hag, n.

pique, umbrage, and ennui: French diseases of the soul

[subcrypha]

me looking at 2025–2029

[tomorrowisyesterday119]

Heated Rivalry is a closed door hockey romance in the sense that they fade to black on the hockey. The sex is explicit, but the hockey is implied.

[brawlingdiscontent]

The way the 3.7 Armand and Louis plot, with Louis being punished for his failure to love someone 'adequately', was literally just 1.5's drop all over again (but worse). But rather than a message of "what the fuck I can't believe Louis is being subjected to repeated horrific violence by his romantic and sexual partners" the show's framing of it (including the interviews with the creative team) seems more likely to invite questioning of whether or not Lestat was wrong to drop him.

I've pulled some relevant passages from an amazing book which speak specifically to sexuality but also apply to a romantic context.

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J Brown, p. 11

We see in Armand's speech the same fucking incel logic they gave Lestat: 'THEY ARE OWED LOVE. HOW DARE LOUIS WITHOLD IT' which becomes even more horrifying if you consider it through the obvious/pressing lens of race which THE WRITERS THEMSELVES invited. Not only is s1 set in a context where the racialized power dynamics are unavoidable (and Lestat presented as someone who'd rather pretend they don't exist), we have Armand, not once, but MULTIPLE TIMES inflicting horrific violence on Black characters that is specifically and notably violence that enslavers used against enslaved people--including cutting the tendons in their ankles and BRANDING--which he explicitly says he took PLEASURE in. (Much love to Armand fans who are understandably upset about their fave being portrayed as a KKK member).

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality, p. 12

In getting an apology from Louis -- which the narrative at best frames ambiguously and at worst, including in interviews with the creators, supports Armand's claim that it's something that he's owed (Hannah's 'Armand knew he'd been used in all sorts of ways by Louis') -- the show not only dehumanizes Louis and refuses his right to consent, but retroactively implies that perhaps Lestat, too, was 'owed' something.

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality, p. 12

---

[usaginoir]

I have ranted about Rolin, Mark, and no. I want to be clear. This extends to the whole team s3.

Hannah Moscovitch don’t think I’m letting you off the hook!! You were not only a writer but an Executive producers this season.

Shame on YOU!!

You were the one who mainly wrote Louis being abused, and a domestic violence survivor. You exploit black bodies, write them being harmed, abused and tortured over and over. All for your own creative success!! No care for survivors, black history, or racism!!

I know this was insincere and exploitation because you then have the audacity to do the DARVO Louis show?!?!?!!!?

A SEASON WHERE LOUIS IS BEING LYNCHED AGAIN. TORTURED AGAIN. VIOLENCE DONE TO HIM ON SCREEN THAT NO NON BLACK CHARACTER GETS PUT THROUGH ON SCREEN.

ALL WHILE LOUIS IS BEING TREATED AS THE ACTUAL PROBLEM. ALL WHILE ENDURING RACIST ANTI BLACK SLURS ALL SEASON. DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE CLAUDIA STUFF.

All while Ryan Kattners wears an awful hip hop sucks shirt - I see you. You don’t deserve to mention hip hop. Hell you don’t even deserve to mention music.

TVL team - I see you. You want to earn success, fame and fortune on the exploitation of black pain and racism. I see all of you.

Ending it with some love @coldeveryseason posts and critiques are very well made, and better than mine. Let’s praise and support the black creators who built Iwtv to what it was.

These people don’t deserve to build their name and career of your guys (clearly) amazingly crafted work.

[usaginoir]

Circling back to this after the after dark episode

I was too kind in this post

HANNAH WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS DARVO racist piece of writing I’m beyond disgusted… you are again using a brown actor to enact a violent lynching on screen… why? Because you love putting black people through traumatic violence but couldn’t stand the critique of white supremacy that it was when Lestat did it?

Then she’s trying to angle it like Louis is being dishonest again

AND JACOB STANDS UP FOR HIMSELF AND LOUIS THANK GOD

AND ROLIN HAS THE AUDACITY TO INTERJECT TO SAY THIS GARBAGE

DOUBLING DOWN ON THE DARVO BULLSHIT !!!

You two are using your power in the industry to perpetuate and uphold white supremacy.

And when god forbid Jacob Anderson speaks against a writing and framing choice you shut him down and make him seem like the unreasonable one.

I see you!! I see who you two are.

[bitezblood]

It’s too hot outsidee

[subcrypha]

well, there's no question for moi about the validity of catharsis when one's head is on a spike. maybe for the spiker, but certainly not for the spiked. but that's the punishment therapy for withholding, beheading and torturous supplication!

also in this interview:

no one knows why Armand carved an 'A' on Louis' chest but JA's theory about the scarlet letter is probably the most accurate because it's genuinely inane and therefore in keeping with the allusions in TVL.

