No, you're not dreaming. It's House of R. Vampire List. A little early in your feeds. I'm Joanna Robinson, joining me today. The beautiful, the luminescent, the queen of the damned herself, Mallory Rubin. Straighten your tie and flake your lips via facial or labial. We're back. I just hit us, what was the other, you were deciding between two? What was the other one? Really tore between that and bought a retirement villa, wallpapered her basement sex dungeon with billable hour invoices, which like gold. Yeah, like Christine could not be more Mallory goals poded. We're going to talk about episode five, New York, which is where those lines came from, and also episode six, Montreal. That's right. In which a lot of stuff happened, and we'll get to all of that. Don't lose your head right after this. Quick programming reminders, the Vampire List at every week ish. We had missed last week, but we're doing a double dose this week, and then we'll be here at some point for the finale. We don't have screeners, so we don't for the finale yet. So we don't know if we're getting them. Monday, the 20th at the absolute latest, probably. Yeah, we'll be my guests. House of the Dragon. That's right. A really fun, special talk that Throne's is coming for y'all this week. Also, the deep dive. That's right. I'm excited. Same. It's been so fun to cover the season. And then what do you call in the other ones that we're doing this week? I mean, happy. We have our last Christopher Nolan revisited podcast on Oppenheimer. Our hope and dream is for Sean Fantasy to join us for that. He's currently out of the country. So only in Canada, but if he makes it back, that's the plan. We have a lot of like, if the schedule cooperates, stuff in the mix right now, but that's the goal. And then of course, would you say Sean Fantasy is the atomic bomb of the ringer? Has Sean Fantasy ever sat nude in a hotel armchair? Legs crossed and exactly the right angle. The Robert J Oppenheimer. The bomb. Well, you know, these are both good and reasonable questions. I think we've been watching all of these Nolan movies. The Odyssey arrives next week. It's finally time to cover the Odyssey. And we have seen it and it is amazing. It is incredibly good. We can't wait to part about it. We're going to try to see it again before we do a deep dive on that. And that's going to be the end of next week. We have a lot of podcasts coming in the feed next week. We're like a week and a half, two weeks. I don't know how far away is Comic Con not far. So stay tuned for more information about Comic Con. We'll be there. The Midnight Boys Pew Pew will be there. We've got a lot of good stuff coming up. It's an exciting time. So follow the pod. Why not? Watch us on YouTube or Spotify wherever you get your videos. Not wherever, but some places. And we're on social at house of our pod. And you can email us
[email protected]. Do it. The inbox is always open. It is. Spoiler warning. Yeah. Informed by our knowledge of the vampirely stat, Queen of the Damned. And there's a passage from the book. Merrick is going to be right in this episode, but it's not spoiling anything because it's released to something that happens in episode six. Great vampirely stat. Like all of the other books. I have read not a page nor a word of Merrick. So it's all new to me. And I'm excited to learn from you, my maker, and all vampire things. My beautiful fledgling. The only thing is, I don't think you are my maker. Well, it's it's all a circle. Yeah, we're a little like snake eating its tail here on this podcast. I think the only downside of a maker fledgling relationship in either direction. The only one. The only one. Literally the only one I can think of. I wouldn't want to not be able to communicate telepathically with you. I know. You know, though I think we could still do a lot of like meaningful eye contact. And we know what the other person's thinking. I have a question. This is like a before opening snapshot. I'm just going to get right into it. Right. Beginning of this episode, episode six rather. Yeah. Lestat, like, sends a telepathic message. Alex. Yeah. And then later he says something to Gabrielle about like his, so do you think Gabrielle made Alex? I do. And that's why Lestat and Alex can. But like, then I'm surprised he couldn't like read Alex's intentions. That's maybe like a monster up, you know, or the love fog, the fog of love. The Daniel keeps talking about back on that bench with Louie talking about the future, talking about what, what blooms at night. Just a wonderful sequence in this episode. I was also very much in a heated rivalry like the cottage headspace when he talked about having. He said cabin, I think. Yeah. Cottage, but still. Why was I envisioning like a mobile home? Why was I envisioning it? Lestat Louie would live in a mobile home in what Louie was describing had a real like, what's it called an air stream? Yeah, I was thinking of them in an air stream. First of all, should we get one? I think that sounds great. Should we drive an air stream to Comic-Con? Why not? Honestly, it would be quick. That would be wonderful. We could take turns. It's like a three hour drive, but we both, I think, are exhausted and can use a nap so we could alternate, you know, stretch us on the five little power nap. That sounds great. Wonderful. All right, quick facts. Episodes five and six, New York and Montreal. New York directed by 11 Akin, Akin, Montreal directed by Jane Woo. Really fascinating choice for a director of this episode. If you look at Jane Woo's CV, Marvel Storybird artist, supervising director of Blue Eye Samurai, worked on it into the Spider-Verse House of the Dragon. She's just kind of touched everything that we care about. It's incredible. She's very like, having gone from storyboard artist to director, she's done a lot of action-based stuff and visual stuff. So it's really interesting that this episode Montreal, which is such like a walk-and-talk episode, it's not a big action episode. She's just a fascinating choice. I'm really interested as to why she was the choice here. Episode five, New York was co-written by Daniel Hart, composer of the show, and Hannah Moskovich, who's one of the exact producers on the show. And then Montreal co-written by Ryan Katner, who's in the band, the Vampire Listat, is the Vampire Salamander now. An icon. And Hannah, an icon. So I don't know exactly how that all broke out, that Daniel Hart and Ryan Katner got writing credits on these episodes, but that's very cool. So, and I love these episodes, Boiler. So, quickly before we get into, I mean, I think you've already said that we like these episodes. But before we get into that, I just really quickly want to mention. Great news from AMC's Dan McDermott, who's one of the chiefs at AMC on the future of the franchise, in an interview with Leslie Goldberg at the Ancler, Leslie just took sort of like a big picture, look with Dan at the state of AMC, and sort of what, you know, they're getting into like more horse content, franchising, all, you know, they have a long history with horror with The Walking Dead, but they're just like really leaning in in that direction. How are witches and vampires and all these things, the future, and zombies, of course, always, the future of AMC? He said in that interview that the Vampire Listat is massively outperforming their projected streaming numbers. That's wonderful. And then he spoke about wanting to plan to do at least two more seasons based on Queen of the Damned and Tale of the Body Thief. And so it sounds like any question of like, is there going to be more of this show? I think there's no question. There's going to be more of this show. How many more seasons? I don't know, but they seem like the show, as we've already talked about, both in this Boiler section and Out has really set up four Queen of the Damned and Tale of the Body Thief. So like both of those books are definitely, definitely the writers on the show are like, we're hoping and planning that we get to tell those stories, but it sounds like the studio is also like, yeah, to tell the stories. Well, here's a question. Yeah, I mean, this is great news, obviously. Will your outfit change when we're covering those future seasons? Because this is, I think, probably appropriate for all seasons of this wonderful show. But this is very much a way to honor The Rockstar. So will you have a Queen of the Damned Fit? Well, you have a, I don't, I don't, I have no idea what a body, body thief fit would be. Can you prepare to commit right now that you will, you will come and costume for future seasons? You all did let me expense this coat. I've been reimbursed for this coat. So if you're going to let me expense, I'm sure like, the damn fits. Let me know. Sure. Why not? Also, fun fact for, I don't know why you be listening to this podcast, necessarily if you haven't, aren't able to watch this stat, but it is hitting Netflix July 20th for certain international markets. But not for the US yet. So like, but I think sooner than sooner to Netflix, then you would think is what I, is what I think is going to happen. So let's make sure we text, hit up the group chat, tell CR, because wasn't he sort of like, I'll win Netflix. I'll, I'll get into it. You better fucking follow through. That's great. Once the soccer has done its vampire time. All right. Mallory. Yes. Hey, Mallory Rubin. Yeah. Did you like these episodes of television? I did. I'm just having such a great time with the season that I'm sad that it's ending. I'm really, I mean, I always want to talk about I know two today. So I don't want to think about the end of seven while we still have five and six to discuss. But one more new hour awaiting us is pretty sad. I'll be sad when it's over. Though looking forward to revisiting it. Not only this season, but the whole, the whole series. Yeah. That'll be really fun. Um, it texted you my, I have had captions. Yeah. For some reason, I had the ability to act.
