Watching the finale for season 2 of Interview With the Vampire hurt. Truly, I cannot believe that I might be turning into a Lestat (Sam Reid) girl because of this, and yet, here I stand, proud in the fact that I sobbed.
Spoilers ahead!
During the final episode of the season, Louis (Jacob Anderson) learns that Armand (Assad Zaman) has been lying to him for decades. After the trial, which resulted in the death of Claudia (Delainey Hayles), Armand told Louis that he was the one who saved him. Armand also claimed that he was not involved in the production of the trial. Daniel Malloy (Eric Bogosian) showed proof that was a lie. Armand was not only there, but he directed the play that killed Louis and Lestat’s daughter.
But Armand also struggled this season in his relationship with Louis. Part of this season included a flashback to a younger Daniel Malloy, played by the incredible Luke Brandon Field. The flashback showed the first interview the two had and when Daniel was almost killed by Louis. In Armand’s frantic state, he calls out to Lestat for help with Louis.
That moment gave audiences a look into what even Armand always knew: He would never be Lestat.
So when the truth came out about what Armand did, Louis did the only thing he could think to do and went back to Lestat—not in a romantic sense, but he did owe him a moment of his time, despite how their relationship “ended.” Louis goes back to New Orleans, and we get to see the real Lestat for the first time.
Louis and Lestat see each other
Throughout the show, we never get to actually see Lestat. We see him through Louis’ point of view or based on what Armand is saying about him. At the end of the episode, the real Lestat is there for the audience to witness. He is … not the glorious being that Louis had claimed him to be. This Lestat is literally practicing piano on a piece of wood.
Maybe it was the years of loneliness or maybe he just was always a bit off and Louis didn’t see that, but this Lestat is decidedly different from the picture that’s been painted. It makes me want to learn that much more about him.
The reunion in question comes with an emotional weight. For Louis, it is about reconnecting with someone who caused him trauma and who he hurt in return. For Lestat, it is about understanding the truth of what happened to Louis. When Armand called Lestat, Louis was trying to end his life, and Lestat had to live with that burden for decades without knowing what really happened, and he breaks when talking to Louis about it.
And they share an embrace that leaves us wondering what Louis said to Lestat to get him to react like that.
I didn’t think I would be a Lestat girl by the end of the season, and yet, this scene very much worked to destroy me.
