Other people have mentioned it, but I think the word "companion" carries great meaning for Louis. "Be my companion, Louis" was a marriage proposal that he said yes to. The word may be positive, negative or both at any given time, but it's a huge word for him.
Armand's backstory gets me every time. It's so tragic and hints so much at why he is the way he is. He is probably my favorite character because of how interesting his psyche is. Thanks for reacting as always!
the moment in which they talk about the show being a hit, and people beginning to buy souvenirs and wear Claudia costumes reminded me of one of the earliest things Daniel said to Louis when he began reading Claudia's diaries. Louis said, he wouldn't allow Claudia to be exploited, that the journals had to be put in proper context, and Daniel replied that that wouldn't matter to readership, that once it was out in the world it would stop being uniquely hers, and he gave the example of it "inspiring a line of sexy Claudia Halloween costumes". Louis is understandbly uncomfortable with that remark, first because it's a horrible prospect and he feels Daniel is being disrespectful towards Claudia , but secondly because he has somehow already seen that happen before. The audience is filled with people in Claudia costumes, infantilizing her as if she were nothing more.
Wow thank you for this. This is such a good connection to what Malloy said. He wasn't being mean or trying to be an asshole. He just understands what people do
Hilarious😂 after finishing season 2, I believe that dreamstat mocking Armand is lowkey Louis subconscious fighting against what Armand did to his brain and memories😂
@@FrankFreezy_ 01:08:53 made me feel some kind of a way because human armand was a slave and human louis was a pimp. Also, regarding Armand- I think armand gravitates towards anyone who provides a new perspective- Something different from how things are being run in the coven. He manipulates the situation, then sits back and lets the other person create unrest and destroy the coven. He did that when lestat came in paris. Now he is trying to do the same with louis. Anyways, more on this when you upload season 2 finale on YT. There are so many things to re-visit after watching season 2. I know you have watched the full season on patreon but I tend to keep my YT comment to the current episode (just in case someone is watching the show along with your videos)
Thank you! I agree with what you said re Claudia and the vampires around her. I think s2 made me realize how she is often mistreated/abused by the older vampires. Lestat, Louis, and now Armand have all put their hands on her.
I don’t think that the company was standing up for Claudia so much as seeing a way to reassert their demand that something be done about Louis. I do adore your reactions. PEOPLE, please don’t spoil it for him!
Love your protective instincts where Claudia is concerned, and I've never loved her more than when she calls Louis out on picking another one over her, because she was speaking TRUTHS! One of my favourite scenes in this episode is the Coven table scene because of Santiago's provocation and Louis' swift response, and how it gives us so much in terms of tension, comedy, power and a sweet glimpse of Claudia being happy for Louis as he describes his joy in the artistic community! Lestat's appearances here are comedy gold, I agree - and yet he still manages to break my heart when Louis bids him a fond farewell! Getting Armand's tragic backstory in between his power flexes is a great way to show his complexity, and Louis slipping into that pimp persona like it's one of his favourite suits at the end is very telling of his nature too! Grateful for your candid thoughts and investment in this show, Frank - bravo!
Wow man that scene of Armand pushing Claudia against the wall and grabbing her by the neck pissed me off too for the very same reasons you mentioned, Frank... We automatically connect it to what both Lestat and Louis did to her. It's crazy because some scenes before we all sympathized with Armand's backstory. That's why I love this show so much. The tridimensionality of the characters is so enriching! I guess I can vouch for everybody when I say we all followed Louis's suggestion in episode 1, season 1: we're letting ourselves be seduced by the story haha Can't wait for episode 5!
So true. I feel that's why I gave up during this episode. I did not care about who is right and who is wrong anymore. The Whiplash was frying my brain. I just settled with having a love-hate relationship with most of them. For Claudia to always be a love love relationship tho
Love the way you retrospectively view the episodes and link certain aspects and characteristics together. I’ve watched five reaction videos previously and that way of analyzing the content of this show is rare. Great work!🧛🏾🌘🌑🌒
The 'barely Balthasar' line makes me crack up every time, but it's also so telling. Louis isn't as much of a theatre kid as the rest of his family/loved ones, but he knows Shakespeare; he knows precisely what he's saying. 😂 I completely understand Louis being hurt by the professional rejection, especially since his photography seems to be such a rare source of joy for him, but I wish it hadn't stopped him from continuing like that. Even if he isn't able to sell them, the act of creating them seems to give him so much comfort, and as you said, art is so subjective; who knows what could happen in the future. He deserves a hobby just for himself rather than one he feels he has to monetise.
