The “Loustat” Drought Is Over On ‘The Vampire Lestat’

After not interacting for two whole episodes of The Vampire Lestat, Louis and Lestat reunited in Episode 5, “New York,” for a mercifully supportive moment. Promotional material, clips and images alike, from Episode 6 confirm that the two characters won’t be kept too far apart in the penultimate installment of Interview With The Vampire‘s third season either–and thank Akasha for that!

It’s not uncommon for a show to separate romantic leads in order to build tension. It was kind of Outlander‘s whole thing for a while. Once Upon A Time, too… (Remember all those curses? Daniel Molloy’s memory loss is nothing compared to the horrors Storybrooke residents went through on a regular basis.) It gives the characters something to build towards. It gives the audience a reason to keep tuning in, week after week. Lest we forget, Interview with the Vampire separated them at the end of season 1, and they didn’t reunite in the corporeal world until the end of season 2. Happens!

But when there are only seven episodes in a season of television, consecutive chapters without so much as a Facetime between Louis and Lestat are deeply felt. Even when they’re fighting, like in The Vampire Lestat episode 2’s now famous “divorce court” scene, there’s an energy between them unlike anything else on the show. Like Daniel said about Louis in a later scene, he’s the story when it comes to Lestat. While Anne Rice’s novel takes its sweet time getting to the Louis chapter of Lestat’s tale, most of the TV show is set in the present and we all know that’s who he’d rather be with 9 times out of 10–other paramours and treacherous circumstances be damned.

There’s something special about the couple in The Vampire Lestat

Towards the end of episode 5, Lestat gets some SOS texts from Louis and leaves his recording studio. They meet up outside of the diner where Regina works. Louis explains what he’s been doing with their daughter’s doppelgänger. Reality is starting to blur, he says. He asks if Lestat could confirm for him that Regina is not Claudia reincarnated.

Before going into the diner, Lestat chides Louis, lightly albeit from his POV, for not calling to check in after the assassination attempt in Episode 4, and disturbing him while he was recording his album. Louis apologizes. He calls himself selfish. But it doesn’t become a thing. To me, it seemed like Lestat practiced saying that in the car before he actually saw Louis and appraised the seriousness of the situation. He said the intrusive thought out loud anyway, but no longer meant it as much. Not the healthiest behavior, but not the most toxic either. Sometimes that’s all we can hope for.

Even though Louis and Lestat really only shared a few minutes on screen together in Episode 5, they seem to have unlocked a whole new level to their dynamic. They’re not in a relationship, but supportive and respectful in a way that’s quieter than we’ve seen before. It gives off the sense that maybe they have been in contact more than we realize. “The Failures” is Lestat’s record of certain events.

Regardless, they should keep it up. How long until The Vampire Lestat inevitably separates them again? What if they didn’t?

(featured image: Sophie Giraud/AMC)

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