JA's favorite Louis moment is Long Table!Louis as that Louis is a direct recall to S1 Louis (he mentions the suiting).

for s4: AZ is curious about Alex, SR about Akasha, and JA has no thoughts about s4 he's willing to share.

--Vulture, 7.19.26

[cumslutshane]

100% RUSSIAN 1/2 FISH

[excretal]

girl who thought that she was going to be okay

[saintfem]

you know i really wish i just hated this season because lestat was talking like he was on a drag race mini challenge. i wish it wasn’t as serious as flippantly cruel anti-blackness and the fundamental mischaracterization of virtually every character and the complete erasure of any love that may have existed between characters outside of their endgame pairings. i wish it wasn’t because of the erasure of trans identity, the constant punching down, the pointless retconning, the absolution of an abuse, the very obvious vitriol for the first two seasons and everything that the series has cultivated as a result of the first two seasons. i wish it was just the proverbial dangling of keys in front of the audience. i wish it was as simple as i heard “serving cunt has its consequences” turned off my laptop and never watched another episode

[gaypeople]

I did it for Louis. I do everything for Louis.

[ladypaperwriterson]

[kel-arquivo]

Henry Taylor

[no-sharks-on-the-sun]

[subcrypha]

interview with the vampire was an accident. it wasn't supposed to be that good. the production approached and for a moment crossed into a queer television space that would have been extraordinary. but the unexplored terrified them. they needed to map the territory with structures they are familiar with, and so a Tumblr/subreddit gothic uptake of AR's the vampire lestat. it is exactly the radical reimagining AMC and Rolin Jones had in mind and executed, and they ensured the audience they needed would be there (s2's sudden post-show outsourcing to white YouTubers/participatory culture vultures) once the bag was secured. never forget the quickness with which the vampire lestat was announced and the excitement AMC, EPs, and Jones demonstrated once they were finally done with iwtv. never forget how the vampire lestat novel made talismanic appearances during early interviews and promotions. they don't even call it a gothic gay romance like Jones and AMC promoted interview with the vampire.

what the vampire lestat reveals is how blackness operates as a fetish, a a magical object that is at once grotesque in its capacity to withstand graphic body horror and mundane in that the mutilation and exhibition of black bodies has been, historically, a quotidian exercise. Blackness has value as a commodity fetish. For all the unnaturalness of this gothic horror show, what is most natural and not discussed in trades, by majoritarian fandom, the cast, the crew is the series' fascination with showing mutilated, disfigured, charred, burning, terrorized black flesh. What appears to be the true horror would be to show a black body reveling in their monstrousness, in their making a paradise out of hell.

Jacob Anderson's performance is the lever that turned a trapdoor into an escape route, and i am grateful for the work he put into Louis. going back to s2 finale interviews where JA looked at it as closure for Louis makes sense in light of the vampire lestat.

tl;dr: AMC's the vampire lestat channels it and its source material's anti blackness through and on the brown and black bodies previously viewed as characters, but have now flattened into narrative tools to pave the way for the rehabilitation of Lestat.

[l-dpdl]

can we not direct any venom at the cast? critiquing the show is fine but to have smoke for the actors when they aren't in the writer's room and have no say over the script and are pretty much left in the dark until they sign is ridiculous. they're contractually obligated to promote the show so if they hate it they can't just come out and say so

[tiredopinions]

It’s incredible that people are so invested in tamping down criticism of this season, particularly from Louis fans, that they will lie about basic things like claiming that all the writers have remained the same from season 1 to season 3.

Since apparently we are the only fans left with the ability to verify any type of information, here are the facts:

S1 Credits:

1x01 - Rolin Jones

1x02 - Jonathan Ceniceroz & Dave Harris

1x03 - Rolin Jones & Hannah Moscovitch

1x04 - Eleanor Burgess

1x05 - Hannah Moscovitch

1x06 - Coline Abert

1x07 - Rolin Jones & Ben Philippe

S2 Credits:

2x01: Hannah Moscovitch

2x02: Jonathan Ceniceroz & Shane Munson

2x03: Heather Bellson

2x04: Coline Abert & A. Zell Williams

2x05: Jonathan Ceniceroz & Hannah Moscovitch

2x06: Hannah Moscovitch & Shane Munson

2x07: Kevin Hanna & Rolin Jones

2x08: Rolin Jones

Hannah, Rolin, Coline, and Jonathan were retained from S1 - 2. Eleanor, Ben, and Dave did not return. The first season had 7 writers. The second had 8.

