(Editor's Note: Please keep in mind that I can't discuss the events of Season Four without divulging some of what happened in Season Three, so please read with caution.) Season Four of True Blood picks up not long after the conclusion of Season Three. Sookie Stackhouse (Ann Paquin) has been whisked away to the realm of the fairies, but she quickly leaves there, only to learn that her brief time in that other world equaled 13 months in our world, and a lot has changed. Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) is now the king (vampire) of Louisiana. Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) is settling into his new job as a deputy. Due to the pain suffered at the hands of vampires, Tara Thronton (Rutina Wesley) has moved to New Orleans. Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) is still trying to get over the fact that he shot his brother, Tommy (Marshall Allman). Hoyt (Jim Parrack) is now living vampire Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), but she's learning that monogamy doesn't suit her. Lafayette's (Nelsan Ellis) relationship with Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) continues to grow.

And it's these two who kick off the main story in this season. Jesus convinces Lafayette to attend a Wiccan ceremony held at a nearby store. The store-owner, Marnie (Fiona Shaw) conducts the ceremony and show's that she has some real power. A spy in the circle reports this to Bill and he dispatches Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) to intimidate the witches. However, Marnie is stronger than anyone suspected and she places a spell on Eric causing him to lose his memory. This creates a chain reaction which triggers two key events. First, a war begins between the witches and the vampires. Bill feels certain that his vamps can defeat the witches, but Marnie has an ancient power on her side. This war will divide the citizens of Bon Temps. Secondly, Sookie suddenly finds herself caring for an Eric who is no longer a ruthless killer.

I've tried to repress the memories of why Season Three of True Blood was so bad, but I seem to remember that key characters were separated for long stretches and that it focused too much on politics. Season Four quickly wipes away any of those memories as it opens with Sookie's exciting escape from fairie world. The plot device of having Sookie gone for over a year means that the show can dump the old problems and practically start anew in some respects. Other shows have tried this strategy, but here, the show can bring back all of the old characters, but it has a fresh feel to it. The powers-that-be clearly learned their lessons from Season Three, as this season has plenty of interactions between Sookie, Bill, and Eric, although I preferred the stories where Sookie and Bill were a couple. In short, the show gets back to its soap-opera roots. Sure, there's still some talk of politics, but it's kept to the background for the most part.

The inclusion of new stories and twists really elevates Season Four. The decision to change Eric's character was a risky one, but it pays off. Not only does this allow Sookie to see Eric in a new light, it also affords some funny moments. The plotline with the witches could have been very formulaic, but it works very well. At the outset, they are seemingly innocuous and they have a right to be angry, as Eric attacked them. But, as the season progresses, Marnie's character grows darker, and thus the dramatic elements increase. The relationship between Hoyt and Jessica wasn't very interesting in Season Three, but her infidelity puts a new spin on it, and really brings this character to the forefront. Of course, not everything works. A subplot concerning the werewolf Alcide (Joe Manganiello) isn't very gripping, Sheriff Andy's (Chris Bauer) addiction storyline is annoying, and Arlene's (Carrie Preston) fears that her baby is possessed leads to a storyline which sort of peters out.

I can't say that Season Four of True Blood is a return to form, as it doesn't contain the same power as the first two seasons, but it's excellent TV and light years ahead of Season Three. Sure, there are a lot of characters and not every sub-plot is a winner, but this show is addictive and you'll want to plow through this set as you get geared up for Season Five.

True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season does not contain enough Katerina on DVD courtesy of HBO Home Entertainment. The 5-disc set contains all 12 episodes from the show's fourth season. The episodes are letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is sharp and clear, showing no intrusive grain and no defects from the source material. Despite the frequent nighttime scenes, the image is never overly dark or bright for that matter. The colors look good, most notably the reds. There is some mild artifacting here, but otherwise the image is stable. The DVD carries a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track which provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The stereo effects are nicely done, especially when they highlight sounds off-screen. The surround sound effects work well in crowd scenes and in the action scenes. There weren't that many significant subwoofer effects, save for when bass accented the music.

The True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season DVD set contains a variety of extras. "Inside the Episode" accompanies each chapter here. These 4-5 minute featurettes contain interviews with the cast and crew, and they usually explore one key element of the episode. Disc 1 offers an AUDIO COMMENTARY for the episode "You Smell Like Dinner" which features Stephen Moyer, Deborah Ann Woll and Writer/Co-Executive Producer Brian Buckner. Disc 3 brings us AUDIO COMMENTARIES on the episodes "If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin'?" with Anna Paquin and Alan Ball and "I'm Alive and On Fire" with Alexander Skarsgard and Director Michael Lehmann. The COMMENTARY on Disc 3 is on "I Wish I Was the Moon" and it features Writer/Co-Executive Producer Raelle Tucker and Executive Producer Gregg Feinberg. Disc 4 delivers AUDIO COMMENTARIES for "Let's Get Out of Here" with Sam Trammell and Director Romeo Tirone and "Burning Down the House" with Fiona Shaw, Writer/Co-Executive Producer Nancy Oliver and Director Lesli Linka Glatter. Disc 5 offers "True Blood: The Final Touches" (28 minutes) is a round-table discussion moderated by series creator/executive producer Alan Ball. The topic at hand is the various elements which go into finishing the show through post-production. Visual effects, sound, music, and the look of the show are discussed, along with many clips of the show which illustrate the points being made.