* So, first of all - what magnificent acting from everyone in this episode. Oh my! They’re all utterly wonderful! I’m going to point it out at certain points as I go, but oh my - they are all wondrous! And the language - every line of this episode mattered!
* I found it interesting to reflect on vampire versus human perspective on both life and immortality in this episode - Daniel perceives immortality as an opportunity to seize existence eternally and truly LIVE life, while the vampires themselves dwell in existential malaise…. And is THIS that makes Daniel fascinating..?
* Daniel ‘grabbing’ syntax - the bit where Louis refers to himself in the third person… now we have to rewatch the entire show with this in mind, to see when else Louis or Armand referred to themselves this way…?!
* “Someone half in love with an easeful death” - How Louis refers to Armand’s victims when he can’t find an evildoer are the exact words Armand later says to Daniel
* Louis has more of an ease with himself in San Francisco, while at the same time being the most lost we have ever seen him. He’s more at ease with his nature - in his posture; in killing… but not in all ways - clearly!
* “Cocaine’s a fun boy’s drug. I’m not fun.” LOL @ Louis, the truther!
* Louis: “Do you want to now?” To Dubai-Daniel. Audience: YES PLEASE! Off you GO!
* Louis’ sheer check shirt is TOO GOOD. I love it. I want it.
* IS one of them the Zodiac killer though? We need to look at that victim list from earlier than 1973…
* “You were lonely, Louis, you were floundering…”
* Jacob’s acting - he’s so great in this episode, but I especially adored the way he eviscerates Lestat! Jacob is hilarious! And it’s funny, like it is in the books! So over the top… Louis leaning in to the tape like his words are weapons to lure Lestat towards him. It’s so redolent to what Lestat did in creating his Come to Me recording with Antoinette’s voice… except the opposite - Lestat created a loving thing, but used his lovers voice on the loving thing to anger Louis… Louis twists Lestat into the most spiteful thing and I absolutely love that they included the concept in the books that would hurt Lestat the most of all - when Louis says that his piano playing is emotionless. “He played without an iota of feeling.. with all the emotional acuity of a MONSTER!” Yeah Louis, THAT will draw Lestat out…
* And while I’m on the note of music - how interesting the music in this episode… that single-note hypnotic piano pedal that keeps coming back over and over again - anticipatory…. The meagre, fractured strings… utterly unlike the music in this series outside this episode
* And Louis, just wanting Daniel to agree… getting him high ought to make him more acquiescent… and yet, he gets more than he bargained for… Daniel still notices subtext in what Louis is saying and doing, and it intrigues Louis… for what do these eternal beings truly want, but to be entirely understood…?
* Daniel pointing out Lestat was Louis’ first love, even amid Louis’ trash talk
* Daniel “I’m with her…. Get off that bench, brother.”
* Daniel’s confidence in his SELF when asking for the dark gift - the confidence of a truly young man. And How great is Luke - let’s say it now. He is SO Eric. His fear, his bravado, how scared for him you feel
* The way Dubai-Daniel trusts Louis here, showing him the laptop
* Armand: What if it was published? You don’t have enough to fear from Paris?
* “You are so BORING. Colourless. Flavourless. Dull. Dull. Dull nights, dull weeks, dull months, dull as f… Suffocation by the world’s softest, beigest pillow… the ten hours I spent with that boy were more exciting than decades with you.” OK but tell us what you REALLY feel, Louis, LOLOLOLOLOL
* Armand’s mocking impression of Louis “Oh, it’s so hard to be me!!!” And Louis retaliating. God, I LOVE their argument! A perfect mix of awful, painful… and hilarious!!! (Imagine Lestat laughing…)
* The name unuttered in our home for 23 years
* “She didn’t love you. Not like he did. Not like I have.” They’re going there with Claudia!
* “Can you hear her? She’s calling me…”. Claudia’s ghost is clearly what calls Louis to going into the sun and I wonder if this is foreshadowing and if that image of Claudia in the sunlight could be Claudia’s ghost at the end of the series, but this time we can see her… again calling Louis…?
* “The floor slants slightly North. The blood flowed that way.” This line is repeated a few times by Armand… and I didn’t understand why, but it felt important. Did anyone understand why.
* Gosh the language in this episode is beautiful - poetic, play-like, and so much of Anne’s words.
* “He’s fine. He’s just one.” Echoes of Armand telling Lestat how unharmed Nicki was….
* “He confessed his innermost secrets to you” - the betrayal of emotional intimacy
* “You’re going to teach me how to be fascinating.” OK… now is the moment. Love letter to Assad Zaman and to Armand. It is just heartbreaking the way he needs something from Daniel here. In this episode, Armand saves Louis’ life. He is a conduit for Louis’ true love’s voice. In fact, he does so much in love for Louis… And yet he is told he is boring.
* The irony is that Armand IS special!!! He is absolutely the most complex vampire… he just doesn’t understand how to love or be loved… and Louis is NOT his "one"! But he is SO fascinating! And special. All of the edits to Radiohead's Creep PLEASE!!!!
* I also find it WONDROUS in a show about vampires - where vampires are always a metaphor to The Outsider... yet... in art, The Outsider is often portrayed in in my opinion - an unrealistic way, as in "actually the outsider is infinitely special, really!", BUT IN ARMAND, the writers have given us a truly actually special character who truly feels like many outsiders do - that they are irrevocably flawed and there is something significant truly missing in them (us) - AND is told by the person he loves SO much he would literally be a pathway to their other love that he is boring and not special and not enough... THAT is relatable! (Even though nobody has told me this, as I am simply isolated, personally! Yet, still, I feel it!)
* “A splinter of coldness in you. Is that what makes you fascinating?” “Even his transgressions are ordinary.”
* The way Armand looks at Daniel when he says “Do you want to hear my story?” - “An eager black hole.” Armand seeking if it is how Daniel listens that makes him fascinating to Louis…
* Armand communicating to Lestat “I won’t say a word.” What is Lestat telling Armand here about where he is?
* Their feet in the stones
* “All I talked about him was trash.” “Yes, you said that. But why? It’s not exactly how you’ve talked about him to me. Did I catch you in a fantasy?” A fantasy where Lestat reads Louis nasty embellishments and comes chasing after him again….
* “This prison of empathy I’ve locked you in.” Gosh, I love the language
* “I am your maker’s voice: Louis, mon Cher. You anted to say something to me? Why are you ill? What’s happened to you? I love you Louis. Tell him Armand.”
* Armand really does this in such selfless love for Louis and of course Armand cannot bring himself to speak Lestat’s I love you to Louis. It is too much. Especially seeing as all Armand ever asked of Lestat was for Lestat to love \*him\*! Oh Armand! You deserve love!
* A final act of service
* “You left me for death.”
* Louis, using Daniel’s “And then…”
* I am the quiet you have been longing for after all the garishness of life. The way Armand eases Daniel into death. Sensual. Beautiful. Terrible. And Anne’s words.
* Daniel saying how Armand redacted himself from his mind reminded me of Daniel saying “Disregard” to Armand’s input to the story at the start of the season
* Armand did edit Louis and Daniel’s brains… but Louis was suicidal… so there was cause…
* Louis’ anger at the end
* Trial starting next episode…!
* Assad: “Armand can’t ever relax with the truth”
* Jacob in the post episode thing - saying he can’t think of a bigger betrayal than rewriting the history of a person you love and that it makes him angry… referring to what Armand does to Louis… when IN THIS SAME EPISODE, that’s literally what Louis does to Lestat, albeit not in Lestat’s mind… but still… there are similarities!! Haha
* Lestat is my boy, and Sam IS Lestat… and everyone in this episode is so incredible - but ASSAD'S ARMAND. Armand was always my second favourite vampire, but Assad - I do not understand how you are making me love Armand even MORE! Be MORE evil, Armand. And more tragic. And more loving. Be every thing you are. I know you are fascinating!!!!! Every episode, I love Assad even more.
* Finally: reviewers were wrong - this is ABSOLUTELY the foundation of The Devil’s Minion. From horror, grows love. Though this episode is mainly created, there is SO MUCH of Anne Rice in it and it feels 100% her. He words, her feelings. Her gothic romance. ADORE.
It’s kind of pathetic that this all powerful vampire is trying to ask this young cool reporter guy for tips on how to seem more interesting to his boyfriend
It is, but then again, nobody in Armand’s entire 500 year existence has ever loved him. His parents sold him into sex slavery (or Armand thinks they did) & he was rented out, his body to be used. Then Marius said he loved him, but he too rented Armand out as an object & then abandoned him. He was trapped in loveless covens with strict rules of denial for centuries. Then Lestat refused to love him & Louis calls him so boring he’s unloveable. Armand does try to love Louis! He just doesn’t understand how to love or be loved as he’s had no example of it. He never got to form a firm sense of his own self either, as he’s always just been told what he must be by external sources & so who is he? How can he be fascinating? He needs someone to show him. He’s so tragic a character.
Oh and PS, it's both hilarious and totally tragic that sexy Loumand times can't truly happen until Armand has literally WIPED Lestat from Louis' mind, hahahahahaha! Poor Armand. Obviously he's monstrous in this episode. And I love you for every ounce of your monstrosity and all of the pain beneath it!!!
I think wiping that fight is what makes Armand boring. It’s not just mind control. Couples say horrible things to each other sometimes. Sometimes dealing with what is said is way better than erasing memories of a fight.
I think it's deeper than a fight though. I think Louis shows Armand in this episode that he does not love him. But Armand cannot leave and be alone - that's terrifying to him! He needs something external to himself to fill him up. So instead, he looks to Daniel. What makes Louis fascinated by Daniel? How can I be that? How can I become a thing Louis could love? And he looks at Louis? How could Louis love me? Louis needs to truly hate Lestat so he can love me. These are things Armand has powers to do something about and it really is pitiable and tragic that Armand would rather create some false love than have some self agency and leave and seek out someone to love him for himself. But it's also awful of Louis, who has always known he doesn't love Armand, and yet Louis stays... increasingly resentful. Bored. And yet also not leaving.
BEIGE.
Holy shit, my dude, of all the things that were said during the fight, *that* is the one I keep coming back to. It's just such a ferocious fucking unnecessary thing to say, and it cuts right to the bone.
I could not possibly agree more: this was the episode in which I viscerally *felt* so many pieces from so many of Anne Rice's books absolutely launching themselves onto the screen. It's just astoundingly good.
And he says this in the book too! I always thought it would annoy Lestat the most of any thing he could say, hahaha! That'll get him running towards you, Louis!
Armand's repetition of "*Is that what makes you fascinating?"* becoming more intense and unnerving each time was fantastic.
Armand cheerfully swaggering in at the end, wearing his newly acquired "cool" glasses. Giving big "see, I'm not boring!" energy to two traumatized individuals.
Armand in general was amazing this episode.
Armand trying to be cool and interesting is so darkly humorous to me, because Armand IS interesting. He's my favorite book character because he's a total freak, tragic and insanely powerful and fucked in the head.
I think he's like that because he's NEVER BEEN TOLD that he's appreciated as whatever he could be. That's inate human nature, most people aren't happy unless you tell them how much you appreciate their efforts. It's why in etiquette classes we get told the most gracious words in any language aren't "I love you" but "Thank you". Thanking means recognition, awareness of that person's energy or efforts impacting your life in a positive way. It's energy exchange.
Except Armand's never gotten it because he's not acted when he could've been most appreciated. You don't offer to sew a wound when you could've helped prevent the cut to begin with. Then again, another fine print said by these is that when they do entertain people, they entertain eye-catching and often young people. When we're young, we're stupid typically. Maybe he never found a partner who lived long enough to properly connect intimately with him.
Daniel bumping into walls trying to get to the door as two bottoms scream the worst things they can think of at each other "BEIGE PILLOW!" "YOU'RE BORING!" ☠️☠️ Outstanding.
Loving the horror and supernatural elements to this ep! Levitating chairs and slamming doors in the back ground. Body paralysis. The music! Vintage suspense horror.
This episode felt like a beautiful, heart wrenching play.
"Fuck man, are you the Zodiac Killer??" Bless Daniel's tragic mortal soul
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Me watching while Armand sublimates his desperate need to be loved into torturing everyone in the room
ASSAD ZAMAN I AM OBSESSED WITH YOU AND YOUR PERFORMANCE. Holy shit I loved Armand finally getting to be truly scary and unhinged here. The calm, melodic voice? The body horror with Daniel? "Do you find me boring?" The "rest" monologue about being the quiet Daniel has been longing for? Exquisite, incredible, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
(I still want Devil's Minion. Please. Pretty please with a cherry on top.)
The scene where Armand feeds Louis his blood and talks about the scenario of Lestat running back to Louis after reading the pubslihed book embellishments basically being *exactly* what happens in The Vampire Lestat... oooooh.
Daniel *as a testatment to the endurance of their companionship?* Maître and Arun again?
Shout out to Eric Bogosian for killing this, too.
THE ENDING? The Dubai scenes for the rest of the season are going to be wild and I am beyond here for it.
"Are you the zodiac killer?" Oh, Daniel, absolutely no self-preservation instinct. Both Daniels' chemistry with Louis was incredible. I \*loved\* them, they complement the other so well in both timelines! Also, Louis being the angel whispering in Daniel's ear, telling him -- you are good enough, you have something to give to the world (especially in contrast with Armand's casual "predictions" about his future), that was so moving!
I can't make myself comment on everything because ALL of it was wonderfully twisted, but Louis doesn't remember the fight because Armand "everything is fine"-ed him, which is terrible, but also terrible -- Armand \*does\* remember all the nasty shit they said to each other and is somehow still here, has managed to convince \*himself\* this is fine? My poor gremlin, someone should turn him a therapist, his issues would take centuries to unpack.
The only problem with this episode is that now I don't want to go back to Paris, this was everything, and then some. o\_O
Armands fear of being abandoned/alone is so bad he will cope eith everything Louis said and try everything to keep him on his leash. He really is an awful Gremlin (and they cut out a lot of bad stuff he did in the books too lol) but I will never not love him anyway haha
Same. :D
I just want him to sort out his appalling sense of self-worth (though all the bad shit he does, in the books and on the show, doesn't make a very good argument for saying it should be much higher, ahaha).
> Armand \*does\* remember all the nasty shit they said to each other and is somehow still here, has managed to convince \*himself\* this is fine?
Maybe he has nowhere else to go? It's this or being alone.
Yes, I agree, which is tragic in its own right. (And very human.)
To fight for someone/something that is clearly broken because you feel like you have no outside options, and to live with the knowledge of what the other person thinks about you (that's none too flattering). To resign yourself that this is the best you can get. Argh.
