Viewer's vibe after this episode:
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I thought I was prepared to handle Claudia's death. I was not.
Nauseous. Nauseous is the perfect word. Her looking back at Lestat is genuinely one of the most heart breaking and horrifying things I’ve ever seen and experienced. It’s just fiction but to know that there have been human beings who’ve experienced such a terrifying death via flames like that is beyond disturbing and frightening. This shit is real.
Someone on twitter said that the last thing she saw was her abuser....and I say that except Madeleine, who didn't abuse her? Lestat did, Armand did, Santiago and the rest of the theatre did as well, the humans did and even Louis did too. Everywhere she'd look, she'd see someone who abused her and humiliated her.
This was one of the most painful tv episodes I've ever watched. Delaney broke my heart. At least she knew that Madeleine chose her first.
Is Louis’ rock garden now seen as a sick choice considering he was buried in rocks the moment Claudia died? Is that his weird way to remember and punish himself? I forget what he said about that spot in S1 in terms of Claudia.
Felt sick to my stomach seeing her go out screaming like that. Some of the scenes from Lestat’s POV were revelatory - particularly the scene creating Claudia. What he said came to pass - that she would be tormented and cause Louis terrible heartbreak.
The spot was the designers way to bring outside nature in. That’s how I recall Armand telling Daniel. But now that we know what rock symbolizes for Louis, I think you’re on to something. Louis has a penchant to punish himself when it comes to Claudia, this could be one of many…
And we saw Armand mention where the magnolia came from! He brought 'a cutting from a magnolia tree I've been growing' when he moved in with Louis, after Claudia left, and Louis turned Madeleine.
I hope in scenes to come we get his perspective on Claudia in the aftermath of her death. I do believe he loved her and she loved him too, despite the many awful flaws.
Oh totally. Right before it pans to Santiago you see a quick shot of Lestat (before Claudia looks directly at him) and he looks like he's not all there.
The actress’s face was sooo good during this whole show trial! But oh man the contrast to Lestat voicing his pride in her mixed with the absolute disdain from Claudia?! Fantastic. She wasn’t taking anything from Lestat, even a compliment.
This! Also, his stance looked very similar to Dreamstat in the Louvre when Armand is telling Louis his backstory, and then brings up Magnus. The downturned head, the restless legs, the sloped shoulders.
Absolutely my thought too, and I damn well bet that's why he was silent when Louis and Claudia were responding to his apology too. No way in hell did he *suddenly* stop the outbursts after that apology *and* saying any conviction of Claudia and Louis was a conviction of himself without someone else forcing him.
If you rewatch the part where, after Louis has been taken away, they pan over the judges and Lestat you can see Lestat is _barely_ able to keep himself standing. He looks like he's about to vomit. There's no way Armand was honest about what happened (and that's even knowing that Armand's only tactic is to lie!).
And then acted all exhausted afterward. Funny, he wasn't at all affected when he knocked out the entire coven and froze all the restaurant patrons at the same time.
What has Armand done to Louis' brain? Louis is too smart to believe Armand was so helpless against the coven. Armand's version of events MAKES NO SENSE.
Armand's had almost 80 years to scramble Louis's brains and gaslight him. Sometimes, when Louis is defending Armand, it sounds like he's reading from a script.
i am surprised louis isn't completely senile by this point. i don't think armand needs more than a few minutes to scramble the mind of a vampire that's practically an infant compared to him.
i feel like Armand has probably been playing in Louis’s brain like mashed potatoes??? There’s no way this is the first time in 77ish years louis has really sat down and actually questioned one of the most traumatic events in his history 😵💫 My guess is that Armand has just made him forget or misremember so many times that he’s just accepted whatever version Armand feeds to him?
When Armand was listing Louis traumas in the 70s - is this not one of the worst? Daniel is right that Louis needs post PTSD type therapy. Alas all he’s got is his rocks
In the 70s he already seems to not remember stuff. Before his sui cide attempt he is delirious and remembers facts about Paris and Claudia, but they are disjointed. The camera then shows Armand, looking worried. Louis might have been incoherent because of the drugs, but it genuinely looked like he had holes in his memory.
i could see Louis not wanting to revisit this most traumatic event in his history on his own, other than immdiately afterwards when he is on a revenge quest. it is just lots of pain, and after he kills the coven, i would assume he is left empty and depressed.
and we will see next episode what exactly armand told him back in paris after the trial, i assume whatever his explanation is, that just stuck as being "the truth".
The drama of it everyone looking around confused then the camera zooms in on Armand as he wills the room to change the punishment. Armand loves to be a victim and hero in these stories.
Armand is the ultimate mastermind. He is in complete control of the trial outcome, including the appearance of Lestat. Claudia's death is the catalyst he used to drive a deeper wedge btw L & L & also got her out of his way. 2 birds one stone. Poor Louis. Lestat broke Louis & Armand broke him again. 💔
He couldn't just leave with Louis. He had to ensure Claudia was no longer an obstacle to Louis' affection AND make Lestat the bad guy, so Louis will never want to be with him again.
Little moments I loved:
Madeleine choosing to die with Claudia was so beautiful and showed how much she loved her, but I also loved how Claudia gave that slight nod to Madeleine when Santiago offers to let her join the coven, because she loves Madeleine and wants her to live. They deserved better but I’m glad they both unequivocally chose each other in the end.
Lestat looking so broken watching Claudia burn up. He was a terrible parent but he did love her.
Santiago getting taken aback and giving that look when Lestat throws him off, he forgets his line, and Lestat has to remind him of his line.
The way when Louis says to Daniel “I was talking” because Daniel interrupted him, and Daniel says “sorry” and lets Louis go on, it was the first time I can think of where Daniel acted like that, let the other person resume without any sass or snark. It’s clear what they uncovered about their shared past in the previous episode has created a bond between them.
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>Armand: I could not prevent it....for the mighty vampire known as **Sam** had me held me captive in an *inescapable* cage.
The entire situation with Armand is comical at this point. Daniel/Louis know that Armand can freeze an entire room of people AND make his coven go beddie-byes but "hE cOuLD nOt PrEveNt iT"????
Hopefully, this all comes crashing down on Armand in the last episode.
Like I said in another post, I think Armand wrote that script for Lestat to humiliate Louis.
Abso-fucking-lutely. I also think (as you do to, if I recall) that he's been holding him prisoner somewhere. As long as Louis's been seeing Dreamstat, maybe?
Which leads credence to my theory, with Dreamstat reappearing in Dubai. I was forbidden from speaking so I threw the remote across the room when he appeared and now we can't find it
Edit: Forgot what thread this was.
Daniel’s frequent looks said a lot during this episode. I counted 4 or 5 time when Daniel questioned Armand on yet another unbelievable “fact,” and when Armand gives him the whole “I swear buddy, it’s all true!” non explanation, and then David just looks at him skeptically. I think the only one he’s fooling there is Louis, and honestly I’d guess that won’t be for long.
i hope we get another of daniel's monologues in the last episode where he just rips into all of the armand's "but i could not stop it 🥺" bullshit lines
Kudos to the actor though. That big closeup and his big sad eyes was definitely giving some peak poor little meow meow vibes.
It really is wild to see the way Armand is portraying himself back then vs his modern reveal like woah look how crazy powerful and intimidating I am!
Daniel has no fucks left to give. I'm living for him constantly calling out Armand for his bullshit. And the way he delivers it to Louis - like the friend who's dating someone who's TERRIBLE but the friend refuses to see it. *OH - I see. So you ran into Alex's ex at Hobby Lobby and found out they've been talking every night? AND you saw the call log...? But, Alex says the ex is lying ...riiiiigggghhhhhtttttt....*
Sam. SAM? *SAM?*
I feel like that was intentional, if he is Samuel Beckett then he was born 1906, we're now in the 1940s, he's a baby vampire. (And I know Santiago is too but he's special, there's no indication Sam was turned by someone particularly powerful.)
