#daniel.vpc

[vampirepressclub]

I just watched the second episode. I can't stand Gabriella, that constant seductive charm she exudes whenever she's around Lestat, and how easily he gives in to her. I can't bear the thought of more graphic scenes between them, I don't want to watch it, I'll definitely be skipping it. For now, their relationship makes me deeply resentful and ruins the show for me. Maybe my feelings will change, I hope so, because I don't want to watch the next episodes always worrying about when Lestat and Gabriella will appear on screen in some romantic escapades. I’m afraid the creators shot themselves in the foot with this incestuous plotline taking center stage. I don't think anyone wants to watch that, and definitely not in such a literal way. I keep trying to erase it from my memory, and apparently, it's going to get even worse. Was this topic shown so bluntly in the book too? I read it a long time ago and don't remember exactly.

The rest of the episode was very good, even the brief time in Auvergne was enough if you ask me – well, maybe except for the wolf fight. Skipping such a spectacular event from the book entirely is a massive mistake. I enjoy the scenes with Daniel, Raglan, Rashid, and Christine. I'm not feeling the band yet, they seem so bland.

Of course, I saved the best for last. Lestat and Louis ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ The concert scene was beautiful. I've watched it like 20 times and cried. Nobody portrays such deep love, passion, and longing the way these two do. They don't need words, they just look at each other and everything is clear. For new viewers the scene might not hit as hard, but for long-time fans it’s a return to the best of it, a nostalgic journey back to s1. I love Loustat even when they fight, because beneath the surface, there's still that overwhelming love they share. As a jammer, I keep feeling like the Loustat and Jam worlds are always overlapping, and it's just beautiful.

Thank you for this critical review, Anon!

[vampirepressclub]

I think everyone getting upset with Louis in the lawyers scene needs to look at the sequence of events. Louis is being a little bitch in that scene and Lestat does have my sympathy because we as an audience can see he’s having a breakdown and we’ve been shown at least a watered down glimpse of his upbringing which was still horrific enough. But Louis doesn’t know this. At this point he just thinks Lestat’s mad about not being told about the book and maybe he has some issues with certain things, maybe he’s being his usual melodramatic self. It’s only at that beautiful scene at the concert when Lestat flies to him and throws the book that I think it hits home exactly how much Louis has hurt him. You can see it in both their faces (stellar acting from our boys). The next time we see Louis is with Daniel when he finally acknowledges that he hurt Lestat and he does look sorry.

So I don’t wanna let Louis completely off the hook cos he was a petty bitch, but I don’t think he deserves to be totally condemned either. Being dumb and oblivious is not the same as being malicious, although they both still suck for Lestat.

Well said, Anon!

[vampirepressclub]

i never understood where this assumption came from, at least in regards to totbt. is it just because he’s old?

It's because David functioned both as Louis and Daniel in the latter books. Louis was intentionally written out/downplayed because of Anne's connection to him vis-vis her grief and having lost a daughter. Daniel, she talked about less, but he represented her (and her husband's) relationship to alcoholism. It's not AS talked about in fandom, but Daniel overindulged to the point of killing himself with it because she did. She's talked about how before Christopher was born and even when she was little (but after Michelle died), she and Stan would break out the alcohol for any little occasion. That they both quit drinking because Christoper deserved better. And then also that Daniel + his turning represented her relationship to booze.

It's not as easily understandable for most of the fandom — even the book fandom! But that's why David in the books ended up being a poor replacement for both.

As to HOW David was a replacement for both, he conducted all of the interviews after his introduction — including ARMAND's — and then also romantically replaced Louis as Lestat's intended companion. There's no need to introduce another interviewer because the show has expanded Daniel. There's no need for Lestat and Louis' relationship to have another foil because the writers have already said and shown that Loustat is the end game. This is a mild confirmation that the writers will split David's arc into its core components and redistribute them out. (And also that this is really the only season with a whole-sale invented Louis arc since he cane take on both his own and David's to make a full, complete arc until he's brought back in in the book narrative.)

Unless they’re going to transfer Daniel’s consciousness into Rashid’s body. And then retire, Eric and have the dude playing Rashid become Daniel? IDK 😅

To me, it would make more sense to lean into the witches and have one of the Mayfairs deage Daniel into LBF than to have him bodyswap to Rashid, but only time will tell how they actually do that, if they do that. I do think Eric is in it for the longhaul though so any replacement plans are either plans B or C.

Really interesting speculation wrt Daniel.

Great AR lore, thanks anon!

[vampirepressclub]

I did think it was a little strange when the star explained that he was omnipotent[...]

Lestat did not imply this. He expressly said when he started that scene that he did not know if the hotel had a chandelier and a view, but he was telling the story now and he says that it did and isn't that nicer that how he was portrayed when they (Daniel and Louis) were telling their tale. This also goes to the books. Ultimately, Lestat is telling the other vampire's stories, but he only knows them because the others told them to him themselves.

So for here, either Daniel or Louis (or both, I suspect separately and each telling a slightly different version) gave Lestat an overview like "We talked about the book, your reaction to it, how D came to direct it, L confronted D verbally but not fully, D confided to L, L confided to D, D changed the subject to A, L demurred, D sprung the Talamasca on L, L initially refused to work with them and then they mentioned C and the opportunity to avenge her." And then everything else from the tone to the exact words to the clothes and the setting were how Lestat imagined it.

And he's still ultimately more truthful in doing it that way than Louis and Daniel had been considering that they both presented the train scene as a fact that happened in the version that both we and Lestat have of how THEIR interview happened.

Lestat: OK, I’ll go with your interpretation on that.

Train: sorry I’m not going with your interpretation on that. I think many of us believe that Claudia wrote that in her journal, and that Louis and Daniel are innocent in sharing that story… they didn’t lie about it. They didn’t make it up. Now that is my head cannon, so we’ll see if the show aligns with that or not. 🤷‍♀️

[vampirepressclub]

https://www.tumblr.com/vampirepressclub/819534455648681984/2-louis-confirms-that-the-maker-fledgling?source=share

Louis wasn't being petty. He is angry at Daniel for not being a friend and not apologizing about publishing the book until then.

And sorry Daniel is the asshole here in Lestat's eyes at least. Because he laughed off the train scene, laughed when Louis said that Lestat was hurt and had nothing to say when Louis was explaining about see Claudia and then set him up with Raglan and Rashid showing up.

Daniel is going to become enemy number one I think. So he better go find his marker.

[vampirepressclub]

I think my favorite scene was the Daniel Louis scene, Jacob plays surface rage so incredibly

You make me wanna watch it again, anon 😅

[vampirepressclub]

2. Louis confirms that the maker fledgling relationship is unique because he never felt that way

BO, Louis was lying! 😭 He already described Lestat in similar terms in S1 and then again in S2 when he felt Lestat coming up the stairs for the trial. He felt betrayed by Daniel publishing the book and then when he tries to confide in him again about Claudia, Daniel semi-blows off the attempt at connection. He's not about to give Daniel the confirmation that he wants or validate whatever complicated feelings he has for Armand. He's basically saying "huh. that's YOUR problem" cos he doesn't want to talk to him about it, not because he can't provide the answers Daniel wants. Withholding again!

Ooh ouch! Ok fair.

Louis being a petty bitch to everyone is on brand lol

[vampirepressclub]

Louis is lying about not feeling the maker-fledgling bond. He has talked about it multiple times. In denial now or maybe it's too painful to think about now.

Hm. I hear you but… was it really identical to what Daniel described?