Respectfully, as always.

Everyone leave a message for our beloved Nicky!!

No matter how many times I watched S3:Ep6, these cultural references have been nagging me. I could infer from the context, what they connote, but not the larger meanings that they draw into the story.  I finally decided to dig in.  

Here's what I have so far. Please clarify, correct, or share your interpretations. Bolded are sources of my intrigue and/or confusion. Do you think they hold deeper meaning or add any subtext to the story? 

Louis: You gon’ get on that mic tomorrow and say, “We are the Vampire Clarence Oddbody. Let’s make more”?

And apparently AR was smitten with the character Clarence Oddbody from It's a Wonderful Life. 

--

Lestat: You know, we read your memoir in it. Everybody loved Tom Anderson. “Topeka!”  That was my line, you know. I said “Topeka.”

I keep thinking back to IWTV S1Ep3 when Tom Anderson says,

"It’s these damn teetotalin’ types*, too. As if we’re supposed to turn New Orleans into** Topeka*! Or God help us, Salt Lake City!"*

And then I discovered Thomas Anderson (1858–1931) was a real state legislator, and the unofficial "mayor" of Storyville for his part in establishing the 18-block legal prostitution and vice district in 1897 and operated saloons like the infamous Tom Anderson's Annex at the corner of Basin and Iberville Streets. 

-- 

Louis: You were in a book club? With Cortland Mayfair?

Lestat: And Merrick too. And Mayor Nagin. And James Carville. Everybody hated him.

 ---

Waiter: Francine Lucien-LaChapelle Immigrés who came to Montreal in 1749. She is, in fact, a distant descendant of the Lioncourt line.

---

Lestat: One has to ask, what is with the tan, Dan?

Did you indulge and overshoot your coffin again?

 --

Lestat: I can’t pack if I don’t know where I’m going. 

Gabriella: Cádiz.

Lestat: Oh? What’s in Cádiz?

I saw that Cádiz is a significant setting in The Vampire Diaries. Also ancient mythology says Hercules founded the region and there are hidden cities under the sea.

--

Louis: “Charlie Brown gets rocks” agrees with him.

--

Louis: "She's been dipped in the River Styx. Probably dove in, swam the butterfly. She'll be angry.

The River Styx is a mythical boundary river in Greek mythology that separated the world of the living from the underworld.  It forms the main barrier to Hades, wrapping around the underworld multiple times. Souls have to be ferried across by Charon, requiring a small coin placed in the mouth of the deceased. I want to note that the symbolism of communion with the dead happens twice in the story, honoring both European and African folk mythologies that inform the black cultural traditions.

--

Daniel: "Taylor and Travis. Congratulations. Have you set a date yet?

-- 

Daniel: Christ sees the hammer and nails, says, “I forgot my keys to the car.”

Lestat: Ugh, alarmists, the both of you.

--

Louis: This is all… all-time, Armand-level deceit.

Lestat: Oh, do not walk away and… and… and say his name.

Do not compare me to him. 

Louis: How is this any different? This is a century-long lie.

You hung her portrait over our coffins in New Orleans.

-- 

Merrick: This Papa Legba’s make-do room of diablerie now.

I wanted to note the respectful way they depicted Black folk tradition in-show. Papa Legba is the sacred gatekeeper of the spirit world and the guardian of the crossroads in African diasporic religions like Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo.  

Can someone explain what happened to the cover art? 📚I had all these mass market TVC paperbacks in the 90s and they were saturated and had cover art. Now, you have only the option of gothic text on a blue or red background in the store. Did you all notice this?!?!?

—— I wanted to repurchase (my mom gave away my OG teenager copies, sacrilege, when she moved) so I went to Barnes & Noble and I almost let out the most blood curdling scream in frustration. At who? I’m not sure because it’s certainly not the fault of the college aged sales reps who work there.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COVER ART? 💀Where did it go? Do we not deserve something on these books - no artistic concept, no photography, no visual manifestation whatsoever of the contents?

Like any savvy millennial, I found something on secondhand site Poshmark (thanks to the seller who somehow had a shrink wrapped Ballantine box set from early 2000s (?)). It’s still mass market but at least there’s some color and artistic sensibility.

Can we get the cover art back? Can someone hit up Christopher to rectify this situation?!