the closed captioning and you didn't. - And I don't. - On the screeners previously. They have vanished for me. And so my first watch through five, I was like, (laughing) It's disoriented without the caption. It takes forever, 'cause they were like, did they just say what I think they just said? - Second watch through, I had a wonderful time. And obviously, for me with no exposure to the book canon and the book lore in this case and just like the kernels of the mentions of Akasha, the mentions of the queen, what I've learned on the pod so far, that felt like a really big monumental thing to have the full Akasha experience or the first full Akasha experience inside of episode five. I thought episode six was extraordinarily good. That was my favorite of the season so far. Episode three had been the high mark to that point, but I thought six was just incredible. Hard not to love an episode that really roots us back inside of the Listot Louie relationship again. The comedy of it, but the heart of it, the way that they are saying such awful things to each other while in more so in one direction, which then becomes fodder for like, you're being very judgey and also like, when you called and I needed you, I showed up and where's that in turn. - It's a great point for him, Listot. - But you did fuck your mom, it's fascinating. - I'll see you guys some Bloodvom on my kicks. - So, I'm glad you mentioned that because I did wanna note while I love Louie and have a lot of room in my heart for watching these two vampires who we adore. - Yeah. - Struggle and make mistakes. We're just a couple hours from move from watching Louie now months in the canon of the show, but hours for us. Watching Louie pull out Bruce's spine with his bare hands, but when he gets a little blood vomit on his shoes, he's like, on the like, they were nice shoes. - Platform chefs? Is that what they were? - I thought they were nice. - I thought they were a designer version of them. - Yeah, very good show. - They look fantastic. The Claudia or, and let's just chef's kiss Listot, Fraudia was amazing, so good. - That whole say on the introduction of the show of Merrick, I really thought that was like mesmerizing that entire sequence, the performances are sensational, and there's just these moments where again, one of the things I've appreciated about this season is like, try to understand and read something in a look. So like when, I think the probably one of the moments we both love the most was Listot serenading Louie as Gabriella, watch them, watch each other, but even just before that, am I start crying right now? - It's like so good. - The really charming, I was chuckling in that way that you kind of like feel yourself smiling on reflex when you're just watching things that makes you happy. Listot goes up for sound check. Gabriella and Louie are next to each other for the first time. Listot is hamming it up, and there's the great, he's shy, it's hard to be him, like wink, wink, we've never spoken, but we both understand this person in our own ways, and then we watch him, let's not use the cloud gift to just kind of like bop around the rafters on set. It was such a perfect little encapsulation of the dynamics of the show. And then to watch Gabriella, like the look on her faces, she's turning and looking at Louie and try to understand what is going through her mind in that moment, I just thought it was great. Obviously there's some wild Daniel and Armand stuff in this episode. The Larry, almost called him Patrick, Shitskree, Kyver, as always. The Larry stuff was harrowing. It was just really, really good two episodes. In episode six, I thought it was just amazing. - I really, really agree. I think having these absolutely show stopping scenes for both the Akasha character and for Claudia for those actresses to just like really, really stop us in our tracks. We're gonna talk about the Akasha scene, of course, but I just thought that was like jaw dropping. And like, it's funny, I was watching with my best friend, Diana and she loves both ironically and also kind of not the Queen of the Dan movie, which is a terrible movie, but like is one of her favorite movies, but is a terrible movie and like she knows that. And I was worried because like, I know a lot of people are really attached to Alia's performance of Akasha. So there's like a lot of expectation around that. It's a very different performance. And so then I was like, I turned to Diana and I was like, I had already seen it. I was like, did this Akasha work for you? And she's like, Alia who, essentially, she was like, this is incredible. And I mean, like with love and respect to Alia, but it was just sort of like, this is just absolutely astounding stuff. It was so good. In like minutes, mere minutes of airtime, I cannot wait to spend more time in that character. So I thought that was incredible. I thought, you know, we've had some questions about the Regina character and like what they're doing with Claudia this season and all this sort of stuff like that. And so for this to be the payoff, this say on scene, which is drawn from another book, which we'll talk about, but like was just so hard to watch. - Painful, great. - And just like an incredible, once again, showcase for that actress. So just incredible, incredible work for those women. And then yeah, and then Louis and Listat, our guys. I also think that Gabriella seen that you're describing with Louis, the two of them sitting there, that's the most I've enjoyed that character and that performance. - No question. - No, she's like, I'll protect you. Like all, you know, her whole like you shouldn't come. Like all of that stuff, like all of her scheming, all of her whatever, all of her jealousies, all of her trying to be charming, but Louis is not into it at all, is just, I loved that exchange between the two of them. And I was just sort of like, this is the Gabriella I wish we, I wish I had had this response to more of her this season. - Yeah, same. I really, I found myself quite taken with her. - Yeah. - And this stretch was really fun. And I think that overall, 'cause you could put some of the Daniel moments for sure in this bucket as well. This was a great stretch of the series of the season for like, how do I put this? So much of the show is by design and intention over and in your face, right? Like it's flashy, it's showy. It's supposed to be Listat. - That is that character, especially the season. - Right. - And there are a lot of moments in these episodes where the characters are saying things out loud and interrogating, why do I behave this way? Why do I do the things that I do? - Who are we? - Which is clear. - We love that. - Are we evil? - Yes. - Right, evil. - And then paired with that, a lot of moments where you were trying to just look into someone's eyes and understand the thing that they're, the truth of what they're not sharing, either with the other people in the conversation or maybe even with themselves. Like what are they not ready to acknowledge? What don't they understand? So it was a great, I think six in particular, a great episode for like motive, right? What motivates characters to behave a certain way? And I think what's both interesting and maybe I think a little bit frustrating is like, when you hear Rollin' and his writers and producers talk about this, they're like, oh, that are Mond and Larry seen in the subway. Or, oh, the introduction that we get of Marius, like, you're not getting the whole story. There's more to that that you're not seeing. And part of that is like the POV that we're in, the Marius we meet is the Marius that list out remembers. He remembers getting a 10 minute orientation and then Marius like fucking off. Like that's what he remembers. Is that truly what happened, unclear? It's different from the Marius in the book. And so, Rollin's like, we plan to do much more with that character and like, you know, this is just a taste of him and there's more to come. But, and that's intriguing. But also, can sometimes be frustrating if you feel on the outside of a story that you're watching. But to your point about sort of the outspoken literal existentialism that we hear from both Listaat and Akasha and some other characters. And then you get a moment like in episode five, when Listaat goes to and clap size on Regina for the first time. And then she leaves and so we just watch his face when she can't see his face. And then we watch him put the mask back on and the posturing back on in his incredibly stealth hoodie sunglasses disguise that he has on. But like that and then the lies that he's telling Louie in the true and the in the core true city telling Louie at the same time when he goes out and it's like, it's nothing like her, I mean, it isn't an isn't. And, you know, and all that's incredible. Or in terms of like musical performance, I have been so excited all season about all the music and music is storytelling and all that sort of stuff. But we, you know, the way we have set it up to talk today, I wanted to talk specifically about stained glass eyes, the song that Listaat sings about Claudia. And then you already mentioned Listaat serenading Louie. Like, I think those are the two, I don't know what they have planned for the finale in terms of musical moments. How do you, how do you top that? But like this singing serenading Claudia's ghost and then not just Listaat singing to Louie, but Louie's face while watching Listaat sing to him is just like ecstasy to me in terms of like musical performance as a heightened emotional delivery and say, singing the things you can't say. Yes. And, and all of that, you know? Those were my two favorite songs of the season. I would say by a comfortable margin, which like for me is maybe about musical style and taste. Yeah. But I did, I found myself listening to both of those and I was like, I could see myself as like a teenager, you know, hitting just like, repeat on my Discman time after time after time. Billboard does not agree with you. Don't fuck you, Bill Martin, bitch, fuck. Only in this fictional universe is 3.1 so tough. Though Daniel then immediately invoking it to, to go, Listaat, very funny and
very satisfying. I thought that the, you know, to your point about like music as expression and something that can unlock expression in a different form, which was one of the things we were, and I think it's slightly different ways because you were a musical, like this was for you, just this is cocaine, right? And for me, I was more like, I'm interested. But I think that idea, specifically, any series that is very focused on point of view, perspective, some sort of emotional truth and reveal how interesting it was for music to be the conduit to expression, right? And I love that those two songs, which felt like, I have also enjoyed the musical season, but did really feel like they transcended the achievement to that point. They achieved different things, I thought. Like the first, the the stained glass eyes was, to me, music is self, like as self-care, music is therapy. It's like, let's start working through what that encounter with Regina Slashfradia called up inside of him. The serenade to Louis is like that. And I like thinking about is that supposed to be for Gabrielle as it's supposed to be for Louis. Could that answer be different depending on the moment? I think it's for both of them, but when he starts performing it, it's for Louis. Clearly looking at Louis. No question. And the blackening of the screen around them, so everything else is blotted out. And then we see the jealousy of like one of our favorite narcissists, Gabriella, wait, this isn't about me. Someone else has a greater hold on you than I do. And so this idea of like being able to convey something to someone who you have experienced a rupture with, like a seismic rupture. And that element of episode six was just both for character, like this relationship that we're invested in, but just more broadly, like they're immortal vampires, but like they're also people or they were ones. Yeah. And I loved the way that Lestat invoked in their argument, you know, that half, that human soul, that half of you that you like to call upon, like when it's convenient, basically, but that is there. And so what a human way to try to express. And then just the very organic natural, like flirtation and the half smile and look and the, you know, down the, in the limo, first and more flirtatious and charming than the second when things obviously went wrong. Tough to see that a person you're in love with is fucking their mom. It's not how you want to change either. No. Your current, your current boyfriend texts you. Hey, is it your ex fucking his mom? I do like the idea that Daniel prodded Shirley by our mom. It's like, I'm just going to distribute this on my own. I'm uploading this. Oh, yeah. That's a great, um, independent journalism. We love it. The comp that I, that I made in our notes here and and immediately came to me for episode six was the film before sunset, the middle piece of the before trilogy. Uh, one of my favorite movies. Um, allow any of those movies is a walk and talk movie, you know, and this. So you could slot it anywhere. But the, the way this hits before sunset is there's the like, it's not meeting someone. And it's not the like, okay, we're together. What does that mean? It's the, it's the reconnection. The, yeah, it's so funny. I invoke this phrase all the time. And then I had a listener email me and was like, do you know that that's literally from just one film studies book? And I was like, Oh, yeah, I read that in college. Okay. I thought it was a broader thing with the, the comedy plot of remarriage, uh, which is a phrase I, I like to talk to, but it's one of my favorite tropes. This is what much do about nothing is about. This is what the Philadelphia story is about. Like it's, we used to be together. We were apart. Now we've come back together. And there's just something undeniable here, despite all of our resentments and all the real reasons why it didn't work out the first time. There's something so strong here, but we know each other and we know how to push each other's buttons. Um, and so all like that energy, that energy of like, history hanging over you, knowing exactly how to cut someone, but also like, but I'm here with you. And this is still something despite all that hurt. Yeah. And despite all that distance, there's still something here and it's worth pursuing. Yeah. And so it's, it's one of my favorite storytelling, you know, contrivances. And so to have that here inside of this, you know, it's Halloween night. We start, we walk out of the apartment. And it's like, we have to meet with the witch in a couple hours. And so we're going to have dinner with Dan and we're going to go to rehearsal and we're going to go to have a say on some go get our hits chopped off on a bench, you know, it's a busy day. But I, you know, it's a one crazy night, which is another sort of trope that I love me to the comedy plot of remarriage, like, which is not a thing. But I'll keep trying to make it a thing on a microphone. And, um, you know, and, and his vampire is all inside of, uh, and it's a musical all inside of a show that I love. So thanks for this. I really appreciate it. Um, I don't know how they can possibly top with the