Category: Not Just Books

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

TV Show: “Slow Horses”

This show is so dang good, and I think that’s largely down to its stellar cast. The stories themselves are fun, what with following a bunch of slightly inept MI5 agents run around trying to save the day but often making it worse. But the cast! Gary Oldman is, of course, a treasure, somehow managing to make you absolutely love a character who is gross, rude, and often downright mean. But ensemble cast surrounding him all hold their own, including James Callis who is absolutely hilarious as the bumbling head of MI5 itself. Season six has already been filmed it looks like, so I can’t wait to see what these fools get up to next time!

Podcast: “Dungeons & Dragons & Dramas”

You know you’ve reached new lows (or highs??) or nerdiness when you find yourself binging episodes of a podcast with at title like that! But it’s just that fun! And funny! It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a bunch of actors and such playing D&D and making a podcast out of the experience. But everyone is hilarious and their attempts at cohesiveness as a D&D party are questionable at best leading to some truly memorably moments. Most recently, they attempted to get through combat sequence by…making soup? It was definitely as ridiculous as it sounds, and I’m here for it!

Video Game: “Persona 5”

After loving “Expedition 33,” I’ve been on the lookout for other games like it. And this game routinely comes up as a favorite turn-based JRPG. So I’ve been making my way through it these last few weeks (it’s long!). I’m definitely enjoying it, with its unique mixture of action/combat and a lot of social sim elements, but it’s also one that I would hesitate to recommend with out warning. Cuz, yeah…there are some extreme moments of male-gaze and pretty misogynistic story beats. So, I can enjoy it for what it has to offer, but it’s definitely not the sort of game that will appeal to everyone, especially those who just don’t want to deal with the slightly toxic side of gaming that is still evident in games like this.

Kate’s Picks

Film: “Frankenstein”

I love Guillermo del Toro’s films, especially his Gothic ones, so obviously I was excited for his take on “Frankenstein”. The man knows how to capture not only a vibe, but also emotional beats of tragedy and longing and existential angst. And I really enjoyed his take on the story, making it his own and conveying a story about cycles of abuse and trauma. I’ve always been pretty neutral on Oscar Isaac with little to no opinion on him, but he really brought the narcissism and hubris of Victor Frankenstein to life. Mia Goth is always iconic and I wholly enjoyed her portrayal of Elizabeth, as well as the way the del Toro makes her more in charge of her own destiny in this story (also she loves science and bugs!). And my goodness, Jacob Elordi, another person I’ve had no real opinion on, KILLED IT as The Creature. Just killed it. His movements, his mannerisms, his speech patterns, everything is so damn good and heartbreaking. And yes, it’s all vibes, not only with great casting and acting but BEAUTIFUL sets, styling, and costume design. Loved it.

TV Show: “Only Murders in the Building”

My favorite cozy mystery show is back! I mean, it’s been back, but I like to save it for November and binge it all at once, and I did just that this month. I don’t know how they keep coming up with believable and interesting murders in the same damn building, but they did it! Oliver, Charles, and Mabel are back on the case, as Lester, the beloved doorman of the Arcadia, was found dead in the building’s courtyard fountain at the end of last season (legit devastating, I loved Lester). Their investigation is rife with crazy twists (naturally), with mobsters, billionaires, secret gambling parlors, and dismembered fingers abound! I still love the chemistry between Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, and we once again have lots of great humor, some fun twists, and so many great guest stars. There was a moment where there were FOUR Academy Award winning actresses in one scene (Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dianne Wiest) and I was freaking out. God I love this show.

TV Show: “Canada’s Drag Race”

My favorite “Drag Race” spin off is back!! And while my usual watch buddy has moved to California (I miss you, David!), I am still amped to watch Brook Lynn Hytes judge a bunch of Canadian drag performers with a kind of new judging panel (well, mostly it’s just that Brad left because I imagine he’s a very in demand stylist at the moment). We are only one episode in at this point so I don’t have a FULL feel of the contestants just yet, but some are standing out for me already (PM is incredibly intriguing, as are Saltina Shaker and Mya Foxx). And I just love Brooke Lynn Hytes as the host and main judge, she’s still exquisite and just kind and insightful and supportive. I’m also hoping for some good drama this season. Because this spin off has had some GREAT drama in past seasons (Melinda Verga vs everyone, anyone?).

