𝖁𝖎𝖗𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖎𝖆

Omg, let's all die!

Don't do this to me! Please don't do this to me!

They just wanted their future together! 😭

I'll be living in this forever. 🥹♥️

"Love of my life was him."

"He has a hard time saying it. Got that from our daddy. It doesn't mean he doesn't. It's just his way. Thank you for loving him. For loving him the way he needs to be loved."

"Where's Louis?"

I really struggle with the narrative surrounding Lestat’s ability to finally confront Gabi and how this has often been centered on Louis’ influence on Lestat. While I absolutely agree that Louis is an integral part of Lestat and that they’re slowly but surely finding the best ways to love one another, I hesitate to say that Louis is the most significant reason that Lestat is able to rail against Gabi at the end of the episode.

We’ve watched Lestat grapple with Gabi’s abuse of him the entire season. We’ve seen him try to push away from her on his own (for example, the “why won’t you let me hate you” scene). We’ve seen him using an iteration of inner child work in his interactions with Babystat, specifically in the recording studio and long table scenes, although I don’t think he knows he’s actively approaching it that way. We’ve seen him push back against Louis, even, by asserting that it’s unfair of Louis to see his abuse as a sickness. Lestat has gone through a grueling arc separate from Louis this season, and he’s largely done it on his own while being effectively waterboarded by ongoing trauma and his continued attempts to care for Louis and those around him. I think his isolation in navigating these challenges is further highlighted when he blatantly acknowledges that Louis never reached out after the shooting.

Also, Louis said objectively horrific things to Lestat about his victimization. I won’t negate that Louis did apologize, and I see that as growth on his part. But, I can’t imagine that Lestat will easily forget the love of his life accusing him of being “sick”. And not just about the incest piece but the, “source of all of your sickness” line implies that Louis sees additional things he may consider a “sickness” in Lestat. More troubling, Louis tells him that there is absolutely no justification imaginable for how someone could end up experiencing incestuous abuse. Lestat remembers. When he eventually tries to divulge more of his experiences to Louis, as I’m sure he will because of their trust on each other, that statement alone could very well haunt him because it further solidifies his own shame, self-blame, and guilt over his abuse. I believe that forgiveness and reconciliation are possible, but I personally don’t think that Lestat would ever simply forget that Louis still said these things to him in a moment of anger and disbelief.

Lestat clings to criticisms of his character (being a villain/monster, the terrible album review, the train scene allegation, etc.) and I don’t think this part of his internal world and characterization goes away because these things were said by Louis specifically. Given how deeply he loves Louis and values Louis’ opinion of him, I think it’s entirely possible that these statements about his abuse would cut deeper than things said by anyone else in his life.

Taking all of this into consideration, I think that attributing Lestat’s ability to confront Gabi mostly, or solely, to Louis’ presence in his life continues to strip away pieces of Lestat’s agency. I’m not, at all, discrediting that Louis has a role in Lestat feeling safe enough to take this step, but Louis has also caused real and meaningful harm to Lestat specifically related to his abuse. I want Lestat to be seen for the internal work he’s done, alone, to get to this point. Centering a victim’s ability to stand against their abuser on another person feels like it takes something away from Lestat, even if that person is Louis.

I know you’re a diehard and true Lestat supporter, as am I, so I was just a little bit surprised to see how much Louis was centered in this part of your reflections on episode seven. I love Loustat, but I also love Louis and Lestat as separate characters. Their ability to find strength in one another is undeniable and beautiful - one of the most central parts of their dynamic - but it starts with the strength they have within themselves. I ultimately just want to see Lestat’s character growth recognized outside of his relationship to Louis - as his own person with strength, insight, agency, and autonomy.

I wanted to put this out there as food for thought because I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer. I really do look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Hey!

You're right. There isn't an easy, *correct* answer.

But it ultimately comes down to two aspects for me.

One — Lestat clung to Gabriella as his formative cornerstone and allowed the abuse because he needed her crumbs of affection. Once Louis is back in his life, he doesn't need to abide her abuse any longer, because Louis is there to give him the real love he actually wants and needs. Simplified summation? Yes, but that's the bottom-line.

Two — The thesis statement of Lestat's long table reckoning came down to one thing — Gabriella. The revelation was framed as Gabriella being the reason for every "failure" in Lestat's life. You're right, Louis' words did cut. He called it a "sickness", but what the long table dream sequence did was basically make Louis "correct" about this. It's no coincidence that brutal argument from Louis happened in the previous episode, because Lestat comes to the realization that Gabriella actually is the source of his "sickness", his "failures." Louis saying that to him set this up, imo.

Lestat, deep-down, always knew what she was doing to him. He never wanted it.

