Interview With The Vampire 2x7 | Full Length Reaction

Hello! I’m joining Patreon from the land of Youtube! I’ve watched and loved every IWTV reaction you’ve done, but I knew I had to see the uncut versions of the last two episodes, so here I am! “My tank ain’t too full today” (me to me: oh my god it’s going to get so much worse for you 😭 Episode 7 is so hard to watch, man. I totally understand why you couldn’t say much by the time it was over. And may I just say– in every single episode you’ve reacted to, you’ve picked up on things the first time around that took me multiple watches to get. What always comes to mind for me is how you’ve always seen right through Lestat. That was particularly interesting to me! Even I wasn’t able to do that and I’ve read the first book before. I wish I had written down more examples of all the things you picked up on right away, but you’re really intuitive with all these characters! Can’t wait to watch your reaction for the s2 finale! 2 and a half hours long? Hell yeah

Kylie

Fantastic episode. Finally Claudia finally found someone that made her their priority.

Ollie Berger

Lestat was always loving and caring about Louis' health. Not just after the trial.

xris037

Lestat took accountability in New Orleans. Louis said that he confessed extreme shame to him for what he did.

xris037

Lestat didn't say "And you will love her" to show he was already jealous of Claudia. He was saying it as a warning - that Louis would love her and will be hurt when it all turns out wrong. Lestat, in s1, was ALWAYS - every episode - warning Louis about how his choices would come back to hurt him. And Lestat was always right. They all came back to bite Louis in the ass.

xris037

It wasn't an actual trial. It was a play. The audience thought they were watching a play. Lestat was saying lines from a play that Armand wrote to make Louis looks aggressive so the audience would turn against him

xris037

You may have known that IWTV was written when Anne Rice was processing her grief after losing her child to leukemia. That Louis, Lestat, Claudia were inspired by her, her husband, and her daughter. I'm just glad Michelle finally got an adaptation where the immense grief was conveyed properly like this. She is the heart of the story

crazykuroneko

Ok that person that says that Louis first was abusive to Lestat by throwing him against the wall… that is totally not the same. I’m in no means a Louis sympathizer… but it was literally a couple hours after he turned and just made his first kill. He had ABSOLUTELY no bearing on his strength. He was trying to push Lestat out of the way and ended up throwing him by mistake. You can see that moments hesitation when he realized what he did but then decided to still leave, then the rest of that scene plays out….. the lengths some ppl will go to to try and completely absolve their precious Lestat 🤦‍♀️

Rem Holloway

@FrankFreezy are you going to watch the 1994 movie IWTV after season 2?

Partrice

Also, I love everything you had to say about accountability, consequences, and suffering when Lestat apologized and Claudia reacted to it.

Kelsi Villarreal

didn&t expect your reaction at the end making me more emotional than the initial watch 😢

