Last week (review here), Louis discussed his time in Paris and meeting the Theater des Vampires. This week, Armand reveals his time with Lestat, Louis unveils what he did to Lestat, and Daniel may have somebody spying on him.
Let’s dive in!
Warning: It’s about to get spoiler-y!
The Talamasca
The episode began with Daniel (Eric Bogosian) meeting someone who wasn’t only just a fan of his work but who also knew about Louis and the vampire world. The only people who would claim something so boldly are the Talamasca. Agents and observers of the supernatural.
This was a clever way to introduce the secret society into IWTV. It’s already deeply involved in The Mayfair Witches. Its inclusion here ties both of these universes together and I couldn’t be more thrilled. That means there may be a possibility of seeing a Mayfair at some point. How thrilling.
Children of Darkness
Armand (Assad Zaman) shared his time with Lestat (Sam Reid), if only to keep Daniel’s attention while Louis slept the day away. He’d been a part of a Roman coven at the time that called themselves “The Children of Darkness”. Much like with Louis (Jacob Anderson), Armand had felt Lestat before meeting him. Lestat was ever alluring and flaunting what he was to humanity as if he were a gift to the world. It was the typical rouse from Lestat and proof that regardless of the time period, he never changed,
Many in the coven found Lestat’s presence and rejection unsettling. They wanted what he had: the ability to live so out in the open. Armand had to teach Lestat a lesson. His belligerence put the lives of every other vampire at risk. Using his supernatural abilities, he’d brought Lestat to heel, once again proving that he was the most powerful. The show of force only encouraged Lestat to do just what Armand had hoped.
Lestat had come to the coven. His effort to prove they weren’t spawns of Satan only encouraged them to end their own lives, leaving only Armand. Though Armand lost his coven, Lestat helped him build a new one. The Theatre Des Vampires. Their companionship quickly developed into an incredibly short love story. Lestat has certainly proved himself to be the manic pixie dreamgirl of vampires and he always leaves them yearning in his wake. How deadly.
Daniel was ever so poignant and not totally wrong when he got the last line of Armand’s interview, “Never date a raging narcissist.”, This was such a perfectly dropped line because all I have a feeling all three men truly relate.
Perfectly timed, as vampires typically are, Louis entered and was ready to continue his story.
No Pain
Claudia (Delainey Hayles) was going through the vampire version of sorority rush and though Louis was nervous about their dark secret being discovered, he was happy for her. Claudia was getting everything she ever wanted and working hard for it. This was her chance to have a true family with (almost) nothing to hide from them. She was getting to prove that while she was frozen in a teenage state. Unfortunately, it didn’t go her way.
Upon her initiation night, she learned that the play she’d be cast in, made just for her by the troupe, would star her as a little girl. How tragic it was. The dread that Claudia wouldn’t be lasting much longer among vampire kind grew heavier.
The Great Laws
It’s well-known in The Vampire Chronicles that vampires have great laws. This seemed to be the central topic in the episode. One of the great laws is that you don’t kill another vampire. Another is that no child can become a vampire. Claudia falls under both of these.
Amidst Armand still trying to convince Louis to join the coven and the two of them falling for each other, Louis came clean about Lestat. He did tell Claudia it would happen and that they should steer clear of the troupe. However, Louis only condemned himself in the confession, still protecting Claudia.
Unsurprisingly, Armand already knew all. Not only did he know about Lestat but he knew about Claudia being a vampire child. Still, he couldn’t hurt Louis and refused to turn his back on this new relationship blooming between them. Though still tragic, it was incredibly swoon-worthy.
It didn’t take long for Santiago’s issues with Louis to come to the surface. Louis wasn’t fawning over him like Claudia and he’d fallen asleep during one of the shows which quickly irked the performer. Much like Lestat, he needed the attention and when he didn’t have it, he got spiteful.
Since Louis couldn’t be persuaded to join the troupe, he wanted Louis killed before he drew too much attention to the coven. More so, he wanted Armand to do it. Though he claimed it was because Armand was the head of the coven, it came across more like he wanted to see Armand punished for falling in love with Louis. The tension between him and Armand was palpable. It’s obvious that this won’t be the last time the two butt heads about Louis.
Somebody’s Watching
Daniel was severely distracted this week. After the run-in with the Talamasca, he began searching his laptop and found a strange app he hadn’t installed. One that led to a chat with a stranger by the initials “RJ”. Might this be the Raglan James that had died at the hands of vampires?
The stranger claimed to want to help, but to what end? Could it be an interviewer who survived Louis’s tale? Or could it be Lestat looking for a new protege to manipulate?
What did you think of this week’s episode? Let’s chat in the comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
