#trial script

I transcribed the full trial script into a single pdf document for ease of reading. If anyone is interested, you can download it here.

All the hints are there in the writing and choices that we thought were Lestat deviating when it was actually scripted and it was Lestat telling his version of the truth all along in the trial.

The murder revisit will probably be another 1x5 revisit where the outcome is the same but the context is filled in just like with all revisits so far.

The writers think it's the same thing for Louis to go along with Claudia's plan to kill Lestat and Lestat to go along with a lynching basically only for both of them to pull out last minute because of their toxic love. 😬

I know most Lestat fans will be disappointed but Rolins Lestat is not Anne's Lestat by a Longshot and it has becoming clearer and clearer every season and I think we all need to be prepared for a Lestat that would potentially go with Akasha willingly or hurt Louis willingly etc etc instead of holding onto far fetched scenarios for better or worse 😩

Nonny, with all due respect, but:

The script from the auction is an in-universe, IN-TALE version. It is NOT a "latest script". It contains a few snippets we have not seen yet, yes, but it has ZERO impact on what this means for the show wrt Lestat's character, because it IS THE SCRIPTED VERSION. You know, of the trial directed by Armand.

WHAT'S NOT CLICKING??

Did you really not manage to realize what the reveal at the end of 2x08 means? Is everyone just forgetting the hints? Is everyone really this... happy to be fed a tale? So you do not have to THINK for yourself?

And, honestly:

"revisit where the outcome is the same but the context is filled"

... yes. And guess what the revisits to Claudia's turning and the revisit to fight itself did?

They flipped the friggin' meaning! The context changed everything! That's the whole point!

I took a few screenshots and put them through the editor, and there are a few interesting tidbits of information that can be gleaned from the few shots we got of the final trial script:

Supposedly the trial was written by the "Vampire Santiago", and the "Vampire Samuel Barclay". With... "additions made" by the "Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt".

Now the last part is particularly interesting, because as we see in the screenshots we get, that there are quite a few "additions" that Armand makes, but he is not listed there.

We now have (additional) confirmation by Assad (at the SDCC 2024 panel) that Armand was the one who orchestrated Claudia's / their deaths, so let's keep that in mind here. Especially since he is not listed.

"Our red curtain. Our spotlight. Santiago acting as master of ceremonies. But this is the only part of the play that will mimic our normal fare. That and our finale."

There's several aspects to this.

We know that - at least in Armand's tale - Santiago "took over". "Master of ceremonies." But only acting, not actually being. The "mimic our normal fare" both hints at this being not what they normally do, and, given the mock aspect of the trial - it acknowledges the farce it is. It is not a play, not a trial, but something in between, framed as neither, while implementing both.

Santiago's entry speech. With an interesting annotation by Armand: "You are standing half in and half out of your light."

Only, Santiago isn't actually standing in and out of the light. (At least in the version we got to see.)

Now, those who know the books know that the force of Lestat's personality is often called a "light", and not always in a wholly positive manner.

For example there is this comment by Nicolas, which refers to it:

And for every aspect of our proposed damnation you found exuberance, and there was no end to your enthusiasm and the passion coming out of you-and the light, always the light. And in exact proportion to the light coming out of you, there was the darkness in me! Every exuberance piercing me and creating its exact proportion of darkness and despair!

The lights of the stage obviously put them all into focus, too, something that was forbidden before Lestat came and destroyed the old ways. The "walking in the places of light" was one of the things the Children of Darkness accused Lestat of when he encountered them.

I think the comment there is a kind-of-meta comment, of Armand being half in shadow hand half in light. There is a choice here, for light or darkness.

Here, he chooses darkness.

Some things we haven't heard in the episode:

"If the prosecution's evidence convinces you to condemn those HERETICS for the heinous trampling of the vampire laws we will carry out our sentence before your very eyes as only we at the Théâtre des Vampires know how: slowly, inventively, gruesomely."

And then, this lovely stage direction 💀:

"Agency: If and when Claudia or Louis speak, (drive) them together, close their throats, (Santia)go will address it with the audience, as per the below:"

"I don't need to hear from you..."

That part we heard in the trial.

Apart from the stage directions and the part we didn't hear Armand's notes are also interesting once more: "Remember to comment...." and something starting with "Fi"... "Fine" - or "Find their thoughts" (could fit I think). Because this note, even largely unreadable proves once more that Armand was fully in on what they did to Louis and Claudia there. Made sure that the blows... would land.

This one. This one we didn't get to hear! (The part after "Tik Tok")

Santiago reading from her diary: "He soaks in the light from everyone around him, making it all about Lestat. This is most definitely about you and your death."

Light reference again! (See the quote above.)

