A summary of the show and the books that inspired it.
About the main cast and characters (and my thought on them).
All the official and unofficial relationships in the show.
A collection of my favourite episodes, outfits, songs, etc...
All the other thoughts and feelings I have about the show ♡
A table of credits for all the images and assets used in this shrine.
The television show "Interview with the Vampire", or iwtv, first aired in 2022 with it's second season airing in 2024 and the upcoming third season scheduled to air in 2026. It is an adaptation of the book series, The Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice. This adaptation is very different from the books and previous films (and stage plays) that have adapted the series. That is one of the reasons I love it so. It's not perfect, but particularly with changing the inherent racism and prejudice for bodies that do not fit Rice's convention, makes the show far more compelling (and makes it easier to empathise with the characters, you'll never catch me empathising with slave-owner Louis). I have not read all the books so any comments I make are based on extracts I have read or the comments of others in the fandom.
The show follows the interview of Louis de Pointe du Lac by Daniel Molloy, who he had met in the 1970s for an interview that went wrong. With 50 years to separate the interview from now, Louis seems much more ready to honestly explore his story. Daniel is a no nonsense interviewer who, following 2 Pulitzer prizes and 2 divorces, really grills Louis for the truth (and is sometimes hurt because of that). The first season recounts Louis' relationship with Lestat de Lioncourt and the creation of their daughter, retelling the 1910s to 1940s. The second is about Louis and Claudia's life in Paris where they meet the vampire Armand and his coven, retelling the 1940s and 50s. At the end of the second season Daniel exposes the "sizemic lie" that Louis had been living in, pushing him to move forward by facing his past head on.
The fact that it is clear each person telling the story is unreliable, intentionally or not, makes the show incredibly gripping. Some of my favourite scenes of the show is when we are shown a season 1 scene changed as Louis remembers the "truth" of the event. It's delicious! It also helps to show every character as morally grey. We empathise with everyone (partialy because it's fiction and so the extreme actions depicted can be explored) as we are shown that everyone has such incredible multitudes to them. Seeing humanity being relfected in such extremes is beautiful.
The human of the show, Daniel Molloy, is the interviewer. He is fierce and direct, but as his relationship with Louis grows we see a tenderness and kinship with the vampire. Ultimately Daniel is after the truth, and getting it sees him putting his safety and integrity at risk. He is the vehicle for the mode of story telling of the show, he is the person that facilitates what is told and how. This makes him the catalyst for many of the times where unreliable narration is exposed — his own included. His mortality is in stark contrast to the vampires. Him actively dying from his Parkinsons, and refusing the dark gift, is a sign of a life lived. Not only does it differ from the immortals but from his past self. I like that he is so human and can bring out the vampires' humanity — the vampires are not dissimilar to him when he can bring out their emotionality. He's not afraid of death — even when it's in his face in the form of 6ft man — because he has lived.
That of course does not last forever. The reinvigoration he gains from being a vampire is something I'm excited to be explored and to see how much he distances himself from his humanity. I adore Daniel. I think it's so important to see an old man! An old man who is lively and angry and sad and pursuing his “drug” (as Armand says). Particularly to see an old man that is ready to get naked for the show. Elder queer (repressed or not) representation is very important, especially if we see a change in Daniel's relationship to his queerness following becoming a vampire.
Louis du Lac is the central character of the first two seasons. I think it's important to mention the differences between book and show Louis, namely that our Louis is black and was born at the end of the 1800s compared to book Louis that is born over a century earlier and is a white plantation owner. Changing him was a wonderful decision. Not only to see the wonderful Jacob Anderson but to explore an experience that should be represented. For more detail on racebending for the show and what it's getting right and wrong, check out Princess Weekes' video! It also means that we get a 1910s-1950s period drama and I love that.
