‘Interview With The Vampire’ Part II Review: Less Romance, More Theatrics
As the second part of AMC’s Interview With The Vampire draws to a close, find out here why the show’s second season is a worthy successor to the first.
Directly continuing from the events of the first season and picking up in Europe at the end of the Second World War, vampires Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) search for other vampires and come to terms with the downfall of the vampire Lestat (Sam Reid). In the present, Louis continues to tell this tale to Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) for his eponymous Interview With The Vampire book.
Truthfully, it is a natural continuation of the first season, and with the void that Lestat left following his downfall, the romance is largely missing in the season but replaced with theatrics, both figuratively and literally. A vital plot point in this season is the presence of a stage show, Théâtre des Vampires, helmed by a coven of vampires in France. It is an interesting plot point, and as a viewer without prior knowledge of the books, it left me on the edge of my seat throughout the eight episodes.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this season is the performances. Jacob Anderson continues to display his impressive range, delivering a nuanced performance that we didn’t see during his time on Game of Thrones. Alongside Sam Reid, he is the show’s highlight! Newcomer Delainey Hayles takes over from Bailey Bass as Claudia, and despite the character’s perpetual annoyance, she is great in the role and much more likable in comparison to her predecessor.
The season does slightly lag behind pacing-wise when it’s not as focused on the story but rather the dynamic between Armand (Assad Zaman) and Louis. Although the aforementioned relationship makes sense, it is not as interesting or romantic as the one between Louis and Lestat, making you instead long for the return of Sam Reid’s French vampire. Thankfully, this plot is only covered in one or two episodes, instead becoming a story factor rather than a subject of the season. The technical aspects of the season are masterful, and the score makes the season a pleasant and breezy watch.
Interview With The Vampire Part II serves as a worthy sequel to the first season. Due to the absence of Lestat and his romantic atmosphere, the show only ranks slightly below its predecessor but stays on par thanks to the fantastic performances and technical elements.
Interview With The Vampire Part II stars Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, and Delainey Hayles and is developed by Rolin Jones. The series is now streaming in full on AMC+, and a third season is in development with Anderson and Reid set to return.