Me too, ah. I think that's why it stuck out at me among the rest of the wonderful and fucked up stuff in the episode, he's horrific, but also relatable (up to a point, of course).
If you qualify everything Armand does as being less terrible than what's been done to him then he believes he is being merciful.
I think he's punishing Louis for presenting the illusion of loving him while using him (because he never stopped loving Lestat). And he refuses to facilitate a Loustat reunion, so it's part petty.
Armand's early human and vampire experiences make him react the way he does. At core, he desperately wants to be loved and treasured and to give love but because of his abuse he doesn't at core believe he deserves it. So when he can chose he stays locked in things that started with the illusion of love/lust and doesn't want to let them go.
He needs a lot of deep therapy. Like the rest of them. But he's the most rejected, I'll say that. (And it's not the same as Claudia as she is physically denied a certain companionship. Armand could have it but is damaged by his experiences and potential companions reject that in him.) So naturally he lashes out.
The worst is how much he ends up caring for others no matter how horrid they are to him. He probably did that with his parents, and just doesn't remember it.
Armand might be responsible for not stopping the coven. But Louis is responsible for Claudia being orphaned and existing. Even her need to have a protector and trying to find that in the coven is connected to Louis not killing Lestat after he agreed to execute her plan.
Louis' poor choices include Armand but Armand isn't responsible for Louis making them.
What happens to Claudia is mainly a collision of poor choices made by Lestat, Louis, and Armand, and Claudia's reaction to them.
I’m glad we’re finally getting the real versions of these characters. Armand is exactly who he is in the books. Props to the writers/directors for understanding the intricacies. It will be interesting to see how people who haven’t read the books react though.
As they should be! I want vampires to be complex monsters that shouldn’t be held to human standards. All the twisted layers is what makes them so fascinating!
What an amazing episode. I can see why reviewers said this was their favorite. There's so much going on, I don't even care that all of my theories have gone out the window! Just fantastic work, acting, writing, the way the score totally disappeared and came back for those sparse single notes, the set design, the little details. GOD.
I loved the way so much of Louis in this episode was touching on his unattended grief about Paul. Going up to the roof to the sunlight to kill himself. Giving Daniel the lifeline. The way he can't say "I love you". It's all Paul, still, always at the core about the boy who watched his beloved brother die. Oh, Louis.
Also can we talk about how hot it is when Armand does his vibrating eyes trick when he's up to nasty vampire business? Love it.
The couples fight nailed for me one of the central dilemmas Rice posed in the books: the ultimate unsustainability of a healthy romantic relationship between immortals. Obviously the Armand-Louis dynamic presented here is particularly toxic but that was one of the big points of the books - that ultimately, with the two of you facing down literal eternity, the moment will eventually inevitably come when you both look at each other and go “so……. now what?”
This is what I think overall - maybe vampire relationships are not meant to exist forever. A lifetime has a pattern and give and take to it. This is the exact same thing every day without stopping. Maybe at least a very open relationship where you leave and "come back to me" could work.
This!
And Louis' "boredom." When he told Armand he found him boring, to me that was not entirely his truth. I think Louis denies how much he still misses Lestat and lowkey blames or projects onto Armand
Yeah there are so many "couples" in the books but I cant think of one thats even remotely healthy or doesn't end in tragedy lol. Rice was (I assume) happily married for decades but she didn't want her Characters to have some happiness haha
Considering Anne wrote interview in order to work through the grief of losing her daughter and also had an understandably rocky marriage to Stan who also passed in 2002… she was writing from experience.
Obsessed with Armand negging Daniel into accepting going quietly into being drained. ‘Let me hold you’ do you know what it means to be loved by death indeed!! What the fuck <3
(Paris Louis watching Santiago do basically the same thing to random mortals for hundreds of nights on stage bored reading then stopping Armand from doing the same thing to Daniel for an audience of one (none? did he know Louis was up and watching?)….’how many people has Armand spared’ how many people have YOU spared Louis! much to think about 🤔)
Holy shit, this episode was incredible. I've got so much to say, I barely know where to start.
First of all:
* Young Daniel turning up, immediately getting blasted, and then taking his clothes off to "fulfill the social contract" is fucking hilarious (plus, Old Daniel being visibly disappointed that they didn't fuck in the 70s - amazing). We're a long way from Daniel's insistence that he only went to Old Mary's to score!
* In their argument, Armand says that Claudia didn't love Louis, and Louis agrees! Considering the missing diary pages, I wonder if we might be moving towards a more manipulative, less rose-tinted version of Claudia. In Merrick, Claudia's diaries reveal that she deeply resented both Louis & Lestat for turning her, and that she tried to kill Lestat because Louis was the more "malleable" of the pair. Louis attempts suicide after realising this. I can't wait to see how this plays out in the show - I bet Claudia's got a lot of buried rage towards Louis that we haven't seen yet.
On Lestat:
* Lestat trying to speak to Louis through Armand!!! He isn't even angry at Louis; he's just worried about him, and wants Louis to know that he loves him. Lestat is much softer here - more like Louis' imaginary Lestat in Paris, than the spiteful, angry Lestat from the end of season 1. And Louis seems afraid (or ashamed) to face him, after everything he's done.
* Also, Louis knows that Lestat is alive and out there!
On Armand:
* Ok, holy shit. As monstrous as he is, you still feel for Armand - he genuinely believed that he & Louis could have something real together. But instead, he's stuck playing babysitter for a suicidal vampire who's in love with someone else, knowing that he'll never atone for the mistakes he made in Paris. After decades of this, I can see why he finally lost it. Armand's completely terrifying, but also has these incredibly fragile/heartbreaking moments: telling Daniel to "teach me how to be fascinating", the look on his face when Lestat says that he loves Louis (and Armand can't bring himself to repeat the words).
* It's now official that Armand has been tampering with Louis' memories! I've been thinking about what Armand said to Louis in his coffin: "if you want the insanity back, if you want an escape from this prison of empathy, all you had to do was ask". Could Louis have asked Armand to change his memories at some point? I can't wait to learn the extent of Armand's meddling. Also, Armand might lie to himself that he's doing this purely to keep Louis' insanity away, but it's also at least a little self-serving. He's just so desperate to make a connection (with Lestat, or with Louis), but he doesn't know how: I think he thinks that if he changes himself, and changes Louis, he can make them fit.
* Armand returning to the penthouse all smug wearing those stupid sunglasses is amazing, I love it.
Absolutely fantastic TV, I haven't obsessed this much over a show in ages.
Shallow post, but did anyone else find Louis distractingly beautiful during the Dubai scenes, and Armand distractingly beautiful during the 1970s scenes?
I took that line of Armand saying “you want the insanity back” as manipulation. Meaning Lestat’s insanity, as in, I can be just as crazy as your “abusive” ex if you want that version of me since you keep talking about your ex.
I am really convincing myself that the capital B big reveal is going to be that Louis asked him to because he didn’t want to keep carrying the pain of Claudia hating him and her death.
I’ve always seen Armand as more codependent than anything. He’s terrified of being alone with his thoughts, he has to surround himself with others and fix their problems.
Yeah, I think you're right that Louis asked Armand to change his memories after Paris. It'd be pretty dark if it turned out that Louis didn't ask for it, and Armand just rewrote large chunks of Louis' memories & imprisoned him in a loveless relationship for his own benefit.
Armand seems pretty desperate to keep the lie going, though, and I don't think that's purely for Louis' sake. Like you said, Armand is terrified of being alone, and if Louis remembers the whole truth, one way or another Armand will be left behind.
Oh, I 100% think that's it. I think it's all being built up as solely Armand's doing, but I think there's a lot of hints (like the "Arun" "maitre" exchanges) that hint that Louis may have been the one calling those shots.
>Lestat trying to speak to Louis through Armand!!! He isn't even angry at Louis; he's just worried about him, and wants Louis to know that he loves him. Lestat is much softer here - more like Louis' imaginary Lestat in Paris, than the spiteful, angry Lestat from the end of season 1. And Louis seems afraid (or ashamed) to face him, after everything he's done.
I am so curious whether we're meant to interpret his voice as what Louis hopes he's saying (based on Armand's expressions) or what Lestat was genuinely saying. If it's the latter, then that's the first glimpse we've got at the real Lestat instead of Louis' memories or hallucinations. And the discrepancy between him there and everywhere else is fascinating.
I wonder why Lestat hasn't come after Louis, given Armand admitted that Louis was injured. Is he respecting Louis' boundaries or did Armand push back and tell Lestat that Louis didn't want him?
I’m on the side that Louis asked Armand to help him forget about Claudia. In the end of that episode Armand says to Daniel, “are you asking me?” And Louis’ response was no. He didn’t kill Daniel when he should have because that’s what they do. And he knew too much about vampires, but one command and he’s submissive, calls him maitre. Looks to me like Louis holds the power over Armand, and as tortured as Louis has been as a vampire, would not be surprised if he asked to have some memories of Claudia erased. And thinking back at the bedroom scene in episode 2, when he asks Armand to show him the torn out pages of Claudia’s diary, he says “we agreed”, “we tore out”…I found that interesting back then, like he’s playing a part in forgetting about Claudia.
Young Daniel is such a fucking freak I love it. I know that freakiness is still in Old Daniel, COME ON OLD MAN YOU CAN DO IT. Armand being fucking pissed that Louis called him "boring", so he psychologically tortures Daniel to prove him wrong, I love him. I absolutely giggled when Armand threw Daniel around like a ragdoll. GOD Armand's speech to Daniel was so beautiful, I understand Daniel, I would've submit too. Armand sauntering in after lunch with his slay outfit and cunt glasses, not knowing he gonna get his ass kicked. This show is so unserious I love it.
I love how both intensely hard and soft this ep is. The entire conflict in the 70s is very much like Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? It's set up like a play where these characters with strong history have it play out in front of another character and it's a pattern of aggression and unhealthy dynamics. Armand and Louis both had legitimate issues on both sides.
Then you have present day where Daniel and Louis are trying to find resolution and have to work through their collective amnesia together, which was brought about by the same person. It's almost meditative
the cut from danlou at the interview table when daniel is struggling to remember more, to both of them with their feet buried in the rocks was so cute and strangely touching - I love their connection and friendship!
The moment of the whole episode for me was Armand leaning into the coffin to mock Louis, "did you think you would publish it? And Lestat would see it in a window and read it and come back to you?"
*me, a book reader. applying clown makeup* "...oh no."
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Found this meme on Twitter from @nocontextlestat. Had me cackling.
Jacob is just incredible at bringing Louis’ torment to life.
~~How are some of y’all watching the episode so far in advance? There was a post this afternoon spoiling it and y’all are, 14 minutes into the episode being online, discussing the full thing. Is this open seas or is there some legit way of watching it earlier I’m not aware of?~~
Edit: Moving to Australia!
It’s been better generally in recent years, lot of the stuff on big streaming platforms goes up like regular time prime time Sunday in the US and that lines up to be early afternoon ish Monday for us which is what I was expecting for iwtv but surprise! We got to be special for the first time ever haha
I'm from Australia too (Sydney) and did not know it gets released early on Prime Video w/ the add-on! I literally spent $9 this morning for the standalone sub to AMC+ because i thought it would be out. Two questions;
1) what time on Sunday does it drop?
2) has it always been like this?
Louis has always been so unhinged. Jacob has said in interviews that he's the most dangerous and bloodthirsty of all of them but he's so much better at hiding it. He's a freak (affectionate).
Maybe hand chopping is a game they play when Armand gets to be Maitre... that echos what he did to Nicki in removing them... and how he played Frankenstein with Claudia as they reattach and heal. Yikes.
A lot of processing to do.
Armand here was very complex, which is very book accurate. I have never thought he would be a one dimensional villain, but this ep also showed his cruelty. The way he let Louis suffer for days as basically a way to punish him for commiting suicide! I found it very disturbing that both Armand and Louis kept framing Louis' attempts around how it hurt Armand. What about how incredibly poor Louis' mental state is that he clearly was triggered into nearly killing himself? The things he said to Armand are cruel, but honestly, if Paris plays out like the books...
Louis' original interview was both an attempt at catharsis but also possibly an attempt to reach Lestat! I wonder how long Louis has known he is alive and exactly why they are apart. They do willingly spend time apart in the books, but they also both think the other is dead right after Paris. Louis is clearly not happy, so something else is keeping him away. Does he believe that Lestat doesn't want him? Lestat sounded so worried, but Armand wasn't truly conveying that and he did not convey Lestat desperately trying to let Louis know that he loves him. This season has to end with a reunion right? Right!?
Otherwise we got: set up for the revelation from Claudia's diaries that she hated Louis, confirmation that Armand has tampered with Louis' memories though we don't know how much. It is very possible that San Fran was NOT the first time, and I very much doubt it is the last. The very start of Devil's Minion? There is no way that is the end of Daniel and Armand's interaction. Armand was clearly around at other parts of Daniel's life as confirmed by the earlier Alice stuff.
Also, I know the vampires are not necessarily monogamous, but the very blatant contrast between how things were presented between Loustat in S1 concerning Louis' desire for monogamy and the fact that Louis apparently has been having sex with other men for Loumand's entire relationship, including all of those men Armand mentioned just in San Fran? Interesting is all I will say.
I would like to comment on the craftsmanship and tone!
The horror aspects of this episode were amazing. The burn makeup on Jacob looked so good, creepy, gross, and painful-looking. The creaky music when things start to get unsettling was so effective. I liked seeing Armand be unleashed a bit here. We see his eyes shake again. And the part where he is unspooling the guts of Daniel’s tapes with his mind- I hated it and LOVED it. Performances all around, 100/10. So multi-layered and so multi-faceted. Everyone can switch in the blink of an eye. The casting department understood the assignment, and I am continually enamored and impressed by the immense talent of everyone on screen.
With all the horror, however, there is also beauty and quiet in this episode. This episode is both big and small, in many ways. And everyone looked stunning! Armand in that coat and that Crypto Bro’s sunglasses- and in that 70s button-up. Stunning! Thank you, Carol!
Totally agree, the performance this episode was 5 star all around. This was the Armand I was wating to see. Everything was signed ,sealed and delivered
IT WAS SO GOOD. AHHHH. IM OBSESSED. Started off all funny and flirty and the humour not just of the interaction/dialogue itself but the way it was shot/edited/the music was so good and then it got so serious and twisty and I’m so so so so excited for this dynamic shift and all this new information. That was so good…. Might be my favourite episode of the season. Can’t wait to see how the interview continues next week 💀💀💀💀
There were a lot of comparisons to make between Armand/Daniel vs Louis/Daniel.
