Review — Talamasca: The Secret Order is a Treasure Trove for Anne Rice Fans

In Anne Rice’s vibrant world of vampires, witches and other supernatural creatures, her secretive Talamasca has always been there in the shadows. “We watch and we are always there” is their iconic mantra. Now the organization is coming into focus with AMC’s latest spinoff in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, Talamasca: The Secret Order. What starts out as a spy thriller turns into a stylishly sexy supernatural drama that will leave you wanting more.

AMC provided the entire six-episode first season to the media for review and I will freely admit that I sat through all six episodes with only a brief break between the second and third episode. The story unravels at a deliciously slow pace, which is perfect for an intricately detailed spy thriller as well as a new series trying to establish a very complex mythology for veteran fans and newcomers alike. 

In Rice’s novels, the Talamasca always seemed to have its act together. Mostly, anyway. In Talamasca: The Secret Order, showrunners John Lee Hancock and Mark Lafferty reveal that there’s quite a bit of dysfunction in the shadowy organization. It isn’t long before we find out that altruism is not necessarily a tenet held dear by the agents, rather everyone is out to protect their own assets. It helps that they’re very good at keeping secrets. (We’re looking at you, Raglan James!)

Talamasca features an incredibly talented cast that includes Nicholas Denton as Guy Anatole, William Fichtner as Jasper, Celine Buckens as Doris, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Olive and Elizabeth McGovern as Helen. There are also very memorable appearances by Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy, Jason Schwartzman as the vampire Burton and Justin Kirk as Talamasca agent Raglan James. And yes, you might have heard that there’s even an unexpected but delightful “cameo” from Sam Reid’s Lestat.

The standout of the series is undoubtedly Fichtner’s Jasper, a Texas vampire who loves low light and classic rock. It’s impossible to take your eyes off him as he dominates every scene he’s in. Schwartzman’s Burton is also a lot of fun — and he deserves more screentime in the future, if not his own spinoff. The new characters have no history in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe and therefore have a big, bold sandbox to play in. And what a sandbox it is. For fans of Rice’s vampires, it’s exciting to see new characters who could potentially pop up elsewhere in the IU. 

Denton’s Guy is a man trying to figure out what to believe in a world that increasingly makes very little sense. He’s always been different and when Helen arrives in his life she makes it clear that nothing is as it seems. McGovern plays Helen as a woman on a mission with her own secrets to keep; information is always on a need to know basis but she has a mischievous twinkle in her eye that hints at knowing so much more than she’s letting on. 

The Talamasca has a long history in Rice’s novels but it has never been in the spotlight itself.  Lafferty and Hancock flesh out the story and put the organization under the microscope. This will no doubt open the floodgates as the ARIU expands with new seasons of The Vampire Lestat and Mayfair Witches, as well as any future spinoffs that Mark Johnson dreams up. The fun comes in trying to ferret out the good guys from the bad guys and who’s lying and who’s telling the truth. By the end of the season most of the pertinent questions have been answered and there’s plenty of breadcrumbs left over for another season. 

Be sure to watch for Easter eggs, particularly in episode 5. Trust me, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s the little things like the episode 5 Easter egg that reveal a glimpse of how The Secret Order dovetails with the larger ARIU and it makes me very excited about the future.

While I could sing the show’s praises all day long and wax poetic about the bright future it has in store, there is one thing that really detracts from the show: six episodes isn’t enough. 

I’ve been doing this long enough to understand why there’s been a shift to six, seven and eight episode seasons at AMC and beyond. We’re at the high water mark of Hollywood’s contraction wave, which has been building for a long time. These series are expensive to produce and everything costs more these days — and it’s not something that’s going to change any time soon. 

However, these shows are just too short and it’s a problem when you have such a high quality story like the one in Talamasca: The Secret Order. Though Hancock and Lafferty make good use of their limited time, I found myself wishing that it hadn’t been a mad rush to the finish line. New characters pop up in cameos and then you never see them again. Details are glossed over in favor of the big picture. Six episodes simply isn’t enough time, and there are so many enticing revelations that I wished there was more time to explore what it all means. 

I’ve been a devoted Anne Rice fan since picking up a mass market paperback copy of Interview with the Vampire on a spinner rack in 1994. Talamasca: The Secret Order is a welcome addition to the Anne Rice Immortal Universe. It pays homage to the titular organization and functions within the parameters of the stories being told concurrently in the other series, and it also introduces some wonderful new characters that are welcome additions to the fold. This spy thriller is a fun ride that’s not to be missed.

Talamasca: The Secret Order airs Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC Plus.