The Vampire Lestat: Burning questions following The Failures finale

As promised from the first glimpse of the aspiring rock star Brat Prince, The Vampire Lestat has been a wild ride.

The third season of Rolin Jones' Interview with the Vampire was a chaotic odyssey led by Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), as he reconnected with his long-lost love Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), antagonized his documentarian Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), faced the wrath of his departed daughter Claudia (Delainey Hayles), taunted his ex Armand (Assad Zaman), hooked up with his fledgling/mom Sofia/Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle), and awakened Akasha, aka the Queen of the Damned (Sheila Atim). 

However, the finale episode — titled "The Failures," after Lestat's recorded telling of his life and times — didn't put to rest all of the many, juicy threads unearthed.

So, here's what we expect to see more of in Season 2. 

How did Nicki die? 

In interviews with Mashable, Reid teased that this season was largely about Lestat running from his past trauma rather than confronting it.

In episode 3, Lestat told Daniel — via a telepathy trick — about how Armand threw Nicki into a fire, and the horrid "O" sound his lover made as he perished. But in the finale, that same moan returns as Lestat remembers seeing the alleged witches burned when he was just a boy. Reid told Mashable, "And then you see [Lestat] reprocess that memory as his own memory, watching these women die, and understanding for the first time: Yes, Gabriella has abused him, and has assaulted him throughout his whole life." 

This means Nicki's death — which was notably not shown in the series — didn't go down exactly as Lestat said. So, could we see what really happened in Season 4 of Interview with the Vampire (aka Season 2 of The Vampire Lestat)?

What really happened between Claudia and Lestat on the train? 

The train scene has been the center of much contention this season. Lestat raged against the version told in Daniel's book, which suggests he threatened Claudia with rape should she run away again. However, when Claudia's spirit comes back in episode 6, she scoffs at that depiction, admitting she lied about it to manipulate Louis. 

Notably, when Lestat is forced to face his failures in episode 7, Claudia is the only fledgling not at the long table. So, how Lestat remembers this scene has not been revealed. Yet. 

Where's Baby Jenks? 

She was introduced in episode 1 as a mortal party girl who hooks up with Lestat and delivers some cryptic messages. Then in episode 3, Baby Jenks (Ella Ballentine) was last seen crying over the ashes of her murdered vampire husband, Killer (aka Bruce). 

As part of the Fang Gang, she could be one of the minions that Armand mentioned in the finale. Or she could be seeking vengeance on Louis for torching her groom. But readers of the book The Queen of the Damned know nothing good is coming Baby Jenks' way. 

Why does Louis have a limp? Why does Armand have an eyepatch? 

The Vampire Lestat began with an auction that dumped a lot of exposition, while also kicking off a slew of questions, including the two above. What we know is coming is Akasha, along with "consequential global catastrophes." So presumably, that's where these two powerful vamps take on some lasting damage. 

When will Akasha rise? 

Probably that concert that the finale episode skips around. Hell, we know Lestat's alluring pronunciation of "scoop" was enough to rouse her and get her ranting all those decades ago. It seems his unleashing of his vampire music will bring her back in a very major and malevolent way.

What will happen at the vampire concert? 

Presumably lots of death. 

When will Alex learn that Armand killed his brother Larry? 

Hard to say. But Armand likely has another non-apology monologue ready for when he does. 

How will Daniel die? 

At the beginning of the season, Baby Jenks predicted Daniel "dies bad." But despite his part in Loustat's double decapitation, he's not been killed yet. Or at least not onscreen. 

He was not at the auction. So, will Daniel be cut down in the rise of Akasha? Or will Lestat get his revenge for that bowling bag business? 

Notably, in Anne Rice's novels, Daniel survives across several books. However, this series has taken a lot of liberties with his story. So, don't be so sure that Rice's path for Daniel is what showrunner Rolin Jones is following. 

When will Interview with the Vampire Season 4 / The Vampire Lestat Season 2 come out? 

AMC has not yet announced whether or not the next season has been greenlit. But Mashable's interview with Reid — in which he hinted what Jones has coming next — suggest more is coming. 

We'd only be speculating at when this supernatural series will return. But be warned, the turnaround seems to be about two years. Interview with the Vampire Part 1 debuted October 2, 2022. Part II premiered on May 12, 2024. And The Vampire Lestat came out June 7, 2026. 

What will the next season be called? 

Could it be The Vampire Lestat Part II? Or will Jones move to Rice's next novel, calling Season 4 The Queen of the Damned? No title has yet been announced. 

Mashable will update as this story develops. 

The Vampire Lestat is now streaming on AMC and AMC+.