Warning: SPOILERS ahead for episodes 1 and 2 of Talamasca: The Secret Order!
Talamasca: The Secret Order
The showrunners of Talamasca: The Secret Order have clarified the existence of zombies in the Immortal Universe after a lighthearted exchange regarding the living dead. In episodes 1 and 2, when Helen introduces Guy Anatole to the organization, she mentions their oversight of immortal beings such as vampires, witches, demons, and ghosts.
During this introduction, Guy jokingly asks if Talamasca deals with zombies as well, to which Helen responds by dismissing zombies as fictional and attributing Guy’s knowledge to excessive TV consumption. This playful banter subtly references The Walking Dead franchise, also under AMC’s umbrella, linking it to the Immortal Universe.
In a conversation with TV Line, Talamasca: The Secret Order showrunners John Lee Hancock and Mark Laffery explained that the zombie mention was a nod to The Walking Dead. They confirmed the absence of true zombies in the Immortal Universe but acknowledged the presence of supernatural creatures resembling the undead in appearance and behavior.
John Lee Hancock: «That was just a funny little joke on AMC that we thought would make them laugh and they wouldn’t be offended.»
Mark Laffery: «Our thorough fact-checkers Anne Rice in Gran Vía [Productions] and AMC didn’t check that one, as far as we know, there are no zombies in the Anne Rice Universe. If there are, please let us know. We could probably make some use of them. There are definitely beings that look like zombies. We have hybrid creatures and things that you say, ‘I don’t really know what that is.’ But yeah, for now I think ‘The Walking Dead’ took that zip code and took it away from us completely.»
As Laffery points out, while Anne Rice’s original work does not feature zombies, Talamasca: The Secret Order includes zombie-like creatures within its supernatural realm.
Jasper, a vampire in charge of the London branch, seems to be gathering wild vampires underground, displaying a hunger similar to that of zombies despite not fitting the criteria. The focus of the franchise will now be on vampires and witches, including the upcoming seasons of «Talamasca: The Secret Order,» «Interview with the Vampire» season 3, and «Mayfair Witches» season 3. The show’s creators are following the Immortal Universe vision, ruling out zombies in any of their shows.
Although zombies won’t appear in the future, wild vampires will play a significant role, with a nod to «The Living Dead» being a fitting choice for Guy, who is still new to the immortal world. This reference may also hint at future events.
It remains uncertain if there will be more references to horror properties in future episodes of «Talamasca: The Secret Order,» but the series seems unafraid to make jokes about them, as seen with the mention of «The Living Dead.»
