cbrownjc

[cbrownjc]

I mean, I DO think Daniel living through the height of the AIDS crisis likely played a big part in how he might have viewed his sexuality during that part of his life, from the 1980s on forward. I wouldn't even be surprised if he went into denial about any attractions he'd had for men before that, and that also being why he chose to get married to at least one of his wives.

Because hell, even Elton John got married to a woman in the 1980s. And freely admitted later that it was because he was in denial about his sexuality at the time.

However, that incident with the girl and the paper bag? Well, Daniel was 20 years old, and the year was 1973, when Armand read about it from Daniel's mind. Meaning the incident took place sometime before that.

And the late-1960s and 1970s were not only very different from the 1980s when it came to exploring sex and sexuality, but Daniel was from Modesto -- which is only about an hour and 1/2 outside of San Francisco/Berkeley.

And San Francisco/Berkeley was pretty much the epicenter of the counterculture, sex, drugs, "turn on, tune in, drop out" movement going on during that time period, when Daniel would have been in his teens.

And that is the time period and culture Daniel would have been pretty close to seeing firsthand when he would have had sex with that girl whom he told to wear that paper bag.

So I don't think that at that time when he did that, Daniel was in any big denial about his sexuality. Even if he didn't think of himself as gay or even bi at that time, as he said himself to Louis that night, he was into "countercultures." Meaning he felt free and easy to explore those things, including sexual things, without any judgment about it.

So, for many people like Daniel, and those of his generation, they instead had to wait until the 1980s to feel that type of judgment about it all.

And they felt that judgment in one of the most sadistic ways possible -- basically being left to die by an indifferent government.

The sexual revolution has begun to devour its children. And among the revolutionary vanguard, as Gay rights activists, the mortality rate is highest and climbing. . . . The poor homosexuals — they have declared war upon nature, and now nature is exacting an awful retribution.

-- Pat Buchanan, New York Post, 1983

And for those who may not know who Pat Buchanan is, he went on to become White House Communications Director for President Ronald Reagan, just two years later, in 1985.

Yeah.

So honestly, in those scenes in the past with Daniel back in 1973, he didn't strike me as someone fighting anything about his sexuality, and I don't feel that he was before that either. I could be wrong, but right now, I just didn't feel that with him.

Mostly because it was just a different period when Daniel would have been awakening to that, and he was growing up very close to the epicenter of a place that embraced sexual exploration.

And, well, also, given Daniel's drug problem during that time, I think he fell deep into that San Francisco/Berkeley counterculture scene too.

Again, there is a reason Daniel's autobiography is called Hate and Ashbury.

So yes, I agree. I think it was the coldness in Daniel that had him making that request of that girl, and not caring even when she cried while he did it. And I don't think that coldness came up in Daniel due to any denial of his sexuality at the time. I think that coldness in him probably came from, and had more to do with, his parents -- his "genteel drinking problem" father and his "vacuuming on valium" mother -- and whatever kind of life he'd been living with them.

And, in some way, IMO, that helped to give Daniel that splinter of coldness whenever he dealt with things, or people, he didn't care about.

I do wonder though if Daniel putting a bag over her head and continuing even as she cried was an attempt to prove himself straight/at least bi? An attempt to prove himself able to form a family and marriage and "be normal", and thus why he found vampirism as a simple way out.

Obviously with a streak of coldness for the other.

I mean it could be, an act of suppression.

But… Louis‘ insinuation in 1x01 notwothstanding, but Daniel can very well also be simply… bi, and have that sliver or coldness within himself.

Daniel chose the subjects of his books very deliberately, wrote about selected subjects. And he chose to marry - twice.

Of course a lot of things may come into play here, society‘s pressure very nuch at the top of the list - but I think it would be too easy to dismiss those relationships as “cover“.

Life is rarely that easy, most of the time it is all a big mess of kneaded feelings.

And I don’t think Daniel was/is different there.

[cbrownjc]

Silly devil's minion reverse au no one asked for

[cbrownjc]

Yep.

