“If you fail it’s bc you’re black and if you succeed it’s despite of that.” This perfectly describes how a lot of people view any form of race based casting.
The fact that they hold minority characters and their actors/writers to a higher standard than white cishet neurotypical non-disabled ones says all you need to know about what they want from the former: a minimal, stereotypical or supporting presence or absolute perfection straight out the gate, because gods forbid we fuck up as much as the latter does.
I have never cared about the books or the og movie and I gave the new show a chance because of my love for Jacob Anderson. I'm so glad I did because he made Louis into such a special character and this is truly my favourite show of all time
He really is incredible. The speech he gives the priest in the first episode broke my heart, and I've only loved him more since. Also, I'm consistently impressed with his accent work. Also, he is beautiful and baby.
I’m not sure if someone else has mentioned this yet, but Assad Zaman’s casting as Armand is also a fascinating and well-executed change from the source material! Making him Indian instead of Ukrainian not only gives Louis and Claudia a motivation to trust him in s2, as another POC in a majority white city, but also adds poignant context to his backstory. Armand’s maker, Marius, shares Lestat’s blonde hair and blue eyes, and when the two meet, Marius decides to take on mentoring Lestat rather than seeking out and reconnecting with Armand. And as a muse for artists who not only abuse him but WHITEWASH him in their art, Armand is objectified in a way that builds on the book canon, bringing in layers of exoticism, colonialism, and racism that can be further discussed in future seasons. Thankfully, I have more faith than ever in the show delivering, now that a South Asian playwright whose works include a play titled “Brothel #9” has joined the writers room for season three.
I saw someone's analysis about race and racism in itwv and there were paragraphs about Armand and his white master in Europe. You summed up it pretty well. Interesting to know about south Asian play writer joining the writing room for 3s
This tells me you don't know anything about Ukraine and the continuous erasure of Ukrainian identity, the murder of its people, the loss of language, and the fight for survival. They could have kept Armand's nationality of being Ukrainian while also adapting it to the modern contexts by making him a Muslim Crimean Tatar. Crimean Tatars are never represented on TV and are a silent community who have expirienced and continue to expirience genocide. Talking about them and expanding the public's knowledge about Crimean Tatars carries a lot of important weight as their culture, language, and people are almost non-existent in today's settings of being trapped under Russia's occupation, with any outspokers being kidnapped and tortured for still fighting. I have spoken personally to some of the Crimean Tatar viewers directly from Crimea, currently living under occupation, for whom the sheer mention of their ethnicity in the show meant being heared, that their community is not forgotten, that the world still speaks of them.
@insenkiv4619 Valid. I should’ve been more considerate in acknowledging everything you’ve said. I’m glad you can enlighten me and many others, as I knew I didn’t have enough information to speak on the topic myself. I wanted to celebrate the choices made to cast Armand as a POC, but I know that unfortunately erases his book identity that many people hold very dear.
With Armand's ancient-ness in the show, there's also the interesting new detail that he was (IIRC) a former victim of the Arab slave trade, which adds even more layers to his relationship with Louis.
@@dogquixote Thank you for your understanding and compassion. If they choose not to make his ancestral land to be Crimean, Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan (as proposed in the show by Daniel), it's a shame because they are overlooked rich communities that unfortunately carry a lot of dark history. I'm sure whichever route they go, it will be made with deep care. But I wish we'd keep Armand's identity, with a new perspective on it.
Can’t remember who, but someone mentioned how they liked the change in Claudia’s actresses between seasons because each reflected Louis’s perspective of her. The first being more childlike and innocent is how he viewed her through rose-colored glasses while the second being more weathered and mature is him remembering and realizing that she wasn’t completely a child and had trauma. Probably not an excuse for some of the criticisms you and Lisa gave, but considering how thematic the malleability of memory is, I thought it was interesting.
I think a lot of people on Twitter have that perspective! I love that reading but I also love the similar, but a bit different take that it reflects how despite how meaningful she is to him, Louis can't exactly remember her face. He will forever be stuck with different versions of her in his memory, never quite remembering how she actually looked like, and by extension, her true, purely unfiltered self. It's more tragic but I think it fits the story
@@losj3020 i like that take a lot too, but then we have the photographs he takes of her complicating things. i wonder if he still has any with him in modern day or if they were somehow lost with their paris apartment, though i don't see why they would be
@@animeotaku307 ok interestingly, I rewatched the first season recently (having not seen in since its debut a couple of years back). And what I found was that Claudia at the end of the first season is VERY similar to Claudia at the beginning of season 2. The jump was far less jarring than I expected it to be.
especially because by this point in the story, Claudia is significantly older than her. so it's a beautiful subversion to have the childlike character be the protective wizened one.
I can't imagine not liking Madeleine after how she bodied Armand in that one scene. like I feel like the way she talks about that nazi is bc she was starving for food and intimacy and bc of how relatively young he was. She is brutally punished by the horrifically misogynist public afterwards but still carries herself with so much dignity! It's also kind of Freudian that Claudia fell for a french white aristocrat which is fun
@VuotoPneumaNN I remember a line in her backstory that she was from a noble/rich family so no one in her hometown cared that she became an orphan and that's where her resilience comes from
Yeah I still don't get why people get so twisted about Madeline backstory, where it was another very realistic story of a woman trying to survive and suffering consequenses for it forever, and even the audience judging her. The show is filled with people with grey morality and straight up evil people, but it's Madeline who gets the most judgement for sleeping with a young conscripted soldier for survival
@@cherries_and_wine I agree, I also feel like it works as a piece of characterization because it communicates to the audience that Madeline a.) values having a companion who feels loved more than one who is good in the moral sense (keeping in mind that all of our protagonists literally kill and eat people on the daily) and b.) is disillusioned with groupthink and mob morality bc of her experiences, which sets up her ultimate decision to die with Claudia. Although since she mentioned it in the video I can see how there are other issues with the writers giving Claudia a companion whos last relationship was with a member of the nazi party has some potential for serious baggage with it. Although again, I feel like I remember the show characterising him as like, someone who ended up where he was without really understanding what he was getting himself into bc he was young and stupid and there would have been a lot of incentive, be it pressure or propaganda or you name it, to join the party as a teen in 1940s germany. then again, that doesn't diminish the really fucked up thing he was contributing to, and ig madeline by association. Idk. living through WWII would have been really complicated and i am smart for noticing this
@@cherries_and_winemy grandmothers family was in East Germany after the war and they did what they needed to to survive. I see her in Madeline. She kiki’d with Russian soldiers to get food. They weren’t sympathizers, they wanted to live.
I love how you talked about Claudia's potential, and how she was destined to die. I think about her putting herself in the sun (during the first season) as a form of self harm. Just so interesting to think about in contrast to the second season, where she has a companion who loves her when she dies. I adore the two actresses who played her, and her facial expression during the last moments were just amazing. So tragic and beautiful T-T
I honestly can't wait to see Bailey Bass and Delaney Hayles in future roles because they both absolutely are the role of Claudia up. Roxanne Durant also slayed too
Omg. I cant believe you uploaded just when I was looking for something to watch. Edit: As imperfect as the show is, I will never get over the fact, that AMC's IWTV made a better book adaptation for 21st cent. sensibilities than BOTH House of the Dragon and Rings of Power with probably 10% of the budget! What an excellent day to be gay!
Not only a better adaptation but a more enjoyable show period! Every week, I was counting down until a new IWTV episode dropped. HOTD I got bored halfway through Season 2, TROP I haven't even begun Season 2 yet. IWTV manages to bring the messy -gay- drama and the thoughtful exploration of issues. The other two...
I totally agree that this adaptation made Louis such a more interesting, complex character who could really hold his own in a story that includes larger than life characters! Jacob Anderson also did such a phenomenal job weaving all the dissonant pieces of that character into a performance that you completely believe and understand deeply
I read a fanfic not long ago, who's name I can't remember but if I do I'll link it, where Daniel confronted Louis about his past as a pimp who mostly employed black women. Daniel asked Louis if he had ever considered the fact that had Claudia survived as a regular human and had not been turned or met them, it would have been possible she could have ended up being one of those girls he employed. And Louis thought about it for a moment and had to acknowledge that yeah, he actually would have hired her as during that point of his life. I really loved that moment of the fic because it highlighted that in this adaptation, they didn't remove Louis taking advantage of black people, it's just that in this version it's by exploiting black women in hard situations instead of having black people in general as slaves. Which I feel we often skipped over as I don't see many people talking about it.
@aceanarchy5554 Nobody is denying that Louis is immoral, the show runners have said that the very reason why they made him a pimp in the first place was to keep that aspect of his character intact. But as people of color have pointed out it’s really gross thing to think about her in that situation especially in lieu of those same show runners writing her into a sexual assault plot-line that was an overly cruel and unnecessary to do to a black girl who was already being tormented by Lestat at home. I remember this being a talking point in the fandom, when those idiots went to a real life plantation and took pictures of their white Louis Funko Pop while on a tour and posted captions about how much of a “sobering experience” it was for them! It really comes across as very tone deaf and insensitive is what I’m saying!
Girl, we just have to agree to disagree on Madeline. I love her! Being weird enough to sit still and watch a vampire bundle up bodies makes her just the sociopath Claudia had been aching for. Two tough broads going out in a blaze of glory was nothing if not beautiful.
I haven't watched the video yet, but you seem to have thought about Claudia and Madeleine's relationship a bit, and I just *need* someone else's perspective on this. In what ways do you think Madeleine is a complementary partner for Claudia? I feel like so many facets of her backstory that we get (specifically her sexual relationship with that Nazi kid [which in engaging in, she addresses two taboos--loving a monster and child, see also: Claudia's romantic dilemma in season 1]) are distinctly trying to comment on Claudia's vampire nature, but I don't knowwww. Their relationship is taboo and complex like nearly all the relationships on the show, and I want to do it justice by analyzing it. Yeah. I have been trying to wrap my head around Madeleine's moral greyness for months now :")
@@femmefrantic For me, Madeline was the only character in the show that was born to be a vampire. Her human feelings and attachments were cut off at a pretty early age, so her strongest motivation was always survival. Morality, decency, human compassion were already well gone by the time she banged the Nazi teen. Her wartime survival instincts were excellent, and she didn't give a damn whether how she survived helped or hurt the French Resistance against Hitler. Madeline in her early 30s was ripe for the pickin' when 40something Claudia came along. Here's where people's discomfort comes in, and where a brilliant trick of the show tries to get us comfortable with this blossoming romance. Madeline is Claudia's dressmaker. She constantly has to touch the girlish body, and knows every contour of it and says as much in remembering that Claudia's measurements are exactly the same after 2 years apart. Extremely intimate already, right? What does Madeline ask before offering Claudia her wrist: What does blood taste like? What does she ask Armand in their fake pre-vampire interview: Will I like my food? Already, this is a terrifying monster. I guess the ephebophile/pedo vibes didn't hit me so hard because book/movie/show, I always saw Claudia as a dwarf. A woman who is a child only to the eye. Lol Little People deserve love, too!
@@tdali8347 Yes! You totally get it. I was looking for this explanation. I found Madeline's change to be quite fitting as well. Because Claudia is not longer played as a young child, she's not looking for a mother the way book Claudia is, so it makes sense to pair her with a friend/love interest. I think Claudia is interested in Madeline because she has a difficult relationship with morality as a human (ie. sleeping with a Nazi boy), which translates well to the lacking morals of killing that come with being a vampire. I don't think their relationship became romantic at all until Madeline realized Claudia was a vampire, so it wasn't all that weird to me.
@@femmefrantic I'm still sorting through the (arguably) pedophilia subtext personally, but putting that aside for now and understanding Claudia as an adult woman, I think Madeline's character arc goes from doing anything to survive, including leveraging her privilege as a white woman and being complicit in white supremacy, to standing against white violence against a Black woman she loves, even at the cost of her own life.
