It was a packed crowd Friday afternoon in Ballroom 20 where True Blood cast members, creator Alan Ball and author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Charlaine Harris, talked about the current season of True Blood and what lurks around the corner for our favorite characters in Bon Temps (SPOILERS!!).

 
Panel included cast members:
Stephen Moyer – Bill Compton
Anna Paquin – Sookie Stackhouse
Sam Trammell – Sam Merlotte
Nelsan Ellis – Lafayette Reynolds
Rutina Wesley – Tara Thornton
Deborah Ann Woll – Jessica Hamby
Kristin Bauer van Straten – Pam
Denis O'Hare – Russell Edgington
Joe Manganiello – Alcide Herveaux
 
Alan Ball – creator of True Blood series
Charlaine Harris – author, Sookie Stackhouse series
 
Alan Ball shared a sneak peak of what's to come in Season 3.  Here are a few of things that we can look forward to:
 
*  Sookie is in the hospital from being bitten by a certain female vampire.
 
*  Sookie finally meets those faerie relatives
 
*  Jason gets a little closer to the folks in Hot Shot
 
*  Sookie and Debbie "meet" in the kitchen…and they're not baking cookies
 
*  Alcide and Sookie get to know each other better (don't worry, Bill and Eric haven't gone anywhere…yet)
 
Some interesting facts that the panel shared:
 
*  Does the cast know of any celebs who are True Blood fans?  According to Charlaine Harris, Anne Rice is a huge fan (check out Charlaine's Facebook page for more on that) and according to Kristin Bauer van Straten, Elizabeth Taylor watches the show.
 
*  Joe Manganiello discusses the "Brotherhood of the Sock," one of three objects the male characters use during the many nude scenes in the show.  The first object is a black velvet tray, and can only be used if it's at the right camera angle.  The second is a sock with a plastic drawstring, but the back thong breaks if you run too fast.  And third, and the audience favorite, is the man pantie, or "mantie."  As Joe mentions, "it reduces you to a Ken doll…very restricting.  And stay tuned for the next episode, where Joe's character, Alcide, may be in the buff.
 
*  On an unrelated matter, fans of Joe Manganiello have started a Facebook campaign to have him play the next Superman.  Joe seemed truly honored and the fans went crazy.
 
*  Audience question – Which is harder to film, violence or sex?  Anna Paquin's reply?  "Well, you have to fake violence."