Joe Manganiello | True Blood | Season 3

"It Hurts Me Too"

Still searching for Bill, Sookie heads to Jackson, Mississippi, with Alcide, a werewolf bodyguard assigned by Eric to protect her. Sam's birth family pay him an unexpected visit at Merlotte's. Jason decides to become a police officer. Sheriff Bud Dearborne resigns in frustration. Arlene discovers she is pregnant and fears that the baby's father may be Rene. Franklin charms Tara and disposes of a body for Jessica and wants information on Bill in return. Eric buys Lafayette an expensive new car as an incentive. Haunted by visions from his past, Bill pledges his allegiance to the King of Mississippi. Bill and his maker Lorena have a violent sexual encounter.

"9 Crimes"

Bill breaks up with Sookie and tells her not to try to find him. Alcide and Sookie attend the werewolf initiation of his former fiancee, Debbie Pelt, and discover that Russell is in league with the werewolves. Sam promises to give his brother Tommy a job at Merlotte's and his family a new home. Jessica begins working at Merlotte's. Sheriff Bud Dearborne retires and Andy takes his place. Jason blackmails Andy into making him a cop. Franklin kidnaps Tara and takes her to Jackson. Bill reveals to Russell that Sophie-Anne is selling vampire blood. The Magister leads a raid on Fangtasia and finds vials of vampire blood. Eric and Pam tell the Magister that Bill is responsible for the crime. Bill procures a stripper as a meal for Russell and Lorena and, at Russell's command, joins in the feed.

"Trouble"

Eric visits Russell, who catches him in a lie and forces him to admit that the Magister is holding Pam prisoner and will kill her unless he turns in Bill Compton for selling V. Franklin gives Russell information on Sookie's genealogy that he stole from Bill's home. Franklin continues to keep Tara prisoner at Russell's mansion, telling her that he intends to make her his vampire bride. Alcide and Sookie visit packmaster Colonel Flood, who advises them to keep away from Russell and his werewolves. Bill goes to Alcide's apartment to tell Sookie to leave but the King arrives and thwarts his plan. Russell orders his werewolf Cooter to grab Sookie, who protects herself with her mysterious powers. A Viking crown in Russell's possession makes Eric realize that Russell was responsible for killing his family many centuries ago. Lafayette and Jesús begin to get to know each other. Tommy begins working at Merlotte's. Jason starts work as a cop and falls for the enigmatic Crystal Norris. Terry moves in with Arlene.

"I Got a Right to Sing the Blues"

Russell takes Sookie and Bill to his mansion, where Bill kills one of the bodyguards and attempts to kill Russell. Russell orders Lorena to take Bill to the slaves' quarters and kill him. Eric refuses to help Bill when asked by Sookie, and denies that she means anything to him. Russell tries to learn what Sookie really is. Jason discovers that Crystal has a fiancé. Sam suspects that his parents are using Tommy for dog-fighting matches. Lafayette and Jesús fall out over Lafayette's drug dealing. Eric accompanies Russell to Sophie-Anne's mansion, where Russell blackmails her into accepting his marriage proposal. Eric renounces his loyalty to the Queen and pledges his loyalty to the King of Mississippi. Tara escapes from Franklin's clutches by beating his head to a pulp and tries to rescue Sookie and escape. Sookie tries to save Bill, who has been tortured nearly to death by Lorena, and had his blood drained by Cooter and Debbie. Lorena thwarts Sookie's plan and attempts to kill her.

"Hitting the Ground"

With Bill's help, Sookie stakes Lorena. Alcide and Tara attempt to help Sookie get Bill to safety. Debbie tries to thwart their plans but Tara concocts a plan in Sookie's head to get the upper hand. Alcide kills Cooter, causing Debbie to vow vengeance on Alcide. Sookie lets Bill feed on her blood to help revive him, but he ends up attacking her, putting her in a coma. While in her coma, Sookie visits a magical place and meets Claudine. Learning that Sookie does not have a blood type, Bill uses his blood to save her. Sam rescues Tommy from the dog fighting ring and persuades him to leave his parents. Jason attempts to learn more about Crystal from her jailed cousin. At Maxine's urging, local girl Summer declares her feelings for Hoyt. Eric forces Sookie's cousin, Hadley, into revealing Sookie's secret. Eric, Russell and Sophie-Anne go to Fangtasia to rescue Pam. Russell forces the Magister to marry him and Sophie-Anne, killing him immediately afterward.

"Night on the Sun"

Sookie and Bill break up when she regains consciousness in the hospital. Bill releases Jessica as her maker, but she refuses to leave him, so he trains her to help him fight the werewolves bound to come after Sookie. Alcide takes Sookie home, but he can't stay with her after the werewolves attack his sister Janice. Lafayette's mother escapes from the psychiatric institution and pays Lafayette a visit; Jesús comes looking for her and reignites his relationship with Lafayette. Arlene hires Holly to be the new waitress at Merlotte's. Crystal goes to Jason's house to seek refuge from her relatives. Hadley, acting on Eric's orders, warns Sookie that Russell and the werewolves are coming for her and that she should not trust Bill. Jason warns Crystal's father to stay away from her. Russell, Debbie and two werewolves attack Sookie in her home. Eric stakes Talbot, drawing Russell back to Jackson. Bill and Sookie have passionate makeup sex.

"Evil Is Going On"

Sookie saves Eric from dying in sunlight, despite Bill's protests. At Eric's insistence, Sookie saves Russell, and ties him to a pole inside Fangtasia. Hoyt's mother and Summer stage an intervention to get Hoyt away from Jessica, but it backfires and Hoyt asks Jessica to marry him. Sometime later, his mother buys an anti-vampire rifle. Tara not only learns that Sam is a shapeshifter but also discovers her mother is having an affair with a minister; she leaves Bon Temps. As the DEA stages a raid on the Norris clan in Hotshot, Crystal convinces Jason to join her to warn the residents. However Felton kills Calvin, takes the V, and leaves with Crystal, which leaves Jason in charge of the defenseless residents. Lafayette discovers that Jesús is a brujo (male witch). Bill and Eric bury Russell alive in concrete, but afterwards Bill throws Eric into another pit to do the same. Eric escapes and tells Sookie that Bill was originally sent to Bon Temps to procure her for Sophie-Anne and that he purposely allowed the Rattrays to beat her nearly to death so that he would be able to feed her his blood. Sookie banishes Bill and Eric from her house. Sam chases Tommy down but he refuses to return Sam's money. After vowing to kill anyone who knows about Sookie's faerie heritage, Bill invites Sophie-Anne to his home for a duel to the death. Sookie visits Gran's grave, where she accepts Claudine's invitation to join her and the other faeries to their world.