Chapter 3: Interview With The Vampire, Episode 1: "In throes of increasing wonder..."

Let the tale seduce you! Just as Louis, and I, were seduced...

“I was being hunted. And I was completely unaware it was happening.” — Louis de Pointe du Lac

Let’s dive right in, shall we? 😈 Welcome to my Spooky Season 2023 recap of Interview with the Vampire, my favorite new show on TV in 2022. Here’s some theme music to put you in the mood as we get started:

Quick disclaimer: I’m only 50 or so pages into the book, so when I’m comparing these characters to other versions, it’s to their film counterparts.

THIS. SHOW. The acting, the writing, the music, the costumes, the set—literally ev er y thing is magic. The monologues are magnificent, the chemistry is sizzling—a lot happens in this episode. In this essay, we’ll discuss impactful moments and analyze what we think is going on with these characters in this first episode—and I want to hear from you! Let this be a dialogue.

[spoilers ahead for episode 1]

The first episode takes place 49 whole years after their first interview (what the 1994 film covers—though the film takes place in the present day, so, 1994 then), which is calculated around the book’s date: 1973, to put the show in 2022, when it came out.

I had many questions upfront in the beginning as Louis seduces journalist Daniel Molloy to Dubai:

• Why would Louis think Daniel wants to hear this story again? Especially after he attacked him once?

• What is his end goal?

• Why does he want this “do-over” he mentions?

• Most importantly, why is this story so important to him to relive it again so many years later?

• Is Louis so self-obsessed (and is that merely a vampiric trait/flaw) that he needs to tell this story? Or is he so traumatized by or in love with Lestat, or both, that he can’t let it go?

Daniel is defensive in his new interactions with Louis, but he brings such sarcastic humor and wit along that even Louis is amused. Daniel is more seasoned in human life, he’s been a human longer than Louis was, and immediately sets boundaries with him. I’m not “your boy,” he says. I’m a grown man and I’m here to do this job, but I’ve seen some shit too, ok?! He challenges Louis: “Maybe your story isn’t worth telling,” which makes us wonder how much Louis embellishes to make it worth hearing. Even through these tense moments, Louis maintains his poise. Although Rasheed, Louis’ assistant, even steps in at some point to counteract Daniel’s demands and come to Louis’ defense.

This all makes me wonder why Daniel would return to Louis. Is the vampire all that intriguing, even when he almost killed you once? Morbid curiosity, boredom, loneliness? Unfinished business? All of the above? We know Daniel isn’t in perfect health, that he’s older, and lives alone. He has children he seems estranged from. His sexuality is already in question. Maybe it’s as simple as he has nothing better to do, nothing more interesting going on, maybe he’s secretly hoping for eternal life after all. Maybe this could be his way to go out with a bang—an interview with a real vampire. Can you imagine the media response if people actually believed it was real? If it was?

“Truth in reconciliation.” — Louis de Pointe du Lac

I can’t help but wonder what’s being reconciled here? It’s clear that Louis and Lestat are not together at this time. Is that his hope?

Have your odyssey, Louis! - image via neilcfreak on tumblr

The AMC adaptation adds wholeness and nuance to Louis that we don’t get outside of his general melancholy in the film, many thanks to Rolin Jones, the lead writer. I’d be remiss not to acknowledge him because he wrote these amazing monologues and adapted versions of these characters. In the film, we know that he lost his wife and child (something he does not have in the show), but we don’t have a deep sense of who he is or what he wants, besides death. While the show is vastly different in some major ways, what they’ve done is significantly more compelling and interesting to me. We get a richer sense of who Louis de Pointe du Lac is as a whole human being—a man struggling with his life, longings, fears, sexuality—and more. These are what propel him so easily into Lestat’s arms in addition to Lestat’s own incessant preying upon him. A recipe for what’s to come.

Jacob Anderson portrays Louis so beautifully. So full of what makes us human: sorrow, rage, love, distrust, and hope. Louis’ angst has significantly more reason and payoff than the film, which makes me grateful for a TV version, so the writers have more time to explore the depth of this story with Louis and Lestat.

We learn a lot about Louis and his family in this first episode. They no longer have their father (for what seems like a long time) and Louis is the head of his family, his mother can be cold and cruel, and his brother is schizophrenic. He also has his sister, Grace, who is clearly his rock, even though he doesn’t seem to be aware of that currently. In addition to his family struggles, he has to deal with racist town leaders and try to live up to his father’s memory of successful businessman. There’s a pressure, a weight, a lifestyle all pressing him in tightly. So if Louis is being seduced, he’s seduced by what, a new beginning? A new life? More power? More freedom? To be free not only from the apparent racist structures of society in New Orleans in the 1910s but also from family stresses and the responsibility he felt for them.

