Let’s hug it out, bitches – in a congratulatory kinda way: Entourage, Hung and True Blood each are getting another season.

So said HBO today, according to Backstage.

For those who are counting, that means Season 7 for Entourage, Season 3 for True Blood and Season 2 for Hung. All well-deserved.

Let’s face it, the Entourage boys are fun. How could you not be happy for Turtle that he’s dating an honest-to-goodness Hollywood starlet? And how could you not be touched by Turtle’s deep-seated friendship with Johnny Drama that he was even willing to ask Jamie-Lynn to do a makeout scene with Johnny on his TV show?

I was even feeling badly for Vince that he’s all alone, kinda. And E that he’s bored at his work. Though his little girlfriend was totally right – why was he bothering with that when he doesn’t have to? Especially when it isn’t really working out.

As for Hung, well, that show is a winner. It’s not what I expected, except it is exactly what I expected – something funny and whimsical and smart from HBO. HBO has rarely disappointed. And even when it’s not quite hit (John From Cincinnati), it’s still been … interesting.

I think the budding friendship between Ray and Tanya is really nice and could become one of the better buddy stories of current-day television. And I like the dynamic between Ray and his children and the twins with each other. I like that the kids are neither perfect nor loser misfits. They’re teenagers going through teenage angst and teenage phases.

And you know that neighbor wife totally has her eye on Ray and as soon as she finds out, she’s gonna make him sleep with her in exchange for not telling her husband. Or, she’ll just flat-out hire him. Can’t decide yet.

And then, True Blood.

What can you say about this show that hasn’t already been said? It’s gory, it’s nearly pornographic at moments and it’s funny. It’s also suspenseful and sweet at the same time.

The scenes between Hoyt and Jessica were absolutely adorable. Both when she told him she had to go to sleep and not to worry that she looked … dead … and when she told him to take his pants off.

I’m finding the whole backstory issue very interesting. Once Bill had explained how he became a vampire, I hadn’t thought much about how he’d lived his life since. Now that we’re seeing how he’d been so bloodthirsty for so long and how much it bothered him, his decision to drink True Blood is in a new light.

Obviously, he had a very strong moral center before being turned, and then being in the Civil War and seeing all the death and carnage made a very strong impression on him.

He felt obligated to his maker to do her bidding, to kill with her and pretend to enjoy the wanton slaughter. But after a while, he couldn’t take another innocent’s life.

Now: Did Mrs. Newlin actually shoot Jason or was that a stun gun? I couldn’t quite tell from the angle? Does Eggs know Maryann’s true nature? Is Tara ever going to be able to get Maryann out of Sookie’s house and why does Maryann latch so much onto Tara?

Lots of questions, another month’s worth of episodes to find out some answers.

All I can say is I’m really glad Lafayette’s back in the game. Love that boy.

By the by, Backstage said True Blood increases its audience every episode, with an average of 3.8 million viewers now tuning in — but 11.2 million when you count the repeats/DVR/On Demand. It’s HBO’s most-watched show since The Sopranos. Nice.

And, according to Backstage, Big Love is returning in January and Flight of the Conchords is likely to return for a third season. The Pacific, a World War II miniseries will air in March and lead up to the return of David Simon to HBO (The Wire, anyone?) with his New Orleans-based drama, Treme.

No word yet on In Treatment and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, neither of which I watch, though my mother-in-law loved No. 1.

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And there was, indeed, plenty of blood in Sunday’s season premiere of the closest thing to porn aired on Sunday nights.

Look, I enjoy True Blood a lot. But, man, do they love showin’ the sex. And now Sookie’s totally a fangbanger. I think she enjoyed the love bites more than the sex. Though, in her defense, she wouldn’t let just any vampire bit her. She’s a one-vamp woman.

But this is what I find interesting about the show: It’s become a metaphor for civil rights and is playing that card heavily.

The coming showdown between the vampires and their supporters and those who believe vampires are all that is evil should make for rather compelling television.

Jason Stackhouse is an idiot and easily swayed and has never liked hte vampires anyhow. He liked ingesting their blood, sure. But the actual vampires? His better nature threatened to rear its head more than once, but he always got sucked back into being an idiot.

I’m quite late in posting my review on Sunday’s ep, I know, so I’m not going to go on at length.

Suffice it to say that it’s returned strong as ever, with the love, the intrigue and the mystery – Ensign Ro is a witch? She had sex with Sookie’s boss back in the day?

The freakiest part is the dungeon Lafayette is stuck in. First, I just wanna say I’m SO glad he’s not dead. Unfortunately, I have a feeling he’s not gonna be the same Lafayette by the time he gets outta there. Obviously, these are vampires who are keeping food in the basement, but what the hell? They’re gonna get in so much trouble.

Honestly, I usually get a little tired of the shows where it seems little more than a veiled excuse to show relatively hardcore sex. But True Blood has such good acting and fun side plots that I’m sticking around for season 2. The premiere gave me no reason to change my mind.

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