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

Show: “Daredevil: Born Again”

While I haven’t kept up with or been overly impressed with what I’ve seen from Disney’s Marvel TV shows, I had a lot of hope for this one. I mean, I loved the first version of this show, and Disney rightly understood what they had with Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio and kept the focus largely narrowed in on these two. The show also did a great job of staying true to some of the more impactful themes from the first show (the focus on balance between vengeance and justice, largely). While I don’t think that the support cast was as good as in the first version, I was still satisfied with the new characters. All in all, it was just fun to return to this world and this story! (Plus, I now have an extra soft spot for Charlie Cox after he voiced my beloved Gustave in “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.”)

Movie: “How to Train Your Dragon”

While I’ve been to a few movies in the theater with my oldest, my youngest has been hankering for his turn! So this June we decided to all go together to the movies for the first time, and this movie came out just in time! Now, I’ve definitely started to lose patience with the endless stream of live action re-makes, but this movie is proof that it can still be a winning strategy. For one thing, the makers of this film understood the prompt: a live action REMAKE of the original. I don’t want added songs or character arcs or “interpretations” from these movies, especially not when the original story is great on its own, as these additions almost always make it worse. No, here we have almost exactly the same movie, shot by shot, only now in live action. The music is the same, the script is largely the same, we even have the same actors for certain roles. There are large chunks of this movie where you could play the original and this side by side and they would show the exact same sequence. And that’s all I want from these remakes! Also, you know, my kids had a fun time!

Movie: “The Fountain of Youth”

This is movie was pretty much exactly what it looked like: an “Indiana Jones” lite quasi sequel. And, in that light, it succeeds fairly well. There was a lot of action-adventure fun to be had throughout! The writing was definitely a bit weak at times (especially some of the explanations at the end of the movie about how everything worked). So things really lived and died based on the charisma of the actors, mostly John Krasinski. The rest of the cast was good as well, but without his natural charm, I do think this one would have verged into extreme cheese ball territory. As it is, it wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but still a fun time, especially as a summer popcorn flick!

Kate’s Picks

Film: “28 Years Later”

I remember going to see “28 Days Later” in the theater with one of my good friends from high school the summer after graduation, and we were both wholly blown away by it. I have loved this movie ever since. When I saw the trailer for “28 Years Later” with Terror Tuesday people, I was nervous, but intrigued (I really hated the previous sequel). And when Terror Tuesday went to see it in the theater, I was, once again, blown away. Set 28 years after the Rage Virus Infection’s start, Great Britain has been quarantined. Infected still roam the mainland, having become more feral but also more evolved, and some survivors live peacefully on an island off the coast. When twelve year old Spike and his father go to the mainland for his right of passage Infected hunt, he has to experience the Infected like never before, which in turn leads to a poignant coming of age tale when he returns to the mainland with his ailing mother in hopes of finding her help. Because there are rumors of a doctor nearby. Yes, the ending is jarring, I’ll admit it. But I found myself sobbing more than I would have anticipated, as this movie is, in many ways, heartfelt and beautiful and not only about zombies and the end of civilization, but also never forgetting those we love and lose at the end of all things.