He’s an easy target for a predator as lonely as Lestat. When Lestat first sees Louis (that we see anyway), Louis is threatening his brother’s life. Lestat thinks he sees someone worthy of his companionship, someone who can be a killer as vicious as he. Lestat is seductive himself—as beautiful as Louis, confident, his power and prowess painted with poetic words and the seductive way he speaks. He’s charismatic and magnetic, which we see clearly in their first encounter alongside Lily. He’s hot-tempered, clever, and intelligent, as we see in the scene at the Dulac dinner table, with Lestat as their guest. He’s worldly, and he shows Louis another world, adding to his seduction. The first thing we hear him say, in French, is “Only the impossible can do the impossible,” which Louis graciously translates for Lily and us.

Between Lestat’s first sentence and Louis’ “truth in reconciliation,” their thoughtful dispositions make them appear destined for each other. Lestat is intoxicated on synchronicities (“You speak French?”; “Your name is Louis. Of course, it’s Louis.”) Louis, struggling with his melange of offense and admiration. An intriguing mixture is bringing them together and the audience is immediately sucked in.

“Emasculation and admiration in equal measure. I wanted to murder the man, and I wanted to be the man.” — Louis de Pointe du Lac

Let’s get into one of my favorite scenes when Lestat and Louis meet for the second time over a (random??) poker game with some of the city’s local politicians (yuck). Sam Reid is another amazing actor who was born to play this part. I love Lestat’s face when Louis walks in. He doesn’t turn to look at Louis, but you can see on his face that he’s aware of him. It reminds me of when we have a crush and are anticipating their presence or are completely thrown off by it. But Lestat isn’t thrown off by it, as we see, he grabs this feeling and runs with it.

I also love this scene because it’s the first time we hear them publicly discussing this “disease” in town. It’s clear that it’s Lestat, but his playing around with the humans is fun to watch. “Of the 6-foot variety,” he says, “we call those bureaucrats in France.” They laugh. He wins them over. Seduces all. Monstrosity disguised under wit and cleverness. We see his power and his appeal.

“These men look down on you. I have to say, I find it appalling how men like yourself are treated in this country. 10 percent. 15 percent. Do you not know your value? Do you suffer these indignities for some larger purpose?” And then, playfully, “And do you think two-pair will win the hour?” But then he shifts outside of his telepathic communication to speak directly to Louis, “I believe there is great opportunity in this city, but to seize it, I’ll need protection from the wolves.”

This scene is important because it is the first time Louis’ mind cracks open a little for Lestat. We see him smirk at the end of Lestat’s monologue, clearly feeling acknowledged in the corrupt world he lives in. Lestat also drops a bit of his own plans without detail. He not only shows Louis more of what he’s capable of with the way he communicates and freezes time, but he also defends Louis against these capitalistic oppressors. He is probably the first white man to ever acknowledge the systems of oppression that Louis has been forced to live in. Not only that but to impress upon him his own worth outside of it and in addition to it? Louis may hear these things from his family as I’m sure they’ve discussed race in America within their own walls, but it must feel different to have a masculine peer who would publicly have more power than you, give air to its decrepitness. Maybe not in 2023, but surely in 1910, I imagine this would have a luring effect. Lestat shows himself to be someone who wouldn’t treat Louis, or anyone like Louis, this way—although this can certainly be questioned. This on top of the way Lestat played tricks on these powerful men who are obviously not good people, it’s magic to Louis. Of course it’s seductive. How does he do it? How can I? Wouldn’t we all wonder?

“It was a cold winter that year, and Lestat was my coal fire. And I found myself for the very first time, to anyone other than Paul, confiding my struggles to another man.” — Louis de Pointe du Lac

But of course, Louis recalls now that Lestat was preying on him, taking him on dates to the opera, finding fascination in his city, and showing him companionship outside of his family. When Lestat meets his brother, Paul, Paul challenges Lestat by asking about the nature of their relationship and we first see Lestat’s anger, the tumultuous relationship he had with his father, and his struggle with religion—what he wanted out of life that he was unable to have. Lestat seems to have made the most of it, and while I think many things bring Lestat and Louis together—the thing that stuck out to me most in this episode is the longing for freedom—from society, from loneliness, from pain.

Lestat says one night of Louis’ brother, “You must envy him, the liberty he has with his thoughts.” It’s interesting to me that Lestat calls on the freedom Louis longs for. He senses all of this pain in Louis, he wants to be the savior of it all. And while Louis is an easy target, easily longing enough to want to be saved in some ways, Lestat is also manipulating his way deeper into Louis’ life, which in real life, would be quite frightening and one of the biggest red flags in a potential life partner.

