I plan to write something more thought out later, but I just wanted to get some thoughts off my chest. It's really irritating to me to see how Louis was handled in the finale, specifically seeing him tortured and forced to give ARMAND an apology. To be clear, I'm not someone who hates Armand, but the way that whole scene was framed was so gross.
Here's the thing, Louis wasn't the kind of narrator in the first two seasons that you were led to believe had no faults. Louis showed how he could be selfish, how he didn't prioritize Claudia, and how sometimes he lied to himself to cope with aspects of his reality that he doesn't like. He was also telling the story as someone who believed Lestat had killed their daughter which, as I discussed in a previous post, likely led to how he portrayed Lestat. He was also actively attempting not to miss him, and to not set Armand off by glorifying him. There were some really interesting dynamics at play that I feel like led to the version of events told by Louis (his own anger/bitterness, his own denial, Armand messing with his memories, believing Lestat killed Clauida, etc.) but I never walked away with the impression that Louis had no faults.
The finale almost feels like we're crossing into territory of having the narrative punish him. The Merrick reveal was bound to happen, and Claudia has every reason to hate both of her fathers (especially since she's stuck as a ghost and cannot find rest/healing), and I definitely understood why the Regina plotline was there. To be clear, there's things I would have changed about both, but it at least ties into some canon struggles Louis has (tbh I do think they should have reworked the part with Claudia as a ghost a bit more, especially as so many circumstances changed, but I digress). But having him get decapitated, tortured, and find out all the strings in his life were pulled by Armand again, is completely illogical, and to me makes no sense in the narrative of the show.
Louis doesn't have to be punished by the narrative to this extent. Specifically, it makes no sense to have ARMAND do the punishing. Think of last finale, we found out Armand had played with Louis' memories, killed Claudia, etc. Now, a finale later, we're having him torture Louis, brand him, and receive an APOLOGY? It makes absolutely 0 sense. It also makes all his interactions with Lestat this season borderline pointless. It does both characters an injustice, but the impact it has on Louis is inexcusable.
Louis doesn't owe Armand an apology. This isn't me writing as someone who is anti-Armand - this is me speaking as a writer, and someone invested in the narrative. Louis does NOT owe Armand an apology, and seeing him get tortured crosses ANOTHER line that did NOT need to be crossed. Armand could have just as easily taken LESTAT hostage, and it would have revealed more of their history, their book dynamic, and addressed questions built over the season we'd like answers to. Louis spent the last season defending Armand until the discovery at the end, he gave Armand several chances, his mind was manipulated by Armand, he was lied to by Armand, and now the narrative is pushing that he owes Armand an apology? Yes, there is one scene where both of them say horrible things to each other, and immediately after Louis suffers GREATLY.
It also does a disservice to Armand and Daniel's relationship to have Louis telling Armand he deserves to be loved for all he is. I would much rather see that narrative take shape between Armand and Daniel.
I'm not someone who is typically negative about this show, but as soon as I found out what happened I felt sick. We didn't need to see Louis struggling all season just to be tortured in the finale and find out that he AGAIN lacked autonomy over the events in his life. It was entirely unnecessary. I will have more cohesive thoughts later, but I'm sincerely disappointed by this ending to the season.