TV Show: “The Gilded Age”

I still love a soap opera, and if it is all dolled up in historical fiction finery and opulence I will love it even more. That’s why I enjoyed “Downton Abbey” so much, and that’s why I enjoy “The Gilded Age” (both by Julian Fellowes, boy does he love his soapy aristocracy shenanigans!). Season 3 is finally here, and it’s already off to a very scandalous start! Bertha is haranguing daughter Gladys into marrying into a Duke’s family even though Gladys is terrified and uninterested (boy do I loathe Bertha, but I do love Carrie Coon)! Marian and Larry are having a secret courtship! Agnes is having a hard time accepting that younger sister Ada is in charge of the household now since she has a fresh inheritance and Agnes is now penniless! Peggy is perhaps finding romance?! And AUDRA MACDONALD’S VERY PRESENCE!!! Yes, this show makes me want to tear my hair out at times (I mean they REALLY want us to believe that because George Russell is a hot wife guy that his anti-labor robber baron ways are FIIIIINE), but I love the costuming, I love the time period, having worked in a historic house that was very much during this time, and I love the drama.

New Family Addition: KITTENS!

Back in March we had to say goodbye to our elderly twenty year old cat Baby, who had been with me since my husband and I were in college, along with her sister Kasha who passed in 2022. We decided that this summer was the time to add some new pets to our family. And we have started with two kittens! One belongs to my husband, the other belongs to my daughter (I intend on getting my own in a month or two, I’m being VERY picky about what I want in a cat…), and boy, I had forgotten what HOOLIGANS kittens can be. But The Beast and Betty Draper (my kid insists it’s just Betty, but given this cat’s personality it’s absoLUTEly Betty Draper in my mind) are both very cute and a lot of fun, even if they are complete menaces, like all kittens should be. And hopefully soon we will welcome our third and final kitten into the family….. We may be insane for getting a third, but hey, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

(We’re posting this one a week early since next week we are devoting our Monday post to a re-cap of ALA 2025!)

Serena’s Picks

Show: “Outlast”

Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed the serious, skilled approach to outdoors survival that is required for “Alone” and mixed it with the social “strategy” trash heap that is “Survivor?” Well boy, oh, boy, do I have the show for you! My husband and I binged this over a few nights, hating it, and ourselves, for every bit of it. This is a show that tries to take itself seriously while also being so incredibly ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh at almost all of the people involved. It’s also a whiplash experience from some of the actual hardships of living in the wild (the cold, for example) and the extreme craziness that is some of these peoples’ “strategy” towards the teamwork portion of it. I can’t really recommend it unless you’re looking for trashy tv. But if you are, this is a perfect example of it!

Video Game: “Mass Effect”

I only got into playing video games fairly regularly in the last ten years or so, so there are several older RPGs (my favorite type) that I haven’t gotten around to. And as I’m in a bit of a lull before my next anticipated release comes out, I decided to try out the Legendary version of “Mass Effect.” I’m still finishing up the first game but am definitely enjoying it. Yes, it shows its age with the repeated layouts for buildings and such, but the main story is compelling and I like a lot of the companion characters. That said, I think the next two games are supposed to be even better, so I’m excited to get through this one and see what comes next in the story.

Movie: “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning”

It’s been soooo long since the first part of this movie came out. So long in fact that they dropped the “Part 1/Part 2” bit from the title altogether! But if there’s ever a movie franchise to prioritize seeing in the theaters, it’s these. And this one came through as always! Nonstop action, nonstop stunts! It’s also the first time that Tom Cruise was starting to look a bit older. Not in the quality of his stunt work, mind, just generally. I was also a bit sad to see that the balance between action elements and the other characters felt a bit off. Tom Cruise is great, yes, but what has made this franchise so fun has also come down to the team he works with. And here, there just didn’t seem to be as much time given to them as I would have liked. That said, it was still well worth the ticket price and I’m sure most fans of the series will be happy with it!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Criminal Minds: Evolution”

Man, I never thought that I would still be into this reboot of a procedural that I didn’t REALLY get into when it was on, but lemme tell ya. The moment the first episode of the new season of “Criminal Minds: Evolution” dropped, I made a NIGHT of it. The BAU can’t seem to catch any breaks, given that Elias Voight, aka rampant serial killer Sicarius, was attacked in prison and now has legit amnesia, and they have to help him recover his memories in hopes that he can help THEM catch more serial killers. But since he has NO recollection of how he is or what he’s done, his (seeming) helplessness is making the team feel conflicted. Oh, and J.J. is also going through it when a horrible tragedy hits her family. Is it all a little melodramatic? Yes. Do I care? Not really! Melodrama is my jam, and this show is over the top in its sinisterness but I still find it to be a guilty pleasure watch. I’m not sure what I think about Voight’s sudden memory loss and supposed redemption arc (he’s murdered dozens of people, he can’t be redeemed can he?), but hey, if it gets more Zach Gilford on my screen, I’m not complaining.

