SPOILERS: Russell Edgington and True Blood Season 4

We’ve been speculating that a certain cement-encased vampire King would be appearing in the True Blood season 4 finale, and now The Hollywood Reporter gives us the definitive answer on the subject:

An HBO spokesperson tells The Hollywood Reporterthat Denis O’Hare doesn’t appear this season.

As recently as earlier this month, O’Hare told THR that fans should “never give up” on Russell’s return. He also reiterated what series creator Alan Ball had told fans, “Russell’s not dead.”

When HBO released the episode descriptions for this season’s finale episode, it stated “the denizens of Bon Temps brace for a new crisis with a familiar face” and we thought for sure it was referring to Russell.

Maybe he’ll return in season 5? And if he’s not the “familiar face”, then who is?