Two Goths and a Coffin

“Do you know what it means to be loved by death” Review: Spoilers ahead

The second episode of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire could not possibly stand in more stark contrast tonally from its antecedent, with a smooth, almost sensual jazz piece written by the show’s composer Daniel Hart starting off Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Armand’s (Assad Zaman) romantic description of Paris. In comparison to the muted sound of bombs that began the season premiere, we, the audience, are given the impression that the City of Light isn’t the only thing waking itself up again after a long, hard fight. 

Even after the tender truce at the end of the season premiere episode, “What can the damned say to the damned,” we find Louis and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) together but with the distinct impression that Claudia is still dissatisfied at not having found the vampiric community she was looking for. Hayles does a wonderful job in this episode of expressing all of the highs and lows of Claudia’s emotional journey here, starting off with a distinct feeling of listlessness as she tolerates Louis playing tourist in France. The mental recitation of her diary entry has an almost classic noir feel to it in its delivery, smart and withdrawn as she wanders in the rain to Roxane Duran’s dress shop.  

In fact, that noir feel carries throughout this entire episode, from the Dutch angles during the Théâtre des Vampires performance to Louis standing underneath a street lamp as a fedora-wearing Armand emerges from the shadows to extend a formal invitation to one of his coven’s shows, the show oozes style and pays homage to the genre as it seduces us further into the narrative. The last shot of the episode feels like it could’ve been shot in front of a projector as we watch Louis attempt to manage the contradictory cocktail of emotions bubbling up inside of him after his romantically charged conversation with Armand outside of the château. It’s a masterclass of filmmaking from director Levan Akin and beautifully executed.

Speaking of the romantic tension between Louis and Armand, the tenderness when they recounted their first meeting is breathtaking. The intimacy is overwhelming that even as a viewer it felt like we were not meant to be seeing this cherished moment between the two. Zaman and Anderson play off each other in a way that truly makes you feel like they’re an old married couple in the fondest sense. When the couple are recounting how it took five months for them to finally cross paths, it feels like When Harry Met Sally but with vampires. There is a distinct humor to the scene, and the natural way they finish each other’s thoughts or mouth along with them as they say something they’ve said a thousand times before is endearing and conveys the long history between them. 

Louis and Armand’s meet cute taking place in a park known for cruising sets a tone to the relationship dynamic they will eventually develop. The obvious dissimilarity of Louis and Armand’s more relaxed, sexually liberatory relationship to Louis’ traditionally monogamous previous relationship is very interesting and speaks to the level of trust that has developed between this couple over their almost eight decades together. Louis and Armand talk to Daniel (Eric Bogosian) about their “guys” in a way that clearly insinuates frequently engaging thirds. The music during this section is very poignant and sentimental as it leads in the cruising scene, relating Louis’ desire for companionship and connection. When Louis and Armand do finally meet, the two immediately see past the other’s facade; Louis comments on Armand looking like a “boy masquerading as a gentleman” and Armand describes Louis as “awkward”, attempting to fit in somewhere he clearly doesn’t belong. These descriptions aren’t flattering per se but the sincerity of them as the couple falls into fond silence as they reminisce is strangely sweet considering the circumstances.

The tone shifts when Louis and Claudia reach the theater. The campiness of the whole affair, from the ticket taker wearing cartoonishly large vampire teeth and white face paint to Santiago (Ben Daniels) giving his best Emcee from Cabaret as he hams it up on stage is so demented and charming. It’s Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol meets Rocky Horror Picture Show. The gore is over-the-top, the devoted fans bring out matching umbrellas to shield themselves from the torrent of corn syrup, and the plays themselves are “weird,” as Louis says. The acting is unsubtle, the artistic direction distinctly avant-garde. It’s so obviously fake right up until the moment it isn’t in a scene that reminds the audience that this is a horror show. Santiago breaks the fourth wall in his opening monologue, looking directly at us and informing us of our role in the upcoming atrocity. After all, there is no show unless someone is watching. What occurs next is brutality for brutality’s sake, the theater-goers so bought into the farce of the performance that they essentially become a studio audience to a snuff film, laughing and jeering a real woman’s murder. It’s ghoulish and perverse, and Claudia is enthralled the entire time while Louis fails to hide his disgust. 

Another continuation from the season opener is the lingering presence of Lestat (Sam Reid). In the basement that the vampire coven calls home Lestat’s portrait looms above Louis and Claudia, threatening them even in his absence. This threat is reiterated when Louis visits the office of Roget, Abert, & Associates and is given a box and letter apparently left behind by the “late” Lestat. The existence of this inheritance raises questions on its own: when did Lestat assemble all of this? Did he possibly plan for his own death, despite possessing a pathological level of arrogance? Or perhaps was this made up during Louis and Claudia’s sojourn through Eastern Europe as a clear warning of what’s to come if he finds them? Regardless of the circumstances, the effect the letter has on Louis is significant. In a letter wrought with poetic language describing the depth of his love, Lestat reminds Louis that the “veil separating their union” is thin and he is always on the other side of it, watching him. Reid’s ability to articulate the unhinged infatuation Lestat will always hold for Louis while also pressing a knife behind those same words is as impressive as it is unnerving. The gothic nature of the show really bleeds through in these moments as Louis remains haunted by his former lover and maker.

Meanwhile, Daniel continues to undermine the genuineness of Louis’ current relationship, referring to Armand as a “rebound” despite the relationship lasting more than twice as long as Louis and Lestat’s. Armand and Louis finally fight back using the Mind Gift to destabilize Daniel and remind him that he is a guest in their home with a job to do. During this stunning and disorienting dance Zaman and Anderson perform, we see flashbacks to the original interview where Armand appears to be doing the same thing, reminding Daniel that Louis is not the only one who may have forgotten crucial moments from his past. The gleeful cruelty with which Louis chuckles at Daniel’s emotional pain, enacted in retaliation to Daniel’s constant belittling, is borderline deranged and absolutely fantastic. The way that Anderson is able to pivot so quickly from sorrow to this pointed ruthlessness is extraordinary.

The episode finishes with Louis and Armand having a private conversation outside of a lavish mansion while the rest of the coven wreaks havoc inside. The juxtaposition of these two simultaneous scenes is amazing, showing this sweet love blossoming in front of a backdrop of unbridled brutality. Their conversation plays out like a classic noir romance, the flirtation light but palpable, the danger and mystery clinging to the edges of it like fog. It’s outstanding to put it simply. The interplay of power dynamics between the two comes up here, where Armand refers to Louis as dominating his mind and Louis calling Armand “maître”. Armand may be the more powerful vampire, but he lays that aside by telling Louis that for him, he is simply Armand. It calls back to their dynamic in the first season where Armand pretends to be subservient to Louis, a performance that appears to have only been half false. 

Claudia and the rest of the coven emerge from the mansion while she exclaims that she loves being a vampire and she loves these people and never wants to leave. Louis seems troubled and conflicted by all the preceding events of the episode and as the theater troupe drives away, we’re left in a close up of Louis’ face as the sounds of screams and fire consume the building behind him. This episode is a perfect follow-up to the opener. It’s romantic and intimate and brutal and genuinely frightening at times. We can feel the foundations being laid for the rest of the season and know all we can do is wait in anticipation as it slowly unfolds before us.