Highlights from the "True Blood" Comic-Con 2011 Panel

[JamesG]

Comic-Con 2011: Highlights from HBO's "True Blood" Panel
by Laura Prudom
posted Jul 22nd 2011


Ballroom 20 was alive with the sound of squealing Friday night, as the unnaturally attractive "True Blood" cast hit the stage at Comic-Con.

Alexander Skarsgård, Ryan Kwanten, Stephen Moyer, Nelsan Ellis, Kevin Alejandro, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Rutina Wesley, Deborah Ann Woll, Anna Paquin and Alan Ball (phew!) held court before a packed house, showing off some steamy scenes still to come this season in a searing sizzle reel, before tantalizing the audience with a few juicy spoilers in the hour-long panel.

Sam Trammell (whose wife is about to have twins) and Joe Manganiello (who is filming a movie in Atlanta) were sorely missed, but we'd still say that the hotness quotient of the panel was far above normal human levels.











The preview reel showed more of what fans have come to know and love from "True Blood" -- namely sex, sex and more sex. We saw plenty of scenes indicating that Sookie and Eric get very up-close and personal, much to Bill's displeasure, and there were plenty of longing looks from Alcide's quarter, too.



This was borne out by a few hints creator Alan Ball dropped during the Q&A:

"There will be a moment in the show where Eric [Skarsgård] and Sookie [Paquin] are together in a shower," he teased. "It may be weirder and dirtier [than what happens in the books] ... "

He also confirmed that Sookie takes her clothes off "all the time" this season.



Yep, "True Blood" is all about equal opportunity nudity.

And for fans hoping for more shirtless Eric, Skarsgård confirmed that there would be plenty of that on tap for the rest of the season, too. Color us shocked.











On the subject of Bill [Moyer] and his incestuous tryst with his great-great-great granddaughter, Moyer confirmed that "We'll see them see each other again, but Bill has bigger fish to fry ..."



As for his relationship with Sookie, Paquin admitted that "it's going to be a pretty complicated road back," for Bill, since "a lot has happened between them."

The audience booed at the prospect of Sookie and Bill reuniting -- there were obviously a lot of Team Eric/Team Alcide fans in the house.











A potentially shocking reveal came when Ball was trying to deflect attention away from a question about Sookie's powers and whether the death of her "fairy godmother" would give her more control over them or less.

His answer was a complete non-sequitur, but we'll take the scoop where we can get it: "Those who know the books know that fairies are born in litters, and they're identical ..."

Could Sookie have some fairy twins?











When the moderator asked Kevin Alejandro whether Jesus has some darkness in him that might make him a potential villain, Alejandro played it safe, enigmatically answering"

"there's a little darkness in everybody. You'll have to watch and find out, but there's some good, good sh*t going on."











Love was a hot topic on the panel -- from Tara's newfound lesbian lover (to which Wesley responded, "I don't like labels, so I think Tara was sideswiped and fell in love and didn't know what happened. I think it's awesome that she's happy and smiling for a change", to the burgeoning chemistry between Jason (Kwanten) and Jessica (Woll) now that Jason has tasted Jessica's blood to heal his werepanther wounds.

"We all know what happens when someone drinks a vampire's blood," Woll pointed out. "What I'm more interested in is how do the feelings transform and continue from then on after being weaned off V."











As for Arlene's baby and the creepy doll that keeps resurfacing, Ball revealed:

"We'll find out what it is about that doll that makes it creepy, and it's creepy."



He also asked the audience whether they thought Arlene and Rene's nipper truly is as satanic as it seems, the crowd gave a resounding "Yes!"

"What, that cute little baby?" Ball asked, shocked. "Yes!" the audience insisted, with someone calling out, "Kill the baby!"

The cast seemed horrified. "I knew 'True Blood' fans were twisted, but I had no idea you were that twisted!" Ball laughed.











Fans of Pam can look forward to seeing how Eric made her in Season 5, Ball promised.

A fan asked whether the strip club "Hooligans" might make an appearance.

"It may not have the same name, but there will be a business venture that will involve people of both sexes taking their clothes off for money and will have another completely twisted other supernatural purpose in Season 5," Ball hinted.





This season, we'll see "spirits without bodies," whether you want to call them ghosts or not, as well as a demonic beast that's tied into the witches.

Ball and the writing team are already researching other supernatural creatures for next season that we might not have seen before.

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/07/22/comi...e-blood-panel/