Last week (review here), Claudia was accepted into the coven of the Theatre des Vampires though Louis decided to remain independent. Louis revealed to Armand that he’d killed Lestat.
With major revelations made last week, this week’s episode took a dark turn. Santiago dug into Louis’s past. Claudia’s struggles between being a girl on the outside and a woman inside took center stage. Louis said goodbye to Lestat. Daniel’s flashbacks grew stronger, making him question his memories.
Let’s dive in!
Warning: It’s about to get spoiler-y!
Our Little Birdy
The episode began with Claudia’s performance at the Theatre Des Vampires. It was a nightmare come true for Claudia but she was finally a part of a coven. Still, being infantilized, as Daniel puts it, has her torn in two. The representation of Claudia’s struggle has been an incredible depiction of an identity torn in two: the person she is and the person everyone sees her as.
Eventually, she broke down and Armand showed her no mercy. It was an obvious effort for Louis. One, she would be treated like every other vampire in the coven. Two, he diverted attention away from her temper tantrum that could’ve easily made others realize she was a teenage vampire. Armand was keeping an eye on her for Louis’s sake, though he believed her damned.
It was almost kind but more so sad. Armand has kept Louis’s multiple secrets including the truth about Claudia but it’s come at a cost. The Theatre des Vampires has been slowly sliding into chaos due to Armand’s loyalty to Louis.
I Have Endured
Tensions between Santago and Louis continued to rise. So much so that Santiago began to make a mockery of Louis. The way Louis clings to humanity through his photography has hit a bitter nerve for Santiago. Obviously, this wasn’t out of jealousy, but because Louis couldn’t be controlled. Putting that under the guise of Louis being supposedly reckless was quite a stretch. Still, the drama was top-notch.
It was apparent that instead of spending time with his own kind, Louis preferred humans. Yet, Louis’s struggle to be a part of vampirekind was very much the same with humankind. That loneliness, even with Armand and Lestat occupying his mind was ever-present.
Santiago didn’t care about Louis’s personal struggle. Much like Lestat, he’s quite the narcissist that way. He even went so far as to break into Louis and Claudia’s café apartment where he discovered Claudia’s journals and what was in them.
Claudia definitely should’ve hidden those journals better, but this made for quite a build-up to the fire that would burn the theatre to the ground. Both Louis and Claudia’s world was once again about to be destroyed.
Me and You?
Meanwhile, Claudia found herself going back to the dress shop she’d visited earlier in the season. Both Claudia and Madeleine bonded over their darkest times. For Claudia, this shared heartache opened up a chance at companionship much like it did for Louis and Armand. She and this seamstress had a chance at finding comfort in one another.
Claudia has been struggling so much since she was turned and it hasn’t lightened much. For the majority of the show, she’s been on her own while Louis has always had a companion. To see her chance at companionship ripped away by Armand’s threats was heartbreaking. It was even more so when she cried out at Louis about Armand’s threats and he didn’t believe her.
The relationship between Louis and Claudia has become just as strained as it did in season 1. This time, it was Armand’s subtle controlling moves to wedge them apart so he could have Louis for himself. Sure, it was sweet at first. This new love Louis’s found with him has turned into something toxic and he doesn’t even see it because he’s been distracted by the ghost of Lestat. Armand offers a kindness to Louis that he doesn’t to others, but the isolation of it is so strong. This is also noticeable in the present with the way Armand continuously interjects during the interview.
To Say Goodbye in French
Louis was still troubled by Lestat’s ghost. He impeded Louis and Armand’s time together so strongly that Louis recalled that it almost felt like Lestat was actually there. He could nearly feel a physical presence. This was such a powerful representation of how it feels to lose a loved one and how they can have such a strong hold on you. Granted, Lestat isn’t an ideal partner, but he’d left such a lasting impact on Louis. He made him.
Armand could relate if only a little. After all, Lestat had made Armand in a sense. Still, at some point, he let go of Lestat and pled with Louis to do the same.
Unlike in the last few episodes, Lestat was less erratic, intensifying Louis’s guilt. Now, he’s nearly tender and resigned. Louis was finally ready to let go of his maker and previous lover. Toxic or not, it was bittersweet.
It’s All Coming Back Now
Though this week’s portion of the interview is a lead-up to the fire of the Theatre ses Vampires, Louis is shocked when Daniel asks about it. Daniel nearly gave away his secret intel from the mysterious Raglan James. That alone caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. However, it pushed the story forward and allowed Louis to enter a new portion of his memories that he hadn’t before. It was almost as if he’d been glamoured himself.
Daniel’s blocked memories that were somehow connected to Armand continued to make a breakthrough. Mostly in bits and pieces, Daniel recalls Armand telling him things and a blur of a body bag. Talk about creepy! If this is during Daniel’s first interview with Louis then what isn’t he remembering?
Now, with even more files having shown up on his laptop, Daniel became more shaken. The episode came to a close right as he opened a sound file on the last interview he did with Louis. The one that nearly cost him his life. This will open up a whole new set of questions for Daniel to ask. This time, he’s a player in the story.
But, is he prepared for the answers?
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