I haven’t watched season 2 yet (in Australia I think it’s finally came out here. Wanna watch it legally so my viewing gets counted). But agree with all of what you said and absolutely loved hearing your perspective. Jacob Andersen is definitely my Louis. I do hope we get more adaptions of sci-fi & fantasy books by BiPoc authors. Or just more original genre tv shows lead by BiPoc creators. There’s so many amazing stories out there written by BiPoc creators. And I’m just so bored of seeing the same stories by white authors get adapted or stories by white authors with very similar narrative arcs, themes and character beats get adapted constantly. Hopefully the success of Interview with a Vampire means studios will acknowledge that there’s a massive audience for genre shows that treat BiPoc and queer characters with sensitivity & care.
I really don't think Anne Rice's problem with fan fiction had to do with Claudia being sexualized. She did that to an uncomfortable degree herself. I didn't pick up on it when I read the books as basically a child myself, but a reread of the series as an adult was wild.
Considering that admittedly, Claudia was a stand-in for Anne's own daughter, who sadly passed away very young (5 years old I believe), makes it DOUBLE WEIRD to me
it's uncomfortable how claudia is sexualized but i think it's definitely intentional! it's got to do with the theme of immortality, it's deeply entrenched in claudia's personal arch, and it's a horror story! sometimes horror isn't big bombastic monsters and gore. sometimes it's the discomfort that comes eith an adult man saying a small child "whispers to him like a lover" etc
@@aeternalslime9670 I might have agreed with you if I hadn't read so much of Anne Rice's work, where sexualizing children is frequent. There's even an uncomfortable quote directly from her about normalizing such things.
I cried like a river at two moments in season 2. When Claudia died with honor and unapologetically herself. Then when Louie and Lestat met up holding the wooden keyboard. I was VERY skeptical as a literary purist but AMC did an awesome job with the characters. Doing race-bending correctly, is important because otherwise it will be cheap, money grab slop.
I loved how Louis points out that being repeatedly called a fledgling and the power dynamic between him and Lestat makes “fledgling” sound a lot like “slave.” Thought that was an important moment in regards to the race switching and the context of the time
Grateful you talked about the show!! Many people i know who are watching the AMC show and have not read the book did not know that louis and claudia are white in the original. I also think the actors performance and absolute devotion to their characters really really really elevates the show. There is no shame attached to this heightened emotion of the vampire. The pilot is one of my favourite episodes of television tbh, specifically cause you get to see louis' brown eyes, which are so emotional and divine. I think the contrast to the removed and uncanny nature of the contact lenses is supreme. Also vampire manicure :) cunt
Great video! I would've loved to hear about your thoughts on Armand being race bent and what that entails in the show as well. I think changing him from being Ukrainian to Indian was a nice touch. It brings a spotlight to sexual slavery and "exotic" people being a novelty within Europe. And due to his past and age Armand lived through slavery whereas Louis (and later Claudia) had to deal with post abolition/segregation brand of racism. Armand over the years was treated as a gypsy (Nicki calls him that 2x3, and probably a lot of other people did too..), and Claudia marvels at him being the coven leader with skin darker than Louis. Louis said it was an astonishment that them being Black Americans in Paris actually put them on a higher status and was very different to their experience back home. I think it's interesting how they had parallel but also different experiences with how their skin color was being perceived. I think my favorite thing about race swaps in this show was Louis and Armand's relationship. You don't see a Black & Brown gay couple on Hollywood films/series that just weren't there to tick a box for diversity in their cast. It's usually an interracial couple with one part always white in these films.. So seeing a different combination with incredibly complex dynamics and grey characters is really an unfortunately rare treat. I think making Louis have his own toxic traits (as Jacob Anderson says) adds so much to the depth of the character, he's not above manipulation and cruelty and i love that. I think about something Assad Zaman said in an interview whenever i think of their dynamic: As a fckd up coping mechanism both Louis and Armand revert back to who they used to be. The pimp and the sex slave. It's so fcked up to think about. Armand has no sense of self without someone to tell him who he is, and needs Louis, so submitting to him is the obvious choice because it would make Louis think he had power over Armand in the relationship, and survival through the subservient role is all Armand knows anyways. And for Louis after feeling like he had no power or control in his relationship with Lestat and getting into another relationship with another very powerful vampire, him having that power and weaponizing it is his way of feeling secure in a relationship. In another life with properly negotiated dynamics this relationship could've been healing for both of them. But insecurities, emotional unavailability, wildly different power dynamics in different areas of their relationship, their past traumas and their horrible responses to them just made a whole mess. And i love mess.. Where else are you gonna find these levels of messy relationships in mainstream media where characters are allowed to be awful. And still be loved for it. Anyways this is just a jumbled thought vomit with disconnected thoughts mushed together because i wanted to talk about Armand a bit lol.. It probably doesn't make any coherent sense..
your second paragraph is so astute, that they revert to their old roles (Louis as the pimp/controller and Armand as the sex slave/subservient) as the only way they know how to cope or have power in a relationship to be a vampire is to live forever/for a much longer time, and combined with their monstrous nature it's like trauma is inevitable for them. it's really an amazing vehicle to explore all of these complex topics
@@llamaslovedrama that was my thoughts mixed in with essentially what Assad said in an eye-opening interview with Vulture after season 2 finale called “It Tastes Different Playing Armand”. Highly recommend reading it. He really gets where Armand’s behaviour comes from and it was fascinating to read and I’ve thought about it since. He does also mention how living forever causes him to do more horrible stuff because you have an eternity to get over it. So it blurs the morality line even more. That interview really made me understand Armand’s motives in so many specific scenes. I love the complexity of the character and how Assad clearly understands it.
I read the book a few years ago because a friend told me to, so I didn’t actually know any of its context and impact. When I finished and found out about the movie, I couldn’t believe they cast two of the straightest dudes in Hollywood to play Louis and Lestat lol
Are they both exclusively straight? Is anyone in Hollywood, lol? Jacob may more likely to be straight-ish bc he’s openly married to a woman. But idk how he identifies. And what’s Sam’s story? I thought he was in the middle of the sexuality spectrum somewhere
It was the early 90s. It was never going to be any other way. That movie was still gayer than I thought it would be able to get away with when I heard they were making it.
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! I've been waiting for this video ever since the "Confederate Vampires" video. I loved this, and I look forward to your big video coming up. I do have one request. Please do a video for season 3 of Interview with a vampire. I love your videos on vampires. Thank you❤❤❤
I really dislike how they had Louis rip out the pages of Claudia's diary where she describes what happened with Bruce. His reasoning is that he won't have her exploited, but instead he took away her only chance to share her story in her own words. He talked over her and told her story for her and its upsetting. I also absolutely love Jacob Anderson's portrayal of Louis. I can't imagine anyone else playing him.
I think that makes sense for Louis character though, he is flawed in that he selfishly turned her, and he mentioned to Daniel that he failed Claudia. Reading that and having those words be read by others, would essentially be immortalizing his failure of protecting Claudia in book form (this is how I think his character would view that). A character can do bad things, that make sense for what their motivations are.
@@LucentSky It totally made sense for Louis' character and added more depth to their relationship, but I dislike how that was done by adding in Claudia getting assaulted. I wish they could have done something similar without using something awful happening to Claudia mostly to further Louis' story.
I was really excited to hear you talk about this show because I’m currently deeply obsessed with it, and I largely watched it in the first place because of how interesting it sounded when you brought it up in your videos. I’m a white woman (and haven’t read the books) so my perspective on the racial aspects is always going to be limited, so it was really great to hear your thoughts on that. Something I absolutely agree with as well is about the fandom need to find a “one true abuser/victim” and that being a pretty unhelpful way to examine a show as nuanced as this. I think as well after a certain point you can’t entirely apply human morality to vampire characters - like, yes I know Claudia kills and eats innocent people, but she is also my sweet angel who has never done anything wrong in her life
I would say a better analysis is “there is no perfect victim” because mutual abuse does not exist and there will always be a true abuser and a true victim between those two people (which doesn’t mean that those two people themselves can’t also go on to be an abused and abuser outside of that dynamic with someone else). Louis being a bad person , pimp, or doing things people don’t believe victims should do doesn’t cancel out that in the series (and in the book), Lestat is abusive (and racist in the show) to him. I feel like the nuance argument to apply the concept of “no true abuser/victim” (when the nuance should be on the fact that no victim is perfect and expecting them to be is a form of victim blaming) comes out because people like Lestat and want to in a lot of ways absolve him of his wrongs of being an abuser. I feel that does a disservice to his character. You can like bad characters. All IWTV characters are bad on some level (except for maybe Claudia) but they also all have dynamics (some imbalanced) between each other that shapes their actions toward each other. IWTV takes real world issues and applies them monsters. Is the racism and misogyny suddenly not real just because they’re all monsters? I am saying all this because I’m thinking of all of the blatantly racist and point blank text book victim blaming I’ve seen (like could be word for word about any irl DV case, and no them being vampires doesn’t make that any less weird to read) in this fandom is lowkey scary and uncomfortable to read sometimes. And I think answering with “well they’re all vampires” does a disservice to what the show is trying to tell us as fans. And talking about this type of stuff still does not mean that you can’t like these bad characters.
@sanaishere18 Girl, Claudia is a literal serial killer that tortured her victims and collected body parts trophies. That has nothing to do with vampirism. Nothing about being a vampire forces you to do that. There is no good person on this show, they are all literal monsters. Claudia right there up with them.
@@HotaruRea Definitely agree that Claudia is just as bad as all the other characters on the show. However, I feel like vampires by nature value human life less because of their immortality, so in a way being a vampire could turn you into a serial killer. If I know that I can live forever, I automatically won't have the same appreciation for life if this makes sense. Claudia specifically is also already quite a violent and angry person, so that plus immortality PLUS the fact that she's stuck at 14 forever and in a bizarre and deeply limiting family dynamic is what causes her to give zero fucks and kill as many people as she pleases and take trophies and all that. The show doesn't really explore this aspect, but to me her taking trophies is also indicative of a fascination with humans which stems from the fact that she didn't really get to live at all before becoming undead. She never got to experience humanity because she was turned so young, so vampirism (and by association disregard for human life and prioritizing your own needs ((I.e. hunger)) over people's wellbeing) is all she knows. Sorry for the essay btw, I just find her such a compelling and fascinating character I needed to reply to your comment hahah
@@sanaishere18right there is no such thing as mutual abuse, as Princess points out. However what I was more referring to is the tendency of a lot of people in the fandom (and it’s a problem with most fandoms nowdays - I’m thinking back to Princess’ purity culture video and liking the bad guy video) is for people to say things like, “this character is a bad person and you’re a bad person if you like them”. Which is not how that works. Idk I feel like a lot of fans in general have become very fixated on making sure the things they like are morally pure. What I think I’m trying to say in regards to the “one true abuser/victim” is that there are fans who try to pick out a single character to blame for literally bad thing that ever happens in the show, whether that character is Lestat or Armand or (somehow) Louis. That to me is doing a disservice to a complex show where every character is responsible for doing at least some bad things.
Thank you for making this video. I'm not going to have a deep commentary about the race issue (I'm white), but I want to mention something about Claudia's SA storyline and how, after two seasons I have somehow changed my mind about it. Or, more accurately, I added more nuance to it. I still think that out of all the changes and additions that the writers implemented, this is the most controversial one. I appreciate the fact that they tried to be the least exploitative about it (never showing it, giving more details about it only a season later). I was, however, always struggling with the ultimate purpose. Were the writers lazy to have Claudia experience SA to prove to her that she was ultimately vulnerable and had to return to Louis and Lestat, when the logical choice for her in this adaptation (when she's much older and therefore more self-sufficient than book or movie Claudia) was to leave? Was it to make her stronger (ugh, that comment from Rolin Jones was absolutely the worst, he deserved all the criticism for that)? I think the underlying narrative reason was to hammer her parallel to Lestat even more. Many people in the fandom (including me) are speculating that the rape-y subtext of his turning will be made text in the show. I don't even think it will serve his story necessarily, but it's going to strengthen the connection between them in retrospect: Lestat understood what she went through better than Louis could, and instead of showing empathy to her, he was cruel. It can be an interesting angle to explore - what the show chooses to do with that remains to be seen.
