HBOs new hit show True Blood is gaining new viewers by the thousands each week, and with good reason.

Vampires are everywhere right now, from TV and movies to comics and novels. Whats different about True Blood is that the vampires are no longer hiding from the public; theyre fighting for their rights in the world. With the creation of a synthetic blood drink called True Blood, vampires are no longer in need of humans to feed off of (that doesnt always stop them from doing so though!).

The show takes place in a small town in rural Louisiana called Bon Temps, and we quickly find out that vampires arent the only things unusual about this town. There are also shape-shifters, maenads and telepaths.

At the core of the show is Sookie Stackhouse, a naive southern belle in love with a vampire. Oh yeah, she can also read minds. Bill is her vampire boyfriend, whose thoughts she can conveniently not hear.

A lot went down last season, including Sookie killing the local serial killer who was after her next with a shovel. Meanwhile, Bill was punished by his fellow vampires for slaying another vampire that tried to kill Sookie. His punishment -- make another vampire to replace him. In comes Jessica, who is in his care now; shes a fiery teenager who causes a few problems for Bill, such as sneaking her new boyfriend into his house.

Sookie has also had to fend off her shape-shifting boss Sam, the owner of Merlottes where she works. Sams had a crush on her for years, but this season Daphne (a fellow shape shifter) will keep him busy.

Tara, Sookies best friend, has found herself caught up with a maenad named Mary Ann -- a god-like creature that drugs the whole town of Bon Temps with her magic, and hosts crazy orgies in the woods, in her house and in Merlottes. Mary Anns parties do look fun, but theres definitely something evil going on there.

Weve also come to know (and love) a few new vampires. Most notably is Eric, the sheriff of Louisiana. He is the boss in these parts, and hes taken a special interest in Sookie, though were not quite sure why yet.

At the start of the second season, Eric sends Bill and Sookie to Dallas to find out where his maker, Godric, is. Godric has been missing for a while, and Eric is worried sick. They are connected just like Bill and Jessica are, a bond that never subsides no matter how old they are.

As of this weeks episode, we find out that Godric is being held by The Fellowship of the Light. Theyre a creepy cult-like group of people that hate all vampires. Theyre goal is to exterminate them completely. If theres one thing they dislike as much as vampires its the humans that sympathize with them.

Sookie goes undercover to investigate them, and they take her hostage. As of now, shes stuck in the basement of the church with her accomplice-turned traitor companion, Hugo. Bill tries to rescue her, but his own maker is holding him hostage. Eric doesnt want Bill to be able to get to Sookie, so he notified Bills maker of what was going on.

In an interesting twist, Sookies brother Jason is also at The Fellowship of The Sun. Hes gotten caught up in their lifestyle, and has started to dislike vampires as well. He didnt use to have a problem with them, but The Fellowship is well on their way to brainwashing him into hating them and his own sister.

Hes also having an affair with the leader of the groups wife, Sara. At the end of the episode, she shoots him presumably because she found out that he was a vampire sympathizer.

Come next week, well actually get to meet Godric. Hes a teenage vampire that is so ancient, he has tribal tattoos on his body. Well also get to see if Jason survives, if Sookie will make it out of the basement, and whether or not the vampires will seek vengeance on The Fellowship.

What Worked

For those that have read the books, the show is exceedingly different. The books by the adorable Charlaine Harris are in first person, so Sookie is really the only perspective we get. In the show, Tara, Jason and Sam play much bigger roles in the plot.

This is for the best, as their own plot lines are incredibly interesting and you cant help but love them. For example, Jasons struggles with his guilt for killing a vampire he liked last season make him sympathetic and his turn with the Fellowship all that more peculiar.

Tara was a tough southern woman in the beginning of the series, now we get to see her heart with her new boyfriend Eggs. Tara has definitely added a new element to the show, one that is missing from the books. Shes the lost best friend, trying to find her place when she feels unlovable.

The show is consistently good, especially with the new vampires in the show. As the crowds at Comic-Con can attest too, theres obviously a lot of love for the new vampire Eric, as the screams heard when Alexander Skarsgard came on stage could be heard all the way across the convention center to Hall H.

What Didnt Work

Theres not a lot bad about this show. The plot is great, the music is excellent, the acting is superb (Nelsan Ellis anyone?) and the thrills just keep on coming.

It could be seen as a bad thing that the show doesnt stick to the books all of the time, but its adds much more depth to the series that would be missed if it were simply told from Sookies point of view.

As Charlaine Harris said at Comic-Con, I dont tell Alan Ball (the creator of the series) how to do the TV show, and he doesnt tell me how to write the books. So dont expect things to always go the way they do in the book, though Ball did say at Comic-Con that the relationship with Bill/Sookie/Eric WILL go the way it does in the books! Insert happy face and girly fan giggle.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"True Blood" stars Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Ryan Kwanten, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Alexander Skarsgard and Michelle Forbes. It airs on HBO Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.