‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ Review: a beguiling side quest for Anne Rice fans
3.5 stars
If you’ve been following Interview with the Vampire on AMC, you’ve probably already formed some opinions about the secret organization known as the Talamasca. These observers of supernatural kind may have helped end a toxic vampire marriage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they can be trusted. Talamasca: The Secret Order peels back several layers of conspiracy as we follow a new recruit named Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), into the belly of the covert bureaucratic beast.
The latest addition to AMC’s Immortal Universe was inspired by John Le Carré spy novels in addition to the Anne Rice canon. In fact, the name of Guy Anatole’s presumed dead mother, “Anna Leamas,” is likely a reference to Alec Leamas, the protagonist of Le Carré’s The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. The new AMC series does have a mystery, almost noir feel compared to its siblings in the Immortal Universe. It’s reminiscent of shows that mix genres like Orphan Black, Being Human, and a certain arc on my beloved Agent Carter.
Guy is an orphan who grew up in the foster system. (Close enough, welcome back Once Upon A Time‘s Emma Swan.) He learns in the pilot that the Talamasca doesn’t just want to recruit him for his psychic abilities and/or law degree. They’ve been in his life longer than he realizes. So he joins up not only for the job opportunity, but to get answers about his own mysterious past. Before he knows it, he’s been plunged into a world of vampires, witches, and more.
The first season spins out half a dozen mysteries in the first two episodes, which will drop simultaneously on AMC on October 26, 2025. What happened to Guy’s biological mother? What’s the deal with Helen (Elizabeth McGovern)? What does the Talamasca really want with Guy? Why do girls keep following him? Why is a vampire named Jasper (William Fichtner) running the London office? Will the police solve the building pile of murder and suicide cases before the Talamasca?
Why is it only 6 episodes?!
My biggest issue with the show is my biggest issue with most shows these days: it’s too f***king brief! Six episodes is barely enough time to scratch the surface, let alone answer all of these questions. The episode count can’t support the things that make the show sing, like its character dynamics and world-building. While the season does come to a satisfying conclusion, the show still feels like it’s getting started at the end. It is as frustrating as it is beguiling. How long will we have to wait for Season 2? Will we still care by then?
With two devilishly entertaining special guest star appearances from Eric Bogosian and Justin Kirk, reprising their respective roles from Interview with the Vampire, as well as at least one delightful IWTV Easter Egg, Talamasca: The Secret Order takes a light touch as far as the connected universe is concerned. It shares even less DNA with Mayfair Witches, even though that New Orleans-set series features several Talamasca agents. Given that Mayfair‘s reception has been subpar, that isn’t surprising.
This is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it’s easy to jump in with minimal preparation. I can’t say that you have to watch one to understand the other. On the other, the series is definitely not as rich and melodramatic as Interview with the Vampire. To be fair, that is an impossible feat. I wouldn’t expect it to be as daring, saucy, or thematically sumptuous. (It’s also no Andor, as far as espionage in an existing IP goes. But again, that’s a Sisyphean ask of any new show!)
Even the new vampires this show introduces, with the maybe exception of Jason Schwartzman’s Burton, seem at least a notch or two lower on the Kinsey scale than what we’re used to in this universe. That’s not to say that they aren’t entertaining, however. The vampire Jasper is particularly memorable. His unexpected line readings (“do not worry my dude,” for example), strength, and wisdom are so laissez faire and cool. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a fictional immortal quite like him, and I want more. Episode 4, “Wet Work,” a.k.a. “The One With Raglan James” is a bloody stand-out. The episode provides some excellent insight into Kirk’s character and ups Guy’s game as a spy as well.
And the other supporting characters, almost all of them female are all pretty well-drawn. Yes, there are women on this show. They’re just deployed sparingly. It’s a bit annoying, especially because one of the female character we meet, a young woman named Kevis, is a bit of a Manic Pixie Dreamgirl stereotype and–spoilers for Episode 2–dies after only a handful of scenes. But it gets better. Maisie Richardson-Sellers’ character, a Talamasca agent named Olive, has a delightful back-and-forth with local law enforcement throughout the season. Céline Buckens’ Doris, a member of a witch’s coven who crosses paths with Guy after a tragic incident early on, could challenge Louis de Pointe du Lac in a mood and brood contest. She would certainly lose, but still. And finally, Talamasca higher-up Helen is so secretive and withholding that you kind of wish the spin-off was about her instead. If that’s even her real name!
All of that said, like the grumpy best-selling author Daniel Molloy in the pilot, I find Guy Anatole charming. I’ll follow him on this journey. His heroic arc, entering the supernatural world as an intelligent skeptic despite his own clairvoyant/psychic ability and looking for answers about his mother that even his employers are hiding from him, is very compelling. Denton plays him as scrappy and streetwise instead of spellbound and naive. (He’s had a rough childhood, and therefore adjusts well to shocking situations.) It’s difficult to tell whether Guy will ultimately become a company man within the Talamasca. He might burn the whole place down from the inside. That alone makes the show worth watching. Along with the opportunities for light world-building, and the ever-shifting motives of everyone around Guy, Talamasca: The Secret Order is a worthy Immortal Universe diversion.
(featured image: David Gennard/AMC)
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