The third season of the television series True Blood premiered on June 13, 2010 simultaneously on HBO and HBO Canada."HBO Canada website". Accessed April 26, 2010. It concluded its run on September 12, 2010 and contained 12 episodes, bringing the series total to 36. It loosely follows the plot of the third novel of The Southern Vampire Mysteries series, Club Dead.

Plot The third season loosely follows the plot of the novel Club Dead, which finds Sookie teaming up with a werewolf sent by Eric, named Alcide in Mississippi in order to track down Bill, who has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by a vampire King. Season three is set throughout the course of 10 days.

Episodes

Cast and characters Main cast

Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton Kevin Alejandro as Jesus Velasquez Marshall Allman as Tommy Mickens Chris Bauer as Andy Bellefleur Kristin Bauer van Straten as Pamela Swynford De Beaufort Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds Mariana Klaveno as Lorena Krasiki Todd Lowe as Terry Bellefleur Denis O'Hare as Russell Edgington Jim Parrack as Hoyt Fortenberry Carrie Preston as Arlene Fowler Lindsay Pulsipher as Crystal Norris William Sanderson as Sheriff Bud Dearborne Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica Hamby

Special guest cast

Evan Rachel Wood as Sophie-Anne Leclerq Adina Porter as Lettie Mae Thornton Alfre Woodard as Ruby Jean Reynolds Tiffany Taylor as Nan's girl

Guest cast

Theo Alexander as Talbot Grant Bowler as Coot James Frain as Franklin Mott Joe Manganiello as Alcide Herveaux J. Smith-Cameron as Melinda Mickens Melissa Rauch as Summer Gregory Sporleder as Calvin Norris Don Swayze as Gus Tanya Wright as Deputy Kenya Jones Natasha Alam as Yvetta James Harvey Ward as Felton Norris Cooper Huckabee as Joe Lee Mickens Brit Morgan as Debbie Pelt Lauren Bowles as Holly Cleary Jessica Tuck as Nan Flanagan Tara Buck as Ginger Grey Damon as Kitch Maynard Lindsey Haun as Hadley Hale Željko Ivanek as Magnus the Magister Lara Pulver as Claudine John Rezig as Deputy Kevin Ellis Carlson Young as Tammy Bryan Becker as Louie Ronnie Gene Blevins as T-Dub John Burke as Jerry McCafferty Greg Cipes as Bufort Norris Gregg Daniel as Reverend Daniels Kevin Fry Bowers as Turk John Hillard as Hank Allan Hyde as Godric Kate Lyuben as Natalie Andy Mackenzie as Creepy Biker Dakin Matthews as Dr. Robideaux Michael McMillian as Reverend Steve Newlin Tess Alexandra Parker as Rosie Dale Raoul as Maxine Fortenberry Michael Raymond-James as Rene Lenier Jeanne Baron as Hostess John Billingsley as Mike Spencer Sean Bridgers as Big Bobby Arielle Kebbel as Charlene Daniel Gillies as Jon John Prosky as David Finch Stewart Skelton as Minister Michael Steger as Tony Jorge Diaz as Husband

Production On January 20, 2010 HBO released a teaser trailer announcing that a third season of True Blood was in production, aiming for a Summer 2010 release date. The teaser featured images of bottles of TruBlood being manufactured on an assembly line. This was followed by a trailer featuring new footage and the song The Difference Between Us by The Dead Weather. This was released by HBO on May 13.

Crew Alan Ball returned to executive produce and run season three. Michael Lehmann, who had directed five episodes at the end of the second season, is expected to return again to direct three more. Writers Alexander Woo and Raelle Tucker also returned to script episodes.

Casting Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Mariana Klaveno, Todd Lowe, Jim Parrack, Carrie Preston, William Sanderson, Deborah Ann Woll and Alexander Skarsgård all reprise their respective roles in the third season. Additionally, Kristin Bauer, who plays vampire Pam in the series, is promoted to series regular.