Louis is a clear product of his upbringing, his wealth, his status, his skin, and relationships with his family. This is what draws others to him. He harnesses power in such a expert way. Louis ability to be cruel and manipulative is often overlooked partly thanks to the immense manipulators he's around (apart from Claudia, love you girl). This is sometimes explicity shown when we see a scene again in a more honest light, but also in subtle ways like him accepting the role of Maître from Armand.Throughout the interview process Louis changes a lot. As the central story teller we get exposed to his unreliable narration immediately through relistening to the 1973 interview. Particularly in season 2 we see how he remembers events differently and how the history he knew changing, changes his relationships with those in his story. The man he has contorted himself into (especially in the last 40 years) is a clear shadow of who he is, which we get to see at the end of S2 where he has colour in his home and outfits!
Lestat de Lioncourt is the vampire who turns Louis. In making Louis he is attempting to make an immortal companion. Lestat is made to be the villain of the show, particularly in through his lack of humanity. He is remorseless and unmoral, and often extravagant, in his killings. He admires artists, and is closest to humanity when engaging with the art of music. Lestat has a personality disorder is very broken by a past that we do not see in the show. This unfortunately manifests as quite abusive outbursts towards Louis. But there is an incredible amount of love there. To cast him plainly as the evil villain of the show would be reductive. I appreciate in fiction we can explore these horrors with an empathy that we wouldn't, and shouldn't, give to a real person.
Remembering that all we see of Lestat is from the perspective of others is important. I'm sure he is a pretty horrific person, but each version we see of him is fueled by Louis' emotional state. I'm excited to see his retelling of certain events in S3. I don't know how much of S1 and 2 we'll see again, as I'm guessing most of it will follow his backstory like in The Vampire Lestat book, but it would be nice to see Louis through Lestat's eyes. Sam Reid has said that particularly the version of Lestat that we see from Armand has little resemblance to the real version of him. I love the way each cast member connects with their character, and Lestat's possession of Sam Reid is glorious.
Claudia is the only sane person in the show. She calls out abuse when it happens and berates Louis self destructive and manipulative behaviour. She is fierce and strong-willed and yet kind. Her capacity for enduring through the shit show that is the relationships of the other vampires is incredible. Her whole story is tragic. Her pre-vampire life, then her turning is traumatic. The hopefully start that she has quickly spirals as her maker and father clearly are using her a an attempt to fix their marriage. She witnesses abuse and suffers it herself. And yet, she not only endures but triumphs. She learns to live, in some capacity, independently. It is all the vampires around her which are the source of her pain.
Claudia is able to tell her story through her diaries. It's very important that she has a voice, particularly when in contrast to Louis. The first real time we see events change dramatically is thanks to her description of Lestat's death. We see Louis as violent in that moment, and Louis can't really handle that fact. Claudia's death is a central reason the series exists. The death of Anne Rice's child, and the tragedy that is the death of a child, is underpinning the whole story. Claudia's death in the show is for me more brutal than the 1994 film as she has suffered more, come out the other side of it, is beginning to build a life for herself, and then it's all pulled away. I agree with Louis when he says she's different from other child vampires. I think she would've been a wonderfully formidable vampire.
Armand, is he a wet kitten obsessed with blenders or an ancient manipulator that psychologically abuses those closest to him? Armand is one of the most complex characters in the show and in the fandom. I find it really interesting the way the fandom has changed him, and I think it's reflective of the way he is able to change himself. He has gone through so much, carrying 500yrs in a 26yr old body, with his pre-vampiric life being full of all kinds of trauma that affects his thoughts/behaviour surrounding love and authority and power and the trajectory of lives — partly coming from having so little autonomy in his life, he has so little actual control yet is always in a position of power.
I think we'll be seeing Armand from Lestat's perspective in S3 and maybe actual Armand if he stops being such a neglectful maker. I want to see what he's doing in absence of the power he has traditionally insecurely held. He's such an interesting character in this way because he clearly needs a form of control and power yet repeatedly gives in to the whims of having that power taken away from him. When Daniel ruins his relationship with Louis he lets it happen! I want to know why. Perhaps there is a Devil's Minion explanation to it, but I think this intrinsic (almost self-destructive) need to let what he builds crumble at the hands of another is part of him.
