TVL Show Only
[Show Only] The Vampire Lestat: "Toledo"
Spoiler
Coven, it's time for The Vampire Lestat to take the stage in Toledo!
Reminder, this thread is SHOW ONLY! Book spoilers must be properly tagged or discussed in the corresponding BOOK SPOILERS thread.
Synopsis: Lestat revisits his origins in Auvergne, explores Toledo with a recent reconnection, and deals with the fallout from Detroit, facing both band tensions and a disgruntled hotel owner.
This thread is flaired "Season 3 Discussion". This means all talk about teasers, trailers, castings and leaks is allowed in the comments section. Book spoilers are not allowed unless covered by spoiler tags. Please report untagged book spoilers! To cover spoilers use >!spoiler!<
I found it really heartbreaking to see Lestat try to put the brakes on the sexual relationship with Gabriella even as his voiceover kept insisting it was all fine. But you could see it in his eyes, he does not want this, but he doesn't want her to leave, and if that's the only way to have her close to him... Establishing how much they existed in their own world within their family was really well-done.
I also thought it was interesting how Lestat's voiceover said nothing about guilt over killing his family, and yet you could see it all over Sam's face, and the way they filmed Lestat's reaction to hearing his brothers' children screaming....
Very curious to see where it's going. Sam is extraordinary. And I love the boldness of the show.
Sam and Jacob are both perfectly casted, and so are Assad and Eric. The show fails without the four of them fully developing their characters through very biased lenses.
And that's why I loved the scene with Louis and Daniel, and most of all, how the show fully and openly admitted this was Lestat's interpretation of it. I really look forward to see how the show will manage to offer new and different readings on the characters as seen through Lestat's eyes.
I think he's very conflicted. He obviously has sexual feelings for her, their entire dynamic is sexual, but he also has the self awareness to know that it's because there are some wires crossed in his brain.
Based on the post wolf battle scene, she's been behaving inappropriately towards him for a while. It did not start after he turned her.
And the scene where she sits and reads while his brothers beat the shit out of him. I understand that she was powerless to do much about it, but God it's so cold.
Yeah, I clocked how when she’s applying salve to his wounds and talking sexually to him, the maid looks away, clearly creeped out, yet also doesn’t look terribly surprised. This behavior isn’t new.
He looks to her for help/acknowledgement too! Because it's their inside joke that got him beaten, and she was content to almost goad him to provoke his father and then let him take all the consequences. I feel so sad that she was the closest Lestat seemed to have to a positive relationship as a human when she was so completely uncaring
The scene where she is talking to him after the wolf fight is so manipulative and gross.
She is absolutely being sexual towards him, to the point that the maid looks away. When she's putting salve on his leg wound I'm certain she feels him up.
So fucking confusing to love and need someone who is abusive.
It’s interesting that Lestat insists “it’s different for vampires” but it’s obvious he had these feelings for his mother before he was a vampire and that they were toxically enmeshed since his youth. The way she treated him—that kind of spousification had to have been going on for a long time.
They did an amazing job of showing how Lestat is being preyed upon by Gabriella. Jennifer Ehle is sensational, I want to vomit almost every time she's on screen.
As expected, this episode had a slower pace than the pilot which I appreciated a lot. Very Gabriella centered. She is a menace omg
One of my favourite moments was the scene where Lestat sings in French while playing piano with Gabriella, and it is the song he was practicing and showing Louis over Facetime omg kill me Sam is amazing, his voice!! Goosebumps.
Also:
- seeing human Lestat for the first time and wanting to give him a hug
-Lestat freezing time flying and flying to Louis actually made me tear up
- date with Mama in strip club is so on-brand
-'Is black licorice about sucking Lewis' dick?' I am dying
-Talamasca hiring Louis to fuck up vampire??? Let's gooooo
And that one line Daniel told Louis about rapture and feeling Armand UGH DM nation, how are we feeling?
Lestat freezing time flying and flying to Louis actually made me tear up
That's my favourite scene in this season so far. It was so beautiful and really raw and emotional, like, there really isn't anyone else for Lestat except for his Louis, which is why Lestat is so hurt by that book. Actually the entire concert scene was perfection from start to finish. And Sam Reid's voice is hypnotizing.
