#tvl larry

*stares at Devil's Minion after EP305*

Why do I get the feeling the show (i.e., Rolin Jones) is baiting me with what they are doing? Like he's wanting me -- as someone who knows fully what the relationship between Armand and Daniel is -- to look one way with how the show is presenting all of this, while he's about to swerve in a different direction with it?

And that he's doing so by starting off with not having Armand reveal to Daniel that Armand didn't just watch and love Daniel from afar for 52 years?

Especially because, as I laid out last week, there is a hint, back in Episode 3 of Season 2, that Daniel and Armand's bond predates Daniel's turning:

Which is only possible if there was more than watching from a distance going on at some point during those 52 years. Because the two of them being lovers is the only way Daniel could have ever had enough of Armand's blood in his system to form that bond.

So why is Armand piecemealing this info to Daniel? Because IMO, that is 100% what he is doing.

And why only piecemeal that info to Daniel now?

The show is having Armand hide this info for now, IMO. And I ... honestly have a pit in my stomach as to why.

Not that I think the show is going to fuck their storyline up, no, I don't think that at all. I think, in the long run, things will turn out fine with Devil's Minion. More than fine, even, I think it will be absolutely beautiful in the end.

But I do think the show -- Rolin Jones specifically -- is purposely trying to play on my expectations and desires regarding them with what they are doing with their story right now.

That they want me to just take them being together and only pay attention to that... and nothing else surrounding that. As in "Look at this shiny, pretty thing over here, and just ignore the monster that is creeping up behind you, coming to eat you!"

Because the shiny we got in this episode with Armand and Daniel was oh so very shiny. And pretty. And 100% true, IMO. Those specific things, the events Armand told Daniel about, when he intervened in Daniel's life? I believe 100% that every single one of those things happened.

And I 100% beleive Armand had never planned to tell Daniel about loving him in the last episode until he'd "made profound amends" first (as he said here).

But I do think Armand very much planned what he said to Daniel in this episode, in that park. And it was strategically done.

Look, I think the "turned out of spite" thing is dead (thank god), but given what Armand did at the end of this episode (which I laughed my ass off about in delight, btw, because THERE is the gremlin-side I've been waiting to see!) I'm sure that people who don't know about Devil's Minion (mostly reactors on YouTube) are going to -- rightfully, IMO -- question if Armand is telling the truth to Daniel or not.

Anyway, I see how Rolin likes to play. So I do not expect this to be clarified at all by the end of the season. Meaning I do not think they are going to reveal that there was more than just watching from afar going on with Armand and Daniel in the past before Season 3 ends.

Yeah. Unfortunately, I think we're going to have to sit with this until Season 4 before it'll fully be revealed to have been much, much more than just that regarding what was going on between them.

Ugh.

I mean, I knew what the focus of this season would be, so I didn't expect much of Armand and Daniel in the first place this season. Plus, knowing Armand was going to have to be put in the antagonist role -- since that is the role he played in the TVL book -- was something that was always going to have to limit how much Armand/Daniel we got in Season 3, as well.

But it's one thing to know all of that intellectually, and quite another to have to actually watch it in execution.

Yeah, I got my hopes a little too high first by the leaked spoilers about the park scene, and then with the reveal of the bond in EP304. I thought they'd at least clarify their full past relationship in that scene, but I guess not.

And I already feel it in my gut regarding what is coming with Armand in EP307, which is everything that has yet to be revealed regarding the trial at the very least (oh, hi Sam, who is now back and can corroborate Lestat's version of events regarding all of that to Louis).

For the record? I do not think everything Armand is up to has to do with stopping The Great Conversion. I think stopping it is impossible at this point, and Armand knows that.

But I do think he's basically trying to maybe... mitigate the fallout, as it were. And if that means some innocent people like Larry have to die, then oh well, so be it. Armand will kill them with zero hesitation or problem.

And with zero remorse, either.

And while I, of course, do not think Armand would ever want Daniel dead, of course... I do not think he would be above asking Daniel to help him do... whatever it is he thinks he needs to do. In whatever way he needed to use Daniel to achieve what he needed to.

But Armand didn't do that. He didn't ask Daniel for help. Instead, he's using Daniel... and Daniel clearly has no idea he's being used. He's too distracted by the idea of walking in the sun.

(And I'm not going to get started on that right now, even though no, you should not be able to teach that kind of thing -- it comes with age, and no fledgling should be able to do it, period, no matter how powerful their Maker was...)

Armand, in that park scene, was using Daniel to help him achieve whatever he's trying to accomplish without telling Daniel beforehand what he was really up to and trying to solicit his help outright... and that is what has given me a pit in my stomach about all of this.

Because yes, Armand telling Daniel about Sofia and Gabriella being the same person was strategic. It was calculated. Armand wants that info to get out there. But I don't think it is just to hurt or embarrass Lestat. Or just because he hates Gabriella. I think it is because Gabriella is for The Great Conversion. And, moreover, she is trying to position her son to lead it because the voices, the other vampires in the world, have basically chosen Lestat to lead and guide them, because of his music.

Gabriella is basically acting like Margaret Beaufort to Lestat's Henry Tudor.

And I think Armand is trying to undercut that influence she has over Lestat, among "the voices," among the other vampires in the world.

Which makes me think of this specific passage from Blood Communion:

I would be your most faithful counselor, if you allowed it. But you don’t.

