John Lee Hancock’s Talamasca: The Secret Order, is far more than a mere bridge between the two frenzied worlds of Anne Rice’s complicated supernatural creatures. By the looks of the pilot, the Elizabeth McGovern-led show is shaped in the mold of your favorite nail-biter spy thrillers, which in no way means it’s not intensely original. Talamasca: The Secret Order is a sneaky look into the sides of The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches that the shows based on these two parts of Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe haven’t tapped into yet. Daniel Molloy was a complicated surprise. And we haven’t even identified the witches yet.
Spoiler Alert
What does Talamasca want with Guy Anatole?
It’s the Immortal Universe, a place where witches, vampires, the gifted, and the cursed hide among the mere mortals, some of whom pose even more of a threat to the woman navigating the alleys of East London to get to a place. The place she breaks into looks an awful lot like what I can only assume is a Talamasca mother house. Hi, I’m officially obsessed with everything to do with the Immortal Universe. And if you’re new here, and don’t know what Talamasca even is, you’ve come to the right place. You see, Anne Rice’s literary universe has been translated into film and TV time and again because her world building is simply unmatched. And the characters, well, let’s just say that they speak for themselves. In Interview with the Vampire, we have our fanged friends and foes making life difficult for mortals and rodents alike. And in Mayfair Witches, we got an ancient lineage gifted with unimaginable powers, a whole new species of powerful beings, and everything that could possibly fall in between. Now, Talamasca is your supernatural alternative to the CIA. So you know that the organization has to be morally and ethically gray at best, right? The extremely influential, and most often supernaturally gifted people who run this non-profit keep a close eye on the kind of things people don’t believe unless they experience it themselves–basically, everything supernatural. They’ve been maintaining the balance between the very touchy and often violent groups of beings that make up what we call society. So yeah, I’d say that the work that this woman, Soledad, is doing at the creepy place with old Talamasca archives and computers is very important. She’s gathered information on something that has something to do with a certain chrysalis. But before she can drop off the package at the designated spot for the receiver, she’s been chased into some dingy railroad tracks by things that I don’t think are human. They’ve been after her from the start. She’s even seen one following her. That’s how important the information inside the envelope has to be. It’s important enough for Soledad to give her life up. Since she chooses death by train over being mauled by the creatures who are seemingly controlled by this old man who’s arrived at the location, I think they’re his hounds. Now, I haven’t read the books, but they sure look dead to me. So are they Anne Rice’s version of zombies? The scene’s quite different at Talamasca’s New York mother house. At least until Helen opens the beautiful box that’s arrived for her from London. As a leader of Talamasca, Helen’s not someone who’ll puke her guts out at the sight of a lone eyeball, courtesy of a man she knows as Jasper. He’s the man who was controlling the creatures in East London. And a quick glimpse of his dingy den has shown us that, even locked up, these creatures are puppets to his wishes. So there’s no doubt that Jasper is powerful, just like there’s no way to deny that he’s a bad guy. Helen knows that the eye belongs to Soledad because of the freckle that was mentioned in her file. A woman has died working on an operation that Helen is keeping a secret from the rest of the organization. That makes sense. If the other two shows from the same universe have taught us anything, it’s that Talamasca agents can be wildly manipulative and selfish. And since Helen’s one of the good ones, she only trusts the people she vets herself, or she’s personally close to. It’s not that Helen is unfazed by Soledad’s death. But the operation is always more important to them than a singular sacrifice, even at the cost of a life. So Soledad needs to be replaced, no matter how harsh that sounds to Helen’s assistant. And that’s where Guy Anatole comes in. You know that Guy’s different from every single person in the law firm’s enormous lobby the moment you see him. There’s this thing about his body language that looks like his head is in discomfort. Let’s not beat around the bush here. While Talamasca: The Secret Order does a very entertaining job unraveling Guy’s gift, we know he can hear other people’s thoughts. That’s why he’s all jittery trying to block out the noise of the people around him. In a sense, time’s run out for Guy. He’s about to graduate from law school. And while he’s religiously avoided internships at big firms for as long as he could, now’s just as good a time as it can be for him to put his straight A’s to use. Cavitt’s as big as law firms get. And since Guy is devastatingly broke and about 3 months behind on rent, he really needs the job. But while his giant education is impressive for the bigshot lawyers interviewing him, even the inanimate objects in the room can sense Guy’s insecurities. Unlike the other three people in the room, Guy hasn’t grown up summering in the Hamptons. In fact, he’s worked at the