[Spoilers ahead] Yesterday, when we included Tara in our roundup of characters who were killed in the True Blood Season 4 finale, a number of readers responded that they don’t think she’s really dead. The general theory seems to be that Bill or Eric or both of the poor, lovesick vampires will hear Sookie’s screams and heal Tara’s mortal wound with an infusion of magic blood — or perhaps even save her by turning her into one of them. Although this notion had occurred to us, we wanted to believe that Alan Ball and the True Blood writing staff had realized that the character has outlasted her purpose and made the wise decision cut Rutina Wesley and her miserable southern accent loose, as part of a much-needed Season 5 reboot.
No such luck. TVLine has published an interview with Wesley in which she admits Tara had her “brains blown out,” but confirms that her contract has been renewed and that she’ll still be part of next season’s cast. “I know I’m coming back in some capacity, I just don’t know how I’m coming back,” she said. “It’s scary as an actor to be in that position. Whatever they do, I think it’s the Golden Hour for Tara. But I don’t know how they’re going to revive me or if I’m dead.” So, there you have it — she may be a ghost or a vampire (a prospect Wesley doesn’t seem fond of) or simply a human revived with vampire blood, but there’s no getting rid of Tara.