S01.E05: A Vile Hunger for Your Hammering Heart

[Mr. Sparkle]

Claudia’s activities and curiosities present continued challenges for Louis and Lestat. Her actions light an explosive fuse that erupts at episode’s end.

Streaming on AMC+ 22.10.23 and airing on AMC 22.10.30. 

Proceed at your own risk for spoilers before the AMC airdate.

[AngieBee1]

A lot of people on Twitter are sad pandas about this episode and feel as if it serves as the character assassination of Lestat. I disagree. Especially with how many are saying that the writers don't know the characters yet was praising them prior to this episode. 

I think it is just further shining a light on his relationship with Louis. Two people who aren't happy together but refuse to part. People use Jacob Anderson's quote about Louis and Lestat being endgame and judge this episode against it questioning however could it be that that's true. But there are so many people who choose to remain in imperfect (understatement of the century) for reasons that only makes sense to them.

[Kalina]

1 hour ago, WatcherUatl10 said:

Claudia's over 100. She should be better at things by now. Not being in a child's body makes her tragedy less convincing. Teens are fully capable of doing much of what an adult can do, especially as she would not have any hormones working on her body because she is no longer aging/growing. Louis as well ought to be putting as much time and effort into researching his vampirism as he did attempting to locate Claudia. The vampire Claudia met was an interesting insert, but casting a white guy red flagged him too immediately as a danger. The show is not taking any risks, and Rice always did. That's why the book was so popular.

She's not over 100, she lied about being 104. She was turned at 14, she left the house at 19 and was 27 years old by the end of the episode. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Kalina

[Ohiopirate02]

I'm gonna have to go on a librarian rant here.  This is the second episode in a row where we see Daniel eating while reading Claudia's diaries while wearing gloves.  If there was some compelling reason why the gloves were needed, whatever benefit the gloves provided are rendered moot with the plates of food on the table.  I don't expect Hollywood to know about the shifting standards and practices when it comes to using gloves, but food at the library especially when handling rare books is a huge don't.  

[Kalina]

36 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I'm gonna have to go on a librarian rant here.  This is the second episode in a row where we see Daniel eating while reading Claudia's diaries while wearing gloves.  If there was some compelling reason why the gloves were needed, whatever benefit the gloves provided are rendered moot with the plates of food on the table.  I don't expect Hollywood to know about the shifting standards and practices when it comes to using gloves, but food at the library especially when handling rare books is a huge don't.  

See I'm not a librarian but even I wouldn't do that, it just seems like common sense. I'm gonna interpret it as a very deliberate act of carelessness on Daniel's part. This is a man who clearly doesn't give a fuck about most things so I doubt he cares about rare book's preservation.

[Ohiopirate02]

42 minutes ago, Kalina said:

See I'm not a librarian but even I wouldn't do that, it just seems like common sense. I'm gonna interpret it as a very deliberate act of carelessness on Daniel's part. This is a man who clearly doesn't give a fuck about most things so I doubt he cares about rare book's preservation.

I could do that if we also didn't see Louis having a snack as well.  Rashid was the one who insisted in the gloves and he was also responsible for the food and drink.

[AngieBee1]

Rashid was completely blissed out while Louis fed on him. And he's so considerate with the pineapples and honey - just  good lover etiquette.

[Scarlett45]

It’s Loyola New Orleans!! When Claudia met the other vampire on the motorbike- I went there for undergrad🥰. So fun to see it in the show. (Back to watching now, I’ll write more later)

Did anyone catch the birth year for Louis on the family mausoleum? 
 

This is classic abuser behavior- Lestat can fuck off for real. I’m so sick of his possessive whiny ass. 
 

San Reid’s hair looked better this episode. 

[peridot]

It was very creepy for Claudia to take body parts and stash them in her room.  Wouldn't the smell tip off Louis and Lestat?  They would have attracted bugs too. 

I was initially happy for her when she ran into the American vampire, but that quickly went away.  I really hate what happened to her.  It's a shame that even with superpowers, she was preyed on by a man.  I was expecting for him to kidnap her, especially since he tried to "teach etiquette" to Claudia.  It was interesting that all vampires could hear Louis' call.