finale. But we'll see. So I did to find out. I love the before sunset shot out. That's great. I, the before trilogy is one of my, you know, three favorite trilogies ever made. I just adore those movies as, as, as you know, and, um, one of my hot, take child of divorce takes, which I think I said on the before sunset re-watchables, but can't remember is that before midnight is actually your favorite, my favorite, because I have a child divorce. I'm like, there's something so wrong real about being like, even this great love. If we were to take the GQ best friend test, and they're like, which of the before movies is Mallory Seven? I'd be like, before midnight, true answer is like, my favorite performance is the one I'm watching at that moment. But like, before midnight has a hold on me that is, I think, undeniable. Yeah. Because of the role that divorce, or just like fractures and relationship that has played in my life. But before sunset, before, like, there is something about, I think it's a perfect comfort for this. And I, one of the things I really love about your observation is like, there's an interesting part of this with a stat where like, thinking about a little stat and Louis through that lens of rediscovery, right? Something is really toxic or wrong or damaging in the relationship. But you're drawn to each other. There's a pole that is undeniable. There's a magnetism that will keep bringing these characters back to each other. That's like also, and so when you say that, or you think about the before movies, you want to think of it as a relationship, a duo that is like distinct. You think you watch this movie and you're like, well, I ever know I love like that. Well, I ever lose a love like that. Well, I ever miss a love like that. You could, you could apply that description to the stat and Gabriella. That like, we are just, we hurt each other. We hurt each other. Yeah. Yeah. You know, this idea that part of an immortal life, part of just the span of time and the swath of time, is like, do you find yourself moving back towards someone who has probably wounded you or who you have hurt seismically? Yeah. Because the centuries will pass and you will both still be there. That's like it. And I think that the love that, and the draw that Louis and Lestat have is in many respects different from the one that Lestat and Gabriella have to be clear. I think one of those is actually love and one of them is a needy, narcissistic, befallant obsession. Yeah. But still, like the fact that Lestat is like, you left me in this episode. It can be like, why did you leave me which time? Yeah. But here they are again. Yeah. And it's as interesting to think about by the room you were three. Very tough. The stick stuff was so good. It was really funny. Oh, what does that stick do? What does that stick do? Um, incredible. All right. Let's go down to our deep ish dive. Love it. All right. Because we are doing two episodes matched together, we're just going to sort of hit some buckets along the way. We're not going to go beat by beat in these two episodes. And I just think we should begin at the end. Let's be in at the end. Wonderful. Which is the Halloween setting. Here we are sort of back where we started in Montreal. It's Halloween again. Two years have passed, which is interesting. Yeah, the band has been together. Yeah. Alex at the beginning of the episode, Alex at the end of the episode. And then what I'm calling a fairly silly cliffhanger for a number of reasons. And I like, I suppose if it had just been Lestat losing his head, I suppose some people watching at home could think, okay, we open the season. We hear that Lestat's dead. Is this how Lestat dies? Is he die because he gets his head chopped off on the bench? Right. And hey folks, maybe still that's true, but I don't think so. They're making a lot of adaptive changes. So I actually don't know. We haven't seen the finale. I don't know what they're going to do. But I think there's no way we don't get a concert in the finale. I think that's a 0% possibility. And also we've seen Lui alive with his head on his shoulders. Missing other body parts, but his head is on his shoulders. So Lui also being here, you're like, well, I know this isn't the end for these characters. A reminder for folks at home that we were, you know, because I heard for some people who watch this episode and they're like, I'm sorry, what's going on? They cut their heads off. And I'm like, well, if you overanalyze every single word of every single episode, you will know that they've been laying track for this in terms of like the head that Lui cuts off. Our bank's fan prequel kid. Yeah, exactly. And still talks to. Our guy for Eid was like, hey, guess what? Certain class, you know, powerful older vampires can have their heads cut off and they can still be alive. So he said class B vampires can survive for two hours after the competition, but then went on to say a vampire of Lestats reading the last four to five times that.
So yeah, ticking clock, eight to ten hours. But we've got a minute to deal with this. And what was interesting to think back on there was that Daniel knows that. Oh, and our mod knows this. Yeah. So I don't think they don't even, they don't think they're killing them. Right. Are they teaching them a lesson? We're going to have some theories in a second. I just really want to mention also one other thing, which is like, as Listot may have mentioned once or twice, he has the blood of Akasha and him. So that makes him extra special. It's a special juicy. Yes. And when he and Louis were sharing a pint in the bar, he, he put some of his blood at, at Louis requests into Louis beer and Louis like, this tastes fucking the lish, the lish or gas mix. He loved sipping on that blood beer. Yeah, would you try blood beer? If it's a stat, maybe I will stat blood beer. Yeah, was that blood beer Akasha blood beer? I would also try it. Put you on the ceiling. Why not? That looks fun. That looks like a party, especially after the empty seat. Like, everyone's got their name plate, but no one's there other than the cabbages. It's so literal, it's a cabbages smell. And my holy bread firm, I'm on. Yeah, and then you're just sort of up in the ceiling. Oh, good time. But so Louis freshly sipped on some of Listot's blood, which you might recall, has the blood of Akasha and it's so like, they're, they're, they're extra special juicy right now. Ju step on, on that blood. Yeah. So let's talk about theories. I think this is a really fun place to theorize because this is not a thing that happens in the book, and we have not, we have not seen the finale. So what do we think is happening here? I don't know. So our mom does not want the great conversion to unfolds. That seems like why, at least partially why he talked Larry into jumping in front of the subways. He's like anything to fuck up the bed. I wonder, do you think he's just very, very, very familiar? Because he called up Elizabeth Fierman, our wonderful live event leaders, like run me through a pre event schedule. Okay, that's exactly when Soundcheck asked me, that's when this, okay, doors at the, and he's like eight to 10 hours. If I just fuck up that schedule, they can't do the concert. That's so funny. Yeah. Is that what happened? Yeah. Do you think they also eat California chicken wraps the pre show, the pre show snack, maybe for the some pretzel chips. I love a pretzel chip. Um, yeah, it's interesting because Lestat and Louis and Armand have such a depth of history and Daniel and Louis and all of them have such history with each other. Right. And like the rawness of the wound and that desire for vengeance is both deep and like newly fresh. Right. And there's been these like very ominous mentions of like, and that's when I super pissed off Daniel. Yeah. And that's when I super pissed off and humiliated Armand. Yeah. These just sort of like fresh humiliations and Daniel and Armand freshly together are like, you know, it'd be really fun. Right. Fucking chopping off their heads. And like, maybe they are trying to make it permanent, maybe they're going to, you know, put Lestat's head in a bowling bag and just like, you know, hide it so you can't reattach it. I don't know. If you have the head sitting there on a nighttime park bench for 10 hours, the sun comes up. Ooh. Tough. So that's concerned. We need someone to show up and scoop up those heads. So my theory and take them away from the sunshine. I thought that we think much of her. But my theory is that this is a job for Gabriela because, or the vampire tough cookie of whom I am a huge fan. Fantastic. But because there was that weird line earlier, where Lestat told Gabriela to like give Alex some attention. And we saw Alex lurking about, yes, in his Dracula mask, great stuff, like really great and spooky. Yes. Like Alex is quite spooky in this episode. Very. But like, eyes and ears for Armand or whatever the case may be, trailing them the whole night, who's to say, um, but if Gabriela is nearby, then like she could, right, help another theory. This is just theories again, because I don't know anything. But like, what do they do snap, like, snatch up Lestat's head, but they leave Louie behind because he's less important. And then it's Gabriela and Louie have to work together to find Lestat's head to put it back on his body. I mean, that would be great. We probably only have 53 minutes. But five hour finale, that would be, or they just, or they just popped their heads right back on the beginning of the next episode. I don't know. I like, yeah, thinking about Gabriela as a character who could be in a position of not because she cares. Because she cares. And attachment. Yeah, I don't think it's because she cares is because she needs the concert to have practical aspect of it, because it's like, they're here to hear you sing the 50,000, like we've got to give them the show so that she can get exactly an act her agenda. Thinking about, so Gabriela as Alex's maker, slash mother, has she ever failed to properly understand the maternal presence in a young man's life before open to interpretation? You know, my husband Mary, what would the cabbages say to pull it's not just be present for Alex. Pull him out of our months, throw, because we have not only, and we've been kind of, since the minute we saw the, the, like, a meeting the group and then heard the way that Alex talked about Armando said, I don't want to use the word sponsor, God, in this stretch, the specific things that Alex said to Larry, mentioning like they're, you know, him being a shitty goalie when they were kids, but you're a shredder with an axe. And then planting the seed about like, you can rest now, by the way, I was thinking of, in a more pure and less, potentially very evil and manipulative way, I was thinking of Pepper and Tony, you know, and just lay at the, you can rest now, but he was saying, Alex was saying to his brother, like, I know, and then Armando take and then rest and then Armando uses that exact language when he joins Larry at the subway station. So the idea of Armando using Alex as his wedge, his, to go back to that scalpel idea to cut into a band, we have to pull Alex out of that power. Right. So that's going to be hard. They're, how do you do that quickly, given what are those that Armando holds? Oh, you feel like Alex could be, if Gabriela could use Alex to get, to find out where Armando and they don't have stuff. Or just to get help him to base out with them instead of Armando Daniel or be still be in the band. I mean, he does really feel strongly about making a good record. That's clear. How about Daniel's list of grievances front and it's long? How high do you think one has to ask, what is with the tan, Dan? Did you indulge in a mistake, you're coughing again? How high up did that shoot on the list of, like, fuck this guy? That was so funny. Did you connect with, given your current, that is fun, like, glow. Daniel at the dinner. Yeah. When they brought in a descendant of the Leon Gods, by the way, delicate and flowery, which sounds like a lovely description, I guess, if you're drinking a very attractive woman's blood. I was, like, this is also kind of a dig because, like, delicate flower is like an insult, I think, like, your delicate flower potentially. Your blood is the blood of delicate flowers, like, we're going to take you, damn, maybe delicate flower can also be a compliment. I don't know if it was at that dinner, but it certainly could be. I don't think anything that comes out of Dan's mouth is a compliment, so that's true. My stepmom likes to refer to my dad, me, all of us when we're sick and just as delicate flowers. It certainly could be a compliment. I understand. I clocked to the media. No, I guess. I'm like, I'm like, I guess. And you're like, these ribbons are such delicate flowers, you have a cough, and you're going to bitch and moan about it for two weeks, and it's like, I am, um, but Dan, yeah, Daniel with the, like, really red kind of swollen face, but then the pale skin around the eyes, because he clearly had sunglasses on, which I don't really wear, and I showed, because I live in Los Angeles, but I was like, that is definitely what I looked like. It reminded me. I was like, again, check the deep dive footage. In high school, like a bunch of kids I went to high school with would go, like, to Tahoe over the weekend, to ski, not me, but they did. And they would come back with, like, these obscene goggles, yeah, obscene. Okay. Anything else you want to say about this beheading, other than we don't think it's permanent. It's simply me. I think it's kind of silly, but okay. You know, I like it as something to add to their trauma, the trauma bond. Like, this is even if they just, the pop of those heads right back on. Going through it with cloddy wasn't enough. We got our heads locked off together. We got to hold a capitation on a romantic park bench. It's going to be something that bonds them further. So that's nice. I thought that the, why do I actively, manically pursue failure? Maybe it's just a vampire's burden. What do you replace death with? What's to live for? If there's no end exchange that directly preceded the chopping of the heads, it was an intense thing to think about. We love, we talk about this with good plays, stories where you're like, that's a different context. But there's no end in sight. Well, what are things? How do you find out? Things matters because they are. Yeah. Yeah. No, and this idea of failure, you know, like the failures and sort of tracking when that gets reintroduced, like tracking when that voiceover comes back in. You're listening to side B, you know, number 58, the failures or whatever. I think those moments are quite interesting to go back and sort of note when we are reminded that this is a massive failure for a list at all of what we're watching, not just according to Billboard and pitchfork, but like, you know, objectively, whatever he was trying to do here, absolutely failed. And he failed with Claudia and he failed with Louis and he failed with Gabriel and all, you know, all this sort of stuff like that. And so when you hear Maria screaming fail, fail as he's running out with Akasha, you know, that's another one of his failures. So I just think that's really interesting, but also like sort of.
