Talamasca: The Secret Order
Created by: John Lee Hancock
Based on: The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice
Season 1 – Episode 2
Episode title: A Wilderness of Mirrors
Stars: Nicholas Denton, Celine Buckens, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, William Fichtner, Elizabeth McGovern
Original release date: October 26, 2025
Plot: A lawyer leaves his career to join the Talamasca organization. After training in covert operations with Helen, he heads to London to track a mysterious hitman.
* * *
Talamasca: The Secret Order – S01E02 – A Wilderness of Mirrors | Transcript
Radio: Please be advised… Criminalist: Come and have a look at this.
What do you think?
Criminalist #2: Yeah, we’ll need to bag that.
Yeah, I’ll take care of that.
Got a finger.
Least a nick of one.
Might be a fingerprint.
Hough: Jesus. She threw herself into a bloody blender.
You don’t see a lot of that.
Women do not sully their looks when they top themselves.
It’s like, it’s either wrist or pills now.
Why is what’s left of her all chewed up?
Stray dogs more than likely.
Well, they certainly had their fill.
Pocketbook.
Any ID?
[Suspenseful music plays]
Soledad Marcel.
Lives in Wandsworth.
Lived.
Gimme.
I found this as well.
♪
What’s that?
Silly Putty.
Kids play with it.
♪
Appreciate it.
On it.
Woman: I got multiple numbers not matching up.
Man: There’s a new algorithm I’d like to show you.
[Keyboard keys clacking]
TV Reporter: …guys in the vicinity…
[Indistinct chatter]
[Computer chimes]
♪
Mr. Owen.
Thank you.
♪
[The Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” plays]
♪ Ooh, baby, baby, baby ♪
♪ Why you gonna treat me
this way? ♪
♪ You know I’m still
your lover boy ♪
♪ I still feel the same way ♪
[Music stops abruptly]
Intel on the Soledad Marcel police investigation.
It appears we have nothing to worry about.
Until she sends a replacement.
And she will.
[Music continues]
♪ …a story ’bout free milk
and a cow ♪
♪ And said, “No huggee,
no kissee” ♪
♪ “Until I get a wedding vow” ♪
♪ My honey, my baby, don’t put
my love upon no shelf ♪
♪ She said,
“Don’t hand me no lines” ♪
♪ “And keep your hands
to yourself ♪
[Theme music plays]
♪
[Rain pattering]
I have conditions.
You never lie to me.
No “above your pay grade, further down the road, all will be revealed.”
No, bullshit.
I can walk away at any time.
Something smells funny, and I’m out.
My job at Cavitt is waiting for me like none of this ever happened.
And don’t…
Don’t say it’s not possible.
You personally got a Vampire board approved for a penthouse at The Dakota.
So basically everything’s possible.
Anything else?
Oh, I’ll let you know.
We’ll need to create a cover.
A legend.
One that includes and explains your status at Cavitt, as well as your current state of mind.
What are you talking about?
You must be given the appearance and distinct footprint of a clean break, as well as an irrational yet believable reason for your journey.
Osterhaus: [Scoffs] A sabbatical, Guy?
You take a sabbatical after you’re tenured.
Law firms don’t have tenure, and you haven’t worked a day yet.
Okay. Maybe more like a gap.
[Scoffs] A gap?
[Sighs] Gap week, gap month, gap year?
What’s… What’s going on here, Guy?
Second-guessing a career in law?
No, no, no.
Trying to find yourself?
No, that’s not it.
Then what? What is it?
A death.
A death in the family, okay?
A legend that will allow you to take on your assignment quickly.
Not out of preference, but unfortunately, necessity.
Training and preparation that should take a year will become a week.
Guy: And in a week, I’ll be doing what?
Helen: Using your unique skills to access information.
Our problem in London is getting worse by the day.
What does their outfit have to do with yours?
Ours.
Driver: Where to, ma’am?
Kennedy Airport.
The London Mother House has gone rogue.
If they continue on this path, it could undermine all that we do.
Everyone’s aware of it, but no one will do anything about it except us.
And here I thought you were all part of the same tightknit club.
Every club has rules and members who don’t follow them.
Who made New York the enforcer?
We did.
You should know there is a degree of personal peril involved with this enterprise.
Danger, in fact.
♪
Jay: Uh, so this is your new laptop.
And that is a 54character code you’ll memorize to access our New York database using this.
And your codename.
Dark Horse.
Helen: Your travel packet will contain an open-ended ticket to Heathrow and 20,000 British pounds on various debit cards.
Ticket is coach to better suit your legend.
We’ve set up a private account for you.
One that I will personally oversee.
One that the larger Talamasca Organization is blind to.
They can know nothing of this mission, for the good of everyone.
