S01.E02: The Dark Place

[Mr. Sparkle]

Wracked with grief over Ellie's death, Rowan is out of control and unfit to perform surgeries; her paranoia that someone is following her is proven true; in New Orleans, Deirdre and her mysterious companion Lasher work together to draw Rowan home.

Streaming on AMC+ 23.01.12 and airing on AMC 23.01.15. 

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

[Glade]

This was a riveting episode, much better than last week (though as a VC-only reader, I have nothing to compare it too.) It's so sad, Deirdre only had a few hours of freedom from Carlotta, who seemingly caught up with her in the elevator.  I was really rooting for her.  I guess that was supposed to be Taltos the girl was cavorting with during the Scotland flashback?  I wish the 'inside the episode' segments were more insightful about adaptation choices instead of just being a basic recap of the episode. 

[Eeksquire]

I agree, this episode was much better than the first, with one giant caveat, which is: I really, really did not need the simultaneous mother-daughter orgasms. Really really REALLY did not.

I am cautiously optimistic about Ciprien's character, but I'm reserving judgment for now. I still cannot wrap my head around the simultaneous portrayal of Rowan as someone who is simultaneously able to kill at will and also so fragile that she needs to be protected by someone she doesn't know. It's a sign that the showrunners (despite being women themselves) don't totally have a grasp on how to write a complex female character.

[Mr. Sparkle]

55 minutes ago, Eeksquire said:

I agree, this episode was much better than the first, with one giant caveat, which is: I really, really did not need the simultaneous mother-daughter orgasms. Really really REALLY did not.

Just watched it, and I agree on both counts! 

[AnimeMania]

Choppy Guillotte as Hotel Clerk
Shannon Nicole as Paramedic
Emma Rose Smith as Florie

Hannah Alline as Suzanne

[latincoffee]

21 hours ago, Eeksquire said:

I agree, this episode was much better than the first, with one giant caveat, which is: I really, really did not need the simultaneous mother-daughter orgasms. Really really REALLY did not.

There should have been another way they could've shown how they were connected somehow but not like this. 

Maaannnn the cliff hanger that they left us with at the end of this episode. Noooooooo! Can't wait for Episode 3!!

[snickers]

2 hours ago, WatcherUatl10 said:

I hope we get more backstory of the family Mayfaire, but what WAS the point of Suzanne's story, other than the birds? Or WAS that the point?

I did not read the Witching Hour book, my mom did and tried to re-read before the series premiere, this might not be completely accurate but she said a big chunk at the beginning is devoted to the family's backstory, so I am assuming for the show, they will show us "pieces and chunks" of them either as the series goes along or maybe what they will sprinkle will come together by the final episode....

To me what they showed in this episode seemed pointless....I like flashbacks but you gotta show more than what they did here-

However, I thought the episode as a whole was really good, much better than episode 1

And I think Lasher killed Deidre, but maybe it was the Aunt...

I'm beginning to think Alexandra D's acting is just so-so 😆

At least we got to see some witch power in action

I also heard (in spoiler tags)

Spoiler

On the net that supposedly we will see a character from Interview with the Vampire appear in the show, I was expecting this, and with the tour guide saying the line, "the house is known for its witches" then went on to talk about Vampire and Demons that all but confirmed it, makes me wonder if they will "conjur" i can only assume Lestat (it makes the most sense) to help them fight Lasher?? again just me speculating...

 

 

[nodorothyparker]

Sigh. I really enjoy at least the first book of this series, but this was an unbelievable hodgepodge of every generic depiction of supernatural hocus pocus we've ever seen on TV painted over the bones of the original story. What was even the point of the Scotland flashback? To be able to check off providing a glimpse of the family origin story, which is really the best thing about this book, even if we're not going to spend any time showing you what makes it such a powerful origin story?