Kimia

Sam Reid is amazing

sparkle

claudia’s death scene… yeah, i’m so sorry. seeing how much you’ve grown to love and root for Claudia while knowing that this episode was coming... all i can say is that i understand the silence. the impact of it never lessens no matter how many times one rewatches. honestly, i think i get even more emotional every time i come across it again. i think her last words are so haunting: “i don’t like windows when they’re closed. i want to fly where the wild wind blows.” yes, it’s part of the song she used to sing to the crowd, but that pretty mucus sums up all claudia ever wanted. she just wanted to roam free, live her freedom to the fullest, not be tied down by stupid things and stupid people. and in the end, that’s what she was punished for. she had finally cut the ties and had found love and companionship with madeleine, was living for herself the way she wanted to. they were both free and they were punished for it. what hurts even more is that Claudia and madeleine had returned to check on louis one more time because madeleine could feel his love for her. i can only imagine how that weighs heavy on louis now. “that’s why Louis walked into the sun.” that’s exactly it :( he made an oath to her, that “as long as she roamed the earth, he would not taste the fire.” and she was no longer on earth. what promises did he have to keep decades later after death? personally, after this, episode five hits a lot harder bc of that. louis has been hurting this entire time :/ as a viewer of the show, i understand how jarring and off kilter and shocking it feels to actually see claudia die. no matter how much of a fighter she was, she succumbed to her circumstances. she couldn’t win or out-scheme her way out of this situation. every part of me hoped that she would find a way, or that someone would find a way, for this to be prevented. and yes, this is a gothic story, but i think that either way in the show itself, there are recurring and developing themes of hope, forgiveness, resilience, and overcoming one’s circumstances — and claudia herself was such a shining example of that. how could she not make it out? but claudia is a tragedy within a tragedy that should have never occurred. if you’re not aware, ( wasn’t aware when watching for the first time) anne rice’s own daughter inspired the character of claudia. this story was born out of grief by the loss of anne rice’s daughter. she was 5 years old when she passed away of cancer. in the book, claudia is also 5 years old and is the child who never aged. it’s sad to see the parallels, but essentially, for anne rice, this story was a medium to cope with that loss, pain, and regret. i remember reading somewhere that she wrote a character, a little girl that “could not die but was killed anyway.” it was an unavoidable, inexplicable tragedy, and for claudia, it’s the same. also, can i just say how much i hated that way that claudia’s diaries were used and manipulated in the trial. the whole audience were allowed to read them and eat her words up without an ounce of empathy for her. it really made me angry for Claudia. you immediately clocking that lestat’s going off script … so real. Santiago and the vampire sam’s reactions look confused and worried but then pleased when he says the scripted lines. i feel like a lot of ppl miss that, which is understandable due to the excitement of seeing lestat again and being caught up in the anticipation of it all. “armand. just look away” killed me bc literally. this man looking exaggeratedly guilty and i’m like, you sold them out! yeah when first watching this episode, i found it interesting how lestat constantly looks worn out. as if he can’t even continue — and i love that parallel you made between louis in the s1 finale and lestat in this one. also, hate how they try to make louis look like a one dimensional, ruthless suspect. there are constant examples throughout the trial where they strip him of his humanity, where they even refuse to call him by his name, and call him “the accused” instead. it leaves an awful feeling in your stomach. LESTAT GIVING FULL VAMPIRE THIS EPISODE. all the animalistic gestures he does around the soldier… so on point. one of the producers of the show shared that she brought her child to the IWTV set while filming this episode bc he wanted to meet the “vampires” and he was so excited meeting all of them (louis, Claudia, armand) sam reid asked to meet him but when her kid saw sam reid in his Lestat get-up from afar, he said he was too scared to go up to him bc “he was a vampire” 😭😭 which if you’ve seen interviews of Sam, you’ll notice how much of a sweetheart he is. however, she never told Sam and said he had gone home bc she didn’t want to hurt his feelings lol about Claudia’s turning scene and the new perspective we get from it is that lestat seems more human. in the other one, he seemed harsher, more detached, if that makes any sense. like it doesn’t change much of anything, but i feel like the differences are also very palpable. it’s crazy what minute details change. also this scene gives us so much context and clarification to previous s1 scenes. why Louis chooses to not leave with Claudia that initial time and stays with lestat even if it pains him to let her go. he had made a promise. i also could understand certain scenes where Louis and lestat would look at each other after claudia acted out and be able to read what they were saying with their looks, whereas before, it was hard to really nail them down. i think it even gives us a little more space into lestat’s mind. “i knew pain and anxiety would be her only birthright.” i feel like that informs so much of lestat’s parenting. he knew she would struggle with her own vampirism and in the vampiric world. he believes that this “pain and anxiety” will define her and acts on that belief as a parents — he gave her a “predator’s upbringing” unlike Louis who “coddled her” because he may have felt that in doing that, he could toughen her up which would help her survive among the other vampires, “vicious” he called them. i think that’s part of why lestat almost looks proud when Claudia “uno reverses” him in the s1 finale. she’s superseded his teachings — then again, that’s just my perspective. also, yes we for sure see the consequences of lestat’s abuse this episode. lestat’s apology, whether it be real or not, garners empathy from some of us, but claudia comes in to remind us that the damage isn’t erased. the stains will always be there. that damage still occurred, and she suffered a lot of the consequences. where is her apology? and the thing is, claudia is real good at putting up a front. she’s good at showing her claws and putting on a brave face in moments when she may not feel 100%. there’s this moment that rlly saddens me in s1 when lestat tracks down claudia in the train. even after the iron wall she put on with lestat earlier in the episode, and the rightful anger and bitterness she exhibited towards him, in that moment when they’re on the train, she’s in tears with her walls down telling lestat, “you didn’t want me. you made me for Louis.” she sounds like that 14 year old girl again instead of the 30 year old woman she is. (and let me just say, this may come as an unpopular opinion, but i do think there was real love between lestat and claudia. however, along the way, it just became too twisted between them. with lestat’s trauma interfering and distorting his love for her and with his mistreatment of claudia, he pushed her away and she had every right to distance herself from him and be angry with him, but i also think a huge part of it had to do with her thinking that he didn’t love her, while in his own sick way, he did. ) she felt like lestat didn’t want her, and tbh that’s the truth. he didn’t want to turn her. that resentful look he gives louis while he has Claudia in his arms about turn to her says A LOT. he resented the fact that he turned her bc he 100% KNEW what she would have to grapple with as a child vampire who’s mind would develop beyond her features . however, he did grow to love her and even though they were happy for a time, it didn’t last. that night before lestat drops Louis from the sky, claudia in her diary writes, “"I spend time following Louis and Lestat, now that I am my own woman, with no obvious sense of why I follow them, other than meaning slowly disintegrates without them, my companions in immortality .” she didn’t separate one from the other. she saw both of them as her companions. she went back home to apologize to both of them, and i think she rlly did want both of them to come with her. she wanted to wipe the slate clean and start anew. but lestat didn’t know how to do that. instead, he saw her as a threat to his fragile “union” with Louis. after those seven years, lestat was not in a state of mind to hear her out and unfairly projected his anger and bitterness towards Louis onto claudia. and claudia had to pay the consequences of lestat and louis’ “stormy romance”, lestat’s own trauma and subsequent cyclical abuse. yet even in the trial, she resents the fact that lestat has acted like he’s not here for her. and in my mind, she’s hurt that lestat gave Louis an apology, but not her, because she is very much worthy of one no matter what. he might feel that it’s too late to apologize to her, as she told Louis, but even if it was too late for her to accept it, she deserved one. btw about madeleine, they were keeping madeleine under a trance, as far as we know. idk if ppl already filled you in on that but !

caroline

Disagree. I like the separate reactions.

Three Dalmations

I am new to your Patreon but I've really enjoyed your reactions on YT and I was delighted to see you were so far ahead here. I was so glad to see this episode pop up but I was also dreading it. I read the books years ago and I've seen the movie so I knew what was coming when I first watched this series, but it never hit me like this before. The IWTV version of Claudia is always going to be the version I see now when I think of her. I fell in love with her character so much through this show, more than I ever had before, and this was absolutely brutal. She was so close to getting away and being happy; I knew what was coming but I kept praying and hoping for a plot twist. The other stuff, as good as it was, Louis and Lestat, is very secondary for me in this episode. I did truly love that Lestat took ownership of what he did to Louis, and I'm not interested in the discourse of who is worse in their relationship. The 'drop' almost made me hate Lestat, and I was glad to see it addressed, but ultimately, this episode just makes me grieve so much for Claudia. I'm glad she died knowing she was loved, but the fact that she and Madeleine only got about five minutes of happiness...yeah I'm gonna die mad about it. On another note, I really really really cannot wait to for you to watch the episode 8 and see what you think of it! Thank you for such great and thoughtful reactions!

