In the original novel and the Neil Jordan’s film, the taking of Claudia completes the the vampire family of Lestat, Louis and Claudia. In episode 4, “The Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child’s Demanding” AMC brings the disfunctional family into wild and disturbing technicolor. Macabre, hilarious and at time heartbreaking, the series follows Claudia’s initiation into her new life by providing us with a tapestry of her own tragic memories, in the form of her various journal entries that chronicle her upbringing.
When the episode opens, we see the threesome amusedly trying to buy a coffin for Claudia, but as the diary entries progress, the humor soon fades and we begin to see the true horror of what’s been done to her. Her physical growth has been stunted while her mind continues to evolve past childhood into adulthood, imprisoning her in her childlike form. The dynamic between Lestat and Louis also shifts more into an abusive triangle, with Louis and Claudia symbolically – and then literally – banding against their toxic ‘father’. Louis and Claudia can reach each other’s minds, effectively shutting out Lestat whenever needed, who responds to being alienated by becoming increasingly cruel. Claudia continues to realize the extent of her fate and desperately seeks out more mature relationships outside the coven. She falls in love with Charlie, a local boy, and we watch as they engage in an innocent courtship. But their brief and reckless tryst ends tragically when she loses control of her hunger and murders him in a loving embrace. Instead of comforting her, Lestat looks coldly upon the death of her lover as a lesson. “This is why we never get close to mortals.” he instructs.”Because sooner or later, they end up dead.” Like the 1976 novel, the outlandish and macabre storytelling sadly mimics the painful and often tragic realities of broken families.
Meanwhile, back in present day Dubai, Daniel Molloy is becoming increasingly suspicious of Louis and his manservant, Rashid, whom he catches in a number of lies about where he comes from and his relationship to Louis. Hmmmm…
Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire airs every Sunday through November 13 at 10 PM EST on AMC. Episodes are available one week in advance for subscribers of AMC+.
Photo via AMC
Comments are closed.