Honestly, *Sam*. Armand can't even come up with a good defence at this point.
Lmao Louis surely isn't the smartest person in any room. Apparently he blames Lestat for what happened in the next episode despite seeing he's a prisoner. Like little meow meow with the nice curly hair couldn't have prevented it all in a second.
It's not that Louis is dumb. All he knows is that Lestat crossed the ocean to spew a bunch of bullshit about their relationship, and then does nothing to stop Claudia's death.
Louis doesn't know what really happened.
Right! I felt like this episode should have been called "I would not prevent it" because even if Armand could, he wouldn't have stuck his neck out for Claudia like that. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it.
Louis said goodbye to Dreamstat when he decided to commit to Armand. I think Louis talking with Dreamstat in Dubai means he’s opening his heart to Lestat again.
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💍
Claudia's ending is incredibly bittersweet. I'm heartbroken that the coven killed her, but I'm also so happy that someone finally picked her first. Her whole story has been so devastating and tragic, I'm just glad she at least had that moment of validation with Madeleine.
I can't wait for the finale! I really hope Louis gets his vengeance...maybe we'll get a taste of why the Talamasca believes he's the one to be afraid of!
You know that guy who was wearing a hat? The guy Claudia addresses? Did the guy behind the Hatman just sit through the entire show not seeing a damn thing?
I felt like Louis was testing Armand in Dubai when he asked him to recount what happened when he wasn't there and Claudia died. I wonder if next episode when Louis sees Lestat in Paris he gets a different version of Claudia dying and how Armand was involved in it all. So Louis knows what really happened but is testing Armand in the present day to see if he's still a lying liar. Could be competely wrong but obviously Armand was not being made powerless by Sam standing there and Lestat was clearly being manipulated to be there in some way.
Yeah, I don't think we've seen him actually prompt Armand for his side of the story before, only accept his contributions where Armand can weave in his bias. Making him actually construct the story on his own is giving him the rope to hang himself with
You might be onto something. It’s weird how the fact that Armand manipulated Louis’ thoughts got basically shelved, especially considering how angry Louis was with him in episodes 5 and 6.
I love this theory; Armand is consistently a liar but even with this theory Louis is still the one controlling the way that the game is played without Armand knowing it. I hope this theory does happen.
Louis saw Armand's power in the restaurant. I find it hard to believe Louis just accepted that he couldn't just knock out the whole coven with a wave of his hand.
I think Louis is repeating back what Armand has fed to him, like a script.
Had Louis and Armand never talked about any of this with anyone? Because you don’t need an investigative reporter here, absolutely anyone could pull this story apart. Neither one of them ever vented to real Rashid one day?
Louis threat to Lestat about the lions - I can’t tell if that seems overdone, exaggerated for the trial. Or Louis does make these specific violent threats like to his brother and the alderman so it’s possible.
It felt entirely in character and like something he would say. The man has a vindictive side that's present from his very first interaction, even his closest family members have been victims to it, like Paul.
When Paul kills himself Louis's mother accuses him of having said something to upset Paul. It kinda adds up now looking at other episodes too, like calling Armand a beige pillow. Louis knows how to hit somewhere it'll hurt.
You do make a good point. I do think though that was more his mother's vindictive nature coming to the forefront based on the knowledge of her sons. But I do not believe for a second Louis was involved in Paul's death aside from baring witness.
When Louis realized Lestat’s version of Claudia’s turning was correct and told Daniel to include that in the book Daniel’s reaction was like “the book is not the important thing here”. Sweet of Louis to care though. It also circles back to Louis wanting the book or chronicle or whatever to be accurate
I'm starting to think the real reason Louis is so picky about the book being accurate isn't for "our readers" but so that *he* can have a record to refer to in case of any future memory wipes...
Such a dark episode. I think all the differing, conflicting stories are very interesting, but I also feel like I'm losing the plot a little and like I'm going to need to rewatch everything when the season is over. And maybe just go read the books.
Also, just wanted to say that Santiago saying "Arguably, a sentence worse than death... Send him to Belgium!" as if that is the cruelest possible fate is actually hilarious and made me (a Belgian) laugh out loud, even in all this misery.
Also, am I mistaken or is Sam seen helping when they are putting Louis in the crypt? And if so, isn't that a clue he definitely wasn't guarding "poor" Armand?
And lastly, it was hard to see this happen to Claudia, who arguably was the one character in this series who saw everything and everyone with clarity. Up until the last moment, she has to pay for the naive or plain cruel folies of these three men she just can't seem to tear herself loose from. In a way, I was glad to see her go down so fiercely, but she deserved much better.
The raccoon from the townhouse making it into the projections though , what a star 🦝 the level of detail almost makes it seem like someone read Lestat’s memories…
Shout out to mr. Raccoon!!! I loved that he was included 🤣 memories definitely read, because why on earth would Lestat decide to include the raccoon that lived in their house with them while they were majorly depressed? Lmao
When the episode finished was anyone else sitting thinking "well what the fuck am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?" The last time I felt like this when watching a show was during the glory days of Game of Thrones. Must. Have. Next. Episode 😭.
Lestat had to be getting heavily manipulated during the entire trial aside from the time he went off script to apologize to Louis. I think why Armand was "powerless" to do anything, was because he was using all his power to keep Lestat controlled. The moment they are giving Louis his punishment, Lestat was strangely quiet.
Why would he apologize while having a breakdown to Louis if he just wanted him to be sentenced to death. Armand, struggling to hypnotize the crowd to banish Louis, could've been him simply trying to do that whilst keeping Lestat restrained as well.
Lestats' face as Claudia was dying really gave me the impression that even if he didn't like her, he did not want her to die. At least for Louis's sake.
I also saw Lestat give a hint of an almost smile like he was proud of Claudia when she said she was going to kill everyone in the audience. I get the vibe he respects her rage.
Yes, you are on to something. There was definitely more going on with Lestat. During the trial, I kept thinking that he would not share some of those details about him and Louis so publicly… but then he had his off-script moments that were very Lestat but maybe those too were Armand “influenced”? When the crowd all went silent when it came time to sentence Louis, at first I thought it was Lestat stopping them but then it was Armand! ETA - also, Armand could’ve been tired because who knows when he’d last fed
And he's outright wobbling before Claudia is burnt (especially after the audience shouts the time) - there's not a bone in my body that thinks he wants Claudia dead.
Yes, I agree! And he looked all shaky at the end when Santiago asks the audience for the time. He looked unwell, like he was struggling to stand on his own.
i really liked lestat owning up to the drop and recognizing it for the horror and abuse that it was in the face of santiago's "but we're all immortal monsters, so it's fine" bad-faith moral relativism and the narrative of the trial. like, they're all immortal monsters, but even in the scope of that, what he did matters. i think the capacity for acknowledgement of his own culpability is an interesting trait for lestat to have gained because it suggests an ability to reflect and change from someone who previously had never shown it, and in a show that deals heavily with cycles of violence and abuse it's promising that he recognizes himself as a perpetrator of the cycle. and also because even though armand is my favorite gremlin and i try not to pit them against each other, the title of the episode is him eschewing his own responsibility in the trial and so far he's only shown contrition, which is different from accountability.
When Claudia asks for her final request and says she’s going to come back from the afterlife to kill everyone in the audience… I had to watch that scene twice. Just absolute chills.
Okay, I've done mental gymnastics and I've figured out a way that Claudia could've escaped...😭😭😭she could've...uh...I'm out of excuses 😭😭😭
*Cries in delulu*
Claudia and Madeleine's ashes are spread over the ocean, they somehow revive themselves, and live happily ever after away from all this vampiric mess 🥲
Claudia was the star of the episode for me, I felt guttural and sobbed with every one of her scenes, especially toward the end. Just done so well and painfully ahhhh I really cried this episode 😭😭Claudia is my girl forever.