It took Louis' words and Louis' comfort before Lestat could even begin to confront this horror, and the dream sequence just further cemented that. Yes, it's a nice notion to think of Lestat being able to handle this for himself, but he also needs Louis. Without Louis, things spiral for Lestat. We saw this all season. It's a resounding statement that the one episode in which Lestat is stable and at peace and genuinely happy is the one episode with Louis.

This breakthrough —

This started because of Louis. I really don't think Lestat's dream would've been what it was without the previous events with Louis, and I don't think he would've felt he had the true support he needed to go against her if it wasn't for Louis. One of the main problems has always been her control and her isolation and her manipulation that kept Lestat under her thumb. It's not a coincidence that until the one person who can take power comes along — Louis — that Lestat starts pushing back against her, and it started in Episode 6, even before Louis learned of the truth.

I know the writers stick to their plans and don’t care about the tantrums people throw. They also get meta as hell in addressing the shit they inevitably see online.

To this day, a very significant portion of viewers do not grasp the degree to which that relationship was abusive, bc it wasn’t physical or in your face the same way the drop was.

While I do selfishly wish we got the pre-concert kiss this episode (now holding out hope for the season 4 premiere I suppose😪), I feel like this season did a fantastic job establishing why loustat need each other. Why it’s good that they have each other. Why they are the great love story.

To me, and I could be wildly wrong. It almost feels as if this is them taking a proverbial sledgehammer to the notion that loumand was in any way a “better” or “healthier” or whatever you want to call that relationship on the simple basis of them never showing Armand being physically violent towards Louis like we saw in 1x05. This episode pretty effectively… eliminates… all of that. Because it was incredibly violent and in your face and something that was planned out by Armand as a way to torture Louis because he felt… wronged by him??? (That aspect is book!Armand in a way, but him feeling wronged and taking it out on the other person is generally a lesmand thing which… yeah I’m trying to not lose hope on them there💔)

I don’t like the decision. But from the lens of them wanting everyone to get it. The approach they took here was quite effective.

Or perhaps I’m completely off base and their reasoning has nothing to do with slamming the door shut on any misconceptions about what loumand was. Idk. It is what it is I suppose🫠

Hmmm....yeah. I do tend to agree certain writing choices were made in a direct effort to make certain fandom factions *get it* and this might very well be one of them.

Especially considering their After Dark comments and them inadvertently revealing that, to make the "apology" fiasco work, they had to ignore what they established between Loumand in S2 with the Maître/Arun stuff. Pretending it was never an addressed element between them when it very much was and was the entire point of reference for their dynamic.

Everything. ♥️

The way he ran to Louis. The way they're looking at each other says everything. The gentle way they touch each other's neck scars. The profound emotions laden beneath this tender exchange. The reverence for each other. The quiet appreciation and thankfulness that they're both safe and alive.

Same.

I can only shake my head in irritated disgust.

Asleep in Loustat's bed.

What a mess...

Well, how does that even work now? You know?

Let's say they try to delve into the canon of Lesmand in S4. How does that work now? Because they've established Armand was obsessed with Louis and enraged at Louis for not loving him and being "cold" to him. Are they gonna repeat that same dynamic with Lestat, too?

It just....doesn't work anymore. The show has seemingly taken the cheap route and framed Lesmand as just "petty exes" while peripherally destroying the heart of another key relationship to Lestat — Nicki.

Lestat loved Nicki. Yet what did the show do? They've framed it as Lestat "cheating" on him with Armand (when Armand was canonically his rapist and that's the entire reason WHY it was never a consensual "exes" relationship!) and as if Lestat didn't love Nicki as much as Nicki loved him.

I still don't understand when Lestat says "it is you right? It's your idea" to Gabriella. What is he talking about??

The concert and the mess that's unfolding because of her pushing Lestat to be the vampire "leader."

Him and Louis almost died, yet here she comes haranguing him and pushing him to immediately get on stage and perform and like I said, they almost died already. Lestat doesn't want to do this. He never did, yet she pushed and pushed, and Louis and Lestat got their heads chopped off in the process. (Lestat doesn't know the motivation behind that at that point.)

I mean, I've never really agreed they handled the racial themes well.

Look what they did with 1x05. The racial implications there are the reason this fandom spun into the mess that it did, yet Rolin and Co. don't care. Hannah Moscovitch, the writer of both 1x05 and 3x07, is on record laughing about the backlash to 1x05 and telling people to "get over it" and that "there's real life shit."

I was reading your answer about why you’re unhappy with the Loumand scene (I did not enjoy watching Louis suffer like that either 😭), and I think it’s very interesting how for me it felt a little different. I’m currently reading the books so I come from the show, and I’m sure that affects my experience too. but I feel like if that was Lestat that Armand was torturing, it would have felt a bit out of nowhere if you don’t know the books? Not to be the devil’s advocate (I just love these discussions!), but it felt like it finally closed Loumand’s story for me. These two lived together for 7 decades just so Louis could punish Lestat, and hearing him say those things TO ARMAND specifically (“he was the love of my life”, “even now, still thinking about him”) felt like… oh yeah. it took all of THAT, but he finally said it.

