True Blood Season 3 Spoiler: Bon Temps Happening

It seems the True Blood Season 3 spoilers are going to be starting to trickle out on a regular basis from now and one of the latest ones coming out is regarding our favorite red-headed waitress, Arlene Fowler (Carrie Preston) and our post-traumatic stress vet, Terry Bellefleur (Todd Lowe).  It seems that all that Maryann spell- induced orgies have caused a little dilemma for Arlene and Terry.  According to TVGuide.com, there is the possibility that all that hanky-panky may lead to the pitter-patter of little feet for the two. TV Guide got this little scoop from Alan Ball directly:

“Yep. Executive producer Alan Ball told us that the happy couple “will make a surprising discovery that will bring them closer together.” Translation: All that free lovin’ they did under Maryann’s spell will result in an unplanned pregnancy. I hope the baby has hair that looks like a sunset after a bomb went off.”

Well we will have to wait and see how this little tidbit of information will play out or is Alan just teasing us again.

SOURCE:  TVGuide.com

(Photo credit:  HBO Inc.)

True Blood Season 3 Spoilers: Alan Ball and the Writers Reveal

Alan Ball, writers Raelle Tucker and Alexander Woo spoke with SciFiWire recently and revealed 12 major spoilers points for season 3 of True Blood.  So get ready True Blood fans for some major spoilers news. Remeber if you do not want to know DO NOT read any further.

Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer): Alan confirmed that the storyline of Bill’s kidnapping will last for”about six episodes.” However we don’t know if that means that it will be back-to-back from episodes 1-6 or will be spread out throughout the season.  This is one fans are definitely going to be talking about.

Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell): As stated before, in season 3 Sam will be busy trying to find his family which Raelle Tucker will get to write their characters a lot in episode 2. She states that:

“I’m getting to write Sam’s family, which is a lot of fun, and, really, I feel really satisfying as a character arc,” she said. “I really am glad that he’s taking this journey and he’s learning about himself. I find that interesting. They aren’t the brightest people, maybe. At least they appear that way. They’re fairly dysfunctional, but like anybody else, they have their good things about them and not so good things. They’re still getting to know each other. Sam’s still getting to know them and so are we.”

Werewolves:  Alan states that the werewolves in season 3 are going to be just wolves.  They will be people who can transforms into wolves who will be bigger and stronger with their eyes glowing orange a little bit.

Supernatural World:  Alexander Woo explains that season 3 is not only about the supernatural world of vampires, werewolves and shapshifters but he is also excited about the expanding world that will occur in the next season.

“The entire world is going to get a lot bigger,” Woo said. “Not only the human world, but in Sookie’s eyes, she’s going to see the whole supernatural world. Luckily, since this show is through Sookie’s eyes, as an audience we’ll get to see a much larger supernatural world.”

Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin):  Raelle states that Sookie’s powers will expand in season 3 to not only include her telepathy but her expanding powers such as her glowing hands.  “I think that Sookie is conscious of her abilities more this season than she’s been, and she’s questioning them more,” Tucker said. “We’re going to be exploring that more this season.”

Vampire King of Mississippi (Denis O’Hare):  Alan states that the Vampire King of Mississippi in season three will be a contrast to Sophie-Anne, the Vampire Queen of Louisiana (Evan Rachel Wood).

“He’s older,” Ball said. “He’s much more mature. He’s much more methodical and grounded. She’s kind of crazy. To me, she’s kind of like Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan, where she has a very short attention span and she’s very, very egomaniacal and very self-obsessed and doesn’t really think about her actions whereas the vampire king is very much an adult. He has an agenda. He has things he wants to achieve. I think he’s much more formidable than she is.”

Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten):  This season Jason seems to get a little break from all the mayhem he endured in season 2.  According to Raelle this season will focus on Jason NOT getting into trouble and staying out of trouble’s way.  This will be interesting to see how it plays out considering Jason was the one who shot Eggs at the end of season 3.

Queen Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood):  Evan will be returning in season 3 in her role as Queen Sophie-Anne who is engaged in selling “V” which may get her in trouble in some way.

“Well, Sophie-Anne, when last we left her, she was sort of behind this selling of “V” as a recreational drug on the streets pretty much,” Ball said. “That’s not something a vampire authority figure should be doing. If higher-up vampire authority figures figure that out, they’re not going to be happy.”

Biker Gang:  In season three we will see the introduction of a biker gang called Coot’s F–k You Crew which Raelle states that the new characters are still evolving and won’t be what they appear to be.  As Raelle explains this biker gang is very mysterious and has been around much longer then alot of people think.  Raelle wouldn’t elaborate any further, simply stating that “I don’t want to say too much about them right now because I think that we are in the early stages of figuring that out.”

Tommy Mickens:  Alexander Woo informed SciFiWire that he is writing the material for this new character which he states “will make a huge impact on our favorite characters.” Without giving too much away Woo states that Tommy Mickens will play a “very prominently in the emotional life of at first one, and then later several other of our characters. He’ll be the first domino to push the rest.”

Headgear:  Now this one I must admit has me wondering what the writers are referring to. Whether they are referring to actual headgear to be wore by the characters or a metaphor for a protective shell that the characters will place around themselves. Raelle explains helmets became a joke in the writer’s room with the writers becoming aware they were relying too much on protective headgear.

“There’ve been several moments that we’ve been pitching things and thought, ‘Oh, well, maybe she could be wearing a helmet and that would protect her. Maybe he could wear a helmet in that scene,’” Tucker recalled. “Suddenly we realized we had a whole bunch of characters wearing helmets for no particular reason. So we thought oh, that’s the theme of the season.”

Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard):  With the Eric fans demanding more screen time for him and a big romantic link between Eric and Sookie, the writers state that does not occur until much later in Charlaine Harris‘ books .   As Raelle states:

“You know what’s funny is that he’s in the first two books, he’s a fairly minor character in Sookie’s universe,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of fan pressure that they’re supposed to be this big romantic thing, which actually in Charlaine [Harris]’s books doesn’t happen until much, much further down. I think if we did that, we’d probably bore them all to death. I think part of the magic of Eric is some of the mystery of Eric and the inaccessibility of Eric. I think you don’t want to turn them into the nice romantic love interest who’s in every scene. I think his danger is important so not just throwing him up whenever somebody wants to see his bare chest is actually a more disciplined approach.”

So there you have it, the latest spoilers.  So now lets start speculating as we wait for the return of Season 3 of True Blood.

SOURCE: SciFiWire.com

(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)

UK Third Installment of True Blood Season 1 – Mine

One of the vamps offered the male human (Jerry) for Bill to feed on, to which Bill agrees. As he is about to bite the human, Sookie hears the human’s malicious thoughts; he has “Hep D”.Sookie shouted “STOP!! he has Hep D” Bill stopped and the human pounce on Sookie and try to strangle her, but Bill broke Jerry’s hand and pushed him away. The other vamps grabbed Jerry and head out but one of the vamps wanted to know how Sookie knew about Jerry, however, Bill communicated with Sookie, letting her know not to say anything and the other vamps swiftly disappear.

Once they have gone, Bill apologized to Sookie for her encounter with the other vampires. Sookie asked Bill what Hep D is and Bill explained it as the only human disease that can affect vampires.  Hep D is harmless to humans but weakens vampires for about a month, it makes them weak, and easier to stake.

Sookie then asked Bill what on earth he meant when he said to the others that she was his. Bill explained that he was communicating with the others to let them know that he was the only one who could feed on her. Sookie was appalled and said that he “most certainly cannot” feed on her. However, had he not said what he had said, Sookie would have been fair game.

Sookie was angry with everything that she had encountered that evening. She explained to Bill that she found some contractors that have agreed to see Bill after dark. When she told Bill that she had to go home, Bill asked Sookie if he may kiss her good night. She refused, explaining that she “couldn’t stand it after them”.

Meanwhile, Tara and Sam as they finished their shift at the bar, they started to have a heart to heart. Tara knew that Sam was in love with Sookie and didn’t hold back when she asked why Sam has not made a move yet. Sam shot back at Tara about her love for Jason. It was like a tennis match between them, with comments being thrown back and forth.

Let’s not forget Jason, who we last saw tied to Dawn’s bed while she went to her shift at Merlotte’s.  She returned home after her shift to find her bed empty. Dawn was then molested, and forced on to the bed by an oddly dressed man. Dawn, at first thinks its Jason, but the man explained in a Scream-esque telephone voice that Jason was his starter and he was coming back for main course with Dawn. While Dawn is in a state of terror about the situation, Jason revealed himself from the mask. When Dawn realized that it was Jason, she lashed out. Jason cheekily told Dawn it was foreplay and he ended up getting his way with her again!

All was not well, part way through their very erotic sex, Jason lost his erection. Jason, being Jason, was understandably very upset. Dawn told him it happens to everyone, but Jason assured her that it had never happened before. Dawn returned from putting some clothes on with a gun, telling Jason to get our of her house.

He thought that she was messing around until she fired a warning shot at the floor. Jason made a run for it, while the neighbors came out to witness the commotion. While fumbling to get into his truck, Jason yelled towards the street that Dawn is a “crazy bitch”.

Back to Tara and Sam, who continued their heart to heart. Tara suggest that they should sleep together. At first, Sam flatly refuses Tara, but after persuading himself, he agreed to have no strings sex with her.

Tara returned home after her raunchy night with Sam, only to be confronted by her drunk mother who hit her with an empty liquor bottle. Tara left with haste and head straight to Lafayette’s.

Although Lafayette was ‘busy’ with a state senate (who pretends to someone he isn’t), he lets Tara in and gave her some TLC and a little extra.

The episode then jumped back to Sookie working hard on her grandma’s garden. Sookie has kept herself busy, trying to figure out her dilemma of what to do over Bill. She was not sure whether to follow her heart or her head.

She headed over to Bill’s and sat outside; it was midday, while Bill was fast asleep (or whatever it is he does when its daylight!)

Sookie thoughts take over her,  and she had a few ‘private moments’ before she was rudely interrupted by Sam calling her on the phone. Sookie was on her day off and she promptly told Sam that she was not coming in. However, all Sam wanted Sookie to do was to go and check on Dawn as she had not turned up for her shift. Sookie unenthusiastically agreed to go to Dawn’s.

Sookie arrived at Dawn’s, knocked more than once before inviting herself in. She walked in to find Dawn’s alarm clock  still ringing. Sookie made her way to Dawn’s bedroom only to find Dawn sprawled across the bed….Dead.

So yet again True Blood leaves you hungry for more.

This episode had a lot going on. I didn’t think it was as fast paced as the previous episodes and I kind of missed seeing Bill! However, we did get to learn a little more about Sam, Jason, Tara, and Lafayette.

More Bill in the next episode please!!!!

True Blood is on Every Wednesday at 22.00GMT on Channel 4.