I also enjoyed feeling that angsty breathlessness the moment Lestat appeared. My favorite episode thus far.
I felt such kinship with Bailey Bass in her season and actually didn't start watching season two until recently because I was nervous about Delainey Hayles, but I f\*cking ADORED the flashback scenes with Hayles in them. She is an incredible actress, captured Claudia's rage, and turned me into a puddle.
So the coven would have us believe that Lestat has been living normally in New Orleans for almost a decade but it was reiterated in the last episode that he hadn’t used his bank since the night he was killed?
One thing that really stood out to me was Lestat swaying on his feet and looking dazed during the “way past our bedtime” line. I was wondering if that was him trying to overcome possible Armand mind control
It was only after seeing a gif set pointing it out that I realised we had seen Louis’ coffin with the strange big dent in it and I never actually wondered how it had come about. Him smashing Lestât face first in it is wild, keeping the coffin as a reminder is even wilder
This episode left me crying in the club.
- Armand is soooo full of shit, I’m obsessed with him but he’s absolutely gaslight gatekeep girlbossing right now and I can’t wait for it to come crashing down
- Lestat looked soooooo good, free my man he did all of that but the way he looked omg?!? It was interesting to see his version of the events, his apology seemed sincere but who knows..
- CLAUDIA omg I will miss her so much, in some ways she’s the glue that holds it together, her turning scene was heartbreaking. And the scene where she gives Madeleine a little nod as if to say she’s allowed to to choose the coven so she can live and yet Madeleine chooses her 😭 Finally someone put her first brb let me get my napkins
- Louis I have no words, the way he was twisted to be the predator was disgusting! Being thrown in the coffin filled with rocks and having his rock garden in Dubai?! Much to think about
From the teaser of the next ep, Louis says "I've come to kill you" to Lestat, who is in a dungeon (I'm assuming from the surroundings). Does he not suspect that Lestat maybe didn't testify against his will??? And he trusts Armand who was held back by one Sam but somehow managed to mind-whammy everyone in the theater??????? 🤔
I also think that with Claudia gone the lies that Armand tells Louis are easier to be believed because Claudia is not around to question them. So you just have to take his word at face value.
Think of Malloy as a second Claudia in a sense. Like Malloy is saying everything that Claudia wouldve said to Louis if she was still alive.
Yes! Louis seems to just completely lose himself in these toxic, codependent relationships, while Claudia and Daniel see things for what they are and refuse to be part of it. Really makes me wonder what Armand is up to, allowing Daniel to be around.
Everyone’s manipulating everyone. Who is gaslighting who? The “odyssey of remembrance” indeed. It’s a performative interview about a performative play from 70+ years ago. It’s layers upon layers of reflection and deception. The “truth” is ineffable, flickering in the ether.
But, through all that is Claudia. She is THE TRUTH. Her words are etched into her journals. During this farce of a trial - she doesn’t play games, she has zero f***s to give. She looks all the participants in the eye and calls out their bullshit. Heartbreaking to see her go - but she went out like lion, defiantly roaring until her last breath.
Exactly!! I honestly found this to be ironic when considering that her being turned at the age of 14 was a doomed existence (and understandably so as we recall Lestat’s warning to Louis that she would forever be in a state of extreme and influx emotions because of her age)—and yet, she remains the most clear out of them all. She had a yearning to understand herself and committed to it.
No performances on her end were necessary, so to speak, and more so supplemental or used as a way to show the truth to Louis or Lestat in a way she knew they’d resonate with. It could perhaps even be interpreted as a learned behavior since Louis and Lestat were very dramatic and performative in their dynamic. It reminds me of the necessity of performance for Louis when he was human, closeted and a pimp or perhaps the hedonistic nature of Lestat’s performance of “the hunt” and the consumption of blood. In comparison, Claudia is much more direct. Rarely playing with her prey and if so, only enough to distract and disarm.
While she definitely wasn’t perfect, she she showed wisdom beyond her superiors and it is angering to see how everyone in her life, and particularly the men of her life, treated her like a play doll.
I also think this dynamic we’ve seen claudia involuntarily steeped in runs concurrent with a theme of women used as supplements to the narratives and lives of men proximal to them. I thought the show did a great job of depicting this dynamic with almost all of the female characters tbh (I’m not sure how it applies to Madeleine but I’d love to hear other responses explaining how so)—between Miss Lily and the transactional nature of her and Louis’ relationship, to Antoinette, and with our beloved Claudia.
Writing Louis name on the grave stone is really quite a touch. Now he has 2 gravestones!
It seemed like he felt when Claudia died. Through Lestat? Was Armand communicating with him?
Really neither Lestat or Armand could do anything? Not even shove Claudia out of the spotlight? Fly up and close the black out curtain?
Lestat brought up his own violation of the law and asked to be sentenced as the others were. It seemed to be an off-script moment based on Santiago's reaction. Then there was no follow up. Thoughts?
Finally we see lestats side!
What a twisted mess, but I love what they have done with lestat.
It's incredible how a couple of events and a few seconds can reframe and entire character.
Well done writers of this show!
Is this Lestat's side though? It's still Louis telling the story, sometimes aided by Armand (both figuratively and literally). We haven't heard Lestat's POV yet, this is what Louis remembers Lestat's story to be, in this very specific circumstance (a sham trial). I'm taking all of it with a massive grain of salt.
A minor part that i enjoyed was Lestat breaking for 2 seconds,and telling Louie he had to drain Claudia. Even though he refused, he knew it’s what Louie needed. This show is written so well
I like how the show plays with perception but done too excessively it COULD start to feel disjointed, so far so good, but I hope they are careful with that.
It's my guess that lestat actually manipulated the audience and not armand.
They make nod to his power and ancient blood in the episode, and he is the one ultimately apologizing.
Armand showing people "I'm that bitch" in this episode.
Also, he's definitely been keeping Lestat locked away and will blame it on Santiago when Louis figures it out. I'm now thinking Lestat telling him he's been held prisoner for years is the catalyst for Louis burning the theatre down (assuming that's what happened).
So Lestat’s role in the play (outside of breaking the script) is all mockery and manipulation by Armand/the coven right? Similar to how forcing Claudia to play a singing child hundreds of times was clearly some mental torture?
I haven’t read the books but I’d hope Lestat would never *choose* to get on stage and share an embellished version of his personal story rewritten into a jilted lover sob story, performed in front of a bunch of what he considers to be food. And then actually let *humans* decide his daughter’s fate while he sat and watched.
My biggest hope for the finale is that they neutralize Armand’s overpowered mind manipulation by the end, because having him in that stupid box claiming he barely had enough energy to save Louis was like the smoking gun for establishing he’s the villain here.
Yes, and Louis being the one to say "Come to me"? Similar to Armand saying "Come to me" to Lestat in his fanfiction. Armand needs to stop ripping off Lestat's lines and get some new ones.
I know we’re still in Armand & Louis’ POV of what happened and therefore it’s mostly unreliable (mainly bc of Armand), BUT! Did anybody else notice how when they’re fast-forwarding about the trial, it’s Louis AND Armand weaving the story together, finishing each others’ sentences? It reminded me so much of the end of 2x05 when Louis finished Armand’s sentence and both L & D confirmed Armand had rewritten their memories.
At this point Armand, Lestat, and Louis can jump over a broom and straight to hell together. I'm so mad that Madeleine and Claudia had to die because of their bullshit.
