Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Interview with the Vampire Season 2.
Out of all the vampire media that has been dominating the screens recently, one that stands out is the critically acclaimedAnne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, thanks to its masterful balance of both seduction and comedic beats. The AMC series, adapted from the books by the lateAnne Rice, boasts many different vampires, each of whom is incredibly complex in their own right, making the audience love and love to hate them at the same time. The vampires are also uniquely flawed, but Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) might just be the most complicated one. From the get-go, this vampire is seen as arrogant and full of himself, pushing everyone’s buttons, and is not widely liked within the community. However, even though he is described as these things to outsiders like veteran journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), the thing is thatno one actuallyknowswho Lestat really is, because he hasn’t been there to tell his side of the story.
Interview with the Vampire
Based on Anne Rice’s iconic novel, follow Louis de Pointe’s epic story of love, blood and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy.
‘Interview with the Vampire’ Sees Lestat Through Others' (Unreliable) Eyes
Lestat is a prominent presence inInterview with the Vampire,though he has only appeared via others' stories. In Season 1, Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) asks Daniel Molloy if he can fly to Dubai to redo the interview they had years back to set the record straight. Louis shares his life story with Daniel, particularly his early years as a vampire — and these stories heavily involve Lestat, Louis’ lover and maker, whom Louisdescribes as a complicated creature with a dark side.
At first, upon Louis’ turning, the couple are caught up in their own affairs, living their vampire lives blissfully with no care for the human world. However, things significantly change when young Claudia (played byBailey Bassin Season 1 andDelainey Haylesin Season 2) comes into the picture, inevitably modifying their dynamic. As Claudia becomes older and becomes more knowledgeable about the curse she is in — an adult stuck in the body of a pre-teen — she starts to rebel, brewing hatred towards Lestat and even Louis. Lestat channels his own anger through abuse, resulting in Claudia and Louis conspiring against him because, as Louis mentions, their relationship has already been hanging on an incredibly delicate thread to begin with. Based on Louis’ reminiscences, it seems that Lestat is an unpredictable, smart, and very dangerous being that no one should dare to provoke unless prepared. But given that all of these stories are coming from Louis, sothe audience only knows Lestat from his perspective. Judging by the show’s theme centering around memory being a monster, it is likely that there are certain events described by Louis that are not too accurate.
However, Season 2 is quite different, because apart from Louis’ recollection and Claudia’s diaries,Lestat is also depicted through Armand’s (Assad Zaman) perspective, resulting in even more questions as to who the vampire really is. In the episode “No Pain,” Armand becomes the focus of the interview, telling Daniel about his history with his old Parisian coven and his encounter with the mysterious Lestat. Armand confesses that his interest in Lestat stemmed from the other vampire’s independence, something he secretly craves. After some time, the two become intimate, but Armand reveals that once he taught Lestat the mind gift, the other vampire abandoned himandwhat they built in the Théâtre des Vampires. For Armand, Lestat is also a complex creature, though given Armand’s history of deception (such as roleplaying as Rashid in Season 1), it won’t be a surprise if he exaggerates some of his memories.
Will We Ever Know the Truth of Lestat on ‘Interview with the Vampire’?
Lestat’s true nature remains one of the biggest mysteriesofInterview with the Vampire. Though he shows up on screen a lot of the time, no one truly knows who he is because he is shown through the memories of the other vampires. And, considering what the vampires in his life are like, there is a chance that some of their descriptions of Lestat and certain events are clouded by past conflict and the immortal curse of time.The show has continually leaned on the unreliable narrator trope; even the “Was it raining, Louis?“scene casts doubt on whether the vampire is able to remember everything as clearly as he once did. Lestat has been depicted differently by Louis, Armand, and Claudia as they have different relationships with him — but all of their recountings have one thing in common: that this vampire is mercurial, unpredictable, and in many ways a ticking time bomb.
In “No Pain,” how Armand frames Lestat in his version of events is intriguing all on its own; a majority of the time, he sells himself as someone whoscaredLestat, someone capable of manipulating him due to his own greater age and knowledge. This contrasts greatly with Louis’ depiction, as he views Lestat as the manipulative and scary one. For Louis, the early years of their relationship were good, but then it gradually shifts into one large toxic spill, leading him to confess to Daniel that he killed his maker. His guilt festers for many years, especially during his time in Paris;even the Lestat we see at the beginning of Season 2 is a manifestation of what Louis still carries inside himself. Both Louis and Armand clearly have a deep, complicated attachment to the mysterious vampire, but that attachment is likely the reason why their memories of their shared lover can’t entirely be trusted.
Louis, Armand, and Claudia each have varying accounts of Lestat, but judging by what they each have been through with him, it is understandable that their memories may be impacted by time and distance. However, there is still a chance that we’ll be able to see the real Lestat and get to know his side of the story in future seasons, putting an end to certain allegations about him from his fellow vampires.
New episodes ofInterview with the Vampirepremiere every Sunday and are available to stream on AMC+.
