Talamasca: The Secret Order Episodes 1 & 2 Review

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Talamasca: The Secret Order episodes 1 and 2!AMC’s Immortal Universe has been hit-or-miss for me since it began in 2022. Based on The Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches book series by Anne Rice, the shared universe started off on the right foot with Interview with the Vampire. The compelling reimagining of Rice’s novel stayed true to the source material, with Interview with the Vampire season 2 being the best entry in the franchise so far.

On the other side of the coin was Mayfair Witches, which started off with a compelling premise before diverting from the books. Even as someone who hasn’t read Rice’s original trilogy, the series was nowhere near as compelling or intriguing as Interview with the Vampire. However, Mayfair Witches season 2 did offer some more insight into the Talamasca, the secretive organization observing and interfering in the supernatural.

So, going into Talamasca: The Secret Order, I was wary about how it would shape up. Would it remedy the somewhat goofy first impression Mayfair Witches had offered on the Talamasca? Or would it squander the serious setup Interview with the Vampire had provided for the organization? Luckily, episodes 1 and 2 leaned more toward the latter. Despite an initially rocky start, I’m convinced this third series in the Immortal Universe has what it takes to become one of the franchise’s most compelling installments.

Talamasca: The Secret Order Has A Generic Setup — But It Works

Talamasca: The Secret Order‘s story isn’t anything new: after a field agent dies investigating why the group’s London branch has gone rogue, the New York branch, led by Helen (Elizabeth McGovern), recruits a newcomer. Entering the fold is Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), a law school graduate wrestling with powers of mind-reading and clairvoyance. The execution is a little choppy, but it’s soon revealed that his family had a secret connection to the Talamasca since he was little.

Despite setup that’s been done to death, I was intrigued by how the pieces of Guy joining the agency in episode 1 came together. Our protagonist isn’t a philanthropic hero or someone who necessarily wants to help the agency. At first, he’s in it for the money they’re offering. Then, as he learns more about them, he joins so he can learn what happened to his real mother, who he discovers is alive despite having supposedly died when he was a child.

It helps that episode 1 made great use of the Immortal Universe‘s established supernatural elements. Eric Bogosian’s return as Daniel Malloy was not only fun but a necessary step in Guy’s journey and his ultimate decision to join the agency. It also readily ties the story into Interview with the Vampire without compromising the individuality of the show.

The real standout, however, was Jason Schwartzman’s Burton. A vampire working with the Talamasca, Burton acts as a perfect example of the supernatural as Guy steps foot into this new world. Friendly yet snarky, he firmly ensures Guy knows the limits of his powers, but does so as a warning for his protection. He also seemingly points him in the direction of finding his mother, making him a friendly face I wouldn’t mind seeing more of as the series progresses.

Guy’s Quest In London Builds Suspense In (Mostly) Intriguing Ways

Episode 2 is when the meat of this two-part premiere arrives. Guy’s task is to gather intel about the Talamasca’s London branch and discover their connection to the mysterious 752 group, of which very little information has been revealed. However, the audience — and the New York Talamasca branch, to an extent — know William Fichtner’s vampire Jasper is secretly taking charge from the shadows. He has a bunch of monstrous humanoids in a basement as well, though whether they’re vampires or something more sinister remains unknown (we were already told zombies aren’t real).

Guy’s London mission feels realistic because he’s forced to blend in, handing out flyers for a strip club while waiting for a Talamasca signal. I appreciated the way the series leaned into its spy attributes, helping differentiate it from the other two Immortal Universe shows. However, I was taken out a bit by the odd nightclub sequence, where he dances with two girls. While one of them has a defined purpose later on, the exactness of what’s going on is unclear, and it did leave me wondering what I’d just witnessed.

However, the suspenseful ending more than makes up for any oddities, as Guy enters a crime scene with two bodies. There’s also a book that he fails to take at the end of the episode, an odd decision, but one that telegraphs a deeper mystery nestled in the background of the show. Given how likable and everyman Guy is portrayed, it’s easy to root for him, even when he makes obvious mistakes.

With its first two episodes, Talamasca: The Secret Order delivered a somewhat inconsistent but overall compelling start to the Immortal Universe‘s expansion into TV show originals. While it’s elevated by what came before, the series is also aided by originality, making its mysteries unknown to everyone watching. I’m excited to see where its next four episodes go, and how it expands Rice’s work on the small screen.

New episodes of Talamasca: The Secret Order air Sundays on AMC and AMC+.

Release Date

October 26, 2025

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  Nicholas Denton

  Guy Anatole

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Pros & Cons

• Compelling mystery and lore are huge draws for Talamasca: The Secret Order.
• Guy’s everyman status makes him the perfect vessel for the audience.
• Budding mystery is intriguing, especially after episode 2’s ending.
• Perfect use of established Immortal Universe lore to uplift the series’ original story.

• Rocky presentation weakened some setup in episode 1.
• Odd nightclub encounter in episode 2 felt entirely out of place.