Which, btw? Is a book that had Armand advocating to Lestat for the genocide of an entire race of sentient beings, the Replimoids, which Lestat was completely against doing:

(Which, side note? Given the fact that the Replimoids are all coded as looking like black people? Gives reading this a layer I'm not entirely sure whether Anne Rice was aware of or not...)

So yeah, anyway, killing Larry. If Armand thinks it's the correct thing to do, even if Larry is just a regular human who only got involved in all of this by happenstance because Lestat took over the band that he, Larry, originally formed?

Then hell yeah, Armand would do it... and did it.

And like I said, I do not think Armand would be above asking Daniel for help regarding whatever else Armand has planned next regarding all of this.

But Armand didn't ask Daniel. He's just using him.

And no, I do not think Armand is doing so just to protect Daniel either. Because Lestat is just going to be pissed off either way that Daniel knows that info about Gabriella, and could already pull from Daniel's mind, if he wants to, how Daniel got that info.

No, Armand, IMO, still wants Daniel there, within Lestat's circle, for some reason.

And all of that is likely the reason why Armand is only, IMO, strategically piecemealing information to Daniel at the moment.

Because telling Daniel what he did in the last episode about loving him, even though he had never planned to say it to him until he'd "made profound amends" first, likely opened another door, another pathway, into accomplishing... whatever it is he's trying to accomplish when it comes to all of this.

It opened a door for Armand to use Daniel to do that.

Some images were released and it looks like Lestat’s band member Larry might fuck Jarda because he clearly caught his herpes.

! another warning !

! last one !

OKAY JUMBLED THOUGHTS GO (seriously this is not in any order)

ITS NEVER LOUMANDOVERRRR THEY LOOK SO GOOD i had to pause for a minute just to freak out hooooly shit

also piratemand losing an eye and louis losing a leg? i thought pretty quickly that this was a future scene, maybe in tale of the body thief? memnoch? because that raglan was definitely not raglan himself that was so lestat -either way the story up to that point is gonna be NUTS i need to get through the books

short pause to appreciate loumand's luscious gorgeous hair like drop the routines please

also hello i love this whole mess so much?! this blonde, incredibly bisexual, mommy issues having, beyond depressed, high as a kite messy ass mf diva?! it was hilarious, it was sad, it was insanely hot, absolutely ungodly chaotic - i mean we have the CUNTESSAAAA as our narrator hello? this was never going to be as organized, clear and understandable as louis when he told his story and i didn't expect it to be for one minute

again everyone THE CUNTESSAAAA THE USEFUL IDIOTTTT oh my god danstat is at each others throat and i'm loving it so much (hatefuck when?)

the live performances were so good - i love longface though💔 and the blood cum? oh my god that was certainly something

more of violinstat PLEASEEEE I AM OBSESSED

THE PINK CORSET SUIT AND THE FIT LES WEARS ON THE BUS!!!!🛐 my absolute favourites, i'm so glad they got so much time

straight hair jumpscare? omg

okay he didn't need to be such an asshole to the halloween kids, especially not the peanut comment oh my god, but i kinda also get it a tiny bit? the costumes? claudia's dress?😭 gosh

the first meeting with the band was so iconic though ahaha i get why they went after him

"G MINOR SUS OUT! this isn't 1979. bela lugosi is NOT DEAD. you don't need to finger her for five bars. YOU'RE HURTING HER!" THE WAY I DIED AHAHAAAAA PLEASE DIVA I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

the whole baby jenks thing was a bit strange but i'm not gonna go more into that until i've researched a bit because i'll admit i'm not familiar with her character at all

the flashbacks during his high? the whole sex sequence? MARDI GRAS LOUISSSSS nickistat fcking like rabbits? also please anyone am i going nuts or was there a lesmand scene in between the flashing clips? the diabolicule truly is alive

dee and daniel? "hiii papi" YES QUEEN YOU GET IT

the elevator scene? and the fight sequence immediately after? daniel to the rescueee "heard there was an afterparty on the asshole floor" PAPIIIII

gabi oh i am coming for you the texts were already heartbreaking GOD - when lestat was texting during the power failure (i guess that was one right?) and deleted the whole "i'm struggling" bit? the way he curled up after, leaned his head on the guitar with that little motion? that looked so much like self-soothing oh my heart

i don't think we are ready for lestat's turning god i already lost it from that tiny glimpse we got

dee my love you did not choose a good job for your work life balance but queen i love you so please stay yes? yes

nearly forgot - talamasca drop? the vampire sam? oooh yes yes yes (also rip talamasca series in general you deserved better but thank you rolin for wanting to bring it over here - now bring jasper back 🛐)

the ending oh holy shit, mr reid A WORD FOR BREAKING MY HEART - what was that PLEASEEE i knew it was gonna be gabi but ugh the way he crawled over, the micro expressions, his voice completely breaking halfway through, the stutter coming back? just from her standing there? it's gonna get so much worse and i'm so eager to see the next episodes but also i'm TERRIFIED

more louis, more armand pretty pleaseeee also loustat and devil's minion scenes next pretty pleaseeee 👉🏻👈🏻 or seriously i'll take any ships, let the vamps go ham on each other pleaseeee

i probably missed something but yeah overall i LOVE this mess, it totally has its weird bits but still i need more. desperately. (also i refuse to judge the whole series based on the one episode we've gotten now)

Rest in power Larry Slater, you won’t be alone for long…