It was awful that Louis' sister made a grave for him, when she was already leaving town.

The end was heartbreaking.  I couldn't believe the level of violence that it descended to.  When Louis dropped from the sky, I was afraid that it would kill him (forgetting that he's giving the interview in the future). 

[sistermagpie]

On 10/23/2022 at 3:13 PM, WatcherUatl10 said:

Claudia's over 100. She should be better at things by now. Not being in a child's body makes her tragedy less convincing. Teens are fully capable of doing much of what an adult can do, especially as she would not have any hormones working on her body because she is no longer aging/growing. Louis as well ought to be putting as much time and effort into researching his vampirism as he did attempting to locate Claudia. The vampire Claudia met was an interesting insert, but casting a white guy red flagged him too immediately as a danger. The show is not taking any risks, and Rice always did. That's why the book was so popular.

Yeah, I like the actress but now she just seems like another vampire without the tragedy. Plus it feels like the actress is has to act young, because without the behavior of an adolescent there's just not that much of a difference and not much conflict between what she looks like and what she is inside. She can pass for a few years older than 14, obviously, since the actress is 19 at the moment, and that would be a pretty common marriage age then. She has to tell us only perverts would be interested because that's probably not true.

I haven't read anything about why they aged her up but despite all the bodies, it definitely moves the story into dark fantasy YA territory rather than gothic horror imo.

[Starchild]

On 10/29/2022 at 8:49 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Did anyone catch the birth year for Louis on the family mausoleum? 

1877

[Scarlett45]

11 minutes ago, Starchild said:

1877

Thank you. So Louis is supposed to be 53 in 1930- I know he’s the elder brother but his sister isn’t buying that. She doesn’t know why or how he’s changed as she said, but he’s not himself so she “buried him”. At least she did say goodbye. When his sister moved to Boston and put his name on the family mausoleum his last thread to his human life was over. 
 

In all vampire lore I’m familiar with, vampires either fake their own deaths, or if they tell their family what happened, the “leave” (so that suspicion isn’t cast by their not aging) and it’s a family secret that there’s a vampire in the family, who shows back up every now and again as a distant cousin so and so. (Who usually brings money and vampire chaos with them)

[iMonrey]

Did I miss something or did they not show us how Claudia got away from the abusive vampire at the end?

Also, I've been wondering all season, what is the image we see in the opening title sequence? It appears to be a cityscape, with an identical cityscape turned upside down on top of it. WTF.

[Starchild]

I think it's the Dubai skyline, mirror imaged to look like teeth?

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Did I miss something or did they not show us how Claudia got away from the abusive vampire at the end?

I think the point is that she didn't. She was raped and then he left her.

[Razzberry]

I was laughing about how trashed their house was.  I think they can forget about any cleaning deposit return.

[AngieBee1]

It's the Dubai and New Orleans skyline.

[Crashcourse]

I know Vampires' eyes are supposed to be spooky, but Claudia's pinkish red eyes creep me out.  I like looking at Louis and Lestat, but not her.

[Fable]

Well, that turned dark fast.  Of course, a show about vampires is going to be dark, but that's not quite what I was expecting.  What was I expecting? I really don't know, but that wasn't it.  I've also decided I don't like these characters much, any of them (well aside from maybe Rashid), but the actors are great and are acting the hell out of their roles.  Not to say I didn't like the episode.  It definitely held my interest, and I look forward to seeing what's next.  

[toodywoody]

It's all about Lestat. Yes, I get it. Maybe if he was more understanding to why Louis was needing a family, maybe things would be different. How old is Lestat? Did he have a family? He has no empathy to either Claudia or Louis. Is it because of his family or is it because he's been dead for so long?

[magdalene]

Are we supposed to root for Lestat and Louis as a couple?  No, thanks. These two bring out the worst in each other.  I actually don't like either Louis or Claudia. Louis constant whining and self-pity gets on my nerve. I find it hard to gauge what Lestat's true self is supposed to be. Is the jealous monster all there is to him? To me he is giving a performance every minute we spend with him. I don't trust Louis POV of Lestat at all.

