My darling boy's Armand is so sweet and beautiful that they decided to remove him from this scene...
... and instead they made Santiago (I love you, Ben Daniels! I just hate Santiago so much) the protagonist here.
This is actually the one scene in the whole series that I find disturbing. I watched it a couple of times but overall I avoid it.
Of course this is just my opinion, nothing more (if you love it, that's good too). I am really glad that in this version, as opposed to Anne Rice's novel and the original film, it is Santiago the one who talks this girl into surrendering her life to the coven instead of Armand (he's not very successful though, she's just scared shitless). I would have hated to see him (my love Armand, love of my life) doing this, being a part of this horror.
...the "rest" scene, the most beautiful moment of the series (can I be Molloy, pleasee?).
One could argue that these two moments are not very different from each other, a vampire making a mortal accept an "easeful death". Nothing further from the truth.
The first scene is a misogynistic, abusive moment where a woman, Annika, is humiliated, terrorised and ultimately killed (she didn't want to die, she was lost to the horror of being surrounded by all those vamps). There is nothing soothing about this scene. The nudity is unnecessary and in my opinion it constitutes SA, so naturalised when it affects women that even Claudia, a SA victim herself, is fascinated by what is happening onstage. The horror, the terror the woman feels is increased by the humiliation of being at the center of a pathetic public espectacle (this is so pre-French Revolution! All you stupid peeping toms!). A few episodes later we witness a parallel scene with an unattractive man as a protagonist. This time the nudity is completely removed from Santiago's "performance" (why, Santiago? you don't fancy the guy?).
While there's certainly an element common to those two moments, the "rest" scene represents a contrary approach to the idea of being "half in love with an easeful death". While Annika's killing is abusive, humiliating and horrendous, Armand's (frustrated) claiming of Daniel's life is intimate, compassionate and calming (I watch it to get me to sleep sometimes. Other times I just think about Eric Bogosian...). We know Louis tells old Daniel that Armand kills without violence and gets people to "beg for it" (sexual innuendo?). But we only actually get to see his "methodology" in this scene with Daniel (because, let´s be honest, it is what interests us!). Of course, Daniel is not just anybody. Daniel is ultimately one of the loves of his life, so we can never be too sure if he really acts like this when he feeds on humans or if this is an uncommon event (we could ouija-ask Malik).
Nevertheless, I am grateful Armand is removed from that horrible scene.
And all of this to basically say that Assad is too precious for that shit and happy Assad Zaman Day to all of you beautiful people who celebrate!
We´re getting closer and closer to Season 3 of Interview with the Vampire (a.k.a. Season 1 of The Vampire Lestat) and consequently we are closer to Devil´s Minion and all the perversities it will surely bring to us!
One tiny detail: I am not a fan of the old film but if there is something I like about it is Antonio Banderas...