same library he studied at for the whole summer in exchange for a full ride to NYU. So, you know, he’s not someone these people would golf with. And then there’s the fact that Cavitt’s practically upset that he didn’t go for their internship program. There’s no way Guy would’ve gotten this job without putting his gift to use. But he didn’t need to hear all the negativity brewing in their minds. He only heard the good thoughts–that guy, the only good one who was getting riled up by the other two’s uppity attitude and rooting for the underdog. That’s what gave Guy the confidence to turn things around in a way that I don’t think old man Bennett has ever experienced in his long career. Guy doesn’t defend himself–nor does he pretend to be something he’s not. He gives them the plain truth about the ways he’ll never be one of them. For starters, unlike them, his dad left the family, and his mom was an addict who died when Guy was 9. Growing up in the system didn’t really leave a lot of scope for Guy to polish up on his elitist etiquettes. But while he may not be the new young associate they’ll invite to their cocktail parties, he has the mind to make them rich. It’s not the winning speech that gets him the job, though. It’s the fact that Guy isn’t someone Bennett could steamroll over that convinced Cavitt that he might just be the best legal mind that money can buy. It does get awkward for Guy to run into the person whose thoughts he heard, especially when he says that it almost felt like Guy was reading his mind. But this whole introduction to Guy underlines the one thing that he seems to struggle with. It had to have been one of the hardest things in the world for Guy to grow up with his power and no explanation for it. A glimpse into the past places a little Guy in a church-like place, covering his ears tight so he doesn’t have to hear anyone else’s thoughts. His foster mom, Ruth, reminds him that it’s a gift. But I don’t think it felt like a gift to Guy. You see, Guy has never felt special. He’s always felt like a freak. That’s why he can’t possibly wrap his head around it when a strange woman hands him a card and offers him 5 grand just to listen to her offer. The woman’s Helen. And if she can get Guy to join Talamasca, he’ll probably be replacing Soledad in Helen’s secret operation.
How did Talamasca influence Guy Anatole’s life?
Something tells me that everything in Guy’s life has led him to the moment where he has to choose to meet Helen. You’ll get what I mean in a bit. Since a job offer can’t get him three months’ rent within a week, Guy’s back is up against the wall. 5 grand isn’t a deniable offer for someone in his position. The grandeur of the building where Helen has an apartment thanks to Talamasca impresses and alarms Guy. Are they CIA or MI6? If they’re a non-profit, how are they so well funded that their mother houses across the world will never run out of funds to do their job? That’s what it’s all about really. The job. And since Guy doesn’t think he’ll accept it, he’s too nice to accept the 5 grand for wasting Helen’s time. Helen’s understandably vague in her description of the organization that supposedly researches and archives rare texts and history. Is she kidding with this? That’s too small a bait for a young man who’s spent most of his life reading. But what does have an impact on Guy is the other gift inside the envelope full of cash. It’s a letter Guy wrote to Santa when he was a kid. Nike shoes, and a friend. Oh man. That’s got to be painful for an adult Guy, who’s still too lonely and broke. But the most baffling thing about this awful blast from the past is the fact that Helen somehow got her hands on a letter Guy wrote as a child. Obviously, the trail should lead Guy to the one adult who took care of him after his mom had passed. Ruth’s happy to see Guy in Florida after what seems like a pretty long time. Even before Guy gets to bring up Talamasca, the fancy woman, the money, and the letter, Ruth gives it away when she says how grateful she is that she got to start over in Florida. She’s not too subtle with the suggestion that someone has paid for her relocation, new house, and new life. In fact, someone has paid for everything ever since Ruth took in a little boy who didn’t really fit in with anybody. Ruth’s palpable guilt has got to sting Guy. He can read her mind, remember? That’s how he comes to know that the “fancy woman,” Helen, who’s represented Talamasca in their life for a long time, has “helped him out” in every way possible all throughout his life. Helen was the one who placed Guy with Ruth. And while it breaks Ruth’s heart to continue to abide by the NDA she signed when Guy is in so much pain, she has to hold her tongue. Even when the roles are reversed, and Guy starts following Helen to find out more about her and the mystery organization, Talamasca is one step ahead. Helen’s been waiting for him. She understands the wildly unpredictable imposter syndrome that Guy now has about all his achievements, but there’s no way to deny that Helen and the Talamasca have always made things easier for Guy. But their good deeds don’t change the fact that they’ve always manipulated Guy’s choices and paths. And now that they have a job for him, Helen has to accept the moral implication of the whole thing. Talamasca did a gray thing for a good outcome, but they’ve done it to mold Guy into a weapon at their disposal. You see what I mean about the show being far more ethically nuanced than the other two?
What is Helen’s secret?