I think I know what they were going for with the silly witchy mumbo jumbo, to show that this power is what Aunt Carlotta has been repressing all these years keeping poor sad Dierdre smacked up to the eyeballs. It did more or less accomplish that, but it probably would have been more effective had it not shortly followed the simultaneous long distance mother-long lost daughter orgasm which was really just too silly for words at least in part because the show hasn't done any of the legwork to show what Lasher means to these women or what his role even really is. But sure. Rowan can knock Ciprien out to the point of needing chest compressions, disappear halfway across the country to New Orleans on the basis of one photo, and he can wake up all of about five minutes later and immediately know where she's gone and be able to follow. Okay.

The one thing the show did get right: You can't go more than five feet in New Orleans without hitting a ghost tour that's half truth and half bullshit because it makes for a better story. 

[peridot]

I don't understand why the Uncle didn't try to help Dierdre from being drugged all of those years.  It was sad when Dierdre described how her aunt would destroy all of the dresses that her Uncle gave her.  Even when Dierdre was awake, her aunt kept trying to gaslight her.  I was not expecting for Dierdre to be killed in the elevator.  Do all the Mayfairs have powers, or just the ones with the key?

I'm surprised that the EMTs just let Ciprien leave.  He was unconscious. 

I just got a new smart TV, and the lighting of this episode was wonky.  I hope I can fix it in time for next week's episode.

[dramachick]

I liked the simultaneous orgasms! Anne Rice was all about the erotica, so I expected nothing less. When the doctor removed that necklace from Deirdre's neck, he not only freed her but freed Lasher too. Lasher acted as Deirdre's familiar in connecting with Rowan so it wasn't surprising to me that Rowan would also experience that sexual intensity. 😮

Loved when Cortland asked, "Where is he?"

The flashback was done well to show that the Mayfair witches were more than medieval wise-women; the supernatural was attached to them. 😬

I'm looking forward to next week!

[nodorothyparker]

This is NOT the book talk thread. Book talk in your posts will cause them to be removed.

[ferjy]

On 1/13/2023 at 2:34 PM, Glade said:

I wish the 'inside the episode' segments were more insightful about adaptation choices instead of just being a basic recap of the episode. 

They’re not very helpful, are they. Honestly, what’s the point of them? Tell us something we didn’t already know. Hey showrunners, we just saw the episode, we don’t need a recap!

 

[ferjy]

On 1/14/2023 at 7:27 PM, WatcherUatl10 said:

Flight Attendant: "Are you having a seizure?"

🤣 I was waiting for her to scream out, a When-Harry-Met-Sally orgasm scenario. 

 

[iMonrey]

I think this was better than the first episode but I may be damning it with faint praise. I don't know that the show is doing a good job establishing its world and its characters. 

I've never read any of Anne Rice's books, except for Interview with the Vampire. But after seeing what AMC did with that and what I'm seeing in this show, it's beginning to look like they just aren't doing a good job making the material accessible to viewers who aren't already familiar with the source material. So I'm wondering if I'd have had the same sort of reaction to Interview had I not read the book or seen the Tom Cruise movie.

Maybe it's just a different kind of story, and I'm not supposed to know much yet, like who/what Lasher is or what this organization Ciprien works for is. One advantage to not having read the book is that I have no objections to Alexandra Daddario's portrayal of Rowan since I have no preconceived notions about the character. Then again, the story thus far hasn't done anything to endear her to me so I'm not sure that's much of a win for me.

[Scarlett45]

On 1/14/2023 at 3:11 PM, latincoffee said:

There should have been another way they could've shown how they were connected somehow but not like this. 

Maaannnn the cliff hanger that they left us with at the end of this episode. Noooooooo! Can't wait for Episode 3!!

Yeah that was creepy and incestous-y. 

[Art Of Noiz]

On 1/13/2023 at 7:49 PM, AnimeMania said:

Choppy Guillotte as Hotel Clerk
Shannon Nicole as Paramedic
Emma Rose Smith as Florie

Hannah Alline as Suzanne

Hannah Alline looks like Shelly Duvall in The Shining!!