Interview with the Vampire’s second episode, “Do You Know What It Means to Be Loved by Death,” opens to the beautiful, sprawling nightlife of Paris. Louis and Claudia have moved on from the depressing realities of war in Russia to the hazy, fantastical ideals of France. The people are poor but hopeful, which means that while their pockets are slim, the post-war poverty is not forever.
Before we sink our teeth into the episode, be sure to check out the first episode’s review here. If you have not yet watched the new episode airing on AMC every Sunday at 9 PM EST or on AMC+, where the new episodes release at midnight every Sunday, do that first.
Spoiler Warning: We will discuss episode 2 openly. You have been warned!
Synopsis: Paris Sucks
Claudia and Louis have been scraping by in Paris for a few months, surviving by picking pockets. Louis hunts birds and the occasional human, while Claudia freely pursues humans. Louis has also taken up photography to pass the time and distract himself, which Claudia sees as his way of empathizing with humans. In contrast, Claudia has no hobbies and feels trapped in her body, unable to live as an adult vampire.
Her melancholic existence is one she feels she must endure alone. Daniel Molloy reads an excerpt from her diary, revealing that she believes she is a burden to Louis. To her, as well as to Daniel, Paris is a dreary place.
After months of Parisian vampires monitoring him, Louis meets Armand in a park where men often seek other men. Armand doesn’t seek love at first but invites Louis and Claudia to witness the Théâtre des Vampires—a morbid show with projected images. Santiago, the ring leader, delivers a chilling performance with intense monologues and comical violence, culminating in a real-life feast on stage. The audience watches in horror as a terrified woman becomes the meal.
After the show, Louis and Claudia meet Armand backstage, where they see Lestat’s painted portrait, reminding them that they cannot escape their past. Lestat was a past member of the Vampiric theater ensemble. Which further complicates the situation Claudia and Louis are in. Daniel, in the present day, plays The Young and the Restless theme, highlighting the drama of the reveal by saying, “I did not see that coming. I should have seen that coming.” It is also revealed that Armand and Lestat were briefly involved. Another juicy bit of drama that makes Daniel’s ire much sweeter.
Fearful of Lestat’s presence, Claudia lies about their maker, naming Bruce from season one. Louis supports the story by claiming it happened in Chicago, hoping to avoid the troupe’s wrath. Despite Louis’s warnings, Claudia is captivated by the vampires and refuses to stay away. This prompts Louis to investigate further. He visits a lawyer who often dealt with Lestat and learns that the lawyer has a locked box for him. Inside, Louis finds a note from Lestat. Lestat writes to Louis as if assuming he would in fact one day die at the hands of an enemy. He asks Louis not to seek revenge on the one who killed him, but instead to let the guilt of their actions rot away at their insides. Lestat goes on to remind Louis that he is Lestat’s greatest love. And that the veil he now rests behind is very, very thin.
As Louis recounts the moment to Armand and Daniel, the journalist jokes, “Love of my life or rebound of my life with you two?” The joke falls flat as Louis shows a cutting side, and we glimpse Armand possibly altering young Daniel’s memories.
Knowing he cannot keep Claudia away from the vampires, Louis allows them to join the coven. They partake in a nightly motorcycle ride and hunt, descending on a mansion mid-party for dinner. Louis and Armand have a moment alone, discussing the complexities of their situation. Armand warns Louis that lying to the coven could lead to punishment.
The episode ends with Claudia, joyous and covered in blood, running with her new vampire friends. As they ride away on their bikes laughing in the dark, Louis watches, the idea of Lestat’s truth emerging haunts him, while humans scream and the mansion burns in the background.
Analysis: Louis bears his fangs, Daniel retracts his
The shift from episode one’s cold, dreary Russian reality into the warm, lively tempo of France is such a wonderful change of pace. Golden lights and campy touches of a coffin under a foldaway bed and a real-life horror show in stage makeup bring back the sparkle of Interview.
