#iwtv season 2 speculation

[cbrownjc]

"I'm the quiet you've been longing for." Or, in other words, Gentleman Death.

So yeah, there are people, rightly, laughing at Armand calling himself the "quiet" that Daniel's been longing for because if you know anything about their relationship, particularly with how it started, it was anything but quiet. Quite the opposite in fact.

But see, I think, when it comes to the moment in the image above, that is actually the whole point. Because this moment isn't from some point when they are romantically together. I think this moment is from when they first really meet and speak to each other after Polynesian Mary's. More importantly, I think this is sometime after Armand had stopped Louis from killing Daniel.

There is a great observation/analysis post here that notes the clothes both Armand and young Daniel are wearing, and how they match up to what they were wearing that night when they first encountered each other at Polynesian Mary's. So this moment above being either later that same night, or maybe even the next night after Louis attacked Daniel matches up.

And this moment is very much Armand offering Daniel an "easeful death." Namely, killing him, probably because of what happened with Louis. Armand likely only stopped Louis from doing so because he knew Louis would feel guilty about it later, as Louis doesn't actually like to know anything about his victims before he kills them. So Armand likely stepped in and stopped Louis to spare him from that and such guilt.

However, Armand probably also thinks Daniel now knows too much to risk letting him live. And so is going to kill him himself. And I think what we are seeing here, above, is one of the ways Armand will sometimes present himself to his victims. And I think it is something he learned from Lestat, which is to be "Gentleman Death."

It's been noted by the writers of the show that they were looking to drawn things from Anne Rice's short story, Interlude with the Undead, for Armand in Season 2. (A short story, btw, which you can read online here and here.) And, of course, the line about "easeful death" that we hear in the trailer can be found in that short story, not once but twice:

But if you notice, during the first passage, Armand also talks about being "Gentleman Death." The same exact thing Lestat said to Armand to explain his outlook on being a vampire during the time period when they first met; and basically upending Armand's entire worldview (and cult) under Les Innocents.

From The Vampire Lestat:

From Interlude with the Undead:

From the opening of Interlude with the Undead, we know that this whole short story was actually Louis telling Daniel something Armand had told him. Well, I think not only has the show cut out the middleman on that, but I think what they are about to do is show how very much Armand, in his own way, embraced Lestat's Gentleman Death mission statement for a time. Probably for a long time.

In the show, I think we are going to see Lestat give Armand his Gentleman Death monologue during the scene when these two images happen:

And I think, by the time Louis encounters Armand in Paris, we will see that he has, in his own ways and methods, adapted to that ethos of being Gentleman Death.

However, time does march on. And I do think Armand will begin to see presenting himself as such is beginning to not fit with the times he is now in. But it will still be one of the things he still will present himself as.

At least until Daniel.

Because I really do think when Armand presents himself in this way to Daniel, being a "quiet" (ie death) that he says Daniel has been longing for? Daniel is going to flat-out reject that.

Because Daniel doesn't want to die, no matter how many drugs he takes or the reckless behavior he may sometimes exhibit (during this point in time). What Daniel really wants is to live forever. The reason Louis attacked Daniel as he did was because Daniel asked Louis to make him immortal.

Death? Quiet? Hell no. Give Daniel Molloy immortality, thank you!

So Daniel is going to ask the same thing of Armand he asked of Louis. Which is for Armand to make him immortal.

And just like in the book? Armand is, at first, going to be taken aback. And then, intrigued by this brash (and beautiful) human:

This human whom Armand is sure is going to go completely mad at some point by the knowledge that vampires actually exist. But hasn't gone mad, no not yet:

So yeah, I feel that the "quiet you've been longing for" moment in the trailer is the moment when Armand presents himself as his own version of "Gentleman Death" and it flat-out doesn't work, probably for the first time ever. And that it doesn't work with Daniel is what starts The Chase between them in the show's universe; the show leaving out the 3-days or so that Armand locked Daniel in a cage before that, of course.

And all because of something Armand has been doing since Lestat first upended his life under Les Innocents centuries ago did not work on this one particular mortal. So, instead, Armand let him go to chase him instead.