His examination, like how ironic is this use of failures here at the end of the day or how sincere is it. I don't know. I love list up, and I want to support him in all of his endeavors, not all of them, not the incest part. I said stand with me. Don't fuck your mom up brave. You shouldn't come in the door you came out of is iconic, iconic. The Marias Akasha, you are now the keeper, and he's like, I just wanted to like, stay in that muddy grave. What the fuck man? I didn't ask for this internship. And 80 year dirt nap was not long enough, and I don't really relate. I agree. This is really you had one job stuff. Marias was like, no, don't let her drink some blood, and he's like, what if I beat you with this? This is my blood as beautiful, just a little color on your lips. My notes are from Marias who gave him, not like, stay a couple days to trade him. Don't just like yada yada yada, here are the, he's like, you only have one job, but you're gonna learn off the job. It's Ash not blood. Did you get that? Okay, bye. Like, really tough. And you're gonna be alone here. Yeah, for quite a while. For like, nearly a decade. All right, gonna scratch the record and then once. Making of which, yes, the queen arrived, Akasha boy. We regret that we had to miss last week, and I really regret that we had to miss Akasha's arrival. That is like the one thing that I really wish we had gotten to talk about in real time, but hey, we're talking about now. Queen of the Damned herself, Akasha, mother of all vampires, meatless dad, king of mommy issues. What could go wrong? Sure, it'll be fine. What could go right? Like, you can miss a moment where I think Marius implies that Akasha wanted to kill Gabriela eliminate the competition. He says to Akasha, want to take care of her, as you said, well, he was there. She was not. Wanted to take care of her, as you said. And I just think I don't know how to interpret that other than like, take care of hers and like, kill her, because I don't think it was like, right, give her a pedicure, a relaxing spa day. No. No, I think Marius would be good at a pedicure. I just had that feeling. But I, so like, was Akasha, was Akasha like also like, you should not come in the door. You came out of or is she like no competition for a queen of all mommies or, you know, what's going on there? I don't know. Some sort of kind of immediate connection and height and tie, right? Because Marius basically says, I had to wait or fucking ever. Yeah, and she's like, "Honey, right away." Right away. Right away. Right away. Into, we'll start to mind about various things and go to ice cream scoopers who among us. School. And wanted him to be retrieved for this job. So that's interesting too, like, why him? I mean, why not him? Who wouldn't pick him? Yeah, on the official part, they asked Sheila at this question and she was like, basically, she said like something about like charismatic twinkle, I think is one of the phrases she uses, which is like, of course, extremely true. But also she was just talking about this idea of like wanting to have someone who matches her. And like, she's an incredibly powerful person. Right. And in List. She sees someone who is potentially incredibly powerful. Well, that was kind of recurring refrain in that stretch. And I guess in general across the show, this idea of like, are you worthy? Right. Are you worthy of being chosen? Are you worthy of someone's love? So Marius identifying him as worthy at first of this appointment. But then when he comes back to find that Lestat has failed to follow the fairly simple just don't give her blood. Like just one thing. Just don't don't give her any blood. And he says he's unworthy. Yeah. So unworthy of the responsibility. But she's worthy of the inheritance jealousy. Oh, no question. I think quite jealous. I think Marius is quite jealous there. This is what she listen. She said the magnitude of rage that Akasha has. She's going to need someone by her side who can match her. Marius not so much. You know, charismatic twinkle poor attitude. That's what she said. Those are the notes I took. Well, as as Rollin Jones said in the official pod that this was like essentially their pitch for season four. How did it work for you? More of this fantastic. Yeah. Is this the season of television? Why not? Okay. There was a intrigue and a menace entwined in these sequences that I really loved. The design, the character design, the fact that there's this like, you know, from Marius, he's like, it took me so fucking long to get around the slap. And now I'm going to have to let's just the way that we built the detention mounted the stone like quiet tap. And then suddenly the ice cream scoop knocked over what is paired with that moment. What are these awakenings triggered by the playing of music, etc. And then the like sitting up finally in the reach and like, he has to decide still to take that hands, right? So there's something working in both directions there and he does and the desire to bring some in her mentioned. I mean, like, I don't I have poured over her speech and I have ideas about what each line means and plenty of people have ideas about what each line means. I, but I don't have a definitive answer because it's not it's not book cannon this what some of what she's saying here, there's lore, but we should talk about desire. And I was wondering if like that desire was her desire for list at her desire for other things that she's done in her past. I don't know, but that idea of like desire for a list at who among us, you know, we're not reached out for a list at, especially after he washes the mud off of him. He's like post dirt nap wig or or or just the mud they put in Samry's hair. I just thought it looked great. I thought her design was amazing in a season of questionable wigs. Marius and people are not fond of like his particular wigs that I think she looks fantastic. She was laying there from that's her for most of the scenes. They put a mask on top of her face to like make her look more immobile, but that is like actually her laying on the slab. So that's incredible work. She was like, I was trying not to breathe. And it really looks like I wasn't breathing, which is great. There was like a doll for like one scene, I think, but like the way she looks like a statue. She looks incredible. She looks beautiful and terrifying. And I'm just sort of like I was like in source old, but also just like petrified. Like you know, it was just so incredible. And I love the way that she like the way she starts with these like sort of like the adult mind of vampire scary like a very old, very powerful. Adult vampire scary. So when she's just like asking all these questions, again, there's some more here. There's there's and then there's also just sort of like this litany of of things that women have had to endure, you know, that is that is the subject of of her rant here. There's also not all these questions, she's confused, she's upset, she's all this sort of stuff. And then she switches to the answers, right? I am her, I am the girl, I am the answer. Like, it's so scary and so good. - It was very disarming in a quick, compelling way. I thought that the I am the girl, I am the god, I am the voice, I am the soul, I am the knight, that whole stretch, because I know nothing about the story. I was like, oh, okay, how much of that is, it's just like tense, right? And the point of view question, how much of this is Akasha speaking in all those respects about herself and her evolution, her journey in the different aspects that she can manifest her in body. And, or is there some aspect, or maybe not, or maybe it's end or some aspect of like, especially because I was thinking about the recurring beat across the season of like the voices, and the hearing the voices, and the channeling of the voices, and who and the great vampire army is sprawling across the world, is voicing something that you, like the antenna, right? And like, is this everyone else? Is she parroting, or channeling the voices of the other vampires that are a part of her tree? That would, I don't know the answer, but that I think either feels like potentially - What do you say, Dignity? - When you love talking about coaching trees, I love coaching trees. And as you know, I just love trees in general. I do love trees. So trees coming off a couple times from Marius, that I was exciting. I thought that on the visual front and the speechifying, the kind of like, almost I can't control the monologue that's coming out of me again, who among us, come on the phone, okay? - Yeah, okay. - Come on, show me that someone else more. - So Akasha, Missaria, are two podcasting talents waiting to happen? - Can you imagine? Can you imagine? - Must listen. - And it's not just about, that's a must watch as well. - That's why the video on eras and punas, there was something about the, there's like the idea of power that has to be both preserved and contained, right? We have to protect and nurture and keep, but in this exact way, don't make them up. - Yeah, but don't make them up. - Ominous and a harbinger, but also feels like, you know, even though we understand that Akasha is a supreme force, you know, also interesting to kind of apply that, that logic to our other characters. - Yeah, I love that. On the like sort of musicality front, we were talking all season about this, about the way in which this show, even before it was a musical, what had such musicality to the language, and hearing Roland Jones say that he always writes to music was so unsurprising to me. Like, I was just like, a fucking course he does. And so I was just thinking back through, like some of these, like moments that feel like, feel like lyrics feel like we're friends, almost that we've experienced.