True Blood Season 3 Spoilers from Alan Ball And The Writers From Paley Center

Alan Ball and his creative writing team attended the Paley Center for Media panel discussion last night where True Blood fans were treated to lots of laughs and lots of information about Season 3 to keep us all hungering for more.

Right off the bat, we can assure you that Snoop Dog is not going to get his wish for a cameo on the show. Alan Ball feels that celebrity casting takes you out of the fictional world that they’re trying to create and distracts the audience. It made more sense for some celebrity casting on his hit series, Six Feet Under, but on True Blood, it’s not very likely. Alan can’t imagine a role that Snoop would be appropriate for.

Alan is having tons of fun working on the show, saying, “It feels odd that I get paid for it.”  Alan says that with Episode 5 of Season 1, the show really hit its stride. Bill Compton has his Civil War flashback during that episode, and Alan feels that by the time they got to that episode, the set up for the series was finished, the audience knew the characters by then, and the writers could start to relax and have fun.

Female heavy writing staff came about because Alan just hires based on skill. He reads people’s original work and gets a feel for their own voice, then uses his instincts during the meeting to know whether he will want to work with them eight hours a day or not. “The show has really strong female characters at the center of the story, so of course you’re going to hire women.”

Being on adult cable TV means that there’s almost nothing they can’t do. Fluidity between serious moments and comedy keeps the audience on it’s toes. Alan says vampires are a metaphor for sex, so it would be strange if they didn’t include that element in the show, but:

I can’t imagine a version of the show anywhere except HBO….I will admit to sitting in the room and saying “Can we get his shirt off? Come on! It’s Louisiana! It’s really hot!”

However, they did tone down the 1920s scene with Bill and Lorena. The original draft included a rape scene, as suggested by Stephen Moyer, but Alan decided that was not going to play well for the audience, so it was scrapped.

The vampire/Human marriage rights certainly mirrors the gay marriage controversy in contemporary society, but Alan does not want that to be a main focus. He says:

It’s some fun window dressing, and it’s only a symbol for the gay and lesbian community because that’s what’s going on right now. If we go back fifty years ago, it could have been African Americans. A hundred years ago, it would have been women and their struggle for equality and the right to vote.

He notes that the issue is in Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse books, which the show was based on, and says that it makes the story more contemporary, so it will certainly continue to be included in the story, but it’s not at the heart of the show. It’s simply there as part of the fabric of the storyline and provides context.

The theme of the outsider starts with Sookie ,who from the first thinks of her telepathy as a disability, and the outsider is part of the vampire myth as well, so it’s just one more part of that idea.

The enthusiasm level of genre fans is very high, and Alan’s very happy about that because it shows that people are passionate about the show, which is tremendously gratifying to him. The other writers love the people who come to conventions and public appearances in costumes, and they all love that people hold the show so dear.

When asked if he had a favorite character on True Blood, Alan says:

I will preface this by saying I love every character equally. I love all of them and I want all of them to get what they want and they need in their fictional lives, but I really enjoy writing Jason and Lafayette.

When one of the other writers mentioned their love of writing for Alexander Skarsgård and how unexpectedly funny he is as Eric Northman, Alan says Alex has expressed a “willingness to go there” when it comes to being naked in Season 3, and in fact he will appear without most of his clothes in the very first episode, an announcement which was met with great applause by the audience.

When asked if there was any character that they regretted killing, the writers said they hated to let go of Gran but it’s such a big part of the book, they had to. They kept Lafayette even though he was killed in the books, but Gran had to die because it was important for Sookie in order to force her to realize that she is alone in the world. The characters, in general, since the writers know going into the season who’s going to die, are not missed as much as the actual actors whom they will no longer be able to see anymore.

Alan says that we will find out what happened to Bill in Episode 1 of Season 3, an announcement which made the audience very pleased.

When told that among fans Evan Rachel Wood is a controversial choice to portray Queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq, Alan wanted to know why people hate her so much. The audience gave a few reasons, but all responded that they are still going to watch the show and buy the DVDs, regardless. Alan assures us that she will be back next season, as will the Newlins. There are also a “boatload” of new characters who will be introduced. Maryann, however, is really dead and will not be back.

Alan says that there will be more conjecture of what Sookie really is in Season 3, and she will get closer to the answer. We will also get closer to an answer for why Sookie is something other than human while her brother Jason isn’t.

During Season 3, the main theme will be that of identity–Who am I? What am I? What do I want to be?

Alan also made it known that Stephen Moyer will not be marginalized. Bill and Sookie may go through some rough patches that will last perhaps longer than Bill fans might like, but in the TV world, they have a connection that will never die, despite the fact that Charlaine had to be talked out of killing Bill off in the last book in the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery series.

The writers don’t feel that much pressure to stick to what happens in the books because they spread the story out among other characters, not just focusing purely on Sookie’s story. That gives the writers much more freedom. They stay true to the spirit of the books, but they are not going to be bound by the novels. They want viewers who’ve read the books to still be surprised.

No weddings will happen in Season 3.  Someone will want one very badly, but that wedding will likely not take place, and the character who wants it to happen is not who we think it’s going to be.

Season 4 will include Eric getting amnesia, but there will be surprises all the same, and the writers don’t really have that much mapped out about the rest of the action in future seasons beyond a basic skeleton. The story can evolve as it’s being told, for example, keeping Lafayette on the show despite the fact that it was contrary to the novel’s plotline. The writers also acknowledge that Eric’s story wants to be told, so we will get to see that evolve.

