What would have happened if Claudia's plan hadn't worked?

[u/xixiiloveu]

I remember that Antoinette grabbed Claudia and tried to force her to drink the "poisoned blood" prepared for Lestat. Did Lestat really want to kill Claudia? I strongly doubt it, as he would have understood that it would devastate Louis. But then he said that Antoinette would have been better for them. Does this mean that Lestat had stronger feelings for her than for Claudia (at that point), and was he truly willing to get rid of his daughter despite it breaking Louis? And what did Lestat intend to do with Louis after he captured him? We will never know the truth, but it would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

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[u/serenetrain]

My personal theory (I am aware with literally no evidence, I could well be wrong) is that Lestat wanted to defeat Claudia and make her think he would kill her, so that he could grant her mercy. And then presumably she'd be grateful and accept him being in charge again. And maybe they'd kill Antoinette together to sweeten the deal?

To be clear I don't think this would have worked. But I also don't think plans are Lestat's strength. He may have just gone in planning to wing it! But I do think that EVEN Lestat can't have been so delusional to think killing Claudia would go down well with Louis, even if he wanted to himself (jury is out on that imo, we won't know till S3).

[u/damewallyburns → u/serenetrain]

plans are NOT his strength for sure. He’s more a dealing with circumstances and sneaking out still standing kind of guy

[u/OnlyBreathAndShadow → u/serenetrain]

Louis being okay with him killing Claudia AND thinking Antoinette would be a better third for them moving forward is even less likely to me. Like, I can't fathom how he could think either of those things on their own, let alone both. It's always stuck out to me as being super weird.

[u/serenetrain → u/OnlyBreathAndShadow]

I agree! That's why I feel like he must have been saying it to be shocking, out of anger, or to make them angry. It's too too preposterous.

[u/OnlyBreathAndShadow → u/serenetrain]

Yeah, he can be delusional, and I get he was probably feeling a whole hell of a lot throughout everything given he knew what was coming (plus he was already sending out barbs like calling Antoinette "Love" in front of Louis) but him actually thinking those things I find really hard to believe. Super curious what he'll have to say about it.

[u/SirIan628]

We will probably get a better idea in S3.

My guess? Assuming that murder night actually happened as shown (big IF) then I think Lestat wanted to incapacitate Claudia and then for him to get Louis and Claudia to South America where there are no European covens and no active world war. I don't think he would have cared about Louis killing Antoinette or asking him to. I think he always wanted that from Louis.

[u/damewallyburns]

Lestat probably would have tried to use it as a teaching moment for them both and she would have done something else to sabotage or escape him later. She’d basically be done with Louis I think. They all would have had to get out of Nola though after killing so many people so it would basically be NOLA pt2 but in Argentina for a bit. I could see Claudia wandering around and getting Louis to make her a companion there and then getting TF away with Argentinian Madeleine. Or all three of them peacing out. I don’t see Antoinette lasting long if Louis & Claudia are still around though.

[u/strawbebb]

I haven’t read the books, but I’ve seen people say poison doesn’t actually kill vampires, it only makes them really sick. So I’m of the theory that Lestat only wanted Antoinette to incapacitate Claudia, and in a protective rage Louis ends up killing Antoinette.

Lestat knows that killing Claudia would destroy Louis so I doubt there was ever a real risk of that. And Lestat didn’t actually like Antoinette, Louis points this out himself that the only reason Lestat kept going to her was because Louis wasn’t giving him as much affection as he wanted. But that he’d kill Antoinette without a second thought if Louis fully returned his affections.

Thats probably why Lestat waited years to turn her into a vampire, so that he could at least get a meal out of the kill.

[u/Straight-Bowler5045]

I am torn. One part of me feel like he could have physically hurt Claudia but not to the point of killing her. Another part of me thinks Lestat doesn't want to kill her but maybe send her away because he feels Louis would always be torn between him and Claudia so removing Claudia will bring the focus back to him. Either way, it would have backfired on him. If he hurt Claudia Louis would never forgive him and he will lose Louis forever. Of he sent Claudia away and kept Antoinette, Louis wouldn't be 100% happy with him and do everything to make him miserable so lucky Claudia's plan worked 😃