Talamasca: The Secret Order Review – Without William Fichtner’s Scene-Stealing Vampire, This Supernatural Spy Thriller Would Lack Bite

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Talamasca: The Secret Order is the newest addition to AMC’s Immortal Universe, a series based on the novels of Anne Rice. It connects with Interview With The Vampire, which will return for a third season in 2026, and Mayfair Witches, set to begin filming its third season next year. While the shows haven’t felt fully linked so far, Talamasca hopes to fix that – and largely succeeds, expanding the rich world of Rice’s characters and focusing on a secretive group that usually operates behind the scenes.

The show centers around Guy Anatole, played by Nicholas Denton, a psychic who’s reluctant to work with Helen (Elizabeth McGovern) from a secret organization called the Talamasca – they keep track of everything supernatural. He changes his mind when Helen tells him his mother is actually alive and offers to help him find her, if he’ll help her stop a vampire who’s gotten inside the Talamasca’s London headquarters. Guy quickly gets pulled into a complicated world of vampires, witches, and other supernatural beings, all while being caught in a dangerous spy game.

Talamasca: The Secret Order Expands AMC’s Immortal Universe In Interesting Ways

Both Interview With The Vampire and Mayfair Witches are based on novels by Anne Rice, but Talamasca isn’t a direct adaptation of any single story. Instead, it draws inspiration from the overall world Rice created, and the show’s creators have done a great job of making it feel connected to those other stories. The way it expands on that world is particularly compelling. The Talamasca organization itself is fascinating – they essentially spy on the supernatural, but within the group, different factions pursue their own hidden goals.

At its heart, Talamasca: The Secret Order is about unraveling mysteries, and it sometimes tries to fit in too many. The series introduces several storylines – Guy’s mother, the search for the Talamasca’s historical records, and Helen’s past – which feels like a lot for just six episodes. However, the show moves quickly, with revelations coming fast and furious. Strong emotional connections between characters help keep you engaged through all the twists and turns.

Ultimately, Talamasca is a pretty entertaining spy thriller, especially with the added supernatural elements like vampires and witches. Building out the details of this fictional world will be important going forward, but the real reason to watch is the strong cast.

William Fichtner Steals The Show As A New Vampire To The Franchise

Unlike other stories connected to Anne Rice’s books, Talamasca has the freedom to create its own narrative and characters. While it features a couple of familiar faces from the broader Immortal Universe – Daniel Molloy (played by Eric Bogosian) and Raglan James (Justin Kirk) – their appearances are mostly brief cameos. Kirk’s role is a bit larger, with a full episode appearance that many fans consider the series’ highlight. Otherwise, the show focuses on entirely new characters, and for the most part, they’re well-developed and feel like a natural fit within Rice’s established world.

I was really impressed with Denton in the lead role – he definitely held his own against some seasoned actors. But the biggest surprise was McGovern, known for Downton Abbey. Helen is a tough part to play – it could easily come across as just a motherly figure – but McGovern added this fantastic undercurrent of menace that kept me on edge. And Jason Schwartzman! He shows up as a vampire for a short bit, and it’s just delightful. It reminded me a little of his Gideon Graves character, and it perfectly sets the tone for how captivating and dangerous this world is.

William Fichtner’s character, Jasper, truly stands out as the quintessential vampire villain. He’s charismatic, humorous, and genuinely frightening when the situation calls for it. While Talamasca is generally a good show, it reaches another level whenever Fichtner appears on screen. His perfectly balanced, playful performance prevents the show from becoming boring.

While Talamasca: The Secret Order doesn’t quite reach the heights of Interview With The Vampire – which is a tough act to follow – it’s still a good show. I haven’t watched Mayfair Witches, so I can’t compare the two, and early reviews haven’t been great. Talamasca lands somewhere in the middle: it’s not amazing, but it’s not bad either. It tells a compelling story with strong acting, and it suggests that the larger Immortal Universe storyline could really come together in the future.

Talamasca: The Secret Order premieres October 26 on AMC and AMC+.

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2025-10-21 18:28