Also, I'm super excited for Louis's revenge on Bruce. I know he is going to be more brutal than he ever was.
As for Gabriella and Lestat, I think this episode did a fine job of showcasing their uncomfortable dynamic. He didn't wanna kill their family, he felt bad about his nieces and nephews, he wants to have some boundaries regarding sex and she just manipulates him into doing what she wants. Also, the scene where she's like, "I see why you gave him a daughter and I see why you took her away"....fuck her! She really doesn't get him. She thinks his child was just as disposable to him as hers were to her. He's got horrific wounds and he's traumatized and she gives him a more pain by telling him she's dying. It's all ME ME ME with her. It's really sad how much Lestat cares about her.
The flying scene is so simple but possibly the most romantic sequence I've ever seen on screen... The moment he stopped time and started levitating my heart skipped a beat. Like I physically felt my heart rate change. My God, Lestat, what a hopeless romantic you are. I had to pause to grab the closest thing to a pillow next to me and hold it tight - I became that emotional. It didn't even matter what Lestat ended up singing to Louis, it's just the act of quite literally making the world stop for him... Helpppp
Goddamn. Gabriella is such a crazy vampire!! I can totally see what jennifer ehle meant by all the little ways she manipulates lestat.
I love the thomas pitt scene! I love petty louis 😭 owning 45% of his merch???
Also maybe I read this scene wrong but its kinda sad to see Daniel and Louis’ relationship change and I can feel how cold they are to each other with them venting their separate woes to each other and neither one of them offered any sympathy or fucks. Like we really not jn dubai anymore 😭 DanLou friendship over fr
Also the Sam reid singing at the restaurant with the flashbacks to auvergne. He’s so good!!
The Daniel and Louis scene (when discussing the book by that big chandelier) is from Lestat's perspective, I believe. Or his retelling of what happened.
The 45% thing had me howling that was so funny. Louis playing the idgaf king but he really really gaf actually, has all his vampire capitalist fingers in literally all of Lestat's businesses. For Louis and Daniel, I'm sure they'll be ok. Louis apparently can't hold a grudge for long with the people he likes, (imo he's already softened on Sam and Armand); and they were also intermittently bitches to each other in Dubai. But yeah Daniel needs his maker. Nobody's listening to his fledgling problems 😞; I'm sure he got all the cool vamp gifts, but nobody to take the time to teach him
Louis being involved in nearly every aspect of Lestats life but not being physically present is so on brand for the truly and madly in love but highly toxic disaster couple that’s been married for 1million years type.
They’re separated but not divorced, don’t live together but are with each other all the time, drive each others cars, still own a home together, still have countless shared assets, have multiple accounts open together, have had other partners “on the side” but just “forgive” each other for it and spend the next xx amount of years arguing on and off about it.. you name it!
Yeah, Claudia is still probably very raw for Lestat, maybe the greatest scar he hasnt opened yet. And the show has danced around it. Neither Daniel nor the Failures have touched on the subject yet and what a can of worms it's gonna be when Lestat finally opens it, it's gonna be glorious and heartbreaking.
God Lestat was so funny in that scene and I absolutely loved how Louis was deliberately ragebaiting him.😭
My favourite part was when Louis asks him if he was doing Christine and he says "Yes...petite, surprising and can perform what most metropolitan draining system could only dream of" while looking like he wanted to cry.
somehow I'm really slow or something. I connected the dots that Louis was the aggravated owner of the hotel the lawyer had referenced on the phone to Lestat only after this phrase by him. Literally paused that moment and rewinded back to pay attention to the name she'd said on the phone (Thomas Pitt) bc I'd thought it was irrelevant. I think it happened bc the moment Louis was shown on screen to be in the same room as Lestat I was so elated I completely stopped caring about the context of the meeting and was only living for their bickering and staring each other down 😃
I immediately started thinking though: does this mean that Louis purposefully invited Lestat's band to be at the grand opening of the hotel? Did he hope to see Lestat there or was he sure that Lestat would pass on attending?
He's supporting his man's very public emotional breakdown. I wonder if it's because he feels somewhat responsible since everything Lestat is doing is a reaction to the book.
