ausiellofiles.ew.com:

Some folks were surprised by the structure of the finale and your decision to wrap up the Maryann story in the first 30 minutes.

ALAN BALL: I try to look at the show as basically almost like it’s a novel, and each episode is a chapter. I guess I’m influenced by the fact that when I watch TV shows, I watch the [DVD] boxed sets. Ultimately, it’s just organically the way it worked out. And the season finale last year was very similar.

Why wasn’t there more Eric in the finale?

BALL: There is a reason for not seeing Eric in the last part of the episode, but if I explain it, I’ll be [giving away] too much.

Will he be prominent next season?

BALL: Yes. Although, when I saw your [latest episode of Ausiello TV], for a moment I thought, we’re going to have to kill Eric, because you are the man. I thought wow, I had many seasons of Eric planned but I guess I’ll have to off him. [Laughs]

How closely will you follow the third book next season?
BALL: We take the gist of the books, [but] we will depart whenever we feel like it makes better television as opposed to reading. We continue to use the books as templates. But now that I’ve read all nine books there are things that are revealed in later books that we are moving up so that they’ll probably happen in the show earlier than they do in the books.

Will you introduce werewolf Alcide?

BALL: Yes.

More here

Woot, more hunky Eric! And I cannot wait for Queen Sophie Ann to get some fiercely scary.

Jason and Tara….wow, cool. I thought that was a done deal but I guess not.

OMG! they might bring Godric back for flashbacks!!! WOOT!

Hoyt’s mother took Bill? WTF? Wow!

What do you think of what Allan Ball had to say? Do you like the direction?