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Attention, True Blood Fans: You'll Get Your Werewolves After All

Show runner Alan Ball tells E! exclusively that fan-fave Alcide Herveaux will appear in season three

By Jennifer Godwin Oct 30, 2009 2:15 AMTags
True Blood, Stephen Moyer, Alexander SkarsgardJohn P. Johnson/HBO

Crisis averted. After we fans got our first glimpse at True Blood season three earlier this week, there was widespread concern that werewolf Alcide Herveaux, a major fan fave character from the third book, would not be part of season three. Well, we caught up with True Blood boss Alan Ball last night, and he assures us that Alcide is present and accounted for in season three. (Woo!)

Alan tells us that not only does Alcide appear, but that he's bringing his backstory from the books with him: "Alcide Herveaux is going to be on TV. We haven't cast him yet, but I believe he appears first in the third episode. Alcide is already in love with someone, a very bad woman named Debbie Pelt. But will he fall in love with some else? It's too soon to say."

We learned a great deal more last night at the fantastic True Blood writers' event hosted by the Paley Center. Among other things, there was a promise from Ball that one of your fan-fave actors won't be marginalized on the TV series (even if Charlaine Harris does have it in for his character in the books), and crucial info about where/when/how you can next see Alexander Skarsgård nekkid. Here's what we learned about this very, very important question:

News for Team Bill: According to Ball, the bad news for Team Bill is that there probably won't be a Bill-Sookie (Anna Paquin) wedding this season, even after Bill's sweet finale marriage proposal, but the good news is that the show won't leave Bill hanging: "Stephen Moyer will not be marginalized...Bill and Sookie might go through some rough patches that last maybe a little longer than Team Bill fans might like. But Bill and Sookie have a connection that will never die."

News for Team Eric: Fans of Skarsgård will have a lot to like in season three. From Eric's humble beginnings in season one, when, as Ball puts it, "He was a prisoner of that wig," he's graduated to a front and center role in season three. To be specific, he'll be front, center and naked. Ball said, "Alex has indicated a willingness to go there, and I believe he appears without most of his clothes in the very first episode [of season three]." (Good work, vampire people!)

News for Team Everybody Else: Season three will be about "identity," as the various characters figure out who they are: Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) investigates his biological parents and his shapeshifter heritage, Sookie (Anna Paquin) "gets closer to the answer" of why she has that flashy fairy power—and why bro Jason (Ryan Kwanten) doesn't; and Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) explores her newfound vampirism. As producer Raelle Tucker told us, "Jessica's going through an identity crisis, and needing to suck blood to survive doesn't make [being a teenager] any easier. But she's really finding who she is...but when you have fangs, there are some missteps along the way that can be quite dangerous."

Which characters (from the books or from the show) do you most want to see front and center (and naked) in season three? And who do you think they should cast as Alcide? Tell us in the comments!

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