I hated seeing him like that, it truly broke my heart. but it felt very armand to me and I personally think it made sense in the show’s context?

I have to say that you’re the first negative take I read about this where I’m like “oh yeah, I really understand that,” because I’ve seen so many complaints about this scene where I’m like… guys, you wanted the gremlin this whole time!!! he’s here, you got him! but yeah I also understand the strong reactions to that because it was a crazy heavy scene.

anyway, appreciate you and love your blog! always end up coming back here after the episodes, it’s been a wild ride. can’t wait for s4!

I mean, I understand your feelings.

For me, it made zero sense, because they did close that chapter in S2. There was nothing left and even now, Rolin and Hannah are on After Dark acting as if the Maître/Arun dynamic was never addressed, but it was. That was the entire basis for their pairing after 2x04. Assad has talked about it in several interviews.

Armand tortured Louis in S2. Armand never loved Louis as he admits in this episode. Armand wanted Louis dead in Paris for the "aesthetic." Armand deliberately fucked with Louis' head. Armand brainwashed him. Erased his memories. Implanted new memories. Gaslit him. Stalked him. Killed Claudia. Lied to him about his involvement in her death. Lied to him about Lestat's involvement in her death. Lied to him about Lestat saving him. Isolated him in Dubai. Cruelly tortured him in San Francisco after his suicide attempt. Deliberately delayed care to his burns after his suicide attempt. Dangled Lestat in his face after his suicide attempt. Orchestrated the Regina spiral just to fuck with his head like he did with the planted Stein photos. Bugged Lestat's apartment to spy on them. Took Regina hostage after mind-controlling her. Killed Larry. Mind-controlled Alex. Beheaded Lestat. Beheaded Louis.

Meanwhile, Louis was "mean" to Armand. He said "mean" things and was cold to him. Yes, and? Do you blame him? After everything Armand did to him?

But because of that we were subjected to almost an hour of nothing but grotesque torture porn with racial connotations in place of what is canonically the Lesmand dynamic with Louis taking the blame and admitting his "coldness" is what drove Armand to this?!

I just find the entire choice appalling.

And back to the Lesmand issue, they did spend the season building to it. They were hinting at it and building in S2. Yet this is what we got?

It makes zero sense to me, and I do think it's a misstep in the writing.

The only *good* thing from this "apology" fiasco? It gave us Louis verbally acknowledging his love for Lestat. Louis is being tortured. He's dying. Yet he never denies his love for Lestat. In his dying moments, he doubles-down on it. He won't deny Lestat anymore. Not even to save his own life.

Thread that with Lestat's realization of his love for Louis being his salvation and his blood being the thing to save Louis' life? It's the saving grace of the episode.

I mean, I did say I thought ending the season with Akasha abducting Lestat was too predictable and that they'd throw us a curveball. 😅😬

I just LOATHE said curveball.

Leave Louis alone. Please.

That's the aftermath of Akasha's global destruction mayhem.

And we don't know if Louis wasn't with him. He could've been asleep in their bedroom because, if you notice, it's daylight. Lestat is awake and in the sun with no burning.

Wish we could have gotten more CoS Armand and Lesmand because the cult shit is what made Armand become Armand.

Let's not even touch Hannah's comments. It's the same bullshit as when she said the waitress incident in TOTBT justified the drop.

And now she's on After Dark spewing bullshit about Armand being "used" by Louis (Armand was the one using Louis as his Stepford Wife vessel!) and how Armand believed that Louis owed him an apology, and she's erasing their dynamic in S2 and acting like they never addressed the Arun/Maître factor. Uh, that was the entire POINT to their pairing after Armand threatened Claudia. Louis let go of DreamStat and hardened himself back into Louis the pimp. He thought he was in control of Armand with that role play for the sake of keeping Claudia safe from the rest of the coven, but Armand was always the one in control and was actively conspiring behind Louis' back to kill Claudia with the trial and to kill Louis, too, for the "aesthetic" of it all. And that's ON TOP OF all the shit Armand did to Louis after Paris.

Yet Louis owed Armand an apology?! He threw that fucker into the wall and walked out. That was the "closure"! Louis owed him SHIT after that mess.

I mean, they wrote an entire scene in 2x04 of their dynamic being addressed and now it was never addressed?! Louis owed Armand?! No he did not!

*sighs*

I guess we did touch her comments, didn't we? 😅

But seriously. This choice just makes me furious. Both mistakes — the drop and the torture porn — have come from her, and they've been at Louis' expense and at the expense of another canon character dynamic — Lesmand.