It was interesting that while Armand claims to have saved Daniel (which he did, at least to start), it was Louis who really saved Daniel, and in more ways than one. Armand predicted the worst parts of Daniel’s life to come true, thinking that he knows best (which is a theme with Armand). However, Armand underestimates Daniel, because Daniel does not really want to die. And Louis sees the bright side of Daniel, telling him the words he needs to keep going.
Armand believes that death, the end, is the comfort we all long for. This, while it can be true, is just such a depressing way to live life, and I think it shows just how messed up and tragic Armand’s worldview is. On top of this, Armand wants to be wanted, wants to be thought of as the bliss coming at the end of a tortuous road, and wants to be a savior. But even so, he still has to lull his victims into this state. It still isn’t true.
I found it interesting that Daniel says he could be Louis’ Lestat or Claudia, but better. That is what Armand has been trying to be for decades but failing. Louis rejects both Armand and Daniel’s attempts. I don’t think Louis wants the “better.” I think he wants the chaos again, not the “beige pillow” or “prison of empathy” that surrounds him now. But Louis can never ask for anything directly, and even when Armand gives him an out, he can’t bring himself to ask for it.
Also with the Devil's Minion aspect... It feels like there is still some disconnect between Armand's and Daniel's interactions now vs from the 70s. I feel like something more has happened... if nothing more does happen, I love what we got! But I hope that that is explained (ie Alice, Armand saying she didn't trust him, etc. feeling very personal).
I agree that part of Devil's Minion likely already happened. The only thing that didn't happen likely was the turning of Daniel, likely because the show writers figured that Armand would've wanted Daniel to reach old age (Armand says this on DM on three different occasions if I remember correctly). They also kinda sealed it with the command Armand gave to Daniel.
Two, Armand's got a routine. If he's fascinated, he immediately stalks to then study his prey and proceeds from there. He's "careful" while being impulsive, as opposed to Lestat, who jumps for the kill from the start. I don't buy for one second that Armand didn't get taken with the young Daniel to not pursue him and fuck up his life. It doesn't sound logical as most people would let alone a lonely vampire that's socially awkward and needing validation. Young Daniel seemed honest when he said he found Armand interesting, and it seemed to provide Armand of a small comfort when Louis destroyed his ego. A small word or two of encouragement does a world of good, especially to someone who's weighted by constantly trying to correct his mistakes. In Young Daniel, Armand would start brand new with a fun, intellectual, and curious handsome youth full of optimism and respect for the world. A beacon of light to the lost Armand.
Even if younger Daniel probably did lie and manipulate his answer to get mercy from Armand, technically, it would be a half-lie since Daniel was curious about the vampires and immortality. He'd want to entertain anyone willing to give him the time. If Armand offered, he'd take it. TV Armand would become besotted with the TV Daniel as much as the book counterpart did. They contrast each other to electrify Armand. There's also those weird eyes Armand gives Daniel at times plus how happy he seems when Daniel delivers a killer punch-line: Like he's almost proud but can't handle it when Daniel's too acidic (constantly leaves). There's just too much tension/pent-up energy there, and it's not entirely malicious. Why would they remain perceptive to Daniel well into the 1980s if Daniel wasn't of value somehow? What makes us think that Louis wouldn't find out whenever Armand would leave on potential escapades to play with Daniel?
A small part of me thinks Louis might be manipulating to get Armand off his case and plotting on using Daniel to do it. With this show, I'm learning that all possible suspicions are right. So if Louis brought Daniel to help him, then the reverse is also true: Louis can be a danger to Daniel should Daniel fail to rekindle Armand.
Between Armand and Louis, that argument was so amazing to watch. Every line was gold, and every line was COLD. Them mimicking each other’s accents, the SHADE. I would bring up my favorite lines, but then I would be copying and pasting the script of the whole scene.
Louis calls Armand boring and says that he is too safe. Though Armand isn’t helping his case by erasing every “dangerous” thing that he himself has ever done! Armand’s torture of Daniel certainly isn’t boring. But now Louis doesn’t remember it, because Armand has erased it. Louis craves the toxic, and Armand is erasing the toxicity wherever he can. That must be partially why Louis finds him so boring.
Without this erasure, however, Louis is completely suicidal! I feel so bad for Armand, being on “suicide” watch. But I also keep thinking of that Judas painting in their Dubai bedroom. Erasing memories is the ultimate betrayal, but what other choice did he have? How many times has Armand saved Louis, “protected him from himself,” and made him forget? But on the other hand, how can Louis get close to you, Armand, if you erase the pain and the truth? You feel Louis is hurting you, yet you erase everything, say it's fine, and continue to live in a state of pretend. You are asking to be hurt again! You will continue to go around and around in circles if you can’t face what you both actually feel! Armand is always conniving, he can never relax with the truth, and that is the tragedy of him (says Assad).
The power dynamics continue to switch and swap around in this relationship, a continuation of what we saw last episode. Louis asks Armand to put him in his coffin (in a mirror of Lestat’s last words to Louis?) and Armand seems to relish letting him sit in his crispy pain for a bit as punishment. Louis is still “in charge” of the relationship in a sense as they still call each other Arun and Maitre. Armand obeys Louis’ demand not to kill Daniel. Armand also seems to be in a perpetual state of trying to “make it up to Louis” what happened in Paris. In the end, however, we see that Armand still holds the power in this relationship, as he holds memories in his hands and shapes the “truth.”
This episode was so different from any other of the episodes thus far. It was almost a “bottle episode.” It has given me so much to chew on and so much to think about. This season just keeps ramping up and ramping up! I’m terrified of what will come next. Every week for the past 5 weeks I have been wondering how this show can get any better, and yet it does. It is magic!
I hurt for Armand because of what Louis said, but Jesus that was hard to watch him then turn around and torture Daniel.
Old Daniel realizing the beautiful things Louis said to him was such a lovely moment between the two.
That was a lovely moment. Weird that they skimmed over the fact that Louis tried to kill him though and lied that he had only killed 5 men in the apartment when it was over 100.
Honestly that was such a darkly funny moment to me.
Like someone in the dating scene being told by the other that they don't really do this kind of stuff, only to find out it was a line and they do in fact do this kind of stuff all the time
This was definitely the best ep of the season so far, it was a punch in the gut but invigorating, Louis my dear Armand is a "warrior" for being your nanny! He's kind of repeating Lestat's behavior with Armand, because he found someone more submissive, that's interesting...
bro i had to lie down after this episode. best episode so far oh my god.
a little confused on wtf lestat is doing because in the book wasn’t he still in the earth in this time period?
The dynamic between Daniel, Louis, and Armand is fascinating, and I can't get enough of it.
Yes, yes, it's deeply fucked up and toxic and awful, but DAMN. Jacob, Assad, Eric, and Luke acted the fuck out of every goddamn scene. I couldn't even get through the episode without going back constantly and rewatching bits of every scene because it was just SO GOOD.
I love Eric, and I also love Luke's take on young Daniel, so I hope this isn't the last we've seen of him. I want more Eric, but we deserve a little more traumatized Luke too.
Jacob is always amazing, but he was ELEVATED this episode. Brilliant interplay between his 1970's and current self. He is so good.
And Assad was INCREDIBLE. It takes incredible talent to play a monster that you can't help sympathize with anyway. Like he's so fucking evil and devious and cruel, and I'm still like SOMEBODY HUG HIM! He was so, so good.
And the way he just swanned in wearing those shades at the end!
It's going to be very hard to go back to the Paris story after this. I could do an entire season of just Louis, Daniel, and Armand figuring stuff out. Their character work is insane, and I really... ugh... I don't want to go back to Claudia's screaming temper tantrums and Santiago's... Santiagoness.
This episode parallels some events from Merrick later in the series. Louis learns/acknowledges the truth about Claudia’s resentment of him and then decides to end it, which leads Lestat to re-awaken and the two reconnect (again).
Makes me wonder whether we’ll see a Louis/Lestat reunion earlier than the Dubai timeline (but after Paris). Maybe having them communicate through Armand was it. But then, as @TrillianSwan pointed out- how else would he/we have known that Lestat tried to tell Louis he loved him and Armand refused to pass it on.
& mimicking each other's accents like damn, we went there. But I screamed when Louis's imitation of Armand was "& my maker groomed me into a little bitch!" 👏😂
Two questions:
(1) There are Talamasca surveillance photos from the vampires taking Daniel out of the building in 1973, so who was within and they must have known Daniel was in there for days.... what does it mean that they didn't ever find him and ask him anything.
(2) The situation with Lestat: do you think that Lestat somehow can't come to Louis at this time, or that Armand will not let Lestat know where he and Louis are?
Armand says “I won’t say a word.” - but does he mean - I won't say a word about where we are to you, Lestat, or does he mean I won't say a word to Louis about some thing Lestat has told him about why he cannot come?
- It does seem to me that the reason Armand sought out Lestat's voice for Louis was through love for Louis. Surely Armand is hoping that to speak to Lestat could bring Louis back into wanting to live?
- Armand does like to have control, so I can see a scenario where he wouldn't want Lestat to know where he and Louis were.
- On the other hand, Armand knows Lestat loves Louis and he knows Lestat would want to come to Louis were Louis in danger and he even tells Lestat that Louis has been thinking about him. All that suggests that Armand would be fine had Lestat flown through the window...
???
They don’t considering speaking/interviewing with fellow humans a conflict of interest. More like a loophole. But generally the T’s only monitor the witches and vampires
But it’s so rare to find a human who has been in the company of vampires for days like that, yet who has been allowed to live, you’d think they would want to talk to Daniel, no?
Ehhhh, in the books at the very least they are very reluctant to deal with subjects that have spent an extended amount of time amount of time with the monsters they study. The Talmasca is funny because they FREAK OUT when they get noticed. Their investigators like to act all mysterious and all knowing when reality they are just voyeurs that have no idea what to do with the info they are collecting
This series is just absolutely phenomenal. What an episode! The acting and writing is out of this world. Assad's Armand is so captivating. Tragic, scary, devastating. I just can't put it into words. They dynamics between all these characters is just a joy to watch, even when it is painful.
It's been almost 20 years since I've read the books - is Armand lulling victims like that canon or from the show?
It’s from a short [story](https://jessereeves.livejournal.com/44724.html?) Anne Rice published in Playboy titled “Interlude with the Undead” narrated from Armand’s pov. That’s the story Rolin was referring to when he mentioned on the NY panel the material besides the novel they included in the show this season.
What the events of this episode may mean going forward:
“I preserve your happiness even when you can’t or won’t” is what Armand says at the end of the 70s scenes. Louis had parroted back these exact words to Daniel earlier in the day in Dubai. Armand says he saved Daniel with the same sentiment that Louis had shared earlier as well…. It is clear that Armand and Louis have been telling each other the same stories for decades. At the end with the looks the three give each other when Armand comes back from lunch, I just know that Armand is going to get cross-examined haha.
Daniel and Louis have both now bonded over the trauma of Armand, just as Armand and Louis had bonded over the trauma of Lestat in Paris. We now have concrete proof that Armand is messing with memories, though we always suspected. What happens next?
Fantastic episode!
I'm not entirely convinced Armand is completely evil and Louis is completely innocent. I'm hoping more happened with Daniel and Armand after he was sent to rehab. I'm not sure why Armand would be looking so fondly of old Daniel, apologising for Louis temper, and Raglan telling Daniel he shouldn't feat Armand, if San Fransisco was their only meeting.
Really excited to see what happens between Louis and Armand. I'm think divorce 100% by the last episode. Both Armand and Louis were dicks to each other in 1973, but I think Louis was more cruel in his words to Armand.
Not sure on Daniel being turned by the end of the season, but maybe he takes a turn for the worse later on.
Also confirmation of Claudia being dead and Lestat being alive is awesome!
Someone on Tumblr posited a theory that Daniel’s weekly injections are actually some form of Armand’s blood. Apparently Parkinson’s treatment isn’t weekly, it’s daily (and in pill form). Not sure on the accuracy of that,but using his blood to slow Daniel’s decline is absolutely something Armand would do. And then he’d threaten to take it away if he gets pissed off enough. These vampires have never met a power imbalance they didn’t like.
I'm also hoping there's more of the Devil's Minion storyline in the past! I think they set it up well in this episode, with Armand obsessively trying to figure out what makes Daniel "fascinating" and then saying "I'll keep digging". Louis has had his memories tampered with, but not Armand, I'm not sure he'd let it go as lightly. (Or at least I'm hoping until proven wrong.)
Like you said, if this isn't the case, some of the scenes from this season ("she wanted to say yes" comes to mind first) will seem a bit like they came out of nowhere in retrospect.
Didn't Louis call Armand boring in this episode too? I wonder if that will provoke Armand into proving himself otherwise as Devil's Minion is one long bout of hedonistic craziness.
Yes, haha, he might be on a mission to prove something to himself. (I say himself and not Louis, because it does appear that -- if something happened with Daniel afterwards -- Louis has no clue about it.)
I think there will be more: hitting on ‘she wanted to say yes’… how the hell would Armand know that unless he was either spying on Daniel and his paramour or was the paramour in question?
I’m also considering that rather than just asking to be turned Daniel made the same offer to Armand as he did to Louis - I’ll be your Lestat, I’ll be your Louis, but better, I’ll love you and they never did. And Armand wanted to believe Daniel meant it, but Daniel didn’t really with Louis, he might just want the Dark Gift! So Armand goes back to Louis and the sterile doom he’s comfortable with.
I’m actually starting to think Louis asked him to erase those memories.
I don’t know if they’ll separate, but I think there will be an understanding that they both need to find their own self-worth.
I have so much to say about this episode (all good things) but I'm overwhelmed, all I can say for now is that Louis calling Daniel a testament to their (his and Armand's) companionship was so interesting to me considering the parallels one can draw between Daniel and Claudia, I guess you can call Daniel a band-aid for a shitty marriage.
Louis using the book/first interview to get Lestat to reach out to him. Come to me indeed. 😩 And louis calling Armand ‘Arun’ and responding with Maitre (master) the power dynamic shifts y’all.
People keep talking about how awful Armand was here, but Louis called Armand’s horrible abuse at the hand of his maker as grooming him into being a little bitch, among other things (despite the drugs, I’m certain this is the most honest he’s been with Armand). I mean, sure Armand crossed a line this episode and threw himself off the cliff and then some, but Louis also crossed a line. It was nowhere near as bad as Armand but both of them are clearly bad for each other and are toxic to each other, and are clearly not compatible. Armand is just too scared of being alone to see what Louis clearly sees, but can’t do anything about it from his mind being erased god knows how many times.
I think we're going to find out Louis still has a lot of rage towards Armand about what happened in Paris, and that may be one of the reasons Armand is so willing to take the abuse.