In Ann Rice's books "companion" for a vampire means more like a spouse for all eternity. Maybe with no sexual side to their relationship (like Louis and Claudia) - but definetely with the part where you share a household so to say.
Although... in the books..they do refer to Claudia as their "lover" too, and sometimes kiss her right on the lips, if I remember it right. Ssoo......😅 In the books, it's complicated, and there really is no direct 1-to-1 human world comparison....because they're not human. They don't really have human relationships exactly, at all. (Do not read Anne Rice's _Vampire Chronicles_ books if you aren't okay exploring some super uncomfortable uncomfortable shtuff, even more uncomfortable occasionally than in the tv series thus far.🙃😶)
@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341[spoiler alert] I did not read all of the books - but in IWTV Claudia talks like that right before her end. It's more like her wish - what it could be if she wasn't a 6y.o. girl. A manifestation of her desire to be an adult. Not the actual feelings. (And in 18-19 century kissing someone on the lips was not considered that erotic as it is now.)
@oyami4444 No... I was pretty sure Louis himself refers to her as such, at least once, when reflecting on her/them after everything that happened in Paris has gone down. But I'd have to crack the book open to doublecheck for sure. (So, I suppose I could be misremembering.) But I always hated that dynamic in the books, personally, because I felt like she'd basically blackmailed him into it[ when it was never really what he truly wanted since he just felt like he owed her whatever she asked for because he felt responsible for her being stuck as she was and who else was ever going to love her] while she was coercing him into helping her turn against Lestat.
I don't think the coven was standing up for claudia Santiago didn't like the attention she was getting from the people over her performances he doesn't like the spotlight not focusing on him as for the others i think they didn't like seeing Louis around since he's not part of the coven
I love your art. And I understand the frustration of being rejected. That was my experience with plays and musicals all the time. And to be fair, I need to work at it much more. Like how I want to get back into writing and playing instruments. It can just be very cost prohibitive these days. And I feel bad I didn't publish a book before these recent developments with AI and print delays/shortages.
I love your reactions so much and this is one of my favourite episodes of the entire show, so I'm really excited to see what you have to say! You always have such wonderful insights. I have a short essay written about Armand, his lack of self indetity as reflected through his several names, and the constant role of "servitude" to which he is chained. I wouldn't want to drop all that on here, but if anyone would be interested in reading it, and possibly having a conversation about Armand's character I would absolutely love that. What makes this channel so great is the magnificent dialogue, reflections, and conversations it creates, so I'm always open to discussion and to sharing/hearing different opinions. Can't wait to continue seeing your reactions!
I find it interesting how Dreamstat has been pointing out all these red flags about Armand, like this nagging voice at the back of Louis's head telling him to watch out, and in letting go of Lestat, Louis is also silencing that voice. A lot of it was jokes but there was some useful stuff he was saying too!
armand backstory is heartbreaking… he’s one of the most interesting character in this universe and i love him very much. thank you for the amazing reaction 💞🌷💐🌸!
Lestat is hilarious this season but it's even wilder when you remember that it's just Louis. Is he schizophrenic? I think he & Paul share some mental health traits because this man is having full blown conversations w someone that isn't there. He's holding the door open for him & everything. Doesn't that remind you of Paul in the series premiere, on the balcony, having a convo while L & Grace watched?
@FrankFreezy_ Season two definitely made me think that mental illness runs in their family, at least with the sons. Some have theorize that Louis has schizoaffective bipolar type 2. I think his vampirism has heightened those traits. I'll bookmark this & discuss further once you've finished this season. No spoilers 😊
"why do all these men think they can choke Claudia against a wall" THANK YOU SIR SAY IT AGAIN ONE MORE TIME FOR THE WRITERS TBH CUZ U KNOW IN S1 THEY DID NOT GIVE THAT THE GRAVITY IT DESERVED NARRATIVELY!!!
