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True Blood Returns This Sunday, and We've Got Your Scoop Right Here!

Find out what creator Alan Ball and stars Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica!) and Sam Trammell can spill about upcoming episodes of the cult-hit HBO drama

By Jennifer Godwin Jul 10, 2009 8:55 PMTags
Deborah Ann Woll, True BloodJaimie Trueblood / HBO

After a break (argh!) for the July Fourth holiday, HBO's cult-hit drama True Blood returns this Sunday with a brand-new ep, and to celebrate, we've got a veritable bloodbath of dish.

Read on to see two sneak peeks of Sunday's ep, and check out three exclusive new True Blood interviews, including a chat with breakout star Deborah Ann Woll and a talk with hilarious series creator Alan Ball, who shares some awesome wisdom with us, including, "If you're a vampire, you're not going to want an all-white house."

Q&A with Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica Hamby)

Jessica didn't want to become a vampire, and now she's a part of this vampire family. I take it she'll have some adjustment problems.
Absolutely. It's a whole new world. She has to deal with everything you have to deal with as a 17-year-old girl, and on top of that, she can kill people, which is maybe not such a good thing to add with a teenage temper.

Does her dramatic relationship will Bill settle down eventually, or does it remain more of a strained situation?
It settles down as much as a father-daughter relationship ever does. Is that mysterious enough for you?

Does she get involved in the Dallas mystery this season?
Yes and no. I get to go. Definitely a field trip. I'm certainly a complication in many ways.

What's it like working with Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin?
Stephen and Anna are so lovely and kind and funny and talented. I'm newer to this business, obviously, than either of them, and it's been an honor to really watch them and learn from them. They're so willing to teach and learn right along with me, so I have such respect for them.

Jean-Paul Aussenard/Getty Images

Q&A with executive produer Alan Ball

What genre of television would you say True Blood is, if you had to pick just one?
Drama. We don't have an actual sign in the writers room that reads, "It's the emotions, stupid," but we might as well. We feel like we have to keep these characters rooted in some sort of emotional reality because otherwise, it's a parade of special effects and set pieces.

Last season True Blood was very Southern Gothic and grounded in Bon Temps, La. This season seems more of an epic vampire family saga. Are we leaving Bon Temps for good?
I'm working with source material, so I'm following the books. The show gets a little bigger in scope this year, but it always remains rooted in Bon Temps. That's where Sookie lives, that's where Bill lives, that's where all our major characters live. They may go out of town for this reason or that reason, but they'll always come home.

Sometimes people on this show are just covered in blood—the first episodes are so graphic. Are you going for a comic-book look for the show? Are you going for a specific visual type?
The reality of the fictional world of vampires is that it's bloody. Blood is everywhere, they feed on it, and they feed on people when they are having sex, so it's a messy world. If you're a vampire you're not going to want an all-white house. You're going to need a lot of Scotchgard.

As a writer, what's your personal favorite storyline this season?
That's like asking me who my favorite child is! I can't answer that. If you make me pick one, I'll have to stay it's the storyline of the alien invasion that kicks in around episode six.

Steven Lippman / HBO

Q&A with Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte)

Let's talk about Michelle Forbes' character, Maryann. Sam knew her from something before.
I did. I knew Maryann; you're going to find all of that out. A lot of Sam's history is explored this year, and you find out how they know each other. My storyline this year is very much entwined with hers. She's a very, very intense creature for Sam.

Will Sam have a new romance this year?
Yes, Sam has some new romance this year. And he's got some other stuff going on this year.

Like what? Any vampires?
Maybe vampire. Sam really opens up this year. He becomes more vulnerable than he was in the past. He shares more of himself than he has.

What's your favorite scene you've shot this season?
We did a scene recently that was so crazy. I don't even know how to describe it. I don't know how it's going to come out, it's just insane. The writers are crazy; they're not playing it safe at all this year. They're taking huge chances. If you could think of the craziest possible thing that could happen in a fantastical world of vampires and creatures, you'd have to double it to figure this out. It's really crazy. I hope it's good.

Are you guys loving this season of True Blood? Share your thoughts in the comments!