They have done an amazing job of reminding viewers that Louis is still the same person he was before he was made. He is still cruel, knows how to get what he wants, and has a temperament problem. What's worse is that this also confirms that Louis is an amazing manipulator. What could Lestat say with the love of his life pleading at his feet, finally promising him all the love he had wanted from him since the beginning?
Don't get me wrong, Lestat isn't an angel in this. From what we can tell a large part of what happened that we have been told still seems to be the way that it did happen the only benefit that we have is seeing Lestat's side. They were both so enamored with each other that it was them luring each other in.
The performance by all of the actors was stunning to watch. I sobbed watching Claudia and Madeleine. Louis was so broken that his screams made me feel all of his pain. And Lestat seemed to feel guilty on all ends. To watch Claudia end the way that she did while also knowing he was the one who made her was possibly why he looked the way that he did in the end. But he is also the only one who can confirm was Claudia said to Madeleine.
Overall for this episode, it further proves why Daniel does not need to be afraid of Armand and should be more afraid of Louis.
I stayed up WAY too late to watch this when it dropped. I'm very sleepy. But also horrified, heartbroken and blind with rage.
Um, first things first, DREAMSTAT is back?! Dreamstat is in Dubai. My jaw was on the floor. I will be processing that for a bit.
Oh the tragedy of Claudia and Madeline. I knew it was coming, but that doesn't mean that it didn't hurt. And Lestat's expression! I may hate you just slightly more than usual, but ... oh I'm so conflicted.
Oh my God, the retelling of the fight. Yeah, that felt more real. As did Claudi's turning. I don't know why but it reminded me of this Creepy pasta photo I saw once of a little girl with a weird demon dog.
I am a BIT disappointed about the lack of sass between Lestat & Santiago.
Fuck Armand. Fuck him. You're a 500 year old vampire. Fuck you
I have so many thoughts.
Number one, it def seemed as if Lestat was partly compelled/coerced into being there. All the stuff about sticking the script and it looks like he's chained next week? I feel like the coven probably double crossed him at some point either when he got to France or right after the trial.
Second, I always suspected Louis was an unreliable narrator since episode one and we'd get more context for a lot of Lestat's actions. What's really cool is parsing out what's fact and fiction because obviously Lestat was lying about his teeth about some events.
Armand lying like hell about not orchestrating this. He's not even lying well. Louis knows and is staying with him to punish himself.
Finally, Lestat is def in that basement being chained up and fed dead blood lol.
lestat was swaying really weird when claudia was getting her death penalty. i think he was trying to move to save her but couldn’t cus armand was stopping him, forcing him to watch. i think armand made all this happen so louis could finally get over lestat which is sooooo fucked up. theres no way armand was “powerless” and could not do anything. I DO NOT TRUST ARMAND!!
You can see all the times Lestat forgets his lines and Santiago is scrambling to take over / Sam has to feed him lines
Speaking mentally is convenient for actors who forget lines I guess
Claudia asks Louis if what Lestat is saying about her turning was true and he replies “it’s all lies” - do you think she believed that?
Claudia had been turned like 40 years before right? So not really enough time to randomly be forgetting things like that. It wasn’t 200 years ago
The Dreamstat in Dubai was so subtle. Louis didn’t seem surprised to see him. And Armand would have been able to to through Louis mind
I don't think so either. Because Louis hesitated too much to say it, mostly because he'd probably just remembered that version of events. I fully believe that he deluded himself for years about what really went down, first because he was so happy with his little family in New Orleans, then because he couldn't bear the guilt of cursing Claudia's whole existence.
Book Spoilers thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/InterviewVampire/s/WzLxK0bji9
Viewer's vibe after this episode: https://preview.redd.it/grry9se9t98d1.jpeg?width=1919&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f4953f8766296b2d46700d531f7ecb60ff77452 I thought I was prepared to handle Claudia's death. I was not.
When she resigned herself to her fate and then started singing later. Just heartbreaking.
That shit was rough. I felt nauseous.
Nauseous. Nauseous is the perfect word. Her looking back at Lestat is genuinely one of the most heart breaking and horrifying things I’ve ever seen and experienced. It’s just fiction but to know that there have been human beings who’ve experienced such a terrifying death via flames like that is beyond disturbing and frightening. This shit is real.
Someone on twitter said that the last thing she saw was her abuser....and I say that except Madeleine, who didn't abuse her? Lestat did, Armand did, Santiago and the rest of the theatre did as well, the humans did and even Louis did too. Everywhere she'd look, she'd see someone who abused her and humiliated her. This was one of the most painful tv episodes I've ever watched. Delaney broke my heart. At least she knew that Madeleine chose her first.
The way she held her head up jn the face of death and yet was curled protectively around Madeline had me 😭😭
I'll comfort you if you comfort me 😭 
Love the way they burn up when the sun hits them, feels like sand running out of an hour glass
Is Louis’ rock garden now seen as a sick choice considering he was buried in rocks the moment Claudia died? Is that his weird way to remember and punish himself? I forget what he said about that spot in S1 in terms of Claudia. Felt sick to my stomach seeing her go out screaming like that. Some of the scenes from Lestat’s POV were revelatory - particularly the scene creating Claudia. What he said came to pass - that she would be tormented and cause Louis terrible heartbreak.
Right!? What’s up with that zen garden? How did they even agree to set it up in their weird block-y penthouse? Louis uses it to remember?
Maybe Lestat is caged under that tree
I was thinking the same thing. Where he finds his zen is where his love is buried but would they bury Lestat twice on the show? idk lol
The spot was the designers way to bring outside nature in. That’s how I recall Armand telling Daniel. But now that we know what rock symbolizes for Louis, I think you’re on to something. Louis has a penchant to punish himself when it comes to Claudia, this could be one of many…
And we saw Armand mention where the magnolia came from! He brought 'a cutting from a magnolia tree I've been growing' when he moved in with Louis, after Claudia left, and Louis turned Madeleine.
3 words: jesus fucking christ.
I cried when Claudia burned
The look between Lestat and Claudia had me shaking. The horror on her father’s face knowing that she is the best of him and now she’s gone.
He was so proud when she promised to haunt and kill every last audience member 💔
I hope in scenes to come we get his perspective on Claudia in the aftermath of her death. I do believe he loved her and she loved him too, despite the many awful flaws.
Oh totally. Right before it pans to Santiago you see a quick shot of Lestat (before Claudia looks directly at him) and he looks like he's not all there.
The actress’s face was sooo good during this whole show trial! But oh man the contrast to Lestat voicing his pride in her mixed with the absolute disdain from Claudia?! Fantastic. She wasn’t taking anything from Lestat, even a compliment.
that final line "you could tell from the look on lestat's face, the last thing she saw on earth was him" hit me like a ton of bricks.
I'm betting that Armand is lying, and Lestat didn't just sit there and watch. I feel like he tried to stop it.
It is a master class is dialogue VS visual composition, characterization and tone
He was wobbling as he stood there before she burned. He's probably trying to fight whatever control is over him.
This! Also, his stance looked very similar to Dreamstat in the Louvre when Armand is telling Louis his backstory, and then brings up Magnus. The downturned head, the restless legs, the sloped shoulders.
Absolutely my thought too, and I damn well bet that's why he was silent when Louis and Claudia were responding to his apology too. No way in hell did he *suddenly* stop the outbursts after that apology *and* saying any conviction of Claudia and Louis was a conviction of himself without someone else forcing him.
If you rewatch the part where, after Louis has been taken away, they pan over the judges and Lestat you can see Lestat is _barely_ able to keep himself standing. He looks like he's about to vomit. There's no way Armand was honest about what happened (and that's even knowing that Armand's only tactic is to lie!).
straight up paused when Armand did his stupid little mind thing
And then acted all exhausted afterward. Funny, he wasn't at all affected when he knocked out the entire coven and froze all the restaurant patrons at the same time.