And to hell with trying to seduce this human with promises of "quiet" because that sure as hell didn't work last time.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Season 2 trial prediction/speculation

Claudia's diary entry (from Merrick) being read out loud on stage and used to judge her.

(That would put a very interesting spin on it all, and we know from episode 4 that one diary was in Paris.)

"It has been so many decades since Louis presented me with this little book in which I might record my private thoughts. I have not been successful, having made only a few entries, and whether these have been written for my benefit I am unsure. Tonight, I confide with pen and paper because I know which direction my hatred will take me. And I fear for those who have aroused my wrath. By those I mean, of course, my evil parents, my splendid fathers, those who have led me from a long forgotten mortality into this questionable state of timeless 'bliss.' To do away with Louis would be foolish, as he is without question the more malleable of the pair. [...] Louis will do as I wish, even unto the very destruction of Lestat, which I plan in every detail. Whereas Lestat would never cooperate with my designs upon Louis. So there my loyalty lies, under the guise of love even in my own heart. What mysteries we are, human, vampire, monster, mortal, that we can love and hate simultaneously, and that emotions of all sorts might not parade for what they are not. I look at Louis and I despise him totally for the making of me, and yet I do love him. But then I love Lestat every bit as well. Perhaps in the court of my heart, I hold Louis far more accountable for my present state than ever I could blame my impulsive and simple Lestat. The fact is, one must die for this or the pain in me will never be scaled off, and immortality is but a monstrous measurement of what I shall suffer till the world revolves to its ultimate end. One must die so that the other will become ever more dependent upon me, ever more completely my slave. I would travel the world afterwards; I would have my way; I cannot endure either one of them unless that one becomes my servant in thought, word, and deed. Such a fate is simply unthinkable with Lestat's ungovernable and irascible character. Such a fate seems made for my melancholy Louis, though the destroying of Lestat will open new passages for Louis into the labyrinthian Hell in which I already wander with every new thought that comes in my mind. When I shall strike and how, I know not, only that it gives me supreme delight to watch Lestat in his unguarded gaiety, knowing that I shall humiliate him utterly in destroying him, and in so doing bring down the lofty useless conscience of my Louis, so that his soul, if not his body, is the same size at last as my own."

I WANT IT

[aurabora]

i’m being so serious rn if assad zaman isn’t rawdogging eric bogosian on my tv screen in s2 i am going to raise anne rice from the grave and telling her that AMC is writing fanfiction and she needs to sue them

[loustat-0]

I wonder why Louis's way of hallucinating Lestat changes when he gets to Paris . Is it showing as Louis himself starts new & heals from mourning then Lestat heals too ?

[uthseikoashx-goingmyway]

AYO, @meeb90 (twt account) SHARED ON TWT A SHORT VIDEO OF A NEW IWTV S2 SPOT

ARMAND HAS THE VERY FIRST LINE — AND SAYS:

“i am the quiet you've been longing for.”

TO YOUNG DANIEL

AND THAT'S A SCREENSHOT FROM THE VIDEO. guys i don't even know, like wow, i am... wow

(PLEASE check meeb90's video by yourself, there are things about louis, claudia, santiano, madeleine and some gorgeous images... oh lord)

[theatrevampire]

how i sleep cycling through my 100000 theories about iwtv s2 knowing i'm probably wrong about all of them but i'm still gonna enjoy the season anyway

[sheisraging]

If they cast another pale blonde guy in S2, my brainrot headcanon is that he's a guy Louis fucks while pretending it's Lestat. And he'll picture and hear Lestat the whole time, just reminding him that it's not as good and also that Louis killed him.

But obvs Louis will keep going back for more. Just dead-eye stare fucking this stand-in, who will never be what he's looking for.

[chicalepidoptera]

🤓

[cbrownjc]

So about that Justin Kirk spoiler:

So yeah, there is a spoiler out there about whom Kirk is playing. And I have some thoughts about it that I just want to say, even if the rumor ends up not being true. But I'm going to put this all under a spoiler cut just in case.