I’m so curious about how the dynamic in Dubai will be now. Any theories on the line spoken to Daniel in the promo for next week “you fear Armand, you should fear the other one”?? Cause right now it def seems to be Daniel and Louis against Armand. Why should he fear Louis? Hmmmm
I feel like Armand is a character alot of people dont *get* in fandom. This episode did a very good job of showing his duality.
Louis says he switches between "bootlicking, nursemaid" and "gremlin" (lol) and then we see him do just that--
Tormenting Daniel like a child taking apart a toy to see how it works*, while Louis is pained and pleading in the background.
And later locating and contacting Lestat for Louis, in such a pained and gentle motion, followed by comforting Daniel during his "clean up"**.
These (*,**) actions are so on point for book Armand who Daniel describes occasionally as feeling like hes being examined by a praying mantis. And who hunts by drawing suicidal people to him and showing them comforting images to ease their deaths.
Also, found the swap to having Louis being the one who runs off on benders Armand has to clean up after an interesting one. Cannot wait to see where they go with him an Daniel.
I'm watching this again before I knock out, but Armand did not give Louis an "out". He only wanted it to appear this way to Louis. Had he given him a true out, he would have relayed to him that Lestat still loved him. That Lestat asked of him to tell this to Louis, over and over. Armand denied Louis of the ability to make a fully informed choice, which is apparently what he's been doing for decades.
He is indeed always conniving and duplicitous.
I found the bit about Claudia not loving Louis, at least the way he loved her, fascinating. YESSIR. Bring this shit to fruition.
I've gotta be honest, it's been more than a little tiresome to read about how awful Louis has been to poorpoorClaudy. Finally, the truth is revealing itself.
That little bit of Lestat's concern for Louis was freaking wonderful. I love them.
Every week I want to say oh my god the acting even though it feels redundant but oh my god the acting.
This episode is the diabolical, manic, gory, unhinged melodrama I want and then they balanced it so nicely with Daniel‘s earnestness and his connection with Louis.
The comedy - are you the zodiac killer, Richard Pryored himself, Armand walking in wearing those ridiculous sunglasses.
The horror of Louis’ burns and his helplessness and begging while Armand has his freakout. ARMAND’S FREAKOUT, his speech to Daniel before he’s about to kill him - “your wife counting down your thrusts”. Louis - picking lint off the sofa - look of pure disgust. ALSO, the wife vacuuming on Valium of it all … that’s Dubai Louis!!!! He is the wife who cannot stand her life, spending her days in a Valium stupor to pass the time!!!
Armand unspooling the tapes with his mind is so small but possibly my most favourite part of the episode. So creepy.
Daniel’s hurt as he remembers the trauma and realises how garbled his memories are. This show is such a gift.
Also, has there been an explanation for why they’re living in Dubai that I’ve forgotten?
This episode was wonderful but I worry what this means for the majority of Devil's Minion.
Are we no longer getting Armand being an obsessive, creepy little stalker? Will Daniel & Armand no longer fall in love? Will Armand no longer learn how to call Paris?!?!? The horror.
Haha! he said he'll "keep digging" into why Daniel is worth sparing, which in stalker speak could mean ima be watching you, learning your ways to not be boring..
And Armand knew what Alice was thinking in Paris. I think Armand kept watch on Daniel..
That's what I'm thinking as well. I know that there's the "Alice isn't real, she's actually Armand" theory, but I think realistically it's that Armand stalked Daniel for decades because of the fact that Louis found him so "fascinating"
Yep that theory is a bold one, but I think there being a daughter from that marriage kinda negates it’s veracity. At first I was doubtful he could be doing so much, such a busy gremlin - stalking journalists, maybe trapping a certain vampire(s?) - but he has some powers of control plus he can roam around during daylight hours. Also, iPad.
There seems to be some things left unanswered however, that leads me to believe there's more to the story. Armand, however annoyed with Daniel, seems to have some sort of connection to him more than what we've just seen in the 70s. That thing with Alice, saying that "she wanted to say yes but didn't trust you." Where does that come in? Armand apologizing for digging too far... something isn't adding up right. It would be a shame if there wasn't at least a little more to this story between the two of them. Maybe not this season, but hopefully in the future.
I think the show more or less implied it kinda happened/started: Minus the whole turning Daniel part. There's too many hints, the big one being that Daniel mentioned he was found blacked out in Milwaukee for some reason. That's a LONG way from California. Even if he could've been reporting/researching something, that's weird. There's also the established fact that they interacted with him in the 80s in Paris, where both Daniel and Armand met "Alice" (and Armand was near to her often to know her thoughts).
Armand might've started his whole haunting/consuming of Daniel on the side. It's not above Armand to do so given the show has told us that to some extent they had separate lives while together. You have to remember that all these stories take place at once and in the present. I mean, in DM, they go on and off an awful lot (12 years from 1973 in fact); Armand promised Louis to not eat him. The promise didn't mean that he couldn't talk or touch him. Unlike Louis, Armand's disciplined enough to manage the hunger aspect. So it wouldn't be surprising IF Armand's curiosity about Daniel's social skills motivated him to eventually stalk/haunt/possibly seduce Daniel. The impression Daniel left in this episode was not small. If he impressed Louis, he baffled Armand. Which we see.
The thing that really throws it off is the 80s/"Alice" interaction: While Louis' lifeline makes sense, what doesn't make sense is how they interacted with him AGAIN so few years later. Why?! I get having him for the interview NOW. That makes sense. Why and how did they interact with him almost a decade later in such a massive planet? In Paris of all places. I mean, there's coincidences, but then there's "coincidences"? That's a massive and random coincidence. That they'd not just run into him but be intrigued enough to dabble into his interaction with his girlfriend? I mean, they have a whole life and so many people to interact with? Why invest time in Daniel so few years after? Unless they planned to have the interview back then and found it the wrong time as Daniel now had a "chain" to be responsible for (wife and kids)? They hit him up before and found it too risky so hit him up now where he's a long empty nester perhaps?
What is the purpose of the second interview?
I find it interesting that Louis calls “the boy” a testament to his and Armand’s enduring companionship. Is this what Louis wants from the interview now? Because it is not working out like that… what exactly does he mean? This is like Lestat saying he should make the burning of Storyville their anniversary.
Or is this interview perhaps a way to get at Lestat? Armand suspected that Louis’ interview in the 70s was a ploy to get Lestat to listen and return, so is that what is happening again?
I’m so glad we finally got to see Armand’s utter evil depravity, hand in hand with his traumatized attachment issues. I think it’s a brilliant move to see it outside of the context of Claudia’s death first. Because it builds tension for how much danger Claudia and Louis are actually in, in Paris.
And - Louis without Armand’s control is pretty unhinged. We see it in San Francisco and we see shadows of it in his demeanor in Dubai. And I’m here for it. It makes perfect sense that the Louis we see through his own eyes, and through Lestat’s eyes, would not match what he’s really like. He hangs out with Lestat and Armand for a reason, after all.
Finally - I know I’m not supposed to love the Maitre / Arun dynamic with Louis and Armand, but I love how it gives a vulnerability to Armand that we would otherwise not be able to see. Like, we get to see in action how he can go from torturing Daniel for days and then be just absolutely completely vulnerable and submissive. It’s beautifully done.
This whole episode is just… *chef’s kiss*
Did anyone catch any of the other voices that Armand could hear when he was seeking out Lestat’s voice? I could have sworn I heard a woman speaking but the version I watched online didn’t have subtitles. It could have been a human in the apartment next door or it could have been a female vampire…
A few days we had a post about someone not being fond of Louis fashion this season and i just found it funny that this episode Louis ends up tearing into Armand and their lifestle being boring 🤣🤣🤣
Where do you guys think Lestat is when Armand finds his voice in san fran? It sort of made me think he was still sleeping. Like after the events of IWTV in TVL epilogue at the end, he's sleeping in the house, still wounded and delirious, and Armand keeps visiting him and implanting visuals in his mind - still begging for him to love him. Do we think lestat is still sleeping in the present day timeline? That's what I've thought all along, but now I'm not sure.
If I remember correctly, there was depressed/sick Lestat who Armand visited, and then Lestat went to sleep after that, resurfacing later. So this could be while he is sick and isolated.
This episode was a lot…it’s got me so twisted and conflicted…all I can think is, Armand is so tragic. Sigh. Why stay with a man who only loves one person, thinks you are so dull that an eternity with you is suffocating that I’d rather die than spend another moment with you? Just gutted thinking about that. And if Louis succeeded, he would have lost someone he loved “more than anything in the world”, and his last words to you are painful and hurtful. Man, I don’t know if this is Anne Rice’s version of Armand, but my gawd, who ever wrote this scene I want to hold them and tell them, “you are enough. You deserve better”. 😭 That was a hard watch seeing a side of Louis that I don’t like. And, Armand being super scary with his powers, but being so powerless when it comes to love. Rest. 😞
This episode got me at the edge of my seat, I’m so excited about this story even if me trying to understand the timelines between the show and the books is driving me mad! Assad was insane for what he did with his Armand this episode, the acting was top notch. He going after Daniel, asking for him to make him fascinating is just… wow! And holy shit, when he calls Louis maître again, you truly see the power dynamics shift. I just want, better yet, need to have a little more of Devil’s Minion. When he bit from Daniel I thought we would get it
How come Louis and Armand don’t read Daniel’s mind more? How does he lie to them about “my researcher found it” and generally all the info that was dropped to him
Agree! It felt like theatre! When they were fighting I literally said out loud this feels like Shakespeare! I think it’s a nice way to keep it tied to the main setting for the season being the Paris theatre.
https://preview.redd.it/2gn8s63qap5d1.jpeg?width=3800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70164f3dfa1faefc3928067386b0ea4d09c3ed65
How can anyone that looks at their boyfriend like this do them harm? Memory tampering must be how a gremlin shows love
What an amazing episode! Don't get me wrong, the others in season 2 have been pretty good so far too but this is the first one that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. See, you don't even need Lestat for that!
So many special effects, Daniel turning pale while Louis is drinking from him and that burning effect. They really went all in with the make-up this episode too!
It's also the small things, like changing the city in the intro, the music being ... off at the perfect times and so many "ha!" moment - calling Armand a "gremlin" (xD) and talking about his killing preferences ("someone half in love with an easeful death"), book-fan me is happy. They finally confirmed that the sun does have an effect on younger vampires and makes them tired, good, good! I want to know more about the specifics (hopefully more in season 3)!
Armand's eyes jittering - does this only happen while he's controlling vampires (maybe because it's harder?)?
The Groan - this time while Daniel's preparing to play the enhanced recordings (about 20 minutes into the episode). Armand isn't there, so it's definitely not him. I think we need a list!
Louis isn't eating in Dubai - again.
And why did Armand talk to Lestat? Lestat apparently knows that Louis is alive but not where he is and I don't think that he would be able to come for a visit, even if he wanted to. At least we now know that Lestat using the Mind Gift with Louis at the beginning of episode 1x02 (in the bar) must have been a mistake (or a false memory).
Can't say enough how happy I am with the casting! It's funny that you can see Jacob come through when Louis laughs, with Sam it's rather the other way around.
Those steel pliers (?) appeared in the trailer again, is the woman they're being used on Madeleine? It looks like the woman's got freckles on her nose but I'm not sure if Madeleine does.
Did anyone else notice the IwtV book prop in the episode insider?
So why do we think Louis hasnt gone to Lestat or Lestat not gone to Louis? Im thinking that despite his feeling Louis wont go back to Lestat because he blames him for Claudia's death somehow?
Show Only thread https://www.reddit.com/r/InterviewVampire/s/NyPuiJjD7d
Daniel should have named his online journalist curriculum 'And Then What'
I love how he goes on a mini tangent about his younger self’s journalistic skills. He was really mad about his repeated usage of “and then what?” Lmao
* So, first of all - what magnificent acting from everyone in this episode. Oh my! They’re all utterly wonderful! I’m going to point it out at certain points as I go, but oh my - they are all wondrous! And the language - every line of this episode mattered! * I found it interesting to reflect on vampire versus human perspective on both life and immortality in this episode - Daniel perceives immortality as an opportunity to seize existence eternally and truly LIVE life, while the vampires themselves dwell in existential malaise…. And is THIS that makes Daniel fascinating..? * Daniel ‘grabbing’ syntax - the bit where Louis refers to himself in the third person… now we have to rewatch the entire show with this in mind, to see when else Louis or Armand referred to themselves this way…?! * “Someone half in love with an easeful death” - How Louis refers to Armand’s victims when he can’t find an evildoer are the exact words Armand later says to Daniel * Louis has more of an ease with himself in San Francisco, while at the same time being the most lost we have ever seen him. He’s more at ease with his nature - in his posture; in killing… but not in all ways - clearly! * “Cocaine’s a fun boy’s drug. I’m not fun.” LOL @ Louis, the truther! * Louis: “Do you want to now?” To Dubai-Daniel. Audience: YES PLEASE! Off you GO! * Louis’ sheer check shirt is TOO GOOD. I love it. I want it. * IS one of them the Zodiac killer though? We need to look at that victim list from earlier than 1973… * “You were lonely, Louis, you were floundering…” * Jacob’s acting - he’s so great in this episode, but I especially adored the way he eviscerates Lestat! Jacob is hilarious! And it’s funny, like it is in the books! So over the top… Louis leaning in to the tape like his words are weapons to lure Lestat towards him. It’s so redolent to what Lestat did in creating his Come to Me recording with Antoinette’s voice… except the opposite - Lestat created a loving thing, but used his lovers voice on the loving thing to anger Louis… Louis twists Lestat into the most spiteful thing and I absolutely love that they included the concept in the books that would hurt Lestat the most of all - when Louis says that his piano playing is emotionless. “He played without an iota of feeling.. with all the emotional acuity of a MONSTER!” Yeah Louis, THAT will draw Lestat out… * And while I’m on the note of music - how interesting the music in this episode… that single-note hypnotic piano pedal that keeps coming back over and over again - anticipatory…. The meagre, fractured strings… utterly unlike the music in this series outside this episode * And Louis, just wanting Daniel to agree… getting him high ought to make him more acquiescent… and yet, he gets more than he bargained for… Daniel still notices subtext in what Louis is saying and doing, and it intrigues Louis… for what do these eternal beings truly want, but to be entirely understood…? * Daniel pointing out Lestat was Louis’ first love, even amid Louis’ trash talk * Daniel “I’m with her…. Get off that bench, brother.” * Daniel’s confidence in his SELF when asking for the dark gift - the confidence of a truly young man. And How great is Luke - let’s say it now. He is SO Eric. His fear, his bravado, how scared for him you feel
* The way Dubai-Daniel trusts Louis here, showing him the laptop * Armand: What if it was published? You don’t have enough to fear from Paris? * “You are so BORING. Colourless. Flavourless. Dull. Dull. Dull nights, dull weeks, dull months, dull as f… Suffocation by the world’s softest, beigest pillow… the ten hours I spent with that boy were more exciting than decades with you.” OK but tell us what you REALLY feel, Louis, LOLOLOLOLOL * Armand’s mocking impression of Louis “Oh, it’s so hard to be me!!!” And Louis retaliating. God, I LOVE their argument! A perfect mix of awful, painful… and hilarious!!! (Imagine Lestat laughing…) * The name unuttered in our home for 23 years * “She didn’t love you. Not like he did. Not like I have.” They’re going there with Claudia! * “Can you hear her? She’s calling me…”. Claudia’s ghost is clearly what calls Louis to going into the sun and I wonder if this is foreshadowing and if that image of Claudia in the sunlight could be Claudia’s ghost at the end of the series, but this time we can see her… again calling Louis…? * “The floor slants slightly North. The blood flowed that way.” This line is repeated a few times by Armand… and I didn’t understand why, but it felt important. Did anyone understand why. * Gosh the language in this episode is beautiful - poetic, play-like, and so much of Anne’s words. * “He’s fine. He’s just one.” Echoes of Armand telling Lestat how unharmed Nicki was…. * “He confessed his innermost secrets to you” - the betrayal of emotional intimacy * “You’re going to teach me how to be fascinating.” OK… now is the moment. Love letter to Assad Zaman and to Armand. It is just heartbreaking the way he needs something from Daniel here. In this episode, Armand saves Louis’ life. He is a conduit for Louis’ true love’s voice. In fact, he does so much in love for Louis… And yet he is told he is boring. * The irony is that Armand IS special!!! He is absolutely the most complex vampire… he just doesn’t understand how to love or be loved… and Louis is NOT his "one"! But he is SO fascinating! And special. All of the edits to Radiohead's Creep PLEASE!!!! * I also find it WONDROUS in a show about vampires - where vampires are always a metaphor to The Outsider... yet... in art, The Outsider is often portrayed in in my opinion - an unrealistic way, as in "actually the outsider is infinitely special, really!", BUT IN ARMAND, the writers have given us a truly actually special character who truly feels like many outsiders do - that they are irrevocably flawed and there is something significant truly missing in them (us) - AND is told by the person he loves SO much he would literally be a pathway to their other love that he is boring and not special and not enough... THAT is relatable! (Even though nobody has told me this, as I am simply isolated, personally! Yet, still, I feel it!)