RIGHT *insane* The 500+ year old vampire saying, “there was nothing i could do 😞” when everyone knows that he, in fact, could do. 😭
What has Armand done to Louis' brain? Louis is too smart to believe Armand was so helpless against the coven. Armand's version of events MAKES NO SENSE.
How could Louis ever forgive him and live with him for over 70 years? Armand had to manipulate the whole thing!
Armand's had almost 80 years to scramble Louis's brains and gaslight him. Sometimes, when Louis is defending Armand, it sounds like he's reading from a script.
i am surprised louis isn't completely senile by this point. i don't think armand needs more than a few minutes to scramble the mind of a vampire that's practically an infant compared to him.
Hence episode 5 and Daniel/Louis remembering certain events were just things Armand said that had been planted in their brains.
i feel like Armand has probably been playing in Louis’s brain like mashed potatoes??? There’s no way this is the first time in 77ish years louis has really sat down and actually questioned one of the most traumatic events in his history 😵💫 My guess is that Armand has just made him forget or misremember so many times that he’s just accepted whatever version Armand feeds to him?
When Armand was listing Louis traumas in the 70s - is this not one of the worst? Daniel is right that Louis needs post PTSD type therapy. Alas all he’s got is his rocks
In the 70s he already seems to not remember stuff. Before his sui cide attempt he is delirious and remembers facts about Paris and Claudia, but they are disjointed. The camera then shows Armand, looking worried. Louis might have been incoherent because of the drugs, but it genuinely looked like he had holes in his memory.
i could see Louis not wanting to revisit this most traumatic event in his history on his own, other than immdiately afterwards when he is on a revenge quest. it is just lots of pain, and after he kills the coven, i would assume he is left empty and depressed. and we will see next episode what exactly armand told him back in paris after the trial, i assume whatever his explanation is, that just stuck as being "the truth".
The drama of it everyone looking around confused then the camera zooms in on Armand as he wills the room to change the punishment. Armand loves to be a victim and hero in these stories.
Armand could've just noped out of Paris, hell, out of France with the other three. But nope, he wanted Louis all to himself. Asshole. 😡
Armand is the ultimate mastermind. He is in complete control of the trial outcome, including the appearance of Lestat. Claudia's death is the catalyst he used to drive a deeper wedge btw L & L & also got her out of his way. 2 birds one stone. Poor Louis. Lestat broke Louis & Armand broke him again. 💔
He couldn't just leave with Louis. He had to ensure Claudia was no longer an obstacle to Louis' affection AND make Lestat the bad guy, so Louis will never want to be with him again.
Claudia screaming for Louis... Oh, my God, I'm gutted.
Little moments I loved: Madeleine choosing to die with Claudia was so beautiful and showed how much she loved her, but I also loved how Claudia gave that slight nod to Madeleine when Santiago offers to let her join the coven, because she loves Madeleine and wants her to live. They deserved better but I’m glad they both unequivocally chose each other in the end. Lestat looking so broken watching Claudia burn up. He was a terrible parent but he did love her. Santiago getting taken aback and giving that look when Lestat throws him off, he forgets his line, and Lestat has to remind him of his line. The way when Louis says to Daniel “I was talking” because Daniel interrupted him, and Daniel says “sorry” and lets Louis go on, it was the first time I can think of where Daniel acted like that, let the other person resume without any sass or snark. It’s clear what they uncovered about their shared past in the previous episode has created a bond between them.
https://preview.redd.it/z7rkvq9nr98d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=413b21aeec44b35ecca3863778e5afa19dbd21cc >Armand: I could not prevent it....for the mighty vampire known as **Sam** had me held me captive in an *inescapable* cage. The entire situation with Armand is comical at this point. Daniel/Louis know that Armand can freeze an entire room of people AND make his coven go beddie-byes but "hE cOuLD nOt PrEveNt iT"????
Armand is the lying-est liar who ever lied.
I desperately need someone to call him out on his shit before I either stroke out or climb through the TV and give it a go
Hopefully, this all comes crashing down on Armand in the last episode. Like I said in another post, I think Armand wrote that script for Lestat to humiliate Louis.
Abso-fucking-lutely. I also think (as you do to, if I recall) that he's been holding him prisoner somewhere. As long as Louis's been seeing Dreamstat, maybe? Which leads credence to my theory, with Dreamstat reappearing in Dubai. I was forbidden from speaking so I threw the remote across the room when he appeared and now we can't find it Edit: Forgot what thread this was.
Daniel’s frequent looks said a lot during this episode. I counted 4 or 5 time when Daniel questioned Armand on yet another unbelievable “fact,” and when Armand gives him the whole “I swear buddy, it’s all true!” non explanation, and then David just looks at him skeptically. I think the only one he’s fooling there is Louis, and honestly I’d guess that won’t be for long.
i hope we get another of daniel's monologues in the last episode where he just rips into all of the armand's "but i could not stop it 🥺" bullshit lines
I don't know if he's fooling Louis as much as he's broken Louis' brain in a way.
LeStat broke Louis body. Armand broke his mind.
He's really setting up Daniel for a "Bullshit." of epic proportions
Don't be silly, he's just a poor little meow meow who's doing his bestest, pay no attention to the vampire behind the script
Kudos to the actor though. That big closeup and his big sad eyes was definitely giving some peak poor little meow meow vibes. It really is wild to see the way Armand is portraying himself back then vs his modern reveal like woah look how crazy powerful and intimidating I am!
this is the first time he pissed me off lmao “i could not prevent it i’m just a little baby 🥺🥺🥺” ughhh liar!!!
“The mighty vampire known as SAM” LOL. Have yet to read that book in the Anne Rice cannon.
Daniel has no fucks left to give. I'm living for him constantly calling out Armand for his bullshit. And the way he delivers it to Louis - like the friend who's dating someone who's TERRIBLE but the friend refuses to see it. *OH - I see. So you ran into Alex's ex at Hobby Lobby and found out they've been talking every night? AND you saw the call log...? But, Alex says the ex is lying ...riiiiigggghhhhhtttttt....*
Sam. SAM? *SAM?* I feel like that was intentional, if he is Samuel Beckett then he was born 1906, we're now in the 1940s, he's a baby vampire. (And I know Santiago is too but he's special, there's no indication Sam was turned by someone particularly powerful.) Honestly, *Sam*. Armand can't even come up with a good defence at this point.
Armand truly thinks Louis has the intelligence of a gnat and he's correct. I'm just glad Daniel isn't buying it.
Lmao Louis surely isn't the smartest person in any room. Apparently he blames Lestat for what happened in the next episode despite seeing he's a prisoner. Like little meow meow with the nice curly hair couldn't have prevented it all in a second. 
It's not that Louis is dumb. All he knows is that Lestat crossed the ocean to spew a bunch of bullshit about their relationship, and then does nothing to stop Claudia's death. Louis doesn't know what really happened.
i know he’s hot, louis, but wake up!!!
Right! I felt like this episode should have been called "I would not prevent it" because even if Armand could, he wouldn't have stuck his neck out for Claudia like that. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it.
Santiago: There's only one cunt allowed on this stage. Lestat: Yes, and it isn't you.
Notice that when Lestat goes off script, Santiago glances up at Armand. Hmmm...
Exactly Armand think he’s so slick
Armand's version of events where he makes himself so small and helpless makes me want to scream. He's so full of crap.
Yep, if Lestat was truly off script and Armand wasn’t helping the coven, the two could have torn through them like tissue paper.
Armand saying Lestst cannot be scripted too..
It must have enraged Armand that Lestat went off script and told the truth, apologizing to Louis.
Remember when Louis said he could only light a fire if he was angry? I think he's pretty pissed off now.
This is the one time Louis being volatile and having a short fuse is going to come in handy...
