TRUE BLOOD: 10 Reasons Why Season Four Will Rock My World

 So... only a few days to go before the season premiere of True Blood, and my withdrawl is at a fever pitch. I've read a lot of info on the upcoming season - heard a lot of spoilers - checked out a bunch of trailers, including the first full 8 minutes. I'm so psyched for the premiere it would take Publisher's Clearinghouse at my door to tell me I won a million bucks for me to leave my couch Sunday night.  Even then I'd probably tell them to just hold up a bit.

A few years ago when the series started, I didn't have HBO.  I had no real intention of subscribing to it because I'm inherently cheap.  But then I saw an episode online.  I won't say where.  But Season One was already at the halfway mark and I had just finished the first four books.  So I caved.  I watched several more eps online and then subscribed to HBO and haven't looked back since. 

I'm curious to see what will happen in the season to follow, and am hoping for several things to happen.  Two of which are more Alcide, and more Eric.
I think my dreams are going to come true, people...

Here's what I'm looking forward to and my thoughts on why Season Four will be the best yet:

1) Witches.  Not that vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters aren't cool enough - it's just that I've always been kind of partial to a little bit of magic.  Shit always ends up going south when the craft is involved, so I'm thinking that combining black magic with vamps - probably a volatile combo.  Bring it.  And more action from Jesus (Kevin Alejandro, and that's Hey-Soos, not G-Zuz) and his hoodoo that he do?  Um, yes please.

2) More Alcide.  Ever since they introduced his character last year I was head over heels for this doggone (sorry) sexy slice of canine.  In the books, I'll be honest and say I wasn't a huge fan of the character.  I've always been more of a "vamp" girl.
But whatever brilliant True Blood casting agent took this Pittsburgh native (yay!) off the unemployment line and threw him a bone (sorry again), I want to kiss them silly. Not only is Joe Manganiello a series regular this year, he's supposedly going to be naked regularly as well.  I can find no problem with that.

3) Eric is going to soften up.  While I love the eternally edgy, in-charge bastard Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), I've read the books and can tell you that Dead to the World (from which Season 4 is based) is my favorite of the series so far.  I don't think it's a major spoiler to admit here that Eric is going to lose his memory (damn witches!) and become a gentle, more compassionate Eric.  And while you think you might hate that side of Eric, you can rest assured you won't.  Sookie won't either. 

4) Sam's gonna get some action.  After last season's trip to trailer trash hell when we met Sam's family and they turned his world upside down, it's time for Sam (Sam Trammell) to have a good time.  He deserves it, and though I'm sure his happiness probably won't last (never does!), at least he'll have another reason to bark at the moon.

5) Last season it looked like Tara (Rutina Wesley) was leaving Bon Temps for good.  And though I haven't heard much about what Tara is going to be up to (and don't really have the book to pull from as Tara isn't quite the same character in it), I'm sure she'll be the rough and ready Tara we're all so fond of.  Like Sam, she could use a heaping handful of happiness...so we'll just have to wait and see.

6) One of my hubby's favorite characters is Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll).  Last year she was still trying to control herself and not kill people off, but did manage to salvage her relationship with good ol' boy Hoyt (Jim Parrack).  They were setting up to play house in the series finale, but just what was that weird doll doing on the floor in their house?  Could it be Hoyt's mom trying to voodoo her way back into his life?  And can the odd couple make a go of it even though Jess wants nothing to do with synthetic blood?

7) Oh Jason.  Just what kind of white trash have you got yourself tied to up there in Hot Shot?  I'm thinking the Deliverance-esque families in poor town are going to cause a whole heap of trouble for our favorite bumbling (but oh-so-sexy) birdbrain.
I've never been truly fond of the Hot Shot gang from the books, and wish Jason (Ryan Kwanten) wouldn't have gotten himself all wrapped up in their world, but hopefully Alan Ball will make it interesting.  I know it will be wild.  Literally.

8) Lafayette is one of my favorite characters.  I was extremely thrilled that he wasn't killed off at the end of Season One like he was in the book.  I know damn well it's Nelsan Ellis's superior acting skills that have created such a rich, nuanced character, and I applaud what he's done with Lafayette.  He's so fucking entertaining!  Can't wait to delve a little deeper into his psyche this season.

9) I sure hope Pam is going to get some well-deserved storylines this year instead of just being Eric's second.

Kristin Bauer van Straten takes that role and runs with it, and though last year she did have some of the very best lines of the season, she needs to do more than wait around for Eric's orders.  I hear through the grapevine that her role is beefed up, so I'm hoping that's true.

10) Bill.  Oh Bill. You were kind of an ass last year, weren't you?  But they are playing the books true to form on that one.  Hopefully they won't make Bill (Stephen Moyer) into the major douchbag he turned into in the novels.  I know he is one of creator Alan Ball's favorite characters, so that has me thinking his role won't go down the toilet on the show.  I hear he's getting a new job this year, and perhaps a new distraction from his beloved Sookeh!  In any event, I'm thinking Bill is going to have a fairly eventful year, after all - he is still one of the main draws to the series.

Naturally, there are other storylines I've neglected to mention so far.  For instance - just what is going to happen with Terry and Arlene?  Will her baby be the spawn of Satan (or rather, her serial-killing dead ex?).  Did Sam kill his struggling brother Tommy?  Assuming Bill lives in season four, which is, let's face it, a given - what the hell happened to the Queen of Louisiana?  And speaking of royalty...have we seen the last of Russell Edginton, King of Mississippi?  Or will he come back from his cement grave to torment Bon Temps and its residents?  What happened to Alcide's crack-addicted werewolf ex, Debbie Pelt?  Will Sheriff Andy Bellefleur become addicted to V or possibly just beat the holy hell out of Jason for being a dumb shit? Am I the only one who hopes we've seen the last of Summer, and I don't mean the season.  How will Nan Flanagan control her vamps and correct the public damage Russell inflicted on their race on national television?  Can the oft-glamoured Fangtasia waitress Ginger ever stop screaming?  And was that really Godric I saw in a preview?  Hope so.

My only real concern is the fairies.  I'm not a fan of fae in fiction, be it books, movies, or tv.  So all I can say is my hope is that they keep that Tinkerbell stuff to a minimum, or at least make it remotely interesting, cause I have to say I can do without the fantasy land Sookie took off to at the end of Season Three.

All in all, I'm looking very much forward to enjoying my Sunday nights with the folks at Bon Temps.


The action starts Sunday June 26th at 9pm.  Woot!