Ava Sinclair

You should hold off on watching the final episode and watch it with FoxTaco...I know it will be a few weeks before he gets there, but it would be a blast seeing you guys watch the finale together.

Clifford Brooks

Yea I think this episode leaves most people speechless. I’ll comment more after the finale but I’ll just say Louis saving Claudia from being burned alive by racist white people in New Orleans just for her to be lynched and STILL be burned alive by a mostly white Parisian audience decades later made me sob (and tv/movies RARELY make me cry) . I still maintain that the biggest villain in both seasons is white supremacy and anti blackness. Great video as always🙏🏿

Tommie

I have never seen you so quiet omg I am so sorry we mourn with you. i had seen the movie so I knew this was coming but even this escaped my wildest imagining. truly haunting

Miki

I also came in with the knowledge of the movie. However, it still did not prepare me for losing her. I love Claudia so much more because of this show and it’s still rocked me.

Afi Kumaka

Spot on

Martin Gage

I love this comment! This is so thoughtful and through that I feel like there is nothing left to add.

Maria

A modern lynching

Destini

i'm honestly so surprised nothing from this episode got spoiled for you, i've been so worried watching people who haven't seen the movie or read the books react and post before they finish the show because theres so many possible spoilers! i can't even imagine how crazy the show is to watch from the perspective of someone who knows nothing... my aunt put the movie on for me when i was a kid so when i watched the show i knew what was gonna happen to claudia. idk if i preferred it that way or not, i suppose it gave me the advantage of understanding certain scenes more and getting to pay more attention to the lead up to what was eventually going to happen. most people i've watched react to the show are in my situation so being able to watch someone react to it all not knowing has been kinda nerve wracking, i've been like... damn you have no idea what absolute fuckery is about to happen lmao.

elise i

While I agree that some people seem to minimize Louis violence, I do think there is a difference between the violence vampires inflict on humans (because they all eat humans) like what Louis does with Grace and Paul, and the violence they inflict on each other. That's not to say we shouldn't consider the morality of what they do to humans, but just that it is framed differently by the story's narrative. Secondly, Louis pushing Lestat back into a wall is seen differently by viewers because it is implied that Louis does not know his vampiric strength yet. He goes to push Lestat off of him and accidentally knocks him into the wall. The difference here is intention and knowledge of what his actions will lead to. That doesn’t mean he didn’t cause harm, just that it is not equivalent to intentionally harming someone or abusing them. I definitely agree that Louis' violence towards Claudia (ie. the choking after she tries to burn Lestat) should be taken more seriously. My main gripe with Louis is his behavior towards Claudia. Both Louis and Lestat (however hesitant) are culpable in her making; they chose to make her so their responsibility and loyalty should lie with her first. Louis continually prioritizes his romantic partners and his desire to be redeemed over her feelings and reality. Next, my following thoughts may be biased because 1) I'm a black girl who grew up with an emotionally and financially abusive father. Some may label the way my mother and I responded to his abuse as provocation or equally bad. 2) I work with domestic violence perpetrators and victims. 3) I’m a social work student who likes to analyze things from a sociological standpoint (including power systems like race and gender. That being said, I think I react differently to the different forms of violence in the show not just because I are biased towards certain characters (though I know that does happen) but because violence/assault does not equal abuse. Single instances of violence (like when daniel slaps louis, louis pushes lestat, etc.), while harmful and worthy of condemnation are not inherently abusive. Abuse is about using you power (structural, societal, physical, mental, etc.) over someone to control and punish them. That’s why Lestat’s actions towards Louis and Claudia and Armand's manipulation of Louis and torment of Claudia are seen in a different light. Both Lestat and Armand are older more powerful vampires; they use their structural, physical, and societal power over them to punish and control other, less powerful vampires. In the case of Lestat, he uses his superior strength against Louis as a way to punish him for not returning his affection. He flexes his superior vampiric ability to drag Claudia back to NOLA and intimidate her into staying. He withholds knowledge about vampiric life from them so that they can’t leave or do things he dislikes. That is why these actions are seen as more reprehensible because they are abusive not just violent (whether others agree with that interpretation is up to them). While Louis also has some power over Claudia as her parent and an older vampire, he does not use it to control and punish her. His one instance of violence towards Claudia is motivated by his desire to save Lestat, however, it is still reprehensible because he is her parent and should know better than to assault someone he has structural and physical power over. Finally, I do think it's worth considering whether Louis’ actions towards his human family and employees were abusive or not (I don’t think they were but I can see why some people might). Also, I want to push back on the idea that Louis doesn’t have an arc about coming to terms with the ways he neglected and harmed Claudia. We constantly see him grappling with the ways he failed her in Dubai; he admits that he failed her over and over again. He explicitly says “we made her out of remorse, out of selfishness…” When he realizes his version of events is questionable, he encourages Daniel to go with Lestat’s version which clearly paints him as culpable in Claudia’s making. His suicide attempt is clearly framed as him grappling with the fact that he neglected and harmed his dead daughter; who he’ll never get to apologize to. That being said, we also see Lestat grappling with what he did to Louis and Claudia this season and admitting to his abuse, which is all I wanted from the storyline. I don’t want to punish Louis and Lestat for the harm they cause others, I just want to see them admit to it and grapple with it. Anyway, of course, feel free to call out any bias in my analysis. My opinion is very much informed by my specific world view and experiences.