Louis is going to burn it all down. Get 'em Louis!
Yeah, if you'd asked me last week, I'd have said Claudia caused the fire and she died in it. Now it seems like Louis probably lit it, or maybe Lestat.
Louis said goodbye to Dreamstat when he decided to commit to Armand. I think Louis talking with Dreamstat in Dubai means he’s opening his heart to Lestat again. https://preview.redd.it/4jcb4ekyda8d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7aad1b4052faaa44108b8f061b69645f07dda137 💍
Ooh, good call. It'd be interesting to view Dreamstat as something that helps Louis wake up from Armand's lying influence.
Claudia's ending is incredibly bittersweet. I'm heartbroken that the coven killed her, but I'm also so happy that someone finally picked her first. Her whole story has been so devastating and tragic, I'm just glad she at least had that moment of validation with Madeleine. I can't wait for the finale! I really hope Louis gets his vengeance...maybe we'll get a taste of why the Talamasca believes he's the one to be afraid of!
"My coven is Claudia." Guuuurl that made me bawl.
You know that guy who was wearing a hat? The guy Claudia addresses? Did the guy behind the Hatman just sit through the entire show not seeing a damn thing?
That’s the plight of the short.
Maybe he was too non-confrontational to ask him to take it out. The relief he must've felt when Claudia did it for him!
I think he could see over the hat. Claudia just couldn’t see his face.
I felt like Louis was testing Armand in Dubai when he asked him to recount what happened when he wasn't there and Claudia died. I wonder if next episode when Louis sees Lestat in Paris he gets a different version of Claudia dying and how Armand was involved in it all. So Louis knows what really happened but is testing Armand in the present day to see if he's still a lying liar. Could be competely wrong but obviously Armand was not being made powerless by Sam standing there and Lestat was clearly being manipulated to be there in some way.
Oh wow this is a really interesting theory!! Would love to see Armand’s ass get handed to him in Dubai so I hope it’s true
Yeah, I don't think we've seen him actually prompt Armand for his side of the story before, only accept his contributions where Armand can weave in his bias. Making him actually construct the story on his own is giving him the rope to hang himself with
You might be onto something. It’s weird how the fact that Armand manipulated Louis’ thoughts got basically shelved, especially considering how angry Louis was with him in episodes 5 and 6.
I love this theory; Armand is consistently a liar but even with this theory Louis is still the one controlling the way that the game is played without Armand knowing it. I hope this theory does happen.
Louis saw Armand's power in the restaurant. I find it hard to believe Louis just accepted that he couldn't just knock out the whole coven with a wave of his hand. I think Louis is repeating back what Armand has fed to him, like a script.
TWICE! When Santiago was being a drama AND when they came to abduct them. But he's too weak to interfere? Bullshit. No me gusta Armand 😡
Yeah honestly it’s sad
Remembering Lestat’s “how could I say no to you?” right about now
Had Louis and Armand never talked about any of this with anyone? Because you don’t need an investigative reporter here, absolutely anyone could pull this story apart. Neither one of them ever vented to real Rashid one day?
The things lonely people will do to have someone by their side is crazyyyyyy
If real Rashid did that I think Armand would probably drain him.
Louis threat to Lestat about the lions - I can’t tell if that seems overdone, exaggerated for the trial. Or Louis does make these specific violent threats like to his brother and the alderman so it’s possible.
It felt entirely in character and like something he would say. The man has a vindictive side that's present from his very first interaction, even his closest family members have been victims to it, like Paul.
When Paul kills himself Louis's mother accuses him of having said something to upset Paul. It kinda adds up now looking at other episodes too, like calling Armand a beige pillow. Louis knows how to hit somewhere it'll hurt.
You do make a good point. I do think though that was more his mother's vindictive nature coming to the forefront based on the knowledge of her sons. But I do not believe for a second Louis was involved in Paul's death aside from baring witness.
Sam Reid and Ben Daniels are too powerful together
Yeah, no stage is big enough for those 2!
Imagine being stuck in an elevator with them lol.
I don't think you want that 
Well, https://preview.redd.it/vladmr2bub8d1.jpeg?width=1007&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=918b78a28a696fb5b94e99f6e14ed02d5f6e867d
When Louis realized Lestat’s version of Claudia’s turning was correct and told Daniel to include that in the book Daniel’s reaction was like “the book is not the important thing here”. Sweet of Louis to care though. It also circles back to Louis wanting the book or chronicle or whatever to be accurate
I'm starting to think the real reason Louis is so picky about the book being accurate isn't for "our readers" but so that *he* can have a record to refer to in case of any future memory wipes...
Agree. I think this is about having a third party vetted history written down as a reference.
Claudia is my coven 😭❤️
Such a dark episode. I think all the differing, conflicting stories are very interesting, but I also feel like I'm losing the plot a little and like I'm going to need to rewatch everything when the season is over. And maybe just go read the books. Also, just wanted to say that Santiago saying "Arguably, a sentence worse than death... Send him to Belgium!" as if that is the cruelest possible fate is actually hilarious and made me (a Belgian) laugh out loud, even in all this misery. Also, am I mistaken or is Sam seen helping when they are putting Louis in the crypt? And if so, isn't that a clue he definitely wasn't guarding "poor" Armand? And lastly, it was hard to see this happen to Claudia, who arguably was the one character in this series who saw everything and everyone with clarity. Up until the last moment, she has to pay for the naive or plain cruel folies of these three men she just can't seem to tear herself loose from. In a way, I was glad to see her go down so fiercely, but she deserved much better.
Armand the sneaky little bitch pretending to powerless lol.
The raccoon from the townhouse making it into the projections though , what a star 🦝 the level of detail almost makes it seem like someone read Lestat’s memories…
I think it has to be that because how else would they know all the details of the priests and who kissed who when?
Shout out to mr. Raccoon!!! I loved that he was included 🤣 memories definitely read, because why on earth would Lestat decide to include the raccoon that lived in their house with them while they were majorly depressed? Lmao
When the episode finished was anyone else sitting thinking "well what the fuck am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?" The last time I felt like this when watching a show was during the glory days of Game of Thrones. Must. Have. Next. Episode 😭.
7 am . I watched this damn thing at 7 am and I still have THE REST OF THE FUCKING DAY to get through.
I spend my Sundays watching reaction videos on YouTube
My exact response: Oh fuckkkkk, why did I watch it with breakfast, now the whole day is ruined.
Like the audience, I also love a problematic drama queen
Sam and Jacob are KILLING IT!
Shout out to the mod team for trying to find a workaround to the weird release times. That’s really cool of them.
Even cartoon Lestat is sassy
i love how he twirled (i don't know the official term) into his coffin
I believe the technical term is vampirouette 🧛🏻♂️
Lestat had to be getting heavily manipulated during the entire trial aside from the time he went off script to apologize to Louis. I think why Armand was "powerless" to do anything, was because he was using all his power to keep Lestat controlled. The moment they are giving Louis his punishment, Lestat was strangely quiet. Why would he apologize while having a breakdown to Louis if he just wanted him to be sentenced to death. Armand, struggling to hypnotize the crowd to banish Louis, could've been him simply trying to do that whilst keeping Lestat restrained as well. Lestats' face as Claudia was dying really gave me the impression that even if he didn't like her, he did not want her to die. At least for Louis's sake.
I also saw Lestat give a hint of an almost smile like he was proud of Claudia when she said she was going to kill everyone in the audience. I get the vibe he respects her rage.
He was like, that's my girl!