* “A splinter of coldness in you. Is that what makes you fascinating?” “Even his transgressions are ordinary.” * The way Armand looks at Daniel when he says “Do you want to hear my story?” - “An eager black hole.” Armand seeking if it is how Daniel listens that makes him fascinating to Louis… * Armand communicating to Lestat “I won’t say a word.” What is Lestat telling Armand here about where he is? * Their feet in the stones * “All I talked about him was trash.” “Yes, you said that. But why? It’s not exactly how you’ve talked about him to me. Did I catch you in a fantasy?” A fantasy where Lestat reads Louis nasty embellishments and comes chasing after him again…. * “This prison of empathy I’ve locked you in.” Gosh, I love the language * “I am your maker’s voice: Louis, mon Cher. You anted to say something to me? Why are you ill? What’s happened to you? I love you Louis. Tell him Armand.” * Armand really does this in such selfless love for Louis and of course Armand cannot bring himself to speak Lestat’s I love you to Louis. It is too much. Especially seeing as all Armand ever asked of Lestat was for Lestat to love \*him\*! Oh Armand! You deserve love! * A final act of service * “You left me for death.” * Louis, using Daniel’s “And then…” * I am the quiet you have been longing for after all the garishness of life. The way Armand eases Daniel into death. Sensual. Beautiful. Terrible. And Anne’s words. * Daniel saying how Armand redacted himself from his mind reminded me of Daniel saying “Disregard” to Armand’s input to the story at the start of the season * Armand did edit Louis and Daniel’s brains… but Louis was suicidal… so there was cause… * Louis’ anger at the end * Trial starting next episode…! * Assad: “Armand can’t ever relax with the truth” * Jacob in the post episode thing - saying he can’t think of a bigger betrayal than rewriting the history of a person you love and that it makes him angry… referring to what Armand does to Louis… when IN THIS SAME EPISODE, that’s literally what Louis does to Lestat, albeit not in Lestat’s mind… but still… there are similarities!! Haha * Lestat is my boy, and Sam IS Lestat… and everyone in this episode is so incredible - but ASSAD'S ARMAND. Armand was always my second favourite vampire, but Assad - I do not understand how you are making me love Armand even MORE! Be MORE evil, Armand. And more tragic. And more loving. Be every thing you are. I know you are fascinating!!!!! Every episode, I love Assad even more. * Finally: reviewers were wrong - this is ABSOLUTELY the foundation of The Devil’s Minion. From horror, grows love. Though this episode is mainly created, there is SO MUCH of Anne Rice in it and it feels 100% her. He words, her feelings. Her gothic romance. ADORE.
It’s kind of pathetic that this all powerful vampire is trying to ask this young cool reporter guy for tips on how to seem more interesting to his boyfriend
It is, but then again, nobody in Armand’s entire 500 year existence has ever loved him. His parents sold him into sex slavery (or Armand thinks they did) & he was rented out, his body to be used. Then Marius said he loved him, but he too rented Armand out as an object & then abandoned him. He was trapped in loveless covens with strict rules of denial for centuries. Then Lestat refused to love him & Louis calls him so boring he’s unloveable. Armand does try to love Louis! He just doesn’t understand how to love or be loved as he’s had no example of it. He never got to form a firm sense of his own self either, as he’s always just been told what he must be by external sources & so who is he? How can he be fascinating? He needs someone to show him. He’s so tragic a character.
Perhaps Daniel is the noise he’s been longing for. 🤭
This made me cackle.
Oh and PS, it's both hilarious and totally tragic that sexy Loumand times can't truly happen until Armand has literally WIPED Lestat from Louis' mind, hahahahahaha! Poor Armand. Obviously he's monstrous in this episode. And I love you for every ounce of your monstrosity and all of the pain beneath it!!!
I think wiping that fight is what makes Armand boring. It’s not just mind control. Couples say horrible things to each other sometimes. Sometimes dealing with what is said is way better than erasing memories of a fight.
I think it's deeper than a fight though. I think Louis shows Armand in this episode that he does not love him. But Armand cannot leave and be alone - that's terrifying to him! He needs something external to himself to fill him up. So instead, he looks to Daniel. What makes Louis fascinated by Daniel? How can I be that? How can I become a thing Louis could love? And he looks at Louis? How could Louis love me? Louis needs to truly hate Lestat so he can love me. These are things Armand has powers to do something about and it really is pitiable and tragic that Armand would rather create some false love than have some self agency and leave and seek out someone to love him for himself. But it's also awful of Louis, who has always known he doesn't love Armand, and yet Louis stays... increasingly resentful. Bored. And yet also not leaving.
BEIGE. Holy shit, my dude, of all the things that were said during the fight, *that* is the one I keep coming back to. It's just such a ferocious fucking unnecessary thing to say, and it cuts right to the bone. I could not possibly agree more: this was the episode in which I viscerally *felt* so many pieces from so many of Anne Rice's books absolutely launching themselves onto the screen. It's just astoundingly good.
Daniel keeps saying that he was a high, shitty journalist back then, but you can see the journalist instinct coming out
Totally!
My favourite part of Louis’s taunts to Lestat were about his piano playing. Louis knew that Lestat would not be able to stand criticism of that!
And he says this in the book too! I always thought it would annoy Lestat the most of any thing he could say, hahaha! That'll get him running towards you, Louis!
Armand's repetition of "*Is that what makes you fascinating?"* becoming more intense and unnerving each time was fantastic. Armand cheerfully swaggering in at the end, wearing his newly acquired "cool" glasses. Giving big "see, I'm not boring!" energy to two traumatized individuals. Armand in general was amazing this episode.
Armand trying to be cool and interesting is so darkly humorous to me, because Armand IS interesting. He's my favorite book character because he's a total freak, tragic and insanely powerful and fucked in the head.
I think he's like that because he's NEVER BEEN TOLD that he's appreciated as whatever he could be. That's inate human nature, most people aren't happy unless you tell them how much you appreciate their efforts. It's why in etiquette classes we get told the most gracious words in any language aren't "I love you" but "Thank you". Thanking means recognition, awareness of that person's energy or efforts impacting your life in a positive way. It's energy exchange. Except Armand's never gotten it because he's not acted when he could've been most appreciated. You don't offer to sew a wound when you could've helped prevent the cut to begin with. Then again, another fine print said by these is that when they do entertain people, they entertain eye-catching and often young people. When we're young, we're stupid typically. Maybe he never found a partner who lived long enough to properly connect intimately with him.
 Young Daniel
Daniel bumping into walls trying to get to the door as two bottoms scream the worst things they can think of at each other "BEIGE PILLOW!" "YOU'RE BORING!" ☠️☠️ Outstanding.
This made me SNORT laughing
Loving the horror and supernatural elements to this ep! Levitating chairs and slamming doors in the back ground. Body paralysis. The music! Vintage suspense horror. This episode felt like a beautiful, heart wrenching play. "Fuck man, are you the Zodiac Killer??" Bless Daniel's tragic mortal soul
https://preview.redd.it/763wv0etyj5d1.jpeg?width=239&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22cfb6149dbefbd95f4b76d447c348ac9ea62108 Me watching while Armand sublimates his desperate need to be loved into torturing everyone in the room
Hahaha I’m right there with you. If it’s wrong I don’t want to be right.
ASSAD ZAMAN I AM OBSESSED WITH YOU AND YOUR PERFORMANCE. Holy shit I loved Armand finally getting to be truly scary and unhinged here. The calm, melodic voice? The body horror with Daniel? "Do you find me boring?" The "rest" monologue about being the quiet Daniel has been longing for? Exquisite, incredible, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. (I still want Devil's Minion. Please. Pretty please with a cherry on top.) The scene where Armand feeds Louis his blood and talks about the scenario of Lestat running back to Louis after reading the pubslihed book embellishments basically being *exactly* what happens in The Vampire Lestat... oooooh. Daniel *as a testatment to the endurance of their companionship?* Maître and Arun again? Shout out to Eric Bogosian for killing this, too. THE ENDING? The Dubai scenes for the rest of the season are going to be wild and I am beyond here for it.
"Are you the zodiac killer?" Oh, Daniel, absolutely no self-preservation instinct. Both Daniels' chemistry with Louis was incredible. I \*loved\* them, they complement the other so well in both timelines! Also, Louis being the angel whispering in Daniel's ear, telling him -- you are good enough, you have something to give to the world (especially in contrast with Armand's casual "predictions" about his future), that was so moving! I can't make myself comment on everything because ALL of it was wonderfully twisted, but Louis doesn't remember the fight because Armand "everything is fine"-ed him, which is terrible, but also terrible -- Armand \*does\* remember all the nasty shit they said to each other and is somehow still here, has managed to convince \*himself\* this is fine? My poor gremlin, someone should turn him a therapist, his issues would take centuries to unpack. The only problem with this episode is that now I don't want to go back to Paris, this was everything, and then some. o\_O
Armands fear of being abandoned/alone is so bad he will cope eith everything Louis said and try everything to keep him on his leash. He really is an awful Gremlin (and they cut out a lot of bad stuff he did in the books too lol) but I will never not love him anyway haha
Same. :D I just want him to sort out his appalling sense of self-worth (though all the bad shit he does, in the books and on the show, doesn't make a very good argument for saying it should be much higher, ahaha).
I wonder if they cut it or they just haven't shown it yet.
Yeah I doubt the Show will include his lil experiments on Claudia or Denis/him keeping Boys as pets in a cage below the Theatre lol
Louis is using Daniel as his therapist, both back then and now. Maybe chasing Malik is Armand’s version of therapy.
> Armand \*does\* remember all the nasty shit they said to each other and is somehow still here, has managed to convince \*himself\* this is fine? Maybe he has nowhere else to go? It's this or being alone.
Yes, I agree, which is tragic in its own right. (And very human.) To fight for someone/something that is clearly broken because you feel like you have no outside options, and to live with the knowledge of what the other person thinks about you (that's none too flattering). To resign yourself that this is the best you can get. Argh.
The sad part is that it's relatable. At least, I have been there.
Me too, ah. I think that's why it stuck out at me among the rest of the wonderful and fucked up stuff in the episode, he's horrific, but also relatable (up to a point, of course).
If you qualify everything Armand does as being less terrible than what's been done to him then he believes he is being merciful. I think he's punishing Louis for presenting the illusion of loving him while using him (because he never stopped loving Lestat). And he refuses to facilitate a Loustat reunion, so it's part petty. Armand's early human and vampire experiences make him react the way he does. At core, he desperately wants to be loved and treasured and to give love but because of his abuse he doesn't at core believe he deserves it. So when he can chose he stays locked in things that started with the illusion of love/lust and doesn't want to let them go. He needs a lot of deep therapy. Like the rest of them. But he's the most rejected, I'll say that. (And it's not the same as Claudia as she is physically denied a certain companionship. Armand could have it but is damaged by his experiences and potential companions reject that in him.) So naturally he lashes out. The worst is how much he ends up caring for others no matter how horrid they are to him. He probably did that with his parents, and just doesn't remember it.
But Armand is indebted to Louis, for life, because of what happened in Paris
Armand might be responsible for not stopping the coven. But Louis is responsible for Claudia being orphaned and existing. Even her need to have a protector and trying to find that in the coven is connected to Louis not killing Lestat after he agreed to execute her plan. Louis' poor choices include Armand but Armand isn't responsible for Louis making them. What happens to Claudia is mainly a collision of poor choices made by Lestat, Louis, and Armand, and Claudia's reaction to them.
The zodiac killer line had me rolling
We also haven't seen what goes down in Paris yet, so we still have Armand forever trying to make up to Louis what he did (to Claudia, I assume).
I’m glad we’re finally getting the real versions of these characters. Armand is exactly who he is in the books. Props to the writers/directors for understanding the intricacies. It will be interesting to see how people who haven’t read the books react though.
I’m so happy we finally get to see Armand’s statistic and manipulative side. He such a tragic and fascinating character!
I’m not going to lie, I got really tired all of season one trying to explain that Lestat isn’t the big bad, and that ALL of them are toxic.
As they should be! I want vampires to be complex monsters that shouldn’t be held to human standards. All the twisted layers is what makes them so fascinating!
