Lasher makes a friend. Rowan makes a choice. The Talamasca make a move.

There’s a weirdly sweet moment in the opening of this episode as Lasher meets Felix, a vampire. Felix, played by Gabriel Freilich, is actually a crossover character, having shown up as Lestat’s fledgling in Interview with the Vampire. He’s also an amiable thug, recognising Lasher as something other than human and enjoying a brief pre dinner chat before popping off to feed on an innocent nightwatchman. It’s a nice moment, played with delightful meat head energy by Freilich, and it re-frames Lasher as if not an innocent then someone almost completely unaware of his world.

His world is very aware of him though. Moira continues to drift away from the Mayfairs and is persuaded by the Talamasca to act as an inside woman at an upcoming family event. Alyssa Jirrels is great, pragmatic and grounded in the way none of the rest of the family are, and she and Tongayi Chirisa have great, natural chemistry together. Chirisa gets some fun stuff this episode too, as it becomes clear the Talamasca still don’t trust Ciprien and Ciprien is about done with that. He gets a lovely speech realising that he used to walk past the Mayfair house and now he’s become a character in its story which is one of the best moments of the show so far.

But this is Rowan’s episode and she’s having the absolute worst time. Forced to bring Cortland out of purgatory, she clashes with everyone as she uses the entire family to bring Lasher back and under her control. Nothing she does is directly wrong, but everything she does is a betrayal of sorts and Rowan’s reluctant embrace of her family looks likely to be ended this episode. JoJo especially is justifiably very angry with her and Jen Richards gets some great scenes with Daddario and a brilliant one with Harry Hamlin as Cortland. Jen chastising her dad for betraying them to Lasher when he’s the same man who supported her transition does more to give the patriarch nuance than anything else so far and does so without denying Jojo’s own energy. Richards has been a powerhouse member of this cast and it’s great to see her starting to come to the fore.

Verdict: Rounded out with everything clashing in the worst of ways, this episode throws the series onto a very different course with Lasher in custody and Rowan on the outs with her entire family. Big choices all and all smartly, entertainingly handled once again. 8/10

Alasdair Stuart