L Belen

They tried to kill him because he was literally holding them captive. That's not comparable to what Lestat did.

rese

And that's totally fine. I love Louis too. I just think some people do let him away with a lot and play down his part in stuff. I mean Lestat is my favourite character and I know damn well he's done a lot of horrible shit! They all do horrible things but they're all so complex and relatable. That's what makes them so great. Jacob really is amazing.

Kim D

I think that's why in S1 Louis said to Daniel about people forgiving etc

deedra Mcconis

Still though, after all that you just said, Louis is still my favorite character, even in the movie, but this portrayal by Jacob Anderson just blows me away and that’s not taking anything away from the other actors, my gosh, they were all so amazing

Martin Gage

Wow, just wow, a lot of things I hadn’t even thought of, absolutely amazing

Martin Gage

Please take care of yourself. I know this is a really hard episode to watch, especially the first time around. I hope you can find comfort in the knowledge that Claudia and Madeleine found at least a little happiness in each other before the end and if you need more than one week to be ready for episode 8 then please take it! I’ve not read anyone else’s comment yet because I wanted to tell you my thoughts without being influenced by anyone else. So if I mention something that has already been said like a million times then I’m sorry. I would recommend watching the bloopers for some lightheartedness but there is one scene from S2E8 in there, so here are some more or less lighthearted comments in the beginning to get us started: 1.) I’m totally with you, my favorite part of any media is when I get to see an event from multiple POVs. I think that is an aspect of the series that appeals to a lot of the viewers because it goes to show that there is not one truth (at least not one we as humans are able to grasp) and that most things and events are a matter of perspective. 2.) I love how fast you picked up on Lestat going off-script! 3.) You are completely right, Lestat is wearing the hell out of that suit. He looks amazing in it and I think they did that for two reasons: one because Lestat is a vain little thing and he would want to look his very best for the reunion (no matter under which circumstances said reunion occurs) and two to showcase the stark difference between him and Louis, Claudia, and Madeleine in that moment. So now on to the heavier stuff I guess, to me this episode is one of the most devastating and intriguing episodes of the series so far, and I have been waiting for you to watch it since S1E4. I have always found your opinion very thought-provoking because it never really fully aligned with my own. Partially because I had already seen season 2 when you first started reacting to it but also because I just viewed things differently based on my own life experiences. I never thought that this episode would change all of your views, ideas or impressions of the characters or that you would revise everything you had said so far and I’m glad I was right about that. Because as you have said, it is just another perspective and while we learn things that we were not privy to up until now and these things give nuance to the story, it does not change the whole narrative. Horrible things still happened. Characters still did shitty stuff and while we can treat them with compassion and understand where these actions stem from that does not excuse them. You got into it a little bit already but I would love to know more about how this episode influenced or didn’t influence your impressions so far. Especially concerning Claudia’s turning and the fight scene. If you feel up to it, I would recommend watching both scenes back to back. As in first watch one scene in S1E4 or S1E6 and then watch the same scene again in S2E7. I think when you see them one right after the other they have a completely different feeling to them than when you see them so far apart because so much has happened since then. In truth for both events, we are in some ways really missing Louis’ perspective. As you have pointed out both scenes were mostly from Claudia’s POV and I think that’s a really interesting detail to consider especially because Louis is the one giving the interview. Now on one hand that could just be so that they could have this twist in S2E7 but more than that I think it is also supposed to show that Louis, as much as he wants the truth, also initially wanted to tell a version of the truth that framed him in the best possible light (see S2E1 when he said he lost „control“ of the interview). So him owning up to his part in Claudia’s turning is huge to me because it shows how far he has come from trying to control the narrative to coming to terms with his part in the events that transpired. Personally, I have loved watching your emotional journey concerning Lestat from S1E1 to S2E7 and I like how dynamic you were concerning your opinions of him. Even when you thought of him as the literal devil, you always gave him these snippets of empathy and I found that so comforting. Like you, I also relate a lot to Louis but I can also see a lot of myself in Lestat, so seeing somebody who couldn’t stand him, still make the effort of seeing his side of things was quite healing to me. So thank you for that. Anyone who says Lestat didn’t mean to do it, should rewatch this episode because he himself says that he did mean to do it. And yes, he regrets it but he did mean to do it. In a moment of pain and anger and abandonment, he wanted to hurt Louis just as bad as he was hurting. He wanted that and he did it. His regret doesn’t take away from that fact. But I think it makes it maybe more understandable. It was a knee-jerk reaction; it was impulsive and reactive and very much Lestat. I think understanding him or even forgiving him, does not mean absolving him. This guilt that he carries is a guilt he should carry, not as a weird punishment or a form of self-flagellation but as a lesson to be learned. So, that he can do better next time. Because he should, because he has to quite frankly. For himself and everyone around him. And if I understood you correctly, I think you see it the same way. Both Louis and Lestat have done their fair share of things that resulted in the altercation but they both made choices and they have to deal with the consequences of those choices. And while I think I get what FoxTaco means by giving them a clean slate (aka not holding onto an already formed opinion but giving it the option to change), I don’t think that I’d phrase it like that. Maybe it’s more of a new chance. As I’m already speaking about FoxTaco I want to point out something to you that I have partially pointed out to him in my comment for his S2E1 reaction, which is the bird motif. If you remember from the first episode in season 1 on, birds have been a common theme. First, there were Paul’s little birds that told him things and then we have Lestat saying to Louis in S1E3 that he was like “a bird refusing flight” and to Claudia in S1E5 that she was “built like a bird”. Additionally, Louis purposefully breaks