‘Interview With The Vampire’ Delivers Its Best Episode Yet [S02E05 Review]

In spite of the absence of Claudia (Delainey Hayles) and only the brief telepathic voice of Lestat (Sam Reid), Interview With The Vampire knocks it out of the park with “Chapter 12.”

Missed A Review? Horror Queers Review of S01 / S02E01 / 2.02 / 2.03 / 2.04

Chapter 12 “Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start The Tape”: With Louis’ (Jacob Anderson) help, Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) digs into a haunted memory of his own.

the decision to focus on ‘s original 1973 interview with Louis in San Francisco provides welcome depth to both the reporter and Armand .

I imagine that some audiences struggle with the Daniel Molloy portions of the show. The present day scenes lack the sweeping romance of the past, not to mention the drama that Claudia’s presence naturally incurs.

So it’s a credit to Bogosian and the show’s writers that the interview scenes frequently contextualize Louis’ story, as well as often providing a mystery of their own, including the discovery of who Armand (Assad Zaman) in the S01 finale.

The feeling that something is amiss kicked into high gear in 2.04 as Molloy began experiencing flashes of Armand that he didn’t fully understand or remember.

“Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start The Tape” isn’t a true bottle episode, but it’s the closest the show has come to one. It takes place almost exclusively in two locations; it sidelines the entire supporting cast; and it allows Bogosian, Anderson, and Assad to dig into their respective characters. It’s also an opportunity for an exciting new actor – Luke Brandon Field (as young Daniel Molloy) – to truly shine.

The action picks up immediately after last week’s episode: when Armand goes to feed, Louis and Daniel are left alone, so the reporter uses the brief window to quiz Louis about their original 1973 interview in San Francisco. Over the course of the episode, it’s revealed that both of them have gaps in their memory about what happened that night.

We’ve long known that Daniel and Louis met in a gay bar and that Daniel agreed to record Louis’ story, which the first part of the episode explores. Molloy is offered (and consumes) copious amounts of coke, sex is briefly contemplated (!), then Louis bares his fangs and demonstrates vampiric super speed when he realizes Daniel doesn’t believe him.

Things take a darker turn when Daniel antagonizes Louis, which results in the latter biting the former. This is when Armand appears, presumably to clean up the scene; it’s also when the episode’s focus shifts to focus on the domestic squabbles between the two vampires. Using only their respective hazy memories, as well as a few brief audio files, present-day Louis and Daniel try to piece together a sequence of events that neither of them fully seem to remember.

Surprising no one, Armand is to blame, but it’s more than a simple glamour. The revelation at the center of “Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start The Tape” is that Louis tried to die by suicide by running into daylight on the building’s roof. It’s also revealed that this all transpired over a four day period (not one). That’s how long it took for Armand to nurse the heavily burnt Louis back to health and nearly kill Daniel, the “fascinating” boy that survived where Louis’ previous 128 (!) victims did not.

And so it becomes clear that Daniel only survived this ordeal because of Louis; his life was negotiated as a living “testament to our [Louis and Armand’s] companionship. To its endurance.” Which reframes the unified front the vampires have put up for Daniel in a different light and also potentially puts present-day Molloy in danger.

As a secret backstory that connects Daniel in a far more meaningful way to Louis and Armand, this is great storytelling by teleplay writers Jonathan Ceniceroz and Hannah Moscovitch. More importantly, it’s a nice showcase for Zaman, who hasn’t had many opportunities to demonstrate his range or bite into the role with gusto.

“Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start The Tape” actually lets Armand get jealous and angry (of both Lestat and Daniel) and it’s something to behold. This also feels like an acknowledgement by the series that Louis and Armand’s relationship hasn’t been working.

It’s not just Louis’ unwavering love for Lestat; it’s that there’s something missing in Armand, something that Louis found in Lestat (and, to a lesser extent, Daniel). Like all of the relationships in Interview With The Vampire, so much of what these creatures feel is buried and allowed to fester until it can no longer be repressed. Only then does it explode in an orgy of irredeemable comments and/or violence.

It is a testament to director Craig Zisk that nearly all of the action takes place in only a few locations, but never feels constrained or claustrophobic. Not only does Zisk know how to shoot the domestic drama in a compelling way, it stands in stark relief of the more visually dynamic moments, such as when Daniel is flung across the room or the FX-heavy moment when Louis nearly disintegrates on the rooftop.

There’s also a really exciting use of physicality when Armand tortures young Daniel by forcing him to adopt a seated position for hours on end without a chair. We’ve seen a sample of Armand’s power when he took control of vampires and diners in last week’s episode, but the BDSM vibes of his torture of young Molloy felt both sexual and punitive.

As satisfying as the revelations – and confirmations – about Armand and Louis’ relationship are, the real stand-out of the episode is Luke Brandon Field. Not only does he completely mirror Bogosian’s mannerisms as past-Daniel, but the young actor manages to convey the sexy, cocky, boastful arrogance with a touch of pathos that anticipates Molloy’s future tragedies.

Brandon Field also has great chemistry with Anderson (the tantalizing mention of sex between the two men is…compelling). It’s an incredibly dynamic turn from a guest star: in his series debut, Brandon Field immediately feels like a part of the show while perfectly embodying a character we’ve been watching for a dozen episodes.

It’s a great performance that helps anchor a vital episode of Interview With The Vampire. I can’t wait to see more this actor in the future.

Other Observations:

• Best line of the episode: Young Daniel, when Louis scares him with a demonstration of his vampirism: “Are you the Zodiac killer?”
• I’ve praised Assad and Brandon Field, but Anderson also deserves mention, particularly for Louis’ impassioned and venomous rant about Armand’s boringness. “Suffocation by the world’s softest, beige-ist pillow”?! You can tell Louis has been waiting a looooong time to get that out.
  • The rant takes on a new significance when contrasted with Louis’ comments about cocaine to young Daniel earlier in the episode: “Cocaine’s a fun boy’s drug. I’m not fun.” Is that what Louis actually believes or is that the box he believes Armand has forced him into?
  • There’s an interesting moment when Armand confronts Louis about spending the interview talking about Lestat (true) and Louis counters that he eviscerated his former lover: “A man made of twigs, with a thin, carping voice.” How much of that is real and how much is for show?
• Some neat bits involving the specter of Lestat, including the 1973 reveal that Louis and Armand haven’t mentioned the red haired diva’s name in 23 years. There’s also a great deal of emotion wrapped up in Armand’s attempts to use Lestat’s words to keep a burnt-up Louis in the present. It’s telling that he’ll repeated all of Lestat’s words…except for his declaration of love. That’s too bitter a pill to swallow.
• Kudos to the make-up team for the impressive burns on half of Louis’ body, which look photorealistic and incredibly painful.
• Of course, the real question is: what will Armand do now that Louis and present-day Molloy know he’s been lying all of these years?

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Interview With The Vampire airs Sundays on AMC