I mean, here's a fun fact: D&D were writing the script for Season 3 of Game of Thrones when Season 2 was being shot. Because they knew if there was only to be a one-year wait between seasons, they couldn't wait until shooting for Season 2 was done before they started writing for Season 3.

So like, if IWTV started doing the writing of Season 4 scripts, say, back in June, when filming of Season 3 first started, they could've conceivably started shooting Season 4 in January or February of 2026 and have the new episodes ready by the beginning of 2027. Or just sometime in 2027.

As it stands, however, they probably won't start writing the scripts for Season 4 until sometime in 2026. So . . . yeah.

I mean, D&D are straight up hacks when it comes to writing, but they -- and HBO -- always knew they couldn't wait for a season to be done airing before giving the official greenlight for the next seasons and beginning the prep and writing process.

But doing things like this is a part of the streaming model of production that AMC is following by doing this (Netflix stated it first), so we're kind of stuck with it, since AMC has been restructuring itself to be more focused on streaming than cable going forward.

Halloween 2025 would have been perfect!!!!!!!! I still don’t understand why they waited so long to just now start filming. Do you think they switched up some things from the script or rewrote different things

It was the fact they had known since January of 2024 that there would be a S3 but didn't start writing for it until almost October 2024.

[cbrownjc]

— Jacob Anderson: "He was kind of self-destructive. So I think the fact that Daniel is that kind of, abrasive, like, direct, he's sort of goofy, he's cute, he's funny. That really hit on something different for him."

[cbrownjc]

@bandedbulbussnarfblat Hi! Sorry for only just replying to this now, but I got distracted and forgot for a while. 😅

Plus, I also wanted to go back and rewatch 2x05 (again -- even though I've watched it too many times to count by now) because... I think you might be onto something here.

Because, see, after another rewatch of the episode, one thing I have noticed before, and now noticed even more keenly, was that after the call with Lestat (where Armand didn't tell Louis of Lestat's message that he loved him), Armand tells Louis to "rest." And then he closes the coffin.

And then, in the very next scene set in 1973, we get Armand giving Daniel his "merciful death" speech, telling Daniel to "rest." And then Louis comes in to stop Armand from killing Daniel. So, with the way it's presented, it kind of looks like Louis was only resting in his coffin for a minute or two, at most, before he came in and stopped Armand.

And as we know from watching both this episode and Season 2, Armand tells someone to "rest" when it wasn't to "freeze" them (like the guards in the museum), or just incapacitate them (where they are still somewhat conscious), like Daniel.

And it lasts for more than just a minute or two.

So, Armand telling Louis to "rest" and then closing the lid on the coffin, you might think that Louis would be asleep for a time. Or for at least time enough for Armand to "clean up the mess" that is Daniel being there and alive, before Louis could even think to wake up and stop him. Which is what we see happen. Very next 1973 scene, Louis is up at just the right moment to stop Armand from killing Daniel.

But what if that isn't what happened? What if Louis actually did "rest" for a day or two?

And what if, during that time, Armand and Daniel did have an interview, of sorts? A talk, as you said, like Armand had with David, TVA-style. Maybe in a way that even captured Armand's attention as to why Louis called Daniel "fascinating"?

Not to the point where Armand was going to spare Daniel's life in the end at that time. Because yeah, maybe Daniel did get Armand to unlock something about himself he didn't want to dwell on, or something like that.

But maybe things lasted just long enough -- a day or two extra -- that, in the end, accounts for Louis "resting" for enough time -- and much longer than a minute or two, at most, which is how it looks from the show's edit -- before he could come in and stop Armand from killing Daniel.

Because I really do think that "fascinating" comment by Louis about Daniel is what is going to be not only the catalyst for Armand getting the idea for The Chase between him and Daniel to take place, but will also account for what Armand will want Daniel to "teach" him about when their secret lovers' relationship begins.

Meaning, instead of technology and all those things of the modern world, as in the book, Armand in the show will instead want Daniel to teach him about, well, living. Living for oneself and such, instead of in the mold of how others see you or want you to be -- as Armand has been made to do for basically almost all his short-mortal and long-imortal life.

You are going to teach me how to be fascinating.

