arod_85

I know we all love to see books come to life but this show is not a 10. It's not even a 6. This somehow manages to be even cringier than Twilight. In fact, it feels like a porn parody of Twilight. The production quality is extremely poor which is understandable for the network but that's not even the worst thing about it. The styling looks like a high school play. The set design looks like it was shot in a warehouse. Whats with all the slow motion shots every five minutes? But the worst thing about the show is the acting. Its extremely amateurish. The only person who could act convincingly (Darius) was killed off early into the show. It is what it is and I'll keep watching because it's the only live adaptation of the series available, but I really wish people would stop inflating their ratings because it's extremely misleading.

This show has so much opportunity and I hope they capitalize on that as the season progresses. One thing I think the show really needs to work on is effects. There are ways I would have made the tone much creepier when Lasher or the ghost appears (I'm sorry, I can't recall her name). They just kind of appear on screen and it's very bland. And don't get me started on Cortland amd the statue special effects. The show feels very 90's. I really like the addition of Moira and I actually prefer her acting much more than Rowan's, though Rowan has improved slightly from the first season. The writing continues to be the biggest need for improvement. I'm so confused on what's going on half the time. Lasher is in human form aging rapidly, then appears again in spirit form and I know the motivations are supposed to be a mystery at this point, but I'm not invested enough to even care what they are. I find myself more interested in Moira's story.

Some of my favorite scenes in the book were omitted from the 94 movie that included Claudia and Louis' escape to Europe. We finally get to see that depicted in the opening episode of season 2. Episode one of the second season starts off with Claudia and Louis venturing a war ravaged Europe in search of more of their own kind. When they do reach their goal, it's not quite as fulfilling as they may have thought it would be.

This episode was beautifully shot and the costumes were stunning. I could not take my eyes off of Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac. He is strikingly beautiful, and has a mix of charm, humor, and sadness that made him magnetic. His acting range is amazing. All of the main cast was incredible. The actress who replaced Bailey Bass as Claudia was terrific. I regret ever being disappointed that the role was recasted. Armand is also very compelling. He's a striking angelic-like presence on the surface, but one look in those stoic eyes conveys that something is afoot underneath. The show's decision to age Daniel up continues to pay off and "old Daniel" is something I never want to go without again. I am also glad they found a way to keep Sam Reid's character involved for season 2. Bloody, flamboyant, and gorgeous, Lestat is always a welcomed, if not necessary, presence. An amazing kickoff to the season!