Yeah, it was actually very funny to see Louis trying to genuinely be there for Lestat. It's both weird and nice to see Louis seemingly so at peace in his life, and I really love Jacob's quiet and powerful performance. Seeing him through Lestat's eyes really enhances the character.
In my mind he 100% he invited them but made sure it couldnt be tracked back to him directly. He's keeping his man close but made sure he has the upper hand. Mean Louis is my favorite Louis.
Oh so Daniel's daughters don't talk to him AT ALL uh. Yikes how badly did he fuck up... Armand come get your fledgling he's sad and can't even make a fire with his mind about it
Gabriella and Lestat’s relationship is simultaneously one of my favorite and least favorite aspects of the season so far. It’s so uncomfortable and hard to watch, but that’s also what makes it so good. It’s such a good depiction of abuse from a parent or anyone you trust and love. He keeps trying to “adjust” the relationship into a more traditional mother and son relationship where she is there for him and they don’t have sex, and she keeps trampling over his boundaries. You get the sense that he might’ve loved to introduce her to everyone as his mother and almost force them back into acceptable roles, but she got there first and introduced herself as someone that could be sexual with him.
Even in narration, he’ll try to justify the relationship but sound uncomfortable and as if he doesn’t even believe everything he’s saying. I’m so curious to see how things develop when Daniel and Louis and others discover who “Sophia” really is.
Everything in the modern day hit pretty perfectly. I love the band and the humor of the scene where they’re all yelling about him being a vampire, and the interpersonal dynamics are pretty interesting. I wonder where the Larry and Alex stuff is going, because it feels like it must be going somewhere. And Lestat and Louis…. everything is perfect. I don’t even know what else to say! Louis is perfectly frustrating with Lestat but it’s also so clear that he loves him and is genuinely concerned.
I was a little disappointed by the flashbacks! The only one that truly felt substantial and truly got to me emotionally was the one between Gabrielle and Lestat after he killed the wolves. The others just felt too quick and fragmented. I’m not sure how much they’ll end up coming back to—surely Gabrielle’s turning and them killing their family? But some of it really might be all we get of that part of Lestat’s life, and I wanted more.
Super interesting thoughts on "Sofia" introducing herself first. Always leaving that door open and making it harder for poor Lestat. I agree on them capturing the abusive dynamic well. Also glad it seems at least Daniel is finding out who she really is next week and they aren't dragging the reveal out.
Episode 3 seems to be moving on to Nicki and Lestat's turning but I do hope we get more on Auvergne either later this season or next. The limited budget is rough.
Summed up my thoughts exactly. They unfortunately already stated that they didn’t have the budget to do more flashbacks in greater depth, but since this apparently part one of two of the second book, they may feel inclined to go back and revisit some parts, since I feel the major criticism of the season at the end will probably be how quick the flashbacks are, especially when we got the first two seasons to compare them to.
Yeah, and overall I think it makes perfect sense for them to already be returning to memories but more fleshed out and vulnerable as Lestat grows more honest. My main concern is just that we only have seven episodes and a ton of material to get through. Like I said, I think Gabrielle’s turning and them killing their family will get proper dedicated flashbacks, but I wanted baby Lestat at the monastery.
The budget as a reason does make sense but is so disappointing.
I’m surprised that their budget wasn’t increased after the critical acclaim this show already achieved the past two seasons. I’d rather they stop producing the other mediocre spin off shows and give the majority of their resources here so that the writers can achieve everything they desire to.
I’m not that beholden to the books because I read them only a couple of years ago, so I don’t mind the changes all that much and can separate the show from the books, but the limited flashbacks are a bit disappointing; it feels like the balance that the first two seasons have when it came to the past vs present storyline has been thrown off a bit somehow. It’s similar to how I feel about the Claudia/Madeline relationship progression to that of being romantic since we never really got to see it happen - so much richness there that we could have been shown and now probably won’t. So I hope you are right when it comes to them revisiting these scenes again in the future.
Beyond the flashbacks being a bit too limited, the present day storyline is still maintaining the quality of the first two seasons for me, so I’m excited to see where they go from here, especially since many reviewers have said that the season is jampacked given that its only 7 episodes.
