District!reader who Coriolanus left for dead in 12, but was found by Doctor Gaul and her team of scientists.
District!reader who was stuck in the private laboratories in Panem, having their brain altered, memory shifted and mismatched as Coriolanus climbs up the ranks and becomes president.
Newly acclaimed President Snow, still fresh off the hype of winning elections, was called down yet again down to see Dr Gaul. As he is escorted down the narrowing corridors he feels almost dresdful nostalgia for the years where he hadn't been as tainted, dreadful disdain for the times he had been weak and constantly scared of the future day.
And on a silver platter, in a hospital gown is sitting the ghost of his last, staring at him mindlessly. Doctor Gaul stares at him, studying his expression to see if she would see cracks in his exterior, yet another of her cruel tests, to see if he is truly deserving of ruling over Pabem.
President Snow who now has his almost lobotomised former lover stuck in the guest bedroom of his President Penthouse. Doctor Gaul had told him with a smile that she was simply returning "his songbird with clipped wings".
Coriolanus who has to deal with the silence and empty stares, lifeless eyes. Corio who feels the burning hate for you, himself and the powerlessness he has.
Loving Corio who helps you remember why you loved him, leaving all the unpleasant things out, making you his lap dog again. Corio who risks loosing you again, for the sake of bringing you back as you were. Your Corio who can't let you leave again.
Or
Dark!Coriolanus who relishes in your dependence on him, your curiosity gaze as he walks you around the Capitol, parading you almost like his pet for all the curios ministers and politician. You have become Panems favorite new face, everyone wants a piece.
Coriolanus Snow who will never let you leave, whichever route his twisted mind takes. Who will have you one way or another, willingly by his side, as his first lady of Panem, as his lap dog, as his hidden songbird in the gilded cage that is his mannor, never to be seen again.
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Hi! Love your blog!
We know that made Lestat's abuse of Louis way more prominent in show (decision I still don't agree with but that's not the matter) and we have Jacob saying that s2 is way darker than book. People speculate that it's because they'll include FrankenClaudia who technically wasn't in this particular book but do you think they'll make Loumands relationship more toxic too like they did with Loustat? (I know they added romance to loustat but they also added beating scene that was on way way more smaller scale in book). Do you think they'll add more gaslighting? Emphasize on Armand making Louis turn Madeleine against his will?
Thank you for answering!
Hey nonny!
So glad you like!
I do think that they will heavily lean into that, yes. (And this "interview" is already held with the content of several books, so imho it doesn't really matter where the content comes from... Rolin held 6? or 7 books up to the camera^^). This will be a bit longer^^:
As all things are said to be revisited we will see how s1 will hold up, but of course it will stay correct that they emphasized the abuse vector. And that is a very valid thing for the Vampire Chronicles! There is a LOT in there, especially abuse, but also like... everything else, too. (As the Twitter discourse currently on Marius also... shows.)
So to get back to your actual question: yes I do think they will emphasize this part (though if they add more? We will see.), I think they have already hinted at that in season 1, but the book canon and their chosen promotional posters give us a very poignant hint here as well.
If we look at the "elevator posters" for example, we have Lestat, Louis and Claudia looking sideways at the observer*, in various state of emotions: fear, anger, and aware consternation (maybe), respectively.
And then we have Armand, *the observer, who looks down the length of his nose at them, with an air of superiority and a hint of a smile, clearly the one in charge:
It is also important to note that he is half in shadow but from the front here, not sideways as the others. The other three are almost completely "in the light", visible as it were. Armand... is not.
Now, if you remember the poster of season 1, then this is a direct echo of it, as well as a development from it:
Lestat was only half visible, behind Louis, since we only heard of him through Louis. Now he is in the same "position" as Louis and Claudia, almost fully revealed.
It is interesting that those elevator pictures keep Claudia in this position here, too, but it makes sense when one knows what will revealed only in later books about her and her play (I have talked about the twist from Merrick).
Now the posters sold at SDCC are equally interesting, because they speak their own language:
First off, we have Louis, holding the mask of Lestat in his hand, a mask taken off, and the mask echoes Lestat's "death face". He is looking into space, beyond it, and he seems to be seated in the back of a stage (given that we have a scene photo with Lestat seated on stage that carries ... repercussions^^).
