My minions, sit by me, and let’s have a non-spoilery review of how Armand and Daniel’s relationship looks in The Vampire Lestat series. And just to clarify, I use the phrase “Devil’s Minion” in this piece as a shorthand for the overall relationship between the pair in all its forms, and for what lies between the two characters in this season, not specifically as a confirmation of the shape their relationship takes.
Of course, I don’t want to spoil anything from the season for my fellow Devil’s Minion enthusiasts. But here is what I can say. The scenes that Armand and Daniel share are beautiful and emotional. And, although the emotion between them is not necessarily positive, it is always strong. But as Eric Bogosian and Assad Zaman have noted before, “It’s a thin line between love and hate… And Daniel hates Armand.”
From even before their first meeting, in just the barest of mentions that Daniel makes to an unimpressed Louis about his connection with Armand, the depth of feeling between the pair absolutely aches. And, interestingly, in The Vampire Lestat, their vampiric bond manifests in a unique way that I won’t go into too specifically. But the manifestation resonated with me (again, me as a viewer interpreting the narrative, who is preexistingly inclined toward the idea of their romance) as both twistedly dark and gorgeously romantic. And this connection of maker and fledgling ensures they are bonded, whether or not they share scenes together. To me, it feels clear that Armand’s abandonment is a point of deep vulnerability to Daniel. And Armand, meanwhile, does not really wish to stay away. The narrative draws them together, even as one or both of them protest.
And I will say this, there is a moment later in the season, one of my favorites, that could have been plucked from a Devil’s Minion fanfic. Where I was like, “Omg, Daniel, just…” And Daniel did! We love to see it.
But I will caution that this is The Vampire Lestat and so Lestat’s story. Armand and Daniel are players in the tale, but not THE players. But I think that Devil’s Minions lovers will ultimately feel happy with the moments that do present themselves this season, at least as far as episodes one through six are concerned. Although I beg the writers to stop using “Dad” and start using “Daddy” when discussing Armand as Daniel’s maker. But I guess in a season where Lestat is constantly kissing his mother, maybe it’s a harbinger of good fortune.
All in all, the relationship between Daniel and Armand was the one I was most excited to see unfold, and I wasn’t disappointed by what I received from the first six episodes of The Vampire Lestat. And it leaves me fascinated to see what will become Devil’s Minion in the finale of the season. The Vampire Lestat premieres on June 7 on AMC and AMC+. You can also check out our review of the season as a whole here.