Jams

lots of people are discussing Louis and Armand's argument on twitter and that got me thinking about how louis feels within their relationship. and how those feelings lead him to attaching to Daniel so fiercely in the 70's and seeking him out in the modern day. Essentially it all boils down to the abuse louis suffers in loumand's relationship

after claudia's death louis feels aimless and misunderstood (as Armand is not attached to claudia like lestat or louis were). Armand on the other hand feels frustrated as in his head he's eliminated the only other people who could contend for louis affection (claudia and lestat). Armand is not able to fully understand louis grief in relation to claudia and grows frustrated with him as he's not moving on like he'd hoped-claudia is till haunting their relationship and pulling louis away from Armand, leading to armand taking on the two roles louis accuses him of in their argument "good nurse," and "gremlin."

The good nurse is the side of Armand we see who sticks by louis and cleans up after he drains the boys he hunts (louis killing and draining humans instead of animals show an unstable state) and also the side of Armand in dubai who pampers louis and comforts him. The gremlin side is the side we see when Armand is unable to hide his frustration anymore (in san francisco where he ignores louis pleas to leave daniel alone, and in dubai where he argues with louis about the play, diminishing his feelings towards his daughters death)

but what is louis main problems with both of these behaviours? I think it's because he feels looked down apon. Armand manipulates, gaslights and abuses him because he's desperate for any love-in the process taking control of their relationship and acting out when it isn't working out the way he thinks it will. The good nurse is just an act, there is no support from armand or understanding. Armand treats louis like a patient, not a partner. This lack of supports magnigfies louis' grief causing him to go on a rampage through boys in san francisco, including Daniel.

Daniel becomes important to louis because he appeals to what louis really wants, support and equality. Daniel sees louis as an equal and agrees with basically everything he says, unintentionally this provides the support louis has been looking for in his abusive relationship. Daniel is fascinated by Louis-and in turn louis becomes fascinated by Daniel as he actually listenes to him.

That is why he seeks him out in dubai, because he feels suffocated by Armand and is looking for support. However, at this point daniel no longer blindly listens to whatever louis has to say as he's developed his journalistic skills since they first met. We see this makes louis uncomfortable and defensive and he becomes difficult to interview and sometimes cruel to Daniel. When Armand leaves though, daniel takes the chance to ask what happened in san fransicso that he can't remeber, and louis who is subsequently drawn in by the feeling of repressed memories helps him.

Daniels torture in SF in reminicent of armand's treatment of louis in their relationship. Armand swicthes from gremlin to good nurse to get what he wants in the moment. He phycologically tortures daniel by invading his mind and physically tortures him out of frustration that he can't be what louis wants, that daniel possess something that armand can't. It must pour salt into the wound for him because armand previously believed that claudia was the person that louis could not get over and she was keeping her away from him. Instead of recognising that louis attatchment to daniel is his fault he blames both louis and daniel. Seeing it as confirmation that louis can't love him the way he wants him to, and only has that love for other people. He swicthes his behaviour drastically when he decides to kill daniel, and tries to gently lure him into death, like a patient, armand takes on the role as the good nurse again.