Draft:No Pain

"No Pain" is the third episode of the second season of the American gothic horror television series Interview with the Vampire, an adaptation of Anne Rice's novel of the same name. Written by Heather Bellson and directed by Levan Akin, the episode first aired on May 26, 2024, on AMC.

In the United States, the episode gained a viewership of nearly 0.2 million during its premiere night on linear television alone and received highly positive reviews.

Plot
In the present, Daniel meets a Talamasca agent named Raglan James at a restaurant who provides him with more sources on Louis and Armand. Armand then recounts his first meeting with Lestat and the founding of Théâtre des Vampires to Daniel. The flashback in Paris continues with Claudia going through hazing to join Théâtre des Vampires: working backstage and in the wet room. Meanwhile, Louis keeps rejecting Armand's offer to join the coven despite spending more time together. Haunted by the hallucination of Lestat, Louis accidentally kills a man and leaves him at a park. This leads to Santiago and the coven demanding Armand discipline Louis. During the initiation, Santiago reads The Five Great Laws to Claudia, including prohibiting killing another vampire. She is given her first role for the next fifty years: a baby. Armand decides not to kill Louis; the two bond over their shared history with Lestat and kiss.

Ratings
On linear television, an estimated 0.194 million viewers watched "No Pain" during its first broadcast on AMC, with a 0.04 ratings share. This was a decrease from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.264 million viewers, with a 0.07 ratings share.

Critical response
The episode was met with highly positive reviews. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 100% based on four reviews.