Posted in: AMC, Review, TV | Tagged: amc, anne rice, Episode 1, interview with the vampire, Review, season 2

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Ep. 1 Review: A Dream of Claudia

Delainey Hayles shines as Claudia in the horrifically heartbreaking Season 2 return of AMC's Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire.

AMC's Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire returned for its second season with "What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned" (directed by Craig Zisk and written by Hannah Moscovitch) – and it did not miss a beat. In just one episode, they managed to build tension to the point of anxiety – and get those new to the series up enough to speed for them to be able to follow along. The episode flew by in a blink, offering a foreboding warning via clues to where the season is heading. From the visuals to the writing to a number of impressive acting turns, the series' return was a banger that started strong right out of the gate and never let up.

It feels great to have the show back, and while I love binging, my heart is happy we get one episode per week cause the tension might give me a mini heart attack. I have been impatiently waiting for this show to return, and with just one episode, my expectations were blown. The writing was brilliant, as were the ways those words were brought to life. The visuals maintained the cinematic excellence of the first season. But the true highlight of this episode is Delainey Hayles, who owned Claudia as her own only minutes after first appearing on our screens.

We are back at Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Armand's (Assad Zaman) apartment where Daniel (Eric Bogosian) is trying to dig deeper into Louis' restored memories. As the series progresses, the title "Interview with the Vampire" takes on a deeper meaning. Initially, it meant the interview between Daniel and Louis – but now, "the vampire" is taking on a vagueness matching how Daniel isn't quite sure which vampire he may be interviewing at any given point – and their interpretations of the truth. Louis' unreliable mind has become an antagonist as well. We have already seen how he cannot even trust his own memory, and it continues as he recounts how he and Claudia traveled through Europe during the war to find vampires like them. It's in those moments when Claudia's hopelessness almost becomes palpable – another demonstration of Hayles's acting prowess.

That's one of the biggest reasons why this show works so well. As much as it can have us feeling for Louis's and Claudia's plight, the series always offers viewers brutal reminders that these are creatures not necessarily deserving of even the most basic levels of empathy. Even after what they did in this episode, whose heart wasn't breaking when Louis opened up to Daniel about remembering that Claudia could dream. In the first episode, we're already presented with a brutal look at how disconnected they have become from the affairs of mortals. That said, the stark reality of their personal existence hits deep once the one vampire they have managed to connect with (or so they thought) throws herself into the flames. From that, we see a rougher edge to Claudia that seems destined to reach a breaking point. How much longer can she continue her obsession to find more about her own vampiric kind – and could she pay the price for it?

I love how the tension builds not just in the past but more so in the present, as Louis struggles to read Claudia's diary and piece together his memories over the dinner table – stuck between a probing Daniel and a controlling Armand. The growing animosity between Daniel and Armand was an impressive pressure cooker – with Daniel poking like a matador, Armand's interruptions and Daniel looking to break "Real Rashid. Once again, the exchanges were fantastic and made the moments come to life. I love how assertive Daniel is now after a lifetime of experiences, and it left me wondering if Armand & Louis really understand who it is that they're dealing with.

I am looking forward to seeing who breaks who first. I do not think this "united front" between Louis and Armand will really work to break Daniel. On the other hand, I believe they will break first – along with more hidden memories from Louis. At what point will Lestat move from being a figment of Louis's imagination to a bloody reality? And why can't I shake this feeling that Daniel is going to play a much bigger role in all of this than any of us realize – an even bigger role than the one he is already holding down? After an excellent second season opener of AMC's Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, I am looking forward to having those questions answered – and to the new questions that the season will raise.

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Episode 1: "What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned"

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Review by Alejandra Bodden

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9/10

AMC's Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire returned for its second season with "What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned" (directed by Craig Zisk and written by Hannah Moscovitch) - and it did not miss a beat. In just one episode, they managed to build tension to the point of anxiety - and get those new to the series up enough to speed for them to be able to follow along. The episode flew by in a blink, offering a foreboding warning via clues to where the season is heading. From the visuals to the writing to a number of impressive acting turns, the series' return was a banger that started strong right out of the gate and never let up.

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