First of all, we wish a VERY happy 35th birthday to our beloved Viking, Alexander Skarsgard!

And now some beautiful fan art by AniaEm:

Click here to view scans of Alex as the September “Man of Style” in InStyle.

Visit SkarsgardFans.com to listen to a new interview with Alex.

Book fans, Eric fans – even Sookie fans, if we get right down to it – might not be too happy about where season four leaves us. Check out the spoilers here and here if you want to.

Would you ever stop watching True Blood, or are you too into the show and too curious to see where it all leads?

Many apologies for the last-minute cancellation of Dead Air last night. The show has been rescheduled for tonight at 6 ET / 7 CT (an hour earlier than the show’s usual time). I hope that most of you can still join us! If not, the show will be available to download and listen later, as always.

Click here to listen and chat at showtime.

Got something to say about tonight’s episode? Tweet us at @NorthmanNet, comment on this post, or chat with others on this thread at the forum! And don’t forget about Dead Air tomorrow night.

From the Inside True Blood blog:

I loved it. It was so beautiful. They tried to recreate a winter landscape up in northern Sweden, and they did an amazing job. It was really special. It was a lot of fun shooting – and quite complicated with wind machines going and fake snow everywhere. It was very technical and kinda tough, but it really was very special. They spent weeks building it, and we spent a day or two shooting it. I’m excited to see it because being there on the day it looked so good. I hope fans like it.

Whether people loved or hated the snow scene, can we all agree that it’s awesome that so much time and effort was put into making it beautiful and special?

God bless Jace Lacob at Televisionary. His recap of “Spellbound” is beautifully poetic, and I think it might help sway some of the Team Eric people who were angry about this episode. I admit, I hated the snow scene when I first watched it. I thought it was silly and cheesy. But I rewatched, read some insights from other fans, and thought about it more. Now I love it.

Anyway, this recap. I’m going to quote it at length. Because… *sigh*

Given that the two have already given into their mutual passion in the woods (and the entryway of Sookie’s house… and her bedroom), this moment isn’t about carnal union but a spiritual one, a profound interaction that bonds their souls as much as they are already by blood. [...]

Eric and Sookie wander into snow-dappled woods, finding a bed with fur blankets underneath a dimly lit sky, the snowflakes melting on their skin. It’s a curious juxtaposition of elements: warmth and coolness, comfort and excitement, night and day, passion and friendship. It’s perhaps the moment that Sookie gives into exactly what Adele’s spirit warned her against: she gives Eric her heart.

It’s an impossible scene that can only exist in the fragility of dreams, a magical landscape that connects their souls and their hearts, bound by blood, by lust, by love. Sookie realizes the possibility of love here, the notion that she can fall in love after Bill, or in spite of him, that she does love this “new” Eric. But Adele’s words (“it won’t last”) imbue the scene with a sense of dread as well: this is all perhaps fleeting, and Eric’s amnesia–and therefore the couple’s happiness–may be as brief as a snowflake’s life. Time may not exist here, but it marches inexorably on back in the waking world.

To say that fans are divided over “Spellbound” would be a big understatement. Whether you loved it or hated it, be sure to join us for Dead Air tonight to tell us what you thought!

The “Inside the Episode” this week has me very, very worried.

Marnie, who is now Antonia, is able to take Eric at a point when he really just wants to run off and have a life with Sookie, and turn him into her slave. So God only knows what he’s gonna be up to in the next few episodes, but he’s not there for Sookie. That guy… y’know, that sweet, innocent Eric… he’s not there anymore.

The lovely and sweet Kristin Bauer van Straten took time from her busy filming schedule in Canada to answer the questions that you sent in a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to Kristin as always, and thanks to everyone who submitted a question!

EN.net: Can you say a little bit about Pam’s unwilling betrayal of Eric in episode 5? A lot of fans found that very out of character for her, but she’s only “human,” after all.

Kristin: Yes, very out of character. We just saw her willing to die for Eric for a season. I had to think her betrayal was just a simple mistake brought on by being so stressed by her situation from the spell but also by the stress of what to do when Eric isn’t there to strategize “what to do” for her. And then we see in the following scene with Eric in the dungeon that she was devastated by her mistake.

EN.net: Is there a funny filming moment from season four that you can share with us? Did Alex tease you about that zombie makeup?

He didn’t. That makeup was hard to find funny in that it was as real looking in person. But after you see the rest of the season I can tell you about one time I was teased, by the whole set really. It was a much needed laugh during a long night shoot.