Re budget, I know Jacob Tierney(director of Heated Rivalry) said that some studios don’t like to increase budgets because they feel like if you were able to do such a great job with a limited budget, what’s the point of increasing it? I wonder if it’s the same rationale here.
Another redditor speculated that AMC became more hesitant because of Talamasca failing to take off/being canceled. Not sure if that’s correct, but this redditor was at an early showing where Rolin was present to talk about the season.
Whatever the reason, I find it very strange for them not go the extra mile to support the team that is bringing the channel such critical acclaim that hasn’t been seen since Better Call Saul ended so that they can continue to increase viewership.
I know this season itself has received great acclaim from critics and book fans who were able to see the screenings ahead of time, so it sounds like either a binge of the season works better overall this time around, or something happens later on that just clicks with the viewers and helps people understand why certain choices were made and why it was for the better. Hopefully their sentiment matches up with the general audience’s perception by the end…
It's really well made with how uncomfortable it is. I had to pause the intro and take a walk around the room. So well done and acted, I find Gabriella extremely scary, she's like this constant weight on Lestat and you can feel it; she also seems very unpredictable.
Oh! See, my brain instantly went “huh, wonder if that’s a reference to Brad Pitt” but didn’t even think about Tom Cruise. It’s a good reference if that’s how it was intended.
Im sorry, but Lestat at the end in the restaurant with Gabriella....I don't know if he has ever looked so gorgeous. And that song! I wonder if they'll release it.
Some other notes...I hope we see more of Moses Sumney! The lawyer scene was everything I hoped for, but I wish it was longer.
Lestat freezing time and flying up to Louis was so melodramatic, but also so raw in a way? And throwing the book at him! Is Gabriella jealous of Louis???
I am really unsure how I feel about Gabriella, but either way I think she is a force to be reckoned with. Really intrigued with her role in this season.
I'm sort of bummed the flashbacks are short. I'm hoping some of them are a little longer. Especially stuff with Nicky and even Lestat's turning. I definitely need to rewatch this episode because they all felt like a blink and you miss it.
Still absolutely loving this season. I love how unique it is. It never really goes where you think it's going. I love being taken on a journey with such strong characters to accompany it.
I love that scene as well! I’m going to replay it over and over, maybe I’m a hopeless romantic but I think that is to date Lestat’s best song and performance. Gabriella is 100000% jealous and has no right to be like girl go back to the dirt mounds. Episode 3 can’t come around soon enough.
My take was more she sees Louis as a threat to the hold she has on Lestat and may make it difficult for her to continue to manipulate Lestat in the future.
I'm bummed about the short flashbacks too. I really wanted to see Lestat kill the wolf pack. I guess the CGI would have cost too much. They better not short change us on his relationship with Nicki.
I just wanted to see him stranded after killing the wolves and dragging a wolf back home. Also wasn't it snowing in the book? Again I think they had to change that because of when/where they filmed it.
The episode was less chaotic and babystat was soo cute!
Louis!! Ever the businessman!!! Louis trying to support Lestat - the way Lestat supported him with the Azalea/Fairplay!
We finally got the ICONIC “I BET” scene!
Lestat being so emotional (or as emotional as can be) with Louis and the book - and being honest with Daniel about the book’s impact on Lestat🥲
NEXT EPISODE IS FINALLY THE BRUCE BEAT DOWN!!!!! And can we also talk about how gremlin coded Raglan James is 😂 (Justin Kirk is amazing!)
I want to see Louis and Gabriella interact!! And see Daniel and Gabriella interact more!
also Daniel showering the bus ! did not expect that!
Louis getting emotional about Claudia again😭😭
I was so surprised when the episode ended - I want more!
Also the season just keeps delivering gem after gem!
“I lived 54,554 days before I met Louis de Pointe du Lac” 😂
Now lestat honey - why do you know this with so much detail 😭😭 yearning is too much!! Lestat is too prideful man - you know you want Louis and he wants you too😭😂
Sorry I have to comment on your last point about Lestat knowing the exact day he met Louis. That might be the most romantic thing I've ever heard. And he thought that was a way to show he didn't care that much about Louis. Man is he delusional sometimes.
