They will answer some questions, however the HBO writers seem to be taking LOTS of liberties with the storyline.
The books are awesome and you can read them as fast as you want instead of waiting for weeks to find out what happens next.

And as far as the pigs + Maryann Foster, she is a Maenad who are often placed with boars in greek mythology. Maenads require all other mythical beings that are around alcohol to pay them a tide, if not they go on a rampage. They also feed off lust and destructive behaviour, which explains the scene in Sam’s bar when Maryann makes all the people dance. It also explains her crazy/nude pool party and the scene where she shows Tara and her boyfriend/exboyfriend (I can’t recall his name) the statue named “Pan and the Maenad”

She is most likley the Maenad, and took the form of that creature to attack Sookie because Sookie has an ability and has not payed her tribute. Maenads are women followers of the greek god, Dionysus.

My theory is that Maryann is in fact the greek mythical witch known as Circe, whom turned her enemies into animals with potions she cooked up. She turned Odysseus and his men into pigs and lured her victims with great feasts. Her immortality is explained by the fact she is the daughter of the Titan god Helios and and the Oceanid Titan Perse.

An interesting point is that Circe’s sister is Pasiphae, mother of the Minotaur.