‘The Vampire Lestat’ Episode 6 Sneak Peek: Claudia Returns & New Mayfair Witch Arrives
The Vampire Lestat Episode 6 is introducing a new character. In photos from the episode (seen above and below), Canadian actor Sarah Afful is holding Claudia’s (Delainey Hayles) yellow dress and one of her diaries, handed to her by Louis (Jacob Anderson) with Lestat (Sam Reid) nearby. According to AMC, Afful plays Merrick Mayfair, the titular witch from book seven of Anne Rice‘s The Vampire Chronicles, Merrick. The promo for Episode 6, which aired on AMC and AMC+ at the end of Episode 5 on July 5, also shows what appears to be the ghost of Claudia. Episode 6 comes out on July 12. Warning: The Vampire Lestat spoilers ahead.
Louis and Lestat are talking about Merrick “the witch” in the promo. “You reached out to the worst kind of witch,” Louis says. Lestat replies, “She is not like the rest.” Merrick is then seen chanting something before a ring of salt is broken and an angry Claudia appears. Claudia looks the same as she did right before she was murdered in the Paris trial in Season 2 Episode 7, blood stains on her dress and all (see below).
The exact nature of Merrick’s involvement in The Vampire Lestat Episode 6 is not known, and we won’t spoil book details here for fans who haven’t read them. But it was previously confirmed that Claudia would come back this season. Hayles also plays a new character in Season 3, the waitress Regina.
AMC
This isn’t the first time the AMC series has pulled plot from Merrick. Interview With the Vampire adapted Louis’ suicide attempt in Season 2 Episode 5 from that book. Merrick has not appeared in AMC’s Mayfair Witches so far, but she’s part of that family.
The photos also show that it’s going to be a very Louis and Lestat-heavy episode. Lestat sings to Louis in what looks like a concert rehearsal, Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) has a sunburn, and Alex (Seamus Patterson) is now a vampire. Episode 5, “New York,” ended with Alex, Salamander (Ryan Kattner), and TC (Sarah Swire) asking Lestat to turn them into vampires. Larry (Noah Reid), meanwhile, quit the band and then met Armand (Assad Zaman) on a New York subway platform. Armand did his “rest” mind control trick on Larry, and it had deadly results.
Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle) says in the promo, “Armand is in town. He’s going to try to disrupt things.” In the next shot, Louis is talking to Gabriella/Sofia when he says, “50,000 of us out in the woods together. What could go wrong?”
This marks the first time we’ve seen Louis in a scene with Lestat’s mother. Louis doesn’t know about Lestat and Gabriella’s incestuous relationship, but a previous trailer revealed that he will find out.
The Vampire Lestat Episode 6, the penultimate episode of the season, comes out on Sunday, July 12, at 9/8c on AMC. It will be available to stream on AMC+ earlier in the day. There’s no description for the episode just yet, but it’s titled “Montreal.” The Vampire Lestat Season 1 finale is titled “The Failures,” per Rotten Tomatoes.
Check out scenes from The Vampire Lestat Episode 6 in the gallery below.
The Vampire Lestat, Sundays, 9/8c, AMC, Streaming on AMC+
Sarah Afful as Merrick Mayfair
Louis gives Merrick Claudia’s yellow dress and her diary with the blue ribbons.
Lestat looks on as Louis talks to Merrick.
Lestat looks concerned while staring at Claudia’s dress.
Louis and Lestat sit outside a ring of salt in Lestat’s Montreal apartment.
Lestat sings to Louis in a concert rehearsal.
What new song is Lestat singing here?
Whatever the track is, it’s having an impact on Louis.
Louis and Lestat at the concert venue.
Lestat and Gabriella at the venue, with Louis walking away behind them. It looks like Louis is finally meeting “Sofia” in Episode 6.
Alex at rehearsal, his vampire eyes and nails in full view. Does he know what happened to his brother, Larry (Noah Reid), when he met Armand in Episode 5?
Lestat dressed as the Grim Reaper and Louis looking as stylish as ever while out on a walk.
A human named Francine (played by Olivia Paldino) drains her blood into a decanter.
Louis, Lestat, and Daniel cheers with the blood that was just poured. Daniel calls Louis and Lestat “Taylor and Travis” in the Episode 6 promo, teasing, “Have you set the date yet?” Plus, check out Daniel’s laptop and microphone. Louis and Lestat are giving him an interview.
Daniel has a mysterious sunburn. In Episode 5, Armand said he could help Daniel learn to walk in the sunlight.
Louis and Lestat get a drink at a bar.
Alex wears a clown mask while having a cigarette. It looks like he’s watching something, or someone, fascinating.
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