The third season loosely follows the plot of the novel Club Dead, which finds Sookie teaming up with a werewolf sent by Eric, named Alcide in Mississippi in order to track down Bill, who has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by a vampire King.

[19] Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Mariana Klaveno, Todd Lowe, Jim Parrack, Carrie Preston, William Sanderson, Deborah Ann Woll and Alexander Skarsgård all reprise their respective roles in the third season.

[20] After a long search, it was announced that Joe Manganiello was cast as werewolf Alcide Herveaux.

Marshall Allman is added to the third season as a series regular, cast as Sam Merlotte's younger brother Tommy Mickens and Cooper Huckabee plays Sam Merlotte's long-lost father.

The series won the GLADD Award for Best Drama Series, Alfre Woodard received a nomination for Best Guest Star in a Drama Series and the show received the "Holy Shit Scene of the Year" award at the Scream Awards for the scene in which Bill twisted Lorena's neck 180 degrees whilst the two were having sex.