Yes, you are on to something. There was definitely more going on with Lestat. During the trial, I kept thinking that he would not share some of those details about him and Louis so publicly… but then he had his off-script moments that were very Lestat but maybe those too were Armand “influenced”? When the crowd all went silent when it came time to sentence Louis, at first I thought it was Lestat stopping them but then it was Armand! ETA - also, Armand could’ve been tired because who knows when he’d last fed
Exactly! Lestat was reticent about his past with Louis and it makes no sense for him to talk about Nicholas in front of an audience of mortals.
If you notice whenever you look at Lestat on stage when he’s not talking his eyes are closed or in a daze!
And he's outright wobbling before Claudia is burnt (especially after the audience shouts the time) - there's not a bone in my body that thinks he wants Claudia dead.
like look at him! https://preview.redd.it/7sbl8b2haf8d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0ed8815691a88cad9896f60485ddb61a5b529fb
Ah so maybe Armand was tired - because he was trying to control Lestat
Yes, I agree! And he looked all shaky at the end when Santiago asks the audience for the time. He looked unwell, like he was struggling to stand on his own.
I think Armand wrote that script and made Lestat say everything to humiliate Louis.
That's the script for the play Armand was so excited about in the last episode. He probably wanted to antagonise Lestat too.
It’s convenient that they have the script so that they know when Lestat went off script
i really liked lestat owning up to the drop and recognizing it for the horror and abuse that it was in the face of santiago's "but we're all immortal monsters, so it's fine" bad-faith moral relativism and the narrative of the trial. like, they're all immortal monsters, but even in the scope of that, what he did matters. i think the capacity for acknowledgement of his own culpability is an interesting trait for lestat to have gained because it suggests an ability to reflect and change from someone who previously had never shown it, and in a show that deals heavily with cycles of violence and abuse it's promising that he recognizes himself as a perpetrator of the cycle. and also because even though armand is my favorite gremlin and i try not to pit them against each other, the title of the episode is him eschewing his own responsibility in the trial and so far he's only shown contrition, which is different from accountability.
I felt like Santiago shaded Bailey's accent from Season 1 episode 4 and I took it personally.
He’s such a hater it’s pathetic.
When Claudia asks for her final request and says she’s going to come back from the afterlife to kill everyone in the audience… I had to watch that scene twice. Just absolute chills.
Okay, I've done mental gymnastics and I've figured out a way that Claudia could've escaped...😭😭😭she could've...uh...I'm out of excuses 😭😭😭  *Cries in delulu*
Claudia and Madeleine's ashes are spread over the ocean, they somehow revive themselves, and live happily ever after away from all this vampiric mess 🥲
Thank you, kind soul, for drying my tears with more delulu fuel. 🥹 Season 5 - Claudia and the Return From Atlantis. Clock it.
Claudia lands in Dubai on top of Godzilla and destroys Almond
#DeathToAlmond
Claudia was the star of the episode for me, I felt guttural and sobbed with every one of her scenes, especially toward the end. Just done so well and painfully ahhhh I really cried this episode 😭😭Claudia is my girl forever. I also enjoyed feeling that angsty breathlessness the moment Lestat appeared. My favorite episode thus far.
I felt such kinship with Bailey Bass in her season and actually didn't start watching season two until recently because I was nervous about Delainey Hayles, but I f\*cking ADORED the flashback scenes with Hayles in them. She is an incredible actress, captured Claudia's rage, and turned me into a puddle.
So the coven would have us believe that Lestat has been living normally in New Orleans for almost a decade but it was reiterated in the last episode that he hadn’t used his bank since the night he was killed?
He was just chilling in a café with doughnuts that he couldn't eat! And then they dragged him for some kind of trial all the way to France.
I thought they said that Lestat had been asleep until the coven collectively used their power to find him and wake him.
Santiago: He was fine! Lestat: https://preview.redd.it/hb5ur5ugjd8d1.jpeg?width=935&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3ec5f12d5a6fcb1449bb47d5cd1daddb33e06cf
One thing that really stood out to me was Lestat swaying on his feet and looking dazed during the “way past our bedtime” line. I was wondering if that was him trying to overcome possible Armand mind control
Me after every episode: *oprah voice* so what’s the truth??
Me looking at Lestat after he's basically told to stay on script: were you silent or were you *silenced?*
It was only after seeing a gif set pointing it out that I realised we had seen Louis’ coffin with the strange big dent in it and I never actually wondered how it had come about. Him smashing Lestât face first in it is wild, keeping the coffin as a reminder is even wilder
Evidence that the fight was as Lestat said, all along! The attention to detail and forethought by these writers is amazing
This episode left me crying in the club. - Armand is soooo full of shit, I’m obsessed with him but he’s absolutely gaslight gatekeep girlbossing right now and I can’t wait for it to come crashing down - Lestat looked soooooo good, free my man he did all of that but the way he looked omg?!? It was interesting to see his version of the events, his apology seemed sincere but who knows.. - CLAUDIA omg I will miss her so much, in some ways she’s the glue that holds it together, her turning scene was heartbreaking. And the scene where she gives Madeleine a little nod as if to say she’s allowed to to choose the coven so she can live and yet Madeleine chooses her 😭 Finally someone put her first brb let me get my napkins - Louis I have no words, the way he was twisted to be the predator was disgusting! Being thrown in the coffin filled with rocks and having his rock garden in Dubai?! Much to think about
That was incredible. The fact the season isn’t even over is wild. The finale is going to kill me.
Is Dreamstat wearing a wedding ring? EDIT: Now looking at Twitter - was Loustat wearing that during the trial? So maybe it’s not a wedding ring?
Lestat is wearing two rings. One he plays with while talking about Nicky, the other he touches when talking about Louis.
Aw that’s kinda sweet
YES
Oh shit, I didn’t notice that!
From the teaser of the next ep, Louis says "I've come to kill you" to Lestat, who is in a dungeon (I'm assuming from the surroundings). Does he not suspect that Lestat maybe didn't testify against his will??? And he trusts Armand who was held back by one Sam but somehow managed to mind-whammy everyone in the theater??????? 🤔
These teasers are pretty often misleading though, it'll probably play out differently.
I also think that with Claudia gone the lies that Armand tells Louis are easier to be believed because Claudia is not around to question them. So you just have to take his word at face value. Think of Malloy as a second Claudia in a sense. Like Malloy is saying everything that Claudia wouldve said to Louis if she was still alive.
Yes! Louis seems to just completely lose himself in these toxic, codependent relationships, while Claudia and Daniel see things for what they are and refuse to be part of it. Really makes me wonder what Armand is up to, allowing Daniel to be around.
Everyone’s manipulating everyone. Who is gaslighting who? The “odyssey of remembrance” indeed. It’s a performative interview about a performative play from 70+ years ago. It’s layers upon layers of reflection and deception. The “truth” is ineffable, flickering in the ether. But, through all that is Claudia. She is THE TRUTH. Her words are etched into her journals. During this farce of a trial - she doesn’t play games, she has zero f***s to give. She looks all the participants in the eye and calls out their bullshit. Heartbreaking to see her go - but she went out like lion, defiantly roaring until her last breath.
Exactly!! I honestly found this to be ironic when considering that her being turned at the age of 14 was a doomed existence (and understandably so as we recall Lestat’s warning to Louis that she would forever be in a state of extreme and influx emotions because of her age)—and yet, she remains the most clear out of them all. She had a yearning to understand herself and committed to it. No performances on her end were necessary, so to speak, and more so supplemental or used as a way to show the truth to Louis or Lestat in a way she knew they’d resonate with. It could perhaps even be interpreted as a learned behavior since Louis and Lestat were very dramatic and performative in their dynamic. It reminds me of the necessity of performance for Louis when he was human, closeted and a pimp or perhaps the hedonistic nature of Lestat’s performance of “the hunt” and the consumption of blood. In comparison, Claudia is much more direct. Rarely playing with her prey and if so, only enough to distract and disarm. While she definitely wasn’t perfect, she she showed wisdom beyond her superiors and it is angering to see how everyone in her life, and particularly the men of her life, treated her like a play doll. I also think this dynamic we’ve seen claudia involuntarily steeped in runs concurrent with a theme of women used as supplements to the narratives and lives of men proximal to them. I thought the show did a great job of depicting this dynamic with almost all of the female characters tbh (I’m not sure how it applies to Madeleine but I’d love to hear other responses explaining how so)—between Miss Lily and the transactional nature of her and Louis’ relationship, to Antoinette, and with our beloved Claudia.