TV Show: “King of the Hill”

It’s that time again! That time where I devote one of my non-book highlights to something that I’ve talked about before. But I decided to revisit one of my all time favorite shows “King of the Hill” for a couple reasons. One was that I was trying to stave off a huge anxiety spike like I had last summer, and a comfort show seemed like the perfect reason. Another is that the reboot is coming out in August (I will admit I’m skeptical; I just don’t know if it will hit the same way all these years later, especially with a few cast members no longer with us – see the next point), though I wanted to get in the right mindset. And 3), which is the saddest reason, Jonathan Joss, who voiced one of my favorite characters John Redcorn, was murdered at the start of the month, which is so awful and sad that it just felt right to keep watching. So I’m rewatching. And it’s still great, even if some of it feels bittersweet.

Documentary: “Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster”

The Titan Submersible Disaster happened about two years ago (almost to the date: Serena and I were starting our 2023 ALA trip when it was all going down and we leave for Philadelphia on Thursday for ALAAC25), and I remember being totally enthralled and horrified as it was happening. Because of this I was obviously going to watch a documentary about it, and now “Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster” is out and I jumped right in. This documentary is a pretty good examination of the history of OceanGate, its ambitious (and borderline sociopathic) founder Stockton Gates, and the disaster that claimed multiple lives and captured the world’s attention. I thought it was a solid background that gave a lot of good history and context, while also critiquing not only the capitalistic greed and cost cutting with Gates in charge (as well as a need for fame and his abusive treatment of anyone who would get in his way), but also the people left behind to mourn the deaths of their loved ones. I also liked the way it framed how so many people around the world are still so interested in the Titanic, and how far people will go to get a piece of that fame.

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

Video Game: “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”

Like many video game players, I had never heard of this game until it dropped a few weeks ago. For me, it seemed to come out of nowhere and taking the gaming world by storm! After watching the trailer, I was easily sold on the visuals alone. It doesn’t hurt either that the cast is phenomenal (we’ve got Charlie Cox AND Andy Serkis!). But even with all the hype, even I wasn’t expecting how much I would love this game! It’s beautiful, heart-wrenching, and had me fully engrossed for its entire play through. One of those games that leaves you with a gaming hangover, wondering where to go next. Probably back to “Baldur’s Gate 3” for a comfort run, honestly…

TV Show: “Top Chef: Destination Canada”

I feel like have a variety of cooking reality shows I go to for different things. Want something kind of trashy but fun? “Master Chef.” Want something full of trash people getting yelled at this is all about the drama and barely about food at all? “Hell’s Kitchen.” However, if I want a show about people who can actually cook well who will be evaluated objectively by quality judges, than “Top Chef” is the obvious choice. I’ve even got my husband watching it with me, and it’s the perfect “end of the day” wind down kind of comfort show I need after the craziness that is the end of the school year madness.

