The changes Interview with the Vampire (2022) made to Louis's character are so so wonderful.
I do mourn how book Louis tries to find God everywhere all the time, but I the biggest takeaway I got from book Louis is that he feels guilty and ashamed about his existence and the show nails that. It's tragic in a way the book never was.The show does something so fucking incredible by making their Louis an explicitly gay black man, so not only does he feel shame about being a vampire, but he's generally ashamed of being queer and has internalized all the antiblack racism he's faced. And all of this is established in the first episode (one of the best first episodes ever honestly. That confession booth scene is ingrained in my mind forever). The alienation Louis feels as a vampire is further exacerbated by his identity. Show Louis also appears a lot more connected to his family, so it's heartbreaking to see him slowly become estranged from them after he becomes a vampire (and becomes partners with another man. interracial relationship too).
I was not convinced by Loustat in the Interview with the Vampire book. Just not at all. For example, book Lestat only wanted to change Louis for the plantation* versus show Lestat who wanted Louis to live a life free from shame. Yes, Lestat was definitely taking advantage of Louis at his worst because he wanted him as his partner, BUT I do also think Lestat believed everything he said to Louis. He obviously cared for him deeply at that point. And that's beautifully tragic. The only way for a gay black man in the 1910s to live a life free of shame is to die and be reborn as a vampire.
Lestat's dark gift fix doesn't work though, which is a tragedy in and of itself: Louis still faces racism. Even with his vampiric power the antiblack racism he faces is systemic and not something an individual can overcome.Louis loses contact with his family. Louis is ashamed of his vampiric nature. The true goft Lestat gave him was endless time. Which is what Louis basically thanks him for at the end of season 2.
And that's why the season 2 finale hit me so hard. IF YOU IGNORE THE FACT WE TECHNICALLY DON'T KNOW WHY TF LESTAT CAME TO PARIS OR IF HE WAS BEING CONTROLLED, but that's what season 3 is for. Lestat has some answering to do. I still don't like his emotionally and physically abusive ass ngl.
*from what Louis says. I haven't read any of the other books
I do mourn how book Louis tries to find God everywhere all the time, but I the biggest takeaway I got from book Louis is that he feels guilty and ashamed about his existence and the show nails that. It's tragic in a way the book never was.The show does something so fucking incredible by making their Louis an explicitly gay black man, so not only does he feel shame about being a vampire, but he's generally ashamed of being queer and has internalized all the antiblack racism he's faced. And all of this is established in the first episode (one of the best first episodes ever honestly. That confession booth scene is ingrained in my mind forever). The alienation Louis feels as a vampire is further exacerbated by his identity. Show Louis also appears a lot more connected to his family, so it's heartbreaking to see him slowly become estranged from them after he becomes a vampire (and becomes partners with another man. interracial relationship too).
I was not convinced by Loustat in the Interview with the Vampire book. Just not at all. For example, book Lestat only wanted to change Louis for the plantation* versus show Lestat who wanted Louis to live a life free from shame. Yes, Lestat was definitely taking advantage of Louis at his worst because he wanted him as his partner, BUT I do also think Lestat believed everything he said to Louis. He obviously cared for him deeply at that point. And that's beautifully tragic. The only way for a gay black man in the 1910s to live a life free of shame is to die and be reborn as a vampire.
Lestat's dark gift fix doesn't work though, which is a tragedy in and of itself: Louis still faces racism. Even with his vampiric power the antiblack racism he faces is systemic and not something an individual can overcome.Louis loses contact with his family. Louis is ashamed of his vampiric nature. The true goft Lestat gave him was endless time. Which is what Louis basically thanks him for at the end of season 2.
And that's why the season 2 finale hit me so hard. IF YOU IGNORE THE FACT WE TECHNICALLY DON'T KNOW WHY TF LESTAT CAME TO PARIS OR IF HE WAS BEING CONTROLLED, but that's what season 3 is for. Lestat has some answering to do. I still don't like his emotionally and physically abusive ass ngl.
*from what Louis says. I haven't read any of the other books