back. Alcide is set to return in Episode 3, but his reunion with Sookie won't be super special. "I don't think he's had a change of heart so much as he wished things could've been a little different," Joe Manganiello explains. Well, Alcide is smoldering and just seeing him flex those incredible abs will certainly enhance the view. Fairy abductions. So fairies can't be turned into vampires; however, Ball reveals that fairies can, "abduct humans and take them somewhere else that is not here. Just like aliens." Wow. What's Sookie gonna do with that?

Here come the witches [and we're not talking about Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Willow and Tara... except for maybe Evil Willow]. Anyway, Season 4 of True Blood will bring out the witches. Ball says they're introducing Hallow Stonebrook, the were-sorceress from the fourth Sookie novel. Ball refers to Stonebrook as a "necromancer," however, and says she's “actually a medium. She communicates with the dead, and she’s interested in developing further powers.” Necromancers can also communicate with or possibly even raise the dead. Yikes! Could we possibly see the old king of the vampires again? Perhaps "necromanced" out of the cement?

Then there are the vampire fights. Alan Ball also eludes to a vampire death at some point. "Somebody who thinks they are very, very powerful gets ambushed," says Ball. "There's a lot of stuff going on within the vampire community, which means there's a lot of people who will betray other people." Who do you think is going to be killed off... even though, technically... they're not really alive? Tara's a new woman. The strong, feisty Tara we loved and lost is back with some SERIOUS surprises of her own that will inevitably be revealed. She's leading a dual life and it is FAR from boring. Tara is tough as nails and knows how to pack a punch.

Actress Katherine Helmond, who played spunky red-headed grandmother Mona on Who’s The Boss? is slated to appear in two episodes. We're not sure how that will play out but the actress still has a lot of spark in her. Eric and Sookie do it. Well, maybe... Sookie and Eric have some hot shower sex in the fourth book, so are we going to see it in Season 4? Anna Paquin hints that it could happen, but Alexander Skarsgard says we shouldn't be too quick to assume anything. After all, if Eric doesn't remember, does it even count?

After the first episode kicked us all in the gut and sent us on a ride filled with suspense and more sexual heat than we expected... we are 900% sure that True Blood will keep right on shocking and thrilling us throughout season four as we just can't look away. Keep it coming guys! The Fangbangers and True-bies are ready for whatever is in store for the folks in Bon Temps!