AMC's Talamasca: The Secret Order launched its two-part series premiere on October 26, 2025, introducing clairvoyant lawyer Guy Anatole to the Anne Rice Immortal Universe. The episodes feature a humorous reference to The Walking Dead and tease future crossovers with Interview With the Vampire and Mayfair Witches. Showrunners discuss the absence of zombies and Helen's maternal role in Guy's recruitment.
Premiere Overview
Talamasca: The Secret Order, the latest addition to AMC's Anne Rice Immortal Universe, debuted with a two-part premiere on October 26, 2025. The series centers on Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), a young lawyer with clairvoyant abilities, who is recruited by Talamasca operative Helen (Elizabeth McGovern) after she has monitored him since childhood. Helen, portrayed as a secretive spy with a maternal bond to Guy, introduces him to the supernatural world, including vampires like the eccentric Burton (Jason Schwartzman), who is either 39 or 384 years old depending on perspective.
The premiere also reveals tensions within the Talamasca, such as vampire Jasper (William Fichtner) secretly eliminating operatives at the London headquarters. Guy's journey escalates when he discovers his birth mother's name listed as a victim in Daniel Molloy's book from Interview With the Vampire. At a book signing, Daniel informs Guy that his mother is alive and warns him about the organization's deceptions.
Walking Dead Reference and Zombies
A lighthearted moment occurs when Guy asks Helen about encountering zombies, prompting her reply: "No such thing. You watch too much telly." This nods to AMC's The Walking Dead without naming it directly. Co-showrunner John Lee Hancock described it as "a fun little rib at AMC." Co-showrunner Mark Lafferty confirmed, via Anne Rice fact-checkers at Gran Via Productions and AMC, that zombies do not exist in the Anne Rice universe, though "zombie-like" hybrid creatures may appear. Lafferty noted, "The Walking Dead has grabbed that zip code and taken it fully from us."
Anne Rice Crossovers and Future Teases
The premiere sets up crossovers, with Daniel's appearance marking the first. Upcoming elements include music by Lestat (Sam Reid) from Interview With the Vampire's third season and the return of Justin Kirk as Talamasca agent Raglan James in Episode 4. Lafferty highlighted these as "golden opportunities" to integrate characters without forced Easter eggs, enhancing Guy's story. The second episode ends on a cliffhanger with Guy fleeing a crime scene where his recent one-night stand has been murdered, thrusting him deeper into the supernatural spy world.
Hancock praised Denton's grounded performance, saying Guy's resilience makes him relatable as an "everyman." Lafferty added that Guy is "taking it one hot minute at a time," questioning the reality of his new life.