That reasoning makes the change worse though. Bc it should be more about her character and lived experience rather than function mostly as a potential parallel. Lestat (and his potential assault) should not be a *primary* reason her assault was made into the show.
@bloop6734 I wouldn't say it's a primary reason: that being proving to the viewer that she IS weaker than adult vampire and vulnerable without protection. They had to establish it to avoid the plot hole of why would she ever come back. She's a teenager in this version and in theory she should be self-sufficient, afterall. As I said, I'm not sure if it's enough for me to like this change, even if the theory of paralleling her assault to Lestat's proves to be correct. I just wanted to note that there might have been several reasons the writers had for this addition, not just to make the Black female character suffer some more. YMMV, of course.
I kinda saw it as a comparison between her and vampires as a whole. After Claudia gets away from Lestat, she's completely determined to find other vampires. She says that Louis, Lestat, him, every vampire she's ever met has been a bastard - for once she wants to find one that's not a bastard. Which I thought made sense bc she then becomes so attached to the Théâtre. But those vampires are bastards too and don't respect her as an adult. I saw her SA as fitting that theme of Claudia seeking connections but only finding people that take advantage of/don't respect her, and her struggles to be seen as more than the body she was turned as.
i have never read any of the books but I LOVE the amc show and Claudia is absolutely one of my favorite fictional characters ever especially in s2. I can’t really properly articulate why but shes just SO tragic and amazing and I love her
Love this show with all my heart 🥹 Jacob Anderson’s Louis is probably one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. I can’t even begin to express the utter fear and loss I feel of him not being our main character anymore (especially given how Hollywood tends to push black characters aside to make way for whiteness. I have a bit more faith the writers but I’m honestly not holding my breath). And while it’s not perfect Louis and Claudia will forever have my heart ♥️ I’m reallly gonna miss my baby girl 😭
Same here. I can't remember the last time a fictional character made me feel the way this portrayal of Louis does but it was probably back when I was a dramatic teenager. I am also scared to watch season 3 without him being the main character, but choose to remain hopeful. Still, it will not be the same. I just love watching him so much. Everything about him is devastatingly beautiful
It’s interesting to hear Honestly, I really need to watch this show. Because I’ve read the books and watched the movie, and believe me: switching the main character from Louis to Lestat after Interview absolutely saved the series 😅 They must’ve done a LOT of work on Louis for the show. I’m really fascinated to see that now, because book Louis is literally the worst
You are the first creator I've heard mention Byzantium! I actually low-key like that movie a lot, I love 'down on their luck' vampires - even if it wasn't the greatest movie I'd watch it again. (Also thank you for saying Van Helsing was good even if it was cheesy and campy, its one of my favorites!)
Something about Season 2 that stuck to me was showing how Louis wanted Claudia, forcing Lestat's hand. Makes the s1 animosity that comes out make sense. He never wanted her but didn't want to lose Louis to only see her pull Louis away. But in the end, he was left with the guilt of her death but also his weakness as a parental figure. Maybe even see that through her own anger and maybe hatred, she loved him. They loved each other and now there is no chance to even attempt at an understanding.
I agree with most of what you said. It does put care into the characters but also will always side eye them brutalising Louis and adding the bit about SA to Claudia. Which was a minus on both fronts for me. Also would've preferred a more complex grey route as opposed to black and white territory it gets into at times.
Don't worry season 3 Lestat will get the absolute shit beat out of him... more than once, probably. So you'll get to see the brutalizer becomes the brutalized in the coming season, I suppose.
I watched interview with a vampire once and did not care for it, but this show made me love louis in a way I never thought I would. This show struck so many chords in me that I loved watching every second of it.
As a white nb person I never considered the fact that it makes more sense for Tv Claudia to choose a black lover (or at least, not a white one) but I completely agree with you on further reflection. Especially when you consider Claudia's experiences in season 1 (and the nature of her making at the hands of Lestat and her feelings about him), it really doesn't track that she'd throw herself into a love affair with a white woman
I mean, you can't order a heart and all that. Maybe she fell in love with her DESPITE the fact that she's a WW, but perfect for her in terms of personality etc
I think Interview With A Vampire shows fantastically written complex characters elevate the story and smooth over a lot of other issues, regardless of what era the story is in.
For anyone else who's trying to Shazam the ending song, it's White Castle by Tabemono. What a banger to discover, thank you for including it, Princess!
I honestly have many mixed feelings about the show, I feel so much was gained but there was also much about the books I love were lost. Lestat's more abusive behavior is amped up to such a degree that I can't feel the same about him as I do in the books. And that's a shame cause I just love the actor for him! And yet Louis is now much more three dimensional, & more interesting. Claudia is a different character almost entirely for me, due to her being so aged up. I like her but apart from the reasons I like book Claudia. I feel the raw grief Anne Rice poured into writing book Claudia is lost because she's not the same age Rice's very real child was when she died. But both actresses clearly brought something very real from their own lives into TV Claudia, particularly the complicated relationship to girlhood & adultification as black adolescent girls. And I definitely agree the added SA put in Claudia's story is completely unnecessary. Why does this version of Claudia need to suffer even more? And on top of that it again just piled onto really ruining this version of Lestat for me, when he threatened to find her SAer. That was vile to both Claudia & Lestat writing wise. And then there were just other more messy writing issues I had in a general sense, from inconsistent lore from the very beginning to characterization at times also inconsistent.
I agree! I’m of the minority opinion in fandom in that I don’t believe this show made these relationships more morally complex as compared to the books, even if Louis himself has been given more depth in a lot of ways (and less depth in others, imo). The degree of DV (and cheating), the extensive mind-wiping, and Claudia’s SA are incredibly villainous things that don’t happen in canon and change these characters extensively, to me. The show makes a pretty clear case of ‘The Malicious Abusers’ versus ‘The Abused’ that simplifies the much murkier power dynamics of everybody being some form of self-serving manipulator in the TVC books. And that’s disappointing. And other gripes about personal preferences, yes, such as Claudia’s age needing to be changed due to concern about audience reaction and/or filming considerations. But I really pin most of my frustrations on the writers, and not the fans trying to make sense of characters who were made complicated in conflicting and inconsistent ways, imo. And even my critiques aren’t straightforward because there are so many incredible things about the show that make me unable to dismiss and ignore it completely. Anyway, I really appreciate your enthusiasm *and* criticism of the show, Princess Weekes. ♥️
I've also come to dread raceswapped character bec. of the issues, you pointed out: Bonnie vs Caroline, Black Starfire in Titans, Tara in True Blood, the Black police officer in Sleepy Hollow, the Black girl in Invincible, etc. It's clear to me, that writers dont love/desire and care for these characters anymore, that they are Black. It's so disheartening to watch unfold every single time. It reminds me of the self-incriminating Hunger Games' fans, who couldnt feel pain and empathy for Rue, after her race was changed bec. it also explains SO MUCH of my own individual experience, as a Black woman, who has mostly lived in w. spaces.
The kicker is, Rue's race was never changed- she was black in the books too (arguably, they lightened her skin in the movie even) but people were just able to ignore it until she was on screen Editing to add: I totally feel you though and agree, it sucks seeing the responses and treatment after they decide to race swap a character, especially when it's a female one.
So awesome to get your perspective on this series which has meant so much to me. Also thankful to hear someone calling out that Bruce shit, such a misfire.
Love this! I recently binged the entire first two seasons and just fell in love with the adaptation (as someone who read the novel and saw the film previously). I felt that it was just such a masterpiece, and not just for the both creative and loving ways they, in my opinion, elevated the source material, but how it's clear that every person who worked on the series is passionate about what they do. From the cinematography to the costumes to the soundtrack and the writing. The actors--just all of it! It's the best piece of media I feel like I've seen in a really long time. And of course it isn't perfect, but damn if it isn't so incredibly refreshing and exciting.
I always interpreted the vampire element as sort of ... tricky metaphor for homosexuality during the mid-late 20th century. Like, if people treat you like a monster who can't be a part of society, who infects other people, you start to believe it about yourself. If you make it clear that you will treat someone's like a monster no matter how they act, some people will live down to your ecxpectations. And others will have nowhere to turn when they find themselves in a dangerous or abusive situation because they're completely ostracized and/or they'll be blamed for their own abuse. Louis and Lestat are both traumatized by their pasts, they're both terrified of being alone (which they have been told will happen because of what they are), they throw themselves into self-loathing or extreme self-indulgence or both to deal with that constant ache. And they're both so isolated from others like them that this becomes their baseline. They don't know how to move past it and there is nothing in place to help them do so.
A friend of mine put me onto your videos because I wouldn't shut up about what a brilliant reimagining this show is. I owe him a debt of gratitude. Love this shit! Subbed
My only concern with the TV adaptation when I sat down and started watching it was that it was a completely different vibe/aesthetic to the film. I really like the 17/1800s costuming and extravagance of the film if I'm being honest and I do still, on a visual/"vibe" leve,l prefer the film. But the characters in the TV show are much better. Especially Louis, who I could not give less of a fuck about in the film adaptation haha. Jacob Anderson really brings so much charisma and likeability to Louis it's easy to actually care about him as a character - it also helps that you get to see him with his family before it all crumbles around him.
Tbh thats what i was worried about as someone who Had read the books. And the First book is basically.... Architecture and interior Design p0rn haha. The descriptions of the fabrics, the brocades, the delicate Tables and Apartments.... But the TV Show changed the asthetic AND the vibe so consistently that i ended Up in Love with it. It couldnt possibly have done the decadence and opulence of a 17th century setting If it's NOT Set in the 17th. So they didnt. Instead they give you the vibrancy of the creole Community, the music, the seediness of the Red Light District. The Cats! Tbh i think on a practical Level this was done for Budget reasons (it's Always easier to Dress and do Sets for a later decade/century. The Dresses alone would give me anxiety). But for me it worked to damn well
The instant I saw "Princess Weekes" and "Interview With the Vampire" (2022 version obviously) I clicked IMMEDIATELY because these are my favourite things
You do look incredible in this video and the sound really isn't too bad. Feels like watching some of your first videos from a decade ago. The thoughts and analysis are more than the worth a slight echo. Also your fan fiction podcast sounds awesome 🙏🏻🫶🏻
First comment! I'm so ready Edit : Done with the video and I agree with pretty much everything that was said but most especially that changing Louis from being a white slave owner was one of the best decisions made in the show. I'm trying to imagine it now and it's like 'I'm supposed to feel sorry for this man...?' I also find it hilarious being one of three (might be more) 'first comment' commenters
love you, love you. just discovered you this morning. i'm always a fool for beauty and brains and a goddamn point of you. wish you monumental success in all your endeavors.
This was well said, you’ve got a new fan. I didn’t expect to love this show the way I did, Jacob Anderson’s portrayal of Louis was so beautiful and tender.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSS ugh i've been absolutely starving for a vid like this from you, and i can't wait for the follow up project!!! deeply appreciate this show and its thus far pretty well done tackling of very complex characters in very disastrous situationships, the poison of trauma, cycles of abuse, tragically ruined lives, racial power dynamics, the curse of being a vampire, etc, etc. i frankly hope that they double down on that energy and attention with lestat's pov because i know enough from the books that he is messier than he already is perceived as. its not all flowers though, as i do agree that claudia's inserted in SA, especially with her being black in this version of things and aged up, made that experience all the more icky and when you exclude it there's no actual point to why it had to happen outside of maybe showing that its not just lestat whose a shit abuse vampire, that there's plenty of others? but then, i really don't even care to examine it with that lens as its probably the one thing i feel so strongly against for his inclusion. really enjoyed this one thanks so much for sharing your insight with us
If I hadn't already subscribed, your mention of Bizantium would have made me subscribing on the spot! That's is such an overlooked take on vampires, one of my favorites!
loved this video! i think you got at what's wonderful about this show & what are some of its misteps. i appreciate that as a fan you really engage with the show on it's own terms - that vampire characters operate with a different rules & internal workings. while i think one of the best things abt IWTV is that some of the evilest action displayed by the vampires are also their most human, they are also folkloric monsters who drink blood! & i think it's you lose something when you don't talk about them in both those contexts! also - it was a real treat to hear you on you're wrong about again. this video & the elizabeth báthory episode make a great double feature.