Louis and Lestat is the core relationship that the show revolves around. I will defend their relationship in part because they are fictional and can be seen to be mutually abusive (which is not real due to the expression of power imbalances that happens in real relationships) and because of the nature of the vampire bond. That literally uncontrollable “love” underscores the potential of their relationship. I'm sure if they will be romantically involved with each other again in the show, but their romantic relationship when it was so far removed from their insecurities was beautiful. Their love is undeniable. In 1x02 when Louis is crying and Lestat genuinely comforts him and reflects the parts of Louis that he loves back to him, to me, it is pure.
This is definitely my favourite ship in the show. I have put it in the official section although it is dubious and you could deny it when watching the show... but because it's official in the books and the cast are certain we'll see Daniel and Armand together in the show it's official. Daniel and Armand had quite a traumatic start to their relationship and much about their relationship is unknown and unconfirmed. If you want a break down of the theories check out Maria May's video. In the show it seems clear there is a connection, whether or not formed over the course of what we see on screen. It doesn't seem that Armand would turn Daniel simply out of spite after 500yrs of not making a fledgling.
I look forwarded to updating the section when we get more of them on screen!
I've put Loumand and Lesmand together as I don't have much to say apart from I am a fan of both of these ships. They are not end goals as I think it's clear they're not “meant” for each other. But the relationships have a sexy potential and should be appreciated in the fandom (if you couldn't tell, I'm first and foremost a ship tolerater. I think FICTIONAL CHARACTERS can be shipped in any way a person likes).
Now a moment for the wonderful lesbians. It is devastating that we don't get more of them on screen but I love how actually pure and unproblematic their love is for each other. The privilege we have to see Claudia through Madeline's eyes was truly gorgeous. The potential of their relationship like the potential Claudia has it lovely to bask in, and all the more tragic when they end together. Claudia holding Madeline as they face the sun and Madeline's utter resistance to abandon Claudia is important.
This is the peak because it allows you to scramble them in any way you please! Including Loumandstat. As all have them have been with each other this ship is so fun and basically real. I love the idea of them hate-fucking or actually being in love or Armand and Lestat fighting for Louis or literally whatever that puts these three together at the same time. Then I love Loumandaniel, especially when it gets kinky, because I feel like it is an alternate reality where each of them are slightly kinder and it's just a cute throuple. Then you have them all together and it's just cute and perfect (in the fictions about the fictions, thank you ao3).
A special mention to these two because I love their friendship so much. I think, as the actors have said, they are each other's only friends. I think they have the capacity to have a blank state and casual relationship with each other. We can also have a Louis-mentor and Daniel-mentee relationship for Daniel's turning and I think that wholesome. I would also love an absolutely not wholesome relationship where Louis calls Daniel “boy” and that gets Daniel hard... Also the whole "do you want to know?" from Louis in 2x05.
1x01: The show starts so amazingly that it has to be up there.
1x07: The finale of season one is visually gorgeous, it exposes some big contradictions in the way Louis tells the story and the "truth", and it highlights the nature of Loustat's relationship.
2x05: Everyone's favourite: the Daniel undergoing psycho(sexual) torture!
2x07: The Trial episode is such so well done. Watching it for the first time and feeling like Louis did by being in utter disbelief that Lestat had returned was so cool. Again, as a fan of the exposing of unreliable narration, it was just gorgeous to watch.
Titles: What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned / Like the Light by Which God Made the World Before He Made Light / And That's The End of It. There's Nothing Else (I want the latter tattooed on me)
I wanted to briefly to say that the reality is that we have two Claudias, and they are different because two different actors are playing the character. That does not detract from Claudia's story. Of course it would be cool to imagine Bass' S2 Claudia and Hayles' S1 Claudia. Although it can be interesting to compare them, I won't do it here because I don't think it's helpful.
Fun fact: this green background colour is picked off of Armand's shirt in 2x05!
| asset | link | author |
|---|---|---|
| font | https://www.tumblr.com/... | squirrellypoo |
| background | https://www.flickr.com/... | Jeffrey Lamb |
| back | https://gifcities.org/... | Unknown |
| fang divider | https://www.tumblr.com/... | animatedglittergraphics-n-more |