Interview With The Vampire: Season 2 Episode 7 – Review/ Recap

It is time for the trial to determine the fate of Claudia, Louis, and Madeline, and with Lestat as the star witness, you already know what fate has planned.

Plot Recap

The Return Of Lestat And The Years Before Claudia – Santiago, Lestat, Louis

As expected, Lestat makes his grand return, and it seems, while given a script, Lestat cannot resist an audience. Being that this play is about him, he revels in the attention. Now, pressed for time, the script doesn’t allow Lestat to talk about his human life or maker, just his first child and then Louis.

The way Lestat paints it, Louis seduced him and he goes on and on about the passion of the romance, then loneliness when Louis found himself struggling. It goes on to the point that Santiago gets frustrated while the audience is eating out of Lestat’s hand. But what perhaps upsets Santiago more than Lestat going off script is also Lestat making it clear that, even if Santiago is the new coven leader, he is not the star on stage.

Daddy’s Little Monster – Claudia, Lestat, Louis, Santiago

But, one person who clearly wanted to compete with Lestat for prominence was Claudia. While Louis interrupted, only to have multiple vampires hush him with their telepathy, Claudia was a fighter. She would shout out corrections, expletives, and all but help in Lestat’s reconfiguration of history. He initially paints her as a victim of Louis’ sympathy but makes it clear he gave birth to a monster.

With that in mind, so comes the question of why Lestat isn’t on trial. Between that and a confession of his attempt to kill Louis when he wished to leave, Claudia is confused. But she comes to terms with the decision already being made by Santiago and the others. This is a mock trial for a stoning. Santiago’s coven is just, like any cruel vampire would, playing with their prey before killing them.

Louis, though, as he listens to Lestat, finds himself, in the present day, having to reconsider Claudia’s origins. Was Louis warned of how she would suffer? Did he care? Claudia referred to him as an angel, and after spending a good part of his life feeling ostracized or treated as something ungodly, how could Louis not live up to the kindest words he heard in years?

Could that have been all he needed? Someone who saw the good in him, wanting nothing more than who he is, and accepting that being just the same? Either way, he notes that Lestat’s version of Claudia’s rebirth should be considered canon.

Sentencing – Lestat, Louis, Armand, Santiago, Madeline, Claudia

While the facts of Claudia’s origins may matter for the book based on Louis’ life, unlike Lestat, Louis can’t change history. Claudia was sentenced to death, but what of Madeline? Lest we forget, she was a French woman who slept with a Nazi for survival. Would it be unbelievable for her to give up a child vampire to survive? Well, to some surprise, she sticks by Claudia’s side, and with that, Claudia finally gets what she has wanted throughout her human and vampire life.

Sadly, it is short-lived; within ten minutes, she and Madeline are forced to meet the sun and turn into dust. As for Louis? While noted as guilty, like Claudia and Madeline, it is only thanks to Armand that he isn’t sentenced to death but banishment. Now, once again, this goes off script, and Santiago isn’t pleased. So, rather than the just punishment as called upon the jury, the audience, Louis is put into the crypt to spend the rest of his days, not even getting to see Claudia’s final moment.

However, Lestat is the person who witnesses Claudia’s final moments. Claudia looks at him while singing that song she hated so much, and in that moment, you can see that Lestat perhaps did love Claudia. It is just, with such a limited ability to love, he didn’t love her enough to save her.

Additional Information

1. Previous Episode: Season 2/ Episode 6
2. Series Page: Interview With The Vampire
3. Character Guide: Interview With The Vampire Cast & Character Guide

Cast and Characters

Character’s Name	Actor’s Name
Santiago	Ben Daniels
Lestat	Sam Reid
Louis	Jacob Anderson
Claudia	Delainey Hayles
Armand	Assad Zaman
Madeline	Roxane Duran

Review

Highlights

Knowing What Was to Come, Yet Still Being Affected By It

I feel like Claudia’s death is common knowledge, especially if you are aware of “Interview With The Vampire.” It’s like knowing who Darth Vader is in Star Wars or what triggered Bruce Wayne to become Batman. Yet, despite knowing since season 1 what would happen to Claudia and the second season switching actors, it didn’t make her death less heartbreaking. Watching her burn and peel caused tears and it’s why I found myself continually wondering, what is next for the show?

