The Vampire Lestat Bites The Deepest Wound Yet

The Vampire Lestat has just wrapped its season with seven staggering and heartwrenching episodes. There’s not one episode that I didn’t have a breakdown or psychosis break, or simply my body and mind went to the void right after every episode. I needed to take a moment and process the whole thing. Again, they take a new approach and creative direction with this adaptation, just as the previous seasons. Though the nuance is poles apart from the previous two seasons, since it’s a stormy rendition of Lestat’s standpoint. It’s fast-paced, chaotic, and it’s full of flashy rockstar life while unfolding Lestat’s past trauma. It’s bleak and diverting at the same time.

The Vampire Lestat as a TV show is a crowning piece; enjoyable with drenched tears and unsettling sentiment, plus we have tons of music too! But for an adaptation, to simply put it, I feel like there’s much left behind and there’s still much to tell. This season could’ve been in two parts, just as it was done with Interview with the Vampire, so they could’ve explored more of the flashbacks. I get they want to explore more in the modern world, Lestat as a rockstar, and more Louis, Claudia, and even Daniel storyline. Or maybe there are TV network policies, budget, or anything that kept it from panning out. Even so, I think this adaptation is mostly taking the subtext from the book, not so much a carbon copy. At least that’s how I see it. The gist is there, but at the same time a whole new storyline is added.

The limelight of the story centers around Lestat (Sam Reid) as a washed-up rockstar in 2025. He crashes his neighbour’s band practice after finding out about the bodice-ripper book, Interview with the Vampire, ironically narrated by Louis (Jacob Anderson). Since then, Lestat joined and changed the band’s name to The Vampire Lestat and has been on tour for the past two years. Commonly with every other musician, muses are the drivers in the process of making music. As for Lestat, both his muses and his austere past life start to dawn on him.

This season is about unfolding and processing all that trauma that genuinely confounded him, all while trying to keep relevant as a rockstar. God, was I not ready for all that!?? Nothing is comfortable coming out after watching every episode (this is not a bad thing for me anyway; I love having a cathartic reaction rather than a bromidic vibe). The introduction of Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle) in the first episode suggests Lestat’s first and foremost explanation of the root of his trauma. Jennifer Ehle is remarkable as Gabriella, but, God, how monstrous she is! But it’s actually the whole family of de Lioncourt. Then to meet Lestat’s maker, Magnus (Damien Atkins), and how it is presented by incorporating it with Claudia’s (Delainey Hayles) own assault. The death of Lestat’s first love, Nicolas de L’Enfent (Joseph Potter), led him to bury himself for a century, then finally be dug up by Marius (Christopher Heyerdahl), and eventually to be the initial encounter with Akasha (Sheila Atim).

Lestat’s rockstar life is a series of self-destruction from the beginning, then the realization hits after reconciliation with Louis and his questionable behavior with Regina (Delainey Hayles). Subsequently, a near-death experience caused by none other than Armand (Assad Zaman), and his now companion and his only fledgling, Daniel (Eric Bogosian), who beheaded Lestat and Louis.

It takes him a series of confrontations by his fledglings, maker, and fellow vampire for Lestat to finally have his own agency, full control of his decisions, and most of all, he frees himself from Gabriella’s influence. I think that’s a beautiful takeaway from this season. My favorite quote is, “Even if I failed, at least I attempted at something.” I really cried at that. You’ll laugh, and you’ll cry at the end of the episode, or be depressed.

Every episode is heavy, it’s also like they manage to make the episode even more depressing than the previous one. Like it’s pissing me off (complimentary). Then they have these powerful actors, the kind of acting that you really can feel tingling in your five senses. Hope they continue casting theatre kids. This season truly showers us with talent — Sam Reid sings with the band members Noah Reid, Ryan Katniss, Sarah Swire, and Seamus Patterson. Also, if before I found Sam Reid like they hit a gold mine, now it feels like he’s a tree in the whole universe, what a gem of an actor. Jacob Anderson always manages to penetrate my weak heart with his emotional portrayal. Delainey Hayles gives a jaw-dropping performance this season. Jennifer Ehle and Damien Atkins are terrific, I was awed, though their characters are awful! Glad to see more of Nicki, cause Joseph Potter is really killing it! Assad Zaman never fails to hypnotize me, but how he acts more like an ancient vampire makes my heart skip a beat. Christopher Heyerdahl is always magnificent as a vampire. Sheila Atim is so powerful, and she’s already soaring loud through my screen, I can’t wait to see more of her in the next season! Now we also have more Lestat variants, as we have the young human Lestat played by the talented brothers Gage Munroe and Shepherd Munroe.

Lastly, be whimsical and empathetic while watching this season, as this season is heavy with damnation in a campy way. Again, this show is about monsters doing monstrous things. And on that note, the evil journey continues in season 4, as confirmed by their panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Though we barely have fragments of what’s coming for season 4, the season is going to be retitled as Queen of the Damned and a new showrunner, Hannah Moscovitch substituting Rolin Jones. Let’s go!!!!