New York’s iconic The Dakota building was far from the list of places Guy expected to visit. But once you’re in the Talamasca, doors open up to places you’ve only ever dreamed of belonging in before. It’s time for Guy to get a clearer idea of what exactly Talamasca does. Sure, they watch and they’re always there. But that’s just big Brother-ish. I like how Helen’s straight up as she takes Guy into the penthouse that will change his life. As Guy Anatole, a man with supernatural powers of his own finds out, Talamasca observes and intervenes with events that go beyond the natural–witches, demons, vampires, ghosts, but not zombies mind you. I also love how she’s so confident when Guy’s lack of faith in the existence of said creatures keeps him from taking all this seriously. You know what they say. You’ve never seen a ghost until you’ve seen one. But what is Helen? When she takes Guy into Burton’s gorgeous home–Burton’s a vampire, by the way–she does tell him that Guy doesn’t believe in “them.” So I don’t know about you, but I don’t think Helen is entirely ordinary. How else would her affirmation matter so much to the court that they let a vampire live in the penthouse of the Dakota? Oh, and how could I forget Yoko Ono opening the door for them? Is she a vampire too in the world of Talamasca: The Secret Order? I think so. Burton’s a greedy host. He gets what I think is an extremely valuable ring just to initiate a fresher into the world of the enigmatic creatures–creatures who can speak without uttering a word. It spooks Guy when Burton pulls the trick that we’re familiar with thanks to Interview with the Vampire. Guy not only learns that vampires exist, they can communicate with your mind, and they can move at the speed of light, but he now also knows that being a guilty thief of thoughts is painful. Burton is the first person, or vampire, to tell Guy that he needs to embrace his gift with pride. But it’s not as simple as that between Burton and the Talamasca. There’s clearly something that makes Burton just as cynical about the organization as Guy originally felt. Sure, Helen made a pretty good case when she made it about making the world a better place. But Burton doesn’t really want Guy to take the job. That’s why the first thing he tries is to hurt his sentiments by implying that he’s a simple magician. Clearly, there’s no bigger insult than that. But when Guy fights back and gets inside Burton’s head to give him a taste of his own medicine, the vampire doesn’t fight him on his claims. Guy calls Burton a snitch and a betrayer of his own kind. But while that might partly be true, I don’t think Burton’s a bad vamp. He has no wish to kill Guy when he stops time and transports him to the steep, narrow ledge on the side of the building. This is just how badly Burton wants to convince Guy that he should run for his life. On his way out–with his life and perspective and everything else changed–Guy reads Helen right after all. She’s both good and bad. That can’t be easy. She knows she needs Guy’s help. But the part of her that’s good wants him to run just as bad as Burton did. Guy should really take his time understanding what Talamasca even means before he takes a deeper dive. So it’s a good thing that Burton visits him in his dream to open his eyes to a truth that’s kind of been hiding in plain sight. Remember how Burton was griping about Daniel Molloy’s book when Helen met him? In case you’re unfamiliar with Molloy, he’s the writer who interviews Vampire Lestat, Louis, and Armand in Interview with the Vampire, and was turned into a fanged immortal the last time we saw him. His books document the truth about vampires that are too blatant for the general public to believe. But there’s always a crowd for the kind of things that Molloy writes. And as it turns out, Burton was so interested about Molloy’s book because it documents a secret that Helen is keeping from Guy. Daniel Molloy’s book remembers Anna Leamas as a deceased victim, and it can’t be a coincidence that she was Guy’s birth mother.
I hope you don’t take offense when I say that Molloy’s now an absolute pig. He knows exactly what he’s doing when he seduces his young groupies. But that doesn’t mean that he isn’t an insanely intriguing inclusion in Guy’s journey. You see, Molloy didn’t write the page that mentions Guy’s mother’s name. He thinks that the Talamasca did that. It goes without saying that Molloy isn’t the biggest fan of Talamasca. But I think he has legitimate reasons to think they’re as sneaky and deceitful as they seem to be. Thanks to Molloy and the research that he did when Talamasca edited his book without his permission, Guy now knows something that’s changed everything he thought he knew. Molloy’s got a picture of Anna Leamas–a very recent picture of the woman who is supposed to be dead. Talamasca’s all lies after all. But how’s Helen’s connected to all this?
From the bits and pieces that paint a vague picture in the first episode of Talamasca: The Secret Order, what Helen is after is something that their organization is hiding from them. There are rumors about a certain mother house, house number 752, that Talamasca is trying to bury. Nobody knows if the house exists, but Helen’s positive. We know that the place is real because of Soledad’s terrible end. But remember one thing. Helen didn’t get the package that Soledad left for her. So the only reason she is certain about her suspicion is because their team has caught an interesting movement. Someone named Archie, someone Helen and her friends are really wary of, has flown to London. Helen thinks that he’s only there to protect Jasper’s interests. Something bad is brewing in London. But I think Helen has other things to worry about now. The picture of two little twin girls she so achingly stares at seems to be close to her heart. Are they Helen and Anna? Are they sisters? Guy did notice the Big Ben in the picture of his birth mother that Daniel Molloy gave her. Anna is in London. And Guy is at Helen’s doorstep demanding answers. He’ll do the job if he gets the truth. For a man like him, a purpose is more vital than anything else.
