True Blood’ will kick off the second half of its sixth season with this Sunday’s all-new episode “Do You Feel Me,” but not before nearly the entire cast dropped by Comic-Con 2013! In addition to a major new trailer for the back-half of season 6, we got to hear firsthand all about showrunner Bryan Buckner’s intent to reel in the more outlandish stories of the past, while the cast teased some major conflicts to come.

It was hard to see everything from the trailer on the initial run, but we caught quick looks that included a major funeral in Bon Temps daylight, Sam and Alcide finally squaring off once more, some bad (and literal) blood between Sookie and Warlow, and what looked like Bill’s major attempt at liberating the captive vampires of the LAVTF! Will he manage to save Jessica and the others from meeting the sun, however? And call us crazy, but did we see vampire Sarah Newlin?

Here’s what the cast had to say of ‘True Blood’ season 6 from the Q&A portion of the panel:

  • Tara has increasingly begun to enjoy her role as a vampire, and will aid young Willa Burrell in acclimating her to the new lifestyle.
  • Following Jessica’s horrific actions with Andy’s kids, Jessica may have enough self-loathing for a death wish, almost eager to greet the sun, but we’ll definitely see exploration between her and Andy in the coming episodes.
  • As for the most recent cliffhanger with Eric and Pam squaring off, Kristin Bauer van Straten of course wouldn’t reveal the outcome of the match (both were floating in mid-air in the trailer), but teased that Pam’s “scrappy” attitude could give her an edge.
  • Joe Manganiello apologized for the fan hatred of Alcide this season, acknowledging that his mafia-like role as packmaster has been leading him astray from his usual good heart.
  • Jason and Sarah Newlin will cross paths over the course of the season again, but certainly not as friendly as before. Meanwhile, Steve will continue his vendetta against Eric, with a candle of his own held for Jason.
  • We’ll continue to see both light and dark sides of Warlow struggle against one another, while Sookie increasingly seeks to be more proactive and less of a doormat for the supernaturals in her life.
  • Showrunner Bryan Buckner expressed his admiration for series creator Alan Ball, but hopes to return the show to its roots with smaller stories that keep characters under one arc in their small town, rather than juggle increasingly spaced out stories. By the same token, we shouldn’t’ expect many new supernatural creatures in the coming seasons.
  • Among the funnier moments of the panel involved watching Nelsan Ellis (LaFayette) get into character with nothing more than the actor’s own scarf, while another moment saw Rob Kazinsky acknowledging “Ryan made me feel like a lady that day,” with regard to their mutual shaving scene.

We’ll bring you the latest on ‘True Blood’ season 6 as it arrives, but what say you? Are you excited to see the show return to its roots with smaller stories? What relationships are you dying to see play out in the second half of ‘True Blood’ season 6? Give us your thoughts on all the fang-banging action in the comments!

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