“I was tying up loose ends, coming out of a coma, feeling alive…or maybe it was him.”
– Lestat
Things take a dark turn when Lestat and Louis lay all of their baggage at each other’s feet, testing the remnants of their bond and relationship. Armand grew increasingly paranoid about the Great Conversion with Lestat’s album release and took matters into his own hands, dragging Daniel along with him.
Let’s review!
Home
It’s Halloween. Lestat (Sam Reid) and the band returned home to Montreal after the album release. The loss of Larry (Noah Reid) was taken hard, especially by Alex (Seamus Patterson), who’d gone mute. The album fell flat on human ears, but vampires all over were coming to hear Lestat’s final concert.
What caught our attention was Louis (Jacob Anderson) using the guest coffin in Lestat’s home. The two were officially cozy again. This time around, they were actually talking, and that stunned us. Each time they were on the verge of fighting, they managed to actually talk through it without the level of pettiness that we’ve been seeing all season. Louis even took Lestat to his restaurant a few blocks away from Lestat’s home for dinner. It was quite sweet. Even Daniel was there, hoping ot get a finishing quote for his documentary on Lestat.
While the two of them were busy fawning over each other, they missed Daniel’s (Eric Bogosian) lack of pestering questions, but took notice of his horrible tan. Though it did look like a terrible spray tan, Daniel had actually spent a little extra time with Armand, under the sun, telling the dark web how Lestat had gotten too cozy with his mother. The interview was comical, because if those two had to drag Lestat through the mud like a tabloid, then Lestat has officially made it as a rockstar.
A Mother’s Love
Lestat managed to convince Louis to attend band rehearsal for the Montreal concert, which thousands of vampires would be attending. Louis still didn’t think the concert was a good idea. Sofia-er, Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle)-believed otherwise. She was leaning into the Great Conversion with enthusiasm. The two of them meeting was something we’d been waiting for all season. Lestat’s fledglings are few and far between, and some of them met a sad demise.
Gabriella met Louis with obvious jealousy, though she tried to feign otherwise. It was interesting since she’s been very blase about her relationship with Lestat. She’s used Lestat and left him alone in the world for decades. Whether she worries that Louis will take Lestat away from her or that she doesn’t like sharing, it was amusing to watch Gabriella writhe in discomfort and to see Lestat push her aside for Louis. The woman has been on a pedestal that Lestat put her on for so long.
Her trying to tell Louis not to go to the concert for his safety was wildly petty, and it also seemed like Louis noticed that too. It only grew when Lestat sang a song he’d specifically written for Louis. The song, much like the rest of the music this season, was stunningly beautiful, with its swelling notes and Lestat’s non-stop eye contact with Louis.
After Daniel revealed the nature of Lestat and Gabrielle’s relationship finally came to the surface, Louis couldn’t help but jump up on his high horse and judge Lestat, even though Lestat had Louis staying with him to pull him out of a crashout. Louis was still struggling to deal with Regina and that she wasn’t Claudia, and that grief was still pulsing through his veins.
The fact that they’re both pretty messed up yet still see the best in each other is remarkable. They may be toxic, but the rules of the supernatural world aren’t the same as human rules. The fact that they can embrace each other’s…issues is actually sweet, even if those issues are on the disturbing side.
Mayfair Business
We finally got to meet Merrick. Lestat introduced the Mayfair witch with a simple story. They met through Cortland Mayfair at a book club. This didn’t offer much in the way of a crossover, but it did open the door. Merrick has a history on this side of the Immortal Universe, so we’re sure this won’t be the last time we see her.
Still, Merrick’s screen time felt so short and brutal. Getting whiplashed by a malevolent spirit requires decent healthcare and dental care, and she wasn’t afraid to demand it of Lestat when Claudia whipped her around during the séance.
Closure of Despair
It’s almost silly and childlike to decide to summon ghosts on Halloween, but as we’re well aware of by now, the veil between the living and the dead is thinest during this night. Unless you’re a vampire. Then, it’s all the time.
Louis and Lestat thought they’d get a moment of closure with Claudia and only received rage and grief. Her distress was heartbreaking. Delaney Hayes delivered a stunning and riveting performance that left us devastated. It was most definitely Emmy-worthy.
When Louis pressed her for forgiveness, Claudia confessed that she truly hated Louis and would’ve chosen Lestat had he not been so easy to manipulate. She hated Louis even more than she hated Bruce and found Louis reading Claudia’s lost diary pages to Bruce to be pitiful and tasteless. We can’t completely disagree either. Louis was so certain he was getting justice for Claudia, but it truly felt like he was using grief as a weapon.
Claudia didn’t get peace after her tragic death. She was alone and suffering, even after she told Louis and Lestat off. Claudia is one of many probably that didn’t get a happy ending or anything comparable. She hasn’t even been able to find Madeleine on the other side.
I have some work to do on myself
Were we shocked when heads rolled at the end of the episode? Yes. It was very Marie Antoinette. Surprised? No. After all, we did see Louis at the start of the season very much alive, though with a couple battle scars. Let’s not forget the mention that vampires could have their heads reattached, though it might take some time. That, and factor in Akasha’s blood in Lestat and Lestat’s blood within Louis? We’re definitely not worried that our favorite vampires are goners. However, this feels like the start of something torturous.
Armand (Assad Zaman) really had us going for a few episodes. We’d hoped he was truly seeking out redemption with those he’d hurt over the years. We were so wrong and in denial, and it hurt. He really built up the sad, sappy persona, and we fell for it just like Daniel and Alex.
With Armand really taking the lead on fighting the Great Conversion, we’re no longer surprised that Alex partnered up with Armand. He caught Alex at his weakest during that AA meeting. Sadly, that confirmed that Armand truly killed Larry, though we’d been in denial, thinking it was a move made by Akasha. It’s obvious that Armand manipulated Alex and Daniel into helping him, but what will be the repercussions?
More so, why is Armand going to such great lengths to dispose of Lestat and Louis? Taking their heads off faster than a guillotine felt more than personal, and we’re dying to know what he knows. We’re also dying for him to get the same treatment.
What did you think of the latest episode? Let’s chat in the comments!
