Might as well get it started since Brian Buckner is giving interviews on next year's season.
TVGuide's Interview with Buckner-
Was blowing up everything at the end of the season a chance for you to really start fresh next year?
Brian Buckner: It is. It's a bit of a reset and it's also establishing a story that is for every vampire, a human, for every human, a vampire. It's to try to return to the show's promise in Season 1, which is if vampires exist, let's examine the relationships between humans and vampires. Now we get to do it with many different pairings rather than just Bill and Sookie. The hope is — and this is what I was hinting at Comic-Con — that by putting all of our characters essentially into one story, now it's Bon Temps vs. the world, the characters people love will get more screen time because these stories don't have separate demands. If vampires and humans are now working together, where does the tension come from?
Buckner: I don't mean to say there are not complications with those relationships. The driving force of the show is going to be the relationships. What does Alcide or Sookie having to take on a vampire feeding partner do to their relationship? Every relationship is complicated because it's a three-way or four-way. That's what we're looking at. I don't think it's all going to be hunky-dory. It's going to create tensions between makers and makees because, "You love that human, don't you?!" It's a bit of a shift back from plot-driven big bad to some of the soapy elements of the show. It's the relationships that are interesting, not the plot that the bad guy is necessarily providing.Can you talk about the threat of the mutated Hep-V?
Buckner: That's the work of next season. Specifically, viruses do mutate and that's part of why we gave ourselves a six-month time passage. It has spread around the world very rapidly. Bon Temps is a microcosm of what's happening out there in the world. The vampires who are infected, their appetite for human blood is increasing. They need to feed more often in order to survive this disease.Have vampires essentially overrun the world at this point?
Buckner: It's a major outbreak. You see how people got upset about Bird Flu and no one really had it. The idea here was to isolate Bon Temps to make it the town we know vs. the world so we don't have to leave Bon Temps in order to get story. They can only depend on one another; that's what Sam is talking to Andy about. Andy obviously has his own feelings about vampires right now and whether or not they can be trusted. Sam's point is we don't have a choice but to trust them. Presumably that means Season 7 picks up right where we left off?
Buckner: That's a fair presumption.Turning to the biggest question after the finale: Is Eric really dead? What kind of role will Alexander Skarsgard have next season?
Buckner: In the olden days, this was a fun tease for an audience [Laughs]. The actor Alex Skarsgard and the character of Eric Northman will be back on the show next year. He'll be a series regular. We've obviously promised a "Where is Eric?" story and it would feel incredibly cheap to deliver the goods right away. We sent Pam in search of him and if she were to find him right away, we would be doing a disservice to ourselves and to the audience.How we use him is going to be up to us, but we want people to rest assured that he will be back in their living rooms next year or wherever they watch. Boy do they love him! Wow!Pretty sure he broke the internet after going full-frontal.
Buckner: It was crazy. I got a question about the discussion on that and said, "He's Swedish. There was no discussion whatsoever." I even called him to say, "Are you sure this is OK?" and he said, "No problemo."
Buckner: Nope! One day the tell-all will come out that that guy is as cool as Eric Northman. He doesn't sweat the small stuff.Because you jumped ahead six months, we missed Sookie and Alcide's courtship. Will we see some flashbacks to that?
Buckner: Whether or not there will be flashbacks, we don't know at this point.
What does this mean for Bill next season? Will he seek redemption in order to get Sookie back?
Buckner: Yeah, but I don't think it's manipulative. One thing that I've heard a lot online, and it applies to Bill too, is this idea that characters can change. Lettie Mae does not have a trick up her sleeve. It's genuine. People can feel incredibly ashamed of the way they've treated their children down the line. Lettie Mae does not have Hep-V. She's not trying to infect Tara and trick her. There's not a plot thing behind every character motivation. To the same effect, Bill has truthfully seen the error of his ways. The real question is, yes, this season is about redemption for Bill, but can he be forgiven? We're establishing a new triangle — with Eric clearly unresolved, but not part of the picture in Bon Temps in the short term — the Sookie, Alcide, Bill triangle is going to be in play. Edit: Aint that just grand.We didn't really see much of Tara this season, except for acting as a big sister to Willa — which I hope is a set up for her to someday be a maker.
Buckner: The only two pairings that you know of so far are Tara and Lettie May, and Jason and Violet, right? The pairings are going to dictate a lot of the story that we tell. But your point is certainly well taken about the character of Tara. My feeling is that the problem on our show has been telling too many separate storylines and there's no room for all your characters. I don't think we have a too-many-characters problem. I think we had a too-many-stories problem. My sincere hope is that by telling a simpler story that demands less plot and less exposition and less locations, that we're going to be able to really examine characters and relationships. You can tell we've abandoned the wolf pack. The books were about one thing and I have immense respect for [author] Charlaine [Harris] and what she did, but people are keyed in — as are we as writers — on these vampire-human relationships and that's what the show needs to focus on.Do you think there's still the possibility of exploring Sookie and Sam?
Buckner: I'm aware that Charlaine got a lot of blowback for that pairing in the book. I think anything is worth exploring. I don't have the answer to how much longer we're going to be doing this show. It's not where I'm leaning.
Violet and Jason have a very odd relationship in that she expects him to pleasure her, but she won't reciprocate. Can we really trust her?
