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Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Talamasca: The Secret Order episode 4!The second half of Talamasca: The Secret Order season 1 hit the ground running after episode 3's shocking turn of events. Episode 4 picks up where last week left off, with Guy and Jasper making a tenuous alliance in their hunt for the 752. Jumping right into the story, we learn more about why Jasper is hunting for the book, what his true plans are, and just how morally tenuous everyone in the Immortal Universe spinoff really is. It doesn't take long for episode 4 to establish what Jasper's real plan is: to take control of immortal beings away from the Talamasca using the knowledge inside the 752. Specifically, he seems fed up with how vampires have lost their sense of morality and togetherness, and how the organization has perpetuated these rifts to their advantage. His story of the vengeful vampire who destroyed a coven after getting information from a rogue agent emphasizes how, in Jasper's head, his war against them is a form of justice. But the particularities are what really stood out. Because, as Jasper later reveals, his family was torn apart by the event. Though he's a vampire, his pain is human, as are the reasons for his attempt to keep the 752 out of the Talamasca's hands. It's also what makes Guy sympathize with him so much, even when he starts having second thoughts. It's a compelling dynamic between protagonist and antagonist, blurring the line between who is truly good and evil. Talamasca's Uncertain Morality Makes Guy's Spy Mission More Compelling Of course, every character in Talamasca: The Secret Order has some sin to balance out their sympathy. For Jasper, that's the Revenant vampires he's housing in the basement of the London Mother House. It's the only element of his plan that makes Guy uncertain, considering he's turning humans into mindless killing machines who work at his whims. Yet it's not enough for him to back down, the only part of his newfound kinship with Jasper that's far-fetched. Even so, their alliance is a perfect transition to the crux of the episode, which sees Guy infiltrating a hotel run by vampires in an attempt to get the 752. While the plan is, once again, to use him as bait, the sympathy he feels for Jasper makes him more agreeable to put himself in danger. I found it ironic how the humanity of someone undead is what convinced Guy to put himself in harm's way, juxtaposing the cold calculation of a human organization. Inside, he ends up embroiled in what winds up being a side quest featuring Raglan James, a Talamasca agent returning from Interview with the Vampire season 2. It's fascinating how, despite having some major lore in Rice's novels, the shows have yet to specify what his powers actually are. It makes his ability to tell Guy is reading his mind all the more fascinating, especially now that we know he's doing under-the-table business. Luckily, Guy manages to secure a spot with him to meet the vampires who run the hotel for their deal. Building on his confidence from Talamasca episode 3, there's a moment where Raglan betrays Guy's mind-reading abilities to the vampires. When he uses them on one of them, he ends up conjuring a beautiful scene of the vampire's human childhood, a sharp contrast to his antagonistic nature in the present. It reemphasizes the gray under which the Immortal Universe's undead fall. This is also juxtaposed by the entrance of one of Jasper's Revenants, who very swiftly dispatches of the vampires. It's a bit of a goofy scene that is somewhat out of place considering how beefed up security in the building was supposed to be. The same can be said for Jasper waltzing it when everything is over, after Guy's learned the 752 wasn't there. This, however, is expertly swept under the rug by the thematic complexities the episode's resolution presents. Guy's Mission In Talamasca Episode 4 Highlights How Every Side Believes They're Heroes Before leaving the hotel, Guy and Jasper discover an ancient vampire, whom Jasper says is 600 to 700 years old, being held captive on a bed. The owners of the hotel had been feeding on him for hundreds of years, something that angers Jasper because of his belief that the undead must stick together. He kills him out of mercy, but it also emphasizes how everyone in the show sees their way as the only brand of justice there is. This extends to the episode's side stories as well. While Doris' involvement in Guy's storyline is left as a cliffhanger when she sneaks into the back of Jasper's car, Helen's quest to find her sister bears some interesting fruit. It seems her sister may be alive, and that her loyalty to the Talamasca as an organization isn't as steady as we were led to believe. This opens the door for more potent storytelling, perhaps even getting her back on the same page as Guy. With an intriguing spy thriller and horror mix, Talamasca: The Secret Order episode 4 continued to improve upon the elements of the first half of the season that made it so compelling. While there were a few nitpicks here and there that made the episode weaker than it could have been, I was satisfied with its stronger components, and I'm excited to see how the hunt for the 752 brings all its stories together.