Woahhhhhhh. I have only just discovered your channel (literally just today) and already feel enlightened and more educated after watching two of your videos. Definitely a new subscriber!
I'm liking and comenting for the algorithm and also because I know that it will be a very well researched video, coming from you. I'll watch it soon enough. In the meantime, thank you so much for making a video about race and IWTV!
When describing the show to a friend, who also had apprehensions going into it, it was as "like fanfiction but in the best way possible" ~ fanfiction exists for good reasons and a lot of them are to fill in the gaps that left us dissatisfied and build upon what we loved about something. The racebending (which originally had me going "just do Mayfair Witches then" to my later chagrin) helped build a much deeper but also accessible character for Louis and everything was able to develop more compellingly because of that. Love the series and so glad you made this to remind of that fact!
Ever since you made your "Confederate Vampires" video I was REALLY hoping you'd talk about IWTV and give your thoughts on it. I love the show so much it's difficult for me to think even slightly critically about it and I value your input so much!!!
I feel like the glitz and glam as well as more horror is to come in future seasons. It excites me to see the creators of a show talk about longevity like the creators of IWTV do. I especially love to see such Black, queer main characters getting the chance to develop. I think some of the choices you critiqued were made purely for drama. Another great video!
I'm so thrilled you made this video. I love Interview With the Vampire so much. I love the changes they made to the series to elevate The Vampire Chronicles. I would have liked to have heard more about your thoughts on Armand, since he was changed from being Ukranian to Indian. He too is a very complex and morally grey character, and we'll certainly learn more and get a better feel for who he is over time. I see what you mean about brutalizing Louis and Claudia. The whole storyline with Bruce was weird. I also loved Delaney Hayles as Claudia, but I also would have liked to have seen Bailey Bass come back and see her act alongside Assad Zaman, Roxane Duran, and Ben Daniels. It's honestly incredible how Rolin Jones racebended IWTV without making the same mistakes so many white showrunners, writers, and such create when they make these choices. I hope they continue to make choices that do the series and its characters justice. I hope the series lasts for a long time, especially as the fandom grows (which I'm assuming it is). You can definitely tell Rolin Jones and Mark Johnson care about IWTV. I don't feel like the showrunners have that same kind of love for Mayfair Witches, feels more like an assigned project to them than a creation of love.
I think Armand suffered from being adapted by Americans. As much as I love yall, they have a very non-nuanced approach when it comes to race and class. My bet is they thought, "Ukrainians are hu-white, meaning privileged, meaning we have enough privileged perspectives in our story, let's bring in more traditionally oppressed brown voices." In the US, it has been so, but the whole world is not the US, and at the very least, the current unprovoked, gen*cid*al war that is still going against Ukrainians, could've told them otherwise. When they and many other Slavic/Baltic nations have been terrorized and oppressed by Russia for hundreds of years, too. Just not on the basis of the color of the skin, but "inferior" identities and cultures, as well as imperial ambitions. Not to mention that Slavic identity, struggles, and beliefs are MUCH different from your typical privileged WASP American- meaning that including such a character would bring just as much diversity as a current casting. But oh well.
the way you summarise claudia as a character and the tragedy of it is so poignant and so TRUE and made me tear up, ahaha. this is a great video!!!! i enjoyed this sooo much !!!!!
Really loved the video, thank you so much for sharing. IWTV is such an amazing show, especially because of the color-conscious casting, and sometimes I cannot believe it's real.
I watched this on Nebula, but I wanted to make sure to engage with the yt version too. This was a fantastic video, so thoughtful as always. I was inspired to start rewatching the show again lol
Thank you for thi video -loved it, it was beautfiul. Please don't worry about the audio, when you were explaining about it I thought, it must be really bad, she's apologising so much. But it was totally fine! not a problem at all.
Ok, I am finally going to watch this show. I was interested but not quite enough to put in the time. I’ve also been working out some theories about diversity in casting. I completely agree on how making characters Black often seems to make it okay to brutalize and diminish them in a certain way.
I’m glad you appreciate Wyll. He was one of the reasons I bought the game. I do like Gale and enjoyed him more on my second playthrough, but he was initially the “boring”one to me when I played it.
wish I had something insightful to add to the conversation, other than thank you for taking the time to make these videos with a lot of thought and care that always spark great discussions. looking pretty as always! Also I do hope we see Cladia in s3 and she just haunts everyone
My children are starting to read, and they have started the bunnicula (a bunny vampire) books & it’s been fun to start having these conversations around stories & genre. You always bring such great critique and nuance to conversations! ❤️ and then I try my best to remember them & add them to our conversations also 😂
Going into this series I knew I was going to enjoy it from the jump. However, I loved it even more because of the portrail of Lestat and Louis relationship. It reminded me of how I acted in my past relationships with my partners, hurting them but simultaneously loving them with an intensity. I also, appreciated how they portrayed Lestat's deep love for Louis. The scene where Lestat lets Louis go with Armond and the scene when the hurricane hits when they reunite.
Its worth mentioning that Anne Rice changed her mind about Tom Cruise. After being so public in her disagreement she took out an advert to say how much she enjoyed his performance.
@AcademyNS I would suspect pay. Tom cruise also has a habit of trying to work against the general critical consensus of his work. Lestart was I think him attempting to prove that he wasn't just an action star. Having proved it he could go and do other things.
This was so interesting. I saw the film in cinemas as a teenager then went on to read many of the books. At the time I enjoyed the world that Anne Rice created and I have retained an interest in the vampire/supernatural genre ever since. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch this series but it sounds like they made some really interesting changes to make the re-write of Louis as a black man/vampire work successfully within the story, my curiosity is now peaked. Your comments about films where vampires are portrayed as poor and outcasts rather than glamorous, glitzy and wealthy is something I also feel. It isn't portrayed all that often, the example that comes to mind is the 2008 film Let The Right One In.
Such an interesting perspective. I'm going to have to watch the new series. Totally didn't register that Anderson is from GoT! Always thought he brought a lot to that character, and it looks like he plays Louis with nuance.
Great stuff as always! IWTV the TV series made me way more open to adaption. My attitude was that of a theatre director doing a umpteenth Shakespeare show with new life etc - like how Armand directs the Theatre des Vampires. I really liked how it was about the perception of memory too. As much as I enjoy the books and how it travels, it still felt and was very white and European. This TV adaption felt very natural and right. The book, The vampire lastst was like a soft reboot to me with said character being very very different from his portrayal in the first book which also referred to Lastat saying there is a lot of things Louis doesn't remember or misremembered. For me with the show, it was a real justification to change, explore and update stuff. However an adaption is an adaption! I can't wait for part 3. As a hetro person of colour this was probably the most romantic love story I have seen. It was touching. Eitherway loved the vid and I have no push backs!
Anne Rice in a FB livestream/Q&A from around when or shortly before the AMC series first began production once said that what she had disliked about the QotD movie so much wasn't just that it had deviated from the original it was that she didn't feel as if it had deviated with any real purpose or actually necessary type reasons, and not so much that the characters didn't look as described as that the changes did not capture or preserve what she felt were the true _essence_ of the characters from the books. (And she acknowledged that the performances given by the cast in the QotD movie were fine.) She said that they would not be casting actual child or teen actors this time around[ in the tv series adaptation] unlike in the movie, and that the only character she personally felt must match their physical appearance from the books was Lestat. 😊 💖💖 Purist book!fans *REALLY* _should_ have been more prepared. (And really should have remembered that Anne Rice herself had previously written Historical Fiction about Black and Mixed-Race characters, too.) Lol
Not going to be fake and lie. I didn't really want a non cannon version of IWTV at first. I thought it was just race bending for the sake of race bending, and I wasn't thrilled at all about the aged up Daniel, and I didn't understand the Louis is a pimp thing at all, but I was wrong. The show makers adapted and honor Ann Rice's books but they also made it their own, and IMPROVED it in many ways. Louis has a personality, finally! (he's a total dud in the books) Instead of hating the changes, I've loved it! The characters and flow of the story is much improved tbh. I can admit I was wrong, Rolin and AMC have created one of the best series of all time. I cannot wait for season 3 and the Talmasaca series. Amazing show and top tier cast. I love it.
“If you fail it’s bc you’re black and if you succeed it’s despite of that.” This perfectly describes how a lot of people view any form of race based casting.
The fact that they hold minority characters and their actors/writers to a higher standard than white cishet neurotypical non-disabled ones says all you need to know about what they want from the former: a minimal, stereotypical or supporting presence or absolute perfection straight out the gate, because gods forbid we fuck up as much as the latter does.
I cherish Jacob's potrayal of Louis so much, that is my baby. I didn't expect to love this show as much as I do.
fr it’s my fav show rn.
Omfg. BEST Louis EVER. Just absolutely brilliant depiction, so much closer to the book version and frickin' beautifully done.
I have never cared about the books or the og movie and I gave the new show a chance because of my love for Jacob Anderson. I'm so glad I did because he made Louis into such a special character and this is truly my favourite show of all time
The last two episodes of season 2 tore my heart in half like nothing has in a long time.
He really is incredible. The speech he gives the priest in the first episode broke my heart, and I've only loved him more since. Also, I'm consistently impressed with his accent work. Also, he is beautiful and baby.
I’m not sure if someone else has mentioned this yet, but Assad Zaman’s casting as Armand is also a fascinating and well-executed change from the source material! Making him Indian instead of Ukrainian not only gives Louis and Claudia a motivation to trust him in s2, as another POC in a majority white city, but also adds poignant context to his backstory. Armand’s maker, Marius, shares Lestat’s blonde hair and blue eyes, and when the two meet, Marius decides to take on mentoring Lestat rather than seeking out and reconnecting with Armand. And as a muse for artists who not only abuse him but WHITEWASH him in their art, Armand is objectified in a way that builds on the book canon, bringing in layers of exoticism, colonialism, and racism that can be further discussed in future seasons. Thankfully, I have more faith than ever in the show delivering, now that a South Asian playwright whose works include a play titled “Brothel #9” has joined the writers room for season three.
I saw someone's analysis about race and racism in itwv and there were paragraphs about Armand and his white master in Europe. You summed up it pretty well.
Interesting to know about south Asian play writer joining the writing room for 3s
This tells me you don't know anything about Ukraine and the continuous erasure of Ukrainian identity, the murder of its people, the loss of language, and the fight for survival. They could have kept Armand's nationality of being Ukrainian while also adapting it to the modern contexts by making him a Muslim Crimean Tatar. Crimean Tatars are never represented on TV and are a silent community who have expirienced and continue to expirience genocide. Talking about them and expanding the public's knowledge about Crimean Tatars carries a lot of important weight as their culture, language, and people are almost non-existent in today's settings of being trapped under Russia's occupation, with any outspokers being kidnapped and tortured for still fighting. I have spoken personally to some of the Crimean Tatar viewers directly from Crimea, currently living under occupation, for whom the sheer mention of their ethnicity in the show meant being heared, that their community is not forgotten, that the world still speaks of them.
@insenkiv4619 Valid. I should’ve been more considerate in acknowledging everything you’ve said. I’m glad you can enlighten me and many others, as I knew I didn’t have enough information to speak on the topic myself. I wanted to celebrate the choices made to cast Armand as a POC, but I know that unfortunately erases his book identity that many people hold very dear.
With Armand's ancient-ness in the show, there's also the interesting new detail that he was (IIRC) a former victim of the Arab slave trade, which adds even more layers to his relationship with Louis.