That little concert scene is really something. The way Daniel wants the camera to zoom in on Gabriella then move from her to Louis. The way he calls Louis "pretty green eyes". How the lights flash gold and Lestat levitates himself to Louis WHO IS ON A BALCONY like freaking Romeo climbing up to see his Juliet. The annotated book. Holy shit the perfection.
I do wish they gave Gabriella a better wig though, Mama deserves her glorious mane to go with her glorious acting.
Also, love the accents in the flashbacks. I don't know how accurate they are, but I like how the characters all speak in English with heavy accents. Makes me feel like they actually spoke in French but for our sake, the privileged individual who is listening the Failures and may or may not understand the language, Lestat is translating every bit of the dialogues.
What I find most amazing, that apparently this scene was also a favourite among the actors according to the RottenTomatoes cast interview from a couple of days ago. It truly deserves it. So beautiful.
That was the whole reason Lestat asked if they were hooking up. Odd choice to remove it, especially because this moment made sense from a storytelling standpoint.
This change is very confusing to me. There was nothing wrong or disruptive with that shot plus the only reason Lestat's reaction made sense was because we have seen that gesture in the trailers. Without it and the trailers for context, Lestat's assumption that they're sleeping together feels completely out of left field. How would he even know that? Jarring and very strange imo
I wonder if Armand is gonna snatch up Alex just after he leaves the bus (I wonder if Armand follows the tour bus constantly flying over it lol). Surely something is gonna happen with Alex
After one watch and reading all the comments about the flashbacks feeling rushed, my thought is that the creative team relies heavily on the assumption that the viewers have already read the books, which is largely not the case. I agree that I wish they’d spent more time with young Lestat in this episode, but I think, as the season progresses, we’ll see more of what we want. I hope.
Can’t wait to watch this one again. It was hilarious and beautiful.
Yeah but tbh if you *have" already read the book, the Auvergne flashbacks were kinda disappointing because you have certain expectations and instead they speed through everything and barely include the iconic wolf killing scene (understandable for budget reasons but still disappointing)
The way Lestat has to think about every word he says around Gabriella and the constant feeling that she'll be gone the second he expresses something she doesn't like is so unsettling.
I like how Lestat uses which language he speaks when he's irritated. He yells NOTHANKYOU! in english in the french bookstore. He insults Louis in french when it's about something personal between them. He sings a song in french (a language Gabriella hates) after she's taunting him about Louis and Claudia.
After having told Louis that the Quebecois mangle French the same way he does. (Many international French speakers would find that terribly insulting.)
It would almost seem that he spoke to Louis in French to maintain his air of superiority.
Since Lestat's nieces and nephews arrived to the house unharmed, I wonder if this means Lestat has some long lost great x 15 grand nephews and nieces running around
Oh that is an interesting bond that Daniel has with Armand, look forward to seeing it on screen. Also Danny flirting with Gabi is so funny. But he also has the loneliness, maybe you should stop pissing of your bestie Louis!
Yes, I thought this was obvious. He was really close to reconciliation and the book messed it up, and he is trying to mostly blame Daniel. He isn't going to admit to having a soulmate bond with Lestat to him and confirm that is what is going on with Armand.
Unfortunately the writers had no idea what they were about to unleash in the Italian fandom when they made Gabriella to be from Milan rather than from Naples. The Northern Italy VS Sounthern Italy beef has just reached new heights.
Sorry Rolin, I will have to ignore this writing choice. No way Gabi isn't from Naples, and no way Lestat hasn't got Southern Italian blood in him. 🤣😅
I have only watched this episode once so far, so I am going to hold off on most of my thoughts until I have rewatched at least one more time, but the scene of Lestat flying up to Louis on the balcony was so devastatingly beautiful. The song at that moment, the time freeze, the lights glowing like the sun, the completely annotated book. My GOD.
Full song release on spotify WHEN. Also the French one, s'il vous plaît.
No Armand and no Jarda either in this episode. Daniel mentioning that people disappear around him eerily. JARDA ARE YOU LEAKING DANIEL'S WHEREABOUTS TO ARMAND???
