Last week (review here), Louis and Daniel uncovered what really happened during their first interview. Both were left in devastation and bewilderment.
This week, the tension between Louis and Armand grew until it finally broke. Louis finally entered the tragic end of Paris in the interview. Claudia hoped for Madeleine to be turned so Claudia would finally have a companion. Meanwhile, Santiago and the Theatre Des Vampire prepared a new show.
Let’s dive in!
Warning: It’s about to get spoiler-y!
What’s at Stake
The episode began with Daniel (Eric Bogosian) enjoying a night out to dinner. Actually, he was pestering Rasheed with questions that have recently plagued him. He’s now begun to wonder where and how all of this began. How’d the interview tapes even arrive at his house? Who delivered them? Daniel was pretty shook up after recovering his memories of his first interview with Louis. Discovering what other aspects of his connection to Louis was understandable, though he handled it better than I would’ve.
He received a quick visit from the Talamasca agent as well. The society wanted Daniel to do some work for them. I figured the other shoe would drop. All of that documentation that showed up on his laptop wasn’t free. They gave him some information and now they want him to give them some information.
The stakes were higher than ever for Daniel. He finally realized that he’s in the middle of something he never expected. Not only the biggest story of his life, but the most dangerous. Until now, he’d forgotten to be on edge because Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Armand (Assad Zaman) are vampires. More than anything, he wanted to make it out of this interview alive, but it’s clear he also wanted to know how and where Louis’s tale ends.
A New Play
Recalling more time with the Theatre Des Vampire, though bitterly, Louis recollected a new play Santiago and another vampire—Sam—conjured up. It was about a vampire living a solitary life and seeking out what it meant to be a vampire. The quest for unlife. Yet, the parallels to Louis’s own perspective on vampire life didn’t go unnoticed. Santiago was winding up for something big but Louis and Claudia were oblivious while Armand was too obsessed with Louis to notice.
Meanwhile, Santiago continued to investigate Lestat’s demise in secret. It seemed fitting since Louis, Claudia, and Armand kept what happened to him a secret. However, lack of information on Lestat’s whereabouts caused more and more distress among the Theatre Des Vampires.
Lover’s Quarrel
Throughout this portion of the interview process, it was clear that Louis was spurned and enraged. Honestly, Jacob Anderson’s acting is supreme. He has truly captured and enamored everyone with his portrayal as Louis. He’s captured the lovelorn, the tragic, and now the scorned. The range captured is magnificent, and both Assad Zaman counters it so splendidly.
Louis and Armand sat in two separate chairs rather than cuddled on the couch now. Each word Louis spoke was bitter. He’s totally in the right to feel this way. Armand’s manipulative ways may just be coming to an end. One can dream at least.
Louis no longer made excuses for Armand. Armand nitpicked about what Louis supposedly remembered. The tension was deadly, but the drama addicting.
Surviving Eternity
Though Claudia (Delainey Hayles) was told to never return to the dress shop that Madeleine owns, she did anyway. It was lucky she did, too. She managed to save Madeleine from being sexually assaulted by the men who had been harassing her. It was a risk to reveal the vampire world in such a way and it put her in even more danger than she already was.
Though Madeleine was understandably terrified, she didn’t scream or turn Claudia away when she saw her feeding from one of her attackers. This solidified their bond and Claudia’s belief that she found a companion. Claudia protected her and she was determined to protect Claudia. This wasn’t like Louis with Lestat and Armand. Though in the novel, the bond shared between Claudia and Madeleine was more mother/ daughter, here it was more sisterly.
When Louis learned of the attack, he was livid. Livid that it happened and livid that Claudia had gotten in the middle of it. Yet, more mature than ever before, Claudia expressed that Madeleine was her companion. With all that’s happened to her, she deserved to have her companion and even Louis knew it.
Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be the one to turn her and Claudia was too small to be able to turn anyone. The only one left was Armand and he was less than thrilled. He wanted Claudia gone in more ways than one. He didn’t want to give her a companion. And he refused to.
Don’t Worry Darling
Louis wasn’t going to let Claudia down. Though he’d never turned anyone, he did it for Claudia and Madeleine. What made this such a unique transition was that Louis and Claudia were determined not to make this a traumatic experience like it was for them. Madeleine was in a safe space to be turned into a vampire. It wasn’t a violent event, proving that moving into an unlife doesn’t have to be terrifying.
The transition had been such a moving one compared to Louis’s transition. Through Madeleine, Louis could see that she viewed Claudia as somebody she admired, like a sister, not a monster. That offered Louis some ease. He could let go of Claudia and did so without guilt.
Though Louis and Claudia cared so much for each other, they weren’t companions. They wanted separate things and understood that. It pinches the heart to imagine them going their separate ways, but it was beautiful that they were allowing each other to be happy.
That feeling wasn’t mutual for Armand who turned her and Madeleine over to the Theatre Des Vampire. Though I knew it was coming, I still hoped it wouldn’t. Claudia had only just found someone she could spend eternity with, and in a flash, it was ripped away. All that she was and what she had done finally caught up to her and Louis.
You Asked For This
Armand finally calls out the elephant in the room at the end of the episode. He tried to manipulate the conversation once again by telling Louis that he’d asked for his memories to be taken, but nobody was buying it. Hell, I haven’t been buying it since the start of this season. Armand is one giant, floating, red flag. Armand then followed this up with excuses and blamed Louis as if he’d forced his hand on the matter. His little games came to a head and he was losing.
Armand’s admittance to being a coward should’ve felt more earnest but it didn’t. It just came across as another ploy to make Louis feel sorry for him. However, with Armand at the center of Claudia’s demise, those narcissistic traits may not save him this time.
Hopefully, Louis realizes that Armand is at the very center of Claudia’s destruction. Seeing as those memories have been hazy, it’s unclear how her arc will come to a close. With Daniel keeping Louis on track, he may be Louis’s only hope. It’s very Obi Wan Kenobi, but I’m here for it. I’m just hoping Daniel makes it to the end alive.
What did you think of the latest episode? Let’s chat in the comments below and don’t forget to follow Cape & Castle on Twitter!
