Talamasca Can't Stand on Its Own

"The first sign that Talamasca: The Secret Order is not going to pick up the maximalist mantle from sister series Interview With the Vampire is that its main character's name is ... Guy. A guy named Guy. A guy named Guy who was a super-special psychic boy before growing into a super-special psychic man with a shadowy organization following him around and a fate he's unaware of. The clichés pile up quickly, and Talamasca gets buried under them."

"Their story lines are connected by the Talamasca, a secret society that keeps tabs on the world's vampires, witches, ghosts, and demons, like archivists and librarians trained in combat and engaged in spycraft. Do you need all that context to dive into Talamasca? Not necessarily, and that's the problem: Talamasca doesn't feel fleshed out enough to stand on its own. Season one may only be six episodes, but it's padded out with meandering subplots, vague teases for a second-season mystery."

"The series begins with Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton, whose mannerisms and line deliveries are distractingly reminiscent of Eddie Redmayne) about to graduate law school. He knows the big firms aren't taking him seriously, so when a mysterious woman named Helen (Elizabeth McGovern, leaving Downton Abbey behind with a bleach-white wig and conniving mien) offers him $5,000 to hear her out on a gig with the Talamasca, Guy takes her up on it. Her business card with the slogan "We watch and we are always here""

Talamasca: The Secret Order follows Guy Anatole, a formerly prodigious psychic recruited by a secret society that monitors vampires, witches, ghosts, and demons. The series premieres with two episodes on AMC on October 26 as part of the Immortal Universe alongside Interview With the Vampire and Mayfair Witches. The Talamasca functions as archivists and combat-trained librarians engaged in spycraft. Season one spans six episodes but often feels padded with meandering subplots, vague teases for a second season, and an overlong slow-motion nightclub sequence. Casting and character choices lean on clichés, and Guy accepts Helen's $5,000 offer to join the organization.

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