Buckner: I trust her so far. She came on strong. She seems like a b---- at vamp camp. Of course the way she claimed Jason, that seemed pretty b----y, too. If she's b----y to Pam, everyone is going to be protective of Pam. The job was, how do we get her earn her way back in our hearts because she's joining as a regular next year, as is James. One of the things that we realized pretty early on is that as much as people complain sometimes that there are no humans left onTrue Blood, if you do the math, there aren't very many vampires left, so we needed to populate it more. The two of them are just stunning. It was a strange casting call in the middle of the season knowing that we were going to be casting for series regulars for the following season, but I think we hit the jackpot both times. We trust her — for now. I think she has a code.Has Andy really let Jessica off the hook?
Buckner: There's always going to be tension there, but if he were going to hold her responsible, he would've pulled the trigger. Chris Bauer has really been an MVP for us this season, because we took a character who was usually comic relief and asked the audience to care. I think he did an amazing job. Andy deep down knows that even though he's the sheriff and even though he has guns, he's up against something much bigger. Jessica did the right thing in saying, "I'm not asking for anymore of this family's blood. I'm giving you my protection, you don't have to say yes." He shuts the door. To me, that moment is about her standing guard out there and he knows it. I don't think they're all the way healed, nor do I think they can ever be all the way healed.
TVLine's interview-
Although I know all you True Blood fans are all still busy mourning Eric’s (apparent) demise, I suspect you’ll want to take a break from your weeping to read what showrunner Brian Buckner has to say about Alexander Skarsgard’s future involvement with HBO’s monster smash. And yes, just for good measure, he’ll also reveal how much prodding it took to get Skarsgard to go full frontal for his “final” scene (hint: none at all!), and why Season 7 will not be zombified.
TVLINE | The big question coming out of the finale, obviously…
Let me guess. [Laughs]TVLINE | Alexander Skarsgard — will he be back for Season 7?
I can tell you that Alexander Skarsgard is going to be a part of the next season of True Blood. He will be a series regular.TVLINE | That will be a huge relief to fans.
I am aware! I’m not going to take Alex Skarsgard out of people’s living rooms.TVLINE | I’m guessing Eric won’t suddenly be alive and well in the Season 7 premiere.
No. That would be a cheat, wouldn’t it? That would be an incredible cheat. Pam has gone off in search of Eric, and maybe she’s going to be the one to find him, y’know?TVLINE | Let’s talk about Alexander’s nude scene. Full-frontal nudity on a guy is not something you see often on television.
Correct.TVLINE | What kind of behind-the-scenes conversations took place prior to shooting?
Alex Skarsgard was the coolest camper in the world. There’s no conversation with him. He’s Swedish. They’re naked all the time. As a matter of fact, when I saw what we had on camera I sent him an email that said, “We’re going to lock picture. Are you OK with this?” He said, “No problemo.” That was the conversation. It couldn’t have been easier.TVLINE | Did the reaction surprise you — or him? Probably not.
I think sometimes we are impressed by how much people care. But I don’t think that people care was a surprise. He knew the gift he was giving everybody. [Laughs]TVLINE | Moving on, talk to me about the decision to jump ahead six months.
Look, we’re going into a seventh season. I’m aware that people like the familiar, but we have to change. We have to be able to pivot. There were bits of story in there that I didn’t necessarily, nor did any of the other writers, want to show. The fallout from what Bill had done… Ours is a show that is so constrained by [our narrative structure]. We’re not 24, but we’re damn close – and sometimes it’s really refreshing to be able to shuffle the deck. For me, it’s fun. We will obviously pick up some of the pieces and explain how certain things happened. But what I think some people found jarring, to me was really refreshing. It was that: The world has changed, this virus has mutated, and this is the way the world is going to look now. Meanwhile, life beats on in this small town.
I can tell you that Alexander Skarsgard is going to be a part of the next season of True Blood. He will be a series regular.TVLINE | That will be a huge relief to fans.
I am aware! I’m not going to take Alex Skarsgard out of people’s living rooms.TVLINE | I’m guessing Eric won’t suddenly be alive and well in the Season 7 premiere.
No. That would be a cheat, wouldn’t it? That would be an incredible cheat. Pam has gone off in search of Eric, and maybe she’s going to be the one to find him, y’know?TVLINE | Let’s talk about Alexander’s nude scene. Full-frontal nudity on a guy is not something you see often on television.
Correct.TVLINE | What kind of behind-the-scenes conversations took place prior to shooting?
Alex Skarsgard was the coolest camper in the world. There’s no conversation with him. He’s Swedish. They’re naked all the time. As a matter of fact, when I saw what we had on camera I sent him an email that said, “We’re going to lock picture. Are you OK with this?” He said, “No problemo.” That was the conversation. It couldn’t have been easier.TVLINE | Did the reaction surprise you — or him? Probably not.
I think sometimes we are impressed by how much people care. But I don’t think that people care was a surprise. He knew the gift he was giving everybody. [Laughs]TVLINE | Moving on, talk to me about the decision to jump ahead six months.
Look, we’re going into a seventh season. I’m aware that people like the familiar, but we have to change. We have to be able to pivot. There were bits of story in there that I didn’t necessarily, nor did any of the other writers, want to show. The fallout from what Bill had done… Ours is a show that is so constrained by [our narrative structure]. We’re not 24, but we’re damn close – and sometimes it’s really refreshing to be able to shuffle the deck. For me, it’s fun. We will obviously pick up some of the pieces and explain how certain things happened. But what I think some people found jarring, to me was really refreshing. It was that: The world has changed, this virus has mutated, and this is the way the world is going to look now. Meanwhile, life beats on in this small town.
