WhenAnne Rice’s Interview with the Vampirefirst premiered in 2021, it was met with guarded anticipation. Over the years, there have only been a handful of attempts to adapt the late author’s most popular series,The Vampire Chronicles, to ultimately mixed results. Subsequent adaptation plans for the vampire saganever even made it out of development hell. ButAMC’s securing of the rights to Rice’s beloved novelswas a promising step forward, one that was poised to breathe new life into these immortal creatures via not just a standalone series, but a potential universe. SinceInterview with the Vampirewas first announced, there’s been aMayfair Witchesshow as well as plans to develop an upcoming spin-off based onthe mysterious organization known as the Talamasca— and, presumably,even more to comebeyond those. But when going back to where it all began, the biggest question becamewhetherInterview with the Vampire’s latest chapter could replicateSeason 1’s smash-hit success. Good news for longtime fans and newcomers alike: after screening the first six episodes of Season 2 provided for review, the answer is a resounding yes, and then some.
Interview with the Vampire
Based on Anne Rice’s iconic novel, follow Louis de Pointe’s epic story of love, blood and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy.
What Is ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Season 2 About?
Season 2 ofInterview with the Vampireessentially picks upwhere the first installment of the story left off— in fact, the show itself explicitly labels the season as a “Part Two,” almost as a way to signal to viewers that this is more of a continuation of the previous narrative. After a particularly bloody plot to kill their sire, Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), seemingly results in his death in 1940, vampires Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles,taking over forBailey Bassfrom Season 1)fleeto Europe with the hope of finding others like themselves. They ultimately culminate their journey in Paris, where their conspicuous nighttime activities earn the attention of the Théâtre des Vampires, a local coven headed by the vampireArmand (Assad Zaman). Although Louis and Armand choose to pursue a romance, much to Claudia’s visible chagrin, it is a relationship that will have unforeseen consequences for the entire group. Amidst it all, Louis is haunted by Lestat’s memory but does his best to bury their lingering connection — especially once he discovers that Lestat was the one who founded the Théâtre des Vampires in the first place, and that he and Armand have their own thorny history.
Meanwhile, in 2022, with “Rashid’s” true identity now unveiled,the titular interview continues with Armand as a new third party, as veteran reporter Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) now attempts to sift through lies and obfuscations in order to root out the truth. With Louis' memory not as reliable as the vampire had believed it to be, and Armand now present in their conversations, Daniel is forced to balance on an even more dangerous tightrope in speaking with two powerful creatures whose temperaments could turn in an instant. What makes his predicament even more convoluted is that Daniel seems to be remembering bits and pieces from his previous interview with Louis, and as the details that were previously blurred for many years finally make their way to the surface, the revelations that arise could have destructive consequences for current relationships.
‘Interview with the Vampire’s Cast Is Firmly Settled in Their Roles in Season 2
With every first season comes expected growing pains, but Season 2 ofInterview with the Vampireillustrates that this cast has never been more comfortable inhabiting their respective characters. Hayles might have the heaviest lifting to do in assuming the role of Claudia from another actress, and whileher version of the character feels inherently differentfrom Bass’s incarnation, she brings a more mature interpretation that’s very much needed for Claudia at this stage of the story. As a vampire who was turned at a young age,Claudia is perpetually trapped in a pre-pubescent bodywhile possessing the evolved mind of an adult woman, and Hayles’ layered portrayal feels perfectly in line with that dichotomy, especially in her more combative scenes with Anderson. As the version of Lestat who perpetually haunts Louis in Season 2, Reid also gets to inhabit facets of the character we’ve never really seen before, which allows the actor to lean full-tilt into exaggerated facial expressions, over-the-top theatrics, and impassioned declarations.
