This season is clearly all about the theater and if you have read Anne Rice’s book, you should have an idea as to what is coming next. Even the announcement of actress Delainey Hayles taking over the role of Claudia from Bailey Bass is set in theater style. Think of it as when you attend the theater and an announcement is made that the understudy will be taking the stage for the performance.
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"What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned” – INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, Pictured: Jacob Anderson as Louis De Point Du Luc and Delainey Hayles as Claudia. Photo: Larry Horricks/AMC ©2024 All Rights Reserved |
As Louis and Claudia wander Europe during wartime, every disappointment isolates the two more and more. It does not help that Louis is seeing visions of Lestat. We know that Lestat is not dead, perhaps this is some power of his and he could really be playing mind games with Louis; only time will tell as the season progresses. Louis and Claudia are living very different lives than in New Orleans. They are beaten down, tired and worn out and vulnerable and the blood of the people they are drinking from during World War 2 is affecting them.
The pair meet some humans, a British man and his Romanian girlfriend who take them in at a refugee camp. Claudia notices that the people are wearing garlic around their necks and carrying crosses. When she heads out into the woods, she finds a “zombie” vampire and it attacks her. Later when she and Louis go to investigate they are attacked by its maker, a vampire woman who does not look much better. After Claudia wounds him, the woman kills him because he can no longer hunt. They follow her back to her home and she explains that she is the last one. Louis tells her the blood is making her this way because of the human war. Claudia wants her to return with them back to America for a better life but she is too far gone and throws herself on the fire, ending Claudia’s dream.
It is interesting that our pair have not been humans for quite some time but all they want is to be a part of a community - a very human trait. The jump back and forth between the timelines is one of the best parts of the show. As we return to present day and to our snarky journalist Daniel - he is truly annoyed that Armand tricked him. Something he will not let everyone in the room forget as he mostly addresses the “real Rashid” as only he can in his dry humor.
In the present it is made clear that Armand does not want Louis to continue the interview. Armand tries to convince Louis to take back control of the interview and Louis wants Armand to let him see the missing pages from Claudia’s diary. He is having trouble remembering things correctly. He advises he won’t share the pages with Daniel but he wants to read them. Armand wants to protect himself as he is mentioned on the pages but agrees. Their relationship comes off as cold and unloving to me but maybe I am comparing it too much to his relationship with Lestat - it's hard not to. They agree to get through the interview together as they have been for the past seventy years.
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| "What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned” – INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, Pictured: Jacob Anderson as Louis De Point Du Luc and Assad Zaman as Armand. Photo: Larry Horricks/AMC ©2024 All Rights Reserved |
The next morning Armand goes on the record with Daniel. As Louis continues the story, he and Claudia are riding in a truck to the next city and he wants to say something to her. Claudia is broken over what happened in Romania and Louis lets her know that their life is bad but she needs to stop feeling sorry for herself. It is just him and her and if she was the last vampire left that would be enough; as long as Claudia walks the Earth, he will never taste the fire. She finally softens to him but he has a vision of Lestat.
Final thoughts: The episode was really well done and seeing Louis in the present so calm and subdued but unsure of himself is different to past Louis but somehow still the same but I think I like the past Louis better. Present Louis seems to be under some type of calming drug in the form of Armand and I am just not sure if it is a good thing or not. I have to point out the scene where Louis and Claudia decide not to help their human friend about to be killed after being bit by a vampire, broke my heart. They have decided those are human problems while trying in a way to hold on to their humanity. The relationship between Louis and Claudia will no doubt be the main focus this season as we are only likely to see Lestat in flashbacks and in visions.
What did you think of the episode? Leave a comment and remember to connect with me on X @jereereviews.