the wings of pigeons in S1E5 when he thinks that Claudia is on a hunger strike and chucks them into her room for her to feed on. This could be seen as a metaphor for how Louis acts (chaining himself to a situation that he knows is not good for him but can't find a good alternative for) and for how Claudia feels (like a bird in a cage, unable to escape). And when we first meet Dreamstat in S2E1, while Louis and he were talking, we can see a bird taking flight out of Lestat’s cut throat which could either be a hint to Louis losing it (like Paul; and as he said himself in the episode he is quite fucked in the head) or that Louis and Claudia took flight through killing Lestat. This bird motif continues in S2E4 with Claudia’s play and the songs she sings and the animatics that play in the background. A girl (and can we talk about the name „little birdie Lu“?) who sees herself as a bird trapped in a house (a cage) by her family. Even the end of the play where Claudia’s character dies by jumping out of a window and crashing onto the ground is a dead ringer for how Paul died in S1E1 (also probably another reason why Louis hated that play). So her singing that song, the little birdie Lu song, as she actually dies is in so many ways nauseating to me that I can even begin to explain it. It was like they were saying the only way she could actually ever be free was through death. I’m sure there are a hundred different ways to interpret it, like a last act of rebellion, but the first time I saw, it was horrifying to me. I wonder what your take might be on this. One thing that has been discussed a lot is why they made Claudia use „stoning“ instead of „lynching“ which many think would have been more appropriate considering the racial connotations. While I do think lynching would have been more powerful, I don’t have a strong opinion either way. I thought that maybe they used stoning because of the religious connotation which is a common theme in Anne Rice’s work and we have also seen religion frequently pop up as a theme throughout the series. Moreover many have compared the scene in S2E6 of Armand kissing Louis' cheek to Judas kissing Jesus on the cheek as he betrays him. So I think maybe it was supposed to be a continuation of that Christian motif but I also think even in that context lynching would have made a lot of sense. I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t know how I feel about the phrasing and if I think they should have used lynching, but I know I expected them to use the word. I remember being surprised and a little baffled by the fact that they didn’t because even though I don’t know how common lynchings are/were in Europe, they are/were common in America where Louis and Claudia both are from. So it felt like a strange choice to me. (Edit 26.09.24: I'm watching FoxTaco's reaction to S2E2 right now and realised that Louis used the word lynching in that episode so the choice not to use it during the trial is doubly confusing now.) Concerning Madeleine I think they put her into a trance of sorts that she only snaps out of when Claudia tries to rebel and then she has to be lucid because she has to stand trial. On top of that, as we know, she has been tried by mob before so I imagine the whole event must have been re-traumatising for her. In my comment to S2E6 I mention the maker-fledgling bond which pops up here again. But in this episode, it becomes more confusing and convoluted because, on one hand, Louis felt Lestat in the theatre before he appears but that would also mean that he should feel Lestat emotions or Lestat Louis’ for the matter but that does not really seem to be the case. I have been thinking about this a lot, especially in connection to season 1 and how Lestat seems to really believe that Louis does not love him, which I don’t think is true. I think Louis does love him and did love him, he just didn’t always like or despised the fact that he did. But Lestat really, truly seems to believe that Louis does not love him. So is Madeleine just especially gifted at feeling the bond or the cord or whatever you want to call it? Or is it because she does not really have an emotional connection to Louis (that they are „strangers“ to each other) that she can feel the connection so clearly? That would make sense to me because I imagine that your own emotions can get mixed up or overshadow the bond if you have an actual relationship with that person. Same goes for Claudia of course. But on the other hand, if Lestat does feel them, what might he have felt as Claudia burned? What I’m pretty sure of is that the bond is influenced by distance, the farther apart you are the less you feel it. That’s why I think Louis in S2E1 couldn’t be sure that Lestat was dead or alive or why Lestat in S2E5 did not know what happened to Louis (or that he was in pain). Also can we talk about Louis' promise in S2E1 to Claudia when he says „as long as you walk the earth I’ll never taste the fire“ and then she burns in S2E7 and he burns himself in S2E5 and if Lestat did feel Louis burn himself and could feel Claudia burning, what did it do to his headspace having Armand basically hang up on him without any reassurance that Louis was alive? My last real or semi-real discussion point is the reappearance of Dreamstat. Well, he is back. Do you remember in episode 4 when I asked you about your opinion on him and didn’t want to share my own yet, well this is the reason why. First of all, I think Dreamstat is Louis remembering and imagining all the parts of Lestat that he loved without all the things about Lestat that drive Louis insane. Which accounts for some of the goofiness and agreeability. But I also think he is a manifestation of what Louis is thinking and feeling at any given moment. Also even though Sam (Reid) has disagreed with this, I think Dreamstat can be interpreted as a hallucination even if Louis himself said in S2E1 that he came by invitation. Because the way Louis describes his physical reaction to Dreamstat in S2E4 and how visceral Dreamstat is and was to Louis, can not simply be talked away as imagination in my opinion. I want to point something out to you, to pay attention to during a rewatch, in every Dreamstat scene Sam wears an outfit from season one except the scene in S2E7 where he wears the trial outfit. If you go back and look at the outfits and look at when he wore them in season 1 I think it will give you an idea of Louis' state of mind but more than that it gives the scenes a certain undertone and a specific connection to the past. Which I found quite fascinating. At the end here, I just want to say, that like anyone else I’m just one person with an opinion that has been greatly influenced by my socioeconomic background as well as my ethnicity, and since this is a very heavy and racially loaded episode, I just want to say upfront that I’ve been trying my best to phrase things but words are slippery friends and sometimes they get away from you without your intention. So if I have said anything in this comment that someone finds troublesome or offensive, please point it out to me and tell me why you think so, so that I can reconsider what I said versus what I meant.