Edit:Finally they talk about Puffy and his redemption.
TVLINE | Are you looking at Season 7 as a reset of sorts for Bill?Absolutely. We don’t want Bill to be an a—hole. Whereas the show that I love watching most right now,Breaking Bad, Walter White is on a downward trajectory with the consequences of his actions. The question we’re going to be asking this coming season is: Can Bill be forgiven? Because he made his intentions clear. One thing that I noticed – and I probably shouldn’t read as much as I’ve been reading, but I have been, in terms of audience reaction – is the idea that characters can’t change. I will put to bed one thing for you: this idea that Lettie Mae is trying to poison Tara? It’s absurd. That is genuine. And I realize that on our show, because it’s been so incredibly plot-driven for the past several years, you insert a Big Bad and then have the characters react in the way we expect them to react. That’s sort of what’s been going on. When we let characters change, when we let the show be character-driven, I think people don’t know what to do with that. So with Lettie Mae and Tara, not to say that everything is going to go great, but the conflict is not going to be she’s poisoning Tara. By the same token, I think Bill doesn’t have a trick up his sleeve this time. I think he’s genuine. The real question is about forgiveness.
TVLINE | Are you looking at Season 7 as a reset of sorts for Bill?Absolutely. We don’t want Bill to be an a—hole. Whereas the show that I love watching most right now,Breaking Bad, Walter White is on a downward trajectory with the consequences of his actions. The question we’re going to be asking this coming season is: Can Bill be forgiven? Because he made his intentions clear. One thing that I noticed – and I probably shouldn’t read as much as I’ve been reading, but I have been, in terms of audience reaction – is the idea that characters can’t change. I will put to bed one thing for you: this idea that Lettie Mae is trying to poison Tara? It’s absurd. That is genuine. And I realize that on our show, because it’s been so incredibly plot-driven for the past several years, you insert a Big Bad and then have the characters react in the way we expect them to react. That’s sort of what’s been going on. When we let characters change, when we let the show be character-driven, I think people don’t know what to do with that. So with Lettie Mae and Tara, not to say that everything is going to go great, but the conflict is not going to be she’s poisoning Tara. By the same token, I think Bill doesn’t have a trick up his sleeve this time. I think he’s genuine. The real question is about forgiveness.
Ausiello Spoiler- Question: Thanks for the great True Blood post mortem. Just one problem — you failed to ask EP Brian Buckner about Pam and Tara! —CaraAusiello: Actually, I succeeded at making you think I failed. The fact is, I did ask Buckner about the Sapphic vamp duo — specifically, will their floundering relationship get any airtime in Season 7 — but I opted to hold his answer for AA. (Me = Totally sneaky.) “As the audience heard Pam say in Episode 1, life is long — especially for vampires,” notes the boss man. “She also told Tara that this is not going to be a love story. But I would urge [fans] to be patient. Because if the show delivers on the audience’s expectation every week, that’s not storytelling. Where’s the surprise in that? These [story] threads can be picked up later. I want to be able to tell more interesting, circuitous stories at times and not always deliver on the junk-food promise of the show. “
EW continues the interviewing-
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve confirmed that Alexander Skarsgard will return and be a regular on the show next season. Eric’s alive!
BRIAN BUCKNER: [Laughs] Well, I did not confirm that he’s alive. Not that I want to create more conversation, because I don’t, but to be clear, we’re not saying how we’re going to use him, we’re simply saying that we are using him. I will say that I do long for the days when television audiences could stand to wait and enjoy the tease. But I understand we’re living in a different time. I don’t want to watch a show without him either.So he wasn’t suicidal, sitting on that mountaintop so exposed?
Nobody knew the rule that if Warlow died, the blood that he gave to you would lose its efficacy. It was a surprise to all the vampires who realized that they just lost their ability to walk in the sun, but Eric was the only one in a timezone where it was light out. I think in the sort of “What the f— just happened?” of it all [Laughs] some people missed the idea that it was Warlow dying that precipitated that event. So if people called it an anticlimax, that Warlow’s death came and went without consequence, no, the Eric thing is the consequence of Warlow’s death.I think we’ve seen fairy blood wear off before, so a lot of viewers were thinking that was a possibility. Or are you saying Warlow’s blood would never have worn off?
Maybe it’s on us. Warlow’s blood was special in that once you had it, it was not gonna wear off. It was the real deal. That’s why Sookie’s blood and Adilyn’s blood didn’t do what Warlow’s blood could do. Bill, at a certain point in the season, realized Warlow is the prophecy, that’s why Lilith all along said that you alone are going to be responsible for the continuation of the species. But when Warlow died, out went everybody’s ability to walk in the sun.Tell me about the genesis of the idea to pair non-carrier humans with healthy vampires — exchanging blood for protection.
The season itself was such a firestorm [Laughs], but it came out of the writers’ room. To me — and I hope our fans can appreciate this — it is the organic direction for a show that was about the relationship between vampires and humans to take. It started completely focused on one vampire-human relationship, but now we have all these relationships that we hopefully care about, and we’re going to add vampires to the human relationships and humans to the vampire relationships and see how it f—s things up. So every relationship that we have that we care about is now gonna be a threesome or a foursome. Right? It’s gonna be about these relationships, so that it’s not all just big bad and plot.To me, this sounds like a way for us to see more of characters we love — like Lafayette [Nelsan Ellis].
