#lestat asks

https://x.com/vancemacabre/status/1994762574458753164?s=19

Yes! That's what I've been saying for a while, anon (although that poster articulated it all way better than me in that thread, haha) and is kind of a bit of what Trick of the Light is about (and Ungodly Hour too, with Louis making the connection that Magnus ultimately bought Lestat). I mentioned it in this post too, but gosh, in the chapter of history Lestat's from, the Paris Opéra-Comique was literally referred to colloquially as a 'prostitute training ground'.

Music is the quickest way to my twisted dark heart. Play for me, mon cher. Let me hear your voice.

We’ll do a little game of you show me yours and I’ll show you mine.

Guitars of course.

Anon, the sheer volume of discourse I've already seen at Lestat challenging the train scene and the implication that Claudia might have lied has genuinely been a little mind boggling, haha.

But speaking more generally, I think people don't entirely realise how much Louis and Armand have both benefited from controlling the narrative and Lestat not having a voice for most of the first two seasons. That's not a criticism of the characters or the show, it's just a fact of the interview as a narrative device and the framework of the first two seasons. I do think Louis approached the interview mostly honestly, but the show's made no secret of him omitting certain things - they literally show that he's torn pages from Claudia's diary, and yes, he did it from a place of pain and protectiveness, but the effect is still that he seized control of Claudia's voice and silenced her - or massaging details in a way that paint himself as more sympathetic or as a more-black-and-white victim, which the trial underlined when Lestat did, briefly, get to have a voice. That's not to say he wasn't Lestat's victim, of course he was, but Louis has had an authority and ownership of the story so far in a way that he won't entirely have going forwards.

It's interesting too, because I've already seen a premature rejection of Lestat's point of view, as if his version of events is going to be something Louis and Claudia have to be protected from when we don't even know yet what his point of view on anything is. There's almost a feeling with some of it that fandom wants to treat him as a hostile witness to his own experiences, and I think it does a disservice to all the characters. It infantilises Louis and Claudia and denies Lestat any nuance. It kind of creates the feeling that pockets of this fandom think that Lestat should continue to be denied a voice, that he should remain filtered through the perspectives of people who he hurt, because then he can remain the character (and sometimes, fantasy) that a lot of this fandom has decided that he is.

It feels like it really intersects with these conversations of how Lestat's trauma should be depicted, and the downplaying of some of it already, or the jokes about incest and illiteracy, or the insult some fans clearly feel that Louis might even want to take care of Lestat when he's in a bad way (which has been a discourse / feeling for some since the reunion scene aired), or the rejection of the idea that he loved Claudia, or hell, even that he's about to be a lead, and the constant commentary that the next season is going to be terrible because he is one. People don't really know Lestat yet, but they think they do, and I think there's this real rejection of the idea that they might be asked to sympathise with him in ways that they don't want to.

That was incredible.

The scene where Gabriella walks in and that small monologue. That was one of the most gutting things I've ever seen. Sam's face. What he can do with his face.

The first interaction they have, Lestat pisses Louis off, insults and offends him, and left him wanting to murder and be Lestat.

Obviously Antoinette singing the song was a return to this tactic, pull the same thread of outrage, and here comes Louis across the river after years of gifts and begging did not move him.

Louis talks bad in the interview in 1973, not because inducing rage has worked to draw out Lestat, but because it's worked on him.

And based on what we know, it seems like he's still playing with that tactic, which I think could be very interesting.

The times Louis has said or done things to *intentionally* anger/hurt Lestat ("Here's your death" or "You're always gonna be alone") we don't see Lestat blow up or chase after him. The opposite actually.

We'll have a Lestat who's just read their love story as a hunting, their lives together as a prison, and himself as the monster throughout Louis' story. And a Louis that still thinks poking the bear will get him out of his cave.

It's super interesting, anon, especially because I do think they're motivated very differently in that Lestat baits to try and pull Louis closer, whereas Louis has, generally speaking, done it to push Lestat away or to hurt him when he himself is feeling low. Louis even acknowledges this himself! Twice!

When Louis' tried to get Lestat to do what he wants in their Rue Royale era, he generally went for the charm offensive, but that's clearly not going to work this season if Lestat's gone no-contact with him, which it does seem like he has. Him taking a page out of Lestat's book as a result and trying to force his hand is a really fun switch-up of their dynamic, but you're right that it doesn't usually work with Lestat, who typically goes inwards when Louis' trying to provoke him. Even in that scene from 1.05 with them bickering it ends with Lestat leaving.

Stranger still to have the imagery overlay there be Gabrielle. The scene feels built to mirror the witches place, but chose not to? A violin in hand, music piercing his soul, and we're not seeing Nicki or witches. Just. As you said, that moment was weaker than it could have been and I think the song choice played a big part for me. It felt forced in.

I totally get what you mean, and as you said, I mentioned on Sunday that it was my one real issue with the episode too because I didn't really think it landed either, but on re-watch - and I might eat my hat on this one, full disclaimer, haha - I actually think it's not entirely meant to, because I don't think it's the song that has actually triggered the panic attack in Lestat? Don't get me wrong, I think Lestat thinks it is, or at least wants it to be, but the overlay with Gabrielle is more obvious each time I've watched the episode, and I've been starting to think it's maybe the moment he could feel her starting to be in proximity to him after two centuries?

The fact that the panic attack coincides with this further crack in his sense of self worth (he was the one who wasn't good enough, not the band), the floodgate of memories, a desire to be bigger, do better, take up more space in order to be seen and heard, feels much more like it could be a response to her to me than what's as you pointed out a fairly inconsequential song. Lestat potentially though misdirecting that feeling onto it instead of his mother speaks to his confusion and lack of mooring in their relationship, his denial of the harm there, and the sway she has over him, all of which seems set to be a major part of the season's arc.