Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Episode 8 Review: And That’s the End of It. There’s Nothing Else.

Passion, heartbreak, and a few twists are just part of why Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Episode 8, “And That’s the End of It. There’s Nothing Else,” is a perfect season finale.

Louis finishes up his interview with Daniel Molloy on the finale, with the last part of the story detailing how he sought revenge after Claudia’s death — and after suffering from being buried alive.

That’s the focus of the first half of the episode, and it’s all told with Louis’ poetic narration as he revisits that horrific time in his vampiric existence.

Retelling it all is clearly painful — perhaps more painful than any of the rest, especially as he repeats the point that Claudia had been killed. 

Upon being released from his coffin by Armand, who was denounced by the coven and is now a weakened version of what he used to be, Louis sets out to destroy them all. He’s wild with rage yet perfectly logical in his plans, and it may be the most centered we’ve ever seen his character. 

He speaks with Armand telepathically as he makes his plans. He’s rightfully still angry with Armand, but he warns him away before he sets the Theatre Des Vampires ablaze. 

After watching Louis suffer and Claudia burn, it’s incredibly satisfying not only to see Louis succeed here but to see how confidently he does it.

And his contingency plan allows for a more personal confrontation with Santiago, which is even more satisfying to see. 

I’m not one for gore or decapitations, either. Let’s be clear about that. But seeing Santiago’s head fly from his body at Louis’ hand is still one of my favorite moments. 

A confrontation with Armand follows, and in that conversation, somehow, we’re led to want to forgive Armand for what he’d done. He swears that he couldn’t have saved Claudia. And he did save Louis — twice, really. 

So when Louis then has a confrontation with Lestat, he’s cold. He’s hurtful. And why wouldn’t he be?

He’s ready to go live a life with Armand and let Lestat go once and for all because of what he believes Lestat’s part in all of this actually was. 

Cut to the present time, and Molloy ends the recording and then, true to form, asks for a few follow-up questions in the most casual way possible.

Daniel has agitated me quite a bit over the course of the series, but his attitude and quippy remarks come full circle at this moment. He has information that Armand doesn’t know he has, and he’s smart enough to have caught all the holes in the story he’s been told. 

And I love him for it.

He hands over that script with Armand’s notes, then reveals to Louis that Armand had a very different role in everything that happened the night of the trial. That knowledge changes everything. 

Perspective shifts entirely in a flashback as we see that, not only was Armand directing that play, but Lestat was resistant. He was defensive of Claudia, and he was the one who saved Louis — not Armand. 

The complexity of this is fascinating because it plays so much on how relationships might evolve when given an eternity to explore them.

It explores how deep pain, anger, and guilt could remain over such a lengthy period of time, further proving the curse of immortality for these characters. 

Yet it also explores the possibility of forgiveness and personal growth when given more than one lifetime to evolve. 

That’s what’s so significant about Louis’s visit to Lestat in New Orleans at the present time. When literally given all the time in the world, Lestat was willing to wait patiently for Louis to figure out what really happened.

Likewise, when allowed that much time for introspection, Louis was able to learn something new about himself. 

Seeing Lestat in the present sets up the next season as well, allowing the series to move into adapting Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat. Plus, there’s a little humor that makes this all even more fun to watch. Lestat commanding Siri to control the music is a perfect little detail.

It’s Sam Reid’s performance here that also continues to stand out. Everyone is stellar, but Reid fully encompasses the range of emotions — and range of perceptions — required to embody that character.

Memory and point of view, of course, are key in the way this story is being told, and that continues to be done with perfect nuance.

This is a deeply emotional finale overall, but it ends with a more humorous bit as Daniel Molloy is now a vampire and a best-selling author of a book that’s getting slammed by critics. The attitude I’ve complained about? It’s now a perfect fit as he tells off reporters and communicates telepathically with Louis. 

Of course, that book also has vampires everywhere up in arms. Louis isn’t afraid of that, though, and the episode ends with him all but daring them to come after him.

It’s a perfect way to end the season because it reveals a strength and confidence in Louis that he’s developed over the course of the first two seasons overall. It also wraps up this section of the story nicely, and sets up everything that’s coming next. 

Thank goodness Interview with the Vampire has been renewed for a third season. 

What did you think of this episode of Interview with the Vampire? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Interview with the Vampire will return next season to AMC.

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