We will not see Bubba on the show, because there is no way to have Elvis appear on the show without having it look fake, and Alan wants to make sure that the characters are believable.

We will learn more about Nan Flanagan. He loves the contrast between the public face she shows as the spokesperson for vampire rights and the person she truly is when she appears in a more private setting.

The “blood bond” idea from the novels, which happens between a vampire and a human when that human drinks a vampire’s blood, will be featured in the show, and there will be more of Pam in Season 3.

Alan ended up working on True Blood because he couldn’t put Charlaine’s books down and so he pitched the show to HBO. He was completely unaware of Twilight at the time, and it was not a conscious decision to get on some kind of vampire bandwagon. He says that vampires have always been there in our culture. If it’s more than coincidence that so many vampire genre ideas are all popping up at the same time, he has no idea why that is.

The writers all love that Alan does not give them a set expectation for what will happen in each episode, but allows them freedom to be creative and take risks. Once the drafts have been revised and finalized, the person who wrote the script works as a producer during the shooting to be sure that the scenes play the way they intended.

Generally, Alan says that he does not like improvisation of the actors because the writers choose every word on the page for a reason, but Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette really surprised him in the first scene of the pilot, and that scene is the reason he could not kill him off. Sometimes he has to keep him on script, but he loves allowing him more freedom. The AIDS burger scene also really stands out as an amazing moment which caused the crew to burst into spontaneous applause after the first take.

Allan Hyde as Godric is a fan favorite. The end scene with his death was shot partly with green screen, partly on a rooftop as the sun came up and they could only do three takes before they ran out of time to shoot. More than likely, we will see him again in flashback scenes with Eric.

Please be sure to check out the full 55 minute audio of this extraordinary panel discussion.  Click the link, and then scroll down to the audio recording which appears halfway down on right-hand side of the page.

Many thanks to @KitchenBitch on Twitter who graciously provided a link to an audio recording of the event.

SOURCE: TrueBloodTwitter.com

(Photo credit: Kevin Parry / Paley Center for Media)

True Blood Season 3: Spoilers and Casting News

True Blood’s third season won’t be showing up on our television screens for another 8 months or so, but filming begins in early December. This means that we can all be very excited for whatever news comes out to see what might be revealed. A casting call for the first few episodes of Season three hints at several characters that will be introduced.

What’s going to happen to Bill?! He’s going to be spending some time with an “intensely beautiful” male vampire named Talbot, described as cheerfully talkative and sarcastic, where Bill will be forced to stay as a “guest”. Also listed is a character named Cooter, aka “Coot,” the menacing leader of a biker gang. He and his crew (Louie, Jimmy, and Gus) apparently like to stab Bill repeatedly and feed off of him in order to get high on V!!!  An interesting side note is the introduction of a character named Olivia who is described as an elderly woman in her 80’s who lives in a house in the middle of nowhere who mistakes Bill as her son.  Now if according to the spoiler information above, if Bill is being held captive by these thugs, how does he end up meeting this old woman in the middle of nowhere?

How will Sam’s search for his family go? One notice calls for a series regular to play Tommy Mickens. Aged 18-25, he will be dirty but good-looking, with a big scar running across his face. Tommy works at an Arkansas tire depot and comes from a family with a bad reputation for being in debt. When Sam approaches him, he hides his identity. The role will require some backside nudity, so raise your hand if you think shapeshifter! There are also a couple of characters mentioned that Sam meets in Arkansas and asks about his family.

Is Eric pining for Sookie? This character description would suggest not! Yvetta is a gorgeous Eastern European young woman who gets a job dancing at Fangtasia and has a sexual relationship with Eric. The actress must be comfortable with nudity.

How does Jason’s shooting of Eggs affect him? Two college girls named Jen and Missy spend the night with Jason. They try to get him excited for some threesome fun by making out with each other, but he doesn’t seem very enthusiastic. Probably haunted by what he did, he admits that he can’t stop picturing them without bullet holes in their heads.

What will Tara’s emotional roller coaster bring her to next? Apparently, a sexy vampire named Franklin Mott. “Tall, dark, and handsome,” he has an immediate connection with Tara. He meets her at bar and later comes to her aid against a couple of racist rednecks. Also a pastor tries to comfort Tara and help bring her closer to her mother.

Who is going to be Lafayette’s love interest? Although this character is not specified as having an encounter with Lafayette, his description makes him seem like a good candidate! Jesus Velasquez is an attractive Latino male nurse in his 20s-30s. Taking care of people in a nursing home, this young man is good-natured even in the face of occasional racist remarks from his elderly patients. If he is in fact the one that will have a relationship with Lafayette, wouldn’t that be a great contrast to our flamboyant, outspoken fry cook?

It’s good to remember that not every spoiler turns out to be true as shows sometimes like to be tricky and throw fans off by leaking false information. We will have to wait and see what Alan Ball has planned. But this seems like an intriguing group of characters! I can already feel the suspense building.

SOURCE: spoilertv.com

(Photo credits: HBO Inc.)

True Blood Season 3 Spoiler News: Alan Ball Reveals a Little Fresh Blood

As we all know Alan Ball has done a phenomenal job creating the hit show we all love and adore, True Blood. Alan continues to win over the hearts of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestite) audiences as well. Alan recently spoke to Lesley Goldberg from Advocate.com about how he will be staying true to the source material, Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels, and why gay audiences are so attracted to his work. He even gave out some spoiler information and discusses about some new gay characters that will be joining True Blood in season 3. So you have been warned there is spoiler information in this post.  If you do not want to know do not read any further.

