I am still so fucking obsessed with Assad Zaman's performance in the s2x5 70s flashback.
Apparently it's different from how he usually is because it was before they gave the actor notes, telling him to act more vampiric and cold, in terms of s2 filming order.
Doylistically my feelings about that are solidly 50/50.
But from a Watsonian perspective, it's so fascinating to watch, because this is Armand basically hitting rock bottom, and coming alive in how hopeless he feels and how few fucks he has left to give. He's not a cold and unaffected vampire. He's not someone who keeps his emotions in tight control (not for him, anyway). He's expressive, he rambles and rants, his voice changes pitch and he moves. He paces and gesticulates and spits all his words with venom. When he's torturing Daniel, he's not the stoic ancient, or the dominant coven leader desperately trying to keep everyone in check, sat at the top of this dangerous community. He's just a guy who's on the run, who's entire life has gone to shit, who's lover and only companion spent a night talking to some rando about his ex, then said "the worst things he'd ever said" to him, when Armand showed up to help take care of him, and who then staged a suicide attempt. And there's nothing else to do, and there's nowhere else to go, and it's just the horror of loving someone when you're also trapped with them, and there's more guilt and recriminations than you can ever actually manage or disentangle yourself from.
So he's just... taking it out on someone. And that's bad, obviously, y'know. In real life not-vampire-high-camp-melodrama, you shouldn't do that. But it's the performance that's so interesting. Just what it implies; what Armand does when he's, also, emotionally hit rock bottom. And how it changes in his movement, in his face, in his body.
AND what that implies about how much he holds himself still the rest of the time. How much of that is less that he's a cold and emotionless and alien ancient vampire. And how much of that is just because he refuses to put down the mask, maybe feels afraid to, maybe has a hard time doing it. Whatever the reason, the implication is that the rest of the time, he just... doesn't let go and let himself be more... more.
snowghoul
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
gummygunk
yousharknotpass
