Lindsey Pusilsher : NYPost

Out of all the question marks looming over the third season of "True Blood" -- What are The Mickens after? Will Sookie shack up with Alcide? Is this seriously Tara's storyline? -- none is bigger than the mystery surrounding Jason's new love interest, Crystal Norris.

Introduced in an almost apparition-like way a few weeks back, we've come to learn very little about the blonde besides her penchant for swamp smooching and inability to enter Merlotte's. Fans of the books know that Crystal evolves into one of the most essential "TB" characters (no spoilers on that here people!) so how did Lindsay Pulsipher's shoulders handle all that weight? By remaining blissfully unaware.

Despite being a massive fan of the show Lindsay had never read the books before being cast as Jason's lover, so she was able to fully craft her version of Crystal before digging in to Charlaine Harris' tomes. And after chatting with the adorable actress, I can confirm that blissful ignorance is the only trait Lindsay shares with Crystal.

PopWrap: Fans of the books know that Crystal is a major player in the world of "True Blood" -- how much did you know coming in? 
Lindsay Pulsipher: I had not read the books but I was definitely a fan of the show. I had friends that were into the books and when they found out I was playing Crystal, they were all so excited. And since I have started reading the books, so I’m a fan of both now.

 

PW: Did you read the books before filming started? 
Lindsay: It was actually a conscious decision to wait and read the books until after we had developed Crystal’s character on the show, because they are two separate entities. The show is based on the books, obviously, but I wanted to see the character through Alan Ball & the writer’s eyes. So I held off and worked on my version of Crystal first. But now that I have a handle on her, I’m diving into the books.

 

PW: Do you feel like that was the right decision? 
Lindsay: Absolutely. I feel like I was able to give her a few more layers than I might have if I was thinking about Charlaine’s Crystal.

 

PW: When I spoke with Ryan Kwanten he said that one of the qualities you bring to the table is an ability to make this red neck seem intelligent -- was that the most important thing to you? 
Lindsay: Completely. Although she is a redneck from the sticks, she’s a real person. The life that she was raised with is kind of devastating. I think it can only breed life experience. She’s got a lot of knowledge that other people don’t. And I really wanted to make sure I brought a sense of empathy to her so the audience doesn’t just see Crystal as this crazy redneck bitch from the sticks. I hope that fans really like her.

PW: Obviously her home life is less than desirable. 

Lindsay: It’s definitely not pretty. It’s kind of a compound, it’s very secluded. They don’t have a lot of interaction with the outside world. They’ve kind of built this family and they find strength through each other. There’s a wall built and there’s not a whole lot of life outside of that. When she does finally venture out and come across Jason, again she really is kind of at a fork in the road as to what she can do. She’s torn. For her, it’s a struggle of escaping that. And seeing if she can escape that.

 

PW: Did you know fans would take to last week's cop car scene like they did? 
Lindsay: I loved that scene. It was such a funny, classic Jason Stackhouse meeting [laughs]. I was happy that the fans really loved it. It’s great, really funny.

 

PW: Last night we started to learn why Crystal was so hesitant to be with Jason, will we see more of that? 
Lindsay: Yea, I think it all comes back to how she’s been raised. She’s got some things she’s got to deal with back home before she can give herself to Jason fully. It’s definitely going to be hard for her to see if she can keep seeing Jason.

 

PW: Like we said earlier, Crystal plays a huge role in the books -- suffice it to say we've just begun to meet her? 
Lindsay: Yea, absolutely. She has some secrets and brings some surprises for sure. We are just getting to the tip of the iceberg with Crystal in season three. She brings a lot of color.

 

PW: Any nerves when you found out that you'd be dating Jason Stackhouse since the women he sleeps with don't have a very long shelflife on the show? 
Lindsay: I know, I was a little nervous when I got the job and found out who I was going to be playing. It was like, "oh no, that means I’m going to die in three episodes [laughs]." But Crystal is in 9 episodes this season.

 

PW: Coming in as a fan, how excited will we be by the twists season three takes? 
Lindsay: Oh my gosh, as a fan, I totally geek out thinking about how exciting this season is. It’s so fun and so exciting – I describe it like a Thanksgiving dinner. It’s so full, it’s so rich, there’s so much going on that I think fans are going to be so pleased with this season.