So word on Twitter is that he's playing Raglan James. And honestly, yeah I can see that. In fact, thinking about it last night as well as today, it actually works better than when I thought and was so sure he was playing Marius.

And you know, he still might be. But there was a good argument about why pull the same hidden vampire identity plot two seasons in a row? I personally thought it would be fine, seeing as Marius would regularly do such a thing in the books, and so it would make sense that he taught his fledgling Armand to do so.

But there is an even bigger method to the idea of introducing a character like Raglan James this early if that is who he IS playing. And that is to get people ready for the body-switching plot of Tale of the Body Thief.

Rolin Jones already spoke about how tricky and goofy body-switching stories can be. So the show starting to plan that out way in advance isn't unbelievable IMO.

And I also am getting a sneaking suspicion that the body thief plot is not going to be played out how we've all assumed it would be if the show did it.

I and @nalyra-dreaming have both noted that Raglan James' original body was not a brown man, but that of a white man. James stole a brown Southeast Asian man's body to then switch with Lestat. A body that David then later ended up in permanently.

And well, I kinda think the show is going to want to avoid the racist implications of all of that. Three white men switching around, and trading back and forth, a brown man's body? If the show did go there they would very much do a commentary about it I'm sure. However, at the end of the day, the story would still end up with a white man occupying the stolen body of a brown man and keeping it for himself.

So really, what would all and any commentary about it be saying after it was done? Many book readers already don't like David's character. And I just don't see them doing such a thing with Daniel's character either.

And the easiest way to still do the body thief plot but avoid all of that? Is to just cut that part out. And have James only make one switch . . . and that is switching with Lestat while James is still in his original body.

And I suspect that's what we're going to get if Kirk really is going to be playing Raglan James. And why the rumors regarding him are that he's only going to be reoccurring in Seasons 4 and 5, not become a main cast member.

When they do the body switch, Kirk is going to be playing Lestat. And Sam will be playing Raglan James. But first, the show is going to get people familiar with Raglan James' character and the Talamasca starting this season, and probably in Season 4 as well. (With Season 5 being when the body-thief plot finally plays out . . . meaning yeah, we really might get the QotD/Akasha stuff in Season 4!)

"But what about Daniel?" I know some people are thinking. Well, I have an idea/theory about that too. But I'm not confident in saying anything about it yet. But yes, I do think Daniel speaking with Raglan James is significant. And a lot of people have already thought/predicted that Daniel would get David's body swap plot.

I just don't think this is all going to end with Daniel's character being played by Justin Kirk.

And that is all I feel confident in saying about it right now.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Could he be Benji?

Maybe?! I would say they age Benji up, too, yes. So Benji would indeed be an interesting possibility 😎

[zkaus]

Why do you think this interview is happening?

As the entire Dubai storyline is new, we just don't know where it's all heading, but I'm utterly fascinated!!

There are so many amazing theories! I've summarised my favs below:

THEORY 1: - The interview is for Armand/Daniel

This theory argues that Armand and Daniel's relationship will mirror the books. In the books, Armand was obsessed with Daniel (stalked him for years), then they were a couple for 8 years before Armand turned him. Armand desperately didn't want to, but Daniel was dying (substance abuse) - it was turn him or lose him.

This theory suggests that in the show Armand wiped Daniel's memories years ago, but still loves him. He has been tracking him closely, and upon finding out that he's dying, he freaks out.

He can't stand losing him, so, he has Louis repeat the interview (to reproduce the process that originally brought Daniel to him). He pretended to be human so Daniel had the opportunity to connect with him as an equal, a proper companion (like how Lestat hid his Cloud Gift from Louis).

THEORY 2: - General Vampire Unrest

This theory argues that there is unrest in the Vampire world and that the interview is about provoking Lestat into finding them. This suggests that Dubai storyline takes place either before 'Prince Lestat' or 'The Vampire Lestat', and that they are trying to get him to come to Dubai to help them sort out the unrest (as in the beginning of 'Prince Lestat'). Basically, Daniel's book is like Benji's radio station, begging Lestat to come to them.