Maria

A lot was learned. Louis is not blameless. He can be just as contentious as Lestat. Madeline put both parents to shame…my coven is Claudia!!! What! I hate it here

Collete L

I mean reactive violence is not on the same level as inciting violence, so I'd say yeah it does make them even. Lestat doesn't get to just physically abuse his partner and child out of rage and pain because of the emotional fulfillment he wasn't receiving and NOT have consequences. "Provoking" Lestat does not mean he deserved what Lestat did to him, which is why the air drop is focused on so much. Louis is culpable for sure, but I'd say his main faults were bringing Claudia into this relationship knowing how toxic they were. He should get more criticism for the abuse he allowed Claudia to suffer from both Lestat and Armand.

sierra's reaction corner

I still have no words for this episode, it hurts so bad everytime I watch. I usually have so much to say but I'll save it for the finale :(

sierra's reaction corner

Andre

Okay, let’s discuss the racism in this episode. I’ll be brief! 1. The visuals! Louis is fine as hell. Depicting him as they did was a travesty. Especially leaning into violent and dangerous stereotypes. 2. Cutting the tendons- this was done in many times and places in history but in the US particularly it was done on plantations as a punishment/deterrent for/to runaway slaves. 3. “It’s a stoning”. The urge to say “lynching” had to have been strong. I think the linguistic choice was made to account for the element of audience participation of declaring guilt and sentencing of death. Additionally, casting Claudia as the young, uncontrollable, Black ‘witch’ that influenced Louis mind away from Lestat, was also an element of the ‘stoning’ charge as stoning are also something that happened in Europe to witches and in the US, we burned the witches at the stake in Salem. I could go on but I stopped. I am eager for you to watch the finale next week. Stay rested!

Janeka Rector

I just wished you had push the 15secondsback in this episode more like you normally do because I feel you missed the full impact of some scenes for pausing so much, I guess I'm used to your reactions of this show being 2h long and to see important scenes multiple times, and being this one the most complex episode I did miss that! I hope you have the chance to re watch this even if its not in the reaction! But I enjoy it so much and I'm eager to see you react to the last episode!

Victoria

I couldn't agree more

Kim D

Aw Frank. I was dreading you having to watch this. Every time you would say "get your hands off Claudia", I'd think "he has no idea what's to come" 😞 At least someone finally put Claudia first (Madeleine) and she did get some happiness before this happened. In regard to the scenes of Claudia's turning and the fight, I feel like they show the relationship dynamic was much less abuser/abused than people seem to think in series 1. It's more just toxic on both sides. As Sam said in an interview "if it's not clear that Lestat loves Louis then we failed". And as Jacob said in an interview "I think Louis has more power in their relationship than he'd ever admit to". We see with his relationship with Armand and with these new scenes that he was much more active than we thought. And, as someone else said, I do think because you're being told the story from Louis' perspective, people tend to just see what he sees and downplay his part. And also, seen as you see so much of yourself in him it might be harder for you to see his cruelty. I know some people watch this episode and think it changes nothing about their dynamic/relationship, but it really does. Louis used Lestat for his own gain, manipulated him, lied to him, was abusive - verbally and physically. Sometimes I wonder if Louis loved Lestat at all or if he was just using him all along as he knew how much Lestat loved him and would do anything for him. I think Louis said yes to Lestat on the altar as Lestat made him feel seen and loved in that moment, but not sure if he ever truly loved Lestat. And please don't think I'm downplaying what Lestat did at all. I know what he did is unforgivable, but I can see why he snapped given Louis' cruelty in the moment. I do still feel people miss a lot about Louis' behaviour and treatment of others - not just Lestat. If you watch the show as a whole again and look out for the bad in Louis it's very clear. He's just as morally grey and monstrous as the rest of them. Oh and if you do rewatch, look out for the huge dent in Louis' coffin in episode 6 of season 1 which shows where Louis slammed Lestat's head into the coffin. Some eagle eyed viewers picked up on it the first time they saw it but I hadn't noticed it all. The amount of detail by the set designers is amazing! Anyway, looking forward to the finale reaction. Hope you're not too heartbroken ❤️

Kim D

THIS. 👏

Melissa

This one is a heartfelt episode. The peak of the mountain! I feel all the feels every watch...Appreciate your reaction!!

Lisa Alex

This episode no matter it's scripted and rehearsed by some, gives an almost full picture of events, both Loustat's perspectives now revealed and hints on what might have been manipulated out of it. But it's clear both of them are struggling and ashamed of what's been done but the subtlety also lies in the HOW. Armand though, well.. Putting all the labels aside, they have all been traumatised in more than one lifetime.

Lisa Alex

This was one of the most devastating things I'd ever seen when I watched it. It helped me to watch cast interviews after, and to see Delainey Jacob and Sam all being sweet and friendly to each other. This is seriously one of those episodes that makes you lose sleep, so I hope you're doing all right.

Kelsi Villarreal

Oh no, I forgot you were uploading the reaction today. Unfortunately I cannot watch it until after I come back from teaching 😭 but that’s a few hours away. Anyway, I’m glad nobody spoiled you Claudia’s fate considering it is a famous moment in pop culture. When i finish watching your reaction, I’ll write a better response 🥰

RÆY

This may be something or it may be nothing... I've heard that there are ghosts in some Anne Rice books...maybe even vampire ghosts? I dunno...but maybe there's hope we will see her again someday? Or that Claudia and Madeline are happily living ghost love life together in the ever after. That's the story I'm choosing to believe, anyway! ❤

ArcAngel

I'm so glad Madeleine chose Claudia, even though it meant her death, too. Finally Claudia knew, unequivocally, someone she loved put her first in their heart. 😢

ArcAngel

Claudia was the MVP for me this episode. She stood on business!!! Of course I hated to see her demise but she went out being truly loved by Madeleine. Now I’m not going to lie, Sam Reid ate that suit up. Baby it was tailored to his body so nice. But yea first time watching this episode I truly couldn’t stand none of them but Claudia and Madeleine. But I have love/hate relationships with all the characters. Frank one more left and I hope you are ready. You’ve almost made it through🌻!