Stella: What kinds of things do you think Pam would do if she got drunk on fairy blood?

Go shopping during the day? I don’t know…I guess this is why we have such great writers, they’d come up with something hysterical and character revealing.

Jacinta: Eric as Pam’s maker has a strong bond with her and would do anything to protect her, including die for her. Do you think Pam has it in her to be as protective and selfless for her progeny?

Hard to imagine, isn’t it? But maybe once she became a Mommy some instinct would kick in…still hard to imagine.

Marinated_n_sin: Was Pam the role that you auditioned for? If so, what made you go for that part? My family and I love Her and Eric religiously!

Great, thanks! Yes, that was the only role I was offered to audition for and I jumped at it.

Laura V: Do any of the characters’ personalities resemble the actors’ true personalities?

Not really. I think we all try, or at least I do, to use whatever you can from where you and the character overlap. In fact this happens whether you like it or not as all the character has is your imagination. I have parts of me that can relate to Pam and I am only too happy to channel those. But it seems to me that everyone has major differences from their characters. You build a character, a separate entity.

Bianca: If you could have any Pam outfit, which one would you pick? The red short sparkle mini dress and jacket with spikes were my favs!

I love all Pam’s outfits! There are a couple I’d wear too. There’s another spike jacket coming up that I think I’ll have to get.

Laura H: Is there anything special that you would like to see happen for Pam?

There’s been a lot of talk about an Eric/Pam flashback and I think that’ll be great fun to see how this relationship began.

Deanna: Kristin, what is your absolute favorite thing about Pam?

Her directness.

Gabi: Kristin, what do you think it is about Pam that people love the character so much? By the way, you’re fabulous!

Thank you! People may love what I love about playing her. She is so dry and unapologetic. She knows who she is. And she loves to dress for every occasion. Very fun.

VikingGirl: Have you found that some of Pam’s wardrobe seems a little retro lately? Do you think Pam had a love of the 1980s? Love your work with animal rights!

It seems to me that Pam steals and remembers the best of every fashion era that she has lived through. Her modern bondage look even has Victorian bent like in the black and red rubber dress.

Allison: How in the world does she do those amazing big, wavy curls she’s been rocking lately? I can’t be the only girl with problematically curly hair clamoring to know!

Lots of hair products and a big hot curling iron. Patience.

Kitty: What is your exercise routine like for getting in shape for the show? You look so gorgeous in all of those tight costumes!

I pay close attention to what I eat and do barre classes. On location I just make sure to keep up the cardio.

Lena: In the books, Pam reveals to Sookie that she and Eric were lovers when Eric first turned her. If they follow that next season in the “Eric making Pam flashback,” will it be difficult for Kristin and Alex to be lovers on screen?

Ha Ha! Well, I’ll let you know when and if that happens. He is a very good friend so I assume we’ll be able to laugh about it.

The Nest has scans from the new issue of SFX magazine, where they list the top 100 Sci-Fi icons. Lafayette is #90, Sookie is #75, Bill is #66, and Eric is #28. I think Sookie should’ve been way higher, but it’s great to see the True Blood love.

28. Eric Northman
You want him to bite you…

Let’s forget the fact that Alexander Skarsgard is 6’4″ of scorching-hot Scandinavian man-muscle for a moment (yes, we know it’s tough, but try… go on… nnnngggh… okay, good). As handsome as Skarsgard is, it’s really Eric who’s the star here, a character who was destined to be epic from the start. His smooth, assured bad-boy ways make him a kind of anti-Spike: with Spike, you knew how he felt because he never stopped showing it; with Eric, it’s all bubbling under the surface, threatening to spill over at any moment. Brooding, charismatic and wildly unpredictable (just ask Lafayette), Eric’s the biggest star in True Blood, even if he doesn’t know it.

Oh, I think he knows it.

New York magazine’s Vulture blog has a new interview with Fiona Shaw, who plays Marnie.

Although, if you’re going to have a big thug come after you, who better than Alexander Skarsgard? Are you Team Eric?
I’ll take him any day! [Laughs.] He’s a very nice young man. How is Sookie supposed to choose between her two vampires? It’s fantastically complicated.

As many of you know, Alex’s birthday is coming up on August 25. Instead of flooding him with cards, please read this post over at Skarsgard News and consider making a donation to the LA Food Bank in Alex’s name. All donors will be listed on one big card that Alex can keep, instead of thousands of cards that he’ll have to throw away.