Although “Rashid” was only an intermittent shadow in the first season, Zaman is given full rein to explore the breadth and depth of his character this time around. Like Anderson, he has to portray both the past and the present versions of Armand, and as Season 2 slowly discloses, time has become an essential teacher for the ancient vampire, not just in his somewhat codependent relationship with Louis, but also throughthe couple’s shared willingness to bury the pain of mutually inflicted wounds.When 2022’s interview resumes, it’s unclear whether Armand is sticking around to offer a different perspective on the story or correct Louis' version of events, but what becomes increasingly obvious is that there are some details the two are not in unison on, and the subsequent rising tension between the longtime paramours makes for some of the best moments of the season. Comparatively, Louis and Armand might seem more in sync in the past, but even then there are signs that their relationship will have more than one obstacle in its path — chief among them the Théâtre’s lead performer, Santiago, played by the deliciously enthrallingBen Daniels.
As Daniel Molloy, the journalist who begins to find himself in over his head with the present-day interview, Bogosian gives off the impression of a man forced to tread water alongside circling sharks. Now that Louis has essentially been outed as an unreliable narrator — though not necessarily through any fault of his own —Daniel has an even more involved role to playin trying to get to the root of the story while being met with denial and resistance at almost every turn. Yet, even if Louis initially presents himself as a more hostile witness at first, one has the sense thathe still wants to unlock the inner recesses of his own mind— whether Armand tacitly gives his permission or not. Louis and Daniel’s dynamic has been steadily moving away from that of interviewer and subject in favor of something that feels much closer to confidant and confessor, which wouldn’t be possible without the actors' continually deepening rapport on-screen.
If there’s anyone to whom Season 2 ofInterview with the Vampireultimately belongs, however, it’s Anderson. First and foremost, the series reminds us that this is Louis' story, and, as a consequence, Anderson is featured in almost every scene. That command, however, doesn’t become cloying; it only reminds us thatLouis is one of the most tragic characters in the narrative, a vampire searching for meaning and community while navigating a strong sense of self-loathing and contempt for his very nature. It could be argued that Louis reaches even lower lows this season, but it’sa testament to Anderson’s phenomenal workthat that descent is rendered both heartbreaking and poignant as it plays out through several different timelines.
‘Interview with the Vampire’ Season 2 Tells an Even More Intricate Story
Interview with the Vampirehas always succeeded with its exploration of complicated dynamics, and Season 2 continues in the same vein. Zaman’s Armand becoming a larger presence in the story causes a ripple effect on many different storylines, confirming that all the main characters have been more entwined over the years than any of us might have suspected. Even though Armand and Louis are a power couple tethered by past tragedies, and Louis continues to be tortured by Lestat’s ghost,Season 2 allows for the exploration of more than one attachmentwithin the group — and, surprising absolutely no one, these vampires areexceptionallymessy when it comes to relationship drama, especially when they’ve had centuries to brood about their feelings. Meanwhile, Daniel somehow fits into the story’s biggest triangle more unexpectedly, turning it into more of a square throughconnections that transcend a merely visceral hunger for blood.
Intimate dynamics aside, Season 2 seems poised toexpand the world of the serieson an even bigger level. Daniel might be urgently focused on nailing this interview (so he can later write a book that will automatically be catapulted to the top of the bestseller list), but he’s not the only one paying attention to what Louis and Armand have been up to all these years. While vampires have remained a secret from the greater population, that doesn’t mean they’ve been able to exist completely unnoticed. The corresponding reveals that emerge throughout the show’s second installment aren’t just engaging to follow along with; they’re an exciting way tobuild out AMC’s self-described Immortal Universe even furtherinto the planned franchise that was envisioned for these books from the beginning. Yet these intriguing hints don’t detract or take away from the tangled, intricate story at the heart of Season 2, which continues to prove thatInterview with the Vampireis still one of the best TV shows out there.
Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire continues to weave an intricate, tangled story in Season 2.
Season 2 ofAnne Rice’s Interview with the Vampirepremieres May 12 on AMC and AMC+ in the U.S.
