Interview With the Vampire season 2 finale recap and review: This might be the best episode of TV we see all year

We've reached the conclusion of Interview With the Vampire season 2, and though the finale episode is incredible, I'm also so sad that it's over! The good news, of course, is that the AMC adaptation of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles will continue with a third season, and if you know anything about the next book, The Vampire Lestat, you'll know we're in for another wild ride. This season has been nothing short of mesmerizing, taking the show to new levels while also capturing that same beautiful darkness we loved in season 1.

The season 2 finale is titled "And That's The End Of It. There's Nothing Else," and it's certainly a conclusive way to end the story while also leaving room to focus on Lestat's next journey. While I was watching and the screen cut to black, I found myself unable to process all of my emotions to the point that I let the credits fully play out, trying to gather my thoughts. Still, it's difficult to articulate how fantastic I think this episode is. But I'll try!

WARNING: Major spoilers for Interview With the Vampire season 2 episode 8 are below.

The season 2 finale continues the interview, seeing what happens next for Louis and Armand in Paris. After the trial, Armand is ridiculed by the coven and punished for helping Louis. Louis is still buried in a coffin, left to die of starvation. He's at a breaking point here; as he mourns Claudia, he doesn't see the point in living any longer. "What is left to endure? Claudia is dead," he thinks. As Louis continues to deteriorate, life at the theater goes back to normal with Santiago as the leader. Everyone's moved on without him and is ready to get back to the stage. That is, everyone but Armand.

Louis seeks revenge

Fortunately, Armand saves Louis by cutting his wrist and letting his blood drip into the coffin, feeding him back to life. Louis leaves the theater and walks to the cemetery. Though he feels like his soul and spirit are now dead, he holds a ton of rage and wants revenge for Claudia's murder. Vengeance is what motivates him, and vengeance is what he's going to get. He begins killing humans recklessly and lives out on the street, knowing it's not safe to go back to his apartment.

Armand finds Louis in his thoughts and tries to explain why he did what he did. Though he saved him during the trial, he couldn't save Claudia. Louis warns him not to go to the theater the next night at curfew, and we finally realize what the big fire in the newspaper clipping was all about. Armand doesn't warn the coven about the fire, though a handful of them survive. But as Louis gets revenge, he doesn't feel satisfied. Even when he kills Santiago in a graphic murder, he doesn't feel any better.

Louis and Armand speak and Armand explains his side of the story, but still, Louis finds no comfort. The only thing left to do is to find Lestat, and yes, Louis wants to kill him, too. They find Lestat in Magnus' lair, and despite declaring that he's there to kill him, Louis ultimately leaves Lestat unscathed. At least, physically unscathed. He ends up kissing Armand in front of him and telling him that they're going to spend the rest of their lives together, to which Lestat acts like he doesn't care. "Well, enjoy it," Lestat tells them. "Let's see how long it holds." Of course, given that response, I doubt Louis feels satisfaction here either.

Daniel throws a wrench in Louis and Armand's relationship

In Dubai, Louis tells Daniel that Lestat didn't think he and Armand would make it, but nearly 80 years later, they're still together. Now, Louis finally feels satisfaction. The two seem very happy together as they wrap up their story, with Louis declaring: "That's the end of it. There's nothing else." But that's not the end of it for Daniel; he has follow-up questions. He goes back in his notes and tries to get clarification on a few things Louis mentioned that don't exactly add up. He then surprises the two by showing them the script from the trial. He gives it to Louis who begins reading it. Armand is alarmed, and we see the rehearsals for the trial in a flashback scene.

We see Armand and Lestat working together during the rehearsal, and in the current timeline, Daniel spells it out for Louis: "He didn't witness the play; he directed the play." In a shocking turn of events, we learn that Armand was ready to direct Louis dying during the trial, but it was Lestat who saved Louis and Armand simply took the credit!

Louis storms off and Armand follows, while Raglan messages Daniel and tells him to get out of there. Suddenly, the ceiling starts caving in and Daniel rushes to see what's happened. Armand is injured on the floor, and Louis threatens Armand that if he hurts Daniel, he will kill him. He announces that he's leaving, and when he comes back, Armand better be gone. He lets Daniel know he'll arrange a car to take him to the airport and he'll wire him $10 million.