Movie: “Thunderbolts*”

The last few years of Marvel movies has been…rough. However, other than the most recent “Captain America” movie that I’m waiting to catch on streaming, I have managed to keep up with it. However, it’s felt more like an obligation done in the hopes of being prepared for a return to greatness at some point. And while “Thunderbolts” may not have been considered “great” when Marvel was at the height of its powers, it’s by far the most enjoyable movie I’ve seen in the franchise for quite some time. Honestly, the executives at Disney/Marvel should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars that they somehow managed to nab Florence Pugh years ago. Wisely, they now seem to recognize the talent they have and, while the movie definitely has an ensemble cast, Pugh takes center stage through much of it. Not only does she bring the necessary gravitas the movie needs, but her deadpan humor also reigns in the goofy/aggressive quirkiness that has too often overtaken Marvel movies recently. The rest of the cast is also excellent, and by the time I got to the end of this movie, I found myself in the almost novel state of being excited to see what comes next!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Conan O’Brien Must Go”

Conan O’Brien has been a fave of mine since I was in high school (probably like many weirdo elder millennials), and I’ve followed his career through the years, constantly impressed with the way he expands his horizons and niches. His travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go” is back, and it’s still as charming and entertaining as ever! This season, Conan goes to visit Spain, Austria, and my very favorite place in the world, New Zealand! We get some really interesting insights into the culture and history of the places he visits, but we also get the trademark Conan humor and quirkiness as he interacts not only with locals, but also celebrities that call these countries their home. And while I loved seeing Taika Waititi for New Zealand showing off his Kiwi pride, it was Javier Bardem in Spain who REALLY entertained, as you could tell that he and Conan were having a blast (also I have a huge thing for Javier Bardem). Their chemistry was palpable. My only complaint? I want MORE than three episodes a season! Oh well.

Video Game: “Hello Kitty Island Adventure”

I’m trying to prevent another burn out moment this summer, as LAST summer I was in a pretty rocky place right around this time going through June. So I’m taking more time to rest, more time to connect with friends, AND I’m leaning in to more cozy things. One of those things is the video game “Hello Kitty Island Adventure”! It’s basically “Animal Crossing” with Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty, Keroppi, My Melody, and more. You get to design your own character, and then go on puzzles and quests to restore an island community and theme park with known adorable favorites. And it also has a cameo from Retsuko of “Aggretsuko” fame! I’m playing with my daughter, who adores Hello Kitty, and that has been a fun experience as well (though she has a LOT of opinions about what I should be doing). It’s just cute and cozy, and it’s so easy to get lost as I fish, create, help out friends, and explore.

TV Show: “Drag Den”

Whenever a season of the regular “RuPaul’s Drag Race” wraps up, it’s guaranteed that “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” will be hot on its heels. But I’ve been a bit reticent when it comes to “All Stars” in the past few years, and I’m not quite ready to pass judgement on the season as a whole yet. BUT, there is another drag show that I am fully on board with, and that show is “Drag Den”! Hosted by my all time favorite Ru Girl Manila Luzon, “Drag Den” is a drag/pageant competition that showcases and focuses on Filipino Drag and Pageantry. Based in the Philippines, “Drag Den” has a number of Filipino drag artists competing for the title of “Next Drag Supreme”. The contestants are all quite talented, the focus on Filipino culture, drag and otherwise, is refreshing and enlightening to this Western drag fan, and I just love having Manila on the screen again. Some of my favorites in Season 1 are Barbie-Q, Shewarma, and Naia. And something I LOVE about this show is that no one gets eliminated episode by episode, instead giving them points that will determine the top 3. So they all get to shine and show off all their talents the entire run! Show off that Pinoy Pride, queens!!!

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

Movie: “Conclave”

I ended up watching this one mostly for the cast, as it’s jam packed with talent. I was also intrigued by the concept itself, which follows the intrigues uncovered during a conclave as the Cardinals of the Catholic Church work to elect a new Pope. And it really delivered on most of it! I will say, I think Ralph Fiennes really carries this thing, as much of the story lives and dies around the viewers’ investment in him and his motivations. There were a bunch of great twists and turns throughout, as well. Though I will say that final twist felt a bit like it was there for shock value, but failed to deliver any actual point along with the reveal. I just wanted a bit more there. But overall, it was still a great watch!