And maybe those seeds for Armand to see that Daniel is fascinating in some way, just as Louis claimed he was, actually started in the 1 or 2 missing days that Armand and Daniel both appeared to note about in episode 2x06.

@cbrownjc Hi👋 so regarding this post you made earlier

I wanted to say more, but I didn't want to clog up another post with my rambling. We know Tuesday night was night Daniel met Louis and the night of the original interview. Bc the date on the tapes sent to his house. Daniel went with Louis willingly that night, so he isn't likely counting it among the days Armand kept them there.

Which would when mean at the time, he thinks it was Wed-Sat. Probably that he was getting dropped off sometime Saturday night, or more likely Sunday in the am hours before sunrise of the same night.

In 2x06, I think when Armand says 5 nights in San Francisco, he's counting that initial night with Louis. Seeing as Louis did attack him that night. So when Daniel corrects him to 6, I'm not sure if he's counting the night of the first interview or not. Either way, it leaves 1 or 2 days unaccounted for that Louis doesn't know about.

My theory is that after Armand tells Louis to rest, Daniel somehow convinces Armand to tell him his story. Sort of TVA style, except he's telling Daniel, not David, and there's no Sybelle and Benji here (yet, at least). Probably uses the logic that Armand is going to kill him anyway. So why not talk to someone who finds him fascinating?

Except unlike with Louis, Daniel does unlock some sort of secret or forgotten thing from Armand. Maybe he figures out Armand had something to do with Claudia's death. Or it's something Marius related. Like maybe that Marius altered his memories somehow in the show universe. It would fit with the way those cycles be cycling.

Whatever it is, it's likely why Armand decides to kill him. As opposed to force feeding him to Louis, who at that stage of being fried extra crispy, could use the blood to aid in healing and would probably be too weak to fight his impulses. But if there was something in his head that Armand didn't want Louis to see, he couldn't risk that, so he'd have to drain Daniel himself.

[cbrownjc]

ASSAD ZAMAN as Armand

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (2024) 2.08 – And That's The End of It. There's Nothing Else.

[cbrownjc]

IWTV fandom, I hate to make this post, but I feel as though this is very important and an issue that people in the fandom should be aware of. There is a fan fiction titled "Adagio" on AO3, written by Lydia_Eve. They are Lydia_Eve42 on Twitter. It is a modern day Human AU, with Nicolas de Lenfent as the main character. In the last published chapter, Number 15, there is a part where Nicki calls Louis the N-word. While it is given a trigger warning at the beginning of the chapter, I feel that fan fiction is an extremely inappropriate place to use racial slurs, especially that particular word. Having read the chapter of "Adagio" I do not feel that the slur is warranted and treated with the appropriate gravity. It is not treated as the evil word that it is by the writer, but rather as just another insult to hurl.

I don't know what else to do but childishly say that it made my heart hurt. Louis deserves so much better. Racism is a real present problem across all of the IWTV fandom, and I hope that we can figure out a solution and treat the talented actors and beautifully written characters with the dignity and respect that they deserve, and foster a more safe space for the fans of color.

[cbrownjc]

Rest In Peace Malcolm‑Jamal Warner (1970–2025)

A beloved pioneer of Black television, Warner reshaped representation as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. He later earned an Emmy nomination, a Grammy, and sparked vital conversations through his podcast. Tragically, he passed away on July 20 in Costa Rica an accidental drowning. Thank you for your grace, talent, and the rich legacy you leave behind. 🌹🙏🏿

[cbrownjc]

Well, I mean . . . production of every show on TV is different. The requirements needed to film The Walking Dead are not necessarily the same as those to film IWTV.

And yes, that is because TV production has changed. Because, until relatively recently, scripts for shows were not all written before a season of a show began filming. Like, for a 22-episode series, you could be filming Episode 10 while Episode 15 was still being written. And the breaking of episodes 16 and 17 was still going on in the writer's room that same week.

But with Prestige TV shows, more and more, that just doesn't really happen anymore. More and more, all the scripts for a season are written before shooting starts.

And then -- and this pretty much goes for all TV shows -- the breaking and writing of the scripts needed for the next season are not written while shooting is going on for the current one. That does not start happening until usually after the airing of the season just filmed is completed.

