The Vampire Lestat: Let’s talk about that auction

Interview with the Vampire is back with Season 3, retitled The Vampire Lestat in honor of the second book in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. As Lestat, Sam Reid goes from being an antagonist and supporting player in previous seasons to starring as this season’s saucy anti-hero. His titular novel reveals his pre-vampire past, as well as his current ambition to become a rock star, singing the secrets of his kind — whether they like it or not. Following The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE, the Season 3 premiere offers the episode “Detroit,” named for the city where much of its action takes place. But before the show gets to Lestat or his journey of sex, drugs, and motherfucking rock ‘n’ roll, it begins with a curious auction. A lot of exposition is dropped in a very short sequence. So, let’s dig into it beat by beat. 
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When is this auction set? 

Sam Reid and Jennifer Ehle play Lestat and Gabrielle in “The Vampire Lestat.”
Credit: AMC+

The exact timing is unclear. But based on the auctioneer’s brief, we can assume after 2025, when the band The Vampire Lestat — led by the vampire Lestat — toured and recorded an album, which is currently what’s on the auction block. As Interview with the Vampire was set during 2022, this opening scene takes place years after we last saw Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat. And it seems like the time in between has been rough on Louis, who is sporting a cane as he limps into the auction. His ex Armand (Assad Zaman) is wearing an eyepatch, with some scars creeping out behind it. No sign of Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) or Lestat, but Raglan James (Justin Kirk) from the Talamasca is present. As critics were given episodes one through six, I can tell you with confidence this opening takes place after the events of all those episodes. As for episode 7? I couldn’t say.What does the auctioneer say at the start of The Vampire Lestat? 

Assad Zaman is Armand in “The Vampire Lestat.”
Credit: AMC+

In this highly secretive auction set in a plane hangar, the auctioneer begins by introducing the first lot.  “Lot 1 of 2: ‘The Complete Works of the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt,’ which includes his 2025 self-titled album ‘The Vampire Lestat,’ additional session tracks that were discarded in the final assemblage of the album, original handwritten scores, and private recordings by the Vampire Lestat himself, which include a song cycle in the classical vein set to the poetry of Baudelaire. Before we begin the bidding, I perform the following action.” To the shock of the assembled bidders, the auctioneer then sets lot one on fire. While others harrumph and leave, Louis smiles to himself. The burned-to-ashes lot is then sold to a woman for one yuan, suggesting this auction takes place in China. The auctioneer then continues: “Lot number two, a music box curated by the Vampire Lestat himself. A 1978 Ferdinando Meccani Corinto sideboard. Inside a Rossner and Sohn MOTT Turntable with BeoLab 20 speakers. Two temperature-controlled wine cabinets, one holding a bottle of Niepoort 1863 port wine, the other with a magnum of blood from the curator himself. The upper level, a singular vinyl pressing of ‘The Complete Works of the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt,’ previously delineated, along with 111 albums of audio best described as an omniscient history of the events of the 2025 album, its supporting tour, and the consequential global catastrophes that from said album and tour, as narrated by the Vampire Lestat himself. The collection has been named ‘The Failures.’ We will begin the bidding at 50 million yuan.”Where is Lestat? 

Sam Reid is rock star Lestat.
Credit: AMC+

There are some clues in this scene, the first of which is the narration that begins shortly after the auctioneer’s brief. Louis, Armand, and Raglan bid furiously on lot number two. But we don’t see who will be the victor. Instead, over the bidding, we hear a soft record scratch, as if the unknown winner is playing the first vinyl record. Lestat’s voice sounds: “If you are hearing this now, you must be a very privileged individual. You could have fed a small nation for years while they paved over the rubble. You bought my box instead. I like you already.”  This reference to rubble and the auctioneer’s mention of “consequential global catastrophes” suggests Lestat recorded The Failures after the worst of the disaster. What disaster? Well, Lestat in this narration says, “I’m not saying the attempted extinction of the Y chromosome across the continents was all my fault. No, that would suggest a level of self-importance even I am not confident with. But upon reflection — yeah, I made a contribution.” Lestat alludes to an attempted genocide, which fans of the Anne Rice novels might well assume was conducted by Akasha. The vampire queen referenced in passing in Season 2 has been added to the company this season, played by Sheila Atim. But like Lestat, I’m getting ahead of things. What can we deduce from The Vampire Lestat’s auction opening? 

Eric Bogosian is Daniel Molloy in “The Vampire Lestat.”
Credit: AMC+

Season 3 of Interview with the Vampire will be told in media res. Much like the classic film noir Sunset Boulevard, which centers on a rogue of a writer who pays dearly for toying with the affections of a reclusive silent film star, The Vampire Lestat begins with the anti-hero explaining how we got to this grim place. Is Lestat dead? Unlikely. However, from this opening, it seems there was a worldwide catastrophes that resulted in many deaths, particularly of those with a Y chromosome. And while some familiar vamps, like Armand and Louis, survived, they’re still carrying the scars. As for Daniel and Lestat, we’ll have to watch and find out. How to watch: The Vampire Lestat premieres on AMC and AMC+ on June 7, with new episodes each Sunday.