A love gone awry, an arduous journey and a false sense of security. Season two of “Interview with the Vampire” takes its watcher on a journey and reveals an unexpected ending. The story follows Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire, as he recounts his life through a series of interviews administered by Daniel Molloy, a character who plays a key role in revealing a life-changing truth.
Interview with the Vampire originated as a gothic horror novel by Anne Rice, an American author known for her gothic novels. It was later adapted into a movie in 1994, with Louis played by Brad Pitt and Lestat de Lioncourt, the antagonist, played by Tom Cruise. The movie itself was great at creating a gothic atmosphere that allowed the viewer to fall into the rhythm of the story. However, because of its relatively short screen time, it wasn’t able to delve deeper into the characters and their psyche, making it difficult for the audience to fully grasp what was happening.
The show adaptation was able to pick up on those aspects and focus more on who the characters are as people. In the show, Louis de Pointe du Lac is played by Jacob Anderson, most known for his role as Grey Worm in Game of Thrones, and Lestat de Lioncourt is played by Sam Reid, known for his role as John Davinier from “Belle” (2013). Through the interviews, the audience can relive the past alongside Louis, revealing a hidden truth.
In season two, Louis and Claudia, his adoptive daughter, trek across the back countries of Europe during WWII in search of other vampires. During this desperate search, viewers can see Claudia slowly grow agitated and impatient as their search continues to come up dry. This display of desperate acts reveals the inner workings of Claudia’s character, a girl who feels out of place and alone in a world full of humans. Claudia is a dynamic character who is rarely satisfied with the way her life turned out and is constantly longing for more, a place to belong.
Their failed search leads them to France, where they finally settle, but tensions rise. Claudia is still emotionally hurt after their search for other vampires came up empty. She pretends to be happy, and Louis begins to grow accustomed to life in France, and even picks up a hobby of photography. His newfound interest gives him purpose, letting him find solace in the ways of human life. After some weeks in their new home, Louis and Claudia finally find what they’ve been so eagerly looking for…vampires.
Armand, the main love interest for Louis, is the leader of a vampire coven in France. He and Louis have a fateful meeting one night under a street lamp, where Armand says, “I will not harm you”. These words stuck with Louis for the rest of the show, only to be a cruel turn of fate at the end. When Louis reveals the news to Claudia, she is ecstatic, as her life’s purpose is finally fulfilled, and an emptiness in her is filled.
Things are not always what they seem, and this was a truth revealed to Claudia. When what she was searching for was in front of her, it was vehemently disappointing. The coven was a performing theatre that would cater to humans in order to feed on them. Claudia was turned when she was 14 years old, meaning she would forever appear to be 14, and the vampires abused this.
When they finally let her be a part of the coven, they would force her to portray a child, even though she was mentally much older. During this time, Louis and Armand were growing closer, meaning he and Claudia slowly drifted apart, even though Louis told her it would always be “you and me.” Claudia repeats these words to him after he has grown cold to her. Deep down, Louis still cares, but not as much as he once did; his love is now directed toward Armand.
As the rift between them grows, Claudia directs her attention towards a human named Madeline. Eventually, Claudia wants Madeline to be her companion and begs Louis to ask Armand to turn her, so as not to taint her with the blood of Lestat, their creator. Armand refuses because it is against his coven’s rules, and he does not know how, which forces Louis to turn Madeline himself. Luckily, Madeline takes to the transformation, and she and Claudia leave to explore the world, but things are not over yet.
After a year of exploring the world together, Claudia and Madeline come back to France to check in on Louis and Armand. As they catch up over a dinner of stories and laughs, disaster strikes. Armand’s coven rebels and kidnaps Louis, Claudia, Madeline and Armand, angered by Armand’s lack of accountability. Because of his fierce loyalty to Louis, his relationship with the coven soured, and they put everyone on trial.
At the trial, while all four are incapacitated, a forgotten character makes their way to the stage. Lestat de Lioncourt, a character who everyone thought was dead, appeared before everyone in hopes of revenge against Claudia and Louis, at least, that’s how it seemed. Everyone thought the play was orchestrated by Lestat, but in reality, it was created by Armand, Louis’ supposed lover.
When this truth is revealed to Louis through the interview with Daniel Malloy, Louis rebels against Armand, completely cutting him off. Louis immediately starts his search for Lestat, who saved Louis from being murdered during the trial. They reconcile, and Louis is left a criminal to the rest of the vampire world, but this does not frighten him.
“Interview with the Vampire” is a carefully crafted show that highlights the inner workings of the characters’ minds, allowing the audience to connect with them. The conclusion leaves the audience on the edge of their seats as they watch the tables turn on Armand, a supposed lover to Louis. “Interview with the Vampire” is an anticipation-filled story with twists and turns that the audience learns to appreciate.
