For the first two seasons of Interview with the Vampire, we’ve viewed Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) through everyone’s point of view but his own. Now it’s time to see the story through his lens. Season 3, titled The Vampire Lestat, is the next chapter in Anne Rice’s Dark Universe, and it’s all about Lestat, Lestat, Lestat.
In various interviews, creator, writer, and showrunner Rolin Jones (Perry Mason) has said that no one is prepared for this season of television. And I can confirm that it’s true.
When we last saw the titular vampire, he was in New Orleans, reconciling with Louis (Jacob Anderson), who’d just ended his 77-year relationship with Armand (Assad Zaman) after Daniel (Eric Bogosian) revealed that Lestat saved Louis at the Théâtre des Vampires trial, and Armand just took credit for it. (For a more in-depth recap of Seasons 1-2, check out What You Need to Know Before ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Changes Everything.)
At the beginning of Season 3, the two are seemingly in a good place. That is, until Daniel publishes the book. His spiraling leads him to becoming the frontman of a rock band in his neighborhood, and thus begins his music career. Now Lestat is the subject at the center of Daniel’s documentary, allowing him to document his North American tour, so he can tell his side of the story. Still, he’s unsurprisingly not forthcoming.
Lestat refuses to earnestly open up to Daniel, but his past forces him. He’s haunted by visions of his old muses, as he calls them, including Claudia (Delainey Hayles). I always enjoy a nonlinear structure, and it works perfectly for Lestat’s own odyssey of recollection. We get flashbacks to his human life, including his childhood spent dealing with his awful family, with the exception of his mother, Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle). Anyone familiar with the books knows that they have a…close relationship. Her presence and absence are a source of contention for Lestat, especially in the present day.
We meet his maker, Magnus (Damien Atkins), who we know kidnapped, turned, and abandoned him. We’re also reintroduced to Nicolas (Joseph Potter), with whom he had a turbulent relationship in his early vampire days. Not much can be said about the addition of Marius (Christopher Heyerdahl) and Queen Akasha (Sheila Atim) without getting into spoilers, but they don’t appear until later in the season.
In Season 2, the creators incorporated Lestat into Louis and Claudia’s story, first in the form of a hallucination, aka Dream-stat, and then on stage during the trial. This season, Louis still plays a role in his life, though he has more to do than just be an extension of Lestat. Another change from the source material (and from the disasterpiece known as the Queen of the Damned) is that we don’t have to wait until the end of the series to see him in concert. In fact, he’s performing within the first 15 minutes of the premiere episode.
This season, we’re no longer listening to Louis lament in his vampire-ified ultramodern Dubai penthouse. Instead, we’re in grimy concert venues and on a crowded but luxurious tour bus with Lestat, his mortal band members, and a camera crew. As he follows the rockstar around, Daniel does what he does best, which is crack jokes and ask the questions no one wants to answer. But this is Lestat at his brattiest. There’s a hostility in Lestat and Daniel’s interactions similar to the ones with Louis and Armand, though it’s a little more playful.
From the opening titles, which feature series composer Daniel Hart’s original song “All Fall Down” and a collage of memories, motifs, and vampires in pop culture, you can feel the tonal shift this season. It’s quite the contrast from the minimalist opening before. The overall vibes are faster-paced and high-energy. And because we’re following rockstars, hedonism is at an all-time high. But it’s not without its quieter, more intimate moments.
It goes without saying that music is a huge part of this season. Lestat’s music reminds me of the punk and glam rock sounds of cult classic Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Some songs are playful and have modern references to Slack and TikTok, while others are more aggressive. Throughout the season, his music evolves and becomes more vulnerable as he looks back on the most traumatic moments of his life. He’s listened to centuries of different music, meaning he’s been influenced by operas just as much as David Bowie. Famously flamboyant frontmen also inspire his new look — it’s all leather pants, mesh shirts, bare chests, and body glitter.
Season 3 of Interview with the Vampire gives us Lestat as we’ve never seen him before, showing the glitz and grime of his rockstar era. It’s an exciting departure from the show’s established tone and jarring in the best way. Rolin Jones said he viewed the season as a Part One, so here’s hoping we get a Part Two in another two years or sooner.
The Vampire Lestat premieres June 7 on AMC and AMC+.
