“Prison Break” star Marshall Allman has joined the cast of “true Blood” as a series regular as Sam Merlotte’s long-lost younger brother.

Allman comes as the second new cast member to the hit HBO show. Denis O’Hare (Brothers & Sisters) as the Russell Eddington, the Vampire King of Mississippi.

Shannon Lucio will have a guest-starring role on the vampire series as Caroline Compton, the wife of Bill Compton during the Civil War.

Production for the third season of “True Blood” begins this week in Los Angeles.

Marshall Allman entrou para o elenco fixo da próxima temporada do drama ‘True Blood’, exibido pela HBO.

Allman interpretará Tommy Mickens, irmão mais novo de Sam Merlotte. O ator é conhecido por interpretar LJ Burrows nas quatro temporadas de ‘Prison Break’, da Fox.

In deference to Don Draper, I thought I’d push the envelope with this week’s post. How close can I cut it, and still get it up before the new episode airs?

“The Color Blue” saw Don playing with fire—cavorting with Suzanne Farrell, only to discover that unlike every other mistress he’s had, she doesn’t like being shoved in the closet when it’s convenient. She’s naïve. She wants him to meet her brother, to spend the night, to chitchat on the train during his morning commute. She wants real intimacy, and she doesn’t appear to care what it costs either of them. For a teacher in a conservative community, she’s shockingly heedless of the danger her behavior poses to her own position, let alone Don’s. 

Then there’s Don’s equally rash decision to let Suzanne’s epileptic brother Danny (Marshall Allman) out on the highway rather than delivering him safely to the janitorial job in Massachussetts. Granted, Danny’s desperation reminds Don of his own, and he’s in no position to deny a kindred spirit the right to flee. And when he offers Danny a wad of cash and his card (“I swore to myself I would try to do this right once”), Don clearly is trying to make up for letting down his brother in season one. But does he really think Suzanne won’t press him when the institution calls up the next day, wondering why Danny never reported to the job? At least the internal stakes have been raised in their relationship—there should be a terrific explosion when Suzanne discovers Don’s betrayal, particularly if something happens to Danny as a result.

And speaking of explosions, or lack thereof—for an episode that finally answered a question that has sustained us through nearly three seasons (given that Don now bares his soul to anybody who comes along, will Betty ever join the club?), this episode felt surprisingly anti-climactic. Considering how Betty went ballistic last season at the revelation of Don’s infidelity, she responded to this blow with surprising stoicism.

Like Helen Bishop casually pawing through her son Glen’s treasure box in season one, Betty flips past the pictures labeled “Dick” and the duplicate dogtags, zeroing in on the house deed and decree of divorce—the latter, we know from last season, postdating her first meeting with Don. But it’s not clear Betty understands that her problems are much bigger than a secret first wife. And maybe it’s that long-suffering, been-there-done-that attitude that causes Betty to back down on the phone with Don after a brief rally refusing to attend the 40^th anniversary dinner. “What’s wrong?” I don’t think even she knows.

More interesting was Peggy’s behavior on the Western Union account, a “true blue” display of integrity if I ever saw one. Offered multiple opportunities to taunt Paul after his work falls short, she’s a picture of compassion and graciousness—and comes up with a killer campaign to boot. Paul is probably right that Peggy is Don’s favorite: she’s his mini-me, starting to get her own “my God” reactions every time she opens her mouth.

No such luck for Lane Pryce, who can’t seem to get either a “Churchill rousing or Hitler rousing” endorsement from his toad of an assistant. They’re setting Lane up for a very nice crisis of character, where he’ll have the opportunity to stand up to the British overloads trying to palm off Sterling Cooper to the highest bidder and his miserable wife. It’s no wonder a man as passive and put-upon as Lane relishes the opportunity to make a new start in America. But do Bert and Roger have enough capital left to buy back SC from the Brits and regain a shred of self-respect? Or will Duck Phillips finagle another acquisition for his new company?

And finally, a bit of Mad Men gossip. The Deadline Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke has reported that Kater Gordon, a 27 year-old former personal assistant to Matthew Weiner who was promoted last year to writer’s assistant and then staff writer, was recently fired  because Matthew Weiner had decided “their relationship has reached its full potential.” Incidentally, she penned both this episode and “The Fog,” and won an Emmy in September for co-writing with Weiner the season 2 finale, “Meditations in an Emergency.” Accusations of Letterman-esque improprietary are vigorously denied, as they should be. But I find it a little terrifying that Weiner promotes and disposes of his staff so quickly—a little like our British friends, no?

This weekend NWFF was thrilled to welcome “Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle” stars Natasha Lyonne and Marshall Allman to Seattle, to present the film Sunday night to a sold out crowd at the Egyptian.

A lucky few of Seattle’s press were able to sit down with the vivacious pair before the Sunday show. Read the results:

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/05/25/beauty-in-the-break-down-the-dark-blossoming-of-natasha-lyonne

http://seattle.metblogs.com/2009/05/25/siff-spotlight-little-dizzle/

http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/features/2009may/imaginaryinterviewnatashalyonne

Tania Raymonde, Vince Vielof, and Marshall Allman interview from SxSW.

Check it out!

Starcrossed, 2005, USA

Kortfilm om två biologiska helbröder som är kära i varandra. Ett mycket vackrare porträtt av incest än den crappy långfilmen Harry+Max. Den yngre brorsan spelas av Marshall Allman – Lincoln Burrows dumdristige son LJ i “Prison Break”. Hihi. /imdb/

/Johnny