Review: The Vampire Lestat, "Toledo" | Season 3, Episode 2

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“It hurt him.”

That is what Louis tells Daniel about the impact of his tell-all book on Lestat. What is significant about this conversation is that Lestat admits he wasn’t present, and therefore, this depiction is Lestat’s. But even if this is not an accurate portrayal of Louis and Daniel’s first reunion since Interview with the Vampire hit bookshelves, there is still much to be drawn from Lestat’s psyche, as well as big picture details regarding the return of “the Queen.” It is also a reminder that, even with the name change to The Vampire Lestat, the catalyst for this season is Daniel’s interview with Louis. There’s no question of the book’s significance as Lestat’s band turns to it for answers as they come to terms with their lead singer’s supernatural status, and then by Lestat himself in a pointed display in front of Louis. New ingredients that have nothing to do with the Malloy-Du Lac memoir (as Lestat refers to it), like the introduction of Gabriella, throw more fuel on this already explosive fire. Lestat never does anything by halves, including his mommy issues. 

Whereas the premiere mostly sticks to the present day, the second episode quickly fills in some of the blanks regarding Lestat’s childhood and early vampire days. Gabriella isn’t concerned about Daniel’s book (she might be the only one who isn’t), but does want to know what Lestat told Louis about her. We pick the pieces of our hearts that we want to share, and Lestat’s dancing around the incest factor on “The Failures” recordings is indicative of why he told Louis that she died of consumption. It is not not true: that is how she was going to die before he intervened. This withholding also makes it easy to sell the lie that Gabriella is actually a vampire named Sofia with a history with Lestat that erases their shared bloodline. The fake identity is reminiscent of how Armand pretended to be human in the first season, when Daniel first flew to Dubai to interview Louis—though this time, the audience is in on the secret from the jump. 

It also ensures that Daniel cannot lord this queasy romance over Lestat, as he has been doing with the question about his stutter. Flashbacks open the episode, which reveal that Daniel’s intel was correct. Using the dinner table as an anchor, we cycle through Lestat’s attempts to get away from his bullying brothers and father—first via a monastery, and then as an actor. On both occasions, he is brought back to his family home against his will, with his mother as his only supporter. They are equally trapped by circumstance, united by their loathing for the other men in this family. Even though they are united, Gabriella still wields her limited power over her son, provoking Lestat to choose a dangerous path.