Episode 1 of "Interview with the Vampire" commences with the introduction of Daniel Molloy, a journalist of esteemed reputation. A package arrives in his mailbox, sent by an old acquaintance, and within its confines lie a series of tapes and a handwritten letter, both emanating from Louis de Pointe Du Lac. As Daniel retrieves his vintage boombox, he presses play, uncovering the startling truth that Louis is, in reality, a vampire. The letter testifies to Louis's enduring fascination with Daniel's successes and offers a perspective, unseen since their last encounter.
Louis extends an invitation to Daniel, requesting that he complete a project they had once embarked on, within the span of a week. It has been a span of 49 years since they shared a room in San Francisco, but this reunion promises to be unlike any other. This time, Louis intends to unveil the tapestry of his life, from its beginnings to its darkest corners.
Accepting the challenge, Daniel enters the world of Louis, who promptly remarks on the journalist's advancing age and the quiet struggle he faces with Parkinson's disease. The intimacy between them is evident in this unexpected revelation, yet their history is also fraught with complexities and an undercurrent of tension.
As the interview commences, we are transported to the bustling streets of Storyville, New Orleans, in 1910. Louis, then a young man destined to inherit his father's lucrative "pleasure" business, which encompassed a network of brothels, leads a life of privilege and peril. Even his priest brother, Paul, is not immune to Louis's authoritative charm, as he brandishes a knife when Paul dares to pray outside one of his establishments. It is a fleeting gesture, more a demonstration of power than a genuine threat, yet it encapsulates the danger and allure that surrounded Louis in those tumultuous times.
This minor gesture captures the attention of Lestat De Lionheart, a fresh arrival in the town who, upon encountering Louis shortly after, overflows with admiration for his occupation. Lestat boasts of Louis's sale of a townhouse to him, yet his demeanor is far from admiring, as his wandering hands linger over Miss Lily, the object of Louis's affection. Despite the fury brewing within him, Louis remains rooted to the spot, seemingly enchanted by Lestat's enigmatic power.
Lestat sees Louis as his destined counterpart, a blend of emasculation and admiration. However, this enigmatic individual possesses abilities that transcend mere hypnotic allure. During a card game, he appears to halt the flow of time, addressing Louis alone. With a smirk, he utters, "I sense immense opportunity pulsating in this city. Yet, to grasp it, I require a shield against the lurking wolves."
Following this encounter, the two men form an uneasy alliance, spending their nights together as Louis confides in Daniel about how he was lured into Lestat's orbit. Their bond is symbiotic, and Louis unwittingly reveals his troubles and anxieties to Lestat, unaware that he is the vampire's prey, his gaze fixed hungrily on Louis's neck.
Lestat attempts to ingratiate himself into the family with gifts, showing up for dinner where his relationship with Louis is probed. Paul, however, is not easily won over, demanding to know of Lestat's spiritual alignment. As tales of antiquity attest, vampires and Christianity do not coexist harmoniously, and Lestat quickly deflects with tales of a sordid past filled with humiliation and abuse. "Between me and Christ lies an ocean of differences," he snarls at Paul. Louis, banging his fist on the dinner table, manages to diffuse the tension, preserving their tenuous ties for the time being.
Indeed, the subsequent scene is so intense that it finds Louis and Lestat entwined in a Pleasure House, their chemistry igniting into a fiery passion. Their encounter heats up to a feverish climax, culminating in Lestat biting Louis' neck, unclothed and stealthily from behind. This is not a tale of Brokeback Mountain; rather, their ascent into the air is awkward, their postures stiff, yet oddly compelling. After a sip, Lestat releases Louis, not enough to transform him into a vampire or extinguish his life.
For Louis, this encounter is both disturbing and profoundly arousing. However, it also serves as a catalyst for him to open up... but just a crack. Being an openly gay black man in New Orleans, in the heart of 1910, was certainly not a path that would be accepted by society.
Determined to sever his ties with Lestat, Louis seeks solace on the rooftop with Paul, discussing his future and business ambitions. Suddenly, Paul brands Lestat as the devil, then strangely turns toward the rising sun and leaps from the rooftop, embracing suicide. This is the final sunrise Louis ever witnesses, and in his grief, Lestat seizes the opportunity to ensnare Louis. With his mother blaming him for Paul's death, Louis decides to skip the wake and isolate himself in grief, but is inexorably summoned to Lestat. Though Louis fleetingly escapes to confess his sins at the church, Lestat is relentless in pursuit.
With a single punch, Lestat shatters the priest's skull, leaving him lifeless. He then razes the church and ignites a blaze. Standing alone beneath the dancing flames, Lestat confesses his love for Louis and recognizes the sorrow in his eyes from their first encounter. He vows to dispel Louis' tormented soul and alleviate his pain. Moved by Lestat's words, Louis surrenders and allows himself to be transformed into a vampire.