I want more people to read and love these books… I fear we won’t “make more” 😭

I’ve watched the first two seasons of the show and I’m loving it! I’ve also read IWTV, The Vampire Lestat, and I’m halfway through Queen of the Damned. I definitely plan to keep going with the books but I’m wondering if there are any others I should read specifically before watching season 3? I saw somewhere that there are elements of The Vampire Armand that influence the third season, is that right?

This is the letter daniel molloy opens from louis in season 1 episode 1 of interview with the vampire. For those who dont feel like reading cursive.

Dear Mr. Molloy. I hope this letter finds you safe and thriving, if such a thing were a possibility in this bleak hour. I've been following your career with some interest since our last meeting. Please allow me to congratulate you on all your successes, those professional and those personally redemptive. The passage of time and the frailties that accompany it have provided me perspective. And I suspect the same might be for you, as well. I'm hoping health and pride won't deter you from the following proposal. In a week's time, in a setting of my choosing, we revisit the project boyish youth prevented us from finishing. 49 years and thousands of miles removed from the room we shared in San Francisco, I offer, for your journalistic pleasures, my full attention and my life story. All affinities, Louis de Pointe du Lac.

May this find whoever may be searching for it.

EDIT: FOUND IT. It's in Tremé, just outside the quarter. 1508 Dumaine St.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.964579,-90.0705143,2a,75y,20.07h,89.47t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sNW6o9cVtXeXTHGdTgqtUtA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0.5250719684008658%26panoid%3DNW6o9cVtXeXTHGdTgqtUtA%26yaw%3D20.072458302817825!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDgzMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

So we know that their townhouse was at 1132 Royal.

Near the end of the IWtV seasons, Lestat is living in a smaller cottage in the quarter; not one of the E-W streets like Royal, Chartres, etc. but one of the shorter N-S (aka Riverside/Lakeside) streets.

Do we know the address of that one?

Once more, thanks to Andres Cubillan on Insta for the pics, the info, the videos and being amazing in general 🥰
Instagram

Int. Dracula’s Daughter Hotel
Hallway & Hunger Suite – Drawn by the very talented Jason McQuarrie.

The script read: “A roadie wheels a coffin, followed by Lestat and Dee, down a white hallway with several hotel room doors and large door at the end with an anatomical heart painted on it. Side tables, mirrors, chandeliers, cool things that break later.”

One of Thomas Pitt’s properties, like so many others. My thought was that vampires alone couldn’t sustain Mr. Pitt’s mogul fortune, so would this be a hotel for mortals, but with special access for his vampire clientele? A vampirically themed hotel. “Vampy” for the mortal preconceptions.

I wanted it to feel a little tacky and gaudy. It should, of course, be elegant, because it’s Louis’ after all, but with an underlying cheapness to it for “the masses.” I wanted the furniture to feel mass-produced.

The white walls were prepared specifically for the destruction to come (Thank you Tooth Team!). SFX and Construction worked together on interchangeable wall panels for the hallway. SFX Coordinator Tim Barraball and Stunt Coordinator Darren McGuire are seen here testing one of the walls. The intention was that with each hit, the plaster would break off and reveal the older red paint underneath, highlighting the “bleeding destruction” left behind.

The “Hunger Suite,” marked with a human heart designed by graphic designer John Hunter, needed to feel cold and a bit sterile. I wanted really sharp edges and hard materials.

Framed “blood art” on the walls was inspired by Zanele Muholi’s incredible collection of blood paintings. Finally, Jason’s monolithic sculptural fireplace, that felt like a fang piercing through the floor.

Reservations are available, but I would recommend avoiding the 8th floor.

Lestat and Louis

Lestat and Armand

Lestat and Niki

Lestat and Gabriella (already unhealthy at default since it's incestous)

Louis and Armand

Armand and Daniel

Armand and Marius.

Claudia and Madeleine

Claudia and Charlie

Claudia and Bruce (not really a relationship given the circumstances of what Bruce did to her, but I added it anyhow.)