Lestat is a trickster but he’s more than that. He’s incredibly intelligent and cunning. He knows that Lily is the way to Louis and he makes it happen. Maybe that one night of them together was enough for Louis to feel content, but since he avoids Lestat after, he clearly is avoiding some level of intimacy they shared. Lily was a positive bridge between them—she let Louis know it’s okay for them to engage this way (“it’s fine, love”) with another man. She was a good friend to Louis, I genuinely would have liked more of her character, although it would probably change the show. Louis even says in the narration that he’d never felt that closeness with a man before, but even if it was enough for Louis, I’m sure it never would have been enough for Lestat, who is clearly smitten.

I wonder if his seduction of Louis was ethical or ever could be. Do vampires just feel entitled to get what they want? This is clear in their lore, Dracula included. I appreciate the intersections of this show’s lens. Not only is Lestat’s seduction of Louis complicated for Louis on a sexual level, but it’s also complicated in terms of their races, which Lestat seems to be “above,” but it is still very much a reality for Louis. And even if Lestat is inhuman and beyond those very human issues, he still lives in a world that’s impacted by them and benefits from them. But because his supernatural powers transcend race, perhaps it’s partly what’s appealing to Louis. I wouldn’t blame him for wanting that for himself. A life beyond these human complexities. But amidst their vampiric desires, they may not always realize or care how intricately connected they are in the human world. Let’s be real, I’m sure they’re aware, but I don’t think they always care.

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Whew, so much to take in already! Let’s take a water break, shall we?

While Louis is experiencing his own awakenings, his brother is sunsetting on his. Even though we didn’t know Paul long, his passing is heartbreaking, especially the more I watch. Paul struggled but he was an innocent, good-hearted person who didn’t deserve to feel the rejection and ostracization I’m sure he felt at times. I can see why he frustrated Louis, of course, but I don’t think anyone would agree his life should’ve ended that way, if at all. The more I’ve seen this episode, the more I’ve wondered how much Lestat was a part of it. We may never know what was going through Paul’s mind when he jumped, but it makes me wonder since Lestat killed Lily to clear the path to Louis.

On the receiving end of his “mother’s blame” and his “sister’s pity”—Louis wants to grieve alone. Lestat won’t let him. In Louis’ words, “he would not allow it.” It’s textbook, right? You’re in pain, let me fix it for you. I’ll make everything better, I will save you.

Louis learns that Lily is dead and it’s too much to bear, he needs her companionship and her unconditional love—which his mother won’t give him. But he still won’t run to Lestat, who he clearly doesn’t feel can comfort him at this time. I don’t blame him. Lestat has paraded power, anger, control, and manipulation—even exerting all of this onto Louis already—why would Louis feel safe with Lestat in a moment that he requires tenderness? He’s driven to the last place he thinks he can find solace: the church.

The last 12 minutes or so of this episode are Emmy-worthy, in my opinion. Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid are powerhouses. I’m so grateful to see Jacob outside of Greyworm since I haven’t seen him in anything else. He was great in Game of Thrones too but that wasn’t really Greyworm’s show, y’know? But this… whew! They did not come to play in this episode (I’m going to say this every episode) and they slayed the end of it. I don’t even think I can analyze this monologue from Louis, it just needs to be witnessed:

I'm a drunk, Lord. I'm a liar. I am a thief, Lord. I profit off the miseries of other men, and I do it easy. Drugs, liquor, women. I lure them in and grab what they got, Lord. I take daughters with no homes and I put 'em out on the street, Lord, and I lie to myself sayin' I'm givin' 'em roof and food and dollar bills in they pocket, but I look in the mirror, I know what I am. The big man in the big house, stuffin' cotton in my ears so I can't hear their cries. And, Lord, I dragged my family into this mess with me. I shame my father. I failed my brother. I lost my mother and sister, and rather than fix it like a man should, Lord, I run like a coward. I run to the bottle. I run to the grift. I run to bad beds. I laid down with a man. I laid down with the Devil. And he has roots in me. All his spindly roots in me. And I can't think nothin' anymore but his voice and his words! Please! Help me! I am weak! I wanna die!

This is a heavy monologue and performed beautifully—furthering my point that Jacob Anderson brings such humanity to Louis. We can’t help but feel for him, to want to take his pain away. Part of me even feels that he’s being a bit too hard on himself, though, if I were him, I might mostly feel the same way.

Louis running to a priest, calling Lestat the devil, only pushes Lestat to a breaking point. I don’t love the fear that Lestat feels the need to derive in Louis to be heard, that he needs to steal his time just to have it, but I do love this scene as a horror fan. We don’t just get to see the witty, cunning, sexy vampire who cleans up nice and is dressed to the nines. We also get to see the monster, the villain, the creature—the rat of the six-foot variety, openly doing what he’s been doing in secret (though perhaps not always as violently). Props to the effects team for this one.