experience. Like the Louis last monologue before he becomes a vampire in the season premiere, which I think about all the time I run to the bottle. I run to the grift. I run to bedbeds. I lay down with a man. I lay down with the devil. And he has his roots in me. All his been lean roots in me, uh, Los Atlas, Atlas, Atlas, Atlas, Atlas. Or like, is that what makes you fascinating? Our monster repetition of that. Did you eat the baby? Did you stutter as a child? Dan's journalistic repetitions. Like all of that. And so when you get to Akasha and her sort of like, I am, I am, I am like it just like goes into this idea of like the way this show is written and the way the, it's not just the music, it's the words that become these earworms of just sort of like, I just like have lines of the show running through my brain. Not just not just the quick clever, a size that we love, but also just these grandiose speeches that are delivered in this rhythmic fashion that just like spinley roots in you of, of language. I just love it. Gorgeous. All right. Um, I don't need to go into all the lore that's here at all because some of it is, I would be considered spoilers, I would say, but she mentions, uh, this name Amal. Yeah. And I think that's worth noting that that's the name of the original demon that made Akasha the first vampire. So before she was a vampire, she was just a girl. She was a queen, uh, not just a girl. She's a queen of Egypt or like actually, I think it's Egypt. They sort of take over the sort of like a sire anyway. Um, she was a queen. Uh, what, and I would say like, but she was like one of the many girls that she mentioned this beast, like she was once a, a girl. Right. Um, before she became a queen and then a vampire, but she knows what is, and then you know, she did things that I would not say make her a girls girl, but maybe she has changed her mind after many centuries of the lab, you know, so I think about, uh, and then her mate next to her and keel. So they were like the original vampires. They've turned to stone as their desire to connect the human world has ebbed. They must be kept alive for the other life source of all the vampires. And that's the sort of anecdote that Mario tells when he's like, I left and keel out in the sun. And then a bunch of vampires just burnt up in flames because we're all connected, right? And this, that's like good thing I found a bug. And Mario's like, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, the yearning tendrils for the bug was so funny. Yeah. I had a cup. This like, I had a couple questions about this just in terms of the vampire candidate of this universe. Cause like, you know, kill the one, kill the many like a very, you know, kill the sciar. Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's a part of the wider canon and in many stories. So this is here to conflict. If someone definitively killed Akasha every vampire is gone. That's, that's the, that's the fear. Yeah. Um, they're okay. So this is my understanding. Yeah. There is like a core, a vampire core. Okay. A source of a power. Let's call it a glowing ball. Why not? Beautiful. Uh, every time a new vampire is made, it gets sort of like diluted and spread out, uh, to the new vampires. And so like when Akasha and keel were originally made, they were voracious in their appetite and, and could not stop killing and making us stuff like that. And as they made more their sort of appetite, it dwindled. But there's this question of the great conversion is like, can you dilute the core too much? Like that's, that's sort of a question around this, this vampire math we're doing here. Okay. Is there such thing as too many? But there's this thing and it's interesting. Cause later one of the lyrics, uh, that list that sings in in brutal of the, the song he sings to Louis talks about a thread. Right. There's this idea of the silver thread, which is almost this like vampiric umbilical core that connects all of the vampires. So it it like, but the core can reside in other vampires. So it is currently housed in Akasha. She is the original. Okay. But should that house not be hospitable anymore? There are other places the core can go. Okay. So is it reasonable to assume that even if she were not killed, but if she were harmed, that he know, because of what we learned from Marius and Lestat, like the feel, even though the mood was out, feeling the burning, if she were just harmed, that a number of vampires in the great conversion could be eliminated and cold that the great conversion could be counteracted, not even by killing her, but just by wounding her, wounding her. Because theoretically, that's possible. Yeah. And then is it correct that that tie, that potentially mortal tie does not, that not in place with other maker fledglings, like when Magnus died, Lestat was. Oh, yeah. No, it's not right. Yeah. So that's just in Akasha and the washer will kill. Yeah. Okay. So that's good. Yeah. Because that would have been concerning. Yeah. Okay. Um, all right. Just a couple other things before we leave Akasha, our queen here. Yes. I mean, it's a great question. And like the question of like how much the show is engaging with exactly the vampire canon of man rice. I'm unsure because they're they're making changes. For the Baltimore and open one. A really brilliant viewer connected this Akasha speech, speech to this really eerie same old Beckett piece called not I that he did in the 70s where it's like this woman who has experienced a lot of trauma in her life. The way the play is put together, it's just a spotlight on a woman's mouth and it's all black otherwise. And she's like, I think seven or eight feet off the stage is just her mouth. There's videos of this. It's like quite terrifying. But that sort of like extremely rapid speech and the repetition of the bewilderment of like what has happened and all the sorts of like that is very similar. And so I would not be surprised. And especially given that vampire Sam has been like sort of connected with Samuel Beckett, I think that would be an interesting comp. But like a really cool kind of obscure possible inspo here. Like that. As soon as I saw that, I was like, really? And then I watched the video and I was like, ah, yeah, it's there. And it's really scary and really good. But it's yeah, this idea of like a woman who has been voiceless for so long, finally having a voice and what are all the things that would come out? Were she given that opportunity? This is also the stats origin as a musician, the birth of the artist, right? Yeah, this was really interesting because learn to endure the depths of living, find yourself list out as a note from Marius. There's something kind of like empowering and encouraging about that ish in the context of Marius being like, I pulled you from a grave. You didn't want to leave and give your job. You don't want to have. But then the fact that list out is like, I don't know how to play. And Marius tells him to recall his fledgling to mimic Mickey and this idea that a wound because that's a source of pain, but also watching Nikki play initially was a source of joy. Just a nice little reminder that those things are really never separate from each other for Lestat, which is quite sad, quite sad. This was also like the stretch of the blood overwhelms. You know, Lestat will bring it up later with Louie, like I and Louie's kind of like, I'm calling bullshit on you using that as an excuse. Yeah, it's an interesting question. It would be sort of a show and mention. I don't think the show is trying to like, excuse everything that Lestat ever did, but is it something Lestat is trying to do? Like when he dropped Louie, you know, from the sky, is that a moment where he was like, oh, the blood of Akasha just took over and I didn't have control over that. And is that real or is that just an excuse he's making? Yeah, I like the idea that the show is, especially, you know, it was funny how they kind of laugh, right? They sort of mock the gravity of invoking that idea, Louie and Lestat in that scene. But that was where my head was, you know, okay, is there some actual like what is inside of me and how do I learn to either suppress or channel or wield or combat it, whatever the case may be? But yeah, that, you know, it made me, I won't get into like house of the dragon, spoilers from people who aren't caught up on that, but it did remind me a little bit of the conversations we've been having about some characters on that show. And like, what do you see and identify and say about the circumstances in your life that allow you to then kind of justify your bad behavior? Sure. And so that felt like, what am I supposed to do? I have the blood of Akasha. I don't know. I'm not my fault. Last night, at least, and I do want to move on, but last night, at least I will just say that like, it's not just Lestat's music that Ooka Akasha, though that is canonically sort of what happens in the book is that him playing wakes her up and then again, later, she's like, ah, this rock music. How interesting. It's his existential pondering, right? Like, you know, when this, when the scoop goes clatter into the ground, it's because he's saying, if you were the first that who made you, why do we exist? Why do we endure it all? And why did she leave me? Am I evil? Is my evil sanctioned by nature or divine air? Where is God? And then Akasha awaits like Birmingham with her own questions, her own sort of existential question. So I like this idea of just like, she's responding not just to Lestat, the musician, but Lestat, the the philosopher, Lestat, the thinker, Lestat, the lover of insist. I don't know, you know, I just, I think that connection, and that's very, that's very Lestat in the, in his narration in the book, this constant am I evil? Like, who made me, why am I here? Sort of stuff. So I love that. Well, waking via connection and then counteracting the great conversion via connection. It feels very much in play. Now you know why there are so few of us. I said this back ages. We are all connected to
her, she is the seed, and if she burns, we all burn. - It feels like that'll come into play. - I mean, yeah, sure does. Okay, stained glass size. I don't want to dwell too long on episode five when we're here to talk about episode six. Anything more, we already talked about this, but anything more you want to say about stained glass size and incredible formats that we didn't already talk about. - Man, I just thought this was really, really, really good. I felt that the look on his face when he went to the diner, Brick and Bacon, what an establishment. And just sat there, and you can see the pain and the guilt and the shame on his face, even though he is very much in the fact-finding for Louis and also trying to stifle and contain this toxicity of what is unfolding between the two of them, though just going back to the studio and immediately penning this ballad, like immediately don't you try to forget all the things you regret? Like what a, oh my god, what an incredibly powerful idea. And I just thought it was really a lovely, lovely sequence. - I think, I think Jacob Anderson as Louis in the car, when he's like begging for a list out to help him is incredible, shit, always. And then Sam Raid is list out when he sees her, just like these guys are just top tier incredible stuff. I did love when Louis, because Louis is texting him, begging him to come help him list out. It's like, I got shot. - Yeah. - And you didn't even call, you didn't chuck on me. And Louis, the fact that I get shot, yeah, I got the phone. - I think the fact that Louis had the grace to say, I'm selfish, I'm selfish. And like I knew you were gonna bring it up, and I don't have an excuse. I actually don't have an explanation, and I'm sorry. - I really love this, like he's like, I'm selfish. And right, in close proximity to our mom being like, to Dan, you know you cheated him as a saint. - Yes. - She used him in gray as a saint. And he's cruel. - Louis, yeah. - So like, the real Louis that we're getting to know to a certain degree, who does not pick up the phone when you get shot in the street. - Very tough. - But this sort