Absolutely. I also think they wrote it in a way where when you see it a couple of times it settles in as a fucking annoying pattern. Like you get your fucking hands off her. Literally all 5 vampires, including Antoinette and Bruce put hands on Claudia
@@FrankFreezy_ Omg very good point, I hadn't even clocked Antoinette. Which is kind of ironic because I'm usually the one to bring up that Antoinette is also one of Lestat's victims/he limited her ability to leave. With her though I at least think they do some due diligience acknowledging her victimhood, whereas with Claudia it's like "oh, we had time to put in DETAILS about what Bruce did, but not the unique circumstances of how Black Womanhood in particular is impacted by vampirism? Side-eye."
Love the long length videos! Many reactors don’t go into their thoughts and actually REACT to the things they are watching. Really appreciate that you and your boy foxtaco both give us your actual reactions, thoughts and insights
I cannot wait for you to watch episode 5, it is a masterpiece!! One of my favorite episodes of the season!! The acting is incredible, and so much gets revealed. 😉 Claudia telling Louis “love makes you stupid!” made me lol! 😂 Love your reactions and all of your insights! ❤🙌
33:12 - They do say that Santiago is the youngest in the coven... but I don't recall if they say whether he is older or younger "in the blood"(in his vampirism) than Louis is. However, they also say that Santiago "got the best blood"(hinting that even though Santiago is the youngest he may or may not also be one of the more powerful members of the Theatre/coven too), which is why Claudia initially assumes that Santiago's maker must have been Armand until Santiago says that Santiago's maker wasn't Armand and that Santiago's maker is actually in that wall beside the rats. There can be more factors sometimes to how powerful a vampire is or isn't other than just how long they've been a vampire, too-but I won't say any more on that until the tv series chooses to get into it or not itself. 🙂
Honestly a part of me understands Armand... Claudia wanted to join the coven, broke pretty much every law- with Armand agreeing to turn a blind eye to the worst of them-, and is now sabotaging their plays through intentionally poor performances (I know she hates her role but she chose the coven-life and agreed to abide by their laws and ways). Although she looks like a child she is still a 40-something (I think about that age?) vampire. Armand shouldn't have touched her (and neither should Lestat or Louis have) but, like the rest of them, she is far from innocent. I get why he'd be furious.
Watching reaction videos is interesting to me because when I first watched the show blind Claudia was my most-disliked character of them all. I understand vampires killing humans for food, but Claudia collected their body parts like trophies for her room, wanted an elaborate party to mass-slaughter everyone before they left New Orleans, plotted Lestat's murder, and actually murdered Antoinette. She is the only one who gives me true, cold-blooded serial killer vibes and it made me dislike her the whole show.
1:02:24 - 😅 I mean, Louis didn't tell Claudia that Armand knew, but Louis also only told Armand after Armand had made it plenty clear that Armand already knew it anyway even without having been told... so it's not really as if Armand knew specifically because Louis had deliberately confided that in Armand behind her back. And Louis kinda did in the beginning try to get her to just leave Paris with him rather than hanging around the coven because it was too risky and all, but she didn't want to leave even knowing all vampires are mind-readers because she was so sure they were powerful enough to keep them all out for the longterm just because she'd managed it for one brief first-meeting so she wanted to stay and get to know the coven more and as far as we know she didn't try and tell him to just leave Paris without her and leave her to keep her secrets on lockdown all by herself even though she must know he's pretty shite at keeping his mind closed. So... I can kinda see both sides of it.
Everything will make sense by the end of the season. I subscribed to your channel, watch all your videos and bought your Kendrick Lamar print. You are a true artist, thank you for sharing ❤Your Hannibal reaction was great too!
Seeing Louis in the last few episodes of season 1 was so sad. He just accepts Lestat cheating on him. He accepts he can’t leave him. He does nothing when Claudia is back from the train. Him being in Paris is like his reawakening and he’s so protective of his independence. Love this for him.
You said you completed the series so that's the only reason I'm typing this. If I'm misremembering, please stop reading. 16:40 Your comment about the way Claudia looked at Louis when she wanted him to stick up for her makes me think of the way she looked at Lestat at the end of her life. It's the "aren't you going to do something?" It just really hurt my feelings hearing you say that. I will NEVER get over losing her.