And (accompanied by Armand's notes to have Santiago hand the diary to the audience):

"I know she was your favorite. I know she was your baby lu. But she had us all fooled. She's the best actor of all of us. She lies so sweetly, doesn't she. But look closer. When the mask falls away, she's a monster."

Oof. When the mask falls away... Pot to kettle.

"I can't hear you." - say it louder.... Lestat.

And then: Lestat's entrance. Being seated in an especially prepared "Bergere en cabriolet".

And here we have another "I can't hear you! Let me f...". It's the counterpart to the blend-over (below), another read from Claudia's diary there, after Lestat talks about loneliness and Louis "abandoning him". (Btw, I don't buy this shift to blame to Louis and Louis "hunting" Lestat for one second, for the record^^. I think that was all very much BS for the trial, in order to make Louis seem guilty to the audience.)

Armand's comment (on Lestat's first lines) makes it seem as if Lestat was less than enthusiastic - or weak. Now, I said before, I think there's quite enough evidence to suggest that the "real trial" might have gone a bit more like in the book, with Lestat mostly out of his mind and his mind meddled with as well (see below).

But the counterpart to the blend-over is actually the most interesting one, imho:

(This is a hard one to see, it's only seen in blend-over and Louis' hand moves across it before the scene fades to Armand scribbling down the note!)

"It This is too early for Lestat to acknowledg[e...]"

This is too early for Lestat to acknowledge. Louis and Claudia, would be my guess. This direction is proof that Armand made directions for Lestat especially as well. It's the only one (we have so far) where he actually writes the name.

Armand knew he could make this direction. And he made it.

Given Lestat and their history this, for me, is proof, that Lestat's mind has been meddled with as well, at times at least. Because there is no way that Lestat would have followed Armand's directions there, imho. Would not have done something, especially in that moment, where they set up the execution.

Yes, Sam is on record saying that Lestat played along with the play itself so he could get into the audience's heads, and therefore make it easier for him to make them shift Louis' sentence to "banishment" (that's where the "additions" come from, in all likelihood), but there, at the point of judgement and the execution being set up he does not look at Claudia (but he does look at her afterwards!), he's staring straight ahead, swaying on his feet.

Taken out of the equation, so to speak.

(That's an extra shot btw, extra shots always carry meaning.)

So.

Quite the script. -.-

Clear stage directions for Santiago, Lestat, and the other coven members should Louis and Claudia try to do something.

Now. I know there have been a lot of posts about Armand "master mind" or "villain" or victim, or what not. And I am glad that Assad has been so very clear on that just recently, though all of it is already given with what the show gave us, imho.

Armand did plan the trial. Did master-mind it. Did pretend. Did direct. Did lie.

He orchestrated their deaths.

And Lestat interfered with Louis' death. At the very least.

And.. Armand continued to betray Louis. For 77 years.

I said it before, I don't quite buy the tower scene, I expect it to get more context, at the very least.

It will be very interesting to see if they return to the trial next season, and in what capacity.

LOL, the script (shared) proves nothing, I talked about it, because it’s not the “real one“, as people might want to remember. (As in: this is in-tale).

The annotated one in 2x08 was the proof and Sam talked about having the actual script.

This is a nice prop within the tale.

Hey!

... no I don't think "they" (IF such a they exists, or whoever they are) are doing this intentionally. "They", aka people who have media accounts connected to the show, so certain writers (or writer's assistants), are humans, who share what they want to share.

"They" are not official media accounts.

As such, they are not representative, though that said, something semi official like the "Only Fangs" channel has made weird choices, granted.

But, again - those are humans, and as such have preferences and their own experiences which then shape their actions - and we do not have insight into those.

So.

No, I do not think there's people connected to the show who stir up shit intentionally. I do think there's a lot of people connected to the show lurking (I know of at least three, as should anyone else who has been on SM and/or read/watched interviews), and they will, at times, interact. But the result of that interaction is nothing they can anticipate or conclusively foresee.

They are not to blame for what the fandom then does with it.

That said, there are people in this fandom who stir up shit again and again, and for some reason especially the Twitter fandom seems to love that particular circle of hell.

Would I prefer that the official social media accounts had a more... fanned out posting structure, character- and comment-wise? Definitely.

The weird, very narrowed down posting especially last season did not help with anything.

But these are people behind those accounts.

People who are, themselves, fans of something or someone, and wanted to share.

So let's cut them some slack, okay?

The trial script discussion is - and I have only heard of this second hand, I did NOT even bother to go and see because it is - redundant, and totally fruitless.

The trial script at the auction was an in-universe, in-tale script. There was little new in there, though there were some parts that will be harrowing to witness from Lestat's POV, definitely.

As a reminder, we already got the important reveals hidden in the annotated script of episode 2x08.