Some of my favorite Lafayette stuff we’ve ever done goes back to season 1, where he was in that relationship with Eddie [Stephen Root]. We’re gonna have to pair Lafayette up with a vampire. So yeah. Here’s my sincere hope: that we get to see more of everybody we love, because everybody is under the banner of fewer stories. The story is “for every human a vampire, for every vampire a human,” and now that there’s a lesser need for separate plot and separate story development for every single character that we have, we’re actually going to get to spend more time with them. That’s my hope, that’s the motivation, and that’s where it’s all coming from.I know you’re not going to tell me who’s being paired up, but have the writers started debating it? I imagine that’ll be fun to decide.
This is the first time that we’ve actually ever taken a break between the previous season and the next one. Usually we’re back in the writers’ room on the day of the wrap party. What happens then is that we haven’t really had a chance to digest the season and feel how the fans digest the season, and what went down well and what didn’t go down as easily. This time, we’re back in on Sept. 3. People are also pondering why the Hep V-infected vampire hordes haven’t died like Nora did. That’s because the virus has mutated?
Correct. And that’s part of the reason for the time passage as well.So they’re just physically weaker than healthy vampires?
They’re weaker and driven by a need to eat in a way that the vampires that we’ve come to know are not. They have to drink human blood in larger quantities and more frequently than before. And the other thing to clarify — honestly, it feels weird to have to clarify everything, which is essentially what next season’s job is [Laughs] — but they’re not going to be zombies. They’re far more organized and haven’t lost their mental capacity.When EW spoke to Deborah Ann Woll before the finale, she said that when she first read the scene in which she killed three of Andy’s daughters, she couldn’t imagine how Andy (Chris Bauer) and Jessica could both be on the show next season. Did you ever think about killing one of them off?
No. It’s hard to imagine, but I think she did the best thing she could possibly do: Here’s my protection, I’m asking for nothing in return. She basically wants to work off her sins. Arlene (Carrie Preston) bought Merlotte’s and renamed it Bellefleur’s. Can you tease anything about her arc for next season?
EW continues the interviewing-
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve confirmed that Alexander Skarsgard will return and be a regular on the show next season. Eric’s alive!
BRIAN BUCKNER: [Laughs] Well, I did not confirm that he’s alive. Not that I want to create more conversation, because I don’t, but to be clear, we’re not saying how we’re going to use him, we’re simply saying that we are using him. I will say that I do long for the days when television audiences could stand to wait and enjoy the tease. But I understand we’re living in a different time. I don’t want to watch a show without him either.So he wasn’t suicidal, sitting on that mountaintop so exposed?
Nobody knew the rule that if Warlow died, the blood that he gave to you would lose its efficacy. It was a surprise to all the vampires who realized that they just lost their ability to walk in the sun, but Eric was the only one in a timezone where it was light out. I think in the sort of “What the f— just happened?” of it all [Laughs] some people missed the idea that it was Warlow dying that precipitated that event. So if people called it an anticlimax, that Warlow’s death came and went without consequence, no, the Eric thing is the consequence of Warlow’s death.I think we’ve seen fairy blood wear off before, so a lot of viewers were thinking that was a possibility. Or are you saying Warlow’s blood would never have worn off?
Maybe it’s on us. Warlow’s blood was special in that once you had it, it was not gonna wear off. It was the real deal. That’s why Sookie’s blood and Adilyn’s blood didn’t do what Warlow’s blood could do. Bill, at a certain point in the season, realized Warlow is the prophecy, that’s why Lilith all along said that you alone are going to be responsible for the continuation of the species. But when Warlow died, out went everybody’s ability to walk in the sun.Tell me about the genesis of the idea to pair non-carrier humans with healthy vampires — exchanging blood for protection.
The season itself was such a firestorm [Laughs], but it came out of the writers’ room. To me — and I hope our fans can appreciate this — it is the organic direction for a show that was about the relationship between vampires and humans to take. It started completely focused on one vampire-human relationship, but now we have all these relationships that we hopefully care about, and we’re going to add vampires to the human relationships and humans to the vampire relationships and see how it f—s things up. So every relationship that we have that we care about is now gonna be a threesome or a foursome. Right? It’s gonna be about these relationships, so that it’s not all just big bad and plot.To me, this sounds like a way for us to see more of characters we love — like Lafayette [Nelsan Ellis].
Some of my favorite Lafayette stuff we’ve ever done goes back to season 1, where he was in that relationship with Eddie [Stephen Root]. We’re gonna have to pair Lafayette up with a vampire. So yeah. Here’s my sincere hope: that we get to see more of everybody we love, because everybody is under the banner of fewer stories. The story is “for every human a vampire, for every vampire a human,” and now that there’s a lesser need for separate plot and separate story development for every single character that we have, we’re actually going to get to spend more time with them. That’s my hope, that’s the motivation, and that’s where it’s all coming from.I know you’re not going to tell me who’s being paired up, but have the writers started debating it? I imagine that’ll be fun to decide.