Which, depending on the show's complexity wrt post-production, can add on to the production time.

The Walking Dead started its run when that previous formula for writing and shooting TV Shows was still in place -- still writing episode scripts while you are shooting the show. And no, I'm not 100% sure that is how The Walking Dead functioned wrt its writing, but given they usually had 16 episodes per season, as well as the production length of the shoot for it? I don't think I'm wrong in guessing it was.

And the way writing scripts for IWTV works compared to that is completely different. They do it very much in the new way, where all the scripts for the season are written before shooting begins.

Which, honestly, is why there wasn't a quality dip with the show's writing in Season 2 due to the writer's strike. The IWTV writing staff got all the scripts for Season 2 written and done in December of 2022, months before the strike happened. This even left them time for any revisions that might've been needed before the strike started.

On average, it appears to take the IWTV writers at least 4 months to write all the scripts for a season (assuming an 8-episode season). There was probably a little extra time needed for Season 3 since they had to write songs, and likely one reason shooting started in June instead of April, like last time for Season 2.

So yeah, The Walking Dead was written and shot like how TV Production (used to be) usually always done. IWTV, in contrast, is written and shot like how (good) movies are.

And let's be real -- the Vampire Chronicles do get more complex and bigger in scope going forward, for now, until they are at least done with Queen of the Damned. It's why Rolin was already talking before now of splitting that book's adaptation into two seasons.

So honestly, I think a two-year shooting period is going to be standard for the show as of right now. Because I don't even think it's a guess that they haven't even begun to break the story and start pre-production for Season 4 (excluding whatever outline Rolin may already have in his head for it).

And IMO they won't start any work on Season 4 until post-production on Season 3 is done, which likely won't be until the beginning of next year. (So sometime around Summer 2026 is when prep-work and breaking/writing will start for Season 4, IMO.)

Also, given Mayfair Witches' shooting schedule and then The Talamasca's shooting schedule during the past year (which did NOT overlap at all), I don't think AMC wants any of those shows filming at the same time IWTV is. Or when either of the other is filming. And I suspect those two shows have already started prepping/pre-production on their next seasons. (Or at least Mayfair Witches likely has. Talamnasca is likely still finishing up post-production for its first season, and will likely start Season 2 prep sometime in the winter.)

So once again, I think those two show will do their shoots first before IWTV can begin theirs for Season 4. Which, when you look back, is also a big factor in what held up production of Season 3 -- having to wait for both of those shows to finish their productions first.

Which is probably not only just a budget thing for the studio (though it does stagger production costs), but the fact that all 3 shows have the same producer, Mark Johnson. They probably don't want him stretched thin trying to oversee overlapping productions going on at the same time, either.

Because honestly, IMO, they very much likely could have hit that fall production date that was originally set. But then Talamansca filmed instead. (And Talamansca looks poised to take the Fall/Autumn airing spot going forward, while Mayfair Witches takes the Winter spot.)

So yeah, honestly, if I had to guess, pre-production for Season 4 will start sometime next year, during the summer. But shooting of Season 4 won't begin until sometime in 2027.

Which, yes, would then mean time needed for post-production. And therefore, yes, that could mean a release date sometime in early 2028.

And yeah, that would suck, but it's just the way it works. 🤷🏾‍♀️

2 years for 8 episodes is crazy in my opinion. I know you're probably going to say if we want quality it's better to wait 2 years but I believe we can have a good season without the 2 years waiting. If the filming for season 3 will be finished in october, may/june or july is really pushing the thing. If we have season 4, it will be in 2028. 🤯 I guess it's better than 3 or 4 years of waiting but c'mon. Not related but you mentioned October and I think IWTV should be a autumn/winter show not spring/ summer.

No, I've never bought into the ever-popular "quality" excuse.

Because excellent TV shows used to release on a yearly basis, including AMC's The Walking Dead.

TWD would film every year from May to November and would premiere in October every year while filming was still happening through November.

There's no excuse for 2-3-4-5 years between seasons, and I will not back down from that.

