Spoilers for ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Season 2, Episode 6
It is a tribute to those in front of and behind the camera that this episode turned out as powerful as it did. “Like the Light by Which God Made the World Before He Made Light” marched us towards an event whose outcome and ramifications are already known by those who have read the books. It’s a sad, melancholy maneuvering of decisions that shine a light on the tragic characters and the villains, converging to change everyone’s lives.
Picking up where we left off last week, things are much different now between Louis and Armand than the loving, united front they showed Daniel what seems like another lifetime ago. The apartment in Dubai is now a rather chilly place to be, except for Daniel, who watches and gleefully comments in not-so-veiled sarcasm about what he sees unfolding before his eyes. He and Louis have always had this strange relationship that, at times, almost borders on a friendship. To that end, both have an ax to grind with Armand, but at this time, it’s Louis’s turn to pull back the curtain, so to speak, to see what lies underneath.
Daniel also has another meeting with Ragland James of the Talamasca and a humorous one at that. While there is nothing funny about Daniel practically begging for them to protect him, Ragland lets him know that the group is not very good at protecting assets. Daniel wants a book, and Ragland wants to help, and to that end asks Daniel to slide some questions into the interview to help them out. It was a strange exchange, with a rather larger revelation about another character, but it was another very small step in explaining the Talamasca’s role in everything that happened during this time.
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What unfolds is a weird collection of events between many characters. Claudia wants a companion, that being the dressmaker Madeline, who finds out Claudia is a vampire when she saves her from thugs who break into her store. Consequently, instead of running, screaming, and losing her mind, she is more intrigued than anything, and the request is made to turn her into a vampire. Armand, in a classic display of his theatrical, two-faced, and scheming ways, talks to Madeline to size her up but never has any intention of granting the wish. To that end, Louis turns her, and Claudia and Madeline leave to start their own life together.
This leads Armand to make a choice, the coven or Louis, and what should have been a wonderfully romantic and loving gesture, Louis chooses Louis and gives the coven up for good. It all sounds so lovely; everything is working out for these four vampires, except it was never to be. Armand, blinded by love, never did truly see how he had lost complete control of the coven and how they were secretly undermining him at every turn. In the end, he did indeed make a choice and he sold them all out, Louis, Madeline, and Claudia, to set up the famous trial that sees the return of Lestat.
This whole season had been setting up Armand as the villain. He is ruthless and always thinking three steps ahead, planning the next move, instead of living his life. When we find out that Armand has never made another vampire before, it is another peek into his true fear and controlling nature that sums up most of his existence. Louis sees it too, but it is too late to stop from being ambushed and dragged to the upcoming trial of all three at the Theater de Vampires, led, of course, by Santiago and the soon-to-be-unveiled Lestat.
There are still many loose threads that have led us up to this point. Is Louis really recounting everything correctly? How much influence had Armand really had on his memory? Is Claudia a real victim here, and with that Madeleine too, or has her attitude and aggressive behaviors led her to this point? There are so many tangled threads being played about here it’s hard to figure out who is playing who at times, and that now includes Daniel, whose excellent journalism skills and new connection with the Talamasca make him formidable, even if he is only human.
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In the end, Interview With the Vampire season 2, episode 6, epitomizes the life of a vampire, that being choices, power, and love. Oddly enough, it’s not that different from the stories for most humans and is an interesting comparison here. It’s almost tragic to watch so many vampires try to be so controlling, especially after living so many lifetimes, while others simply struggle to find acceptance and happiness to add meaning to their long lives.
Season two has done an excellent job of melding all of this together and building tension and drama. With only two episodes left, we now have Lestat back in the fold, and with that, anything is truly possible.