"La mémoire est un monstre". The second half of IWTV is (among other things of course) Louis yearning for Lestat and learning a few... uncomfortable truths. Masks are taken off, and the revelations will be bloody. Louis will be condemned to be a spectator for some of them, and in the book it culminates in a very poignant speech about passivity.
And then there's Claudia. "La famille est un monstre." Dancing as Carmen, the red flamenco dress making her seem older than she is (supposed to be). The dress emulates flames, the audience is dead. She is almost smirking at the beholder, definitely proud of who she is, and her feet are naked.
"Carmen, a searing depiction of a woman who craves love, but creates obsession and jealousy, is one of the most popular operas ever written." (x)
The Carmen reference feels perfect for me, it will be very interesting to see which aspects they take up for the show, who Madeleine will be, given the World War 2 context, and the jealousy of the soldier in the original opera.
Then there is "L'amour est un monstre". Love is a monster. Love is the monster. The lover is the monster. For these vampires all these variations fit, and I do not just mean Loumand here, but generally.
Armand seems to say something to Louis, who is looking into space, with a slight frown.
The movie poster from "Gaslight", a movie about a whirlwind romance and the new husband isolating the wife from the world and "gaslighting" her to make her appear mad and doubt her own sanity to get at what she possesses... now the IWTV people know what they're doing *laughs*
Anyone who has read IWTV and TVA knows that Armand spell-binds Louis on several occasions, and influences him to do things, for example turning Madeleine, as you mentioned.
Interestingly enough there is also a man with a face half in light, half in shadows here - and that is echoed on Louis in the poster, one half is painted red - indicating he doubles with the police officer of the movie, discovering the things that are supposed to be hidden from him.
And, last but definitely not least, the general poster, without caption:
Lestat is "almost" revealed, our "view" of him still restricted somewhat by Louis and Claudia, as well from the theater curtain.
Claudia is engaged with whatever is happening beyond our view, Louis... is not. He is restraining himself, hands in pockets, mouth set and his gaze is dark, somewhere between accusation and anger. Lestat's gaze is open here, carrying a vague challenge, an expectation.
If we take the elevator pictures back into account one could argue they are looking at Armand here - and that would fit with the story:
Lestat will come to Armand hoping for something, expecting something. Louis will come to some very uncomfortable realizations, and events that will make him beyond angry. Claudia will try to move on, leave Armand behind. And even Louis, arguably.
So to wrap this up: I'm not sure they will add more gaslighting. More toxicity.
Because I don't think they actually need to! There is plenty there already. They will however build on what's there, and it has been more than hinted at imho.
(Arguably that happened in season 1 as well, as a lot of that ep 5 scene echoes something in later books, and we will know only after season 2 how it will click into place.)
Armand uses his spell-gift on Louis even after promising not to do it (in the book, I talked about it here), and given how this show drags things into the light they will definitely hook into this. I think both definitions of "gaslighting" will apply - given the structure of the show they might make Armand the "villain" (that he was in the first books) this time round, though of course this word doesn't quite fit for these vampires.
Armand is the one who tortures Nicki and chops off his hands. We are getting flashbacks to that time, and we know that we will get to see Lestat and Nicki in that time. I would bet money on it that they will explore that part of their history.
Armand is the one who tortures Lestat, and uses him to pull the mock trial off.
Armand is the one who throws Lestat off a tower, challenging him to love him... a scene many book readers expect to at the very least echo, if not replace the ep5 scene, depending on how they spin it.
Armand is the one who influences Louis to do things, and who lies to both Louis and Lestat about the other.
Armand is the one who has Claudia (and Madeleine) killed, because she was in the way.
I know show only viewers see Lestat as the epitome of toxicity right now, but... he's actually not. Jacob put it well in that interview that Louis is "angry at him and presents him as a monster".
The show made choices, and given that it's Lestat (who is just the tiniest bit important for the following seasons/books after all)... this requires other choices to be made.
And going by the posters they have given us - they do.
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