@@dogquixote Thank you for your understanding and compassion. If they choose not to make his ancestral land to be Crimean, Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan (as proposed in the show by Daniel), it's a shame because they are overlooked rich communities that unfortunately carry a lot of dark history. I'm sure whichever route they go, it will be made with deep care. But I wish we'd keep Armand's identity, with a new perspective on it.
Can’t remember who, but someone mentioned how they liked the change in Claudia’s actresses between seasons because each reflected Louis’s perspective of her. The first being more childlike and innocent is how he viewed her through rose-colored glasses while the second being more weathered and mature is him remembering and realizing that she wasn’t completely a child and had trauma.
Probably not an excuse for some of the criticisms you and Lisa gave, but considering how thematic the malleability of memory is, I thought it was interesting.
I think a lot of people on Twitter have that perspective! I love that reading but I also love the similar, but a bit different take that it reflects how despite how meaningful she is to him, Louis can't exactly remember her face. He will forever be stuck with different versions of her in his memory, never quite remembering how she actually looked like, and by extension, her true, purely unfiltered self. It's more tragic but I think it fits the story
@@losj3020 i like that take a lot too, but then we have the photographs he takes of her complicating things. i wonder if he still has any with him in modern day or if they were somehow lost with their paris apartment, though i don't see why they would be
@@losj3020didn’t he have a picture of her tho? I think Malloy even sees it and asks is that her
@@animeotaku307 ok interestingly, I rewatched the first season recently (having not seen in since its debut a couple of years back). And what I found was that Claudia at the end of the first season is VERY similar to Claudia at the beginning of season 2. The jump was far less jarring than I expected it to be.
13:05 switching a gay character for cher is erasure and yet somehow keeps it just as gay at the same time
right? I said the same thing ❤
Lol saaaame ❤❤❤ have some hearts y'all
Yea she’s the most appropriate choice if you had to gender swap
Love that Cher eventually said no because she wanted it to stay gay lol
Interview the series is one of those rare works where the adaptation surpassed the original work.
I am a simple woman. I see “Princess Weekes” and “Vampire”, I click.
Same Honestly Same 🖐🏽
I’m gonna get this quote tramp stamped !!😭
ha my exact thought process
Same
Me too 😂😂😂
The part where Claudia turns into almost a little girl again looking at lestat before she dies gets me everytime .
Lestat wouldn't wake up from slumber for Limp Bizkit, but he WOULD for Linkin Park
This! That, and Evanescence!
@@TheEverGrowingRosey-333that was my exact thought.
Tbh I think he'd wake up to Deftones and I'll die on this hill
I'm still kinda mad there was no Evanescence on the QOTD soundtrack 🥲@@TheEverGrowingRosey-333
@@TheEverGrowingRosey-333 facts
Madeline choosing Claudia and being cradled in her arms like a child in their last moments 🥺😭😭😭😭
I was ugly crying during this scene
In my mind they got away and are living a happy life in Prague or something
@@TheSim1derfulI love this take
This made me realise it's the opposite from the movie!!
especially because by this point in the story, Claudia is significantly older than her. so it's a beautiful subversion to have the childlike character be the protective wizened one.
I can't imagine not liking Madeleine after how she bodied Armand in that one scene. like I feel like the way she talks about that nazi is bc she was starving for food and intimacy and bc of how relatively young he was. She is brutally punished by the horrifically misogynist public afterwards but still carries herself with so much dignity! It's also kind of Freudian that Claudia fell for a french white aristocrat which is fun
Aristocrat?
@VuotoPneumaNN I remember a line in her backstory that she was from a noble/rich family so no one in her hometown cared that she became an orphan and that's where her resilience comes from
Yeah I still don't get why people get so twisted about Madeline backstory, where it was another very realistic story of a woman trying to survive and suffering consequenses for it forever, and even the audience judging her. The show is filled with people with grey morality and straight up evil people, but it's Madeline who gets the most judgement for sleeping with a young conscripted soldier for survival
@@cherries_and_wine I agree, I also feel like it works as a piece of characterization because it communicates to the audience that Madeline a.) values having a companion who feels loved more than one who is good in the moral sense (keeping in mind that all of our protagonists literally kill and eat people on the daily) and b.) is disillusioned with groupthink and mob morality bc of her experiences, which sets up her ultimate decision to die with Claudia.
Although since she mentioned it in the video I can see how there are other issues with the writers giving Claudia a companion whos last relationship was with a member of the nazi party has some potential for serious baggage with it. Although again, I feel like I remember the show characterising him as like, someone who ended up where he was without really understanding what he was getting himself into bc he was young and stupid and there would have been a lot of incentive, be it pressure or propaganda or you name it, to join the party as a teen in 1940s germany. then again, that doesn't diminish the really fucked up thing he was contributing to, and ig madeline by association.
Idk. living through WWII would have been really complicated and i am smart for noticing this
@@cherries_and_winemy grandmothers family was in East Germany after the war and they did what they needed to to survive. I see her in Madeline. She kiki’d with Russian soldiers to get food. They weren’t sympathizers, they wanted to live.
I love how you talked about Claudia's potential, and how she was destined to die. I think about her putting herself in the sun (during the first season) as a form of self harm. Just so interesting to think about in contrast to the second season, where she has a companion who loves her when she dies. I adore the two actresses who played her, and her facial expression during the last moments were just amazing. So tragic and beautiful T-T
I honestly can't wait to see Bailey Bass and Delaney Hayles in future roles because they both absolutely are the role of Claudia up. Roxanne Durant also slayed too
@@TheSim1derful the actors on this show are all insanely talented, it never ceases to amaze me how they just nail the casting every time
Omg. I cant believe you uploaded just when I was looking for something to watch.
Edit: As imperfect as the show is, I will never get over the fact, that AMC's IWTV made a better book adaptation for 21st cent. sensibilities than BOTH House of the Dragon and Rings of Power with probably 10% of the budget! What an excellent day to be gay!
😮💨 Lotta people probably don’t want to hear this, but it’s absolutely true!!
Not only a better adaptation but a more enjoyable show period! Every week, I was counting down until a new IWTV episode dropped. HOTD I got bored halfway through Season 2, TROP I haven't even begun Season 2 yet. IWTV manages to bring the messy -gay- drama and the thoughtful exploration of issues. The other two...
I totally agree that this adaptation made Louis such a more interesting, complex character who could really hold his own in a story that includes larger than life characters! Jacob Anderson also did such a phenomenal job weaving all the dissonant pieces of that character into a performance that you completely believe and understand deeply
I read a fanfic not long ago, who's name I can't remember but if I do I'll link it, where Daniel confronted Louis about his past as a pimp who mostly employed black women. Daniel asked Louis if he had ever considered the fact that had Claudia survived as a regular human and had not been turned or met them, it would have been possible she could have ended up being one of those girls he employed. And Louis thought about it for a moment and had to acknowledge that yeah, he actually would have hired her as during that point of his life.
I really loved that moment of the fic because it highlighted that in this adaptation, they didn't remove Louis taking advantage of black people, it's just that in this version it's by exploiting black women in hard situations instead of having black people in general as slaves. Which I feel we often skipped over as I don't see many people talking about it.
Do you by any chance have the link
@aceanarchy5554
Nobody is denying that Louis is immoral, the show runners have said that the very reason why they made him a pimp in the first place was to keep that aspect of his character intact. But as people of color have pointed out it’s really gross thing to think about her in that situation especially in lieu of those same show runners writing her into a sexual assault plot-line that was an overly cruel and unnecessary to do to a black girl who was already being tormented by Lestat at home.
I remember this being a talking point in the fandom, when those idiots went to a real life plantation and took pictures of their white Louis Funko Pop while on a tour and posted captions about how much of a “sobering experience” it was for them! It really comes across as very tone deaf and insensitive is what I’m saying!
So strange to see open fanfic discussion under a video about Anne Rice work.
Girl, we just have to agree to disagree on Madeline. I love her! Being weird enough to sit still and watch a vampire bundle up bodies makes her just the sociopath Claudia had been aching for. Two tough broads going out in a blaze of glory was nothing if not beautiful.
I haven't watched the video yet, but you seem to have thought about Claudia and Madeleine's relationship a bit, and I just *need* someone else's perspective on this. In what ways do you think Madeleine is a complementary partner for Claudia? I feel like so many facets of her backstory that we get (specifically her sexual relationship with that Nazi kid [which in engaging in, she addresses two taboos--loving a monster and child, see also: Claudia's romantic dilemma in season 1]) are distinctly trying to comment on Claudia's vampire nature, but I don't knowwww. Their relationship is taboo and complex like nearly all the relationships on the show, and I want to do it justice by analyzing it. Yeah. I have been trying to wrap my head around Madeleine's moral greyness for months now :")
@@femmefrantic For me, Madeline was the only character in the show that was born to be a vampire. Her human feelings and attachments were cut off at a pretty early age, so her strongest motivation was always survival.
Morality, decency, human compassion were already well gone by the time she banged the Nazi teen. Her wartime survival instincts were excellent, and she didn't give a damn whether how she survived helped or hurt the French Resistance against Hitler.
Madeline in her early 30s was ripe for the pickin' when 40something Claudia came along. Here's where people's discomfort comes in, and where a brilliant trick of the show tries to get us comfortable with this blossoming romance. Madeline is Claudia's dressmaker. She constantly has to touch the girlish body, and knows every contour of it and says as much in remembering that Claudia's measurements are exactly the same after 2 years apart. Extremely intimate already, right?
What does Madeline ask before offering Claudia her wrist: What does blood taste like? What does she ask Armand in their fake pre-vampire interview: Will I like my food? Already, this is a terrifying monster.
I guess the ephebophile/pedo vibes didn't hit me so hard because book/movie/show, I always saw Claudia as a dwarf. A woman who is a child only to the eye. Lol Little People deserve love, too!
@@tdali8347 Yes! You totally get it. I was looking for this explanation. I found Madeline's change to be quite fitting as well. Because Claudia is not longer played as a young child, she's not looking for a mother the way book Claudia is, so it makes sense to pair her with a friend/love interest. I think Claudia is interested in Madeline because she has a difficult relationship with morality as a human (ie. sleeping with a Nazi boy), which translates well to the lacking morals of killing that come with being a vampire. I don't think their relationship became romantic at all until Madeline realized Claudia was a vampire, so it wasn't all that weird to me.
@@femmefrantic I'm still sorting through the (arguably) pedophilia subtext personally, but putting that aside for now and understanding Claudia as an adult woman, I think Madeline's character arc goes from doing anything to survive, including leveraging her privilege as a white woman and being complicit in white supremacy, to standing against white violence against a Black woman she loves, even at the cost of her own life.
I haven’t watched season 2 yet (in Australia I think it’s finally came out here. Wanna watch it legally so my viewing gets counted).
But agree with all of what you said and absolutely loved hearing your perspective.
Jacob Andersen is definitely my Louis.
I do hope we get more adaptions of sci-fi & fantasy books by BiPoc authors. Or just more original genre tv shows lead by BiPoc creators. There’s so many amazing stories out there written by BiPoc creators. And I’m just so bored of seeing the same stories by white authors get adapted or stories by white authors with very similar narrative arcs, themes and character beats get adapted constantly. Hopefully the success of Interview with a Vampire means studios will acknowledge that there’s a massive audience for genre shows that treat BiPoc and queer characters with sensitivity & care.
I really don't think Anne Rice's problem with fan fiction had to do with Claudia being sexualized. She did that to an uncomfortable degree herself. I didn't pick up on it when I read the books as basically a child myself, but a reread of the series as an adult was wild.
Yeah both her and Octavia Butler had that issue with sexualizing child like vampires and it is just a big nope for me.