Lesley began by asking Alan why he was so attracted to Charlaine’s novels. Alan answered by saying:

“It was an impulse purchase and it was just so much fun. The minute I finished the first book, I wanted the second one; it was like crack. I got addicted. I guess it was somewhere around the third or fourth book where I thought, This just really holds up, I think this could be a great TV show.”

True Blood has certainly proven to be just that! Lesley went on to ask Alan if the gay metaphors were something he envisioned right from the start, when he read the books. Alan agrees that there is a lot of that in the books due to the fact that the books contain numerous gay characters. Alan went on explain that we would be introduced to some of these characters in the upcoming season 3 of True Blood. Wait, new characters!! Lesley asked Alan which new characters would we see and Alan answered saying:

“We’ll be meeting the vampire king of Mississippi and his long, long-term companion — and by long-term I mean really long-term – Talbot. I think Lafayette may meet a love interest, and certainly Pam, who works with Eric, she’s certainly got a lesbian vibe — I don’t know that that’s all she is, but she certainly does seem to appreciate the women.”

Lesley also asked Alan what he thought it was about vampires that attracts so many LGBT fans. Alan responded by saying:

“I think it’s certainly not a huge step for LGBT people to identify with any group of characters that are, as a group, outsiders, that mainstream society feels threatened by; that are fabulous and powerful and sexy and all of that stuff.”

Lesley went on to discuss a possible storyline between the lesbian vampire queen, Sophie-Anne and Sookie. Since Sophie-Anne is romantically involved with Sookie’s cousin, Hadley, is it possible the queen may want that same relationship with Sookie? Alan does see the queen taking an interest in Sookie, but not in a romantic way. Alan explains that he thinks Sophie-Anne’s interest in Sookie is more about what makes Sookie so exceptional. Alan promises that we will learn more about that in season 3 as well. Lesley went on to ask Alan about the new vampire king, Russell Edgington, and if his character would remain gay, which is how he is portrayed in the novels. Alan answered:

“I think the kings and queens of the various states are aware of each other, and yes, he definitely knows who she is. Whether or not they end up in a scene together I can’t really say; it depends on actors’ availability and scheduling and those kinds of things. But they definitely are aware of each other.”

Lesley then asked Alan about how true the True Blood writers remain to the original novels. Alan responded by saying:

“I think we try to stay very true to the spirit of the book series. We have made changes. The books are all narrated by Sookie, so the books are basically all Sookie’s story. We definitely have — in fleshing out the other characters — been creative. I think where we may not stay true to the books entirely, we do try to stay very true to the spirit of them.”

Lesley asked Alan if he discusses changes he plans on making with Charlaine. Alan said no, they don’t discuss it, and that Charlaine said it best at Comic-con when she explained, “I don’t tell Alan how to write his show and he doesn’t tell me how to write my books.” Alan goes on to say that him and Charlaine have a great working relationship and an admirable respect for each other. He feels the books have helped the show and the show has helped the books, but they are two completely different mediums.

Lesley then brought up the fact that Alan had said a character would die in season 3, and asked if this storyline would follow the third book. Alan answered by simply saying:

“I’m a little leery to answer these questions because if I say yes it just gives it away. For people who read the books, some things will not come as a surprise. But for people who don’t read the books, it will be a surprise.”

Lesley ended their interview by asking Alan a huge fan question, will we see Jason Stackhouse scantily clad in season 3, since he was a bit modest last season? Alan said:

“Well, he was at church camp! [Laughs] There’s no shortage of man candy on the show and Jason is back in Bon Temps and he may be up to his old ways. I can tell you that you’ll definitely get to see a lot of Jason in the first few episodes, and by a lot, I mean a lot physically. [Laughs].”

Oh, I can hardly wait! Alan always knows how to leave us wanting more, and I definitely want more!!

SOURCE: Advocate.com

Photo Credit:  Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos via monstersandcritics.com

Stephen Moyer Will Be Heating Up South African TV Screens

Alan Ball’s hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood returns for season two on  South Africa’s M-Net on Tuesday, October 27, 2009.  Based on Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries, True Blood is picking momentum with viewers in the UK as Season One continues to air on the UK’s Channel 4. In the US, Season 2 premiered on June 14 2009 and was the most watched HBO show since The Sopranos series finale in June 2007. According to HBO, True Blood averaged 12.4 million viewers per episode, when measured across various viewing platforms, up 39% from last season. The popularity of the Louisiana vampires is undeniable; they have truly captivated the hearts and imagination of millions viewers in North America, South America, UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

At the heart of this award winning HBO series is the undeniable romantic tension between Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).  The 40-year-old Stephen Moyer, who plays the 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton in True Blood, recently sat down with reporter Theresa Smith to discuss his character and the themes presented and developed in the show.

Part of the reason for the success of the show is, as Stephen explained, the casting of such an international group with Stephen splitting his time between England and the US, Anna from New Zealand/Canada, Alexander Skarsgard from Sweden and other cast members from across the US and Australia. As Stephen highlights:

“Alan (Ball) is brilliant at casting. One of the things he did was create a central core consisting of people who have almost all worked in the theatre. So we’re all much open to playing, creating and throwing things into the mix.”

Stephen provides an in-depth look at the qualities of his character, Bill Compton and the struggle that he sees his character is trying to deal with not only on the outside but also within himself.