[cbrownjc]

HEY V! i was looking closer at the scars on that lestat photo..and it sorta looks like wolf claws on his rib cage? I might just be fishing for Wolfkiller lestat….

But what do you think?

thank you!

Here's the thing.

*deeps breaths*

First of all, I need to gather myself, because I've been about to bust! a! gut! to talk about the scars. They've consumed my every waking thought since I (graciously 🫂🙏🏽😘🥰) saw a little sneaky-peaky of them. Like, I've not been able to move on from them.

So anyways.....back to my original thought. *overwhelmingly chuckles*

The scars match how Lestat's burn scars are described in the books. If they were meant to be from something as old as the wolf fight, they would look more healed and more deeply imprinted in his skin like old scars look.

These....are fresh and when I say fresh, I mean in the sense they've happened since he's been a vampire within the last few decades.

And if you notice —

There is another scar on the right side of his chest here that is not present in the other photo.

I think these are the final remnants of burn scars from Louis burning him in Paris.

I think he starts out much more scarred due to years of improper feeding and once he starts the rockstar thing, he begins feeding properly again, and they start finally healing.

I've seen speculations about maybe these scars are from rogue vampires? Since in The Vampire Lestat, that is what Lestat is trying to do is lure them away from Louis and while I love that speculation, those wounds would heal instantly. He is far too powerful at this point for those silly little rogues to ever be able to injure him to the extent we're seeing in these photos.

So yeah.....whatever happened in Paris? Voilà!

[cbrownjc]

Hi virginia. I just had a question: When did Louis burn Lestat in Paris? Sorry not a book reader, just watched the show.

In the books, Louis burns Lestat prior to him and Claudia fleeing New Orleans.

Rolin Jones was asked why Lestat's murder was different in the show than in the books and he said "you can't burn Lestat twice."

Twice? We didn't even see him burned once in the show.

My speculation is that the tower scene in 2x08 was bullshit, and the reality is Louis set Lestat on fire in a fit of rage.

This has been my speculation since last year, because there is no way that tower scene happened as told for many reasons.

There is also a reason Lestat sounded weak and ill during the call in 1973. Something happened to him that we do not yet know about, and I think it's the reality of Paris and how Lestat was actually gravely injured back then.

His injuries would instantly heal if they were being presently made by rogue vampires due to Lestat's level of power at this point in the timeline. Being viciously burned back *then* prior to all the decades in between Paris and Dubai in which Lestat possibly went underground again when he believed Louis was dead and when he wasn't properly feeding and was likely still injured from the murder night? Yeah, those scars are going to last.

He's also wearing them like a badge of honor and like I said, I believe they either came from Louis or they pertain to Louis.

[cbrownjc]

Wake up people, FIRST LOOK at The Vampire Lestat

[cbrownjc]

This.👆🏾

It's the same thing with his "Yeah" when Alice told him she was pregnant. When Daniel clearly doesn't care about something -- or even someone -- he gets very cold, emotionally, about it or them.

And hearing what Armand said about Daniel's parents, I wouldn't be surprised if that coldness first came up within him, in some way, from having to grow up with them.

Why did Daniel told that girl to put a bag over her head😔

Because there‘s “a sliver of coldness“ in him…

A power move, a means of suppression and cruelty all rolled into one.

[cbrownjc]

Cinderella (1997) + costumes

[cbrownjc]

What do you mean you can’t find a job? Have you looked on Indeed? What about Linkedin? You should try Upwork. How about Rise? Have you tried Jobera? Take a look on Dribbble. You GOTTA be on Jooble, dude. Get on Jooble. Jooble has it for you.

[cbrownjc]

Yep, and as I've said before, I do think Louis and Lestat will forgive Armand eventually, but it's going to take a long, long time. Much longer than it ever did in the books.

And even then? I think Lestat will get to that place of forgiveness first, before Louis ever will. Just due to their natures, and Louis' clear rage at what Armand did regarding his memories.

Because while in the IWTV book, it is alluded to that Armand fogged Louis' mind after Paris, in the show, Armand completely edited Louis' memories, and edited them in a much more extensive way that was way beyond simply fogging them.