of like, you came, you called moment. This is like a trope I love. And like, Gabriella has sort of like invoked it a couple times. But her appearances are so toxic and so conditional and so sort of like when she decides, you came, you called, she's gonna show up. But like, let's not think the middle of recording his album in Louis Tech 7, he's like, I'll go. - I'll go. - I'll go. - You know, he shows up. - I'll go. - You came, you called, like. - And the way that he, when he walked over, when he walked out of the restaurant over to the window of the car, look, it's not her. And the way, you mentioned earlier, the kind of entwinement of truth and lies, that he is telling Louis what he knows Louis needs to hear. - Yeah. - It's not her. And even invoking the specificity of too Louis, the eyes, but to Regina, to Fraudia, she's like, I look like her don't, don't I? Like, I can see on your face how much I look like her. And he's like, you have the hip, the gate, the hardware, here's the list of differences that I logically can point to, to rationally tell myself that it's not you, so that I don't fall into the pit that Louis was in. But yeah, you can see that like, it's, he doesn't make the same decisions that Louis does, but you can see how easily that could happen. I love this, like the day you were born, I was shaking like a leaf on an old oak tree, then you stayed like a thorn, red roses raining down till they flooded me, this like, idea. Obviously we love a tree, we love a botanical imagery, but like, his, how much he, he was, did not, was so reluctant to make Claudia, how he didn't want to, how that scene plays differently in the stats, recollection versus Louis recollection, all of that, but also like, you stayed like a thorn, like, you're around and you were, obnoxious and I hated you, but also you're a beautiful rose. And also then also in the, in the same song, he's got lyrics that invoke that harrowing image of her turn into ash and looking at him at the trial, and just sort of like her eyes being, you know, walking with him as she, as she absolutely turns into ash. Did you think that when he was, in the fairly comical sequence, when he's running out into the sun, to scream into the microphone, to get that scream just right, did you think that like, he was thinking about, I mean, it's really funny when he like, shows up increasingly like burn and blistered, but like, did you think that he was thinking about Claudia at all in that sort of like, yeah, how can I capture the worst thing I've ever heard? Yeah, I think they're all always thinking about each other. And I mean, the thorn thing is so perfect, 'cause it's like the idea of being embedded, you know, someone else embedding themselves in, you're very essence, so that there's like an inescapable quality to it. And then, you know, we'll talk about the scene separately in a few minutes, but the way that the ghostly specter of Claudia, you know, snipped at killies and all, Louis is there for closure and an absolution and to hopefully see that she has, but he says quiet, like a sense of peace. That is not what happens at all. And the idea that it connected very powerfully and poignantly with what we've talked about all season, like who actually has the definitive account and record of what transpired. And you know, Claudia, just like each of them has an agenda. So he's the thing that Claudia is saying, which in some respects kind of absolves the start of the blame, both private and public, is how true is what she's saying, or is it directed to, is it intended to just wound in her? How true is anything of what she says is a question, but her anger is real, her emotion is real. Dick Salt working title, Roodle Love, this song, incredible. We already talked about this, I don't need to get into it, but I do want to go back to this like lyric about a distant thread and a restless hand, you know, and it's sort of like, you know, constantly sort of pulling on this thread. So like, I feel like it's invoking the, the red string of fate and that concept. And I'm Bill Cork, 'cause the song is definitely also about Gabriela, and then that silver cord that connects all the empires to the source. And I just, I love that the song is about Gabriela and Louis but song only to Louis. I love that, we've already mentioned that. I love all the possibilities of what this idea of the thread can mean, but like how that thread, that before sunset thread connects to most of your songs are about me, you bought a restaurant, three blocks from my house, you know? Talk about the proximity of the restaurant. Let's talk, you know, and we watch them walk from his apartment to the restaurant, you know? And so those are like, you know, a little Taylor switch of it all, but like invisible string, this like this thing that connects them and the way that they're constantly tugging on it while having plausible, you know, while this dad says the songs aren't about him, and he's like, the songs are about him. - They're about him. - Oh, I just, you know, I just like real estate. Yeah, sure, sure, yeah. Right around the corner for now. - Rev Par, was that the thing? - Yay. - Fraudian Madeline, I'll just tell you about Rev Par. I love the, you know, I mentioned earlier the trying to parse the look on Sophie's face as she is looking at Louis throughout this sound check rehearsal stretch, and then especially during Brutalov and the speaking of threads and ties that connect, it felt to me like this was their version of, is that what makes you fascinating, right? Looking at him through that. - Yes, Daniel, was that what makes you fascinating? Like, who is this New Orleans boy and why? - Yeah, I was just great. And I don't know, there was something, it's such a, I have to imagine they did several takes of that moment where she like turns and looks at him. The camera isn't focused on him, it's focused on her. And the one they picked is such a, it's a very slow turn. And I feel like we all know like we're watching it and we're like, she, what she's processing and what she's thinking, but like, they picked a fascinating take there. That makes the take fascinating. - Yeah, it's so good. And it just felt, even though I think we both agree that the lyrics could apply to either of them and at some points maybe he would have chosen to direct his serenade and toward his mother instead of Louis. It felt to me like more intimate than watching them fuck. - I agree. - And especially because we then get an actual, Louis is watching Gabriella and list that fuck and he's just like, this is gross and weird and this is sickness and maybe the source of all your sickness. The tonal distinction of Gabriella processing and some of it is the jealousy of the narcissist but some of it is really feeling on the outside of a relationship that has been defined by an unholy level of closeness and proximity. - And I think it's, I think it's narcissistic but I also think it's like logistical in terms of like her agenda which is that this concert go off without a hitch and knowing that Louis doesn't want the concert to happen. And she's like, maybe you shouldn't go for your own protection. I don't know. You know, but like the cities of like where he's, had some sort of confrontation with an enemy. - Yeah, not subtle, not great. But you know, so worried about her, you know, if Listad is her little puppet, like who is this other guy who can pull the strings at him, you know? And, and speaking of strings, I love the moment where Listad has this variety response to the string section, right? Like you could be doing more, right? And Louis like smiles fondly where he's just sort of like, yeah, Mary.
- There he is, must stop, the brat, my guy, there he is. And then an interjection of the failures, right as the song concludes. Right as we have this conclusion of this song, which is just this like incredibly beautiful song, in a cellometer doesn't think so. - Yeah. - And incredibly like, I mean this is a huge achievement, I would say, in their connection. And then it's like you're listening to the failures. - Yeah. - This is a failure, what you're watching here. Sad. All right, Dan, Dan gets his son Dan. - So good. - We already mentioned this, but like, how are you feeling about this arm-on and Daniel connection? Arm-on being like, I've been here the whole time, pulling the strings from the shadows of your life. - I loved that because it was so, it was intended to be a, it was intended to be a declaration of proof. Daniel's like, I call bullshit on this, like you're professing your love to me. - Yeah. - Dan says, let me go through the list of moments over the last half a century, where I watched you and I knew how you were suffering and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Your daughter rejected you, I led you to a chapel. The guy told you to leave, I got rid of him so you could sit and cry. - Yeah. - You fucked and maybe sexually assaulted what if your student? - And I made sure he forgot. - I made sure he forgot about it. - Whoa. - Grim, the, as is so often the case with Arm-on, and this is one of the delicious aspects of his character. There's a read on that that is so sinister. - Well, and that's-- - You watch me from the shadows, didn't tell you me you were there and tried to like puppet master my life. - Right, well the puppet mastering of Arm-on, like that's Arm-on. - That's Arm-on. - That's his MO, but like, I think what's interesting is that Dan, sort of similar to like the stop being like, I have the blood of Akash on me, so I'm not responsible for things I've done. Dan has given this sort of statement a couple times, is sort of like, ever since you mind fucks me in the 1970s in San Francisco, listen to my failures. There's all the things that I did that fucked up, and it's all because of you. I had a diction problem because of you, my relationships didn't work out because of you, all this is because of you because of what you did to me. The Dan we met before Arm-on showed up was not on the straight and narrow, you know what I mean? He was not living his best life out there. And so like, this has been his idea the whole time that Arm-on did this to him, and Arm-on's like, I wasn't just, I didn't just do that to you. - Right. - I covered up your sexual assault as well, you're welcome. - Oh my gosh. - Really grim. - Oh my gosh. - Really grim. Anything else you wanna say about Dan and Arm-on, I will say I loved in speaking of like lingering shots, the shot of Arm-on's face at the close of episode five after Larry is stepped in front of the subway. And he's just so beautiful. So he's doll-like, he's just so gorgeous he's done this horrifying thing, the calm, the stillness. So still. The, what I thought was interesting is, they used this like blurring effect on a cautious mouth when she's talking that I thought was like very cool, you know, just like heightens the surrealality of what you're watching. And they mentioned that they wanted to match the fact that like, when Arm-on, who is like a more powerful vampire than the other vampires we've met is really in his powers, is eyes vibrate? And so they're like, we wanted to like do something for Akasha where it's just sort of like, this is even, you know, this is even more. And what more might we do with Akasha who is, you know, the first? - I love it. - Sort of thing. - All right, anything else you wanna say? - Just as always, I wanna just take 10 seconds to appreciate the Daniel Milloy comedy, please. - Because, give us the greatest hits. - It's your boy Daniel Milloy, very, very funny. Very, very, very funny, but at dinner, I know we were gonna talk about this later, the cosmic, how did they make a Travis and Taylor joke, the week of the wedding? - Oh, I know, really cool. - Incredible. - Really good. - That's like, cosmic fortune there or maybe just very careful planning. - I don't know, I don't know. - Maybe like, it's kind of lucky. Like Travis and Taylor, when he was at the date, is something they could have written. - At any point. - Yeah, they didn't just so happen to be incredibly talented and all that great stuff. Shared on, shared in Blackwood, dumb name. So funny. You