Interview with the Vampire: And That’s the End of It. There’s Nothing Else

“I was dead. But my rage... My rage had risen. Followed closely behind by my madness.”

As season two wraps up there are some massive reveals, satisfying revenge, and much needed catharsis.

I’m almost at a loss for words. The ending was perfect, and that is such a hard thing to pull off. Not only did we get the final truth about Armand, but also a twist regarding Lestat that burns a good chunk of the story to the ground. But first let's get our bloody satisfaction.

The first twenty minutes of this episode were a trip, from the gut wrenching first moments of Louis clawing his way out of that stone grave, through his madness and rage, to the ending of the Theatre des Vampires. Much like the book and film, he dispatches a majority of the coven with fire while they were sleeping, explaining the rationale behind it with narration. Then Celeste and Estelle met their end together as a giant merged fireball as their motorcycles exploded.

But of course it was Santiago we wanted to see dead, and it really was delicious. Louis’ taunts, and the truth about Santiago... sorry, Francis’ history. How he was never really an accomplished actor, and his maker was ashamed of him. Louis kept it up until Santiago was so blind with rage that he never saw the attack coming, losing his head in an instant. As quick and brutal a death as it was, it felt a bit too quick since he had caused such pain to Claudia and Madeleine. Yet it felt right at the same time. A satisfying end to a character who I should’ve hated, but my god, Ben Daniels practically stole the show. If he had been paired with a different cast, I’m sure he would’ve stolen every scene.

But then it was over. The entire story of Louis de Pointe du Lac is over with little fanfare, just some minor reminiscences between Louis and Armand and a couple of smiles over a story well told. Well, except for one final moment of Lestat bashing, as Louis and Armand track him down and basically threaten him. Louis chose Armand over Lestat, because the scales were weighed in favor of Armand in his eyes, because Armand saved Louis at the trial.

Except of course there had to be another shoe, or as Armand put it, a bomb, as Daniel effectively nukes Louis and Armand’s relationship as the big lie is finally revealed. Armand didn’t save Louis. He wasn’t a witness to the trial, he directed it. His deal never included anyone but himself. He lied, manipulated and positioned Louis, Claudia and Madeleine to be captured, tortured and killed. Armand was the ultimate villain of the story. And Lestat was the unsung hero.

That sound heard was my jaw hitting the floor. Well, not really, because as someone familiar with the books I knew Lestat has a lot more to him. But I had no idea how they were going to fix Lestat, after that first season assassinated him so thoroughly that it felt like there was no coming back from it. Except, Louis is an unreliable narrator, and the big events were tainted by Louis’ point of view which was remembered through misery, resentment and anger.

Lestat did come to Paris and he did voluntarily partake in the trial. He might have even wanted revenge on Claudia (hold that thought a sec, and we’ll get back to it). But ultimately he went there to save Louis. That’s it, his entire purpose was to make sure the man he loved didn’t die in this mockery of a trial. Then he didn’t take credit for it, and assumed Louis knew it was him. So Louis’ injury to Lestat cut deeply, along with the fact that Claudia, in her final moment, turned to Lestat as a child looking at her father for salvation. A moment that haunted him for seventy years.

It’s no wonder that Louis lost his shit, and then handily defeated Armand who I had thought had a physical stranglehold over Louis. Then Louis broke off their decades long relationship in a single moment, without a hint of hesitation. Unfortunately, his threat to Armand to not hurt Daniel clearly fell on deaf ears, because of course Armand turned Daniel into a vampire out of spite. At least Daniel is alive and active, and has published the interview thanks to the Talamasca.

I will admit that for a good chunk of the final half of the episode, when it was revealed that Lestat wasn’t the villain of the story, I started to get weepy. It devolved into full out sobbing when Louis apologized to Lestat about how he pushed and hated and was awful to Lestat throughout their years together. Then when they started to commiserate over the death of their daughter, and embraced each other as a hurricane made landfall, it felt like they were finally connecting and communicating. A century of resentment, miscommunication and jealousy pushed away so they could both start to heal. The storm is just one hell of a fitting metaphor for their relationship.

I am trying to think of something negative to say, and the only thing I can even mention is that this really isn’t an adaptation anymore. Sure, it features the characters, and the rough story beats. But at the same time, I’m not sure I care anymore. This has been a fantastic second season, following a stellar first season. Where things go from here is a bit strange, as the focus shifts to “adapting” the second book in The Vampire Chronicles: The Vampire Lestat. Which by the way is quite a bit longer than the first book. Will this be turned into three seasons?

Bits:

Lestat mentioned his conversation with Armand in '73, and the way Sam Reid delivered that line about Louis hurting himself was heartbreaking.

Hurricane Odette was in 2021, which officially dates this entire story as slightly in the past.

The entire opening revenge sequence felt like a fever dream out of a 1960s pulp revenge film, complete with slightly cheesy special effects for when Santiago lost his head.

Quotes:

Louis: “A quiet, easeful death. What else would it be? I had nowhere to go. No one to talk to. She was dead. I knew it. Claudia was dead.”

Louis: “My ankles... healed in the coffin, the flesh having... circled around the insulating rocks of my death bed.”
Daniel: “Are they still there, right now, in your feet?”
Louis: “If you took an X-ray they'd look like little cancers.”
Armand: “He could remove them anytime he wanted to.”
Daniel: “Or maybe he has and he's been lying to you all these years for effect.”

Louis: “We broke up.”
Santiago: “Oh, I rather doubt that.”
Louis: “Hard to hold hands after he killed my sister and fledgling but think what you want.”
Santiago: "Don't let him take credit for the workman role he played, Louis. It was me that planned their deaths. It was me that gave Claudia that hot exit from the garden!”

Louis: “I can see your maker's face now, the embarrassment washing over it as you ask... ‘Can I be c-called Santi-a-a-a-go?’ Your maker's voice as he walked away. ‘I don't care what you call yourself.’”

Daniel: “Where does the bullshit start, Armand, Amadeo, Arun? You were supposed to die with Claudia. He didn't save you, Lestat did! He just took credit for it when the opportunity presented itself. And you wasted everyone who could have told you differently. Seventy-seven years based on a seismic lie.”

Daniel: “He didn't witness the play. He directed the play!”
Simple line, but the delivery was simply outstanding.

Louis: (to Lestat) “I came to thank you. For the gift you offered me. The gift I denied. For the nights in front of me, where I might learn to live honestly. Thank you.”

Tragic, heartbreaking and ultimately cathartic. This could’ve been a series finale, but thankfully we are getting more. I cannot wait for next season to come!

4 out of 4 Lies and Revelations

Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.

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