Louis and Lestat reunite

We cut to Louis riding in the back of a car and it's revealed that he's back in New Orleans. A hurricane is on the forecast, but Louis doesn't care. He goes on a walking tour through town and hears about the history he knows before following a rat catcher in the street to an abandoned house. He finds Lestat, who is trying to learn piano. Lestat says he's rehearsing to go on tour but needs years of practice first.

Louis isn't there for small talk; he needs to know the truth. He asks Lestat if he was the one who saved his life in the trial, and it's true. Lestat says he knew Louis would figure it out eventually. Modern Lestat isn't nearly as swanky or confident as he once was, like he's lost his spark somehow. Now, this is when you should break out your tissue box. Louis launches into an epic apology, telling Lestat he thought the gift he gave him was a curse, and that he treated him badly because he was suffering. Lestat seems surprised to hear all of this, and even more surprised when Louis thanks him for the gift which he denied.

Lestat remembers a date and time — Sept. 8, 1973 at 11:07 in New Orleans, which would've been 9:07 in San Francisco — asking if he was there when Armand called to him. Louis says he was, and Lestat begins crying before asking if he hurt himself. Louis, also crying, explains he was in a dark place. Lestat tells him he can't get "her" out of his mind, which is, of course, Claudia, and Louis feels the same. Louis feels terrible for making Lestat turn her, and Lestat remembers how she looked at him right before she died as if he were actually her father. Louis grabs Lestat and holds him tight, as we zoom out and see the storm raging on outside.

Oooof. I'm going to need five to seven business days to really process their scene together, and honestly, probably another rewatch or two. Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid showcase a masterclass in acting all season long, but especially in this episode. For once, they're not shouting at each other, but their emotion is strong nonetheless. Their love for one another is so real, but it just doesn't work. I don't know if it ever did, and I have a hard time coming to that realization.

The season 2 finale's ending explained

The episode then takes a hard pivot to Daniel, who's on a talk show promoting his book. Of course, it's titled Interview With the Vampire. The interviewer doesn't buy that Daniel actually interviewed a real vampire, and he judges him for selling out this way. But Daniel, who's high on the success, doesn't care. He tells off the interviewer and dismisses his criticism. He speaks with Louis and mentions wanting to do a second book, but Louis says the first one was a mistake. Now, this moment is where we get another big reveal. How can Louis and Daniel communicate telepathically? And why are Daniel's eyes a different color? Yup, Daniel is a vampire now!

Louis references leaving Daniel alone, presumably meaning that Armand turned Daniel into a vampire in Dubai after Louis left for New Orleans. They both hear other vampires in their thoughts who are angry with them over the book. Daniel advises Louis to get out of Dubai — vampires want him dead for going against the Great Laws — but Louis doesn't see the need. He then speaks to the other vampires telepathically, telling the voices to be quiet. Louis introduces himself and tells them where he lives, also mentioning that his front door and windows are always unlocked. He invites the vampires to come and dare to face him, declaring: "I own the night."

Okay, then! Now that's how you do a season finale. Honestly, this episode fully feels like a series finale, especially considering the third season is going to be so different. It's as impactful as any series finale should be, and I truly can't stop thinking about it. The episode does a great job tying up the loose ends of Paris while also giving us a tease of what's next for Louis. I'm so, so glad he gets closure with Lestat. No matter how toxic they were together, they both really needed that.

Eric Bogosian and Assad Zaman also give great performances as Daniel and Armand, respectively, and, as always, the dialogue is top-notch. This show is so theatrical without feeling cheesy, doing melodrama in the best way I've ever seen it done. I'm so glad the finale stuck the landing, but honestly, I had no doubts that it wouldn't.

Interview With the Vampire is one of the best shows on right now, and I'll be shocked if anything tops this season 2 finale at any point this year. Need to catch up? You can watch all episodes of the gothic horror series right now on AMC+. Now, excuse me while I go cry.