This is the first time that we’ve actually ever taken a break between the previous season and the next one. Usually we’re back in the writers’ room on the day of the wrap party. What happens then is that we haven’t really had a chance to digest the season and feel how the fans digest the season, and what went down well and what didn’t go down as easily. This time, we’re back in on Sept. 3. People are also pondering why the Hep V-infected vampire hordes haven’t died like Nora did. That’s because the virus has mutated?
Correct. And that’s part of the reason for the time passage as well.So they’re just physically weaker than healthy vampires?
They’re weaker and driven by a need to eat in a way that the vampires that we’ve come to know are not. They have to drink human blood in larger quantities and more frequently than before. And the other thing to clarify — honestly, it feels weird to have to clarify everything, which is essentially what next season’s job is [Laughs] — but they’re not going to be zombies. They’re far more organized and haven’t lost their mental capacity.When EW spoke to Deborah Ann Woll before the finale, she said that when she first read the scene in which she killed three of Andy’s daughters, she couldn’t imagine how Andy (Chris Bauer) and Jessica could both be on the show next season. Did you ever think about killing one of them off?
No. It’s hard to imagine, but I think she did the best thing she could possibly do: Here’s my protection, I’m asking for nothing in return. She basically wants to work off her sins. Arlene (Carrie Preston) bought Merlotte’s and renamed it Bellefleur’s. Can you tease anything about her arc for next season?
No one ever asks about Bill's henleys, do they not care about Puffy like I do?
How does an Arlene who thinks she’s classy and well-to-do see herself? Money can’t really buy taste, can it?Could we see Niall (Rutger Hauer) again?
I can’t say either way. I mean, he’s alive, he can return. As is Sarah Newlin [Anna Camp]. But we have to go through that creative process still.Was it just luck that Warlow found Sookie in the bathroom just as Niall was breaking through that portal?
It’s not luck in that we know that that is an exit from that other plane. That’s why the scene found its way into the bathroom. I will say it was fortuitous. [Laughs] But not completely inorganic, in my opinion. It felt wrong to lose Niall from the rest of the season altogether. So when he was willing to come back, we decided to have him be part of the endgame.You always knew that Warlow would be just a one-season arc?
We did.I’m happy Willa and James will return next season.
I am, too. It felt really good, especially with Vamp Camp being what Vamp Camp was — that was a way to meet new vampires. And vampires can drink from werewolves?
Yeah, but they just don’t like the way they taste. Alcide [Joe Manganiello] might be a prize for all our female and gay male fans, but for a vampire, he’s like the worst-tasting thing there is. Which can be fun. But also, does Alcide seem like he would take a vampire partner or would he stand on his own? Tell me about the idea for Sam becoming mayor.
I understand that there is love for these basic tenets of the book. But even [author] Charlaine [Harris] understands that the books and the series are two completely different things at this point. And six seasons in, you need to be willing to accept change and make change. We don’t really have a town mayor anymore. We had this time passage. It seemed like a really fun thing to do. And then it can put Sam and Andy into story together, and I’ve always loved them in story together. You have the mayor and the sheriff, and they have opposing points of view about what’s going on in this town. Now we’ve created a new combination of characters to move into story together that we haven’t really had that much in the past. It’s all about shuffling the deck at this point.Is there anything else you want to say?
I want to allay everyone’s fears; at the same time, I want them to trust us. [Laughs] I promise people none of this has been done without forethought.
Excessively going forward with Vulture's-
Some would argue that it's the job of a showrunner to create a controversial season finale. Nice job!
Yeah. I mean I knew it was controversial, I just didn't think it would be hate-inspiring.Why do you think the finale fueled so much negativity?
Well, it's testament to Alex Skarsgard. People want those ten or twelve weeks with him in their living room and they may have feared we were taking him away from them.It was a relief to hear that Eric will be back as a regular next season. Can you also confirm that these infected vampires aren't actually zombies?
Well, they're not zombies in the way that we're used to zombies. They're vampires and they need to eat humans, which all vampires do. But in order to stave off the effects of this mutating virus, they need to eat more, and more often, than the vampires that we've been living with for the last few years. The truth is, the way TV works is everybody wants us to have the answers already, but we haven't even gotten in the [writers'] room for season seven yet. We knew that this was a story that we wanted to tell for next season and the idea that we were going to force vampires and humans into uneasy relationships for their own protection seemed like a really ripe place for us to go and is going to create character combinations that we haven't had before. In terms of what every rule of this mutating virus is, we still have to do that work.Will the feedback you've received recently influence the story lines of season seven?
I don't think so. Look, the blogosphere ... This, by the way, is my very first time sitting in this chair, watching something like this happen. It is my first rodeo. But I have been making TV for a long time and I don't think that we should let the audience tell us what show to make. Because I think it's the death of television if we give people exactly what they expect to get every week. What's the point? So the idea that we need to release material beforehand and immediately come clean with our audience and promise to not surprise them anymore, I'm not sure that's the TV world that we want to deliver.I did detect a bit of course correction in certain story lines and characters. Would you say that's accurate, and if so, was there a story line in particular that you knew you wanted to change when you came in?
