Aaaand it's official: The next season of "True Blood" just upped its ogle-able hottie quotient by a factor of a bajillion, thanks to the now-confirmed addition of Christopher Meloni in a major recurring role. (This radical increase in sexiness is known in scientific communities as "the Stabler effect".)
After a few tasty rumors last month that the actor was circling the show, The Hollywood Reporter has the news that the former star of "Law & Order: SVU" will be donning some fangs for season five.
It's still not totally clear just where Christopher will fit in to the vampire hierarchy, but popular speculation is that he'll be a part of the Authority, which lines up with the description of his character as "an ancient, powerful vampire who holds the fate of Bill and Eric in his hands."
Which is great! But we're kinda hoping that won't be the only thing he holds in his hands this season, if you know what I'm saying. After all, any male hottie who joins the "True Blood" cast is morally—if not contractually—obligated to entertain fans with some on-screen naked steaminess. Yes, he is. Look, we NEED this, okay?
How psyched are you to see Christopher sink his teeth into someone next season? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!
** Hollywood Crush Twitter