“You’ve got this romantic, old-fashioned gentleman who also happens to be a vampire. And the audience has to wonder about that conflict within him and wonder what he is capable of [...] Actually, one of the reasons I love this job so much is because we are playing with so many ideas. Like his costumes–the costume designer will come to me and say, ‘How about we try this?’ And it will be a little thing like having his collars turned up on a certain jacket that gives a hint of the Confederate soldier, just a little echo of part of his past.”

Stephen wasn’t initially familiar with the Southern Vampire Series and read them only after he got the part of Bill Compton. Stephen describes vampire Bill as a conflicted individual; a vampire who’s desperately attempting to mainstream and be a decent character but who is at the core also a killer:

“When I began playing the role Alan wrote, he (Bill) warms up throughout the season in a way the character in the books doesn’t. Sookie in the books also flits from one romance to another and if you did that with a lead female character, she would not be as virtuous as they wanted her to be. So Alan made the decision to let her have the attachment to Bill [...] But he’s (Bill) still a vampire who kills.”

Fans of True Blood often forget that Stephen is a British actor with a decidedly British accent who can deliver a convincing and hilarious Cockney accent. A thorough bred actor, Stephen was helped by a voice coach in his delivery of vampire Bill’s Southern drawl.

One question that many of his fans have wondered for quite some time is why he changed his name.  Stephen, whose original name was Stephen Emery, revealed in the interview that he changed his name because he didn’t want to be known as the actor playing a horse’s ass. Stephen received his Equity card for his role in the pantomine Oliver in the same week as another actor of the same name. This other Stephen, according to our Stephen, was

“playing the back end of a horse, I swear to God, it’s true”

When asked what it is about British actors that they portray vampires so convincingly, Stephen explains that the classical training British actors receive in drama schools helps actors immerse themselves in a specific role to deliver convincing characterizations, and in the case of True Blood, the training Stephen received in drama school has helped him convey the age and experience of vampire Bill.

Stephen also indicates his appreciation of how True Blood uses the vampire genre as a platform to discuss meaningful socio-political issues, albeit in a light-hearted manner:

“Alan (Ball) takes this idea of the outsider coming into the world and how everybody reacts to that outsider. The metaphor is about someone who is a pariah in society trying to prove he is not what people think he is and this can be a metaphor for homosexuality, the black and white civil rights movement, or any minority that you want to bring to the table.”

Stephen adds that one of his favorite thing about True Blood is how each episode ends on a cliffhanger, adding:

“I think Alan is a very clever film-maker because he put in undercurrents of information in the show. It can also be a rollicking funny thriller, great fast television.”

Season 2 of True Blood has now completed its run on HBO in the North America with Season 3 due out in June 2010. Of Season 3, Alan Ball hints:

“After last season you would think things would sort of return to normal – but no, that’s not going to happen!” No, there’s just as much weird stuff out there, and we’re going to meet some werewolves for the first time; we’re going to find out some roles vampires played in history, which is interesting and shocking and funny. It’s more of the same.”

While the relationship between Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) will continue to be the heart of True Blood’s narrative arc, Alan Ball explains that some of the supporting cast will be receiving more screen time in Season 3.  As Alan Ball explains:

“Definitely Eric has broken out and is a big important character now. Jessica and Hoyt are still trying to deal with everything that happened to them, and Arlene and Terry are going to have a little bit more of a life and more of a presence on the show.”

Season 2 of HBO’s True Blood will premiere on M-Net tomorrow, Tuesday, October 27, 2009.

Source: Tonight

Photo credit: HBO Inc.

The UK Second True Blood Installment – First Taste

Last week we were left high and dry with a cliff hanger. The episode throws you back to where the last episode left us; it’s at full pace from the start. The Rattrays are beating Sookie, to within inches of her life, and the mysterious dog from the first episode reappears trying to distract the Rattrays, but one of them pulls a gun on the dog.  Sookie makes a grab for the gunman, but something throws him up into the air and against the trees and slits his throat, closely followed by the remaining Rattray. You kinda guess that they are both dead.
You know it is Bill that has come to the rescue and he picks up Sookie, taking her to a secluded area, while she falls in and out of consciousness. He rests Sookie gently on the ground and Sookie explains that she cannot feel her legs. Bill then takes a bite from himself and tells her she must drink his blood. She refuses as she doesn’t want to become a vampire, however, Bill assures her that she won’t and he forces her to drink his blood before his wound heals.  Sookie reluctantly drinks Bill’s blood, and it turns into a very sensual moment. After the reluctance fades, you realize that she is enjoying it far, far too much.

She then loses consciousness, and the scene cuts to her waking up to see Bill licking blood off her forehead.  Bill asks her “what are you” to which Sookie replies that she is a telepath.  Bill asks if she can hear his thoughts but Sookie states that she can’t and that is why she likes him so much because it is so relaxing after a lifetime of hearing “blah, blah, blah.” As Sookie starts to move she realizes that she is healed. She is shocked and asks Bill if doctors know what “V juice” can do; he explains that it is indeed a secret between them. Whilst Bill is walking her back to her car, Sookie asks his age.  Bill explains that he became a vampire in 1865, when he was just 30 ‘human years’ old. Sookie inquires about whether he was in the Civil War, which he confirms that he was. Sookie asks him to come and speak to her Grandma about the Civil War. Bill thinks about this for a moment and agrees to go because it will make Sookie happy. Bill arranges to visit Sookie the following day…after dark.