just have to get still fanging Sophia incredible. - Yes. - And of course, on the precipice, on the brink of releasing the interview with the vampire listat. - Yeah. - Ready to eat your own. I mean, ready to eat your own is he is about to reveal the insides. - His face when he says that. - I have no notes. - Ready to eat your own is iconic. - Really good. - Wait until Daniel Milloy learns about Damon Targaryen's dreams. - It's your boy Daniel Milloy. - Alright, exercising demons. So this is a double. So we already talked about this about like, let's not and Louie have it out in the street. And this is like a horrifying moment for Listaat. And the denial, the panic, the blood vomiting. This isn't his most intensely guarded shame. Like there is intensive shame here for him. And we love journalists, you know. We had a sunshine problem here. Here we go. And on this information, it's out here. And now Louie knows. And now Louie knows more about Listaat than he ever knew before. And they already knew each other quite well. - Yes. - And he knows even more here. And then they go through this experience with Claudia where they are confronted with, you know, some fictions that she told about Listaat, but also just sort of like having to confront her anger what they together did to her. And so I just, you know, we went up on the bench and they lose their heads. But just bringing all of this nastiness up and out into the sunshine, not to like vampires can't do that, but Dan, Dan can, Dan with the Dan can. But like, bring that all up and then just sort of like, and then being connected even more afterwards. I love it. - So good. - I loved it. Initial response, let me put it this way. Are you hitting the same vagina? You spent the first nine months of your mortal life and Listaat who very quickly will not even be able to form a coherent sentence and his vomiting blood everywhere because he's so mortified. And this has come to light even though he will then say, I guess I wanted it to. The fact that he just for another second there has the wherewithal and composure be like, well, anatomically, there's the whoo. - Yeah. (laughing) - The show is just, God dear. This is so, so, so, so good. - Yeah. - I just love, they're fighting. Listaat will not let Louie walk away from this. Louie's like, I was really worried that Louie was just gonna walk away and this is just gonna be like, they wouldn't talk to each other again for another season of television or something like that. - Yeah. - Well, you mentioned the shame. The shame that Listaat, I think with apologies, it's fair to say, should feel. (laughing) - You have to apologize. We could be anti-insists on this podcast. - Can we, we cover it so routinely? I don't know. Louie's shame is also brought to the fore here. When Listaat is like, there's the kind of comedy of you're being very judgy in the face of the, they're just like litany of, of how this is a really gross thing you've done. But, Listaat's like, you're paying a girl to pretend to be Claudia. You're paying a girl to pretend to be Madeline. Do I say you're sick? - No. - I come in support of you. - Yeah. - And so for Louie to have to confront his failing, which is different from fucking your mother, but is still a failing. - It's different. - It's different. - It's different for vampires. - It's different. - I really loved that. That the way Listaat, you know, got Louie to basically just take a beat and think about what room there would be to still accept this person who has done a thing that is not acceptable, is to remind him that he has been present for Louie. But Louie has done things that in different ways and to different extents are also not acceptable. - This line that comes later actually on the other bench, clearly somewhere in the self-destructive scaffolding, I housed my heart in, I wanted it now. - That was great. - Okay. - That was great. - Merrick Mayfair, played by Sarah Afel. - This performance was amazing. - Fantastic. There's been some question. This is, there is the Mayfair Witches show. This is not a character that has shown up on the Mayfair Witches. - I was not like, this is a new, I mean, this is a book character, but not one that we've, it's not like you have to have seen the Mayfair Witches have the context for her. - So I was wondering if I was missing an element by not having seen that. - She's both a witch and a telemask agent, and now a need of some cosmetic dentistry. Here's the, so the novel, Merrick. Merri Wick, Merrick. Written in 2000. Claudia's haunting Louie and he has this, and he is just at his witch's end of what to do. He is in deep despair. He does not pay a waitress to pretend to be Claudia, but he does go to this witch. - He's been mode her once. - Hundreds of texts a day, but I wasn't like, that was a really tough, 'cause Louie hasn't like, I'm like, he's saying relatively cool about this. No, hundreds of texts a day, really tough, so rough. - Tough look for our guy. He does ask this witch to, you know, bring about the spirit of Claudia, yeah. And it's very, it's done very differently in the novel, and I'm interested in this adaptive change. So in the novel, and again, Claudia's described as looking like Kirsten Dunst looks like in the movie, just this little angelic doll looking girl. And when she shows up as the spirit, it's all like whispers and quiets, and but it is menacing as fuck. And it's just sort of like, and her whole agenda and that sequence is to try to get Louie to kill himself. She's like, come join us.
me father. She's like, "Oh, you think I'm happy? I'm not. Do it. Come here. Come join me." You know, what have you done to deserve to live? All this like coaxing him, trying to coax him into killing himself. But this is something she says. I suffer, but she's whispering, and she's gentle, and she's girlish. She says, "I suffer, father. I suffer, and I wander. I know nothing in all it. All I once knew seems illusory. I have nothing father. My senses are not even a memory. I have nothing here at all." So I love the way that it's done in that book, but I loved the way it was done here. It's pure rage and violence and anger. And in the book, she stabs, she becomes corporeal enough to grab something and stab him, she doesn't kill him, but she stabs him with his object, and the witch cannot control her or stuff like that. So when Claudia starts knocking papers around and stuff like that, I thought that part was really cool, and she's out of the circle, and she's also leash. And it's just so scary. Again, similar to Akasha, it's pitiful. You're upset when she's talking about how she can't find Madeline anywhere, and she's all alone, and she can't find her horrifying when she talks about everything that's done to her. So you feel so much empathy for her and pity for her, and then you're also terrified of her at the same time. I thought it was so good. I, the initial Marik, when she's trying to summon a channel, and it does not work initially, there's the first, like, one of YouTube and up to tonight, and you should move your chairs further apart. You're watching the gate about them, which was very good. But then she's got rage about Claudia before channeling her in full. That's so interesting. What you just shared about trying to coax Louie in the novel, because I like now thinking about having not known that, the way that that is slightly, slightly warped here, where Louie is the one who's like, I thought you were calling to me. Like, I thought you wanted me to join you, and she's like, if I did, I would have tripped our mind on the stairs. I don't want you when you are near me. I hate you. Well, I don't, she's not saying, like, come join me so we can be together happily ever after to die. She just wants to. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and then that's interesting too, especially, again, we talked about this already. We don't really think they're dead at the end, their heads are probably going to flop right back on their beautiful shoulders. But what this Claudia stretch gives us is a sense of like, you aren't, there is no release from your turmoil. Death is not, death does not bring for these characters in this supernatural state. You won't be to quiet. The two of you won't be together or we won't be together, because I can't if I'm Madeline. Yeah. So we're damned after it all ends too. I also really liked making the audience a little bit complicit for our tendency to side with Louie and Listotte in all matters. Like I was thinking back to our conversation about Louie's very disturbing vengeance quest with Bruce. And I remember saying on the pod, like, boy, and watching Louie, he doesn't even have to look at the pages on the diary. He can recite it from memory. And then Claudia's like, that make you feel good? It makes you feel good to pretend those words were yours. And I was like, damn, it was just so effective as a way to simultaneously bring you further into the closeness of these characters and their history with each other and their inner turmoil. And intentionally keep you on your your back foot of like, don't assume you know why these people are behaving this way. Right. Also, so this this moment in season one, when Claudia tells Louie that like, Listotte threatened to like rape her on the train was like a thing that book readers were really like, whoa, like, whoa, Listotte would never do that. And so this question of like, was Claudia even telling the truth? So in this scene, she's like, oh, did you like that little performance I put on for you, Louie, where I said, Listotte did this? Oh, you know, I was so scared. And so again, it puts us constantly. It's not just like, we're watching Louie tell the story or watching Listotte tell the story. It's like inside the story. Yeah. People are unreliable narrators inside of the unreliable narrators, you know. I love that. And especially because they both invoke the idea of, you know, Louie is like, he's surprised when they're walking after the scene. He expresses to Listotte that he is surprised, but the thing he said of like, what about the thing you should be thanking me for Bruce? And he's like, man, I got to I have some work to do on myself, which Listotte, well, that on the park bench, bring up, I've got some work to do on myself. And to think about that, we watch Louie at the table with Fraudia and Madeline and the look on his face of disgust confronting that that's what they think he wants to see, like when they start kissing at the end, right? Do you think he was upset because of that or because of how bad her wig was? Why not both? The old why not both? Madeline's wig bad wig and accent. And I'm like, how different is this from the cap of just sequence? Really a great question. And then like, she broke character and he said, whoa, that's how we're here for, but then they're back in character. And he's like, is this what we're here for? I can't tell the difference anymore. She voices still stop. Very sad. The boat sequence. And he like freezes her. And his hand is quivering, like confronting what not only what he's capable of, but why he is doing these things, and what he thinks he is gaining from them. They said the official podcast I think was really interesting is that originally those scenes were flipped that like the boat scene came first and then the Fraudia and Madeline dinner because like the Madeline Fraudia dinner was written to be like, he's like, I've gone too far. I'm repulsed by myself. They were like, well, when we watched those two back, the more disturbing one was the boat one. So we flipped when they came. That feels true. And I like really great. All right, back on the bench. Yeah. Season one nostalgia. Love it. Love these two on a bench. Wonderful. We already talked about this plenty. I do want to shout out because I have to it is in it is in me and is I must. When they're talking about their sort of like Southwest dreams or Nevada Southwestish, right? Yeah. I think so. Ish. Yeah. Enough. Yeah. I think so. I remind me of like in the musical rent, this dream of like, open up a restaurant in Santa Fe, escape everything in New York, you know, stay from devastation our brains. We'll