[nodorothyparker]

4 hours ago, toodywoody said:

How old is Lestat? Did he have a family? He has no empathy to either Claudia or Louis. Is it because of his family or is it because he's been dead for so long?

In Claudia's "birthday" scene that I think was supposed to be 1922 they make a point of saying he's 159. So he hasn't been mortal for awhile. Lestat mentions his mortal father and brothers in the first episode where he's telling the story at the du Lac family dinner about how they ripped him away from the monastery he was sent to study in because instead of just learning as he was sent to do he wanted to become a priest.

Louis and Lestat would be a dysfunctional couple under normal circumstances. But here, there's no "until death do you part" or natural progression as they age and change as people. Just tremendous power coupled with murderous instincts that amplify everything. There are no small gestures or disagreements, no normal conventions to hold them back.

[toodywoody]

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

In Claudia's "birthday" scene that I think was supposed to be 1922 they make a point of saying he's 159. So he hasn't been mortal for awhile. Lestat mentions his mortal father and brothers in the first episode where he's telling the story at the du Lac family dinner about how they ripped him away from the monastery he was sent to study in because instead of just learning as he was sent to do he wanted to become a priest.

Louis and Lestat would be a dysfunctional couple under normal circumstances. But here, there's no "until death do you part" or natural progression as they age and change as people. Just tremendous power coupled with murderous instincts that amplify everything. There are no small gestures or disagreements, no normal conventions to hold them back.

Thank you. There has to be more American vampires besides motorcycle dude. I don't get why he did what he did to Claudia, I guess just to be a dick. 

So with Lestat being so old, I can see why he is the way he is because he's like the insurance company that has seen some shit. I actually think Louis does love him in a weird twisted way, but Lestat also doesn't know how to sympathize with people anymore. 

My sister sent me the book, so I need to read it. I felt so bad for Louis and the goodbye with his sister. I get why she did what she did, but did they lose the house? If he 'died' in 1930, what year are we at now?

[Ohiopirate02]

7 minutes ago, toodywoody said:

My sister sent me the book, so I need to read it. I felt so bad for Louis and the goodbye with his sister. I get why she did what she did, but did they lose the house?

Louis's sister and husband lost their savings in the stock market crash of 1929.  The show did not go into any detail if they lost the house or if they sold it to finance their trip up North.  Given Louis's wealth, I assume the house was initially paid for but that does not mean that Grace and her husband did not take out a second mortgage on it.

[attica]

4 hours ago, toodywoody said:

I don't get why he did what he did to Claudia, I guess just to be a dick. 

Well, he was made in Copenhagen, and you know how those European vampires are... 😄

Allow me to go on record with my displeasure with the Foley work in this episode. From the really gross over-loud suckling/nursing between Louis and Rashid, and Daniel's cotton-gloved hand delivering a sharp CRACK when he slaps Louis? No, ma'am. No indeed.

[wanderingstar]

On 10/31/2022 at 1:11 PM, Razzberry said:

I was laughing about how trashed their house was.  I think they can forget about any cleaning deposit return.

Gave me big Grey Gardens vibes.

[magdalene]

I see there is a book about Lestat - is it worth reading and is it okay to read after the end of this first season?

[nodorothyparker]

We can't get into book specifics in episode threads but the second book, The Vampire Lestat, is primarily Lestat's POV and backstory, which the show is already dipping into.  Without giving too much away, the only thing I can say is that this first season is nowhere close yet to ending where Interview does.

[Eeksquire]

I am really impressed at the way this show is portraying the characters when they shift POV - if and when they shift to Lestat's perspective, they'll have a lot to work with, even though all we've seen so far is Louis and Claudia's perspective (via the diaries). 

[magdalene]

On 10/31/2022 at 10:11 AM, Razzberry said:

I was laughing about how trashed their house was.  I think they can forget about any cleaning deposit return.

On a very special episode of Hoarders....

[Scarlett45]

On 11/1/2022 at 7:28 AM, toodywoody said:

Thank you. There has to be more American vampires besides motorcycle dude. I don't get why he did what he did to Claudia, I guess just to be a dick. 

Rape is about power and control- he was probably motivated by what motivates other evil rapists.

