This week’s Tuesday TV Touchbase turns to the recently concluded 2nd season of Interview With the Vampire.
I was really taken with this season a lot and as I was doing my write up, I kept thinking this is going a bit too long. But there was so much I was impressed by, so intrigued by, I did not know what to leave out.
So caution: if you have no interest in Interview With the Vampire or think you might in the future but don't won't to be spoiled about anything, give today's post a miss.
A lot went on this season of Interview With the Vampire after Louis de Pointe du Lac and Claudia make their way to Europe still burning from the battles of World War II.
Louis and Claudia arrive in Paris just as the Germans are absconding from Allied forces. The pair gain the attention of a vampire coven of the Théâtre des Vampire.
The coven is lead by the vampire Armand (who is Louis’ partner in the present day) and master thespian of the acting troupe is the vampire Santiago.
Armand is immediately attracted to Louis.
Santiago is immediately suspicious of Louis and Claudia.
Claudia was brought across as a vampire when she was a prepubescent 14 year old. Even as her mind ages over the decades, her body is frozen in the form of a child, forever making her an outcast.
Claudia is happy to have found this coven, a place for her to belong, a community of vampires who accept her and welcome her.
Until...
Claudia is cast in a production of the Théâtre des Vampire, dressed as a Shirley Temple type moppet singing a song called “I Don’t Like It When Windows Are Closed”.
The one facet of her vampire existence that Claudia hates the most, being forever trapped in the form of a little girl, gets the spotlight every friggin’ night. Claudia has traded the trap of existence with Lestat for the trap of existence with the Théâtre des Vampire.
During a momentary respite from her duties with the coven, Claudia encounters Madeleine Éparvier, a Parisian dressmaker and an outcast of her own. Madeleine is accused of being a whore with German soldiers during the occupation and her shop is frequently vandalized with Swastikas. Claudia employs Madeleine to create adult dresses that fit Claudia’s child like form.
The persecution by the French against Madeleine escalates when a gang of thugs invade her shop with the intention of raping and murdering her. Claudia intervenes, viciously and violently, bodies are shredded as Claudia feasts on the blood of the intruders. Madeleine is at first a bit shell shocked by what occurred but is riveted to Claudia’s tale as she calmly explains to Madeleine who she is.
Claudia being a vampire makes sense to Madeleine and explains so much about her. And it also intrigues Madeleine. She wants to be a vampire.
Louis brings her across and with Madeleine as a vampire, Claudia has a partner to break away from the coven and explore the world with her immortal consort.
Except…
The coven brutally abducts Louis, Claudia and Madeleine, tortured and thrown on stage for a special matinee performance of the Théâtre des Vampire called "Trial of the Vampires". Santiago has usurped control of the coven from Armand and placed our hapless trio on "trial" for breaking Vampire Law. There will be a verdict (guilty) and a sentence (death) and the key witness for the prosecution (there is no defense) is the vampire Lestat.
Well, the son of a bitch is not as dead as he's supposed to be from the end of season 1 and after living rent free in Louis' head for season 2, the vampire himself is physically present in the undead flesh.
The trial follows the script for a verdict of guilty and a sentence of death. Well, almost.
Except for Louis. Under what appears to be the hypnotic influence of Armand, the audience and the cast can't say the word "death" and instead call from "banishment".
Santiago hates going off script but fine, take Louis to Belgium. Well, the vampires don't. They lock him in a coffin full of rocks and lock him in a crypt where he will slowly go mad from starvation.
Meanwhile, back to the show. There's a reason this "trial" is a matinee. A hole opens in the roof and a shaft of sunlight pierces the darkened theater and turns Claudia and Madeleine into dust.
Death by sunlight is not a quick death for a vampire. It is slow and agonizing as the vampires watches each inch of skin burn and fall into ash. Clutching a crying and screaming Madeleine in her arms, Claudia turns towards Lestat, locks eyes with him and begins singing that damnable song she hates so much, “I Don’t Like It When Windows Are Closed”.
Claudia remains defiant, still singing her song, looking right at Lestat until her eyes turn to dust and Lestat looks... horrified.
Damn!
So what's left in the tank to gob smack me in the next episode, the season finale?
Plenty it seems.
Louis is extricated from his crypt and goes on a mission of fiery vengeance against the Théâtre des Vampire. There is one more encounter with Lestat in 1940's Paris where Louis decides his punishment will be worse than death: Louis kisses Armand and tells Lestat that Armand will be his immortal companion and Lestat will be left lost and alone.
Back in the present in the Dubai penthouse, Louis (with Armand) tells journalist Daniel Malloy that's it, there is nothing else to tell.
I check the time and realize we've got about a half hour to go before the end of the episode.
Malloy shuffles some papers and pokes at his laptop. Oh, there is so much else to tell.
Armand was not as innocent in Santiago's machinations as he claimed. Armand was in fact the director of "Trial of the Vampires".
Lestat was not as guilty in Santiago's machinations as he appeared to be. The hypnotic spell that changed the sentence for Louis from "death" to "banishment" did NOT come from Armand. Lestat did that.
...
Well, holy shit!
And one time jump later after Malloy has published his book "Interview With the Vampire", there are some other changes to the status quo.
Daniel Malloy is a vampire now.
And Louis de Pointe du Lac sends out a telepathic warning to all the vampires of the world: "I own the night!"
Jesus, there's a lot to unpack in this season 2 of Interview With the Vampire.
Delainey Hayles who took over the role of Claudia in season 2 was scary good in all her scenes but no more so than her heartrending death by the sun.
The episode with the flashback to 1973 and the first meeting of Louis and Daniel Malloy was brutal. Luke Brandon Field is so good as a young Daniel Malloy, perfectly channeling Eric Bogosian.
And speaking of Eric Bogosian, most of what Daniel has to do in the present day scenes is sit in a chair and make snide remarks. But Bogosian makes that interesting. And the adjustments to his persona in the epilogue where we find out Malloy is now a vampire, I can't wait to see where that goes in season 3.
Which there will be one. AMC has renewed the show for a 3rd season.
Whew! I said it would be a lot.
That is that for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase.
Next week: The Boys.
Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.
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