Meanwhile, Jason is being questioned by the police over Maudette’s murder. The police wait twelve hours before showing him a video that they have recovered of Maudette and him being particularly intimate, including a snippet of what happens when Jason leaves the scene. It shows Maudette is only playing dead and once Jason has left, she unhooks herself from the position she was in and turns the camera off. The police release Jason, and he goes straight to see Dawn (a waitress at Merlotte’s). All Jason wants is his way with yet another women, especially after the day he has had and, inevitably, gets what he wants!  In the second episode you learn a little bit more about the various characters. You find out that Tara’s mother is a drunk and that Tara hates living at home with her. She has her cousin Lafayette to call on when she doesn’t want to be at home. I really like Lafayette; he is a wicked character, he is fun, hilarious, and brings people out of their shells.  I only hope we see more of him as the series progresses.

You also meet Sookie’s Grandma, who dotes on both her grandchildren as they are all she has left of her family and she is all Sookie and Jason have too.  Sookie and her Grandma seem to have a special relationship. Sookie’s Grandma is very similar to Sookie in her  acceptance of vampires and is very excited that Bill has agreed to talk to her about the Civil War.  Bill arrives at Sookie’s; however, not only is he meeting Sookie’s Grandma, he also has the pleasure of meeting Jason and Tara, who are extremely rude to Bill. Sookie’s Grandma puts Jason firmly back in his place; she will not tolerate rudeness in her home. Bill agrees to talk at the church for Sookie’s Grandmas club.

With the acceptance of Sookie’s Grandma, Bill takes Sookie for a walk. Sookie pesters Bill with more questions. She wants to know what effects Bill’s blood will have on her, to which he explains that her senses will be heightened, as will her libido, and his ability to feel where Sookie is (he will even know if she is in trouble). Sookie demands that Bill try and work his magic in influencing her, but is surprised when he is unable to take control of her. They both accept each others special abilities and start walking again. Bill takes her to his home, and explains to Sookie that he is renovating the place and she offers a lending hand in helping to find contractors.

Bill then takes things a little further and is overwhelmed as he tells Sookie that that he can “smell the sunlight on your skin”.  Sookie is so drawn to him and grabs onto to Bill and they kiss passionately until Bill’s fangs make a sharp entrance and Bill pulls himself away from her.  Bill is embarrassed about his fangs and decides to take Sookie home.

You really start to see that both characters are falling for each other when Sookie keeps having adult dreams about Bill. It’s clear that Bill is falling for Sookie as well; he understands that Sookie can only be herself around him because she cannot hear his thoughts.

The next scene between Sookie and Bill, Sookie arrives at Bill’s home to deliver the contractors details however, she is greeted not by Bill, but three not so friendly vampires, one of which looks strangely familiar.

What will happen to Sookie, will Bill save her again?

This was another cracking episode which left me scared for Sookie again; will the poor girl ever have an easy life?? We shall have to wait for the next installment of True Blood on Wednesday at 22:00 GMT on Channel 4.

True Blood Season 3 Spoilers: Revelations About Sookie, Eric, Sam and Plotlines

Alan Ball and Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) revealed more details to TV Guide about what we can expect to see happen when True Blood returns for season 3.  Based on what they reveal it looks like it is going to be a very long and painful wait for True Blood fans as they will have to dwell on these spoilers. Let’s look at each of the spoilers one at a time to savor what they are willing to share with us now.  One thing is for certain it is going to be “a crazy season” according to Alan Ball and Season 3 will pick up right where it left off with Bill (Stephen Moyer) being kidnap and “things get weird really fast.”

As Alan has already mentioned in a previous post that someone is going to die and the fans will be happy to see this character bite the dust.  He also provides some more details about the plotline for season 3, more details regarding Sam and what is going to happen between Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard).

Alan told TV Guide that season two’s theme was about religions and beliefs that can make people do things they would not normally do. Season 3 is about finding one’s identity.  As Alan states:

“It seems to be that it’s about really embracing one’s identity.  This season is a lot about what it means to be who you are, or what you are.”

Which leads to Sookie’s dilemma of trying to figure out who she really is. She will be trying to grasp what are these new strange powers that she has and what do they mean.  Alan elaborates:

“Sookie still doesn’t know exactly what she is. She will get closer to figuring out why she has these random powers that show up when they do,” says Ball. (Spoiler alert: In the books, Sookie discovers she has fairy blood running in her.) “She is definitely part of a different race,” adds Ball. “In terms of fairies, like perky fairies with wings, like Tinkerbell, no, they’re not like that. If it is fairies, they’re fierce. They’re not pretty, soft, glamorous, gossamery things. They’re really, really, really powerful and primal creatures.”

Perhaps one of the biggest question, which has been hinted at for several months now, is the developing relationship between Sookie and Eric.  Will it develop and if so how and when?  In season 2 we saw the effects the little drops of blood that Sookie ingested had on her in terms of her having very vivid sexual dreams with Eric.  At times they have frightened her, disgusted her and presented her with feelings of guilt, yet at the same time peaked her curiosity. So will these dream turn into reality between the two of them?  Will a romance develop between Eric and Sookie?  Alan states:

“I can definitely tell you [we'll see that] in the show. I don’t know if it will necessarily be in Season 3. Of course they’re going to come together, it’s fated. It’s not something that’s going to happen right off the bat.”

Both Alan and Sam discuss Sam’s fate in season 3, which again runs along the theme of finding out one’s identity.  Sam will be searching for his biological family to find answers about himself and perhaps develop a connection with them however based on what Alan and Sam state it doesn’t look like it is going to be a very happy outcome. Sam explains:

“As I understand it, I’m going to be trying to find my biological family, who put me up for adoption or abandoned me. I have a feeling they’re going to be very creepy, sketchy, weird, shape-shiftery weirdos. They’re going to be bad news.”

