This episode reminded me a lot of something Louis said in season one. “Are we the sum of our worst moments? Can we be forgiven if we do not forgive others ourselves?”

Sitting at the table, Lestat is confronted by both his victims and abusers. He is reminded of the opera, his turning, the witches, Claudia, and everything in his vampiric life that was a ‘failure.’ Lestat is made to relive his worst moments. He is made to ponder: “Are we the sum of our worst moments?” He is met with everyone he has killed, drank from, or harmed. Is he the sum of his worst moments?

“Can we be forgiven if we do not forgive others ourselves?” The camera switches between the table and the butcher. Can Louis forgive Armand? Perhaps more importantly, can Armand forgive Louis? Can Louis even apologize?

The scenes switch and there’s Lestat at the table. Magnus, Gabriella, Louis, Marius, Antionette. Can he forgive Magnus for his turning? Marius for Akasha and Armand? Gabriella for the abuse? Louis for the marriage and for Claudia? Can they in turn forgive him? “Can we be forgiven if we do not forgive others ourselves?”

this quote has always been so important to me, so i need to talk about it.

Is our only meaning as people the pain we bring to others? Is perhaps all that matters our wrongdoings?

When I first read Interview with the Vampire, I remember thinking, wow, this is depressing, heartfelt, and deeply sentimental. Then I read The Vampire Lestat and thought, wow, this is vain, performative, and absolutely dripping with yearning without ever actually saying “I yearn.”

I think the show ended exactly where it was supposed to. It leaves us asking questions and feeling like there are pieces missing from the narrative, just like the books do. That’s part of the point.

The characters are all vicious, lonely, traumatized, and completely fucked up. They’re people, but they also aren’t anymore. The ideas of “good” and “bad” don’t really apply to them because they’ve lost their humanity. They’re dead.

The only thing I wish we’d gotten more of is Daniel and Armand, but they’re barely in The Vampire Lestat anyway. Their story really belongs to Queen of the Damned, so I can’t exactly be mad about that.

What did I say at the start of this, as to the Queen, as to destruction unleashed? Something about the regretful dead and the...hmm, what was it? Traumatized alive. That I had made a contribution. Let me take that back. The fault was mine. All mine.

Assad Zaman as THE VAMPIRE ARMAND