Interview With The Vampire: Season 1/ Episode 2 “After The Phantoms Of Your Former Self” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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As Louis comes into being as a vampire, he struggles with this second bout of puberty and all the wilds that come with it.

Aired (AMC+)	10/2/2022
Director(s)	Alan Taylor
Writer(s)	Jonathan Ceniceroz, Dave Harris

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Recap

I’m What You Call A Modern Man – Daniel, Louis

In 2022, Louis tries to show himself as civilized. He notes he hasn’t killed a human since 2000. Note, he still drinks from humans and kills animals, like rabbits, but no longer humans. All of this doesn’t necessarily amuse Daniel much. At least until he hears about a farm, which piques his interests; alongside that Louis can speak to various vampires worldwide.

But, perhaps the thing that interests Daniel is the series of men who come in and exit the room, who call Louis a God and mean that with all their hearts. What are their stories?

The Early Years – Louis, Lestat, Grace, Florence

As seen throughout vampire media, the first couple of days are hard. You are going through puberty again, but with the hormones being immensely intense. For Louis, it was a high, a burn, just an overwhelming feeling. One which made being around anyone but Lestat sometimes feel dangerous. Anger led to impetuous actions, like feeding on those who would be missed and easily noticed if gone.

Then, when it came to family, things were harder than before. It was difficult to hear their blood pulse and thoughts, including Florence’s dismay that her son was a homosexual. However, things came to a head when Louis made a rare visit and held Grace’s third child. The smell, and the sound of their little heart, he found himself tempted to feed on the baby but had enough control to simply abandon the child, potentially drop it, to save himself from doing the worst.

It’s Hard To Let Go Of Earthly Desires – Lestat, Louis

With living over 200 years comes Lestat’s immense wealth, and while Louis could live life as a kept man, he doesn’t wish to. Instead, he asks Lestat to invest in him, and with that, Louis acquires new property, like the Fairplay Saloon, and has some of his favorites come along for the ride.

But, being richer than he ever dreamed, trips to Italy, all of that, doesn’t replace the family he longs for, and Lestat cannot be enough. He is still someone Louis is seduced by more so than in love with. Never mind, between family, lovers, and employees, Louis doesn’t like being alone, and the curse of loneliness comes with this gift of becoming a vampire. Something that could even debilitate Lestat, so who is Louis to try to face what was scary to him when he was human?

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. If there are 100 vampires in the 1910s, how many are there in 2022?
2. Who was the first vampire to discover you could go their version of vegan, and why didn’t more do so to hide their true nature?
3. Considering the life span they have, are you telling me no vampire has come up with a cream or second skin so they can walk in the sun?
4. When you go on a liquid (blood) diet, how does your stomach react if you, like Louis, still eat human food on occasion?
5. Will Louis still be around when the series covers other books in the series?
6. Assuming Louis can still read minds, does that mean when Daniel asks a good question, he delays in order to think of a good retort or answer?

What Could Happen Next

1. Louis and Lestat are ran out of New Orleans

Collected Quote(s)

Memory is a monster. We forget, it doesn’t.
— Daniel

Review

Highlights

How Poetic Louis Sometimes Talks

A part of me likes to believe Louis enjoyed James Baldwin and tried to take on his manner of speaking. For the way Louis’ words flow, how he speaks romantically about Lestat and being a vampire, there is a frankness yet, the desire to see something more. As if, while it is an old hat to him, he wants Daniel to understand how each experience felt at one time. So, while a slight struggle, each sentence feels like he is digging up a corpse and trying to reanimate it. And while the smell is awful, the memories sometimes are strong enough to block the stench and allow nostalgia to set in.

The Softening Of Lestat Makes Him A More Understandable Partner

What Sam Reid and the writers of this version of “Interview With The Vampire” do well is make Lestat a likable and understandable partner. Louis isn’t solely dependent on him because Lestat may still be able to seduce him with his powers or because he knows no other vampire, but it’s because Lestat allows himself to be vulnerable without coming off desperate. Seeing Lestat lose himself in music counteracts seeing Lestat lose himself in a kill, including torturing a man who can’t sing to Lestat’s preference.

But, overall, what we get in this Lestat is something that seems to have long waited for a partner and acts like it. He takes Louis on dates, teaches him the ways of a vampire, and tries to prevent him from being hurt. Never mind, when Louis screws up, he is right there, albeit complaining, but still helping to clean up the mess. What more could a young vampire ask for?

On The Fence

While You Value Louis’ Relationships, At The Same Time There Is A Disconnect

When it comes to Louis’ employees, there is a slight desire to name them but there is something about his interactions with all of them that pushes the idea you shouldn’t get used to them. Even when it comes to Louis and Grace, which is a loving and beautiful relationship to watch, there is this feeling of holding back.

Now, maybe that is due to feeling connected to Louis enough that you can feel what he does? This desire to want to be close to these characters but, knowing the closer you get the more pain can be caused? It’s hard to say, but with knowing all the historical events coming up in the past, there is a need to question will the end of Florence be something Louis sees or will he just hear about it? For the end feels near for many.

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