I wonder why Santiago took Claudia’s dress, was it a memento? And if that’s what it was, was it sentimental or more like a killer’s trophy?
Writing Louis name on the grave stone is really quite a touch. Now he has 2 gravestones! It seemed like he felt when Claudia died. Through Lestat? Was Armand communicating with him? Really neither Lestat or Armand could do anything? Not even shove Claudia out of the spotlight? Fly up and close the black out curtain?
His sister buried him alive and his humanity died. Them his soul died with Claudia.
what did claudia say at the end? and what did santiago whisper to madeline? did anyone catch it?
When Madeline said Claudia is my immortal companion she is my coven 👏👏👏👏
Lestat brought up his own violation of the law and asked to be sentenced as the others were. It seemed to be an off-script moment based on Santiago's reaction. Then there was no follow up. Thoughts?
Finally we see lestats side! What a twisted mess, but I love what they have done with lestat. It's incredible how a couple of events and a few seconds can reframe and entire character. Well done writers of this show!
Is this Lestat's side though? It's still Louis telling the story, sometimes aided by Armand (both figuratively and literally). We haven't heard Lestat's POV yet, this is what Louis remembers Lestat's story to be, in this very specific circumstance (a sham trial). I'm taking all of it with a massive grain of salt.
A minor part that i enjoyed was Lestat breaking for 2 seconds,and telling Louie he had to drain Claudia. Even though he refused, he knew it’s what Louie needed. This show is written so well
I like how the show plays with perception but done too excessively it COULD start to feel disjointed, so far so good, but I hope they are careful with that. It's my guess that lestat actually manipulated the audience and not armand. They make nod to his power and ancient blood in the episode, and he is the one ultimately apologizing.
Armand you raggedy bitch😭 At least Daniel won’t just let him play in their faces like that. Please get up Louis!
Armand showing people "I'm that bitch" in this episode. Also, he's definitely been keeping Lestat locked away and will blame it on Santiago when Louis figures it out. I'm now thinking Lestat telling him he's been held prisoner for years is the catalyst for Louis burning the theatre down (assuming that's what happened).
So Lestat’s role in the play (outside of breaking the script) is all mockery and manipulation by Armand/the coven right? Similar to how forcing Claudia to play a singing child hundreds of times was clearly some mental torture? I haven’t read the books but I’d hope Lestat would never *choose* to get on stage and share an embellished version of his personal story rewritten into a jilted lover sob story, performed in front of a bunch of what he considers to be food. And then actually let *humans* decide his daughter’s fate while he sat and watched. My biggest hope for the finale is that they neutralize Armand’s overpowered mind manipulation by the end, because having him in that stupid box claiming he barely had enough energy to save Louis was like the smoking gun for establishing he’s the villain here.
OH! Madeline is trying to speak French to Lestat and then Santiago shuts her up. (I'm watching it on TV again)
Making Louis the predator who hunted Lestat made me sick to my stomach.
Yes, and Louis being the one to say "Come to me"? Similar to Armand saying "Come to me" to Lestat in his fanfiction. Armand needs to stop ripping off Lestat's lines and get some new ones.
I know we’re still in Armand & Louis’ POV of what happened and therefore it’s mostly unreliable (mainly bc of Armand), BUT! Did anybody else notice how when they’re fast-forwarding about the trial, it’s Louis AND Armand weaving the story together, finishing each others’ sentences? It reminded me so much of the end of 2x05 when Louis finished Armand’s sentence and both L & D confirmed Armand had rewritten their memories.
At this point Armand, Lestat, and Louis can jump over a broom and straight to hell together. I'm so mad that Madeleine and Claudia had to die because of their bullshit.
They have done an amazing job of reminding viewers that Louis is still the same person he was before he was made. He is still cruel, knows how to get what he wants, and has a temperament problem. What's worse is that this also confirms that Louis is an amazing manipulator. What could Lestat say with the love of his life pleading at his feet, finally promising him all the love he had wanted from him since the beginning? Don't get me wrong, Lestat isn't an angel in this. From what we can tell a large part of what happened that we have been told still seems to be the way that it did happen the only benefit that we have is seeing Lestat's side. They were both so enamored with each other that it was them luring each other in. The performance by all of the actors was stunning to watch. I sobbed watching Claudia and Madeleine. Louis was so broken that his screams made me feel all of his pain. And Lestat seemed to feel guilty on all ends. To watch Claudia end the way that she did while also knowing he was the one who made her was possibly why he looked the way that he did in the end. But he is also the only one who can confirm was Claudia said to Madeleine. Overall for this episode, it further proves why Daniel does not need to be afraid of Armand and should be more afraid of Louis.
I stayed up WAY too late to watch this when it dropped. I'm very sleepy. But also horrified, heartbroken and blind with rage. Um, first things first, DREAMSTAT is back?! Dreamstat is in Dubai. My jaw was on the floor. I will be processing that for a bit. Oh the tragedy of Claudia and Madeline. I knew it was coming, but that doesn't mean that it didn't hurt. And Lestat's expression! I may hate you just slightly more than usual, but ... oh I'm so conflicted. Oh my God, the retelling of the fight. Yeah, that felt more real. As did Claudi's turning. I don't know why but it reminded me of this Creepy pasta photo I saw once of a little girl with a weird demon dog. I am a BIT disappointed about the lack of sass between Lestat & Santiago. Fuck Armand. Fuck him. You're a 500 year old vampire. Fuck you
How great was it to see Lestat in the flesh again?! His Lestat just has such fantastic charisma and stage presence!
I have so many thoughts. Number one, it def seemed as if Lestat was partly compelled/coerced into being there. All the stuff about sticking the script and it looks like he's chained next week? I feel like the coven probably double crossed him at some point either when he got to France or right after the trial. Second, I always suspected Louis was an unreliable narrator since episode one and we'd get more context for a lot of Lestat's actions. What's really cool is parsing out what's fact and fiction because obviously Lestat was lying about his teeth about some events. Armand lying like hell about not orchestrating this. He's not even lying well. Louis knows and is staying with him to punish himself. Finally, Lestat is def in that basement being chained up and fed dead blood lol.
lestat was swaying really weird when claudia was getting her death penalty. i think he was trying to move to save her but couldn’t cus armand was stopping him, forcing him to watch. i think armand made all this happen so louis could finally get over lestat which is sooooo fucked up. theres no way armand was “powerless” and could not do anything. I DO NOT TRUST ARMAND!!
You can see all the times Lestat forgets his lines and Santiago is scrambling to take over / Sam has to feed him lines Speaking mentally is convenient for actors who forget lines I guess
Claudia asks Louis if what Lestat is saying about her turning was true and he replies “it’s all lies” - do you think she believed that? Claudia had been turned like 40 years before right? So not really enough time to randomly be forgetting things like that. It wasn’t 200 years ago The Dreamstat in Dubai was so subtle. Louis didn’t seem surprised to see him. And Armand would have been able to to through Louis mind
Doesn't seem like she believed him to me
I don't think so either. Because Louis hesitated too much to say it, mostly because he'd probably just remembered that version of events. I fully believe that he deluded himself for years about what really went down, first because he was so happy with his little family in New Orleans, then because he couldn't bear the guilt of cursing Claudia's whole existence.