Vampires are en vogue these days, as evidenced by shows like HBO’s “True Blood.” (HBO/MCT)

Following an extremely successful viral marketing campaign, the second season of “True Blood” premiered on June 14 to a staggering rating of 3.7 million viewers. This premiere was the most watched program on HBO since “The Sopranos” finale two years ago. Who knew a show about southern vampires could have revived the network some industry insiders had once dubbed “HB-Over”?  “True Blood’s” marketing campaign aimed to blur the lines between reality and fiction using co-sponsored ads of products targeting vampires. In addition, the campaign reached potential viewers through multiple Web sites, such as a vampire dating Web site and a site for the American Vampire League.  The fictional beverage Tru Blood featured on the show was also marketed in order to fully immerse consumers in the experience and premise of the show.

The immense popularity of “True Blood” has been compared to the success of the similarly themed “Twilight” book series, with online voting polls to determine who is the hotter lead vampire, Bill Compton or Edward Cullen (My personal vote goes to Bill). The success of the vampire genre has triggered other shows and trends, including the new CW show “Vampire Diaries” and the incorporation of vampire and goth-like details in new fall fashions. Despite the ever-growing success of “True Blood,” however, the show still managed to get majorly snubbed by this year’s Emmy Awards for its first season consideration.

“True Blood’s” second season, whose finale airs this Sunday, managed to upstage its intriguing and clever first season with more supernatural characters, unpredictable alliances and juicy sex scenes. For those “True Blood” virgins, the show is set in the fictional Louisiana town of Bon Temps and imagines vampires living among humans, as they can now subsist on synthetic blood rather than making meals of human bodies.

The second season introduced a Christian cult called the Fellowship of the Sun, which runs a conversion camp that brainwashes people to hate vampires. After the vampire sheriff of Dallas goes missing, Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), the sheriff of Bon Temps, enlists the help of Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a barmaid, telepath and girlfriend to vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer). Eric is deeply upset by the kidnapping of Godric, the sheriff, who is later found out to be Eric’s maker. While in Dallas, Sookie infiltrates the Fellowship but is caught and saved when a showdown between the Christian cult members and the vampires ensues. After the Fellowship sends a suicide bomber to a vampire party, Sookie is tricked into sucking Eric’s blood to save him, which forges a carnal connection between the two.

Back in Bon Temps, Sookie’s best friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) and the rest of the town become hypnotized as minions of Maryann (Michelle Forbes), an ancient Maenad who worships the god Dionysus and brings out humans’ primal behavior. Maryann needs a sacrifice and demands that Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell), who owns the town’s resident bar and doubles as a secretive shape-shifter, be that sacrifice. As episode 11 ends, Bill solicits advice from the 4,000-year-old lesbian vampire queen Sophie-Ann (Evan Rachel Wood) as to how to kill Maryann; Sookie gets caught in Maryann’s lair and finds a nest with a large unhatched egg; Sam goes to Eric for help in stopping Maryann, and Bill goes to coerce Sam into becoming Maryann’s sacrifice.

We’ll have to wait until Sunday’s finale for these burning questions to be answered: Will Maryann kill Sam? What’s in the egg? Will Sookie finally consummate her urges with Eric? Stay tuned for what is promised to be a blood-suckingly good season finale.