Considering that admittedly, Claudia was a stand-in for Anne's own daughter, who sadly passed away very young (5 years old I believe), makes it DOUBLE WEIRD to me
it's uncomfortable how claudia is sexualized but i think it's definitely intentional! it's got to do with the theme of immortality, it's deeply entrenched in claudia's personal arch, and it's a horror story! sometimes horror isn't big bombastic monsters and gore. sometimes it's the discomfort that comes eith an adult man saying a small child "whispers to him like a lover" etc
@@aeternalslime9670 I might have agreed with you if I hadn't read so much of Anne Rice's work, where sexualizing children is frequent. There's even an uncomfortable quote directly from her about normalizing such things.
@ hm, i haven't read the rest of the series yet, so i'll cede to your better knowledge in this instance.
"...unless they have a black witch to abuse " 💀🕳
Justice for Bonnie 🤣🤣🤣
It's interesting how the two tv shows I remember doing racebend really well are about vampires (iwtv and castlevania nocturne)
ooh i recommend la'ron readus video on castlevania nocturne on Annette's character. it's really good 😊
@@enchantedstarlight9573 thank you for the recommendation! i watched the video, it's very good!
@@enchantedstarlight9573 thank you for the recommendation! i watched the video, it's very good!
I cried like a river at two moments in season 2. When Claudia died with honor and unapologetically herself. Then when Louie and Lestat met up holding the wooden keyboard.
I was VERY skeptical as a literary purist but AMC did an awesome job with the characters. Doing race-bending correctly, is important because otherwise it will be cheap, money grab slop.
I loved how Louis points out that being repeatedly called a fledgling and the power dynamic between him and Lestat makes “fledgling” sound a lot like “slave.” Thought that was an important moment in regards to the race switching and the context of the time
@@ellabiddy4741 that's a great catch!
"I'm in love with you" "SNAP OUT OF IT" lmaoooo oh cher
you were right for not re-recording it, that makeup slaps! (plus the audio is fine anyway)
Grateful you talked about the show!! Many people i know who are watching the AMC show and have not read the book did not know that louis and claudia are white in the original. I also think the actors performance and absolute devotion to their characters really really really elevates the show. There is no shame attached to this heightened emotion of the vampire. The pilot is one of my favourite episodes of television tbh, specifically cause you get to see louis' brown eyes, which are so emotional and divine. I think the contrast to the removed and uncanny nature of the contact lenses is supreme. Also vampire manicure :) cunt
My mom is in love with Aliyah so much she thinks queen of the damned is a good movie
same
Both. I love her but I also just unironically love the movie.
Great video! I would've loved to hear about your thoughts on Armand being race bent and what that entails in the show as well. I think changing him from being Ukrainian to Indian was a nice touch. It brings a spotlight to sexual slavery and "exotic" people being a novelty within Europe. And due to his past and age Armand lived through slavery whereas Louis (and later Claudia) had to deal with post abolition/segregation brand of racism. Armand over the years was treated as a gypsy (Nicki calls him that 2x3, and probably a lot of other people did too..), and Claudia marvels at him being the coven leader with skin darker than Louis. Louis said it was an astonishment that them being Black Americans in Paris actually put them on a higher status and was very different to their experience back home. I think it's interesting how they had parallel but also different experiences with how their skin color was being perceived.
I think my favorite thing about race swaps in this show was Louis and Armand's relationship. You don't see a Black & Brown gay couple on Hollywood films/series that just weren't there to tick a box for diversity in their cast. It's usually an interracial couple with one part always white in these films.. So seeing a different combination with incredibly complex dynamics and grey characters is really an unfortunately rare treat.
I think making Louis have his own toxic traits (as Jacob Anderson says) adds so much to the depth of the character, he's not above manipulation and cruelty and i love that. I think about something Assad Zaman said in an interview whenever i think of their dynamic: As a fckd up coping mechanism both Louis and Armand revert back to who they used to be. The pimp and the sex slave. It's so fcked up to think about. Armand has no sense of self without someone to tell him who he is, and needs Louis, so submitting to him is the obvious choice because it would make Louis think he had power over Armand in the relationship, and survival through the subservient role is all Armand knows anyways. And for Louis after feeling like he had no power or control in his relationship with Lestat and getting into another relationship with another very powerful vampire, him having that power and weaponizing it is his way of feeling secure in a relationship. In another life with properly negotiated dynamics this relationship could've been healing for both of them. But insecurities, emotional unavailability, wildly different power dynamics in different areas of their relationship, their past traumas and their horrible responses to them just made a whole mess. And i love mess.. Where else are you gonna find these levels of messy relationships in mainstream media where characters are allowed to be awful. And still be loved for it.
Anyways this is just a jumbled thought vomit with disconnected thoughts mushed together because i wanted to talk about Armand a bit lol.. It probably doesn't make any coherent sense..
your second paragraph is so astute, that they revert to their old roles (Louis as the pimp/controller and Armand as the sex slave/subservient) as the only way they know how to cope or have power in a relationship
to be a vampire is to live forever/for a much longer time, and combined with their monstrous nature it's like trauma is inevitable for them. it's really an amazing vehicle to explore all of these complex topics
@@llamaslovedrama that was my thoughts mixed in with essentially what Assad said in an eye-opening interview with Vulture after season 2 finale called “It Tastes Different Playing Armand”. Highly recommend reading it. He really gets where Armand’s behaviour comes from and it was fascinating to read and I’ve thought about it since. He does also mention how living forever causes him to do more horrible stuff because you have an eternity to get over it. So it blurs the morality line even more. That interview really made me understand Armand’s motives in so many specific scenes. I love the complexity of the character and how Assad clearly understands it.
Jacob made me fall in love for Louis's character..he is so good.
I read the book a few years ago because a friend told me to, so I didn’t actually know any of its context and impact. When I finished and found out about the movie, I couldn’t believe they cast two of the straightest dudes in Hollywood to play Louis and Lestat lol
Are they both exclusively straight? Is anyone in Hollywood, lol?
Jacob may more likely to be straight-ish bc he’s openly married to a woman. But idk how he identifies. And what’s Sam’s story? I thought he was in the middle of the sexuality spectrum somewhere
@@ambriaashley3383 theyre talking about brad pitt and tom cruise
tom cruise???? straight ??????
@@actualswans hey hey hey not my words !!!
It was the early 90s. It was never going to be any other way. That movie was still gayer than I thought it would be able to get away with when I heard they were making it.
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! I've been waiting for this video ever since the "Confederate Vampires" video. I loved this, and I look forward to your big video coming up. I do have one request. Please do a video for season 3 of Interview with a vampire. I love your videos on vampires. Thank you❤❤❤
I really dislike how they had Louis rip out the pages of Claudia's diary where she describes what happened with Bruce. His reasoning is that he won't have her exploited, but instead he took away her only chance to share her story in her own words. He talked over her and told her story for her and its upsetting.
I also absolutely love Jacob Anderson's portrayal of Louis. I can't imagine anyone else playing him.
I think that makes sense for Louis character though, he is flawed in that he selfishly turned her, and he mentioned to Daniel that he failed Claudia. Reading that and having those words be read by others, would essentially be immortalizing his failure of protecting Claudia in book form (this is how I think his character would view that). A character can do bad things, that make sense for what their motivations are.
i think that’s partially true, but also she didn’t consent to telling her story in the first place, so it feels iffy to me
@@LucentSky It totally made sense for Louis' character and added more depth to their relationship, but I dislike how that was done by adding in Claudia getting assaulted. I wish they could have done something similar without using something awful happening to Claudia mostly to further Louis' story.
I was really excited to hear you talk about this show because I’m currently deeply obsessed with it, and I largely watched it in the first place because of how interesting it sounded when you brought it up in your videos. I’m a white woman (and haven’t read the books) so my perspective on the racial aspects is always going to be limited, so it was really great to hear your thoughts on that.
Something I absolutely agree with as well is about the fandom need to find a “one true abuser/victim” and that being a pretty unhelpful way to examine a show as nuanced as this. I think as well after a certain point you can’t entirely apply human morality to vampire characters - like, yes I know Claudia kills and eats innocent people, but she is also my sweet angel who has never done anything wrong in her life
I would say a better analysis is “there is no perfect victim” because mutual abuse does not exist and there will always be a true abuser and a true victim between those two people (which doesn’t mean that those two people themselves can’t also go on to be an abused and abuser outside of that dynamic with someone else). Louis being a bad person , pimp, or doing things people don’t believe victims should do doesn’t cancel out that in the series (and in the book), Lestat is abusive (and racist in the show) to him. I feel like the nuance argument to apply the concept of “no true abuser/victim” (when the nuance should be on the fact that no victim is perfect and expecting them to be is a form of victim blaming) comes out because people like Lestat and want to in a lot of ways absolve him of his wrongs of being an abuser. I feel that does a disservice to his character. You can like bad characters. All IWTV characters are bad on some level (except for maybe Claudia) but they also all have dynamics (some imbalanced) between each other that shapes their actions toward each other. IWTV takes real world issues and applies them monsters. Is the racism and misogyny suddenly not real just because they’re all monsters? I am saying all this because I’m thinking of all of the blatantly racist and point blank text book victim blaming I’ve seen (like could be word for word about any irl DV case, and no them being vampires doesn’t make that any less weird to read) in this fandom is lowkey scary and uncomfortable to read sometimes. And I think answering with “well they’re all vampires” does a disservice to what the show is trying to tell us as fans. And talking about this type of stuff still does not mean that you can’t like these bad characters.
@sanaishere18 Girl, Claudia is a literal serial killer that tortured her victims and collected body parts trophies. That has nothing to do with vampirism. Nothing about being a vampire forces you to do that. There is no good person on this show, they are all literal monsters. Claudia right there up with them.
@@HotaruRea Definitely agree that Claudia is just as bad as all the other characters on the show. However, I feel like vampires by nature value human life less because of their immortality, so in a way being a vampire could turn you into a serial killer. If I know that I can live forever, I automatically won't have the same appreciation for life if this makes sense. Claudia specifically is also already quite a violent and angry person, so that plus immortality PLUS the fact that she's stuck at 14 forever and in a bizarre and deeply limiting family dynamic is what causes her to give zero fucks and kill as many people as she pleases and take trophies and all that. The show doesn't really explore this aspect, but to me her taking trophies is also indicative of a fascination with humans which stems from the fact that she didn't really get to live at all before becoming undead. She never got to experience humanity because she was turned so young, so vampirism (and by association disregard for human life and prioritizing your own needs ((I.e. hunger)) over people's wellbeing) is all she knows. Sorry for the essay btw, I just find her such a compelling and fascinating character I needed to reply to your comment hahah
@@sanaishere18right there is no such thing as mutual abuse, as Princess points out. However what I was more referring to is the tendency of a lot of people in the fandom (and it’s a problem with most fandoms nowdays - I’m thinking back to Princess’ purity culture video and liking the bad guy video) is for people to say things like, “this character is a bad person and you’re a bad person if you like them”. Which is not how that works. Idk I feel like a lot of fans in general have become very fixated on making sure the things they like are morally pure.
What I think I’m trying to say in regards to the “one true abuser/victim” is that there are fans who try to pick out a single character to blame for literally bad thing that ever happens in the show, whether that character is Lestat or Armand or (somehow) Louis. That to me is doing a disservice to a complex show where every character is responsible for doing at least some bad things.
Thank you for making this video. I'm not going to have a deep commentary about the race issue (I'm white), but I want to mention something about Claudia's SA storyline and how, after two seasons I have somehow changed my mind about it. Or, more accurately, I added more nuance to it.
I still think that out of all the changes and additions that the writers implemented, this is the most controversial one. I appreciate the fact that they tried to be the least exploitative about it (never showing it, giving more details about it only a season later). I was, however, always struggling with the ultimate purpose. Were the writers lazy to have Claudia experience SA to prove to her that she was ultimately vulnerable and had to return to Louis and Lestat, when the logical choice for her in this adaptation (when she's much older and therefore more self-sufficient than book or movie Claudia) was to leave? Was it to make her stronger (ugh, that comment from Rolin Jones was absolutely the worst, he deserved all the criticism for that)?