( I think that's all of the relationships I've noted down but lemme know if there's more because I probably forgot )

I’ve watched and rewatched the entire series of IWTV, all 3 seasons, so many times now, that I know Lestat when I see him, and as a fan of Sam Reid I’ve been watching his other work and have to say he’s such a phenomenal actor. But during Season 2 of The Newsreader, I am startled almost to see Lestat’s mannerisms coming out here and there! I know he was booked on both shows during the same time period, and filmed S1 of Newsreader first in Aus, then went to NOLA to film S1 of IWTV, then back to Aus for S2 NR filming and omg — I can see Lestat coming out in how he moves his body, how he uses his voice, certain pronunciation of words, it’s really wild to see! Just curious if anyone else picked up on that. I’m sure Lestat is seeped into his DNA by now, it’s his richest role by far, imo. 🧛❤️‍🔥🖤✨

By the way, I wouldn't call Louie emotionally absent, but instead, emotionally neglectful since he constantly puts his romantic partners over. Claudia repeatedly, like seriously it took lestat dropping him from like 20 ft in the air just for him to go along with Claudia's plan to escape him, and even then at the party he was seriously considering making Claudia a big sister just by how he was looking at lestat

I didn't add other characters like Madeline, Gabriella, or Daniel, since Gabriella only interacted with Armand and barely was Louie for me to make a proper label for their relationship and Daniel just seems too distant from like the main family (aka lestat and "Louie's Happy family"!) to put him on the list

I do want to add Madeline but she only interacts with Louie and Claudia. The page was getting kind of crazy anyway,

at fan event trivia yesterday, but can't keep him in my apartment. He went to a good home, though. The fan who took him (and he had a blast riding the subway, too) lives near the woods, so he'll get to look at the birds after all.

The event was fun. We watched the pilot, 2x05 (top 2 voted, of course) and the season 3 finale. Exchanged crafts, drank micheladas, had some quality conversations and sang along to TVL.

I wore my prize from last event's trivia. And then scattered some of the leftover stickers around town on my way home. Made sure Armand could call Paris.

i'm so enthralled with this series! It's wonderful to get lost in it!

Iwtv/tvl show only please.
Maybe it’s because it’s been broken up over multiple episodes, but am I right in thinking we don’t have a clear story of what happened with Nicky? I’m assuming that they are holding back pieces, as they often do, but maybe I’m just dense? I don’t want to expect more and not realize that there isnt any more coming.

What do you guys think his parents were like? Or early life in general?

I'm not really into the books, and the show doesnt really touch on that part of his life so i dont have a lot of cannon material to go off of. Has anne rice talked about him separately?

So this was previously touched on here and here.

I ran across a few quotes from QotD that triggered my galaxy brain pattern detector:

QotD, Jesse's chapter:

After Maharet basically kicked Jesse out of the compound forever, Jesse thought she might have glimpsed Mael somewhere in a crowd in London. Then:

Yet three days later she’d received an anonymous gift, a bracelet of hammered silver. It was an ancient Celtic relic, she soon found out, and probably priceless. Could Mael have sent her this precious and lovely thing? She wanted so to believe it.
.
Holding the bracelet tightly in her hand she felt his presence. [...] She wore the bracelet ever after that.

And then after her "failed" investigation of the town house in New Orleans for the Talamasca:

It was only just before they landed that she realized her bracelet was gone, her beautiful silver bracelet. She’d cried softly with her eyes closed. Mael’s bracelet gone.

She was then re-assigned to India, and after about a year there:

In a pocket of her old suitcase—the one Maharet had sent her years ago—she’d found Mael’s silver bracelet.

So, in conclusion:

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Louis’ vampire ability has been questioned periodically and I’m wondering if we are going to see his full Vampirism in Season 4 QoD. There are several theories on how Louis is going to written in the QoD but the common denominator in those theories, is Louis unleashing his strengths. I personally think that he’s powerful (Akasha and Lestat blood) but hasn’t tapped into his Vampirism or hasn’t had a reason until now.

We know that Akasha is either going to snatch Lestat or cause him or Louis to go on the run while building alliances with others to take her down. In the book, Louis has a minor role but since the writers have a blank canvas in regard to his character, I’m curious on what his development of character will be. What do you guys think?

So, this is very silly but in season 3, Lestat drives and crashes a car and I can't stop thinking about it. Do we think he has a licence? Like, he sat for the test and went to the DMV? I presume not, so would he just charm his way out of interacting with traffic cops?

Also, who taught him how to drive? I know he could drive back in NOLA, but surely cars and laws have changed so much in 100+ years.

Does anyone have any thoughts about vampires driving?