As we get to know Delainey Hayles’ Claudia, she charms me. The open glee in her face as blood is spilled in the name of fun or the sharp-eyed ire directed at Louis for talking too long brings back Claudia’s girlish nature. As she traded barbs with Louis and preened under the attention of other vampires, it was easy to see why they cast her as a replacement for Claudia. I am excited and nervous to see more of her as this season progresses.
When watching this episode with a friend who knows a lot about the series by Anne Rice, they talked about the portrayal of Santiago. The interesting take on the character plays into the true nature of the vampire right away, whereas the books played up how ridiculous and clown-like Santiago was before revealing his cruel nature. With only so many episodes to cover a crucial part of the story, it gives room to ponder how the showrunners will expand upon the Théâtre des Vampires.
The chilling, loving speech Lestat’s “ghost” gave to Louis in the lawyer’s office was compelling. Sam Reid sinks into the role of Lestat effortlessly. In one breath, I can feel his love for Louis spilling through the scene. In another, there is the chilling reminder of guilt that Louis put his beloved Lestat in a grave. The tension between them is palpable, and Jacob Anderson portrays the guilt-ridden Louis beautifully.
While the Louis and Lestat shippers can sip on such a decadent scene, I found the payoff of Daniel’s psychological attack sandwiched between to really satiate my desire to understand the story.
When Daniel Malloy throws a barbed joke at Louis and Armand for being their greatest rebounds rather than loves of their lives, we see the ugly truth. Louis and Armand are here to tell their story. They are not here to play into the human whims and snide eye-rolling of a sick, divorced, bitter journalist. The blood-sucking duo, when united in spite, is a terrifying threat to behold.
As Louis’ expression shifted from grief to malice, I found myself for the first time in the series feeling some trepidation. Since I began watching Interview with the Vampire, I always saw Louis as a more sympathetic, caring character. A lying, thieving, troubled pimp turned creature of the night, sure, but sympathetic. When he unleashed the pain of truth on Daniel’s life by calling out the failed, painful relationship of the ex-wife who never trusted Daniel, I remembered that Louis does in fact have fangs.
Right beside Louis is Armand, a mysterious figure who Daniel singles out whenever he can after having been bamboozled by the vampire for so long. The brief flash of Armand whispering to Daniel in another life and light alludes to a disturbing truth rumbling beneath the surface.
As the tale of vampires in the night and the pain of present day marches on, I await with anxious breath to uncover the rest of this twisted story.
Final Score: ( 5 out of 5 Stars )
Reimagining Interview with the Vampire was reimagined with a Black lead set in 1920s New Orleans opened a venue into the discussions of race, gender, sexuality, and the supernatural. The tales of Vampires stretches back for centuries. And many of these stories draws on our deepest fears, repressed desires, and commentaries on the world around us.
Setting this season in 1940s France, against the backdrop of racial unrest in America, adds rich layers to Claudia and Louis’ journey. In Paris, they experience a freedom unknown in the U.S.—able to walk freely at night without fear of being singled out for their race, as Louis explains to Claudia over the newspaper. Yet, their new community of vampires thrives on a stage where the line between fake and real blood blurs, and humans watch, uncertain if the horror they see is real.
The writers artfully tackle these topics. In season one, Lestat admonishes the racism of the American cities he frequents. He gives Louis the dark gift under the guise of love and freedom. And yet, he allows Louis to fall into the role of the Black servant or companion, in his shadow. A role in which Louis may call Lestat master when it comes to them being vampire and spawn.
And while their love is paraded in a society that would call Louis’ preferences perversion, there is no love that can trump abuse. Louis and Claudia flee Lestat because in the end, they have been regulated to Lestat’s trophy pieces.
France offers a deceptive freedom, and Louis, seasoned by life’s harsh lessons, knows not every open door is safe. He yearns for Claudia’s happiness and overlooks signs of impending trouble, much like his relationship with Lestat. And even as the house burns down at the end of episode two, much like their house burned down in season 1 after Claudia killed Lestat, Louis seems to accept that they are headed down the same path.
I await the episode 3 to find out if surviving Lestat has made Louis wiser, or if he will simply continue the cycle.
Featured Image: AMC+
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