Now will Sam’s love life improve this season?  That we do not know yet, but it doesn’t seem very likely considering the betrayal he suffered with Daphne and his feeling for Sookie not being reciprocal. Sam says,

“Can he ever trust a woman again? I don’t know if he can, so he may have to just turn into an animal, stay an animal and seek love that way,” jokes Trammell. “I hope he does, in all seriousness, but it could take a season or two for him to build up that confidence again.”

What other little tidbits does Alan provide?  He does state that we will also see some new shape-shifters who may be Sam’s biological family, new vampires and werewolves and the return of some characters from Season 2.  Who are they?  Well,  Alan mentions that the Queen Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood) will return in season 3 along with Godric (Allan Hyde) who we will see in flashback scenes.

So much information to digest and dwell upon that it will either help quell the hunger for True Blood or increase fans’ anxiety for the season to begin.  Comment below on what you think and how you feel about these spoilers.

SOURCE: TV Guide.com

(Photo credit:  HBO Inc.)

True Blood UK Terrestrial Channel Debut

With the roaring success vampires have been having recently with the massive international success of the first feature length installment of the Twilight Saga and the vampire fictional worlds growing ever stronger, it was no surprise that True Blood would be any different; in fact, it has been a huge phenomenon in the States. With the eagerly anticipated UK terrestrial channel arrival of True Blood on Channel 4 and its raunchy ad campaign (which had you begging for more) I, for one, waited with baited breath as True Blood landed on our screens last Wednesday.  Within the first few minutes I was hooked with its catchy theme tune, which gets into your head and has you singing “I wanna do bad things to you” throughout the day (which to be honest is not a great thing in an office environment!!).  The show itself is based in a small town called Bon Temps, Louisiana, where everyone knows everything. Sookie Stackhouse is the lead female character (played by Anna Paquin), and is an ordinary girl who works as a waitress in Merlotte’s Bar. Except she’s not so ordinary; she has a special power. She can hear peoples thoughts. Her gift is sometimes a hindrance: she has not been able to have a boyfriend, not for the want of trying, but she hates hearing what they want to do to her and what they think of her.  Oh, and I should also mention that in this world vampires live amongst the humans, no longer in secrecy. They have their own rights, and no longer need to feed off mortals to sustain their needs; the new invention of Tru Blood, a synthetic blood, satisfies their nutritional needs. Sookie soon realizes that vampires cannot always take care of themselves. She ends up rescuing a vampire from the Rattrays (a pair of low-life trash) who are trying to drain him of his blood, which is very sought after by us mortals.

It all starts off with Sookie having a bad shift, her worse customers have arrived (the Rattrays). As Sookie puts it so very eloquently “no count, backwards, trash”.  As always Sookie is polite and deals with them as she does with every other customer.

Her world is turned upside down when Merlotte’s gets its first resident Vampire coming into thew bar. Sookie knows straight away what he is; she has no preconceptions and dives straight in, head first to introduce herself. She doesn’t care what people think: she is intrigued by the vampire, and confused that she cannot hear his thoughts, however, she hears the Rattrays’ thoughts and knows there is going to be trouble.

But will Sookie’s rescue land her in trouble??

So with the Rattrays taken care of by Sookie’s intervention and the vampire in debt to Sookie, he introduces himself as Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer). Sookie is amazed that she cannot hear his thoughts. She is at peace because for once she has no-one else’s thoughts to hear but her own! Sookie is not the only one who is taken by surprise; Vampire Bill is taken aback when Sookie refuses to take the blood that the Rattrays have drained.  There is definitely something different and unique about her that he has not expereinced in a long time. Sookie says her goodbyes and cannot secretly wait to see him again.

Sookie has alot of people looking out for her, she has her brother Jason who is the complete opposite to Sookie and keeps his brain firmly in his trousers. I think secretly we all wish we could bottle what Jason has and bring it out every Saturday night; he is a bag of fun and is one hell of a ladies man. His heart is in the right place when it comes to family and he loves his sister dearly.

Then there is Sookie’s boss Sam Merlotte (the owner of Merlotte’s bar, funnily enough) who is constantly looking out for her. Except he has his own agenda, he is truly in love with Sookie. Despite being a supporter of the vampire rights amendment, he is not too keen on them coming into his bar, especially the ones who have a keen interest in Sookie!

Last, but by no means least, is Sookie’s childhood best friend Tara Thornton. She is the punch first, ask questions later kinda girl! She loves Sookie like a sister and just wants to protect her.  All three do not want Sookie talking to Bill Compton; they are fearful for her and are afraid of change. They all think they know whats best for Sookie Stackhouse!

However, Sookie has a mind of her own. She arranges to meet Bill after her late shift at Merlotte’s. Bill thinks it’s a good idea to keep low as he does not want to rock the boat with the locals. He is already concerned that they are all talking about him. All Bill really wants is to fit in as best possible and live as much as a normal life as a vampire can lead.

Sookie leaves the bar at the end of her shift and gets into a spot of bother, to which point the episode leaves you high and dry!

Will Bill get to Sookie in time to save her……..

To sum up True Blood in five words (I could not narrow it down to three) would be, exciting, fun, sexy, different and down right RUDE! (I know its a little more than 5 words but it just had to be said!)

The opening episode of True Blood had me craving for more, it is probably one of the best openings to any series and I cannot wait to see episode 2 on Wednesday 2200GMT on Channel 4.

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