Interview With the Vampire Weirdo

Sometimes I just wish I could watch things like a normal person, but I swear I'm too weird. Or maybe not. It all worked out for me in the end, yay.

I just watched season 2 of Interview With the Vampire. I wasn’t able to enjoy the whole thing until the very end. I overthink everything to a fault. I just have Anne Rice’s original books in the back of my mind and spoilers ahead, we all know Armand kills Claudia because he wants Louie for himself. 

So there I am watching season 2 knowing it’s all Armand, and the writing can’t confuse me by showing scenes where he’s helpless. He has power over them all, I scoffed the whole way through watching every episode, because of course I knew Armand was lying. And that took away my ability to watch the show and enjoy it. 

Because I do like how it’s been changed and brought into modernity with gay relationships and more diversity with races. These issues actually hearken back to Anne’s original prose. And I mean her first three or four novels in her vampire chronicles. Anne herself went back to being religious in real life and so I feel her writing suffered for it. I stopped reading her books when they became too religious. Boring! I loved her writing when she was atheist. 

I’d say the only books of hers to me are: Interview With the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and Queen of the Damned. The rest descended into ramblings after that. And her other series were so long winded too. It’s crazy how I’m obsessed with her vampire trilogy, I love them completely, even with the amount of racism involved, I’ll get to that in a sec. But in sharp contrast I hate the rest of her books. Oh wait! Apart from The Mummy. I love Rameses. So romantic that one.

Anne Rice’s "Interview With the Vampire" undeniably explores the complexities of power and desire, but it does so through a lens that reflects the racial and social biases of its time. Her portrayal of slavery, while deeply embedded in the gothic allure of her vampire universe, inadvertently underscores the racial injustices that plagued America during the height of slavery. The depiction of Claudia's fate in the new narrative, where a young black girl is subjected to the whims of powerful, predominantly white characters, reveals an unsettling reflection of these historical wrongs.

Rice’s work, particularly in the earlier books of the Vampire Chronicles, is tinted with racial stereotypes that are hard to ignore. Her characters' interactions and their roles often mirror the racial dynamics of the 18th and 19th centuries, creating a narrative that, while captivating, perpetuates certain problematic tropes.

However, the new adaptation of "Interview With the Vampire" is a refreshing departure from these dated representations. By introducing diverse racial backgrounds for the characters, the show recontextualizes the vampire lore to address and critique these historical injustices. The alternate storyline not only updates the setting but also offers a more nuanced perspective on the power dynamics and historical context Rice initially presented. And it does so in a way that stems from the real meaning of Anne’s original storylines and writing style.

In essence, the show’s reimagining serves as an evolving revealing lens, bringing to light the inherent racial issues in Rice’s original work. It’s an acknowledgment of how literature can reflect and perpetuate societal biases, but also an opportunity for media to evolve and confront these uncomfortable truths. By re-casting the characters and diversifying their backgrounds, the adaptation does more than just modernize the narrative; it actively engages with and critiques the problematic aspects of the source material, providing a more inclusive and thoughtful interpretation of her vampire mythos.

The new series also expands on the gay relationships that were subtly woven into Rice’s original text. Anne Rice’s exploration of queer identity, though not always overt, was undeniably present in the subtext of her characters' relationships. The tension between Louis and Lestat, along with the deep emotional bond they share, hinted at a complex and often romantic connection that was ahead of its time. The modern adaptation amplifies this element, bringing it to the forefront with a more explicit representation of LGBTQ+ relationships.

By doing so, the show not only honors Rice’s original thematic explorations but also adapts them to a contemporary audience, allowing for a richer and more inclusive portrayal. This evolution reflects both the advances in societal acceptance and a deeper understanding of the characters’ multifaceted identities, which were somewhat constrained by the limitations of the era in which Rice was writing.