Interview with the Vampire – Season 2 Episode 2 Recap & Review

Do You Know What It Means to Be Loved by Death

Episode 2 of Interview with the Vampire Season 2 starts with Louis and Claudia settling in Paris. It was not an easy transition, but they persevered. According to Armand, Paris was an awakening to Louis. However, Daniel can’t relate; he has painful memories of Paris because Allison rejected his first proposal in that city. Even with Daniel’s indifference to Paris, Armand and Louis continue with the interview, fondly looking back at their memories in the city of love. 

Louis and Claudia soon fall into a routine while in Paris. They fail to notice that the local vampires are silently watching them. Claudia takes to hunting and keeping a low profile, while Louis takes up photography. Claudia also starts to subtly point out that Louis needs to have a life outside of her.

At the time, Louis felt that Claudia was permitting him to live his life again. The local coven expected Louis and Claudia to introduce themselves as a courtesy, but that never happened. In his narration, Louis insists that he felt comfortable as a Black man in Paris and Daniel questions how this is possible.

Daniel is also starting to get pissed by how lovey-dovey the two men are. They keep finishing each other’s sentences and we are with Daniel on this one. As the interview progresses, Daniel becomes more antagonistic, forcing Armand and Louis to rein him in by threatening to read his ex-wife’s mind.

After five months, Armand makes a move on Louis and invites him to the Théâtre des Vampires. Armand felt it was time to show Louis and Claudia some acceptance and protection. Of course, Claudia is beyond cloud nine after hearing about the local vampires and the invitation.

At the Théâtre des Vampires, the two are welcomed warmly and ushered in to see several theatrical plays. The lead thespian, Santiago, comes off as an intriguing ancient vampire, and Claudia and Louis quickly take note of him. In the last play, Santiago boldly drains one of his victims in front of a room full of people, but no one flinches.

The woman is visibly scared and tries to warn the audience; however, everyone is convinced this is part of the play. Claudia is immediately enthralled, but Louis is disgusted. 

After the play, Claudia and Louis meet with the other vampires backstage. Armand officially introduces them, and Santiago is quick to ask prying questions about where they are from and their maker. Claudia spots a portrait of Lestat and lies about their origins. She explains their maker was a vampire called Bruce, who committed suicide by jumping into a fire.

In another sinister twist, Claudia and Louis learn that Lestat is one of the co-founders of the Théâtre des Vampires. According to Armand, Lestat was one of the  best thespians to ever grace their stage. We don’t doubt this!

After meeting the local coven, Claudia is ecstatic and asks Louis not to ruin this for her. She is worried the other vampires will read Louis’ mind and discover his ties to Lestat. She is sure they won’t take  Lestat’s murder lightly.

On the other hand, the reappearance of Lestat even though not physically, drives Louis into a minor internal panic. He starts feeling unsettled in Paris. To calm his doubts, Louis visits the  Parisian law firm, which handles Lestat’s business and talks to the account manager.

The manager is pretty confident that Lestat is dead, as he has not made any withdrawals. He gives Louis a box which contains a letter from his former lover. In the letter, Lestat confesses his undying love for Louis and mentions that the former is the only person he fully trusts. After reading the letter, Louis feels more guilt for betraying Lestat.

Days go by, and Louis and Claudia become more involved with the vampires at Théâtre des Vampires. One evening, Armand takes the coven to a shared hunt. The hunt is meant to signify that Claudia and Louis have proven themselves. However, Santiago doesn’t care much for Louis after he slept during one of his performances. Meanwhile, Claudia is vibing with their new friends and is living her best life.

While the other vampires rush in to devour their victims, Armand and Louis hang back. Armand is wary of Louis as he senses he is hiding something about Lestat. He asks Louis to tell him about the secret when his ready and warns him to close his mind when interacting with the other vampires.

The Episode Review

Daniel seems fixated on making Louis relive his painful memories. He keeps pushing back and coming for Louis as if doubting his story. He does this by bringing up the fact that both Louis and Lestat had a relationship with Lestat, which hits a nerve for Armand. Armand is still protective of Louis, and this creates tension between him and Daniel. It is fascinating to watch Daniel trying to get a reaction from the two vampires.

Is he so confident that they won’t harm him, or has he thrown caution to the wind and is ready to meet the Grim Reaper? He might want to tread carefully because Louis and Armand have proven they can play that game, too. They have no qualms about bringing up Daniel’s painful past and prodding him to face some deep truths he had shoved deep inside.

Once again, Lestat makes an appearance. Louis will never be able to get rid of his influence! It is not strange that Armand dated Lestat, too. It is a tight knight circle when it comes to the vampire world, so they will probably share lovers at one point in their immortal lives.

However, we can’t wait to see the dynamics of Armand’s relationship with Lestat and Louis. Why did the two break up?