TV Show: “Severance” Season 2

We usually highlight movies/shows/games that we enjoyed on this list. However, there’s no rule that it has to be positive! And, boy, was this not a positive experience! And look, I enjoyed the first season of this show. Sure, it was a bit pretentious at times, but the cast was likable and the concept super interesting. But man, this second season was a mess. Rev up the pretentiousness to the maximum level, reduce the amount of time focused on the core cast and instead devote entire episodes to side characters we don’t care about, and then, worst of all, spend you entire last episode with characters working their way through difficult choices only to completely undercut all of it (including characterization that goes back to the first season!!) in the last five minutes of the episode. Truly, this was a hot mess. It was badly in need of editors to rein it back in, and I now have almost zero faith that there is any true foundation or plan at the heart of this story. Sure, I’ll watch the third season. But my expectations of a satisfying conclusion are now near rock bottom.

Game: “Baldur’s Gate” – Achievement Unlocked!

So, this is both a brag and also a confession. On the bragging side, I’m super proud of myself to have finally completed my Honor Mode run of BG3. (For those who don’t know, this is the max difficulty where you only have one save file for the entire game. So if you die, that’s it. Game over. Hours wasted. Start over.) I think somewhere like 2% of players get this achievement, but that’s probably because they aren’t crazy people like me. Since then the confession, of course, is that I’ve been devoting an unhealthy amount of time to playing this game over and over. I think I’ve done four full play throughs now, including the Honor Mode one, and a few that I got halfway through before abandoning (mostly because I wasn’t enjoying my main character). It’s truly an unhealthy obsession. And now that I’ve finally checked off the hardest achievement in the game, I’ve dove straight into the world of mods and, yep, here we go again!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “The White Lotus”

Hooray, my soapy murder mystery satire show is back! After a so so first season and a great second season (at least in my opinion), the third season of “The White Lotus” is finally here and we are still following shallow and horrible wealthy people and slimy and shady ne’er-do-wells at yet another White Lotus resort, this time in Thailand! This is one of the shows my husband and I both enjoy watching as a couple, and thus far we are both enjoying the season. I’m especially enjoying Parker Posey as a constantly drugged up wealthy wife to an unraveling businessman played by Jason Isaacs, as her one liners are iconic. Though honestly my favorite is Walton Goggins’s Rick. Because oh man Walton Goggins is VERY much my cup of tea. I’m curious to see how it all pulls together by the end, and who dies as one always must on this show (please not Walton Goggins!).

TV Show: “Dark Winds”

Hooray, one of my favorite procedurals is back! I absolutely adore “Dark Winds” and the characters of Leaphorn and Chee, and they are on a new case on the Navajo Reservation, six months after the end of season 2. We find Leaphorn still a part of the Tribal Police, with Chee now back on the squad after being a PI last season, and Bernadette trying to adjust to her new border patrol job. While Leaphorn and Chee are dealing with two missing boys, Bernadette is convinced that she has found evidence of human trafficking, though her boss doesn’t really give a shit one way or the other. And there may be something supernatural afoot this time around. Zahn McClarnon is still a stellar Leaphorn, and seeing his emotional distress this season after what happened LAST season AND a missing child case (making him think of his own dead son) is a gut punch, and he’s killing it. Can’t wait to see where this goes.

TV Show: “Interview with the Vampire”

It took me a long time to finally sit down and watch season 2 of this show, and it’s not because I disliked season 1. On the contrary, I loved it. I think the reason I waited was because I knew what was coming. I was excited for some things; Théâtre de Vampires! More Armand and maybe some queer subtext with Daniel (or in this case, supertext?)! But I also knew that it meant that Claudia’s arc was going to hit, and hit hard. All that said, when I finally did sit down and watch it, I was enthralled and devoured it. I loved seeing Armand’s theater coven, I loved seeing Daniel peel back secrets between Louis and Armand, and I LOVED seeing Lestat come back. Because we knew he would. And yes, it had its emotional gut punch moments that left me sobbing. And hints to what is to come (hellooooo, Talamasca!). I really, really enjoyed Season 2 even though it was devastating in some ways. Bring on Season 3. Especially since it’s going to cover “The Vampire Lestat”.