Fuckkkkk I didn’t even put that together. Literally the two people she expected to stand up for her didn’t 😭😭 the whole thing with Claudia really fucks me up every time I think about it
That's an amazing painting. Rejection hits hard, 159 people can say my art/project is amazing but if just one person disliked it, I wouldn't be able to hear anything except that rejection
Love you feeling so much for Claudia a lot. For real Claudia truly deserves better, When its comes to Armand I equally severely hate him, but also love his character and the complexity of his messed-up nature. Considering what Armand been through with his past & how old he is, to him what's Claudia is doing looks like nothing compared to what he dealt with. Can't wait for your episode five reaction! Its going to be something else.
There is definitely an element of elder toxicity in Armand. You know how family elders sometimes think they are above reproach, their pain or experience is unparalleled, they don't have to be nice, etc. But mostly it comes down to hegemony hierarchies which contribute to abuse of power and authority.
That sneak peek of Hannibal at the beginning was amazing! Good advertisement choice on your part, very smart 🎉❤ I'm sorry that some people can't hold back on here with the spoilers. Don't be discouraged please. Keep up the good work and take care. Love what you do 😊
16:49 I think Louis doesn’t say anything coz he treats Claudia like an adult now. Like her own person so he doesn’t feel the need to jump in defence coz honestly Claudia has proven time and time again she’s fierce enough to stand up for herself. Also I think he recognises how delicate the covens politics are and doesn’t wanna interfere coz he sees how much they dislike him not joining
And Louis just waited to say something about it to Armand when they were alone in the museum because like you said he doesn't want to undermine Armand's leadership and the politics of the coven as they already despise him for not joining the coven.
😊I always found it weird that the play ended with Claudia jumping to her death, just like Paul and the look on louis' face when he sees it for the first time. Am I the only one who thinks Armand did that on purpose? Besides the foreshadowing?
The whole museum part and Armand’s backstory is so interesting, particularly because they chose to make the painting of him being whitewashed, without even referencing that, it’s just another implication of his story and the way he was treated. After the episode ended pretty much immediately I started seeing pictures of him on tumblr, fans of the show correcting the whitewashing and painting the real him after he says that no one has painted him in over 400 years. Which, no matter how one feels about the character is so cool that people irl took that and wanted to repair it. I do appreciate that you mentioned how Lestat treated Claudia too, I’ve seen a lot of people criticizing (rightly so) Armand for putting his hands on Claudia and threatening her, but always excuse or forget how Lestat did the same (it’s almost like people have different standards of what they tolerate from one type of character over another, I wonder why…) Such an incredible story overall, looking forward to your reactions for the remaining episodes!
This episode was full of some special moments, right? I was sad to see Dreamstat go....he was so funny! Remember Armand's power move when they were all sitting at that long ass table. The whole place was stopped in it's tracks, not just the coven. My favorite episode of Season 2 is next up. We'll, until the finale. Episode 5 was a masters class, amazing!
And thank you for covering Hannibal and The Wire. I just started watching The Wire and I am enjoying it so far. I loved Michael K Williams' performances and it is bittersweet seeing him earlier in his career.
My take: Armand in the books has big issues with Claudia because she reminds him of himself. In the books Armand was 17 when he was turned (approximately the same backstory he shared in this ep) and Claudia was just a little kid. But while Claudia always had Louis to help her and look after her, as dysfunctional as their relationship is, Armand has had pretty much no one looking after him except for his Maker (who was... yeah, I wouldn't call that looking after him) for a little while until the coven attacked and killed him. So he projects his issues onto her and absolutely despises her for it. And honestly I suspect it's similar in the show: Armand's been forced into miserable situations his entire life, so when Claudia is railing against the show he's like "why do YOU get to complain" and gets exponentially crueller. It's super messed up.
I'm sorry that interacting with the comments can be such a mixed bag sometimes! Here's to hoping that when S3 comes around it might be a bit more manageable or well-behaved, or something. (I can dream, at least.) I for one really do enjoy the in-depth / long-form / hours-long reactions though, never fear!!!! 😊💖💖 And I'm sorry for anyone who's given you a tough time about them. (Although, also, I appreciate too that it's probably rougher on your voice and the editing process and such too. And I just wanna say that I have immense gratitude that stick through it to share it all with us anghow. ^-^)
thank you!! claudia looked at louis for some help and he did NOTHING. Now when people criticize louis sometimes they do too much and i have to side eye (especially the mutual abuse crowd) but this was a moment where he publicly failed claudia and i was so upset!!
