We all know that vampires, and the people who love them, continue to be one of the hottest trends in entertainment. The undead have left their (fang) marks on TV, books and movies, proving that blood sells. Especially when it's mixed in with a whole lot of sex. The second season of True Blood, the TV series based on Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels, is no exception. Read: True Blood's Vampire Romance

Created by Alan Ball, and airing on HBO, True Blood is violent, sexual and mysterious, especially with the eerie backdrop of the always-hazy Louisiana bayou. But the essence of the murderous series is a show about love and desire between those—human and otherwise—who are different. The characters all struggle with inner turmoil in their approach to relationships.

True Blood presents obvious metaphors for gays, minorities and anyone who has been hated for being different. The storyline present countless examples of people struggling with love and highlights the baggage that can abound when two people start a new relationship. For most, taking the intimate steps of revealing oneself and being vulnerable can be hard and often frightening. Read: Fear of Intimacy How to Overcome It

Here is a breakdown of how three of the couples on True Blood illustrate common relationship fears and struggles. 

Sookie and Bill: Sookie and Bill (played by Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer) may be in love, and have an irrestible attraction to each other, but Sookie knows that within her vampire exists a darkness that she can't control. She wants him to tell her everything and fully open up, but what's inside can be frightening. Bill is always trying to bury these violent urges in his quest to have a mainstream relationship with her, but his difficulty surfaces when faced with threatening situations.

How we can relate: Good partners are those who help us to tame our urges and tempers without asking us to change our true selves.

Tara and Eggs: Both Tara and Eggs have questionable pasts that brought each of them to apparent savior Maryann's home. Tara must accept the jail record that accompanies Eggs' soft-voiced singing and guitar playing. Both are looking for someone to believe in them and thereby help give them the confidence to reach higher goals in life and in love.