Partrice

There shouldn't be any guilt with liking any of the characters. I think what makes it tough for new viewers of the show is when fans rush in during season one defending Lestat when they have an understanding of the character that only comes from having seen both seasons and/or reading the books (as you talk about here). Demanding reactors to empathize with Lestat that early can veer into accidental spoiler territory. I wish fans would be more patient with new viewers and trust the journey. It's totally normal to have had your initial interpretation of the story/characters and is what makes the second season so cathartic.

Jessie

Awww Frank…I think I speak for everyone that knew this was coming dreaded the day you reacted to this episode 🥲…thanks for torturing us and running it back👍🏾

Monte Maurice

Thank you 🙏🏼

Laura Thate

Thank you for saying this 🙏🏾 more eloquently than I could of you literally read my mind and put it to paper.

Valentine

Just wanted to say that I agree with everything that you've said about the anti-black and racist nature of the trial and that the way fans used the new perspectives to then immediately jump to "Louis was lying" as a "gotcha" is very telling. I think the writers brilliantly dealt with that by using Santiago as the proxy for some of the really awful arguments that would come up repeatedly in fan spaces. To see fans even now parrot his talking points re: "vampire loneliness" and "they're monsters, we don't have to hold them to human morality" is a bit shocking since the show refutes both of these excuses so heavily and forcefully—and I would go as far to say actively mocking those who still cling to the idea that Louis was just as awful to Lestat. At every turn, the writers have shown Louis' lack of power over Lestat; his words are all the "power" he has and that still does not prevent the abuse he and Claudia experience. And I love Lestat, but equating Louis telling him he'll be alone forever to Lestat literally dropping Louis from the sky is laughable.

Katie Pfahler

You're near the end here but wanted to share this all the same for rewatches and future seasons. If you already have Amazon Prime Video, add AMC+ subscription there and you won't have to deal with the crappy player on the AMC+ streaming app anymore. Its the same cost and access but much better experience and no disappearing captions.

Mina

A million words I could say, but none of them would do her justice. Oh Claudia... everyone in her life failed her. Right up until the very end. Her fathers. Her coven. Everyone but Madeline. It's the only solace I can find here. Someone finally put her first. Someone finally chose her. Madeline put Claudia above everything and everyone, and at least she died knowing that. And yet... she's dead all the same. I'm going to save the rest of my thoughts until after you watch the finale. I think for now it's best to leave my words with Claudia, as she has none left to speak herself.

Abby

Thought I was being careful, but I edited it down.

Amanda Hill

I agree for the most part they did shy away from that specific language but made illusion to it with thier treatment such as cutting thier tendents so they are unable to run. This season in particular they leaned off of the racical undertones I believe because of the status of Paris being a different environment especially for black people during the time ((not free of racism/antiblackness but more than America was))

Valentine

I can't wait for you to finish the season.

hypocritex

With respect, I feel you're hinting too much about the finale. Paragraph 2

Melissa

Claudia speech to louis and lestat about their romance breaks me i just feel so bad for her

N

Every. Word. Of. This. The first time I watched it and Claudia calls it a stoning, I said aloud, "lynching!" I have wondered if the writers shied away from that word bc it feels more true. It's a very difficult episode with much to critique.

Melissa

"It's not a trial it's a stoning" I always felt like the writers backed off from the word "lynching", which seems to hang over that moment unspoken... to the point that it feels like it was discussed in the writers room, and cut because it might be too controversial. One of the few times I feel like they've shied away rather than going hard. I'd be interested to hear what you think.

Three Dalmations

i am desperately ready for the next episode 😭 i fully understand needing time between these episodes but i am so excited to see your reaction to how this season wraps up. re: this reaction, i wish you didn’t have to constantly say “not to say im excusing” etc but i know unfortunately with public audiences people will misconstrue everything 😭 this episode is such a doozy. their deaths will forever haunt me, i knew what would happen but still wanted them to somehow get a happy ending. somebody finally choosing claudia in the end, though, was beautiful

des williams

Claudia’s death is such a big part of pop culture that it’s always interesting to watch a reactor that genuinely doesn’t know what’s going to happen to her.

Lorena Oliveira

Someone FINALLY chose Claudia😭😭😭

uvytracks

No spoilers for the last episode or third season I knew this episode would leave you speechless by the end... people who read the book and watched the movie knew this was coming, so I have no idea how it feels to experience this with no prior knowledge. Anne Rice started writing interview with the vampire to deal with her daughter's early death, the grief of it all. There are more paralells with her life but if I explain too much it would be a bit spoilery imo. You were very observant of Lestat's behavior during the trial, all his out of script moments and his outbursts of sincerity. Also yeah, the ancient vampire Armand being held captive by the ordinary Vampire Sam? It definitely seems weird, and you're supposed to notice that if you're an observant watcher. When I first watched I was completely oblivious to some stuff you picked up in the very second they happened, so it is very satisfying to watch you lol. There are more weird details in the episode that I'm sure you'll catch in a second watch - if you'll be able to stomach a second watch before the finale, I don't think it's necessary but it'd be nice if you return to this episode after you finish season 2

doodleydoo

I've been so worried about you knowing this was coming. It's devastating. Finally, someone chose Claudia, but then they are killed. It still haunts me. 😭 I have more to say, but it's late. Will comment tomorrow.