After a long search, it was announced that Joe Manganiello was cast as werewolf Alcide Herveaux. He was later joined by Brit Morgan as Debbie Pelt. Marshall Allman is added to the third season as a series regular, cast as Sam Merlotte's younger brother Tommy Mickens and Cooper Huckabee plays Sam Merlotte's long-lost father. Alfre Woodard was cast as Lafayette's mother and Southland actor Kevin Alejandro as Jesus, her caretaker and a potential love interest for Lafayette. Denis O'Hare plays Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi, while New Zealand actor Grant Bowler plays the leader of a werewolf biker gang and Theo Alexander plays the role of Edgington's partner Talbot. Allan Hyde has confirmed he will reprise his role as Godric in the form of flashbacks. James Frain appears as Franklin Mott.

Awards and nominations

The series won the GLADD Award for Best Drama Series, Alfre Woodard received a nomination for Best Guest Star in a Drama Series and the show received the "Holy Shit Scene of the Year" award at the Scream Awards for the scene in which Bill twisted Lorena's neck 180 degrees whilst the two were having sex.

Ratings

United States Episode number(Production number) Title Original air date Ratings share(Adults 18–49) Viewers(in millions) Rank per weekon Cable 25 (3.01) Bad Blood June 13, 2010 2.9/8 5.09 #6 26 (3.02) Beautifully Broken June 20, 2010 2.5/7 4.26 #12 27 (3.03) It Hurts Me Too June 27, 2010 2.5/7 4.46 #15 28 (3.04) 9 Crimes July 11, 2010 2.7/8 4.68 #10 29 (3.05) Trouble July 18, 2010 2.8/8 4.86 #13 30 (3.06) I Got a Right to Sing the Blues July 25, 2010 2.8/8 4.74 #10 31 (3.07) Hitting the Ground August 1, 2010 3.0/8 5.24 #10 32 (3.08) Night on the Sun August 8, 2010 3.0/8 5.09 #6 33 (3.09) Everything is Broken August 15, 2010 2.9/8 5.00 #7 34 (3.10) I Smell a Rat August 22, 2010 3.0/8 5.39 #8 35 (3.11) Fresh Blood August 29, 2010 3.2/8 5.44 #8 36 (3.12) Evil is Going On September 12, 2010 3.0/7 5.38 #13

United Kingdom United Kingdom ratings data is taken from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Episode number(Production number) Title Original air date Total viewerson FX Total viewerson FX+ Total viewers Rank on channel 25 (3.01) Bad Blood January 14, 2011 524,000 94,000 618,000 #1 (FX)#1 (FX+) 26 (3.02) Beautifully Broken January 21, 2011 518,000 77,000 595,000 #1 (FX)#1 (FX+) 27 (3.03) It Hurts Me Too January 28, 2011 440,000 80,000 520,000 #1 (FX)#2 (FX+) 28 (3.04) 9 Crimes February 4, 2011 473, 000 102,000 575, 000 #1 (FX)#1 (FX+) 29 (3.05) Trouble February 11, 2011 483,000 107,000 590,000 #1 (FX)#1 (FX+) 30 (3.06) I Got a Right to Sing the Blues February 18, 2011 496,000 87,000 583,000 #1 (FX)#2 (FX+) 31 (3.07) Hitting the Ground February 25, 2011 494,000 80,000 574,000 #1 (FX)#2 (FX+) 32 (3.08) Night on the Sun March 4, 2011 TBA TBA TBA TBA 33 (3.09) Everything is Broken March 11, 2011 TBA TBA TBA TBA 34 (3.10) I Smell a Rat March 16, 2011 544,000 100,000 644,000 #1 (FX)#1 (FX+) 35 (3.11) Fresh Blood March 23, 2011 398,000 106,000 504,000 #2 (FX)#2 (FX+) 36 (3.12) Evil is Going On April 1, 2011 547,000 110,000 657,000 #1 (FX)#2 (FX+)

See also Longwood (Natchez, Mississippi) True Blood: Music from the HBO Original Series, Vol. 3

References

External links