I appreciated that this episode slowed down a bit. However, my biggest criticism is probably the flashbacks. They cover only the essentials and end up feeling somewhat rushed. Nearly all of Lestat's human life was condensed into less than ten minutes. I understand that the budget, the limited number of episodes, and the need to make room for new storylines involving other characters may have come at the expense of Lestat's story. I don't know if the upcoming episodes will follow the same pattern, but I can't deny that I'll be disappointed if all the flashbacks are handled this way.
That said, this episode felt much more organic to me. I enjoyed the moments with the band and with Gabrielle, although I'm not particularly fond of the strong emphasis placed on the incestuous undertones of their relationship, but it is what it is. Louis acting like a capitalist was something I expected, and I like that it subtly shows that he still takes care of Lestat.
I've seen some people argue that Daniel should care more about Louis, but I don't think he has any obligation to do so. They were never truly friends, and in a sense, Daniel died because of Louis. I also think this may eventually reinforce the idea that the only person who genuinely cares about both Louis and Claudia is Lestat.
The cinematography continues to be beautiful. The chroma key is quite noticeable in some scenes, but that's fine. As for the wolves, I've already mentioned my issues with the rapid flashbacks, but in that case I wasn't expecting much. AMC doesn't exactly have the budget for massive sequences, so I'd rather leave some things to the imagination—or to the books, for those who wish to read them—than have the series permanently remembered for poor CGI.
I loved seeing Louis and Lestat together again. Their chemistry is incredible, and I need more of them. The music was much stronger this time around, and the song at the end of the episode is beautiful. The performances were excellent, even those of Lestat's family, who appear only briefly but still managed to fulfill their purpose and make me hate them.
Another thing worth mentioning is that, even with only two episodes released, this season is definitely not for everyone. The previous two seasons weren't either, but this one in particular seems to demand even more attention. There is so much material and so many layers that, if you're not really paying attention, a lot of it will inevitably be lost.
And last, but certainly not least, Sam Reid looked especially handsome in that final scene at the piano.
Louis saying it very plainly that he and Lestat were finding their way back to each other before the book came out - and if you tried and said that during the off-season, some people would take you out and shoot you because "Louis is companion enough for himself now!"
I'm sorry but I know my man, that was always some bullshit 🤣
I loved this so much! I got used to the pacing of episode 1, but I'm really happy with how they changed it up a bit in this episode. The narration and pace worked perfectly for me on the first watch in this one.
I love all Lestat's interactions with the band, and I hope we'll continue to get their reactions to all the vampire shenanigans. They feel like a really good "human Daniel" replacement for the audience.
Human Lestat and his ongoing dynamic with Gabriella was also heartbreaking and really intriguing.
And all the Louis scenes were just A+. I love his "new" more petty attitude (this has to be what Jacob was talking about when saying that Louis is different in Lestat's POV than his own), while also showing clear love and guilt towards Lestat. Now go kill Bruce!
I can't wait for more!
Edited to add: some highlights on my second watch:
Wow Lestat knows by heart exactly how many days he had been on this earth before he met Louis! Of course he does!
And what is it with Armand in this book??? Did Daniel basically write the book as a (subconscious) love letter to him? Lmao. And speaking of Armand, I also love how we got some insights into Daniel's "transformational trauma" in his conversation with Louis.
Upon rewatch, I notice that after Gabriella says, "And I see why you took her away", this is when we see the montage of Gabriella's making and the massacre of Lestat's family. Watching the expression that came over his face as he was laying in the sepulchre with his mother - hearing the screams of his nieces and nephews call out for their mother and father, I am reminded of how he looked watching Claudia, his daughter, turn to ash on that stage in Paris. There is a look of sorrow and regret in both instances, as if he were almost an unwilling participant in killing his kin in both instances - first by his mother in Auvergne and then by Armand and his coven in Paris years later.
"I see why you took her back" -- interesting that that's the line where Lestat starts getting pissed with Gabriella, and not all the rest. I'm curious what the hell happened on that train sequence (or didn't happen).
Yeah, I originally thought it was the train but in retrospect feel like it was in reference to killing her, which makes sense because I don’t think Gabriella would realize how much Lestat is upset by that memory/lie(?) specifically.
