That noise you hear is the sound of Twitter exploding into a million little pieces over the following news: After weeks of negotiations, Chris Meloni is officially joining True Blood as a series regular in Season 5.

According to executive producer Alan Ball, the former Law & Order: SVU front man will play, “An ancient, powerful vampire who holds the fate of Bill and Eric in his hands.”

Major True Blood Spoiler Alert: Meet Eric’s Vampire “Sister”

The gig brings Meloni back into the HBO fold for the first time since his days on Oz. It also mark a high-profile return to the small screen for the upcoming Man of Steel actor following his sudden departure from SVU last spring.

Urgent Notice: I’ll be revealing more details about Meloni’s vamp alter ego in the next 24 hours on Twitter, so best start following me at @MichaelAusiello now!