Lestat "calling" long distance thru Armand: I love you. I love you, Louis. LOUIS!!!!!!
“Armand, tell him I love him” broke me
And Armand never tells him💔
I didn't even consider until later on how painful that must have been for Armand to hear how much Lestat loves Louis and not him.
I, too, need to put my feet in the sand gravel in order to process this episode🌸
Daniel complaining about that made me laugh hard enough that I needed to go back and rewatch that bit
Louis asking Armand if he's going to cut his hands off was funny.
All I could think about is how Armand has already done that before😬😬
“My daddy vampire groomed me into a little bitch!” Louis de Pointe du Lac what a man you are…
What an amazing episode. I can see why reviewers said this was their favorite. There's so much going on, I don't even care that all of my theories have gone out the window! Just fantastic work, acting, writing, the way the score totally disappeared and came back for those sparse single notes, the set design, the little details. GOD. I loved the way so much of Louis in this episode was touching on his unattended grief about Paul. Going up to the roof to the sunlight to kill himself. Giving Daniel the lifeline. The way he can't say "I love you". It's all Paul, still, always at the core about the boy who watched his beloved brother die. Oh, Louis. Also can we talk about how hot it is when Armand does his vibrating eyes trick when he's up to nasty vampire business? Love it.
The couples fight nailed for me one of the central dilemmas Rice posed in the books: the ultimate unsustainability of a healthy romantic relationship between immortals. Obviously the Armand-Louis dynamic presented here is particularly toxic but that was one of the big points of the books - that ultimately, with the two of you facing down literal eternity, the moment will eventually inevitably come when you both look at each other and go “so……. now what?”
This is what I think overall - maybe vampire relationships are not meant to exist forever. A lifetime has a pattern and give and take to it. This is the exact same thing every day without stopping. Maybe at least a very open relationship where you leave and "come back to me" could work.
This! And Louis' "boredom." When he told Armand he found him boring, to me that was not entirely his truth. I think Louis denies how much he still misses Lestat and lowkey blames or projects onto Armand
Yeah there are so many "couples" in the books but I cant think of one thats even remotely healthy or doesn't end in tragedy lol. Rice was (I assume) happily married for decades but she didn't want her Characters to have some happiness haha
Considering Anne wrote interview in order to work through the grief of losing her daughter and also had an understandably rocky marriage to Stan who also passed in 2002… she was writing from experience.
Obsessed with Armand negging Daniel into accepting going quietly into being drained. ‘Let me hold you’ do you know what it means to be loved by death indeed!! What the fuck <3 (Paris Louis watching Santiago do basically the same thing to random mortals for hundreds of nights on stage bored reading then stopping Armand from doing the same thing to Daniel for an audience of one (none? did he know Louis was up and watching?)….’how many people has Armand spared’ how many people have YOU spared Louis! much to think about 🤔)
How many boys was it Armand said Louis had bought back to drain? 120 something? (Not 5)
128 😳
tfw you get caught up in San Frans finest decades long psychosexual drama when you could have been 129 😔
Holy shit, this episode was incredible. I've got so much to say, I barely know where to start. First of all: * Young Daniel turning up, immediately getting blasted, and then taking his clothes off to "fulfill the social contract" is fucking hilarious (plus, Old Daniel being visibly disappointed that they didn't fuck in the 70s - amazing). We're a long way from Daniel's insistence that he only went to Old Mary's to score! * In their argument, Armand says that Claudia didn't love Louis, and Louis agrees! Considering the missing diary pages, I wonder if we might be moving towards a more manipulative, less rose-tinted version of Claudia. In Merrick, Claudia's diaries reveal that she deeply resented both Louis & Lestat for turning her, and that she tried to kill Lestat because Louis was the more "malleable" of the pair. Louis attempts suicide after realising this. I can't wait to see how this plays out in the show - I bet Claudia's got a lot of buried rage towards Louis that we haven't seen yet. On Lestat: * Lestat trying to speak to Louis through Armand!!! He isn't even angry at Louis; he's just worried about him, and wants Louis to know that he loves him. Lestat is much softer here - more like Louis' imaginary Lestat in Paris, than the spiteful, angry Lestat from the end of season 1. And Louis seems afraid (or ashamed) to face him, after everything he's done. * Also, Louis knows that Lestat is alive and out there! On Armand: * Ok, holy shit. As monstrous as he is, you still feel for Armand - he genuinely believed that he & Louis could have something real together. But instead, he's stuck playing babysitter for a suicidal vampire who's in love with someone else, knowing that he'll never atone for the mistakes he made in Paris. After decades of this, I can see why he finally lost it. Armand's completely terrifying, but also has these incredibly fragile/heartbreaking moments: telling Daniel to "teach me how to be fascinating", the look on his face when Lestat says that he loves Louis (and Armand can't bring himself to repeat the words). * It's now official that Armand has been tampering with Louis' memories! I've been thinking about what Armand said to Louis in his coffin: "if you want the insanity back, if you want an escape from this prison of empathy, all you had to do was ask". Could Louis have asked Armand to change his memories at some point? I can't wait to learn the extent of Armand's meddling. Also, Armand might lie to himself that he's doing this purely to keep Louis' insanity away, but it's also at least a little self-serving. He's just so desperate to make a connection (with Lestat, or with Louis), but he doesn't know how: I think he thinks that if he changes himself, and changes Louis, he can make them fit. * Armand returning to the penthouse all smug wearing those stupid sunglasses is amazing, I love it. Absolutely fantastic TV, I haven't obsessed this much over a show in ages.
Shallow post, but did anyone else find Louis distractingly beautiful during the Dubai scenes, and Armand distractingly beautiful during the 1970s scenes?
Reversed for me.
Yeah, that's fair. The two are just distractingly beautiful period.
I took that line of Armand saying “you want the insanity back” as manipulation. Meaning Lestat’s insanity, as in, I can be just as crazy as your “abusive” ex if you want that version of me since you keep talking about your ex.
Yeah, it was definitely a threat.
I love the euro trash glasses. They were so great.
He seemed in a good mood too. Invigorated by lunch. Also of course Armand only likes lunch if it’s running away from him.
Armands outfit this Episode really was serving hard af
Serving Tom Ford, with those sunglasses 😎 coming back from lunch right off the catwalk
I am really convincing myself that the capital B big reveal is going to be that Louis asked him to because he didn’t want to keep carrying the pain of Claudia hating him and her death. I’ve always seen Armand as more codependent than anything. He’s terrified of being alone with his thoughts, he has to surround himself with others and fix their problems.
Yeah, I think you're right that Louis asked Armand to change his memories after Paris. It'd be pretty dark if it turned out that Louis didn't ask for it, and Armand just rewrote large chunks of Louis' memories & imprisoned him in a loveless relationship for his own benefit. Armand seems pretty desperate to keep the lie going, though, and I don't think that's purely for Louis' sake. Like you said, Armand is terrified of being alone, and if Louis remembers the whole truth, one way or another Armand will be left behind.
In the Preview you could heard Louis say smth like "Could you imagine me without the burden of Claudia"
Yea, that was really telling. It tied nicely into him admitting to Armand she didn’t love him
Oh, I 100% think that's it. I think it's all being built up as solely Armand's doing, but I think there's a lot of hints (like the "Arun" "maitre" exchanges) that hint that Louis may have been the one calling those shots.
>Lestat trying to speak to Louis through Armand!!! He isn't even angry at Louis; he's just worried about him, and wants Louis to know that he loves him. Lestat is much softer here - more like Louis' imaginary Lestat in Paris, than the spiteful, angry Lestat from the end of season 1. And Louis seems afraid (or ashamed) to face him, after everything he's done. I am so curious whether we're meant to interpret his voice as what Louis hopes he's saying (based on Armand's expressions) or what Lestat was genuinely saying. If it's the latter, then that's the first glimpse we've got at the real Lestat instead of Louis' memories or hallucinations. And the discrepancy between him there and everywhere else is fascinating. I wonder why Lestat hasn't come after Louis, given Armand admitted that Louis was injured. Is he respecting Louis' boundaries or did Armand push back and tell Lestat that Louis didn't want him?
He might not have known where to look -- when Armand is initially in his trance, he says something like "I'm with him now but I won't tell you where".
I’m on the side that Louis asked Armand to help him forget about Claudia. In the end of that episode Armand says to Daniel, “are you asking me?” And Louis’ response was no. He didn’t kill Daniel when he should have because that’s what they do. And he knew too much about vampires, but one command and he’s submissive, calls him maitre. Looks to me like Louis holds the power over Armand, and as tortured as Louis has been as a vampire, would not be surprised if he asked to have some memories of Claudia erased. And thinking back at the bedroom scene in episode 2, when he asks Armand to show him the torn out pages of Claudia’s diary, he says “we agreed”, “we tore out”…I found that interesting back then, like he’s playing a part in forgetting about Claudia.
Young Daniel is such a fucking freak I love it. I know that freakiness is still in Old Daniel, COME ON OLD MAN YOU CAN DO IT. Armand being fucking pissed that Louis called him "boring", so he psychologically tortures Daniel to prove him wrong, I love him. I absolutely giggled when Armand threw Daniel around like a ragdoll. GOD Armand's speech to Daniel was so beautiful, I understand Daniel, I would've submit too. Armand sauntering in after lunch with his slay outfit and cunt glasses, not knowing he gonna get his ass kicked. This show is so unserious I love it.
I love how both intensely hard and soft this ep is. The entire conflict in the 70s is very much like Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? It's set up like a play where these characters with strong history have it play out in front of another character and it's a pattern of aggression and unhealthy dynamics. Armand and Louis both had legitimate issues on both sides. Then you have present day where Daniel and Louis are trying to find resolution and have to work through their collective amnesia together, which was brought about by the same person. It's almost meditative
the cut from danlou at the interview table when daniel is struggling to remember more, to both of them with their feet buried in the rocks was so cute and strangely touching - I love their connection and friendship!
yess I loved that too, it was so sweet
I actually thought I had missed a clip when they suddenly appeared from the table to the rocks.
The moment of the whole episode for me was Armand leaning into the coffin to mock Louis, "did you think you would publish it? And Lestat would see it in a window and read it and come back to you?" *me, a book reader. applying clown makeup* "...oh no."
https://preview.redd.it/815rm9m0hj5d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e31f3f2fbd757c0e4f733971db6694f5fa73e9a0 Found this meme on Twitter from @nocontextlestat. Had me cackling.
Omg this is perfect
Oh no, not the reddit advice thread! 
Best episode yet... went full circle... fucking love it. And lestat confirmed awake and seemingly healthy in the 70s
Jacob is just incredible at bringing Louis’ torment to life. ~~How are some of y’all watching the episode so far in advance? There was a post this afternoon spoiling it and y’all are, 14 minutes into the episode being online, discussing the full thing. Is this open seas or is there some legit way of watching it earlier I’m not aware of?~~ Edit: Moving to Australia!
Episodes are available earlier in Australia through Amc+ via Amazon due to timezones.
Damn you, time zones!
Don’t feel too jealous it’s never usually like this haha we couldn’t stream season one anywhere until literally months after it aired in the US 🙃🙃
Yea, we tend to get everything first. This must be a small taste of what it feels like. Awful, and honestly pointless in this day and age.
It’s been better generally in recent years, lot of the stuff on big streaming platforms goes up like regular time prime time Sunday in the US and that lines up to be early afternoon ish Monday for us which is what I was expecting for iwtv but surprise! We got to be special for the first time ever haha
I'm from Australia too (Sydney) and did not know it gets released early on Prime Video w/ the add-on! I literally spent $9 this morning for the standalone sub to AMC+ because i thought it would be out. Two questions; 1) what time on Sunday does it drop? 2) has it always been like this?
The episodes drops on Sundays at 2am AEST, this wasn’t done for the first season though.
San Fran Louis is unhinged!
Louis has always been so unhinged. Jacob has said in interviews that he's the most dangerous and bloodthirsty of all of them but he's so much better at hiding it. He's a freak (affectionate).
Louis asking Armand something like if he wants to lick his boots or chop his hands off... Nicki reference? How much has Armand told him??
Maybe hand chopping is a game they play when Armand gets to be Maitre... that echos what he did to Nicki in removing them... and how he played Frankenstein with Claudia as they reattach and heal. Yikes.
Yes! 👏😆
A lot of processing to do. Armand here was very complex, which is very book accurate. I have never thought he would be a one dimensional villain, but this ep also showed his cruelty. The way he let Louis suffer for days as basically a way to punish him for commiting suicide! I found it very disturbing that both Armand and Louis kept framing Louis' attempts around how it hurt Armand. What about how incredibly poor Louis' mental state is that he clearly was triggered into nearly killing himself? The things he said to Armand are cruel, but honestly, if Paris plays out like the books... Louis' original interview was both an attempt at catharsis but also possibly an attempt to reach Lestat! I wonder how long Louis has known he is alive and exactly why they are apart. They do willingly spend time apart in the books, but they also both think the other is dead right after Paris. Louis is clearly not happy, so something else is keeping him away. Does he believe that Lestat doesn't want him? Lestat sounded so worried, but Armand wasn't truly conveying that and he did not convey Lestat desperately trying to let Louis know that he loves him. This season has to end with a reunion right? Right!? Otherwise we got: set up for the revelation from Claudia's diaries that she hated Louis, confirmation that Armand has tampered with Louis' memories though we don't know how much. It is very possible that San Fran was NOT the first time, and I very much doubt it is the last. The very start of Devil's Minion? There is no way that is the end of Daniel and Armand's interaction. Armand was clearly around at other parts of Daniel's life as confirmed by the earlier Alice stuff. Also, I know the vampires are not necessarily monogamous, but the very blatant contrast between how things were presented between Loustat in S1 concerning Louis' desire for monogamy and the fact that Louis apparently has been having sex with other men for Loumand's entire relationship, including all of those men Armand mentioned just in San Fran? Interesting is all I will say.
https://preview.redd.it/5ake76ruij5d1.jpeg?width=1300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7139d41a604e05ccbd4c83d75321654f9e1041b
Oh man, when Daniel's hands were shaking when he asked Louis about Armand chasing victims down, and if any survived. I think DM already happened.
I would like to comment on the craftsmanship and tone! The horror aspects of this episode were amazing. The burn makeup on Jacob looked so good, creepy, gross, and painful-looking. The creaky music when things start to get unsettling was so effective. I liked seeing Armand be unleashed a bit here. We see his eyes shake again. And the part where he is unspooling the guts of Daniel’s tapes with his mind- I hated it and LOVED it. Performances all around, 100/10. So multi-layered and so multi-faceted. Everyone can switch in the blink of an eye. The casting department understood the assignment, and I am continually enamored and impressed by the immense talent of everyone on screen. With all the horror, however, there is also beauty and quiet in this episode. This episode is both big and small, in many ways. And everyone looked stunning! Armand in that coat and that Crypto Bro’s sunglasses- and in that 70s button-up. Stunning! Thank you, Carol!
