REVIEW: ‘Interview With The Vampire’ Episode 13 — “Like The Light By Which God Made The World Before He Made Light”

A safe rule of thumb for any Anne Rice-penned tale? Never expect happiness to last long. And if it does last long, always question why. This idea rears its head in Interview With The Vampire Episode 13, “Like The Light By Which God Made The World Before He Made Light.” With the veil of Armand’s (Assad Zaman) memory manipulation revealed, Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) proceed forward with the interview, but the tension is evident among the trio. Everything culminates in a brief moment of happiness before Armand’s cowardice plunges all into darkness.

Armand’s grip on his inner circle is loosening in the modern world. This is evident in the revelation of the real Rashid (Bally Gill) working in a loose capacity with the Talamasca at the beginning of Interview With The Vampire Episode 13. Daniel has another sushi encounter with Raglan James (Justin Kirk), where they discuss working together. Time, however, is fleeting and Daniel and Rashid return quickly before arousing the suspicions of the resident vampires.

They need not worry, however. Louis’s rage over Armand’s actions proves to be distracting enough for the duo. Throughout the course of Interview With The Vampire Episode 13, Armand is put on the defensive. If not by Louis, then by Daniel. Both take their jabs at the older vampire who, in his words, did exactly as was requested of him by Louis. However, at this point in the series, no one is a reliable enough narrator to fully believe, even Daniel due to his own memories being manipulated.

In Interview With The Vampire Episode 13, we see a breakdown of and subsequent loss of Armand’s power and control. Both in the past and in the present, with the connective tissue seemingly being his love for Louis. But Armand’s influence is waning. Santiago (Ben Daniels) and his copatriots plot and scheme against Armand’s attempts to control the situation. Louis openly disrespects and takes Armand in full view of the coven, unknowingly flaunting his disrespect and hubris for all to see. Traps are being set, and neither Armand, Louis, nor Claudia (Delainey Hayles) are the wiser.

The touchstone of Lestat’s (Sam Reid) influence on his protégé is their pride. For both Louis and Claudia, Paris is their haven and their playground. And, compared to the seasoned vampires in their wake, they believe themselves protected and untouchable. At least, that’s how their actions come across in Interview With The Vampire Episode 13. Admittedly, Claudia is the more careful of the two. Less impulsive compared to Louis, but that doesn’t stop her from causing a scene in the middle of Paris to rescue Madeleine (Roxane Duran) and reveal her true self.

This act and Louis’s decisions afterward fully condemn Louis and Claudia, with Madeleine being pulled in by association. Interview With The Vampire Episode 13 takes a step further in preparing the audience for heartbreak by building up a feeling of hope for Claudia and Madeleine. In the case of Madeleine, we see how Claudia has transformed into this glimmering beacon of light for the woman. They are kindred spirits in a way that Louis has never quite been for Claudia.

It is these moments portrayed by actors Delainey Hayles and Roxane Duran that read like the most innocent kind of love. Both have experienced cruelty and pain. They’ve been shaped by these experiences, with their feelings of hope and perseverance twisting into bitterness and cynicism. Their interactions from the beginning of Season 2 have transformed them for the better, and Hayles and Duran convey this beautifully in the short time they’re together onscreen.

Arguably, Madeleine’s affection for Claudia leads to Armand’s declining to make Madeleine a vampire. In their conversation, we see Armand’s pain, his lived experience bubbling to the surface as he interrogates her. He’s doing everything he can to sway her away from this path of vampirism. But Madeleine is pragmatic. Not much will change for her as society already sees her as a monster for her actions in the war. But Madeleine’s feelings for Claudia give him the reason he seeks to decline. At least, that’s what it seems.

But, the reality is that Armand’s decision to decline to change Madeleine might not have been so innocent. To change the French woman would also condemn him in the eyes of the coven. He’s done so much to protect Louis and Claudia, but his efforts are not enough. That much becomes clear by the end of Interview With The Vampire Episode 13,  as Santiago and the coven confront and kidnap the group at a local cafe.

These are sharp emotional contrasts, something Interview With The Vampire has excelled at again and again. There is happiness and relief for all as Louis takes it upon himself to change Madeleine for Claudia. As Madeleine begins to die, her memories flood Louis’s and Claudia’s minds. He feels safe knowing how Madeleine feels for Claudia, picturing her illuminated in forbidden sunlight. While Louis relays this news to Armand as well as their departure, he fails entirely to miss Armand’s discomfort.

This discomfort spells the end of happiness. Armand doesn’t wholly tell the truth to Louis, leading to the ultimate betrayal. While Armand can say love is what led to him muddling the thoughts of Louis or ripping out the pages of Claudia’s diary to protect Louis, in the end, it becomes clear in Interview With The Vampire Episode 13 that all Armand can think about is himself and his own self-preservation.

Interview With The Vampire Episode 13 sets up the stage for the foreshadowed fate of Claudia we’ve been waiting for. With Armand’s deceit and cowardice out in the open and present-day Louis feeling raw, the truth of what happened in Paris seems primed to be the catalyst that may break the two apart for good.

Interview With The Vampire Episode 13 is streaming now on AMC+ with new episodes airing every Sunday on AMC.