Here's How The Season 1 Finale Of Interview With The Vampire Hearkens Back To The Graduate

Long before bloodsuckers like Edward Cullen and the Salvatore brothers had a chokehold on popular culture, there was Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire." Sparkly skin aside, our fascination with these immortal beings makes total sense. Vampires are undead but beautiful in a way that draws us in. Separate but familiar, vampires personify the terrifying allure of life after death, representing a creature that thrives at the edge of existence. The television adaptation stars Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire telling his life story to a journalist named Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian).

The first season follows the plot of Rice's 1976 novel, which explores the complicated dynamic between Louis and fellow vampires Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and Claudia (Bailey Bass). Fans were completely blown away by the finale, which saw the trio's tension reach a deadly boiling point. As Louis and Claudia work to get rid of Lestat in the past, Molloy contends with a shocking realization in the present. It turns out that Louis' servant Rashid (Assad Zaman) is actually a vampire named Armand, an old and powerful being whose presence promises plenty of drama to come in Season 2 (via Variety). 

The reveal effectively pulls the rug out from under viewers after an already action-packed season brimming with murder and mayhem. Although the show pulls directly from Rice's works, the minds behind the show drew inspiration from another iconic piece of fiction when making the Season 1 finale.

While Lestat's violent tendencies have been on full display all season, the final episode shows that Louis and Claudia can be just as vicious. Daniel Molloy can tell that Louis has some gaps in his memory, but how they got there is still a mystery. However, when present-day Louis declares that Armand is the love of his life, it's clear that there's trouble afoot. In an interview with Collider, Jacob Anderson explained that the closing scene was meant to emulate the final moments of "The Graduate."

"All I will say about that moment is that the key reference that Rolin gave me when we were shooting that scene was The Graduate, if that tells you anything," the actor told the outlet, referring to a note from series producer and creator Rolin Jones.

While "The Graduate" isn't as bloody as "Interview with the Vampire," the plot of the 1967 film focuses on the emotional violence caused by deception. The film's iconic last scene sees the main character, Ben (Dustin Hoffman), finally land the girl of his dreams, Elaine (Katherine Ross). Unfortunately, once the pair settles into their newfound bliss, both Ben and Elaine grow despondent as they face the unknown. The scene demonstrates that a lovely facade can easily hide darkness lingering just beneath the surface. The storytellers clearly made the connection for a reason, but we'll have to wait until Season 2 to see how it plays out.