Talamasca: The Secret Order: Season 1 Episode 5 – Recap and Review
In the penultimate episode of the season, the book everyone is looking for is seen – and we’re reminded how many will be sacrificed for it.
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Episode 5 “The Puzzle Palace” Details
- Director(s): Louise Hooper
- Writer(s): Mark Lafferty, Vinnie Wilhelm
- Public Release Date (AMC+): November 16, 2025
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Episode 5 “The Puzzle Palace” Storylines/ Recap
I Don’t Like People Lying To Me Or Secrets: Jasper, Guy, Doris
No sooner than Guy and Jasper make their alliance, it ends, for with Guy hiding who Doris is to him, Jasper starts to get suspicious. But before Jasper can torture the information out of Guy, Doris saves him, and they both escape. However, while Doris might have set Jasper on fire before doing so, she didn’t kill him, which makes staying in England not an option.
How Strong Is Your Safety Net?: Helen, Guy, Doris, Olive, Emma
Guy finds himself leaning heavily on Helen to get the heck out of dodge, with Doris, but she is naturally a bit skeptical. Luckily for Guy, he is able to guilt her into helping, but while Guy seems sure he can trust Helen, Doris doesn’t feel the same. But, with no options beyond trusting this Talamasca woman and her unofficial subordinate, Doris stays the course.
As for Olive? It seems she finds herself stumbling into Helen’s past as the Talamasca’s IT person finds some information. But, as for anything being confirmed? Sadly, that doesn’t happen. All we learn is that the girl Helen is looking for is named Emma. Who, thus far, has been painted as her twin, but with a nurse that looks like Helen being shown, who knows if Helen’s time at that testing center only included her and her sister?
Do You Know Who To Trust?: Detective Ridge, Doris, Guy, Jasper, Olive
While Jasper can’t find Guy and Doris, he does find Doris’ coven and has his Revenant vampires massacre them all. Olive watches in the distance, acting as a reminder of what Jasper hates, the Talamasca not protecting anyone, just collecting information.
But, unbeknownst to most, the book he wants seems to be under Guy’s bed, and whether Keves left it there, Doris put it there, or what, that is hard to say. The only thing we know for sure is that Detective Ridge’s IT person has decoded some of the USB drive Soledad had, and Olive’s name appears with all her information. Leaving you to wonder if she is a traitor to the New York motherhouse or if, like many in the Talamasca, Soledad was working for herself? Perhaps with the goal of getting information on every last agent on the rolls.
New Cast and Characters
Emma (Rosie Mellor)
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- Character Summary: Emma is a young girl who went to the same Talamasca program Helen did. She has the talent of a keen memory and being good with numbers, beyond the average person.
Review and Commentary
Highlights
Will Cracking The Code Change Much? [81/100]
A factor not part of the Talamasca’s dynamics is what happens if commoners become more aware of their work and the existence of the supernatural. Yes, Interview With The Vampire has been released, but notice it hasn’t been mentioned much, if at all, since the first episode. So, while Detective Ridge isn’t necessarily famous or a big name, her stumbling upon what happens in a world beyond her own, and possibly sticking her nose in it, could be interesting.
If just to see how the Talamasca shut people like her down.
Low Points
Not Much Of A Penultimate Episode For A First Season [64/100]
Considering this is the first season of a show inspired by the Anne Rice novels, rather than an adaptation, it is strange that this didn’t pack more of a punch. Yes, people were killed, Ridge’s IT person cracked the code, and we got some information about the girl Helen is trying to find, but none of this feels major. None of this pushes the idea that you must watch the finale as soon as it is released on AMC+ on Sunday morning.
On The Fence
Doris [73/100]
I feel like Doris lacks presence and, again, it isn’t 100% clear why she is sticking her neck out like this for Guy. Based on her chat with the coven mother, it doesn’t seem she is spying. This doesn’t appear to be about knowing more about Keves’ killer, and while she is forming a bond with Guy, it doesn’t seem worth deadly vampires or being on the Talamasca’s radar.
It would be one thing if Doris came off mysterious, but right now, she just seems underdeveloped.
Helen’s Mystery [74/100]
Let’s acknowledge that six episodes is not a lot of time to tell a story. Yes, Talamasca: The Secret Order is part of an established universe, but outside of Raglan, the cast is made of characters who are new and trying to draw your attention. Now, as noted, they don’t do that well, but you see the potential there.
Helen’s mystery, for example, builds on how the Talamasca seemingly recruit by investing in and testing on people, making them familiars, before they eventually join once they get a sliver of the truth, and want more. And while Guy is making barely any progress on figuring out what happened to his mom, Helen is making some on her journey.
Granted, are they making much of an effort for you to care about Helen’s journey? No. But I’m at the point of believing the problem is that, as much as Helen’s storyline should complement Guy’s, it doesn’t because it should be a lead storyline. I’d even say one of the biggest problems with the show might be that it doesn’t know how to make this show about multiple characters and allow each one to shine. Thus making it so, while the stories could be interesting, because it fails in balancing the characters carrying out the story, it often feels like a flop.
Jasper & Guy’s Relationship Imploding Quickly [72/100]
Jasper and Guy were just hitting their stride, and Guy, wanting to keep something for himself, blew up the relationship and led Guy to come off as flighty and dangerous. Mind you, Guy is one of those characters, and maybe his actor in extension, that needs a good scene partner. So to rip him away from Jasper, just as things were getting good, and they were meshing well, and for Doris to replace Jasper? Terrible idea.
Never mind, as much as Guy benefited, so did Jasper. While he might be one of the most powerful amongst the cast, with no equal and no one to challenge him, more often than not, he is boring despite his gifts. At least with Guy, he had someone who may not have been a mortal threat (no pun intended), but Guy did intrigue him enough to get him to appear vulnerable, even if it was just in the form of telling his back story and opening himself up to emotional pain.
Overall
Our Overall Rating [72/100]
Talamasca: The Secret Order seems rooted in a good idea, but what bloomed seemed to die as quickly as it was starting to sprout. Seemingly, just like a plant, because of mismanagement in multiple areas.
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