This is your favorite book.
Never leaves your side.
That is, until you’ve used it once, then you lose it and you carry your new favorite book.
It’s a decoder key.
Page number, line number, word number.
Page, line, word. Got it?
Come on. Go, go, go.
You got it? Page… Two.
Line… Let’s go. Resented.
Word? Word, word, word. Yes.
Yeah. Come. Seldom.
Yes.
When someone asks what I’m doing in London?
Helen: Fresh start.
You’ve had a rough time of it lately.
A cousin of yours helped you to acquire a position of employment and a work visa.
A cousin?
Who now has a condo in Florida?
I’ve very much appreciated your sense of humor through all this.
Let’s hope you can keep it up once you see where you’re working.
Passenger: [Snoring lightly]
♪
Helen: We’ve provided you with everything you need to know at this juncture.
Names, faces of all the key players, as well as all pertinent London locations.
In addition, we’ve assembled text and basic tutorials to augment what you’ve already learned.
♪
Passenger: [Coughing]
♪
We know that London is bringing in a new operative, but their motives remain unclear.
When we have more information, we’ll contact you via the Dead Drop Beacon near your place of employment.
Find and decipher the code.
Once we reach out, you’ll need to move quickly to gather Intel.
[PA chimes loudly]
Pilot: This is your captain speaking. We are beginning our initial descent into London Heathrow Airport. On behalf of the entire flight crew, I’d like to thank you for choosing to fly with us today. We hope you enjoy your stay in London or wherever your final destination may be.
[Suspenseful music plays]
[Horns honking]
[Siren wailing]
[Siren wailing]
[Horn blaring]
♪
Helen: We’ve selected modest housing for you in a neighborhood close to the London Mother House.
Here’s a critical piece of the puzzle.
Your backstory, which is mostly true, will be accessible to anyone who searches for it.
This, of course, includes the Talamasca Organization, who we want to keep at arm’s length.
Guy: Won’t they already know my history?
I mean, they pay for all of it.
No, you are off book, so to speak.
All the arrangements regarding your upbringing and education were handled privately.
By you.
I’m your pet project.
I suppose one could say that.
So, about a million lies led us to where we are now.
Somehow fitting, I suppose.
Which is why it’s essential your legend remain consistent and as close to reality as possible.
Guy Anatole had a promising career in law and a rich life in front of him.
Things went swimmingly for a short while, then the poor boy had a mental break.
A mental break?
Not unusual for someone with your history.
A loner who hears voices and uses an alarming amount of Clonazepam.
Quite the résumé.
How do I reach you? You don’t.
It’s a very strong chance that once you leave, we won’t see each other again.
So, I arrive in London and this all just magically works out?
[Stammers] I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing.
Whilst we wait for this new operative to arrive in London, we’ll put you close to those who run the London Mother House.
Close enough to hopefully use your skills to listen in and report back.
And I’m on my own?
[Somber music plays]
If the Talamasca Organization doesn’t know what I’m up to, then who does?
Me and a few select others.
A London point person will be in contact to spell out details.
They’re your handler, and everything will come through them.
This is a very… specific and covert affair.
So I believe I’ve hit the high notes.
Any questions? Yeah. Just one.
You never told me your name.
Helen.
It’s Helen.
♪
[Siren wailing in distance]
[Indistinct chatter in distance]
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
[Indistinct chatter continues]
♪
[Pills rattling]
♪
[Clattering in distance]
♪
[Door buzzer buzzing]
♪
Mr. Checkers, do you know why you’re here?
No, Mr. Owen.
Were you friends with Soledad Marcel?
Yes. Poor girl.
Were you more than friends?
[Upbeat electronic music plays]
W-What are you trying to say?
At five before midnight, Thursday last, you entered the Secure File and Tech office.
What?
And you left 12 minutes later.
Midnight?
I can assure you, I did not.
I never work that late.
Which is a discussion for another time.
But for this one, we know it wasn’t you.
[Clears throat] Who is that?
Looks like Soledad.
Thank you for the confirmation.
When did you last see her?
[Upbeat electronic music plays]
Uh… It was the night she died.
Some of us went out after work.
[Suspenseful music plays]
Does this have anything to do with what happened to her?
Thought you might know.
Seeing that she used your card to gain access.
Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
I-I did not give her my card.
See? Here.
It’s in here somewhere.
♪
What was she after?
We don’t know.
What we do know is we’re leveling you down a notch.
[Scoffs softly]
[Chuckles incredulously]
You used to be someone I looked up to.
We used to be a family around here.
And now it’s… now it’s all “need to know” and security cameras in every nook and cranny.
Even in the loo, for Christ’s sake.
We’ve made efforts to right the ship, yes.