I think it was just shocking to the audience because Claudia never had to fear human men (like another girl would) and she felt so violated because she trusted him as another vampire. 

[TheGreenKnight]

The best scenes of this one were the ending with Louis protecting Claudia (and getting the hell beaten out of himself because of it) and also the one just before that where Claudia is watching from afar as Louis is crying, with the narration of her finally understanding why she was made into a vampire--to replace Louis' family. 😢 She wasn't wanted for her own sake by Lestat, but at least she can empathize with Louis' loneliness and loss considering the tragedy of her own existence, never being able to be a woman fully.

[T Summer]

On 11/1/2022 at 9:55 PM, magdalene said:

I see there is a book about Lestat - is it worth reading and is it okay to read after the end of this first season?

Believe me, I'm not saying this in a know it all way... because I just learned this in an Anne Rice quote  I ran across the other day...

[Prior to this my knowledge came from  owning  Interview With The Vampire which I read long ago and The Vampire Lestat which I only read a little of and  having viewed the movie Queen Of The Dammed... so I knew for sure he was featured in  at least 3 books.]

Here it is behind a spoiler tag in case anyone doesn't want to know how many books  feature Lestat:

Spoiler

"I didn’t really create the character of Lestat de Lioncourt.  He lives and breathes in some nine different books that I wrote.  But how he came to be is truly something I can’t explain.

So if I write here about Lestat as if he was somebody else’s baby, there’s a reason for it.  He’s been out there on his own from the start.

Yes, he was based on my husband Stan -- on Stan’s vigor and beauty, on Stan’s will and Stan’s courage.  And  my son, Christopher, has grown up to be Lestat, and that’s a puzzle that commands respect.

Yet Lestat is my alter ego, lover, muse and the unabashed hero of my crippled, genderless soul.  I’m in love with the guy. I prowl the world looking through his eyes from time to time.  For decades, there was nothing I couldn’t express through Lestat’s voice." - Anne Rice

http://www.annerice.com/Lestat-TheMusical.html

When I read it, I thought...  Of course!

[magdalene]

1 hour ago, T Summer said:

Believe me, I'm not saying this in a know it all way... because I just learned this in an Anne Rice quote  I ran across the other day...

[Prior to this my knowledge came from  owning  Interview With The Vampire which I read long ago and The Vampire Lestat which I only read a little of and  having viewed the movie Queen Of The Dammed... so I knew for sure he was featured in  at least 3 books.]

Here it is behind a spoiler tag in case anyone doesn't want to know how many books  feature Lestat:

  Reveal spoiler

"I didn’t really create the character of Lestat de Lioncourt.  He lives and breathes in some nine different books that I wrote.  But how he came to be is truly something I can’t explain.

So if I write here about Lestat as if he was somebody else’s baby, there’s a reason for it.  He’s been out there on his own from the start.

Yes, he was based on my husband Stan -- on Stan’s vigor and beauty, on Stan’s will and Stan’s courage.  And  my son, Christopher, has grown up to be Lestat, and that’s a puzzle that commands respect.

Yet Lestat is my alter ego, lover, muse and the unabashed hero of my crippled, genderless soul.  I’m in love with the guy. I prowl the world looking through his eyes from time to time.  For decades, there was nothing I couldn’t express through Lestat’s voice." - Anne Rice

http://www.annerice.com/Lestat-TheMusical.html

When I read it, I thought...  Of course!

Winks.  I have read The Vampire Lestat since I posted this question and lets just say 

Spoiler

I have caught on that Lestat was her muse and the why of it too.

[Scarlett45]

On 12/13/2022 at 11:20 PM, Doubleab88 said:

The fight scene was hard to watch ! Do you know why Lestat bit him? I recall him biting him in episode 1 where they were intimate and they levitated. But I wasn’t sure if it was meant to weaken him so he’s forced to stay and heal or re-connect intimately ? I was surprised Louis didn’t respond to his question. Is it because Louis still loves him?

I’m not sure why Lestat bit him. Power move maybe?

[rollacoaster]

On 11/1/2022 at 12:27 PM, wanderingstar said:

Gave me big Grey Gardens vibes.

Yes! There was even a raccoon!