3x01: Rolin Jones & Hannah Moscovitch

3x02: Jonathan Ceniceroz & Kevin Hanna

3x03: Anusree Roy

3x04: Jonathan Ceniceroz

3x05: Hannah Moscovitch & Daniel Hart

3x06: Ryan Kattner & Kevin Hanna

3x07: Hannah Moscovitch

Hannah, Rolin, Kevin, and Jonathan returned for season 3. Heather, Coline, A. Zell, and Shane did not. This season has 7 writers. Of these 7, the only 3 that remain of the season 1 writers room are Rolin, Hannah, and Jonathan.

You can definitely say the writers who have been retained from season 1 to season 3 are the strongest writers if you want to. I absolutely think that Jonathan and Hannah are two of the strongest writers. I can’t say Rolin is my favorite. But they definitely lost a lot of wonderful writers season to season and I think that is very much felt.

This isn’t even putting into perspective the reality of a writer’s room and what each person might bring to the table regardless of whether or not they get an actual writing credit for it.

[tiredopinions]

Guys, I thought I was making a joke earlier when I said it should be illegal for more than 2 white straight men to be in a writer’s room but honestly I think that there was only 1 (Rolin) in the season 1 writer’s room and 2 (Rolin and Kevin) in the S2 writer’s room. Now there are 3 🤣

[tiredopinions]

I think it should be noted that Shane and Coline are both women. Coline Abert is noted on IMDb as a bilingual French-English screenwriter. So if you note a difference in quality of the French writing this season, maybe that is a contributor to it. I wouldn’t know.

As I said in the comments - Ben Philippe, Dave Harris, and A. Zell Williams were the Black writers who wrote for S1-2. @coldeveryseason shouted them out on Twitter.

[kutputli]

I've seen some weird defences of the IWTV writers room couching in 'erasing the contributions of the non-white writers' type arguments and I just want to use this helpful breakdown of the writers to take it a bit further.

I also want to start off referencing a quote that screenwriter-director Nida Manzoor made where she talked about being in white-dominated writers rooms where she felt she was there to just sign-off on what they were writing. And what a difference it was when she was able to set up her own writers room, especially in season 2 of We Are Lady Parts, where every writer was a Muslim woman.

If you're not familiar with how writers rooms work, you might think every episode is created by the person credited with the script. (Flashback to the Buffy fandom where Marti Nixon was blamed for every single thing in the Joss Whedon is God days.) But the whole point of a writers room is that everyone breaks the episode beats together, and it is headed by the showrunners.

Now let's look at the racial breakdown of that IWTV writers room again

1x01 - Rolin Jones (white)

1x02 - Jonathan Ceniceroz & Dave Harris (Latino and Black)

1x03 - Rolin Jones & Hannah Moscovitch (white and white)

1x04 - Eleanor Burgess (white)

1x05 - Hannah Moscovitch (white)

1x06 - Coline Abert (white)

1x07 - Rolin Jones & Ben Philippe (white and Black)

2x01: Hannah Moscovitch (white)

2x02: Jonathan Ceniceroz & Shane Munson (Latino and white)

2x03: Heather Bellson (white)

2x04: Coline Abert & A. Zell Williams (white and Black)

2x05: Jonathan Ceniceroz & Hannah Moscovitch (Latino and white)

2x06: Hannah Moscovitch & Shane Munson (white and white)

2x07: Kevin Hanna & Rolin Jones (white and white)

2x08: Rolin Jones (white)

3x01: Rolin Jones & Hannah Moscovitch (white and white)

3x02: Jonathan Ceniceroz & Kevin Hanna (Latino and white)

3x03: Anusree Roy (Indian-Canadian)

3x04: Jonathan Ceniceroz (Latino)

3x05: Hannah Moscovitch & Daniel Hart (white and white)

3x06: Ryan Kattner & Kevin Hanna (Wasian and white)

3x07: Hannah Moscovitch (white)

So - not a single Black writer has been given solo credit on any episode. None of them have ever made it beyond one season into a writers room. Of the non-Black writers of colour, Jonathan Ceniceroz is the only one who has written for all 3 seasons, and he only got solo credit for one episode this season. Anusree Roy being the only other non-white writer to get a solo credit. Ryan Kattner probably contributed most to song lyrics, since he's a musician who is also acting in the show.

The show runners and producers are all white.

This is a white-dominated writers room, and this is a show where white writers set the tone of how race and racism will be addressed in the scripts. And if you have followed some of the things Hannah and Rolin have said in interviews, you should know that neither is to be trusted when it comes to racial awareness.

[crazykuroneko]

These are such great information.

Just want to add: even though A. Zell Williams wasn't credited in Season 1, he was part of the mini room (a smaller writers' room format so the network can have a draft of a first season without spending that much money prior the series being greenlit. This practice was erased after the WGA strike in 2023) for that season. He said this on his podcast. He was then promoted for S2.

Ben was also story editor for S1

[subcrypha]

every time a post about iwtv/tvl makes a reference to heated rivalry the maggot that will feed on my dead body inches closer to existing.