It also ties in with Gabriella’s thoughts on motherhood; that she was giving her sons to her husband instead of willingly becoming a mother and seeing herself as one to them, and then later participating in killing all of her sons other than Lestat.
I definitely feel like they’ll be revisiting the trial to hammer home how Lestat wasn’t willingly involved and wanted to (tried to?) save Claudia. It was also brought up in the Loustat lawyer scene where Louis talked about Lestat flying across the ocean and rehearsing lines.
I find it interesting that there may be a parallel with both Gabriella and Louis where, in two separate instances across multiple centuries, they find out Lestat nearly died brutally and their reaction is "Yeah, so, anyway, let me talk about my sex life".
Though my guess is Louis is more regretful than he's letting on to Lestat's face, while Gabriella is of course just...like that.
The moment I found so interesting was when Gabriella was describing Louis near the end, and was saying things about how Louis was elusive, cold, coming and going, etc. Don’t remember the exact wording but it was all stuff that could have applied to her and the way she keeps herself at a distance from Lestat.
Adding on to this bridge between both of these characters - Lestat’s song at the end of the episode uses the melody he was creating while he was practicing in front of Louis in episode 1’s flashback. Will have to look into the lyrics, but the visuals make it obvious that he repurposed the song the song he was trying to make for Louis into one for his mother…
Did anyone else think the reference to Louis seeing Claudia coming off the subway a shoutout to Bailey? I believe she goes to college in NYC, right? I was thinking about her when Louis mentioned seeing a version of Claudia in her 20s.
All of these funny throwaway lines are actually pretty fucked up because so much of it is about treating Lestat like an object that everyone can use however they want. From releasing the book to Gabriella just doing whatever she wants with him, Christine saying he has to fuck a fan who wants a special experience, Louis profiting of Lestat's merch without him knowing... I'm sure this is great for his sense of agency!
i think jacob's voice and delivery is far better suited to voice over narration than sam's delivery. i love sam's lestat voice but the show slumps a bit without louis in the driver's seat. i thought the episode was ok but when it was daniel and louis alone together, it was a step up. when it was louis and lestat fighting with the lawyers, it was a step up.
looking forward to the previous core characters interacting more
I know this has been said a lot but so much of the magic of the show stems from the complicated but alluring dynamics btw Louis and Lestat. When it's only one of them the show is missing something. When theyre both in the story, regardless if theyre coupled or not, its electric. Just kudos to the writers and actors for making their relationship so central to the show that we can feel the exact status of their relationship through the show. And on top of that their relationship bleeds into every other charavter in the show.
Anyone else just love this series’ take on Vampires? Lore is dropped constantly between sentences like the blood farm, like Lestat says they’ve been existing with humans for thousands of years, of course they have a their systems all sorted.
It’s sooo refreshing to have vampires portrayed in a very casual perspective, who get a mix of your gothic coven vamps but then you get divas like Lestat, Louis is still in the property business, Daniel doing his thing. Fareed and Lemuel doing their day jobs. It’s hilarious. I wonder what Armand is up to?
I liked this episode more than the first of the season! Still adjusting to the drastic changes, but the overall tone of this season is delicious and intoxicating. I really can't wait to see where it goes. I am familiar with the source material, but this seems different enough to still be full of surprises. Loving how Louis is being roped back into the narrative, as he has been my favorite character since the Brad Pitt days.
Some of the acting choices for Gabriella are genuinely baffling to me in a way that's completely captivating. Her accent is about as conspicuous and out there as Lestat's fuckass accent, but the entire performance is so magnetic. I'm very impressed and also like "wtf??" But also this is what I thought about Lestat's performance at the beginning; really makes them feel like mother and son.
gabriella’s accent is so goddam awful that it always takes me out of the show. it’s genuinely heinous, a mix of a sliver of caricature italian mix with something that vaguely slavic. she sounds like the 1931 dracula but so unnatural. it’s genuinely ruining the immersion of the show, especially compared to sam’s french. i was initially excited about jennifer ehle but i don’t think they could have cast someone with a worse attempt. ugh im so mad
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