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Tristan Duffy is a model and one of Elizabeth's paramours. He is a character in Hotel portrayed by Finn Wittrock.

Background[]

Tristan Duffy is a male model who comes to the Hotel Cortez because of a fashion show held by Will Drake. Before becoming a model, he was trained in petty theft and at one point even spent time in jail.[1]

Personality and Appearance[]

He has an addictive personality and is hyper-sexual. He's a handsome young man, with a fair complexion and cruel cerulean eyes; his thick black hair is streaked with red locks. According to Elizabeth, he physically resembles Rudolph Valentino.

Tristan has a narcissistic personality which results in arrogance, and is prone to sudden bouts of aggression when he believes he is being slighted in some way. He wears tight pants and bright colored shirts that are left unbuttoned, exposing his hairless chest. Although he claims not to be gay several times, so far his victims - potential and actual - have always been men. He does, however, have a sexual relationship with Elizabeth, as well as starting a love affair with Liz Taylor, whom he falls deeply in love with so it's likely he's bi- or pansexual. When cornered by Elizabeth, Tristan states that what he really wants is to be loved, revealing that his uncaring bad boy attitude is only a sham.

When he cheats on Elizabeth by starting his secret relationship with Liz, he finds in her a compassion and understanding he had never before known, and sees in her a friend who he can confide his deepest hidden truths; that severe bullying and criticism all throughout his life made him feel that he was stupid and incapable, which led him to his downward spiral of drug addiction and crime to cope. Liz, in response, gifts him with various literary classics, seeing him as so much more than just a pretty face but a deep, intelligent soul; an act which Tristan is deeply gratified and emotional for, passionately kissing Liz to thank. After his untimely murder, he stays quiet as a ghost in the hotel, refusing to make his presence known to Liz lest he get in the way of her living her life, not wanting to encroach on the accomplishments she could make for herself without his presence holding her back.

When Liz finally dies in 2022, he is the first one who appears to greet her in her new spectral state, admitting to her that he wanted to wait for her to make the decision to die on the premises first before continuing to pursue time with her, thereby allowing them to live together forever in death; a bittersweet happy ending.

Story[]

Tristan Duffy is a model known for his reckless behavior. During Star's flagship fashion show (organized at the Hotel Cortez by Will Drake), Tristan began a small scuffle on the catwalk. As he stumbles, he notices the Countess Elizabeth for the first time. Later that evening as he wanders the Hotel, Tristan encounters a mysterious man who kills a young woman in cold blood in front of him. Shocked, Tristan flees and literally ends up in Elizabeth's clutches. She infects him with her blood, thus making Tristan her new companion. To satiate his ceaseless craving for blood, Tristan seduces a guy on Grindr and invites him to the Hotel Cortez for a meeting. Once lured upstairs, Tristan and Elizabeth slice open the man's throat during a make-out session. Tristan proceeds to slurp up the man's blood under the delighted eyes of Elizabeth.[2]

Tristan seeks out James March and tells him that he had googled him and now understands how exciting is to take a human life. Tristan is interrupted by Claudia and Will, who are visiting the hotel with Lachlan, while Mr. March disappears. Here Tristan teases Will about his homosexuality, only to flirt with him and making out later in Will's office when Tristan intends to feed on the man, but is interrupted by Elizabeth. Later, the Countess reveals to her latest lover that she wants to get her hands on all Drake's money, using him as she did with all her previous husbands, before killing him.[1]

When Tristan comes to see Elizabeth he finds his lover with Dr.Lowe, who is trying to kill Elizabeth and he hits her, but is stopped before he can seriously hurt her.[3]

Tristan, disguised as Gary Oldman's Dracula starring in the homonymous film by Francis Ford Coppola, accompanies Elizabeth to a Halloween party.[4]

Tristan is making love with Liz Taylor and after coitus the two exchange declarations of love. Liz gave the young man Brontë and Wilde novels, saying that he will surely love Wilde. Tristan reveals that no one has ever treated him this way, but rather using him only for his appearance, and with Liz, he did his best fuck. When Liz reveals about their affair to the Countess, Tristan verbally attacks Elizabeth, accusing her of being an empty collector of people and that he loves Liz. In response, the Countess cuts Tristan's throat causing him to bleed to death in Liz's arms and inviting the latter to bury him.[5]

When Iris hires the medium Billie Dean Howard to cheer her friend Liz Taylor, Tristan refuses to communicate with the beloved and reveals himself as a ghost to her only after Liz died, by appearing behind her while Liz observes her own corpse on the bed, telling her that he had never appeared to her this whole time because he wanted Liz to continue with her life. But now they can live their love eternally.[6]

Powers[]

Tristan Duffy was turned by Elizabeth in 2015. He possessed all of the powers common to vampires until he died and became a ghost.