'You picked another one over me' and I still love Louis forever - I'm simple like that😆 We're reaching the absolute devastating crescendo with episodes 5-8 and I'm here for it. Waiting for "Don't Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape".
27:24 - That's probably only because Santiago is almost definitely quite *jealous* of Louis.... if you might recall the way Santiago made eyes at Armand, while Santiago flew up from the stage with the rope that was "just for show" during that first performance after Louis and Claudia first accepted the Theatre's invitation, and if you recall what Armand said to Daniel in Dubai after it was revealed that Lestat was both Armand's ex as well as Louis' ex; though Armand was quick to try and downplay it, by also saying how Armand had allegedly had so many other affairs with just about everyone else in the coven[ not only Lestat and Santiago] too. So...any attraction that Santiago might have to Louis is likely marred of course by the fact that Louis and Armand are not currently sharing each other with anybody else, which I'm sure Santiago probably finds horribly terribly unfair.😅😅🤭😅😁 Lol (Well, that and also Santiago is not so much drawn to humanity I think, I suspect that Santiago is drawn instead much more to the monstrous//the vampire if you will.) Buut who knows! ^--^ 🤷♀️🤷🤷🏻♂️😆 😂
No one has Ever pointed out to me the parallel with the play nailing Claudia’s leg down and Bruce breaking her leg, I feel like my third eye flew open when you said that haha. I feel so bad for Claudia. Everyone she thinks might have her back or see her for who she is always prove her wrong eventually. Even Louis, who indulges her by calling her his sister to her face, does not really see her that way. She will always be his and Lestat’s daughter in his mind and she can’t escape it :( What a cliffhanger too!
I think Daniel mentions the delusion of Louis migrating to Paris and painting it as wonderfully not racist, but I didn't get that sense in the theater troupe as there was such a mix of different cultures and races in there, and I think even Louis mentions that it was nice to see someone in charge, i.e.Armand, who had a skin color like their own. I think Claudia's frustration with the group is more she thought they were a bunch of stuck up snobs who favor themselves and probably didn't want to associate much with her because she's "14." You can't take her many places at night without raising several questions. The infantilization definitely was more of the stronger issue. It did almost feel like Armand was doing it intentionally to keep her in her place which is odd considering his own back story, but even Louis admits to turning the blind eye to the screams and cries of the young women when coin was involved in his pimp days, and if Claudia was filling the seats, easy to see Armand turning away and letting it happen because it gave him a sense of power and control. Also if Claudia is occupied, he has Louis to himself.
Mix of culture and racial diversity does not eliminate racism and antiBlackness specifically. Even greats like James Baldwin were criticized for this rainbow tinted glasses view of France. And also we shouldn't forget that France is still colonizing countries like Kanaky and takes money from so called former colonies. I do think that for some people it can feel like a departure from the racism they experienced only if they ignore the context of where they currently live.
This is true but I think we can also understand the reason why she desperately wanted it. Unlike Louie she can't easily coexist with Humanity as easily as he does. Plus she was being very cautious of the coven. She was the one who spot the picture of lestat when they first got there and she also made a very convincing fake story of their background and maker. But yes like many things in this series, there's often a warning initially before the fall. Same way lestat told her in season one that vampires out there will refer to shreds
ep 1 it was, "but if he can't take you ballroom dancing and tell you you're pretty then to hell with him, right?" In ep 2, it was "What else do you have to fear? Other than your own lust." Now this 😂 Claudia's been on Louis's neck all season. She knows him ,and her brother goes dummy for attention and d*ck. Also, I love how you immediately rejected his attempt to justify because it's not the same. Claudia needing a community that understands her existence and latching on to the first one she finds after a long search is not the same as what he's doing. With his love for being amongst humans and in human spaces ,she can't live in the world he chooses to live in. She needed this
Somebody on my patreon said, Louis is "dickmatized" 🤣🤣 And yes I love that Claudia is always keeping him accountable. I was one of the many reasons I love her and Daniel Malloy I love Louis but he be on some bullshit sometimes. I definitely had to reject his justification. she absolutely needs it
57:27 - There are things that could be discussed here, regarding Armand's interactions with Claudia or possible reasons for them....but they'd be spoilers at least up Book 2, if not even up to Book 6 or 8. Lol This whole series is definitely a slow peeling-back / raveling and unraveling of layers. BUT, even so, you're still perfectly justified in feeling your feelings about it anyhow! Reasons are explanations, not necessarily a get-out-of-jail-free pass. For sure!! 🙂
((Although, one thing I kinda feel people sometimes overlook about all these vampires putting hands on Claudia, it is largely not as if most of then ONLY put hands on her though....they pretty much all put hands on each other, vampire life is kinda like living still in the wild west or something; they sort of are basically just treating her exactly the same as they treat anyone else, as if she is just one of them, rather than actually babying or coddling her in accordance with her never aging physical body. Still not at all saying that makes it okay though; it doesn't! Just...making the observation.))
