AMC’s Interview with a Vampire finished its second season the other week, and it was killer. Everything you’d want from Anne Rice’s books was on display, and unlike in the 1994 movie with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, the show allowed a lot of time for character development. Claudia (Delainey Hayles) was more than a little girl upset that she’d never get old and Sam Reid’s Lestat de Lioncourt had more flair and charisma than Tom Cruise’s.
Now that the second season is over, it’s the perfect time to binge Interview with a Vampire. Even if you’ve seen it, there are things you may have missed or will appreciate more the second time. There's even an uncut version of season 1. Watching that and then going into season 2 will make the experience enjoyable. Here are five reasons to binge both seasons of Interview with a Vampire, either on AMC+ or when the show comes to Netflix later:
1. Superb acting
Weirdly, the acting on this show isn’t talked about often. Jacob Anderson (Louis de Pointe du Lac), Bailey Bass (Claudia in season 1), Delainey Hayles (more on her later), and Sam Reid put on an acting master class every episode. Their delivery, diction, and mannerisms in every scene are flawless and you can feel their emotion from start to finish. Despite some of the horrible things our vampiric cast does, you can't help but feel bad for them when things get bleak. That’s a true testament to the skills of the performers.
2. Elite storytelling
Interview with a Vampire has one major thing over Game of Thrones that helped make this a brilliant show: finished source material, in this case a huge network of books by Anne Rice. The creative team’s knowledge of the full story made it easier to shift things when needed. Thankfully, the changes didn’t upset fans.
3. Fantastic representation
In the 1994 Interview with a Vampire movie, the love between Lestat and Louis was hinted at, but not solidified. It was the 1990s, and two men being lovers wasn’t something you’d often see in a movie. You could suggest it, but showing it would turn some people away. AMC’s TV show doesn’t hold back. The creative team made it a point to show the world that Lestat and Louis were passionately in love. It’s 2024 and love is love.
LGBTQ+ isn’t the only representation. You see people of all colors throughout Interview with a Vampire. Considering that the show begins in New Orleans, goes through Europe, and has vampires that have been around for centuries, it makes sense that you’d see various kinds of people in each episode. It was well done and will likely continue in season 3.
4. Delainey Hayles will be a superstar
Finding a great performer early in their acting career is wonderful. You can always look back and talk about when you realized they were a star. This is how I feel when I look at Delainey Hayles’ portrayal of Claudia during season 2 of Interview with a Vampire.
Bailey Bass’ departure as Claudia after the first season was unexpected. Nevertheless, it benefitted Delainey Hayles. She displayed an acting range that some performers never reach. One moment in particular came in the seventh episode of season 2, “I Could Not Prevent It.” Delainey Hayles' Caludia was defiant as the vampire council and the audience cheered for her death. She showed her ability to be sad and stubborn throughout the season, but this was different. She combined both emotions and added physical and emotional pain to the scene.
Trust me when I say this. You’ll want to follow Delainey Hayles’ career. This is only the beginning of her greatness.
5. Season 3 could be even better
If the reasons above aren’t good enough, this should do it: season 2 ended with hints of things to come. First, the vampires of the world are furious with Louis for telling the world that they exist. As he was listening to them talk about fighting him, he laid out a challenge to anyone who wanted to try. Whether or not they will remains to be seen. Either way, it isn't a good idea to go against him. Second, there are hints that future seasons will adapt The Vampire Lestat and possibly The Queen of the Damned, so we could have a lot of greatness ahead of us.
It may be a bit early to binge the show in one sitting. However, if you spread it out, you may finish when news of season 3 comes out. When the news starts coming, we'll be there to report it.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter, and check out our YouTube channel.