Yes, there have been attempts to go beyond “Interview With The Vampire,” as we saw with Aaliyah’s final film, “Queen of the Damned.” However, that was with a completely different cast, and there were mixed reactions to it – outside of the soundtrack, which is an utter classic. So, with that in mind, and there being around 13 books in all, so comes the question of whether the order might be done chronologically, or will the series bounce around so it can allow Armand to tell his story fully and maybe Lestat kidnap Daniel so he can tell his?

After all, Daniel is so interested in vampires, has already met two, and is well acquainted with a third. So even if it breaks a Great Law, he has already assumed the role of the great historian.

Lestat

What a performer, right? In one episode, Lestat dominated nearly every scene and interaction, making it clear why most of the Vampire Chronicles focus on his life and story. From his twisting of how he met Louis, to their fight, which was domestic abuse that made Ike Turner look like a kitten, the man was all we expected and more. But, the best part was him going off script, to Santiago’s chagrin.

Think of it this way, Santiago likely sees himself as a Lestat of his time, but, lest we forget, Santiago is also noted to be one of the younger members of the coven. So it is only natural that he has such an ego to think that, just because Lestat is older and this is the opportunity for revenge, he would follow the script.

Yet, Lestat doesn’t do so, and with each time you see Santiago frustrated, you’re reminded of Lestat’s appeal. He is a rebel advocating for his own cause, and to think you could control his impulses is foolish. Especially if you have nothing to threaten him with.

Madeline Choosing Claudia Over Survival

Madeline choosing Claudia and death, is a notable act for two reasons. First and foremost, with Madeline painted as someone who would do anything to survive previously, including bedding a Nazi, you can see her as someone willing to do whatever it takes. Now, you could submit the Nazi was young and barely old enough to drink, but those are details that aren’t strong enough to disregard Madeline chose the enemy for food and maybe comfort.

Secondly, when it comes to Claudia, a vampire who isn’t big evil but just a grown woman in a child’s body, who lives off of blood, who is she? Santiago offered the ability of continued survival and, granted, if he would do all this to a member, who is Madeline? But, I would submit, Madeline’s decision didn’t come from wanting to not trade in the suffering she had as a human to then suffer under Santiago, but her truly having a bond with Claudia that she didn’t want to sever.

Was it due to love, maybe guilt over what happened to her sister? That’s hard to say. What is clear, though, is the effect it had on Claudia, which made her death all the more devastating.

Claudia’s Will To Her Last Breath

Delainey Hayles took what would have been an uphill battle for most actresses and created a tunnel. On top of Kirsten Dunst, she had Bailey Bass to compete with, and while there was a need to adjust, at first, after maybe one or two episodes, she was firm and did what needed to be done. I’d even say, Hayles took Claudia to the point where a part of me wonders how Bass could play out Claudia’s final moments.

Which I don’t say to be shady at all, but I think Hayles elevated the character. As she was pushing to talk back, even smiling while put in a position of suffering, I found myself thinking of Oprah Winfrey in the original “The Color Purple” as Sofia. She might have been broken and beaten, but that untamed spirit remained, and while Claudia didn’t get to enjoy her happy ending, she did get the last laugh, what she wanted, and left an impression that still haunts Armand. Then, with Louis, there is such a level of regret that you want to question if he had Armand mess with his memories to make remembering who Claudia was easier on his spirit

General Information

Episode Title	I Could Not Prevent It
Release Date	June 23, 2024
Network	AMC+
Director(s)	Emma Freeman
Writer(s)	Kevin Hanna, Rolin Jones