I'm sorry but Armand is growing on me, and the musical score that plays during his backstory is one of my favourites from the soundtrack. Not sure what it is because I hated him before. Please don't respond to this comment with spoilers. I said what I said lol
@@ErieMaxwell Honestly!! Louis, Lestat, Claudia and Armand...they're all so complex. I feel sorry for Armand to a degree (and not necessarily because of his backstory) but at the same time...
I feel you. His back story was so dark and anybody would feel bad for him. I just wanted to hug the dude honestly. But then the scene with Claudia happened and I'm like oh my freaking God
1:01:21 - To be fair, coven masters maybe do have a little more wiggle room to make their own rules than other coven members who are expected to heel or bend the knee the coven master's rule. Buut yeah, still.!
Since Dreamstat is Louis, it's actually Louis always mocking Armand, maybe deep down, he was always comparing this relationship with his and Lestat's? Also, it's Louis criticizing his own work. After the inicial anger, he was able to calm down and see the flaws. I think the best part of this show IS TO FEEL HOW YOU FEEL. I think it's very unlikely that one person is gonna feel the same way about a character all the way through, because the show makes us thinks and change as we see more and more. I felt the same way about Armand, one second feeling sorry for what he had to endure and the next I was "Excuse me????". Those feeling don't cancel each other. And Claudia??? God, I was never a huge fan of her in the books, but in the show? Someone PLEASE choose her, make her the priority!!! She IS the MVP.
@@FrankFreezy_ yes season 3 will adapt lestat life story (as Human and after that) but the showrunner said they will keep Louis as main character so I don't know how will they adapt it , maybe a mix of book 3(which is in present day) and book 2
@@FrankFreezy_ Might even have to wait until after Season 4, if they split Book 2 up across multiple seasons like they did Book 1 across Seasons 1+2.😅😅
Ik by the time the videos come out on RU-vid you might’ve seen the next episode by 2x05 has to be in my top 3 episodes. It’s a brilliant episode! Can’t wait for you to react to it
Haha I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop re: your reactions to Armand. He's my favorite but some of the shit he does there's no way of justifying, it's just horrible, even though I could write a whole series of essays explaining every single thing from his perspective.
Has anyone brought up the connections between the role they wrote for Claudia and Paul: the birds “talking” to him, the fall from the window, the pose (but I think that also calls back to Bruce). In the books, did they read Louis and Claudia’s mind and know everything, does anyone know?
What pissed me off THE MOST about the Claudia and Louis fight is that his asserting her 'choosing the coven over (Louis)' is that even by HIS own remembering he never told him and why not?! Why not warn her for her safety at ANY point?? But in reality, he knew the night before she even officially joined the coven so why not warn her before then?? By omitting that info she couldn't make an informed decision and holding that information was his way of protecting Armand over her. And yeah, JUST WAIT until episode 5, it is a TIME!
If you know someone who's watched the full series already, try and get them to spot check the comments first, maybe they can flag which comments to avoid until you've also finished the season
Once you get the exposure my bwoii believe me they will go back and watch all your videos and them numbers won't even be an after thought but adding more content to your audience's thirst
@@FrankFreezy_ You have to start watching The Penguin... Your eye for detail will definitely enjoy every centimeter of every nanosecond of the absolute perfection
Hello.Sou do Brasil e gosto muito de seus comentários,mas as legendas deste vídeo estão indisponíveis, portanto não consegui entender seus comentários.👍🇧🇷