Totally agree, the performance this episode was 5 star all around. This was the Armand I was wating to see. Everything was signed ,sealed and delivered
The show is just so well done... I really hope it keeps getting new seasons and we can dive into all of lestat's history.
IT WAS SO GOOD. AHHHH. IM OBSESSED. Started off all funny and flirty and the humour not just of the interaction/dialogue itself but the way it was shot/edited/the music was so good and then it got so serious and twisty and I’m so so so so excited for this dynamic shift and all this new information. That was so good…. Might be my favourite episode of the season. Can’t wait to see how the interview continues next week 💀💀💀💀
REST. REST. REST.
Am I FASCINATING?
the seesaw music that plays as Armand starts going stepford-smiler psycho is BANANAS - this is real horror shit!! oh my god I love this ep!!
There were a lot of comparisons to make between Armand/Daniel vs Louis/Daniel. It was interesting that while Armand claims to have saved Daniel (which he did, at least to start), it was Louis who really saved Daniel, and in more ways than one. Armand predicted the worst parts of Daniel’s life to come true, thinking that he knows best (which is a theme with Armand). However, Armand underestimates Daniel, because Daniel does not really want to die. And Louis sees the bright side of Daniel, telling him the words he needs to keep going. Armand believes that death, the end, is the comfort we all long for. This, while it can be true, is just such a depressing way to live life, and I think it shows just how messed up and tragic Armand’s worldview is. On top of this, Armand wants to be wanted, wants to be thought of as the bliss coming at the end of a tortuous road, and wants to be a savior. But even so, he still has to lull his victims into this state. It still isn’t true. I found it interesting that Daniel says he could be Louis’ Lestat or Claudia, but better. That is what Armand has been trying to be for decades but failing. Louis rejects both Armand and Daniel’s attempts. I don’t think Louis wants the “better.” I think he wants the chaos again, not the “beige pillow” or “prison of empathy” that surrounds him now. But Louis can never ask for anything directly, and even when Armand gives him an out, he can’t bring himself to ask for it. Also with the Devil's Minion aspect... It feels like there is still some disconnect between Armand's and Daniel's interactions now vs from the 70s. I feel like something more has happened... if nothing more does happen, I love what we got! But I hope that that is explained (ie Alice, Armand saying she didn't trust him, etc. feeling very personal).
This must be the incident that incites Armands stalking, then further compelling him to create the years-long chase between he and Daniel.
I agree that part of Devil's Minion likely already happened. The only thing that didn't happen likely was the turning of Daniel, likely because the show writers figured that Armand would've wanted Daniel to reach old age (Armand says this on DM on three different occasions if I remember correctly). They also kinda sealed it with the command Armand gave to Daniel. Two, Armand's got a routine. If he's fascinated, he immediately stalks to then study his prey and proceeds from there. He's "careful" while being impulsive, as opposed to Lestat, who jumps for the kill from the start. I don't buy for one second that Armand didn't get taken with the young Daniel to not pursue him and fuck up his life. It doesn't sound logical as most people would let alone a lonely vampire that's socially awkward and needing validation. Young Daniel seemed honest when he said he found Armand interesting, and it seemed to provide Armand of a small comfort when Louis destroyed his ego. A small word or two of encouragement does a world of good, especially to someone who's weighted by constantly trying to correct his mistakes. In Young Daniel, Armand would start brand new with a fun, intellectual, and curious handsome youth full of optimism and respect for the world. A beacon of light to the lost Armand. Even if younger Daniel probably did lie and manipulate his answer to get mercy from Armand, technically, it would be a half-lie since Daniel was curious about the vampires and immortality. He'd want to entertain anyone willing to give him the time. If Armand offered, he'd take it. TV Armand would become besotted with the TV Daniel as much as the book counterpart did. They contrast each other to electrify Armand. There's also those weird eyes Armand gives Daniel at times plus how happy he seems when Daniel delivers a killer punch-line: Like he's almost proud but can't handle it when Daniel's too acidic (constantly leaves). There's just too much tension/pent-up energy there, and it's not entirely malicious. Why would they remain perceptive to Daniel well into the 1980s if Daniel wasn't of value somehow? What makes us think that Louis wouldn't find out whenever Armand would leave on potential escapades to play with Daniel? A small part of me thinks Louis might be manipulating to get Armand off his case and plotting on using Daniel to do it. With this show, I'm learning that all possible suspicions are right. So if Louis brought Daniel to help him, then the reverse is also true: Louis can be a danger to Daniel should Daniel fail to rekindle Armand.
Between Armand and Louis, that argument was so amazing to watch. Every line was gold, and every line was COLD. Them mimicking each other’s accents, the SHADE. I would bring up my favorite lines, but then I would be copying and pasting the script of the whole scene. Louis calls Armand boring and says that he is too safe. Though Armand isn’t helping his case by erasing every “dangerous” thing that he himself has ever done! Armand’s torture of Daniel certainly isn’t boring. But now Louis doesn’t remember it, because Armand has erased it. Louis craves the toxic, and Armand is erasing the toxicity wherever he can. That must be partially why Louis finds him so boring. Without this erasure, however, Louis is completely suicidal! I feel so bad for Armand, being on “suicide” watch. But I also keep thinking of that Judas painting in their Dubai bedroom. Erasing memories is the ultimate betrayal, but what other choice did he have? How many times has Armand saved Louis, “protected him from himself,” and made him forget? But on the other hand, how can Louis get close to you, Armand, if you erase the pain and the truth? You feel Louis is hurting you, yet you erase everything, say it's fine, and continue to live in a state of pretend. You are asking to be hurt again! You will continue to go around and around in circles if you can’t face what you both actually feel! Armand is always conniving, he can never relax with the truth, and that is the tragedy of him (says Assad). The power dynamics continue to switch and swap around in this relationship, a continuation of what we saw last episode. Louis asks Armand to put him in his coffin (in a mirror of Lestat’s last words to Louis?) and Armand seems to relish letting him sit in his crispy pain for a bit as punishment. Louis is still “in charge” of the relationship in a sense as they still call each other Arun and Maitre. Armand obeys Louis’ demand not to kill Daniel. Armand also seems to be in a perpetual state of trying to “make it up to Louis” what happened in Paris. In the end, however, we see that Armand still holds the power in this relationship, as he holds memories in his hands and shapes the “truth.”
This episode was so different from any other of the episodes thus far. It was almost a “bottle episode.” It has given me so much to chew on and so much to think about. This season just keeps ramping up and ramping up! I’m terrified of what will come next. Every week for the past 5 weeks I have been wondering how this show can get any better, and yet it does. It is magic!
I hurt for Armand because of what Louis said, but Jesus that was hard to watch him then turn around and torture Daniel. Old Daniel realizing the beautiful things Louis said to him was such a lovely moment between the two.
That was a lovely moment. Weird that they skimmed over the fact that Louis tried to kill him though and lied that he had only killed 5 men in the apartment when it was over 100.
Honestly that was such a darkly funny moment to me. Like someone in the dating scene being told by the other that they don't really do this kind of stuff, only to find out it was a line and they do in fact do this kind of stuff all the time
Ultimately Daniel didn’t remember the torture but Louis words did in fact propel him through his career and difficult times - so it works out?
5? 128? It's only two extra numbers! \*laughs\*
This was definitely the best ep of the season so far, it was a punch in the gut but invigorating, Louis my dear Armand is a "warrior" for being your nanny! He's kind of repeating Lestat's behavior with Armand, because he found someone more submissive, that's interesting...
bro i had to lie down after this episode. best episode so far oh my god. a little confused on wtf lestat is doing because in the book wasn’t he still in the earth in this time period?
Since they moved the timeline, the 70s could have been when he was sitting in the house slowly healing before giving up and going to sleep.
He sounded very weak. I assumed he was still underground or healing.
They can still communicate using the Mind Gift when they’re sleeping, IIRC.
The dynamic between Daniel, Louis, and Armand is fascinating, and I can't get enough of it. Yes, yes, it's deeply fucked up and toxic and awful, but DAMN. Jacob, Assad, Eric, and Luke acted the fuck out of every goddamn scene. I couldn't even get through the episode without going back constantly and rewatching bits of every scene because it was just SO GOOD. I love Eric, and I also love Luke's take on young Daniel, so I hope this isn't the last we've seen of him. I want more Eric, but we deserve a little more traumatized Luke too. Jacob is always amazing, but he was ELEVATED this episode. Brilliant interplay between his 1970's and current self. He is so good. And Assad was INCREDIBLE. It takes incredible talent to play a monster that you can't help sympathize with anyway. Like he's so fucking evil and devious and cruel, and I'm still like SOMEBODY HUG HIM! He was so, so good. And the way he just swanned in wearing those shades at the end! It's going to be very hard to go back to the Paris story after this. I could do an entire season of just Louis, Daniel, and Armand figuring stuff out. Their character work is insane, and I really... ugh... I don't want to go back to Claudia's screaming temper tantrums and Santiago's... Santiagoness.
More direct mentions of Lestat's love of music. Announce Season 3/TVL please. 
This episode parallels some events from Merrick later in the series. Louis learns/acknowledges the truth about Claudia’s resentment of him and then decides to end it, which leads Lestat to re-awaken and the two reconnect (again). Makes me wonder whether we’ll see a Louis/Lestat reunion earlier than the Dubai timeline (but after Paris). Maybe having them communicate through Armand was it. But then, as @TrillianSwan pointed out- how else would he/we have known that Lestat tried to tell Louis he loved him and Armand refused to pass it on.
MUM AND DAD ARE FIGHTING 😫
& mimicking each other's accents like damn, we went there. But I screamed when Louis's imitation of Armand was "& my maker groomed me into a little bitch!" 👏😂
Two questions: (1) There are Talamasca surveillance photos from the vampires taking Daniel out of the building in 1973, so who was within and they must have known Daniel was in there for days.... what does it mean that they didn't ever find him and ask him anything. (2) The situation with Lestat: do you think that Lestat somehow can't come to Louis at this time, or that Armand will not let Lestat know where he and Louis are? Armand says “I won’t say a word.” - but does he mean - I won't say a word about where we are to you, Lestat, or does he mean I won't say a word to Louis about some thing Lestat has told him about why he cannot come? - It does seem to me that the reason Armand sought out Lestat's voice for Louis was through love for Louis. Surely Armand is hoping that to speak to Lestat could bring Louis back into wanting to live? - Armand does like to have control, so I can see a scenario where he wouldn't want Lestat to know where he and Louis were. - On the other hand, Armand knows Lestat loves Louis and he knows Lestat would want to come to Louis were Louis in danger and he even tells Lestat that Louis has been thinking about him. All that suggests that Armand would be fine had Lestat flown through the window... ???
1) That’s because the Talamasca has a strict no interference policy.
During: yes, but wouldn’t they interview a mortal about it (Daniel) after?
They don’t considering speaking/interviewing with fellow humans a conflict of interest. More like a loophole. But generally the T’s only monitor the witches and vampires
But it’s so rare to find a human who has been in the company of vampires for days like that, yet who has been allowed to live, you’d think they would want to talk to Daniel, no?
Ehhhh, in the books at the very least they are very reluctant to deal with subjects that have spent an extended amount of time amount of time with the monsters they study. The Talmasca is funny because they FREAK OUT when they get noticed. Their investigators like to act all mysterious and all knowing when reality they are just voyeurs that have no idea what to do with the info they are collecting
They’re like a gigantic library…. Only it’s a library solely for themselves!
this episode felt like a horror movie. armand was terrifying.
This series is just absolutely phenomenal. What an episode! The acting and writing is out of this world. Assad's Armand is so captivating. Tragic, scary, devastating. I just can't put it into words. They dynamics between all these characters is just a joy to watch, even when it is painful. It's been almost 20 years since I've read the books - is Armand lulling victims like that canon or from the show?
It’s from a short [story](https://jessereeves.livejournal.com/44724.html?) Anne Rice published in Playboy titled “Interlude with the Undead” narrated from Armand’s pov. That’s the story Rolin was referring to when he mentioned on the NY panel the material besides the novel they included in the show this season.
What the events of this episode may mean going forward: “I preserve your happiness even when you can’t or won’t” is what Armand says at the end of the 70s scenes. Louis had parroted back these exact words to Daniel earlier in the day in Dubai. Armand says he saved Daniel with the same sentiment that Louis had shared earlier as well…. It is clear that Armand and Louis have been telling each other the same stories for decades. At the end with the looks the three give each other when Armand comes back from lunch, I just know that Armand is going to get cross-examined haha. Daniel and Louis have both now bonded over the trauma of Armand, just as Armand and Louis had bonded over the trauma of Lestat in Paris. We now have concrete proof that Armand is messing with memories, though we always suspected. What happens next?
Fantastic episode! I'm not entirely convinced Armand is completely evil and Louis is completely innocent. I'm hoping more happened with Daniel and Armand after he was sent to rehab. I'm not sure why Armand would be looking so fondly of old Daniel, apologising for Louis temper, and Raglan telling Daniel he shouldn't feat Armand, if San Fransisco was their only meeting. Really excited to see what happens between Louis and Armand. I'm think divorce 100% by the last episode. Both Armand and Louis were dicks to each other in 1973, but I think Louis was more cruel in his words to Armand. Not sure on Daniel being turned by the end of the season, but maybe he takes a turn for the worse later on. Also confirmation of Claudia being dead and Lestat being alive is awesome!
Someone on Tumblr posited a theory that Daniel’s weekly injections are actually some form of Armand’s blood. Apparently Parkinson’s treatment isn’t weekly, it’s daily (and in pill form). Not sure on the accuracy of that,but using his blood to slow Daniel’s decline is absolutely something Armand would do. And then he’d threaten to take it away if he gets pissed off enough. These vampires have never met a power imbalance they didn’t like.
I'm also hoping there's more of the Devil's Minion storyline in the past! I think they set it up well in this episode, with Armand obsessively trying to figure out what makes Daniel "fascinating" and then saying "I'll keep digging". Louis has had his memories tampered with, but not Armand, I'm not sure he'd let it go as lightly. (Or at least I'm hoping until proven wrong.) Like you said, if this isn't the case, some of the scenes from this season ("she wanted to say yes" comes to mind first) will seem a bit like they came out of nowhere in retrospect.
