Any time there are discussions over what constitutes the “best” TV, besides it being innovative or well-made, something I think about a lot is the emotions a specific show, episode, or performance evoked in me. And, hoo boy, The Vampire Lestat‘s penultimate hour took me on a roller coaster ride. I was giggling and kicking my feet whenever Louis and Lestat flirted; I was clutching my (imaginary) pearls during their streetside outburst; I was sobbing when ghost Claudia ruthlessly called them out during the witchy seance; and my jaw dropped in shock during the closing moments on the park bench. It’s safe to say that if this show wasn’t already one of my favorites of the year, “Montreal” would’ve cemented it’s place on my list—and, hopefully, yours too.
This episode is so fantastic overall that I’m willing to forgive the speedrun of Daniel and Armand’s relationship throughout season three, and how it affects the brutal end of “Montreal.” Evidently, their vampire bond is crucial to the story, but TVL has only hinted at Daniel’s frustration with his maker—for abandoning him, and for Armand’s so-called love for his fledgling. So this turn of events where Daniel is willing to slit Loustat’s necks is a bit abrupt (he spent time with them, after all), even if both he and Armand are desperate to stop Lestat from initiating The Great Conversion. It just proves that seven episodes isn’t enough for source material this dense—more episodes would’ve benefited The Vampire Lestat‘s larger narrative.
Still, “Montreal” acts as an immensely satisfying reunion for its central pair, who get to close a chapter of their past and dare to dream of a future that we know likely won’t pan out. Co-written by Ryan Hanna and Kevin Hanna, the episode is a thrilling set-up for the finale, because just how will Louis and Lestat rejoin their heads to their bodies and fight off the creatures out to get them? (With an awakened Akasha’s help, maybe?) To break down this week’s intense, jam-packed episode, I thought it best to split it into three parts:
Let’s begin, as the episode does, with Loustat’s enticing rom-com era. The two of them are cozying up together for a few months after New York, but in separate coffins. The Vampire Lestat’s album has flopped with humans, earning a mere 3.1 score from Pitchfork, but it’s a different story with vampires: They’re loving the album so much that 50,000 of them are descending on Montreal to hear its songs performed live. Lestat goes along with Gabriella’s plan to let his songs—his anthems—kickstart The Great Conversion, although Louis is opposed. Despite their disagreement on the topic, it’s just so nice to watch Louis and Lestat behave maturely for once. Their coquettish energy is off the charts, even if they’re still referring to each other as “only friends.” Sure, Jan.
Their charged yet sweet banter keeps up the momentum during their “closure dinner” with a very tanned Daniel. The journalist vamp, however, is behaving quite oddly now that he’s secretly entangled with Armand. He doesn’t even reveal to Louis who Sofia really is. Instead, Daniel nudges Loustat to open up about the new state of their relationship. This rom-com phase continues as Louis and Lestat drive to the latter’s band rehearsal, being honest about just how much they’ve missed each other, enough to hallucinate each other frequently over the decades. I forgot what it’s like to see Louis smile so genuinely, or to see Lestat walk around without guilt. Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid have so much charisma together that I wanted to stay with this version of Loustat longer. Alas.
At rehearsal, Lestat performs the ballad “Brutal Love” for an audience of two: Louis and (ugh) Gabriella. Both of his lovers are gazing at him, but my gosh, is it icky because of the incest of it all. Gabriella clocks just how much Louis means to Lestat during this performance, while the poor schmuck doesn’t even realize he’s just met Lestat’s presumed-dead mother. All that changes soon.
It means we’ve entered the holy shit portion of the recap: Louis discovers the truth because Daniel publishes a sex tape of Lestat and Gabriella online, along with an interview with Armand confirming her identity. Naturally, Louis loses it, calling Lestat’s lies a bigger betrayal than what Armand did. And you just know any comparison to Armand is going to set Lestat off. So the two duke it out on a sidewalk, sparring verbally and cruelly. Although, to his credit, Lestat loudly and tearfully calls out that whenever Louis does something drastic, Lestat supports him instead of judging him. As tough as it is for Louis to hear it, he finally gets it. Louis might not wrap his head around incest, but he does calm down enough to try and see things through Lestat’s perspective. It also feels like this is the first time Lestat has processed that he has been a victim of grooming, leading straight to a panic attack. At long last, Louis gives Lestat a real hug to calm him down. I cheered. If their bonding at the bar right after is proof that the next stage of their relationship is healthy communication, it’s a real sign of growth, huh? Only took them a century or so to get there.
The peace doesn’t last long because their night continues to take a turn in what is now the get-ready-to-weep phase of the recap. They return home and meet their guest, the witch Merrick Mayfair (Sarah Afful), who starts the seance so the two of them can speak to the real Claudia. (“A burned girl. A motherless monster. Called up by her killers,” Merrick notes. Woof.) It’s an agonizing affair as soon as ghost Claudia reveals herself. She wastes no time lashing out, but her ire isn’t directed at Lestat, whom she attempted to kill at one point. With the force of a thousand suns, she directs her anger at Louis. Give Delainey Hales all the flowers for the impeccable, rage-fueled delivery of “You weren’t even my favorite. I liked him better. He knew who he was. You’re not even my maker.” It gets worse.
Ghost Claudia rightfully points out, among other things, that Louis had no right to read her diary out loud to her abuser, Bruce. Her innermost thoughts were laid bare in front of them: “You think I want not one but two men I hate using me as an excuse for their bullshit, reading my diary, as it fucking happened to you.” No wonder Lestat has blood tears. Just when you think it can’t get more heartbreaking or intense, Claudia screams that she’s alone and can’t even find her murdered vamp lover, Madeleine, in this netherworld. It’s a devastating end to her story—one that we assumed was already cruelly over at the Paris trial.
“Montreal” offers Louis and Lestat a reality check. As they process what went down while strolling in the park, there’s a strange calmness in the air. Yes, the two of them have to live forever with the guilt of what they did to Claudia by turning her in New Orleans. But at least with her feelings out in the open, the two of them can stop holding onto their respective versions of the past, and maybe earn a future together. Only in Interview With The Vampire will the lead pair, after being haunted and taunted by their daughter, decide to move to the forest to gloss over their pain. That’s what they discuss while sitting on a bench: the possibility of running off to the wilderness or the Utah desert, planting flowers that bloom in the night (just like they do!). Reid and Anderson so convincingly convey that their characters have been apart physically for a long time, but certainly not emotionally. The yearning never stopped! But the vamps are making plans that are never going to see the light of day.
As “Montreal” closes, Loustat have been so involved in their conversation that they fail to pick up on the presence of at least three other vampires around them, including Alex. And before they know it, their heads have been cut off by a masked Daniel and Armand. Excuse me? Remember how I complained a few episodes back about Daniel dying? Well, I take that back. He can rot in vampire hell. I know it’s all to stop the concert, but come on, Lestat will find a way to groove on stage, even more so now that there’s been an attempt on his and Louis’ lives. In fact, let’s hope he is going to be unstoppable in next week’s finale. I can’t wait.
Stray observations:
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