And this is why I also think Armand's suicide attempt from Memnoch the Devil also has to happen in the show. And will happen before Louis and Lestat ever begin to forgive him.

Because before that event in Memnoch, though Lestat understood Armand, he still avoided and ignored him, by his own admission to David. It was only after Memnoch that that began to change, at least wrt Lestat. And then Lestat trusting Armand with Louis' safety.

However, unlike the books, I do think the show is going to give us Louis and Lestat's reactions to all the things Armand revealed in his own book after his suicide attempt, particularly what he did to Claudia before her execution. (Meaning again, yeah, that bit of info wouldn't be revealed in Season 3, IMO.)

Basically, IMO, Armand is going to have to hit rock bottom and finally reach that place of confessing everything -- while knowing there will be no redemption for him even as he does so -- like he did in the books, before forgiveness will even be a possibility for him from both Louis and Lestat.

But that rock bottom is going to mean Armand having to tell them what he did to her, and driving them to probably even more anger at him, because of the extent of what Armand did wrt Louis' mind and memories on top of that. Which, IMO, will just have to lead to a different path for the three of them, and one that doesn't have Louis and Armand living in some Trinity Gate-like situation afterwards.

Especially because Louis in the show already had his Merrick suicide attempt back in 1973, and will now be decades removed from it. Whereas, in the books, Louis' suicide attempt happened only a few years after Armand's attempt, and after Louis had already heard about what Armand did to Claudia before she was executed.

This timeline switch means we have a Louis, in the show, who will be in a different mental state when he hears about what Armand did to Claudia than the one from the book was in.

I also think this is why younger Daniel, back in 1973, also didn't hear about Armand's role in everything regarding Claudia's fate. Because a Daniel, who now has two daughters of his own, hearing about what Armand did to Claudia, now?

Let's just say I don't think the show making it so younger-Daniel didn't hear about what really happened at the trial (which, if Louis had continued his story back in 1973, Daniel would have heard the real version of the events that happened there), and then the show giving Daniel two daughters of his own later on was a coincidence.

And Armand, in Dubai, saying he was trying to hide his cowardice from Daniel by cutting out some of Claudia's diary pages wasn't a lie or just a throwaway line either IMO.

Can you see this Lestat trusting this Armand to ever care for this Louis after everything this Armand has done to this Louis?

See thats what I think is not translating to some between the book and the show no matter how many times you say it.

In the book Armand just kinda wandered away..in the show Louis threw him into a wall!

Kinda changes things...ya know.

And also before Louis threw him into a wall, Armand had spent decades systemically abusing Louis and neglecting him and taking his agency and warping his mind and erasing his memories.

It is all very different in the show.

[cbrownjc]

And can I add, I actually kind of wonder if Louis already knows about what Armand did to Nicki (or at least did know, before Dubai), given that in the fight in 2x05, Louis mentioned Armand chopping off hands.

That was another reference during the 2x05 fight that threw me off. Because if Louis did know in San Francisco what Armand did to Nicki's hands, when did he learn about it? It couldn't have been before he and Claudia got to Paris and met Armand and the coven for the first time. Otherwise, I don't think Louis and Claudia would have been surprised to meet Armand in Paris.

So in my mind, that little fact must have been something that was revealed at the trial, and by Lestat, I'd say.

But yeah, I agree, Trinity Gate? Not happening in the show's universe, and IMO Dubai was already the equivalent of it.

I am very interested to see how the show adapts their real relationship moving forward and especially given the changes they made between Armand and Louis.

Especially given that Louis detests Armand, and I remember a season two interview where Sam said Lestat wishes Armand would just go away and rather would not have anything to do with him.

I guess chances are slim that Trinity Gate actually happens

The writing choices they've made with Loumand were, in my opinion, mostly to eliminate the need for a Trinity Gate era in the show. I've talked about that before.

Can you see this Lestat trusting this Armand to ever care for this Louis after everything this Armand has done to this Louis? Can you see this Louis ever desiring to be away from this Lestat and back with this Armand?

No.

This isn't even accounting for how they're going to spin this Armand's involvement in Nicki's death, which was already hinted.

".....with a little help from others."