Didn't Louis call Armand boring in this episode too? I wonder if that will provoke Armand into proving himself otherwise as Devil's Minion is one long bout of hedonistic craziness.
Yes, haha, he might be on a mission to prove something to himself. (I say himself and not Louis, because it does appear that -- if something happened with Daniel afterwards -- Louis has no clue about it.)
I think there will be more: hitting on ‘she wanted to say yes’… how the hell would Armand know that unless he was either spying on Daniel and his paramour or was the paramour in question? I’m also considering that rather than just asking to be turned Daniel made the same offer to Armand as he did to Louis - I’ll be your Lestat, I’ll be your Louis, but better, I’ll love you and they never did. And Armand wanted to believe Daniel meant it, but Daniel didn’t really with Louis, he might just want the Dark Gift! So Armand goes back to Louis and the sterile doom he’s comfortable with.
I’m actually starting to think Louis asked him to erase those memories. I don’t know if they’ll separate, but I think there will be an understanding that they both need to find their own self-worth.
Armand not telling Louis that Lestat loved him... 💔
I have so much to say about this episode (all good things) but I'm overwhelmed, all I can say for now is that Louis calling Daniel a testament to their (his and Armand's) companionship was so interesting to me considering the parallels one can draw between Daniel and Claudia, I guess you can call Daniel a band-aid for a shitty marriage.
Louis using the book/first interview to get Lestat to reach out to him. Come to me indeed. 😩 And louis calling Armand ‘Arun’ and responding with Maitre (master) the power dynamic shifts y’all.
People keep talking about how awful Armand was here, but Louis called Armand’s horrible abuse at the hand of his maker as grooming him into being a little bitch, among other things (despite the drugs, I’m certain this is the most honest he’s been with Armand). I mean, sure Armand crossed a line this episode and threw himself off the cliff and then some, but Louis also crossed a line. It was nowhere near as bad as Armand but both of them are clearly bad for each other and are toxic to each other, and are clearly not compatible. Armand is just too scared of being alone to see what Louis clearly sees, but can’t do anything about it from his mind being erased god knows how many times.
I think we're going to find out Louis still has a lot of rage towards Armand about what happened in Paris, and that may be one of the reasons Armand is so willing to take the abuse.
I’m so curious about how the dynamic in Dubai will be now. Any theories on the line spoken to Daniel in the promo for next week “you fear Armand, you should fear the other one”?? Cause right now it def seems to be Daniel and Louis against Armand. Why should he fear Louis? Hmmmm
What if « the other one » is Lestat?
I feel like Armand is a character alot of people dont *get* in fandom. This episode did a very good job of showing his duality. Louis says he switches between "bootlicking, nursemaid" and "gremlin" (lol) and then we see him do just that-- Tormenting Daniel like a child taking apart a toy to see how it works*, while Louis is pained and pleading in the background. And later locating and contacting Lestat for Louis, in such a pained and gentle motion, followed by comforting Daniel during his "clean up"**. These (*,**) actions are so on point for book Armand who Daniel describes occasionally as feeling like hes being examined by a praying mantis. And who hunts by drawing suicidal people to him and showing them comforting images to ease their deaths. Also, found the swap to having Louis being the one who runs off on benders Armand has to clean up after an interesting one. Cannot wait to see where they go with him an Daniel.
Oh hey, anyone else catch Louis' "---or cut my hands off!" during his rant at Armand? Nicki reference? Gotta be, right? 🎻 ✋️ 🤚 🪓
I'm watching this again before I knock out, but Armand did not give Louis an "out". He only wanted it to appear this way to Louis. Had he given him a true out, he would have relayed to him that Lestat still loved him. That Lestat asked of him to tell this to Louis, over and over. Armand denied Louis of the ability to make a fully informed choice, which is apparently what he's been doing for decades. He is indeed always conniving and duplicitous. I found the bit about Claudia not loving Louis, at least the way he loved her, fascinating. YESSIR. Bring this shit to fruition. I've gotta be honest, it's been more than a little tiresome to read about how awful Louis has been to poorpoorClaudy. Finally, the truth is revealing itself. That little bit of Lestat's concern for Louis was freaking wonderful. I love them.
Who the fuck is editing the commercials into this episode? Jesus, could we finish a scene?
Every week I want to say oh my god the acting even though it feels redundant but oh my god the acting. This episode is the diabolical, manic, gory, unhinged melodrama I want and then they balanced it so nicely with Daniel‘s earnestness and his connection with Louis. The comedy - are you the zodiac killer, Richard Pryored himself, Armand walking in wearing those ridiculous sunglasses. The horror of Louis’ burns and his helplessness and begging while Armand has his freakout. ARMAND’S FREAKOUT, his speech to Daniel before he’s about to kill him - “your wife counting down your thrusts”. Louis - picking lint off the sofa - look of pure disgust. ALSO, the wife vacuuming on Valium of it all … that’s Dubai Louis!!!! He is the wife who cannot stand her life, spending her days in a Valium stupor to pass the time!!! Armand unspooling the tapes with his mind is so small but possibly my most favourite part of the episode. So creepy. Daniel’s hurt as he remembers the trauma and realises how garbled his memories are. This show is such a gift. Also, has there been an explanation for why they’re living in Dubai that I’ve forgotten?
This episode was wonderful but I worry what this means for the majority of Devil's Minion. Are we no longer getting Armand being an obsessive, creepy little stalker? Will Daniel & Armand no longer fall in love? Will Armand no longer learn how to call Paris?!?!? The horror.
Haha! he said he'll "keep digging" into why Daniel is worth sparing, which in stalker speak could mean ima be watching you, learning your ways to not be boring.. And Armand knew what Alice was thinking in Paris. I think Armand kept watch on Daniel..
That's what I'm thinking as well. I know that there's the "Alice isn't real, she's actually Armand" theory, but I think realistically it's that Armand stalked Daniel for decades because of the fact that Louis found him so "fascinating"
Yep that theory is a bold one, but I think there being a daughter from that marriage kinda negates it’s veracity. At first I was doubtful he could be doing so much, such a busy gremlin - stalking journalists, maybe trapping a certain vampire(s?) - but he has some powers of control plus he can roam around during daylight hours. Also, iPad.
Oh man, I bet once Armand figured out how to look at social media on his tablet, it probably blew his mind. Yay, another way to stalk my boy!
There seems to be some things left unanswered however, that leads me to believe there's more to the story. Armand, however annoyed with Daniel, seems to have some sort of connection to him more than what we've just seen in the 70s. That thing with Alice, saying that "she wanted to say yes but didn't trust you." Where does that come in? Armand apologizing for digging too far... something isn't adding up right. It would be a shame if there wasn't at least a little more to this story between the two of them. Maybe not this season, but hopefully in the future.
I think the show more or less implied it kinda happened/started: Minus the whole turning Daniel part. There's too many hints, the big one being that Daniel mentioned he was found blacked out in Milwaukee for some reason. That's a LONG way from California. Even if he could've been reporting/researching something, that's weird. There's also the established fact that they interacted with him in the 80s in Paris, where both Daniel and Armand met "Alice" (and Armand was near to her often to know her thoughts). Armand might've started his whole haunting/consuming of Daniel on the side. It's not above Armand to do so given the show has told us that to some extent they had separate lives while together. You have to remember that all these stories take place at once and in the present. I mean, in DM, they go on and off an awful lot (12 years from 1973 in fact); Armand promised Louis to not eat him. The promise didn't mean that he couldn't talk or touch him. Unlike Louis, Armand's disciplined enough to manage the hunger aspect. So it wouldn't be surprising IF Armand's curiosity about Daniel's social skills motivated him to eventually stalk/haunt/possibly seduce Daniel. The impression Daniel left in this episode was not small. If he impressed Louis, he baffled Armand. Which we see. The thing that really throws it off is the 80s/"Alice" interaction: While Louis' lifeline makes sense, what doesn't make sense is how they interacted with him AGAIN so few years later. Why?! I get having him for the interview NOW. That makes sense. Why and how did they interact with him almost a decade later in such a massive planet? In Paris of all places. I mean, there's coincidences, but then there's "coincidences"? That's a massive and random coincidence. That they'd not just run into him but be intrigued enough to dabble into his interaction with his girlfriend? I mean, they have a whole life and so many people to interact with? Why invest time in Daniel so few years after? Unless they planned to have the interview back then and found it the wrong time as Daniel now had a "chain" to be responsible for (wife and kids)? They hit him up before and found it too risky so hit him up now where he's a long empty nester perhaps?
I loved the parts of the story where Daniel showed Armand how to "mortal". I'll be sad if it's gone too T.T
Don’t worry! Armand SAID he would keep digging…
What is the purpose of the second interview? I find it interesting that Louis calls “the boy” a testament to his and Armand’s enduring companionship. Is this what Louis wants from the interview now? Because it is not working out like that… what exactly does he mean? This is like Lestat saying he should make the burning of Storyville their anniversary. Or is this interview perhaps a way to get at Lestat? Armand suspected that Louis’ interview in the 70s was a ploy to get Lestat to listen and return, so is that what is happening again?
Of all the clueless moments Lestat displayed, that anniversary comment was among his worst.
I’m so glad we finally got to see Armand’s utter evil depravity, hand in hand with his traumatized attachment issues. I think it’s a brilliant move to see it outside of the context of Claudia’s death first. Because it builds tension for how much danger Claudia and Louis are actually in, in Paris. And - Louis without Armand’s control is pretty unhinged. We see it in San Francisco and we see shadows of it in his demeanor in Dubai. And I’m here for it. It makes perfect sense that the Louis we see through his own eyes, and through Lestat’s eyes, would not match what he’s really like. He hangs out with Lestat and Armand for a reason, after all. Finally - I know I’m not supposed to love the Maitre / Arun dynamic with Louis and Armand, but I love how it gives a vulnerability to Armand that we would otherwise not be able to see. Like, we get to see in action how he can go from torturing Daniel for days and then be just absolutely completely vulnerable and submissive. It’s beautifully done. This whole episode is just… *chef’s kiss*
Did anyone catch any of the other voices that Armand could hear when he was seeking out Lestat’s voice? I could have sworn I heard a woman speaking but the version I watched online didn’t have subtitles. It could have been a human in the apartment next door or it could have been a female vampire…
https://x.com/pixielayer/status/1799877736971853825 Someone did the work and madw them clearer
A few days we had a post about someone not being fond of Louis fashion this season and i just found it funny that this episode Louis ends up tearing into Armand and their lifestle being boring 🤣🤣🤣
Where do you guys think Lestat is when Armand finds his voice in san fran? It sort of made me think he was still sleeping. Like after the events of IWTV in TVL epilogue at the end, he's sleeping in the house, still wounded and delirious, and Armand keeps visiting him and implanting visuals in his mind - still begging for him to love him. Do we think lestat is still sleeping in the present day timeline? That's what I've thought all along, but now I'm not sure.
If I remember correctly, there was depressed/sick Lestat who Armand visited, and then Lestat went to sleep after that, resurfacing later. So this could be while he is sick and isolated.
This episode was a lot…it’s got me so twisted and conflicted…all I can think is, Armand is so tragic. Sigh. Why stay with a man who only loves one person, thinks you are so dull that an eternity with you is suffocating that I’d rather die than spend another moment with you? Just gutted thinking about that. And if Louis succeeded, he would have lost someone he loved “more than anything in the world”, and his last words to you are painful and hurtful. Man, I don’t know if this is Anne Rice’s version of Armand, but my gawd, who ever wrote this scene I want to hold them and tell them, “you are enough. You deserve better”. 😭 That was a hard watch seeing a side of Louis that I don’t like. And, Armand being super scary with his powers, but being so powerless when it comes to love. Rest. 😞
This episode got me at the edge of my seat, I’m so excited about this story even if me trying to understand the timelines between the show and the books is driving me mad! Assad was insane for what he did with his Armand this episode, the acting was top notch. He going after Daniel, asking for him to make him fascinating is just… wow! And holy shit, when he calls Louis maître again, you truly see the power dynamics shift. I just want, better yet, need to have a little more of Devil’s Minion. When he bit from Daniel I thought we would get it
How come Louis and Armand don’t read Daniel’s mind more? How does he lie to them about “my researcher found it” and generally all the info that was dropped to him
I wonder if Daniel ever figured out some minimal type of shielding?
What a powerful episode. It almost felt like a play set inside the apartment. Amazing acting by all involved, specially Assad.
Agree! It felt like theatre! When they were fighting I literally said out loud this feels like Shakespeare! I think it’s a nice way to keep it tied to the main setting for the season being the Paris theatre.
https://preview.redd.it/2gn8s63qap5d1.jpeg?width=3800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70164f3dfa1faefc3928067386b0ea4d09c3ed65 How can anyone that looks at their boyfriend like this do them harm? Memory tampering must be how a gremlin shows love
What an amazing episode! Don't get me wrong, the others in season 2 have been pretty good so far too but this is the first one that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. See, you don't even need Lestat for that! So many special effects, Daniel turning pale while Louis is drinking from him and that burning effect. They really went all in with the make-up this episode too! It's also the small things, like changing the city in the intro, the music being ... off at the perfect times and so many "ha!" moment - calling Armand a "gremlin" (xD) and talking about his killing preferences ("someone half in love with an easeful death"), book-fan me is happy. They finally confirmed that the sun does have an effect on younger vampires and makes them tired, good, good! I want to know more about the specifics (hopefully more in season 3)! Armand's eyes jittering - does this only happen while he's controlling vampires (maybe because it's harder?)? The Groan - this time while Daniel's preparing to play the enhanced recordings (about 20 minutes into the episode). Armand isn't there, so it's definitely not him. I think we need a list! Louis isn't eating in Dubai - again. And why did Armand talk to Lestat? Lestat apparently knows that Louis is alive but not where he is and I don't think that he would be able to come for a visit, even if he wanted to. At least we now know that Lestat using the Mind Gift with Louis at the beginning of episode 1x02 (in the bar) must have been a mistake (or a false memory). Can't say enough how happy I am with the casting! It's funny that you can see Jacob come through when Louis laughs, with Sam it's rather the other way around. Those steel pliers (?) appeared in the trailer again, is the woman they're being used on Madeleine? It looks like the woman's got freckles on her nose but I'm not sure if Madeleine does. Did anyone else notice the IwtV book prop in the episode insider?
So why do we think Louis hasnt gone to Lestat or Lestat not gone to Louis? Im thinking that despite his feeling Louis wont go back to Lestat because he blames him for Claudia's death somehow?
Armand erased the events of those days from his memory. So he doesn't know where Lestat is and maybe not even if he is alive I think.
After this episode, It's gotta be because Armand would've stopped him from leaving.
Definitely Armand doing what he can to cockblock them.