The fourth season of True Blood won't premiere until Sunday, June 26 at 9pm, but HBO is amping things up by releasing the first eight minutes of the season premiere.

In this clip, we get a long look at Sookie's adventures in Fairy Land, complete with the return of her fairy godmother, Claudine, the telepathic bellhop Barry and the introduction of two important new characters: Sookie's grandpa Earl (played by Gary Cole) and Mab, queen of the fairies. It also ends with a huge Fairy Fight, complete with Glitter Bombs.

The glowing fruit is creepy as is the master plan of the evil fairies, but most impressive is how quickly True Blood reminds me that I love Sookie. She's feisty and hilarious with her deadpan reactions to ridiculous situations, and while a lot of the other stars of True Blood may get more credit for stealing scenes, Anna Paquin is hysterical.

My favorite moment? "OK, if your job is to look after me, can I just say you suck."



I'm also in love with how True Blood is diving headfirst into the fairy mythology, expanding the universe of the series beyond anything that came before. What's your favorite moment from the first six minutes of True Blood season 4?

(Image and video courtesy of HBO)