Antologia

Disclaimer: I don't condone the use of VPN and fake address. HOWEVER, the series isn't available in almost most part of this world 😭. So, this is done with the purpose of giving the series the views it deserves instead of giving them to 🏴‍☠️. If your country is listed above, please support the show 🙏

For BBC: UK VPN on, sign up, Google UK zip code and add it, yes to TV license. You can turn VPN off after the episode loads.

For ABC iview: Australia VPN on, sign up, pick Overseas. You can turn VPN off after episode loads. Works on the app as well.

Check reply for VPN I used.

The Rolin Jones' Big Mystery

One thing I was most wondering about when they decided to renew the show is what the mystery would be this time. RJ loves his big reveal/twist. I haven't watched his other works, but it's obvious this is his favorite pattern for the series. For S1, we had the Armand reveal, which worked wonderfully with book fans and fans who knew of the books. But not really for casual watchers, (they only went, "Oh, he has a new bf"). In S2, we had two big reveals and both are well-earned and unraveled beautifully. So, of course, he has to put another narrative device over the whole season and turn it into the Big Mystery. But this time, he said himself it's 1.5 seasons worth of investment. Which is insane to do without two-season immediate green light. But let's see if the gamble will pay off.

Narrative Device

And now, Rolin's narrative device. For the past seasons, it's simple: the viewers have an objective - please pay attention my use of "objective" and "subjective" - view of an interview that's happening as show goes on and is constantly challenged by another character. The flashback is mainly from Louis', Claudia's and Armand's subjective POV, but there are moments when the show violates their own rule and gives us what I assume an objective view from the past to give us clearer context (Lestat at the trial rehearsal; Louis choking Claudia).

For this season though, the narrative device isn't just shrouding the whole season, it's also a subjective narration someone made in the future, in hindsight, without no one challenging it at all. The only things that challenge it are Lestat himself, or Daniel in his narration, or these ghostly visions which happened inside Lestat's mind, which mean all of them are still subjective. Like, literally, there's nothing objective about this season so far, so I do not understand how some people can say this narration is somehow more reliable from when we can actively gauge the level of subjectivity in the narration in the previous seasons *shrug*. The narrator himself literally says to you that he doesn't care about the truth, this is all about his feelings.

Narrative Limitations vs Writers' Obligations

This season, the flashback isn't just a flashback. The show established that we're literally inside Lestat's head. Everything that we see and hear are affected by how Lestat feels and thinks about his past. Which is cool in theory, but Lestat is a narcissistic character, so you set up your show to be in this very limited view. So, I wonder how far the writers could use "-but we're in Lestat's mind" as an excuse for their writing and execution. Because Lestat isn't real, and as writers, you have obligations on how you portray certain groups or certain themes. For example, it's very in-character for Lestat to not care about someone's pronouns. But in real life context, you just wrote in the one and only trans character in the show just to be a butt of a joke. Or that unnecessary naked shot of Dee. Where does the writers' intention start and Lestat's personality end? I really want to pay attention to this as the season goes by

Okay, these are the huge things. Now, this is my real-time notes of my rewatch:

Watch Notes

• I dislike a lot how "I'm going on tour" in 2x8 is literally a teaser for S3 and doesn't make sense canon-wise. These writers are so unserious

• Louis looks calm in the auction 👀. Raglan's body language is still the same

• I like the lighting and direction during Long Face

• I wish the B&W screen doesn't feel like they just slapped a B&W filter on it and looks so cheap. Like, if you want to use various format, let's commit and do something like they did in Wasteman (2025). (Please watch the film)

• "Who's this again?" So Gabistat are very recently reconnected huh

• Two vampires with transformational trauma saying yaaaas exactly together.

• Daniel Hart, i need these instrumental scores still

• I can't believe fans and journalists taking Lestat's words too seriously. In context, he's just talking shits. Like both Lestat and Daniel are having self-denial off here 😭😭

EDIT: no i need to expand on this, because i don't really like how they put these IRL discrepancies into the narrative for shit and giggles at best or to look smart at worst. Because first, they don't make any sense at all narratively, second, it's like they're saying fuck you to their own work in the past two seasons. And I haven't even started how fans and media treat Louis/Jacob over this

• "Facts are irrelevant. Feels are everything." AND YET

•Using the hard cuts for ads to introduce the album is a good choice (*war flashback to with/without ad-cuts season 2*)

• I like the production design so far, at least forLestat's place. He gravitates towards warm gold and emerald green. We know whose colors they are

• Seriously, if only the gritty effects and these effects don't look like they're Photoshop filters or something, i think they would induce my headache less

• Is it really the music or someone opens Lestat's mind? 🤨

• This Baby Jenks apparation is not her, but Lestat from the future? I mean, it has hindsight

• According to Lestat, he could take 20 of these fairly young vampires with Akasha's blood, huh? TdV have at least a dozen, various ages. I think three older than Lestat. Plus Armand *doing the maths* Armand's existence is still a defining factor

• Yeah, the visions have hindsight

• i need more explanation of vampire sam. i can't with only just talamasca put me there

• Again, back to my point about how limited the POV is, I wish we could see more from Dee's or Larry's perspective. Dee is basically Miss Lily 2.0, a Black person on Lestat's beck and call as Louis subtitute. Once a John, forever a John. And she knows he's a vampire all along

• And on Larry, Lestat think Larry hates him, but I think there's more than that. TC is my favorite tho

• Gabriella is definitely the Armand of the season, huh? Someone in contrast with the other half of Loustat, whose personality will highlight where Loustat work or not. This time, we see how Lestat always grasping for control when he's life is out of his control. That's by doing excessive sex and drugs. But of course they don't work, so he called his mother. Someone I expect he hopes can put back some order in his life. It will be interesting to see how Gabriella vs Louis in this aspect.

• Black Licorice's lyrics are silly. But I like it musically.

• The Children's of Darkness joke is probably my favorite joke

Overall Review

Writing is not as all over the place as other shows that try to execute this kind of messiness, but for IWTV level, it doesn't do much. It pretty much only introduces the new narrative device and setting. The main action is literally just Mardi Gras 2.0, with Baby Jenks replacing Louis. Too many tell than show. For some scenes, I literally only paid attention to the narration, not the visual. And to compare previous 1st episodes, they always manage to introduce the new characters well. Like, we just know the DuLacs, Emilia and her bf, but we feel like we've known them so long. We know what their priorities, what make them tick. I do not know about Lestat's band members at all. Heck I barely know what's up with Daniel now.

Cinematography, good lighting but problems as I mentioned above.

Production design, as mentioned above.

Costumes though. Besides the two great pulls from the archive for Lestat (the stained glass top, and the purple corset), I don't know what they're doing. Like, this is supposed to be 2025, but some looks, especially of the band, looks so dated. I don't know how much of these are pulls or custom made. Remember how in S1, all main characters are basically color coded? I don't see any personality here. All this and the ugly wigs, did they cut the costumes budget that bad?

Anyway, I have to say I'm always harsher when it comes to the first episode, the pilot. Because you want to make the audience hooked enough to continue to watch. For me, if I haven't invested already with the show, I enjoyed the episode to some level, but if I don't continue it, I won't feel like I'm missing anything

Highlights: Sam's acting (it's worth 0.5 point by itself here) and production design