Trans Lestat Trans Lestat Just Like His Father

Trans Lestat trans Lestat just like his father

Maybe it's because Armand CAN'T read Daniel's mind (past DM theory: drinking a vampire's blood ends up, in the long run, not making your thoughts accessible to them).

I was rewatching episode 2 x 6 of IWTV today (as one does :)) and something about the scene after the sushi restaurant really bothered me. We see Armand get suspicious and ask Real Rashid if Daniel met anyone at the restaurant or was left unattended.

Now, we know that Real Rashid is a Talamasca agent, so he's trained in masking his thoughts against vampires. But how is Daniel able to shield his thoughts against Armand? In earlier episodes when he's looking at files given to him by Raglan in front of Louis and Armand, I thought, oh ok maybe they were just not actively reading his mind at that point.

But in this scene, Armand seems to be actively suspicious. It's hard to believe that he isn't looking into Daniel's head at that point. How does he not realise what's happening under his nose?

Then another thought occurred to me... what if this was Armand doing what he did with the Children of Darkness (having Lestat implode it from within), or the Theatre (having Louis destroy it for him) when he felt trapped? What if he's 'allowing' Daniel (and the Talamasca) to destroy this marriage that's been dead for decades? What if that's why he allowed the interview again in the first place? What if he's tired of being ensnared in a web of his own lies in this loveless, sterile relationship and just wants out?

Does Raglan know that Armand is in on it? Is that why he says Daniel should fear Louis more?

I don't know... maybe I'm just spiraling with conspiracy theories here (the Armand effect lol). But I just thought I'd share the brain rot and see what you guys think!

ppl on twitter apparently liked the sketch of this so it has gotten a little colour. daniel molloy u will live forever

every season the evilest vampire gets to rock a cunty little bob. last season lestat got the bob, now it's armands turn. heavy is the head that wears the cunty little bob

Honestly, the only one to gain any legitimate benefit from planting those photos would be Daniel, so he could have them distracted long enough to look through the files he had. Notably, he only starts snooping through them alone when he can be sure they’re distracted. Rashid doing it via Raglan's orders. From a writing standpoint this would be really good set up for the later pay off of Rashid doing the same action again so that the truth can be revealed, again.

I also think, it’s possible, Raglan was the buyer of the three furies (he's an avid art collector), which was the first time Daniel had a distraction. I think they were both working together on giving ample distractions, so Daniel could use his Talamasca resources without being caught. This was a way to get Daniel what he wanted (his book and to live), and also get Raglan what he wanted (some paintings, information for his job, and someone who now owes him a favor). This read to me gives a larger plot relevance to Daniel, Raglan, and Rashid, instead of them just being mostly passive actors in the story. This also provides greater validity to some of Daniel's own characterization as someone good at getting angles, and who believes 'honesty is not a tactic'. It also tells us how easy it is to have vampires distracted, thus better legitimizing the plausibility of certain events in the interview. It would also explain why it's Raglan and not some other talamasca member, as he's definitely more the type to get up to sewing discord and such to achieve his greedy ends. That's actually, all his character in the books really is.

I feel this gives the photos far better plot relevance and also simultaneously reveals something about every single one of the characters involved. How do Louis and Armand respond to being on the receiving end of having these photos planted by neither of them? What sort of assumptions and actions do they take for it? These sorts of things are answered, alongside Daniel getting his answers, and this revealing something about him. That getting the truth is more important to him than how he gets it. And that getting his 'score' is more important than even the truth.