Melissa

Great reaction. Looking forward to the next one! Lestat's violence tends to be pretty clearly noticed and called out as abuse...good. But I agree with your commenter that something happens where people minimise Louis's violence. When Louis pulls a knife on Paul or threatens to hurt Grace people just don't seem to "see" it. Even in this reaction, you said Louis knocked Lestat's arm away in season one before he went outside into the daylight... when he actually threw Lestat across the room into a wall. Or to pick an apples-for-apples example: Lestat grabs Claudia's throat, and it's rightly called out. But Louis does the same thing to Claudia in the season one finale, and most people don't seem to have the same emotional reaction to it, if they even "see" it at all. Even the show doesn't have the same reaction to it...it's not like Louis has an arc where he has to acknowledge that he was a violent parent to Claudia and make amends. I'm not even sure there's a racial component to it, I think people just identify with the protagonist and then become blind to the bad shit they do, in the same way people mostly don't notice that hero Jack Reacher spends half of every episode just killing people in preemptive strikes before they've even done a crime... which morally and legally makes him a murdering serial killer whose ass should be in jail. Protagonist-centric morality is a powerful thing, and I love the way this show plays around with it. But the flip side is that you will get some pretty hot takes from people depending on who they identify with the most, as they excuse their fav and make a villain of someone/everyone else.

Three Dalmations

it is causing me physical pain that i won't be able to watch this until tomorrow 😩 on the bright side, this'll be a great (and undeniably painful) treat to look forward to

alee

My favorite episode of the season! I don’t care that it’s past my bedtime lol the snacks are ready!

Shyranhi Law

Claudia as a character was made in homage to the daughter that Anne Rice lost tragically when she was five for her ilness. That's the age that Claudia has in the book. One aspect that I like about this series and the book of Anne Rice is the wound that is present in the characters. The spectre of Claudia is looming over them and we see how Louis is affected by her death to this day. Claudia is amazing but tragedy always takes the undeserving. Lestat and Louis focused on their stormy romance and didn't treat their daughter the way she deserved. Sorry for the pivot and do this if you want to but it could be possible that when you end the finale you react to the advances of season 3. You have mentioned them in other reactions but I don't know if you want to see them. Thanks for your reactions, very nice job.

Zorsk

My thoughts and comments on this episode are highly racial so if you don't like that please do not read. Time for me to put on my Claudia Cape. Oooh yall about to be sick of me because of the way I'm on Lestat's ass ((Don't think bitch ass Armand is off the hook either I promise I just have hella smoke for Lestat atm)) I'm so sorry when Claudia went "Can I cry and say that I'm sorry too?" It broke me every time I watched that scene I'm in instant tears. ((Delaney Hayles, the star that you are)) Fuck him. This wasn't a trial it was a lynching. I felt like I was crazy when he apologized. "He's sorry, He's sorry!" Louis literally said "I will wrap my hands around your neck just like you did our daughter" He put his hand on Claudia but somehow he had restraint! Also, he never apologized to Claudia. SHE IS LITERALLY THE VICTIM. They make her life and now her death about that Lestat. I don't even hate Lestat he is an amazing character (also creating cycles like everyone else) but goddamm. She should have killed him a second time and for some reason, these extensions of previous scenes absolve him to some people which blows me. Lestat was the abuser in every version and even Lestat, himself accepted that during the trial. I can’t help but notice how easily they take the white characters telling of events when some part of this fandom continues denying anything Louis said. Like the passivity of taking a well-known liar (Lestat) at his word while spending months to years on why Louis is “inherently untrustworthy” Each POV simply gives insight into whoever is telling the story and how they view the people around them at the time. EVEN LESTAT's words aren't gospel it is not the tried and true narrative, it is another perspective/context of the same events. That is all. On a more intellectual note: The writers have made anti-blackness so omnipresent at that trial, from Santiago mockingly reading Claudia's diaries and painting Louis in predatory stereotypes, nailing them to the stage-like set dressing and showing leniency only towards Madeleine, to calling it a stoning. The dehumanization of the pictures on the projection screen. “props, props in a play” black bodies objectified, ankles cut like they’re enslaved, tortured any time they try to speak or defend themselves while the white-majority crowd jeers and laughs and sighs over the nonblack men spinning their tale. The Coven mixes antiblack tropes of "innocent white woman sexually targeted by an aggressive black man" and "white male patriarch denied his marital rights and betrayed by ungrateful spouse/daughter" depending on what villainizes Louis or Claudia more in every scene. Lestat can cry and admit to the horror he put them through and be given forgiveness and empathy but when Claudia, a black woman, is openly yelling at the audience about her pain she is booed, ridiculed, and has it openly downplayed in the show. The "trial" 🤝 the dehumanization of Louis and Claudia Just thinking about how Claudia was so not used to being the first choice she was encouraging Madeleine to choose life over her but her companion stood her ground and said "My coven is Claudia" " She was chosen at the end, she died feeling loved.

Valentine

Ohhhh how I have waited for this! ‘I feel sick’ is definitely an accurate caption. The next episode though, I am sat with bated breath awaiting the upload of that reaction.

Jonelle Stewart

I thought I was the only one. :D

Holly Robertson

Heeeeere we gooooo! And no you most certainly are not missing something about Armand being as powerful as he is. As flawed as all of them are, I will always hold to the fact that Lestat DID love Claudia. I think so much of his trepidation was not only because she was a child, but because of what he went through with Nicky. Petition for all of us here on Patreon to get matching “My coven is Claudia” tattoos. I’m internally screaming for you to watch the finale ASAP (not for my sanity, your own). So much to come, friend. Sending you much healing. This episode is a great one with a hard ending. Long live the Vampire Claudia and her Immortal Beloved, the Vampire Madeline 💔

Amanda Hill

Frank…. I was acting like a crackhead waiting for this episode! I’ve never checked Patreon so often in one day. Thank you

Tarabee