Right the ship?
A fucking pirate ship is what it is.
And I’ve got a feeling… we’ve all got a feeling that you’re not the bloody captain anymore.
It’s you.
Yeah, it’s you.
You’re sneaking around, and you’re whispering in his ear.
We don’t know who you are, but we know that you’re the problem.
Ever since you got here.
[Chuckling]
Oh, I like this guy.
♪
[Siren wailing]
♪
[Indistinct chatter]
♪
[Baby crying in distance]
♪
[Thinking] Look at this little twat. He’s looking at you.
[Thinking] Oi. Pretty boy. Nice.
♪
[Indistinct chatter]
Pretty ladies inside.
4 quid.
Come on, lad, don’t be shy.
Guy: Hi.
My name’s Guy Anatole.
I was told that I was meant to come here for a job.
The Yank, yeah.
Yeah. What’s your name?
Jimmy.
Jimmy.
Go on, get inside.
Learn your lines.
My lines? Yeah, your lines.
Go on.
Russian, Polish, Asian, Exotic.
Sexy. Sexy.
Strippers to the left.
Pole dancing to the right.
Sexy.
[Intriguing music plays]
Hey! Come on. Sexy. Sexy.
Russian, Polish, Asian, Exotic.
[Camera shutter clicks]
Sexy. Sexy.
Strippers to the left.
Pole dancing to the right.
Sexy. Sexy.
[Door bell chimes]
♪
[Computer chimes]
[Suspenseful music plays]
♪
[Indistinct chatter in distance]
[Indistinct chatter continues]
Man #2: Cheers, mate.
[Upbeat music plays in background]
Billy: Here you go, Guy.
Thanks, Billy. Enjoy, mate.
Pint of Hazy, Bill.
Coming up, love. Misty for you.
Chippie roun’ the corner is better, just so you know.
Billy: Here you go.
Yamas!
Sure.
Haven’t seen you here before.
It’s my first time.
Oh, well, you’ll be back.
It’s a solid spot.
Except for the food.
[Chuckles softly]
Okay, Yank, where you from?
[Chuckles] Detroit.
What do you do?
No, no, let me guess.
Social worker?
Got the sad eyes for it.
I just graduated.
From where? NYU.
In New York. Law school.
Mm. Smarty pants.
[Laughs]
So, did you come for the rain?
London.
I’m still trying to work things out.
I was able to get a work visa, so…
Oh. Where are you working?
I’d rather not say.
Rather not, or you can’t?
I love secrets.
Does this not look like a face you can trust?
CIA. Worse.
I’m a barker at a strip club in Soho.
Actually, to call it a club would definitely be a stretch, so…
Well, I’m guessing you can get me in for free, then.
Guessing I can.[Laughs] Putting that away.
You never know.
You never know. You never know.
[Quietly] Never know.
Okay, so you came for the rain and a creepy job.
My mom spent some time here.
I kind of wanted to check the place out.
From here? Where?
What, north, south, east, west?
Hammersmith, Ilford, Twickenham, Chiselhurst?
[Chuckles]
You haven’t got a clue what I’m talking about, have you?
Yeah, well, those sound like Harry Potter characters to me.
Both: [Laugh] Okay, so I’m guessing it’s your first time in London, then?
Yeah, it’s my first time anywhere.
So you’re a handsome young man on a journey of finding himself. [Chuckles] That’s the lead in every other romance novel on the bookstore shelf.
I like it.
Normally, I don’t come in till chapter three.
No, two. ‘Cause you really need me to kick the story into gear.
Oh, yeah.
[Cellphone chimes] Oh.
Right. [Sniffs] Oh, shit.
I got to crack on.
I got it.
Oh, no, no, that’s totally not necessary.
No, no. I got it.
Decent.
What’s your name?
Uh. It’s Guy.
[Laughs] That’s kind of generic.
Okay. What’s yours? Keves.
Keves?
Mmhmm.
Oh, that is not at all generic.
Mnhmnh. You have this.
Thanks.
It was, uh, nice to meet you.
Smile.
[Camera shutter clicks]
[Muffled] Gimme your hand.
[Garbling]
Okay, so a bunch of us are going to this After Hours in Hackney tonight.
Just, you know, sick beats, dope vibe, if you fancy it.
Never know.
It could change your life.
That’s my Guy.
[Indistinct chatter in background]
That’s my Guy.
[Indistinct chatter in distance]
[Siren wailing in distance]
Man #3: [In distance] That’s what friends are for.
[Suspenseful music plays]
[Music builds]
♪
[Electronic music plays]
♪
[Music distorts]
[Voices whispering]
Voice: Why is he staring at you like that?
[Voices overlap, grow louder]
You came! [Laughs] You good? Yes.