I think the underlying narrative reason was to hammer her parallel to Lestat even more. Many people in the fandom (including me) are speculating that the rape-y subtext of his turning will be made text in the show. I don't even think it will serve his story necessarily, but it's going to strengthen the connection between them in retrospect: Lestat understood what she went through better than Louis could, and instead of showing empathy to her, he was cruel. It can be an interesting angle to explore - what the show chooses to do with that remains to be seen.
That reasoning makes the change worse though. Bc it should be more about her character and lived experience rather than function mostly as a potential parallel. Lestat (and his potential assault) should not be a *primary* reason her assault was made into the show.
@bloop6734 I wouldn't say it's a primary reason: that being proving to the viewer that she IS weaker than adult vampire and vulnerable without protection. They had to establish it to avoid the plot hole of why would she ever come back. She's a teenager in this version and in theory she should be self-sufficient, afterall.
As I said, I'm not sure if it's enough for me to like this change, even if the theory of paralleling her assault to Lestat's proves to be correct. I just wanted to note that there might have been several reasons the writers had for this addition, not just to make the Black female character suffer some more. YMMV, of course.
I kinda saw it as a comparison between her and vampires as a whole. After Claudia gets away from Lestat, she's completely determined to find other vampires. She says that Louis, Lestat, him, every vampire she's ever met has been a bastard - for once she wants to find one that's not a bastard. Which I thought made sense bc she then becomes so attached to the Théâtre. But those vampires are bastards too and don't respect her as an adult. I saw her SA as fitting that theme of Claudia seeking connections but only finding people that take advantage of/don't respect her, and her struggles to be seen as more than the body she was turned as.
i have never read any of the books but I LOVE the amc show and Claudia is absolutely one of my favorite fictional characters ever especially in s2. I can’t really properly articulate why but shes just SO tragic and amazing and I love her
Same. My coven is Claudia ❤
Love this show with all my heart 🥹 Jacob Anderson’s Louis is probably one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. I can’t even begin to express the utter fear and loss I feel of him not being our main character anymore (especially given how Hollywood tends to push black characters aside to make way for whiteness. I have a bit more faith the writers but I’m honestly not holding my breath).
And while it’s not perfect Louis and Claudia will forever have my heart ♥️ I’m reallly gonna miss my baby girl 😭
Same here. I can't remember the last time a fictional character made me feel the way this portrayal of Louis does but it was probably back when I was a dramatic teenager. I am also scared to watch season 3 without him being the main character, but choose to remain hopeful.
Still, it will not be the same. I just love watching him so much. Everything about him is devastatingly beautiful
It’s interesting to hear
Honestly, I really need to watch this show. Because I’ve read the books and watched the movie, and believe me: switching the main character from Louis to Lestat after Interview absolutely saved the series 😅
They must’ve done a LOT of work on Louis for the show. I’m really fascinated to see that now, because book Louis is literally the worst
You are the first creator I've heard mention Byzantium! I actually low-key like that movie a lot, I love 'down on their luck' vampires - even if it wasn't the greatest movie I'd watch it again. (Also thank you for saying Van Helsing was good even if it was cheesy and campy, its one of my favorites!)
Princes Weekes, more like Queen Weekes.
Something about Season 2 that stuck to me was showing how Louis wanted Claudia, forcing Lestat's hand. Makes the s1 animosity that comes out make sense. He never wanted her but didn't want to lose Louis to only see her pull Louis away. But in the end, he was left with the guilt of her death but also his weakness as a parental figure. Maybe even see that through her own anger and maybe hatred, she loved him. They loved each other and now there is no chance to even attempt at an understanding.
a princess weekes video about my favorite show on my BIRTHDAY??? LETS FUCKING GOOO
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday🎉
Happy birthday 💜💜💜
Happy Birthday 🎉 Have a wonderful weekend!
Woo happy b-day!!!
Princess and Olay both talking about this show truly gives me life
We are eating GOOD right now!!
Exactly what makes me finally want to watch it I want to see exactly what two of my favorite creators are talking about.
@@mamimelusine oh you'll have fun . This show is Insane in all the best ways
I agree with most of what you said. It does put care into the characters but also will always side eye them brutalising Louis and adding the bit about SA to Claudia. Which was a minus on both fronts for me. Also would've preferred a more complex grey route as opposed to black and white territory it gets into at times.
Yeah Ive always felt iffy about how brutally they treated the black characters...
Don't worry season 3 Lestat will get the absolute shit beat out of him... more than once, probably. So you'll get to see the brutalizer becomes the brutalized in the coming season, I suppose.
I watched interview with a vampire once and did not care for it, but this show made me love louis in a way I never thought I would. This show struck so many chords in me that I loved watching every second of it.
As a white nb person I never considered the fact that it makes more sense for Tv Claudia to choose a black lover (or at least, not a white one) but I completely agree with you on further reflection. Especially when you consider Claudia's experiences in season 1 (and the nature of her making at the hands of Lestat and her feelings about him), it really doesn't track that she'd throw herself into a love affair with a white woman
Yes I never thought about it that way, but her point makes more sense the more I think about it
I mean, you can't order a heart and all that. Maybe she fell in love with her DESPITE the fact that she's a WW, but perfect for her in terms of personality etc
@@Li_ToblerMadeline is so much like her white father/creator
I have never been more excited for a video in life. Thank you for blessing us with this🙌🏾
I think Interview With A Vampire shows fantastically written complex characters elevate the story and smooth over a lot of other issues, regardless of what era the story is in.
For anyone else who's trying to Shazam the ending song, it's White Castle by Tabemono. What a banger to discover, thank you for including it, Princess!
I honestly have many mixed feelings about the show, I feel so much was gained but there was also much about the books I love were lost. Lestat's more abusive behavior is amped up to such a degree that I can't feel the same about him as I do in the books. And that's a shame cause I just love the actor for him! And yet Louis is now much more three dimensional, & more interesting. Claudia is a different character almost entirely for me, due to her being so aged up. I like her but apart from the reasons I like book Claudia. I feel the raw grief Anne Rice poured into writing book Claudia is lost because she's not the same age Rice's very real child was when she died. But both actresses clearly brought something very real from their own lives into TV Claudia, particularly the complicated relationship to girlhood & adultification as black adolescent girls.
And I definitely agree the added SA put in Claudia's story is completely unnecessary. Why does this version of Claudia need to suffer even more? And on top of that it again just piled onto really ruining this version of Lestat for me, when he threatened to find her SAer. That was vile to both Claudia & Lestat writing wise.
And then there were just other more messy writing issues I had in a general sense, from inconsistent lore from the very beginning to characterization at times also inconsistent.
I agree! I’m of the minority opinion in fandom in that I don’t believe this show made these relationships more morally complex as compared to the books, even if Louis himself has been given more depth in a lot of ways (and less depth in others, imo). The degree of DV (and cheating), the extensive mind-wiping, and Claudia’s SA are incredibly villainous things that don’t happen in canon and change these characters extensively, to me. The show makes a pretty clear case of ‘The Malicious Abusers’ versus ‘The Abused’ that simplifies the much murkier power dynamics of everybody being some form of self-serving manipulator in the TVC books. And that’s disappointing. And other gripes about personal preferences, yes, such as Claudia’s age needing to be changed due to concern about audience reaction and/or filming considerations.
But I really pin most of my frustrations on the writers, and not the fans trying to make sense of characters who were made complicated in conflicting and inconsistent ways, imo. And even my critiques aren’t straightforward because there are so many incredible things about the show that make me unable to dismiss and ignore it completely. Anyway, I really appreciate your enthusiasm *and* criticism of the show, Princess Weekes. ♥️
I've also come to dread raceswapped character bec. of the issues, you pointed out: Bonnie vs Caroline, Black Starfire in Titans, Tara in True Blood, the Black police officer in Sleepy Hollow, the Black girl in Invincible, etc. It's clear to me, that writers dont love/desire and care for these characters anymore, that they are Black.
It's so disheartening to watch unfold every single time. It reminds me of the self-incriminating Hunger Games' fans, who couldnt feel pain and empathy for Rue, after her race was changed bec. it also explains SO MUCH of my own individual experience, as a Black woman, who has mostly lived in w. spaces.
Crazy thing is, her description was obviously non white and they still made her white in their heads.
Rue is black in the book, these people are just dumb and can't read.
The kicker is, Rue's race was never changed- she was black in the books too (arguably, they lightened her skin in the movie even) but people were just able to ignore it until she was on screen
Editing to add: I totally feel you though and agree, it sucks seeing the responses and treatment after they decide to race swap a character, especially when it's a female one.
Rue’s race was never changed. She was written as a dark skinned Black girl, if anything the movie casted incorrectly since the actress was biracial.
rue being black is literally mentioned as many times in the first book as peeta being blond (twice)
So awesome to get your perspective on this series which has meant so much to me. Also thankful to hear someone calling out that Bruce shit, such a misfire.
Love this! I recently binged the entire first two seasons and just fell in love with the adaptation (as someone who read the novel and saw the film previously). I felt that it was just such a masterpiece, and not just for the both creative and loving ways they, in my opinion, elevated the source material, but how it's clear that every person who worked on the series is passionate about what they do. From the cinematography to the costumes to the soundtrack and the writing. The actors--just all of it! It's the best piece of media I feel like I've seen in a really long time. And of course it isn't perfect, but damn if it isn't so incredibly refreshing and exciting.
I always interpreted the vampire element as sort of ... tricky metaphor for homosexuality during the mid-late 20th century. Like, if people treat you like a monster who can't be a part of society, who infects other people, you start to believe it about yourself. If you make it clear that you will treat someone's like a monster no matter how they act, some people will live down to your ecxpectations. And others will have nowhere to turn when they find themselves in a dangerous or abusive situation because they're completely ostracized and/or they'll be blamed for their own abuse.
Louis and Lestat are both traumatized by their pasts, they're both terrified of being alone (which they have been told will happen because of what they are), they throw themselves into self-loathing or extreme self-indulgence or both to deal with that constant ache. And they're both so isolated from others like them that this becomes their baseline. They don't know how to move past it and there is nothing in place to help them do so.
❤❤❤
A friend of mine put me onto your videos because I wouldn't shut up about what a brilliant reimagining this show is. I owe him a debt of gratitude. Love this shit! Subbed
My only concern with the TV adaptation when I sat down and started watching it was that it was a completely different vibe/aesthetic to the film. I really like the 17/1800s costuming and extravagance of the film if I'm being honest and I do still, on a visual/"vibe" leve,l prefer the film. But the characters in the TV show are much better. Especially Louis, who I could not give less of a fuck about in the film adaptation haha. Jacob Anderson really brings so much charisma and likeability to Louis it's easy to actually care about him as a character - it also helps that you get to see him with his family before it all crumbles around him.
also as a Wyll fan I comend your ability to not go off on a tangent about Wyll when you briefly mentioned him haha
Tbh thats what i was worried about as someone who Had read the books. And the First book is basically.... Architecture and interior Design p0rn haha. The descriptions of the fabrics, the brocades, the delicate Tables and Apartments....
But the TV Show changed the asthetic AND the vibe so consistently that i ended Up in Love with it. It couldnt possibly have done the decadence and opulence of a 17th century setting If it's NOT Set in the 17th. So they didnt. Instead they give you the vibrancy of the creole Community, the music, the seediness of the Red Light District. The Cats!
Tbh i think on a practical Level this was done for Budget reasons (it's Always easier to Dress and do Sets for a later decade/century. The Dresses alone would give me anxiety). But for me it worked to damn well
I mean the cars. The Cars. poor Cats 😂
Omg I've been WAITING for an Interview with the Vampire video from you specifically! I am so seated
The instant I saw "Princess Weekes" and "Interview With the Vampire" (2022 version obviously) I clicked IMMEDIATELY because these are my favourite things
You do look incredible in this video and the sound really isn't too bad. Feels like watching some of your first videos from a decade ago. The thoughts and analysis are more than the worth a slight echo.
