Interview with the Vampire: I Want You More Than Anything In The World Books Included

June 2, 2024 3:14 AM - Season 2, Episode 4

The coven questions Louis and Armand's special relationship; Claudia finds a new friend.
posted by fight or flight (9 comments total)

I am still processing this episode but I was not expecting to get The Vampire Armand (book) and by the time he said "No one has painted me in 400 years," I was sobbing. The breaking into the museum, the entire life's story, the calling Marius out on his "rental" bullshit.... what an absolute gift to be able to see this story brought to life by someone as talented as Assad. I'm re-reading some of the books and he has replaced any other Armands I've had in my head.

On the other side of the coin, I also found myself laughing during this ep more than the previous ones. Dreamstat is hilarious and I was sad to see him go. I hope the Real Lestat is half as fun as Louis's image of him.

I was initially bummed at the lack of Santiago mimicry. Thank you, show, for getting there.

Going to go jump out a window and then re-watch about 100 more times.
posted by haplesschild at 3:35 PM on June 2 [2 favorites]

I feel COMPLETELY INSANE. That episode was glorious, it's going to take me a full week at least to process, and then I'm going to get smacked directly in the head by San Francisco, oh God.
posted by merriment at 6:29 PM on June 2 [1 favorite]

I know I won't get it and I need to be satisfied with the truly excellent show I am being presented but I'm still going to ask for a spin-off series following the adventures of Sam, cheerful gore janitor and sometimes playwright.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:16 PM on June 2 [2 favorites]

I posted this with the initial goal of putting a comment review in but I ended up just rewatching the episode 3 or 4 times and having to lie down and gaze into the middle distance for a while about it.

I'm very glad to have the word "verklempt" in my dictionary to describe the feelings this show is generating in me (and I'm heartened to see I'm not alone). God. GOD. I need to lie down again.
posted by fight or flight at 8:33 AM on June 3 [3 favorites]

Can someone help me out a bit… I am not quite understanding what’s going on with the bits where it seems Daniel is having flashbacks of talking with Armand? I’m loving all the past history story, but I’m feeling less clear on what’s happening in the actual present day interview scenes.
posted by dnash at 8:43 AM on June 4

dnash, we don't know the full story yet (it looks like that's going to be told in the upcoming episode on Sunday) but so far we know as of this episode that:

- Armand was with Louis during or before the original interview -- we've seen him in the flashbacks to Louis and Daniel in the bar, where it was revealed that he was there when Louis invited Daniel up to his apartment. Armand and Louis have also talked about meeting Daniel before, referring to him as "our boy".
- Armand and Louis argued during the original interview after Daniel was bitten -- we heard this on the "enhanced" audio in this episode. It sounds as though Armand may be jealous(?) of Daniel and Louis.

We don't know about the context of those flashbacks that keep happening with Armand staring into (presumably) Daniel's eyes. These may be recovered memories that Armand has hidden from Daniel and is either deliberately or accidentally allowing to surface again. Daniel is slowly remembering that something happened between him and Armand and is growing suspiscious that they've been manipulating him this whole time.

(For the record, this is all a reference/play on a subplot in the books between Daniel and Armand, most famously in a chapter of Queen of the Damned called "The Devil's Minion", which is why there are references to it all over the place, and why the Daniel/Armand ship is named The Devil's Minion in the fandom.)

As for the rest of it, we're all in the same place of just guessing and not knowing what's going on! I'm sure it will be revealled and it will be suitably dramatic and sad and/or toxic. I can't wait!
posted by fight or flight at 9:26 AM on June 4 [2 favorites]

I am not quite understanding what’s going on with the bits where it seems Daniel is having flashbacks of talking with Armand?

I don't think the show intends for you to fully understand just yet -- these flashbacks seem to be setting up an episode 5 focused on young Daniel's prior interactions with Louis & Armand in San Francisco in the 70s. In interviews, Eric Bogosian has said there's a good reason that old Daniel doesn't trust Armand -- he just can't remember it at first. I believe in the next episode we will find out much more.
posted by ourobouros at 9:27 AM on June 4

Thanks, folks! I could tell we weren't supposed to understand ALL of it quite yet, but I worried I was missing more. It seems like this is where they may be heading into deviation from the books? (I quit after "Memnoch" which I found atrocious. I came back for "Armand," but, well, I know I read it I just don't remember any of it...)

this is all a reference/play on a subplot in the books between Daniel and Armand, most famously in a chapter of Queen of the Damned called "The Devil's Minion",

Hmmm. I remember that part - or at least I thought I did... I'll see if I can find some time to review. Queen of the Damned was published right after I got to college in Chicago, and it stuck with me finding out the interviewer's name was Daniel (my name); and when we first see him in QOTD I believe he's in Water Tower Place in Chicago, and having a torrid affair with Armand (who at the time I was picturing as River Phoenix) .... So that was really the only part of that book I loved.
posted by dnash at 5:09 PM on June 4 [1 favorite]

The camerawork in this episode was driving me nuts. I know there were stylistic choices in the jumpcuts contrasted with the flashbacks and lingering shots.

At the same time though, the production felt cheap. Less like film and more like after school special. I hadn't noticed that in other episodes.
posted by kokaku at 12:56 AM on June 5