The Vampire Lestat: Montreal

“Because, Louis, I'm a monster.”

As the penultimate episode of the season, we get a mostly quiet and emotional hour between Louis and Lestat, unfortunately capped with an utterly jaw dropping cliffhanger.

Let's start with the end. That jarring beheading of our two primary characters was one hell of a shock. However, after a few seconds of thought it doesn’t really hold up for a number of reasons. Of all the characters that could die in the penultimate episode of this season, Lestat and Louis are at the bottom of the list. Simply put, there is no show without Lestat and Louis and their deaths in such a randomly cruel and abrupt way feels utterly unsatisfying. Plus it would be a massive deviation from the book series.

Moving on to the rest of the episode, which was for the most part absolutely delightful, we spent a solid hour with Lestat and Louis just together. Talking and fighting and supporting one another in small but important ways. The chemistry is unmistakable, and for the first time their relationship doesn’t feel wrong or toxic or broken. They were warm together, cute even and it also felt like a massive breath being held until the next shoe dropped. Which of course was the beheadings.

There were some moments of conflict. The big one I’ll get to in a moment, but first let's start with Gabriella. I want to start off with the fact that Jennifer Ehle has been marvelous this season, her performance has felt layered and a bit antagonistic. The character is like a bipolar spectre haunting Lestat from every direction. His past is filled with her, his present is dominated by her and her absences, and his future seems to be controlled by her. Mother, lover, fledgling indeed.

In a very real way the narrative frames Gabriella as more than just a foundational element of Lestat’s life, but perhaps his central antagonist. Someone he orbits around and loves almost obsessively, but is also a terrible and corrupting influence for him. This is put in stark contrast with Louis in this episode, who has calmed and learned who he is and how to finally interact with Lestat in an adult and healthy way.

Well, at least Louis is trying and the best example of this is his discovery of Sofia’s true identity as Gabriella Vecce, Lestat’s mother. He doesn’t take it well at first, but Lestat counters him with the hard fact that they are not human and she is no longer his mother. In a way the biological relationship between Lestat and Gabriella ended when they became vampires. Of course that’s semantics, and Lestat does lie with his birth mother. It’s icky, and difficult to accept, but thankfully Louis works through it.

I absolutely loved Louis turning on a dime when Lestat starts to struggle, almost gasping for air. Lestat manages to make his point against Louis, but it is just too much and he starts to retch from the overwhelming emotions. Lestat is crumbling, his psyche pushed to the point where he is just acting on impulse and reacting as things happen. It is a fragile state, and yet he has been supporting Louis through a rough spot as well, as Louis deals with the Regina and Bruce fall out.

So they hire Merrick to summon Claudia’s ghost, which is such a mistake. The entire scene draws from the seventh novel of The Vampire Chronicles which is titled Merrick about a Mayfair witch who summons Claudia for Louis. It goes just about as well here as it does in that book, with Claudia finally expressing the rage and hate she feels, specifically for Louis. Here she stomps and hurls insults and lashes out in such violently hurtful ways, calling Louis nothing and nobody, as though the fifty years she spent as his daughter meant nothing to her. Which is possible; she was very internalized and never had much autonomy.

Claudia was eternally a victim. Her one real choice in her bleak life was to fall in love and turn Madeleine into a vampire. Unfortunately it appears that Madeleine has vanished after death. Claudia is now seemingly cursed to walk the afterlife in search of her love and it feels as heartwrenching and cruel as their trial and execution. The entire sequence was painful, and anchored by the incredible performance by Delainey Hayles.

Which brings me to the antagonists of the episode: Daniel, who apparently has the sungift now, and is apparently completely under Armand’s control; Alex, who I believe blames Lestat and Louis for his brother Larry’s death (my guess at least); and of course, Armand. The gremlin appears to have taken Lestat’s song poorly and is doing something drastic. My question is whether Armand actually intends to kill Louis and Lestat. Because we know neither of them are dead in the future. Decapitation does feel pretty damn final, but the show made a point earlier in the season to let us know that powerful vampires continue on for a while after beheading.

Bits:

Claudia confirmed the conflict with the train story came from her own manipulation of Louis.

Where is Madeleine? Because hearing the fact she isn’t out there with Claudia gives hope to the idea she fully moved on. It’s horrible to think of Claudia lingering without her, but while they died together, they were in very different places emotionally.

Christine has been mentioned in the last couple of episodes but we haven’t seen her since the shooting.

TC’s drumming is notably different, faster and more complex. It’s a subtle change that really sells the idea that vampires play and hear music differently.

Quotes:

Louis: “I had nights I wanted to join you.”
Claudia: “I know. I know. I know. I know. Running up on rooftops, ripping your shirt off like you a dirty movie. I heard you calling me. I didn't call you, you dumb bitch. I'd have tripped Armand on the stairs if I wanted you with me. Here's some truth for you, sad boy. You weren't even my favorite. I liked him better. He knew who he was. You're not even my maker. You're not even my blood. That's my maker.” (pointing at Lestat)

Lestat: “Clearly, somewhere in the self-destructive scaffolding I house my heart in, I wanted it known. But where I am a mystery to myself is why I wanted it now, the night before I go on stage, the hour before the witch arrives. Why do I actively, maniacally pursue failure?”

Claudia: (to Louis) “I hate you! More than anything and anyone I have ever known, more than my dad that left me, more than my auntie that whipped me, more than Bruce that stuck it in me, more than the pack of vamps that seduced and burned me! I hate you to the pit of all things”

Louis: “Did you think you were gonna get away with it, the Sofia Gabriella thing?”
Lestat: “That. I don't know. I brought her on the bus. I brought her to you, or you to her. I hung her portrait in our room in New Orleans. Excellent point in the heat of the fracas, by the way.”
Louis: “Thank you.”

Claudia: “What about Madeleine? You two hug it out for her too? Hmm? You two bringing her back in the cornstarch? 'Cause I don't see her here. And I can't find her there! The one good thing in my bleak... Black life, and I don't know where she is! And I spend every fսcking second of nowhere looking for her! And where is she? Why is she not here with me? Madeleine! Madeleine!”

This was another very strong episode, featuring incredible acting all around.

4 out of 4 Moments of truth both pleasant and horrifying

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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