When Interview with the Vampire became The Vampire Lestat, many a loyal fan worried that AMC’s focus shift would push its original protagonist to the margins. There’s certainly something to be said for the sudden influx of promotion for the show now that Sam Reid’s titular vampire is taking the spotlight — not to mention the platform’s attitude toward its previous two, critically acclaimed seasons.
On one hand, it makes sense: Seasons 1 and 2 adapted the first novel in Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, and as Season 3 moves on to The Vampire Lestat, changing the title and the scope of the show isn’t totally unwarranted. But could the series tell Lestat’s story without totally abandoning its original star, Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson)? It didn’t help that Louis scarcely appears in The Vampire Lestat’s first episode — or that the premiere seemed to tease a last-second reunion between himself and Lestat, only to introduce Lestat’s mom-slash-lover, Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle), instead. Fortunately, Episode 2 proves that Louis is still a crucial part of the series. His role is just going to look (and sound) a bit different in the new season.
