#and even more devastated if Lestat is not also considered an unreliable narrator

[if-you-built-yourself-a-myth]

I agree, the rocks are very representative of Louis’s mental state, in parallel to the conversation he and Armand have at the end of the book. Armand has a vested interest in removing Louis from those memories (and says so, when he assures Daniel that Louis could remove the rocks from his feet whenever he wants), because Armand needs Louis to provide the love and happiness that will fulfill Armand in this new era. Louis chooses to keep the rocks, symbolically trapping himself in that Parisian coffin.

To continue on that, I’ve seen Louis’s lack of colored clothing used as evidence that Armand controls what he wears. However, from what we’ve seen in San Fran, it does appear that Louis picks his own clothing since being with Armand (and they both wear color in that sequence). I think it’s more likely that the lack of color in Dubai demonstrates dissatisfaction/lack of love in their relationship rather than being a literal manifestation of Armand’s selfishness. In the book, their conversation reaches a point where Armand admits he wanted Louis to connect him once more with passion and humanity, whereas Louis needed Armand’s unrepentant vampirism and vampiric knowledge to quell his own guilt. They’ve met in a middle space where neither can get what they wanted from the other, and I think that prison-cell design of their penthouse is meant to make that idea symbolically evident.

Obviously, Armand and Louis’s relationship is toxic and based on Armand’s selfish desire. I do think, though, that pieces of set design have been characterized as Armand’s abuse when they were meant to be symbolic nods toward characters’ mental states. It does not particularly serve the writers to make Armand a worse abuser than he is in the books, especially if they want to go the Devil’s Minion route in upcoming seasons.

Wait a minute, are people under the impression that the grounding meditation rocks were Armand's idea?

Sure, the magnolia tree was Armand's (implied through dialogue and bc it's gone once Armand leaves) but Armand clearly doesn't like Louis keeping the coffin rocks in his feet, so why would he suggest such a tangible reminder of that specific trauma?

Also, in the VERY LAST SCENE of S2, we see that not only did the rock pit survive Louis's redecoration, but he's still doing the barefoot meditation thing.

The rocks are Louis's, not Armand's!

[licncourt]

When Louis said he met with Lestat who begged him to come back to him vs Lestat saying in TVL it never happened. Who’s the liar liar?

Ooh, I have so many thoughts on that. It's such a juicy unreliable narrator moment!! I don't have a definitive answer unfortunately, though I tend to lean towards Louis' version. Either way, here's the evidence I have for both of their stories:

Why Lestat is telling the truth:

In TotBT, Lestat confronts Louis about making that up. Louis doesn't deny it and continues on like he never said anything

Louis claims in the same conversation to have never seen Lestat cry which is untrue if the story from Interview is real

It's strange that Louis, clearly devastated by Lestat's death and then so incredibly thrilled and eager to reunite with him in TVL would be so emotionless and blasé about finding Lestat alive. Why does he care in the 80s but not in the 30s? The circumstances are the same

Why Lestat is lying:

TotBT was written by Lestat. He could've fabricated or misrepresented this part of their fight and Louis wouldn't have any say

This story is quite embarrassing for Lestat, so he has a clear motive to want to paint Louis as a liar

Why Louis is telling the truth:

He has no clear motivation to lie about this, theoretically he doesn't even know the interview will be published. Even if he did, the story doesn't really change how we view him morally

It seems very unlikely that he would just happen to guess the details of Lestat's situation if he hadn't seen it. What are the odds that his lie is so accurate (Lestat's injuries and mental state, the abandoned house, etc)?

Anne Rice has a history of retconning Lestat's shitty or embarrassing behavior by scapegoating Louis, so the lying accusation might be AR throwing Louis under the bus for Lestat's sake

Why Louis is lying:

This story paints Louis is a rather good light, at least from his POV. He is the strong one and he is essentially victorious over Lestat

Anne Rice hates him

With all that considered, I would tentatively believe Louis, but I also can't say that for certain. Though I will say that I actually prefer if this didn't happen because it makes their later reunion more impactful in my opinion. And it makes more sense that way, as I mentioned before with Louis' weird rejection vs his excitement in the 80s.

But please, I'd LOVE to know what others think!