Also your fan fiction podcast sounds awesome 🙏🏻🫶🏻
First comment! I'm so ready
Edit : Done with the video and I agree with pretty much everything that was said but most especially that changing Louis from being a white slave owner was one of the best decisions made in the show. I'm trying to imagine it now and it's like 'I'm supposed to feel sorry for this man...?'
I also find it hilarious being one of three (might be more) 'first comment' commenters
Omg ive been obsessed with this seriesdkfjsj im so excited to hear u talk about itt!!
love you, love you. just discovered you this morning. i'm always a fool for beauty and brains and a goddamn point of you. wish you monumental success in all your endeavors.
This was well said, you’ve got a new fan. I didn’t expect to love this show the way I did, Jacob Anderson’s portrayal of Louis was so beautiful and tender.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSS ugh i've been absolutely starving for a vid like this from you, and i can't wait for the follow up project!!! deeply appreciate this show and its thus far pretty well done tackling of very complex characters in very disastrous situationships, the poison of trauma, cycles of abuse, tragically ruined lives, racial power dynamics, the curse of being a vampire, etc, etc. i frankly hope that they double down on that energy and attention with lestat's pov because i know enough from the books that he is messier than he already is perceived as. its not all flowers though, as i do agree that claudia's inserted in SA, especially with her being black in this version of things and aged up, made that experience all the more icky and when you exclude it there's no actual point to why it had to happen outside of maybe showing that its not just lestat whose a shit abuse vampire, that there's plenty of others? but then, i really don't even care to examine it with that lens as its probably the one thing i feel so strongly against for his inclusion. really enjoyed this one thanks so much for sharing your insight with us
If I hadn't already subscribed, your mention of Bizantium would have made me subscribing on the spot! That's is such an overlooked take on vampires, one of my favorites!
I cannot express how LONG I have been waiting for this!!!
i’m LOCKED IN for this one
I love your mind and how you articulated your thoughts🤯🤯 The character analysis is everything
Completely agree that the Bruce storyline was unnecessary. I was confused by it and hated it on my first watch, and hated it even more on a rewatch.
"Poor Stuart Townsend" made me cackle, I do feel bad for him. That whole film was a mess.
Don't pity him, he had a chance to interact with Aaliyah after all 🥀
loved this video! i think you got at what's wonderful about this show & what are some of its misteps. i appreciate that as a fan you really engage with the show on it's own terms - that vampire characters operate with a different rules & internal workings. while i think one of the best things abt IWTV is that some of the evilest action displayed by the vampires are also their most human, they are also folkloric monsters who drink blood! & i think it's you lose something when you don't talk about them in both those contexts! also - it was a real treat to hear you on you're wrong about again. this video & the elizabeth báthory episode make a great double feature.
Nice to know I'm not the only who released a Halloween video on 11/1. 😆 Looking forward to watching this one! 🧛♂
Woahhhhhhh. I have only just discovered your channel (literally just today) and already feel enlightened and more educated after watching two of your videos. Definitely a new subscriber!
So glad I found your channel! Such a great analysis of Anne Rice's work being brought to the big and small screen.
I'm liking and comenting for the algorithm and also because I know that it will be a very well researched video, coming from you. I'll watch it soon enough. In the meantime, thank you so much for making a video about race and IWTV!
Been WAITING for this one!!!!
howling with laughter at that cut to Springsteen. an amazing moment in what I'm sure will be a fantastic breakdown!
When describing the show to a friend, who also had apprehensions going into it, it was as "like fanfiction but in the best way possible" ~ fanfiction exists for good reasons and a lot of them are to fill in the gaps that left us dissatisfied and build upon what we loved about something. The racebending (which originally had me going "just do Mayfair Witches then" to my later chagrin) helped build a much deeper but also accessible character for Louis and everything was able to develop more compellingly because of that. Love the series and so glad you made this to remind of that fact!
Ever since you made your "Confederate Vampires" video I was REALLY hoping you'd talk about IWTV and give your thoughts on it. I love the show so much it's difficult for me to think even slightly critically about it and I value your input so much!!!
YOU ARE STUNNNINGGGGG
I feel like the glitz and glam as well as more horror is to come in future seasons. It excites me to see the creators of a show talk about longevity like the creators of IWTV do. I especially love to see such Black, queer main characters getting the chance to develop. I think some of the choices you critiqued were made purely for drama. Another great video!
If you recorded with a cellphone mic and a flashlight I'd still absolutely watch the entire video lol your insight is invaluable!
I'm so thrilled you made this video. I love Interview With the Vampire so much. I love the changes they made to the series to elevate The Vampire Chronicles. I would have liked to have heard more about your thoughts on Armand, since he was changed from being Ukranian to Indian. He too is a very complex and morally grey character, and we'll certainly learn more and get a better feel for who he is over time.
I see what you mean about brutalizing Louis and Claudia. The whole storyline with Bruce was weird. I also loved Delaney Hayles as Claudia, but I also would have liked to have seen Bailey Bass come back and see her act alongside Assad Zaman, Roxane Duran, and Ben Daniels. It's honestly incredible how Rolin Jones racebended IWTV without making the same mistakes so many white showrunners, writers, and such create when they make these choices. I hope they continue to make choices that do the series and its characters justice.
I hope the series lasts for a long time, especially as the fandom grows (which I'm assuming it is). You can definitely tell Rolin Jones and Mark Johnson care about IWTV. I don't feel like the showrunners have that same kind of love for Mayfair Witches, feels more like an assigned project to them than a creation of love.
I think Armand suffered from being adapted by Americans. As much as I love yall, they have a very non-nuanced approach when it comes to race and class. My bet is they thought, "Ukrainians are hu-white, meaning privileged, meaning we have enough privileged perspectives in our story, let's bring in more traditionally oppressed brown voices." In the US, it has been so, but the whole world is not the US, and at the very least, the current unprovoked, gen*cid*al war that is still going against Ukrainians, could've told them otherwise. When they and many other Slavic/Baltic nations have been terrorized and oppressed by Russia for hundreds of years, too. Just not on the basis of the color of the skin, but "inferior" identities and cultures, as well as imperial ambitions. Not to mention that Slavic identity, struggles, and beliefs are MUCH different from your typical privileged WASP American- meaning that including such a character would bring just as much diversity as a current casting. But oh well.
the way you summarise claudia as a character and the tragedy of it is so poignant and so TRUE and made me tear up, ahaha. this is a great video!!!! i enjoyed this sooo much !!!!!
PRINCESS WEEKES TALKING ABOUT MY FAVORITE SHOW IN THE LAST FEW YEARS?
I am strapped in and READY.
Really loved the video, thank you so much for sharing. IWTV is such an amazing show, especially because of the color-conscious casting, and sometimes I cannot believe it's real.
I watched this on Nebula, but I wanted to make sure to engage with the yt version too. This was a fantastic video, so thoughtful as always. I was inspired to start rewatching the show again lol
Thank you for thi video -loved it, it was beautfiul. Please don't worry about the audio, when you were explaining about it I thought, it must be really bad, she's apologising so much. But it was totally fine! not a problem at all.
I’ve been waiting for you to talk abt this!!
i really love the time they take building louis' background and motivation at the beginning, it really elevates the premise.
this is such an awesome critique 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
(also the mic quality isn't so bad!)
Ok, I am finally going to watch this show. I was interested but not quite enough to put in the time. I’ve also been working out some theories about diversity in casting. I completely agree on how making characters Black often seems to make it okay to brutalize and diminish them in a certain way.
[Screams in gay]
I’m glad you appreciate Wyll. He was one of the reasons I bought the game. I do like Gale and enjoyed him more on my second playthrough, but he was initially the “boring”one to me when I played it.
wish I had something insightful to add to the conversation, other than thank you for taking the time to make these videos with a lot of thought and care that always spark great discussions. looking pretty as always! Also I do hope we see Cladia in s3 and she just haunts everyone
My children are starting to read, and they have started the bunnicula (a bunny vampire) books & it’s been fun to start having these conversations around stories & genre. You always bring such great critique and nuance to conversations! ❤️ and then I try my best to remember them & add them to our conversations also 😂
Going into this series I knew I was going to enjoy it from the jump. However, I loved it even more because of the portrail of Lestat and Louis relationship. It reminded me of how I acted in my past relationships with my partners, hurting them but simultaneously loving them with an intensity. I also, appreciated how they portrayed Lestat's deep love for Louis. The scene where Lestat lets Louis go with Armond and the scene when the hurricane hits when they reunite.
Its worth mentioning that Anne Rice changed her mind about Tom Cruise. After being so public in her disagreement she took out an advert to say how much she enjoyed his performance.
One wonders why he didn't immediately do the sequel then.
@AcademyNS I would suspect pay. Tom cruise also has a habit of trying to work against the general critical consensus of his work. Lestart was I think him attempting to prove that he wasn't just an action star. Having proved it he could go and do other things.
This was so interesting. I saw the film in cinemas as a teenager then went on to read many of the books. At the time I enjoyed the world that Anne Rice created and I have retained an interest in the vampire/supernatural genre ever since. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch this series but it sounds like they made some really interesting changes to make the re-write of Louis as a black man/vampire work successfully within the story, my curiosity is now peaked. Your comments about films where vampires are portrayed as poor and outcasts rather than glamorous, glitzy and wealthy is something I also feel. It isn't portrayed all that often, the example that comes to mind is the 2008 film Let The Right One In.
I clicked cuz one I’ve been hovering around this fandom for a week struggling to decide whether to watch
And also cuz you look bomb 🙌🏾
Such an interesting perspective. I'm going to have to watch the new series. Totally didn't register that Anderson is from GoT! Always thought he brought a lot to that character, and it looks like he plays Louis with nuance.
I've been hyped for this since you announced it this week!!!!!
Great stuff as always!
IWTV the TV series made me way more open to adaption. My attitude was that of a theatre director doing a umpteenth Shakespeare show with new life etc - like how Armand directs the Theatre des Vampires. I really liked how it was about the perception of memory too. As much as I enjoy the books and how it travels, it still felt and was very white and European. This TV adaption felt very natural and right.
The book, The vampire lastst was like a soft reboot to me with said character being very very different from his portrayal in the first book which also referred to Lastat saying there is a lot of things Louis doesn't remember or misremembered. For me with the show, it was a real justification to change, explore and update stuff. However an adaption is an adaption! I can't wait for part 3. As a hetro person of colour this was probably the most romantic love story I have seen. It was touching.
Eitherway loved the vid and I have no push backs!
Anne Rice in a FB livestream/Q&A from around when or shortly before the AMC series first began production once said that what she had disliked about the QotD movie so much wasn't just that it had deviated from the original it was that she didn't feel as if it had deviated with any real purpose or actually necessary type reasons, and not so much that the characters didn't look as described as that the changes did not capture or preserve what she felt were the true _essence_ of the characters from the books. (And she acknowledged that the performances given by the cast in the QotD movie were fine.) She said that they would not be casting actual child or teen actors this time around[ in the tv series adaptation] unlike in the movie, and that the only character she personally felt must match their physical appearance from the books was Lestat. 😊 💖💖
Purist book!fans *REALLY* _should_ have been more prepared. (And really should have remembered that Anne Rice herself had previously written Historical Fiction about Black and Mixed-Race characters, too.) Lol
princess weekes x iwtw oh how i have prayed for moments like this
Not going to be fake and lie. I didn't really want a non cannon version of IWTV at first. I thought it was just race bending for the sake of race bending, and I wasn't thrilled at all about the aged up Daniel, and I didn't understand the Louis is a pimp thing at all, but I was wrong. The show makers adapted and honor Ann Rice's books but they also made it their own, and IMPROVED it in many ways. Louis has a personality, finally! (he's a total dud in the books) Instead of hating the changes, I've loved it! The characters and flow of the story is much improved tbh. I can admit I was wrong, Rolin and AMC have created one of the best series of all time. I cannot wait for season 3 and the Talmasaca series. Amazing show and top tier cast. I love it.