  • Immortality - Tristan was not susceptible to human weaknesses, thus being immune to all aging, disease and death. However, he was still vulnerable to physical injuries.
  • Conversion - Tristan was able to spread his supernatural virus onto human beings by letting humans drink some of his blood, therefore transforming these humans into vampires.
  • Enhanced Senses - Tristan was naturally superior to humans in almost every way, possessed of otherworldly senses which allowed him to easily overcome mortals:
    • Night Vision - The ability to see in the dark.
    • Heartbeat Detection - The ability to hear a human's heartbeat.
    • Blood Smell Detection - The ability to identify specific individuals based off the scent of their blood, allowing him to track others over long distances.
  • Enhanced Strength - The ability to exhibit strength beyond a normal member of the user's species.
  • Enhanced Speed - The ability to perform motions, or movements, at a speed and effortlessness that surpasses that of a normal member of the user's species.
  • Hissing - Tristan had the ability to emit a loud hiss, similar to a bat, when threatened or angry.
  • Concilium - The ability to control others' minds, which he often used to seduce hapless men and women.

Quotes[]

  • To Mr. March: "Ah, sorry man, bondage really bores me."
  • To Elizabeth: "You know what I can't wait for? To hunt Kendall Jenner. Bitch blew me off once at Coachella. Can I kill her?"
  • To Elizabeth: "Just because I'm sucking on a dude doesn't mean I'm gay."
  • Tristan
    I googled you.
    Mr. March
    That sounds obscene.


  • To Will Drake: "Hands off. I'm not here to be a deposit in your spank bank."
  • Tristan
    Man, you smell good. You know that's actually the worst part about being in jail? It's not the food or being locked up like a dog. It's the smell. Everyone smells like shit. Doesn't stop you from doing stuff, though, you know? A man has needs, right?
    Will Drake (while having sex)
    What is happening? Hmm? What are you doing? Stay...
    Tristan (after Elizabeth signs him to stop)
    Another time.


  • To Liz Taylor: "I don't think I've read anything in years that didn't have the month and a picture of Jennifer Aniston or Kim K. on the cover."
  • Tristan
    And you want to know the weirdest part? When we screw, I swear, I've never come harder in my life. It's so bizarre. Uh, I'm not gay or anything.
    Liz Taylor
    You're not gay for being with me. I'm a girl. I'm a hetero girl. Thank you for seeing the girl.


  • To Elizabeth: "You collect us and create us and get us addicted to the light of your love just so you can take it away. You feed off the heartbreak. Knowing we're out there, suffering over you. Well, not me! I was made for more than that. For a real love."
  • Tristan (upon catching Liz's ghost smoking)
    Those things'll kill you.
    Liz Taylor
    I don't understand. You wouldn't talk to me. I thought you hated me.
    Tristan
    I love you. And, darlin', you had more living to do. I couldn't get in the way of that.
    Liz Taylor
    Oh, baby you are to die for.


Notes[]

  • He is the second character portrayed by Finn Wittrock. For a complete list of his characters, see Cast.
  • Elizabeth said to Tristan that he reminds her someone of her past. It turned out to be her former lover Rudolph Valentino, also portrayed by Finn Wittrock.[7]
  • Although Tristan has no problem having relationships with both women and men whether they are cis or transgender, he seems to be quite triggered by the possibility of being labeled or mistaken for a gay man.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Episode: Mommy
  2. Episode: Chutes and Ladders
  3. Episode: Devil's Night
  4. Episode: Room Service
  5. Episode: Room 33
  6. Episode: Be Our Guest
  7. Episode: Flicker
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