The truth of the matter is, this show had a bunch of incredibly strong voices in the writers' room. And I want to — but I'm not going to — get into the specifics, but what you're seeing is a change in showrunners and a staff of writers who really wanted to help execute what was right for the show. What I think the showhas suffered from over the years — and I hinted at this at Comic-Con — is not that our cast is too big; our problem is we've been trying to tell too many stories. And so characters who you'd want to see more of aren't getting a terrific amount of screen time because the stories are so plot-driven and demand so much information, and the changes of location eat up the production budget. I feel like we can learn more about these people in this town and do much more interesting character-driven stories if we reduced the number of separate story lines that we were telling. So if you're seeing a correction, it's essentially that. It means — and this won't come as a surprise to Joe Manganiello — closing off werewolf paHow dare you deny us a Jason-Eric sex dream? Or should we expect that in season seven?I think you can reasonably expect it. With our show there is an appetite — Alan from the get-go called it "popcorn for smart people." And popcorn is addictive: You keep eating it and expect there to be another piece of popcorn right away. My favorite shows on TV make you wait for things. So the idea that I failed to deliver on a promise when I only made one episode after that promise ... You know, sometimes things are better when we wait for them. I would love to get our audience conditioned to the idea that this might be a show that delays gratifications sometimes. Because of course we know people want to see that dream. The setup wasn't written lightly. And believe me, there were HBO executives who were saying, "You have to give us the dream!" And we will. Of course we will. But that doesn't mean it has to come in the very next episode.ck stories.
From Deadline- EXCLUSIVE: It’s been a fast rise for Amelia Rose Blaire on True Blood .She joined the HBO vampire drama as recurring for the recent sixth season, playing Governor’s daughter and vampire-rights-activist-turned-vampire Willa Burrell. Blaire ended up appearing in virtually every episode and is now being promoted to series regular. Production on True Blood‘s seventh season is expected to begin in December. Blaire is repped by Bauman, Redanty & Shaul and Jeremy Small.
From Mega Buzz- I know it's early, but do you have any scoop on True Blood? Brandon NATALIE: Just because the show jumped ahead six months in the finale, don't expect to see Sam's hybrid baby in the flesh next season. Executive producer Brian Buckner explains: "Our 10 episodes [usually] take place over the course of two weeks," which, even on TV, isn't enough time to hatch a hybrid. But he stresses that if this is deemed to be the final season, things may unfold a little more rapidly.
From THR Bailey Noble, who plays half-faerie Adilyn Bellefleur on True Blood, has been promoted fromrecurring character to series regular for the seventh and final season of the HBO show, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.Noble joined the show in season six. Her character is the daughter of Andy Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) and faerie Maurella (Kristina Anapau). While she previously had three sisters, she becomes the only remaining child after her siblings are killed by a vampire.
Looks like the twitter buzz between friends is true-
CALL /CASTING OFFICE/FROM SCRIPT -
Episode 7.1 "Jesus Gonna Be Here" Writer: Angela Robinson; Director: Stephen Moyer
[VINCE] 40s, Male, burly is a rabid anti-vampire vigilante. Member of the tea party with political visions...GUEST STAR/RECURRING
[LOU] Early 20s, Male, blue collar. He is a member of Vince's vigilante group who goes on patrol with him and several others; he's aggressive but not dangerous...RECURRING
[MACK] Early 30s, Male, This motley human is an angry vigilante who joins Vince's group and goes on patrol with him...RECURRING
[NIZOR] Male, Persian, late 30s to 50s. This burly vampire involved in a game of Russian roulette in a Moroccan bar derives courage and comfort from his faith in Allah...GUEST STAR
[PROPRIETOR] Male, Persian, late 40s to 50s. The proprietor of a Moroccan bar, with a thick accent, he orchestrates a game of Russian roulette for his patrons' amusement...GUEST STAR
[YOUNG TARA] Tara (Rutina Wesley) at age 10, African American, she's seen in flashback having a nice moment with her friend, Young Sookie...CO-STAR
[YOUNG SOOKIE] Sookie (Anna Paquin) at age 10, Caucasian, she's seen in flashback having a nice moment with her friend Tara...CO-STAR
[JEROME] 30s to 40s, Male. This strong, aggressive Trucker H-vamp ( a vampire infected with Hep-V, rabid-looking and marbled with blue veins) lifts a woman into the air and takes off....CO-STAR
[WOUNDED WOMAN] 20s. This young, scared, wounded woman is terrified after an H-vamp attack; we hear her thoughts...CO-STAR
[ANGUISHED WOMAN] 30s to 40s. This anguished woman grieves over her dead husband; we hear her thoughts...CO-STAR
[SARA COMPTON] FEMALE, 5 YEARS OLD. CAUCASIAN. She is Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and Caroline Compton's (Shannon Lucio) young daughter seen in a flashback circa 1862. RECURRING CO-STAR. NO Lines in this episode.
[RONNIE] MALE, 20s. He is a tall dangerous vampire who devours humans. RECURRING CO-STAR. No Lines in this episode.
[SCREAMING MAN] Late 20s. Screaming for his life as he is attacked and feasted upon by Hep-V vampires. No lines just screaming for his life. CO-STAR
Episode 7.2 '(title:TBA)', writer: Brian Buckner, director: Lee Rose, to film around mid-january 2014
Woman AKA Sylvie: 20s, beautiful, French. Must be French and speak French fluently. Love interest to Eric (Alexander Skarsgard)... Episode 2 Arc, on the final season of True Blood.
This role requires full frontal nudity excluding genitalia.
