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Vampires, Shapeshifters And Werewolves! Oh My!

Holly Butcher |
June 14, 2010 | 8:44 a.m. PDT

Senior Music Editor

"True Blood" season three premiered on Sunday. (Creative Commons)
Sometimes it sucks to be a "True Blood" fan. 
You wait patiently for each episode, sit through steamy supernatural lust, thrilling and unexpected twists and corny-yet-lovable dialogue. Then--as loud, fast rock music rolls over the credits--it's over before you have a chance to process the latest cliffhanger. 
And you're still hooked.
Season two concluded last September with the resolution of the maenad problem. Bon Temps was under the influence of Maryann (Michelle Forbes), a supernatural worshiper of Dionysus, who caused people to black out and party uncontrollably. The festivities became morbid as her minion, Eggs (Mehcad Brooks), performed sacrifices for her during the blackouts. But Maryann the maenad died after shapeshifter Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) teamed up with sexy vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) to destroy her. 
With peace and order restored, Bill took his telepathic girlfriend and heroine Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) out to dinner where he proposed. The cliffhanger of the season came after Sookie returns from the bathroom to say yes to her soon-to-be fiancé, only to find him kidnapped with signs of a struggle.
Luckily, after 10 months of anticipation, Sunday's premiere picks up right where last season ends: Sookie frantically searches for her missing vampire; the pretty-but-dim-witted Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) comes home in a panic after shooting the murderous Eggs; Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley) reacts to the death of her boyfriend (Eggs) aggressively; the newly turned vampire Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) tries to undo her first human killing by force feeding the corpse vampire blood; and Bill sits barely alive and chained in silver amidst a car full of raucous, "V"-addicted madmen.
And each of these storylines unfolds, making the premiere multi-dimensional.
Now that "True Blood" has matured into the mainstream, it's exercising the freedom to experiment with even more plotlines and supernatural creatures. The only risk is that this will be too ambitious and not everything will be fully explained. 
Here's a brief list of what we should expect to be examined as the series continues:
Inter-species romance
Vampires and humans are finally granted the civil right to marry in the U.S. How will this affect our vamps and Bon Temps residents this season? 
There are two inter-species couples at the beginning of season three: Bill and Sookie and Jessica and Hoyt Fortenberry (Jim Parrack).  Unfortunately, both have seen their share of drama in addition to prejudice. Bill is missing after Sookie hesitates to accept his proposal. And Hoyt's mother disapproves of his dating a vampire, which leads to their first major fight. 
Will they be able to overcome the obstacles to stay in love?
Crime and punishment
Detective Andy Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) takes responsibility for killing Eggs. (Eggs was approaching the police officer with a murder weapon when Jason shot him, but instead of telling the truth, the two decide it is easier if Andy is the killer.) But even with a clear name, Jason feels remorse. Andy tells him, "I need to see a lot less conscience and a lot more cojones," and Jason attempts to go back to his womanizing ways to maintain appearances. 
Unfortunately he can't because of the guilt. Will he be able to overcome his conscience or will he end up a convicted murderer?  
The drug war
Vampire blood (street name "V") is one of the most potent and popular drugs. And Bon Temps has become a hotbed of "V" trafficking. Some dealers capture the vamps in order to drain them. Others are connected to vampires who want to make a profit. Its sale is dangerous because if the head vampires discover someone is selling their blood, they will kill and torture the dealer and associates. 
This season, the vampire sheriff of Bon Temps Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) and the Queen of Louisiana (Evan Rachel Wood) are involved in a "V" drug ring that involves some residents of Bon Temps. Will they be punished or put the blame on someone else?
Homeward bound

Sam leaves Bon Temps to find his roots. He travels to Arkansas where he discovers he has a brother and that his family is not liked by many. Does this mean there will be other shapeshifters introduced this season? Will they be teaming up against the vampires? Will details about Sam's mysterious past finally be revealed?

Tara Thornton's self destruction
Tara attempts suicide after several efforts by her cousin and mother to ease her grief. In past seasons she's shown a destructive side through alcohol abuse. We know her mother was a former alcoholic who found Jesus. Will she follow in her mom's footsteps or continue going down a spiral? How will the influence of other supernaturals affect her recovery? She was vulnerable to Maryann, so could this happen again?

Werewolves!
What's a good vampire story without werewolves? This time it's "True Blood's" turn to bring on the wolves. And they actually use real wolves to film instead of computer generated beasts, which looks, well, real. 
The cliffhanger this episode was Bill fighting off a pack of werewolves and warning them, "I have fed." There was no explanation as to where they came from or who they were. Did they kidnap Bill? Are they associated with the "V" trade? Will there be a massive fight scene between the fangs and the dogs?
Who knows -- that's why we have to tune in next Sunday to get our answers.


 

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