[Music continues]
♪
[Laughing]
♪
Whoo!
[Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy” plays]
♪ You leave in the morning
with everything you own ♪
♪ In a little black case ♪
♪ Alone on a platform,
the wind and the rain ♪
♪ On a sad and lonely face ♪
♪ I will never understand
why you have to leave ♪
♪ But the love that you seek
will never be found at home ♪
♪ The love that you need
will never be found at home ♪
♪ Run away, turn away,
run away, turn away, run away ♪
♪ Run away, turn away,
run away, turn away, run away ♪
♪ Pushed around
and kicked around ♪
♪ Always a lonely boy ♪
♪ You were the one
they’d talk about ♪
♪ Around town as they
put you down ♪
♪ And as hard
as they would try ♪
♪ They’d hurt to make you cry ♪
♪ But you never cried to them,
just to your soul ♪
♪ No, you never cried to them,
just to your soul ♪
♪
You’re in so much trouble.
♪ To your soul ♪
♪ To your soul ♪
♪ To your soul ♪
♪ Cry ♪
♪ Cry ♪
♪
Keves: [Gasps]
Guy: [Grunts]
♪
[Laughs]
♪ Run away, turn away,
run away, turn away, run away ♪
Keves: [Moaning] I broke the rules.
I broke all the rules.
Oh!
I’m a rulebreaker.
[Moaning]
I’m sorry.
[Eerie music plays]
♪
[Indistinct chatter in distance]
♪
Keves?
♪
Keves?
[Coins clink]
Live girls.
Russian, Polish, Asian, Exotic.
Ladies… Oh.
Ladies on the left.
Pole dancing on the right.
Sexy. Sexy.
Russians, Polish, Asian.
Sexy. Sexy girls.
♪ How ever do you want me ♪
♪ How ever do you need me, how ♪
♪ How ever do you want me ♪
♪ How ever do you need me ♪
♪ How ever do you want me ♪
♪ How do you need me, how ♪
♪ How ever do you want me ♪
♪ How ever do you need me ♪
Where have you been?
[Suspenseful music plays]
♪
Hey.
Hey, hey. Hey. Excuse me.
Uh, did you take an X off the phone booth?
An X in white tape?
Did you take any white tape off the phone booth?
No clue.
♪
Hey!
♪
What’s going on?
I gotta go, Jimmy, but I’ll work a double tomorrow, I promise you.
Hey! What am I gonna do?
I don’t know.
♪
Man #4: Alright.
I’ll let him know.
♪
[Objects clattering]
♪
[Water splashes]
♪
[Bird chirping]
♪
[Dog barks]
♪
[Thinking] Matej Vagna, nickname, Archie.
Private flight, dinner Delphine.
Aldgate…
Helen: 19:00. Track from there.
Discreetly follow wherever he goes, making note of locations as well as the company he keeps.
We believe that he’s in London for a specific purpose.
When the underworld, or in this case, the London Mother House, needs someone found or dealt with, he’s the one they call.
If you have a chance to listen in, take it.
This is recon only, so do not engage.
These people are dangerous.
[Indistinct chatter]
[Suspenseful music plays]
♪
[Siren wailing in distance]
♪
[Music fades]
Voices: I know what I’m doing.
Let’s get on with it.
Don’t fuck this up.
How am I supposed to square this with Amsterdam?
Jasper: [Thinking] Who do we have here?
♪
♪
[Horn blaring]
♪
[Metal thuds, bottles clinking]
♪
[Door closes]
♪
[Indistinct shouting]
Woman #2: What the hell are you talking about?
[Indistinct arguing]
Man #5: Give it to me now!
[Arguing continues]
Woman #2: [Shouts in pain]
♪
[Thudding]
[Screaming]
♪
[Loud thud]
[Screaming continues]
[Glass shatters]
Man #5: [Grunts] [Squelching]
♪
[Lights buzzing]
♪
[Stairs creaking]
♪
[Dramatic sting] Guy: [Gasps]
[Breathes heavily]
♪
[Dramatic sting]
♪
[Gasps]
♪
[Creaking in distance]
♪
[Creaking continues]
♪
[Inhales deeply]
♪
[Breathes shakily]
♪
[Softly] It’s okay, it’s okay.
♪
[Eerie vocalizing]
♪
[Grunts]
Archie: [Gasping] Guy: Oh. Oh, shit.
Archie: [Gasps] Book.
[Gasping]
Guy: It’s okay.
It’s okay.
It’s okay, it’s okay.
It’s okay, it’s okay.
It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.
It’s okay.
[Solemn music plays]
♪
Fuck!
Gosh.
♪
[Lights buzzing]
♪
[Breathing rapidly]
[Tires screeching]
♪