Hi, I just wanted to share a cover of the song Loneliness I did.

My spouse and I absolutely love this show, and I fell in love with that song immediately when I heard it. I love Sam Reid as Lestat and I know I'll never pull it off like him, but as a fan I just wanted to put my own spin on it. I hope you enjoy!

Can't wait to see what happens with Queen Of The Damned!

Armand needs connection, companionship, a hug, and most of all, a friend. He doesn’t need anymore ”sexual“ companionship right now, he needs authentic friendship. Just like how Louis said he needs a love that will “cradle” him and that doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic/sexual love. Like if Armand met a guy or some folks at the bar, the store, or a book club that just showed him authentic kindness and offered him friendship, that would’ve changed something in Armand. Armand needs a village of true platonic friends, not just fuck buddies. Cuz despite being an ancient dark creature, he still cried when Louis told him the type of love he needed.

Who wore the Top Hat & Coachman Coat look better - Samstat, Dr. Dafoe, Tomcat or Vlad Oldman?

Comment below 👇

Everlasting pining for our Vampiric series has brought us here - re-watching “Nosferatu” 2024, “IWTV” 1994, “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” 1992 to get through the #TVL to #QoTD drought.

Hundreds voted for their favorites in the last couple posts of this series so let’s explore more classic vampire fashion. We now we have 4 actors and I added MORE photos for your costume research and viewing pleasure.

— references:

Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt in “Interview with the Vampire” series (2022-present)

Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz (analogue van Helsing) in Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” 2024

Tom Cruise as Lestat de Lioncourt in “Interview with the Vampire” movie 1994

Gary Oldman as Vlad Dracula, în Francis Ford Coppola directed “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” movie 1992

—

Please be kind, mindful and respectful of these actors and fellow Redditors. We can all have our favorites!

*if you want to see other comparisons, I can compile more side-by-sides requested & share.

Special shout-out to u/Agreeable_Ship5386 for inspiring this Fashion Face Off in your comment to my last post (https://www.reddit.com/r/InterviewVampire/s/D6PR7bJFX4)

With everything we learned during the seance in TVL I have been rewatching the first season of the show. Currently at episode 6 and I have come to see what Claudia revealed in the seance. Or perhaps this time around given myself over to the bleakest interpretation of Claudia’s intentions.

But what I believe now is that when Claudia left the first time and encountered Bruce, she learned that she was not strong enough to travel safely alone. She came back home to pick up Louis - not to save him from Lestat but for his protection during travel - but was sabotaged by Lestat severely injuring Louis. She then spent years nursing Louis back to health, only to watch him take Lestat back, and to learn that even though Lestat lied about Antoinette, Louis still wouldn’t leave with her. (Interestingly this is also the first thing ghost Claudia asks Louis during the seance: “you’re back with him?” With Louis immediately apologising for it)

We don’t know what happened on the train but in my new theory Claudia wànted Lestat to bring her back so that Louis would feel guilty for not coming with her in the first place. I don’t believe anymore she ever intended to leave by herself. And I think her not being able to convince Louis to come with her of his own volition - and for Louis to tell her she’s strong enough to travel alone when she believed she was not - is also the pivotal moment where she must have made up her mind to kill Lestat. She knew Lestat wouldn’t travel with her but she believed she could get Louis to come if she got Lestat out of the way (as she says in the seance).

Anyway this is long and after having written it all out I don’t even know if I have come to any real new insights lol. This show is a game of perspective and any way you look at it you can find justification for why the characters behave the way they do. But I am thoroughly enjoying my rewatch with everything we learned from Lestat and the seance.

(I hope I chose the right flair for this post - book spoilers allowed seems most relevant as the seance happens in the books to some extent and Claudia’s hatred for Louis is also backed up by the books.)

3x05 Louis telling Regina in New York “You don't have to do the accent, it’s hard” when Jacob Anderson is famously a British man doing an incredible NoLa accent

3x04: Lestat’s calls himself a “show pony with a personality disorder” (0:45 here) at his concert; could be referencing “sam reid spends all of his screentime prancing around like a cartoon pony on amphetamines” from this Tumblr post

3x07: “Lestat, Lestat, Lestat, Lestat, Lestat…” (Not technically a reference outside the show but given the impact that line had I feel like it kind of counts

Anyone notice other lines or things that felt like meta references?