THEORY 3: - 'The Groan' is Those Who Must Be Kept

This theory argues that 'The Groan' we hear many times throughout the Dubai scenes is Those Who Must Be Kept waking up. That's a HUGE problem because they would enslave the human and vampire races. (Possibly, the apartment in Dubai is Marius's house - It is his painting is on the wall).

They need Lestat's help to pacify/deal with them, so the interview is a way to get his attention. Also, we know Lestat has already met them before (he mentions this in episode 6) so it's canon that he knows them.

THEORY 4 :- 'The Groan' is Lestat

This theory argues that the show takes place after Memnoch and that it's Lestat groaning in despair. This supposes that (some of) the events of TVL, QOTD and ToTBT have already happened. At this point in the books, Lestat is semi-catatonic, but wakes up to save Louis when he attempts suicide. Earlier, he also helps Armand by culling a huge amount of vampires which were threatening the safety of the city. As Armand says in the show, the interview is basically a suicide note. So, this interview could be about getting Lestat to wake up by provoking the rest of the Vampires to try killing Louis.

THEORY 5a:- The Interview is for Louis

This theory supposes that Louis is a captive/prisoner of Armand, and that he is pretending to love him, but actually wants to escape. It argues that Louis is planning to publish IWTV to provoke Lestat into action and save him from Armand (and the vampires who would try to kill him). This one suggests that Armand loves Louis and is controlling/passifying him to 'protect' him from himself.

This theory also suggests that Armand is behaving like a caregiver, and allowing Louis to do the interview as a form of therapy. But that he has no intention of allowing Daniel to actually publish it (as he knows it's a death sentence for Louis).

THEORY 5b:- The interview is for Lestat

This theory is similar to the one above, except that it proposes that Armand will allow the book to be published. This is to provoke Lestat to come to them (either so Armand can kill him or because he is in love with Lestat too). And that he is pretending to be human both to avoid being mentioned in the book Daniel will publish, and to manipulate/control what Daniel will write about his past (the Theatre of the Vampires etc).

And that's just the start! There are so, so, so many more. And so many unanswered questions. I can't wait till season 2, to find out!

Personally, I think it's a combination of several (1, 3 and 5b).

Which do you think is most likely?

Do you have a different theory?

Anything to add?

.

[loustat-0]

What if Armand himself drew the portrait of Lestat which is hanging in the theater because canonly a good painter

[uthseikoashx-goingmyway]

“is it David Talbot? is it Marius de Romanus?”

guys, the true question is why the fuck Daniel Molloy is talking to this guy

they seem to get along, and they are talking about Armand and (probably) Louis being active threats, so it could be in Dubai still; why on earth would David, or Marius, talk to Daniel — or more accurately, why on earth Daniel would be willing to talk, and probably trust a guy in that setting?

i have some theories but still, what the fuck

just expanding on some things here

maybe it's right after the second interview: it turned out bad when Louis remembered, Daniel thinks he shouldn't come back because of Armand and is probably ignorant still about the devil's minion thing

maybe it's at the beginning of season 2 (most likely) and Daniel is talking to a friend mostly unrelated to the vampires if it's David, to a friend who lied to him about being involved if it's Marius ; etc

if it's Marius, the way Daniel's open here still is makes me think they are... friends or colleagues of sorts? i am quite convinced it's from episode 1 or 2; it would mean Marius befriended Daniel previously — and well, i can't help but wondering whether it might be because Armand asked him to

if it's David, it would be extremely funny that they are just two friends (??) and Daniel just called him at some point like “dude, i need a drink and a sane man to give me some insight because you won't believe the kind of interview i'm on these days”, and David just Listens™ to Daniel and gives him actually good advice

or Daniel is really desperate and starts to talk to this random guy who turns out to be Marius (the vampire who TURNED ARMAND) or David (an investigator about paranormal things...?)

[o0anapher0o]

I'll be severely disappointed if Assad doesn't get to make out with at least two of his co-stars in season 2. Obviously four would be ideal but for this season I'd be willing to settle for two.

[chicalepidopterareblogs]

They're going cruising and Armand is lighting up their way like a true gentleman