‘The Vampire Lestat’ Episode Two Uncovers the Past

*This review contains spoilers for “The Vampire Lestat” episodes one and two*

After the wild ride that was the premiere episode of “The Vampire Lestat,” we’re thrown straight back in where we left off. The second episode, titled “Toledo,” opens with another apt deflection on Lestat’s part. With a few quips, Lestat quickly smoothes over the strange and abusive — though he would not call it that outright — nature of his relationship with his mother. This is a theme that prevails throughout the episode. The first two seasons saw Louis desperately combing through his past to prod at the truth. Lestat, on the other hand, glosses over his pain to distract both the audience and himself from confronting it.

Family Doesn’t Stay Buried Long

The past doesn’t stay buried long, however. Finally, the audience gets a glimpse into the man behind the vampire. In Auvergne, France circa 1772, viewers meet a young Lestat and his family. Granted, what we see of this past is limited compared to the expansion we get in the books. I’m sure many anticipated a more fleshed out adaptation for what was a pivotal moment in the novel. However, I believe Sam Reid manages to convey the weight of this moment despite its brevity. What we do see fleshed out is Lestat’s dysfunctional family. The abuse from his fathers and brothers that he alluded to during season one is laid out plainly. Yet, this time, Gabriella’s role in it all is revealed.

The dinner table scenes and the wolves lay the foundation of Lestat and Gabriella’s complex relationship. On the one hand, you have Gabriella. She is a woman trapped by societal roles and scorned by the men around her. That is, the men except Lestat. Gabriella sees herself in Lestat: a dreamer who has a chance at escaping that she herself does not. This is part of the reason she pushes Lestat to go after the wolves. These motivations are explored more in the novel, giving insight into why she acts as she does. Then there’s Letstat himself. Lestat loves Gabriella and craves reciprocation, even as we see that she does not provide it. The few times she does provide it, it comes in a twisted package, blurring the boundaries of their relationship. While Lestat continues to justify the relationship on the surface, his actions tell a different story.

New Friends and Old Loves

After unintentionally revealing his vampiric nature last episode, Lestat now has to face his bandmates curiousity, laced with a healthy dose of terror. This leads to a back and forth that captures the humor that Sam Reid is so good at capturing. Yet, between “Twilight” nods and another “I have the blood of Akasha in me” that meets an unappreciative audience, the scene provides insight into how Lestat views vampirism. “No vampire was born a vampire,” he says. Each character in this show carries pieces of their former lives with them, and Lestat is no exception. This vampiric tie to humanity is an important point as, later in the episode, Lestat confronts his own monstrosity.

Even after Lestat finishes catching his bandmates up to speed, it seems the confrontations aren’t over yet. While Lestat isn’t exactly happy to be sitting at the litigation table with one Louis de Pointe du Lac, fans certainly are. Ever since the SDCC 2025 teaser released, we’ve been waiting to see these two come face to face in the present day, barring FaceTime calls. The banter does not dissappoint, with both throwing jabs one after the other. And there’s something about Louis’s calm composure, reminiscent of season two’s ending, contrasted with Lestat’s neuroticism that just takes you back to old times.

But it’s the concert scene after that digs beneath the surface to reach the hurt left unsaid between them. The song “Why Do I Have to Feel?” may or may not be about Louis. It’s probably about a culmination of Lestat’s experiences. But in this scene, the song is directed at only one person. Lestat’s anger and hurt is clear in his voice and expressions. At the same time, it’s clear Louis is still harboring guilt about the book’s release. These two are constantly circling around each other and their emotions. Whenever and however it comes to a head will be a sight to see.

Hunting Monsters — Within and Without

Speaking of Louis, “The Vampire Lestat” episode two sets up where his storyline is going this season. And what comes as no surprise is that Claudia will play a large part in it. Even in death, she haunts the narrative and Louis confides in Daniel that he’s seeing her where she’s not. It’s this guilt and vulnerability that drives him to accept the Talamasca’s offer and go after her abuser, Bruce. On the one hand, this is about Claudia’s revenge. But in Louis’s hands, it’s not all about Claudia. Louis is desperate to heal, to shake the guilt and the ghosts, but whether he’ll succeed remains to be seen.

As Louis sets out to take on a real-life monster, Lestat is grappling with the one inside himself. Lestat’s love and fascination with humanity, even in vampirism, has always been something of a downfall. At least in the eyes of people around him, like Gabriella, this is a weakness. Gabriella doesn’t share the same inner turmoil that he does. For her, vampirism was an escape, one that she jumped at the chance to accept. For Lestat, it was not a choice. And though the present-day Lestat seems to encapsulate everything great and powerful about being a vampire, that fact still lingers.

We see the disquiet in him rise to the surface when one of his and Gabriella’s potential kills turns out to be a father. While Gabriella’s expression doesn’t change, Lestat’s hesitation is visible. Beneath the ruthless killer facade is someone who doesn’t want to confront the monstrosity they’re capable of. Yet the music draws it out of him again. “La Fontaine De Sang” is a standout song in this episode. The lyrics are directly from the Charles Baudelaire poem by the same name. Baudelaire is an insightful choice if only for how his life parallels some of Lestat’s. From a complex mother-son relationship to a tendency for rebellion, the two share much in common.

The lyrics to the poem themselves also parallel Lestat’s experiences. They speak to loneliness, failed attempts at love, and a pain that can’t be staunched. As Reid’s lilting vocals wrap themselves around the words, we revisit Lestat and Gabriella’s revenge against The Marquis and Lestat’s brothers. The scenes are bloody and brutal, a stark contrast to the sadness with which Lestat delivers the song in present day. In one flashback scene, Lestat and Gabriella hide as family returns to find the massacre. At the sound of their distress, Gabriella remains stoic but Lestat’s wide open eyes reveal his horror. Even having buried his humanity, it rises to the surface. Even having buried the past, it comes back to haunt him.