we'll we'll go to Santa Fe. It'll be simple. Or if you prefer in the musical newsies, Patricia Bale sings about going to Santa Fe. Like this idea of like the Southwest dream of like, we'll leave all of this horribleness. That's wonderful. This behind. Should we go? Yeah, I've never been. We can go to some George R. Martin stuff and we can have the isn't that where they have the the chili peppers, the green chili peppers on all the burgers. Isn't that a thing there? Possibly. I'm I'm ready. Okay. It has to be a regional flight out of Burbank, I think. I deal. When he says what blooms at night, did do you have any did you have any botanical thoughts? I want to immediately tonight blooming jasmine as you know, I care a lot about jasmine as a as a climbing vine. You do know this about you. I am not much of a gardener though. I do love nature to observe it. Yeah. So I had nothing pop to mind other. Yeah, vision, pigeon nature. No, I thought it made me think of just like nightshade and some of that, but now it also made me think of I've talked to you about the bear my bones, bury my bones in the night soil, the schwa book. She has talked about how she wants to sort of start a universe of a kind and she's calling it the garden. And it's just sort of like there are vampires in the garden, but like what else what other creatures are in the garden? Just sort of like what else in you know, I was just thinking about that. I was trying to look to see if like and rice had ever talked about her universe as a garden or like vampires is like night, but also what's interesting is if you google vampires and night blooming flowers. Yeah. There's a ton of cool creepy-ass flowers that are like named after vampires. Incredible. There's like a vampire orchid. No, but like they just like look, they're amazing and they're scary and I love them. That's all I just want to say about that. How did you feel about the hard stopper-esque finger brush that we get? With their little press on nails. Anything else you want to talk about before we get into like I thought we'd do a roundup of fun and funny things. You've already hit plenty of these, but like if there's any leftover that we haven't had. I want to shout out in this roundup of fun and funny things. I want to shout out, I just think the phrase the vampire tough cookie was really fun to hear. Incredible. I think her in the previous episode saying I don't play metaphorical drums and then I think Yoko Miran, which is what she calls Cabriela, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Yoko Miran absolutely killed me. That was so funny. I quite liked all the commentary on the like luxury coffin. The Heston. You should be thanking me for this. Also, by the way, Lestat not keeping his cell phone in this coffin just seems very impractical to me. I maybe it's like me and he's like he's breaking his phone. Yeah, maybe. So he doesn't scroll in the coffin, maybe, maybe. But then as soon as it vibrates, he opens it potentially risking exposing himself to sunlight. I don't know. Not ideal. Did you like the Daniel had his man on the street stretch? First of all, I got I'm a yard a file. I can't. Yeah. But were you getting BB report? You want to talk about Lestat's passport? I just I don't know. It's so fucking hard to take a good passport photo. It's impossible. Also, don't you have to show your ears now when you take your passport photo? I don't know. I have, I'm due to to refresh mine actually. My number is that you have to like tuck your hair behind your ears. Well, his was curly and luxurious as always and he looked fucking incredible and he was serving face in a passport photo, which is basically impossible to do. So shout out, Lestat. You're really hot. Canonically five nine, five nine, Lestat. I mean, that is that's nuts. Probably can't be true. I support five nine guys. It looks like he looks like he's like six three. I really love this quote. I spent half of two decades in the silken embrace of a chestnut casket purchase for
for my French Quarter Town Home, for was hurled off a balcony during one of Mr. DuLock's redirected moods. And we get the cut of the, but redirected moods is just like an incredible fruit. - So good. - I'm gonna start using that. I don't know when or how. Taylor Travis, we talked about the stick. Listot's Spirit Halloween Grim Reaper Costume. - Incredible. - Outstanding and his enduring commitment to Halloween candy that he puts out the bowl and the sign. - Yeah, please take one. - The sign's so good. - Really good. - When he first lifted the hood, I was like, oh my god, our guy is doing a murder cloak. - A murder cloak? - A murder cloak, you know? - I kind of felt the way about his murder hoodie. - Yeah. - A murder hoodie for sure. - Yeah. - But then he's like, no, I'm gonna be the Grim Reaper for Halloween. - Yeah. - Basically it was just incredible as was the round of applause in Louie's Vamp-Dan restaurant. - Oh yeah. - When he took it off and revealed himself. - No, like was so funny. - Or him singing out the side of the car. - That was great. I loved that. - To the adoring Vamp public. - Yeah. - That was wonderful. - And the blood, chalice, the delicate flowery blood, like decanting it into the little, little, little smaller goblet stuff. - We saw it fascinating. - Oh yeah, yeah, that whole device. 'Cause we saw the decanting in season one, but not the like sort of, yeah, like, then it spread out into smaller things. Or maybe that was season two. The Grim Reaper thing I think is also a throwback to, when Lestat and Armand are at the theater. - Right. - And Armand's like, you would be a better Grim Reaper in Lestat, says the side that does a lot of work. (laughs) Love that he's like, I got myself a plastic sign. - I know what I wanna be this Halloween. Also after he put on the costume and they're walking to the very approximate restaurant as noted. - Looks lovely. - And let's go to Montreal. - I would love to go to Montreal. I've never been to Canada. Vancouver number one on my list, but I would love to do Montreal. - I would go to Montreal. - So I went to Syracuse. So I was like two hours from Toronto and somehow I never went in four years disaster. Calamity. When Lem calls, obviously he's the one who texts, did you see this later? - Classic. But when he calls and Louise talking, well, that's like me too, like what, love miss. But before that, lem, lem, lem, oh, lick me, lem, let's just hysterical. - hysterical. - Speaking of talking to other people, was Nikki shouting page numbers from Daniel's book when Lestat was the name? - I could not possibly tell you. - It was shouting numbers. - I was like, I was like, what was that? - I think that's all the ones that I had. - Oh, last one. - And this is, I actually thought this was the, this is maybe the line I liked the best. Though it's such a crowded field. They've gotten into the limo after the dinner slash interview. You know, I owed him an ending with Daniel. - Yeah. - And Louise, like, something seemed off. And Lestat replies, always, he's an awkward man. He has that, you think you're better than me chip on him. And we are. It's exhausting to pretend otherwise that. - So good. - It's exhausting to pretend otherwise was just absolutely incredible. I loved it. - All right, well, that is five and six. - Yes. - We're gonna-- - What left? - I know. - How long will it be between seasons? - I would say at least a year and a half. Like, probably the last time because they don't have to write an entire musical, which I think took a lot of time. But probably like a year and a half at least would be my guess. But we'll see. - Well, you know what, that's a year and a half for everyone who's not watching to catch up. Catch up. - That's how I'm spinning it. We're gonna close out with some books, but there's. (upbeat music) - Such a menacing laugh. - I know, it's so good. Good job, Carlos. All right, 50,000 of us out in the woods together what could go wrong? I'm gonna wish him quite a bit. - Yeah, I don't need to get into details, but it's not gonna go well. And it cautious of showing up in the finale. So that's exciting. - I can't wait. - I'm really thrilled. So, you know, Sheila said that she only filmed like a couple, you know, so it's just like this scene in episode five. And then I have to imagine she's like, just in the closing scene of the finale. It would be my guess. But I'm just excited to see her like out and about, not in non-starchy form at all. - So you're retically. - If we're doing Queen of the Damned and Body Thief as subsequent seasons, like Will Listot and Louis B. - Yes. - prominently in both of them. - Will Listot certainly. - Okay. - And then they're just doing all this stuff to get Louis like still in the mix. This sort of thing. That's what Dan McDermott from AMC said. It sees like we're figuring out a way to have Armand, Daniel, Louis and Listot sort of like in the mix for all of these. So like how can we sort of contort the story to make sure that these characters that everyone's attached to are prominent? Like Claudia bringing the, the Merrick's book into this season so that Claudia can be here. I should say, will he does briefly kill himself after the Claudia say on scene in Merrick? - Right. - And then he's resurrected. - Okay, so the chopped head is standing in for that. - I'm wondering if that's the case. Like do we need to see a Louis so despondent he kills himself? I don't know how he could get more despondent than like paying than he was in the car outside of the restaurant. You know what I mean? So I feel like that's happened, but I don't know. Okay, this is the big one though. In Listot voiceover in episode five, he says I am male and then he says after he says, I have slumbered in variety of sarcophagi over the centuries. This is after he says the thing about the coffin in New Orleans before he calls the studio basically a coffin. I have slumbered in variety of sarcophagi over the centuries. He says I am male. So spoilers, the core of Akasha, the core of all vampires goes inside of Listot and he is possessed by a male the first. And so exciting. By the time he recores the failures, this has already happened, which is like a very different timeline. But that like he has the original demon inside of him as he's like that's, he says I am out. Like that's what he says, right? So like it is Listot talking, but is Listot with a male inside of him, which is a wild thing to hear and know. You know, it goes over the heads of people who don't know what the fuck a bell is and you know, they're like Steven and what are we doing? - Um, I don't know, I don't know. - The cat has the staff enter the air overs. - But he saved this city. - This is a huge deal. And it's another like time marker for book readers. So like, no, Listot getting his head chopped off is not how he is going to die. And so we sort of know a bit more about when the failures is recorded, I guess. - Okay, exciting. Maybe I'll jump before season four, try to read all these books. I believe in you, but we've got a lot going on. So you're in a half. You love Laura. - I'm not going to commit to anything. - Yeah, you love Laura. - Maybe I'll give it a go. Am I going to be scared? - No, are they very scary? - No, okay. - Will you hold me in your arms if I am scared? - Let's curl up together and read them. Play an audiobook. - Okay. - Wonderful. - Divine. (laughing) - That's all I have. We did it. - Just with the light. - Episode seven, we'll be back. Thanks to our Coven, the tree connected to all of us, which is Jacob Cornett, Carlos Jerubo, Scott Lee. I'm Regina Wrinkle-Powell and Jomi Deneron. - Our keepers. - We'll be back. Talk the thrones theoretically is what comes after this. - That's right. - I love this kind of order. - I have no idea what it's time. Talk the thrones. - That's right. - And then the deep dive. - Yes. - And then Oppenheimer. - Happy. - And then the Odyssey. - Adi. (laughing) - Yeah. - And then we'll talk the thrones, then we'll list out and we do it all over again. - Wow. - Yeah, that's right. - I think I'll have gone. All right, see you soon. Bye. (upbeat music)
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