Slight, possible, maybe, could be spoilers from TVLine's interview with Stephen-
TVLINE | When I spoke to Brian at the end of Season 6, he mentioned that this final season would be a reset of sorts for Bill. He specifically said that he doesn’t want to see Bill be an a–hole anymore. Reaction?
I think that it’s really hard. The characters can’t [always] be who the audience — or the actor — wants them to be at all times. That would be dull. A bunch of people loved Bill and Sookie together, but a whole bunch of people didn’t. So you can’t just please this bunch or that bunch. As [series creator] Alan Ball once said, “I’m not interested in people being happy.” And I’ve always said, as soon as you see one of our couples get together, you know [they're] f—ed.
TVLINE | Brian also said the final season will focus more on Bill-Sookie, specifically the Bill-Sookie-Alcide triangle.
I know nothing. I’m directing the first episode, as you probably know, and I haven’t seen [the script]. I start prep on True Blood on the ninth. Spoilers Continued, click!
I can’t say either way. I mean, he’s alive, he can return. As is Sarah Newlin [Anna Camp]. But we have to go through that creative process still.Was it just luck that Warlow found Sookie in the bathroom just as Niall was breaking through that portal?
It’s not luck in that we know that that is an exit from that other plane. That’s why the scene found its way into the bathroom. I will say it was fortuitous. [Laughs] But not completely inorganic, in my opinion. It felt wrong to lose Niall from the rest of the season altogether. So when he was willing to come back, we decided to have him be part of the endgame.You always knew that Warlow would be just a one-season arc?
We did.I’m happy Willa and James will return next season.
I am, too. It felt really good, especially with Vamp Camp being what Vamp Camp was — that was a way to meet new vampires. And vampires can drink from werewolves?
Yeah, but they just don’t like the way they taste. Alcide [Joe Manganiello] might be a prize for all our female and gay male fans, but for a vampire, he’s like the worst-tasting thing there is. Which can be fun. But also, does Alcide seem like he would take a vampire partner or would he stand on his own? Tell me about the idea for Sam becoming mayor.
I understand that there is love for these basic tenets of the book. But even [author] Charlaine [Harris] understands that the books and the series are two completely different things at this point. And six seasons in, you need to be willing to accept change and make change. We don’t really have a town mayor anymore. We had this time passage. It seemed like a really fun thing to do. And then it can put Sam and Andy into story together, and I’ve always loved them in story together. You have the mayor and the sheriff, and they have opposing points of view about what’s going on in this town. Now we’ve created a new combination of characters to move into story together that we haven’t really had that much in the past. It’s all about shuffling the deck at this point.Is there anything else you want to say?
I want to allay everyone’s fears; at the same time, I want them to trust us. [Laughs] I promise people none of this has been done without forethought.
Excessively going forward with Vulture's-
Some would argue that it's the job of a showrunner to create a controversial season finale. Nice job!
Yeah. I mean I knew it was controversial, I just didn't think it would be hate-inspiring.Why do you think the finale fueled so much negativity?
Well, it's testament to Alex Skarsgard. People want those ten or twelve weeks with him in their living room and they may have feared we were taking him away from them.It was a relief to hear that Eric will be back as a regular next season. Can you also confirm that these infected vampires aren't actually zombies?
Well, they're not zombies in the way that we're used to zombies. They're vampires and they need to eat humans, which all vampires do. But in order to stave off the effects of this mutating virus, they need to eat more, and more often, than the vampires that we've been living with for the last few years. The truth is, the way TV works is everybody wants us to have the answers already, but we haven't even gotten in the [writers'] room for season seven yet. We knew that this was a story that we wanted to tell for next season and the idea that we were going to force vampires and humans into uneasy relationships for their own protection seemed like a really ripe place for us to go and is going to create character combinations that we haven't had before. In terms of what every rule of this mutating virus is, we still have to do that work.Will the feedback you've received recently influence the story lines of season seven?
I don't think so. Look, the blogosphere ... This, by the way, is my very first time sitting in this chair, watching something like this happen. It is my first rodeo. But I have been making TV for a long time and I don't think that we should let the audience tell us what show to make. Because I think it's the death of television if we give people exactly what they expect to get every week. What's the point? So the idea that we need to release material beforehand and immediately come clean with our audience and promise to not surprise them anymore, I'm not sure that's the TV world that we want to deliver.I did detect a bit of course correction in certain story lines and characters. Would you say that's accurate, and if so, was there a story line in particular that you knew you wanted to change when you came in?
The truth of the matter is, this show had a bunch of incredibly strong voices in the writers' room. And I want to — but I'm not going to — get into the specifics, but what you're seeing is a change in showrunners and a staff of writers who really wanted to help execute what was right for the show. What I think the showhas suffered from over the years — and I hinted at this at Comic-Con — is not that our cast is too big; our problem is we've been trying to tell too many stories. And so characters who you'd want to see more of aren't getting a terrific amount of screen time because the stories are so plot-driven and demand so much information, and the changes of location eat up the production budget. I feel like we can learn more about these people in this town and do much more interesting character-driven stories if we reduced the number of separate story lines that we were telling. So if you're seeing a correction, it's essentially that. It means — and this won't come as a surprise to Joe Manganiello — closing off werewolf paHow dare you deny us a Jason-Eric sex dream? Or should we expect that in season seven?I think you can reasonably expect it. With our show there is an appetite — Alan from the get-go called it "popcorn for smart people." And popcorn is addictive: You keep eating it and expect there to be another piece of popcorn right away. My favorite shows on TV make you wait for things. So the idea that I failed to deliver on a promise when I only made one episode after that promise ... You know, sometimes things are better when we wait for them. I would love to get our audience conditioned to the idea that this might be a show that delays gratifications sometimes. Because of course we know people want to see that dream. The setup wasn't written lightly. And believe me, there were HBO executives who were saying, "You have to give us the dream!" And we will. Of course we will. But that doesn't mean it has to come in the very next episode.ck stories.
