The cast of "True Blood," clockwise from top left: Kristin Bauer van Straten, Alexander Skarsgard, Deborah Ann Woll, Jessica Tuck, Stephen Moyer. Preview
True Blood
What: The supernatural cable drama starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer begins its fourth season.
When: 9 p.m. Sunday.
Where: HBO.
Hope you're ready to sink your teeth into a new season of "True Blood." The fast-paced supernatural series returns on HBO at 9 p.m. Sunday, and, right off the bat, it sucks you back into this wonderfully spooky world where no one is quite what he or she seems. It's a complex world with its intriguing mix of vampires, humans, half-humans, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies and, look out, here come the witches. They're the new power players in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, and they're here to set a spell (and cast a spell). But it's writer-executive producer Alan Ball ("Six Feet Under") who emerges as the master enchanter, keeping fans enthralled as he digs metaphorically deeper and deeper into this fascinating graveyard territory. With "True Blood," you never get that feeling of continually making the same trip around the ol' haunted barn. Change is the operative word. Like his shape-shifters, Ball embraces change -- all of its challenges and all of its rewards. His characters aren't static. They grow in richness and depth, and we learn more about them as, season to season, they learn more about themselves. They're frequently as surprised and perplexed by these revelations as we are. The themes also change, giving each season its own feel, its own mood, its own dynamic. And yet, through it all, "True Blood" always remains true to itself. That's because writers and actors respect the notion that life-altering events just might alter someone's perspective. You can't quite go back to being the person or the vampire you were. So, the ongoing strength of Ball's funny and frightening paranormal program is that, each season, the characters seem to be playing this high-stakes game (and I do mean stakes) at a different level. From a storytelling standpoint, "True Blood" constantly is seeking fresh blood. Still, the great aching heart of the show remains fixed. That would be the on-again-off-again relationship between telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Last season, Sookie learned why she's telepathic and why her blood is irresistible to vampires -- she's part fairy. While they've been through a lot, Sookie and Bill are a long way from burying their considerable troubles. HBO made the first three episodes of the fourth season available to critics, and it would be truly monstrous to reveal too much about the shockers and stunners awaiting those of you addicted to "True Blood." Just rest assured there are many shockers and stunners, and they're worth the nine-month wait since that thrilling third-season finale. When we left Bon Temps last September, power-hungry vampire king Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare) seemingly was vanquished, chained, crisped by exposure to the sun and buried in a pit of concrete. Sookie, weary of deceit, had broken up with Bill, only to disappear in a flash of light. Where did she go? How does she get back? What happened to the other characters while she was gone? No specifics or spoilers, but Ball is ordering up the changes wholesale for this 12-episode fourth season. Talk about being in different places. That's either literally or emotionally true for Sookie, Bill, Jason (Ryan Kwanten), Tara (Rutina Wesley), shape-shifter Sam (Sam Trammell), Arlene (Carrie Preston), werewolf Alcide (Joe Manganiello) and Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis). Although you still can detect the shape of the romantic triangle with Sookie torn between two vampires (Bill and Alexander Skarsgard's Eric Northman), matters of the heart need to be put on hold during these episodes. Anti-vampire sentiment is growing among humans, and almost everyone is being courted by or drawn into a new faction. Who will end up playing on what team? How will the alliances work? Well, trust has been an issue since the first episode aired Sept. 7, 2008, and no one struggles with that more than goodhearted Sookie. Some of the twists you might be looking for: Lafayette drawn into a quirky circle of new friends; Bill and Eric turning up the PR charm on behalf of vampires; Jason facing fresh problems with the werepanther community; Sam attracted to a shape-shifting teacher (newcomer Janina Gavankar); Eric battling memory problems; the discovery of dark powers by a Wiccan named Marnie (newcomer Fiona Shaw); Arlene obsessing about her new baby; and, oh, a dynamite cameo appearance by Gary Cole in tonight's season opener. Part sensual soap opera, part satire, part scarefest, the HBO series certainly isn't everyone's cup of plasma. Based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels, "The Southern Vampire Mysteries," by Charlaine Harris, Ball's eerie fright show can be as raw as it is edgy. But like the best horror, "True Blood" is deeply metaphoric and hauntingly resonant, using supernatural storytelling to explore profound questions about society and individuals. It has that kind of bite, too, so drink deep. It's intoxicating stuff being served down there in Bon Temps.