True Blood Scoop: What Is Tara's Fate?

Bon Temps is not an easy place to live, and Tara Thornton is one native who's suffered from sticking around her hometown.

Tara (Rutina Wesley) paid the price for being Sookie's (Anna Paquin) friend in the Season 4 finale of True Blood when she selflessly jumped in front of the shotgun blast that Debbie Pelt (Brit Morgan) intended for Sookie. The finale left fans wondering if Tara could possibly recover from the giant hole in her head, as Sookie cradled her seemingly lifeless body. Will anyone come to their rescue?

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"Tara is still a part of the show," creator Alan Ball told TVGuide.com at the True Blood Season 5 premiere party on Wednesday. "I'm sure fans have a lot of different ideas of how that could be possible, and one of those ideas is correct."

One theory is that vampires Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) would somehow help shared love interest Sookie, even though she had decided not to be with either of them. "I can tell you that Bill and Eric can't come running to the rescue," Wesley tells TVGuide.com. "They just killed a member of the Authority, so they're going to have a big mess to clean up themselves, so Sookie's going to have to figure this out on her own. But, you know, she's strong and resourceful and doesn't need a man to figure out her problems."

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However Tara returns — whether that be as a ghost, a vampire or back to her human self, revived by vampire blood — Wesley says the once sisterly relationship between Sookie and Tara will be significantly different after that night. "That's going to be the interesting part to watch: Tara's reaction to Sookie and Sookie's reaction to Tara," she says. "All I can say is it's charged."

How do you think Tara will return? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

True Blood returns for Season 5 on Sunday, June 10 at 9/8c on HBO.