I wondered upon rewatching why Lestat feels the need to show this power to Louis. Couldn’t he have let Louis have his evening of grief and then find him later? Or did he fear it was too late? Perhaps there is simply a vampiric desperation in these classic horror creatures—more emotionally complex than the werewolf, mummy, or creature of the black lagoon. That’s why they’re so intriguing and alluring. He didn’t know what Louis would do, and it’s clear he felt compelled to step in at this moment. The cynic in me would say it was a way to control him, but I do believe that in his own fucked up way, Lestat deeply and genuinely cares for Louis. One could argue that if he truly cared for Louis, he wouldn’t have killed Lily, his brother (theoretically), and driven him away from his family and mortal life. But… this happens:

This primitive country has picked you clean. It has shackled you in permanent exile. Every room you enter, every hat you’re forced to wear—The Stern Landlord, The Deferential Businessman, The Loyal Son—all these roles you conform to, and none of them your true nature. [quote continued in image below]:

via mister-brightside on Tumblr. I’m linking for credit, but do not click that link if you don’t want spoilers.

Be my companion, Louis. Be all the beautiful things you are, and be them without apology. For all eternity.

I love you, Louis! You are loved! It frightens me too, but here we are! Two men seeking unconditional love and emotional safety in a brutal, corrupt world.

It’s a beautiful, horrifically romantic scene. It’s like Louis said, we forget the carnage around them because of Lestat’s confession and beckoning Louis to live a life with him. A better life. What’s more seductive than someone being madly in love with you, enough to murder people just to get to you, and wanting to give you everything you don’t have? We’re going to ignore (for now) the actual craziness of that and just let this be our horror Pride and Prejudice moment because clearly Louis has bewitched Lestat, mind, body, and soul. Or is it the other way around?

Alone, this scene is incredibly romantic. At the same time, there is a tinge of manipulation here. Lestat seems desperate for companionship, he thinks he’s found it in Louis, and he’s desperate to claim it and cling to it to ensure it happens. In our world, it reminds me of when we really latch onto the idea of someone, become obsessed with them, and can’t let them go because of what we think they will give us. It’s all disguised as love of course but it’s actually control.

“What rage you must feel as you choke on your sorrow." – Lestat de Lioncourt

I’d say yes too, tbh. - Copyright: © 2022 AMC Network Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved.

When Lestat says, “I send my love to you and you send it back around to me,” I can’t help but worry about what he’s setting himself up for. When has Louis sent his love back around to Lestat? All we’ve seen is Louis avoid and resist him, pushing his hands away from his mouth in that scene with Lily and low-key ghosting him after their night together. Again, I don’t blame Louis. It’s like when you’re getting to know someone and they’ve done something where you’re like, “Mmmm maybe I don’t want to spend my time with this person,” but they’re already connected to you. And even though they were intimate that night, Louis was happy to pretend it never happened. So is Lestat imagining that love from Louis because he craves it desperately, or does he truly sense it with his intuitive vampire powers?

I do think Lestat thinks he’s doing the right thing. It’s complex, and that’s what makes this story so fun. We’re only in Louis’ head at this point. We don’t know the whole story, we don’t necessarily know the truth, we’ve already been told that we have an unreliable narrator. In that sense, seeing this moment from Louis’ perspective, it’s clear he was seduced—but not on a shallow level. A soulmate entered his life, for better or worse, we’ll see. Does Lestat know that Louis loves him before he does? They are destined to be great friends… and what else?

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Epilogue

This show is what inspired The Highlight Reel, actually. When I first watched it last year, I had so many thoughts and feelings. This recap/review has been a long time coming, and I’m so excited to do it this spooky season.

Well, I asked a zillion questions throughout this article, so I won’t add any here, but please, share with me your thoughts and your own questions! I’m eager to hear and would love to have a dialogue about my two favorite vampires. Which character(s) pulled at you? What scene(s) stood out to you? Why do you think Louis resisted Lestat so much after their first night together? To me, every scene in this episode matters, and I unfortunately couldn’t speak on them all in such depth.

‘Til next Friday, when we dive into Episode 2: “…after the phantoms of your former self.” 👀 It’s a fun one and I’m excited. I know it’s tempting to binge (I watched the whole thing in 2 days on my first watch), but try to savor an episode per week alongside my articles, if you can!

And let me just say, if you haven’t seen the movie, I recommend it. Maybe before you finish this season—although heads up that if you watch the movie, some things will be spoiled from the TV version, although it is also so different.

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