From Mega Buzz- I know it's early, but do you have any scoop on True Blood? Brandon NATALIE: Just because the show jumped ahead six months in the finale, don't expect to see Sam's hybrid baby in the flesh next season. Executive producer Brian Buckner explains: "Our 10 episodes [usually] take place over the course of two weeks," which, even on TV, isn't enough time to hatch a hybrid. But he stresses that if this is deemed to be the final season, things may unfold a little more rapidly.
From THR Bailey Noble, who plays half-faerie Adilyn Bellefleur on True Blood, has been promoted fromrecurring character to series regular for the seventh and final season of the HBO show, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.Noble joined the show in season six. Her character is the daughter of Andy Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) and faerie Maurella (Kristina Anapau). While she previously had three sisters, she becomes the only remaining child after her siblings are killed by a vampire.
Looks like the twitter buzz between friends is true-
Guess Eric lives on @truebloodHBO - series is casting his new final season love interest, French woman Aka Sylvie #alexanderskarsgard.
But will she ever out sex Yvetta, what happened to that Latvian or was she from Estonia?
The whole casting call from Bookies- ALL INFORMATION ARE DIRECTLY FROM CASTING CALL /CASTING OFFICE/FROM SCRIPT -
Episode 7.1 "Jesus Gonna Be Here" Writer: Angela Robinson; Director: Stephen Moyer
[VINCE] 40s, Male, burly is a rabid anti-vampire vigilante. Member of the tea party with political visions...GUEST STAR/RECURRING
[LOU] Early 20s, Male, blue collar. He is a member of Vince's vigilante group who goes on patrol with him and several others; he's aggressive but not dangerous...RECURRING
[MACK] Early 30s, Male, This motley human is an angry vigilante who joins Vince's group and goes on patrol with him...RECURRING
[NIZOR] Male, Persian, late 30s to 50s. This burly vampire involved in a game of Russian roulette in a Moroccan bar derives courage and comfort from his faith in Allah...GUEST STAR
[PROPRIETOR] Male, Persian, late 40s to 50s. The proprietor of a Moroccan bar, with a thick accent, he orchestrates a game of Russian roulette for his patrons' amusement...GUEST STAR
[YOUNG TARA] Tara (Rutina Wesley) at age 10, African American, she's seen in flashback having a nice moment with her friend, Young Sookie...CO-STAR
[YOUNG SOOKIE] Sookie (Anna Paquin) at age 10, Caucasian, she's seen in flashback having a nice moment with her friend Tara...CO-STAR
[JEROME] 30s to 40s, Male. This strong, aggressive Trucker H-vamp ( a vampire infected with Hep-V, rabid-looking and marbled with blue veins) lifts a woman into the air and takes off....CO-STAR
[WOUNDED WOMAN] 20s. This young, scared, wounded woman is terrified after an H-vamp attack; we hear her thoughts...CO-STAR
[ANGUISHED WOMAN] 30s to 40s. This anguished woman grieves over her dead husband; we hear her thoughts...CO-STAR
[SARA COMPTON] FEMALE, 5 YEARS OLD. CAUCASIAN. She is Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and Caroline Compton's (Shannon Lucio) young daughter seen in a flashback circa 1862. RECURRING CO-STAR. NO Lines in this episode.
[RONNIE] MALE, 20s. He is a tall dangerous vampire who devours humans. RECURRING CO-STAR. No Lines in this episode.
[SCREAMING MAN] Late 20s. Screaming for his life as he is attacked and feasted upon by Hep-V vampires. No lines just screaming for his life. CO-STAR
Episode 7.2 '(title:TBA)', writer: Brian Buckner, director: Lee Rose, to film around mid-january 2014
Woman AKA Sylvie: 20s, beautiful, French. Must be French and speak French fluently. Love interest to Eric (Alexander Skarsgard)... Episode 2 Arc, on the final season of True Blood.
This role requires full frontal nudity excluding genitalia.
Slight, possible, maybe, could be spoilers from TVLine's interview with Stephen-
TVLINE | When I spoke to Brian at the end of Season 6, he mentioned that this final season would be a reset of sorts for Bill. He specifically said that he doesn’t want to see Bill be an a–hole anymore. Reaction?
I think that it’s really hard. The characters can’t [always] be who the audience — or the actor — wants them to be at all times. That would be dull. A bunch of people loved Bill and Sookie together, but a whole bunch of people didn’t. So you can’t just please this bunch or that bunch. As [series creator] Alan Ball once said, “I’m not interested in people being happy.” And I’ve always said, as soon as you see one of our couples get together, you know [they're] f—ed.
TVLINE | Brian also said the final season will focus more on Bill-Sookie, specifically the Bill-Sookie-Alcide triangle.
I know nothing. I’m directing the first episode, as you probably know, and I haven’t seen [the script]. I start prep on True Blood on the ninth. Spoilers Continued, click!
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