Four episodes in, Talamasca: The Secret Order finally found its pulse. The series — part of AMC’s Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, alongside Interview with the Vampire (soon to be The Vampire Lestat) and Mayfair Witches — follows the secretive order that tracks the movement of vampires and witches within the universe.

All of the different series in this universe have different creators, and that’s led to some wildly different tones and results across the three current series. Talamasca, thus far, has more in common with a British spy thriller than the queer, gothic romance horror of Interview the Vampire, but there’s a solid mystery at its core and this week’s episode, “Wet Work”, gives the first real taste of what the series could be at its best.

It’s no coincidence that this hour spends the most time yet with the vampires — particularly Jasper.

Just a Guy and a Vampire

The uneasy alliance between Guy and Jasper gives the episode its heart following last week’s introduction, and it’s thrilling to finally get to watch these two characters bounce off each other. The two share a mutual mistrust of the Talamasca, which immediately gives them a bond. Jasper’s one promise to Guy, that he’ll never lie to him, starts with telling Guy about his own tragic history with both the Talamasca and how he became a vampire himself.

I’ve seen several people confused on Jasper’s age and this story in particular, so if you didn’t catch it: The tale starts back in 1271, when a Romanian vampire named Vesel was turned away by his coven for refusing to drink human blood.

Centuries later in the 1920’s, Vesel’s been holding onto this grudge against his old coven for some 700 years (which seems like a long time to hold a grudge, even if as Jasper puts it, “heartbreak, loss, grudges, all that shit lives right along with you” forever), so he asked the Talamasca to get him the name of the vampire who spilled his secret all those centuries ago. Armed with a name, he tracked down a coven in Bolivia and murdered 17 members, though Jasper, then a human child, survives.

Jasper then spent several years trying to find a vampire to turn him, and eventually found one in Texas. All of that puts Jasper at just over 100 years old, younger even than Interview with the Vampire‘s Louis de Pointe du Lac.

It’s also interesting to note that the coven was made of both humans and vampires alike, implying that relationships between humans and vampires may be more common than we’ve seen thus far in this universe (though certain fans of Interview with the Vampire, myself included, are certainly hoping to see more of that particular dynamic).

Raglan James: Murkier Morals Than Ever

Much of the episode centers on Jasper sending Guy to retrieve the mysterious “752”, rumored to be a book containing the long-lost Talamasca archives, from a black market vampire coven. He sends Guy inside, leaving just outside a van with one of Jasper’s employees and Checkers, now fully in his Revenant form, in case things go sideways (or if Guy does).

Inside, the deal predictably spirals into chaos. Guy crosses paths with Raglan James (Justin Kirk, reprising his role from Interview with the Vampire), whose appearance ties the two series together in fascinating ways. While in Interview Raglan’s motives were never very clear, here they’re decidedly both slippery and self-serving. There’s no question whose team Raglan is on here: His own. Justin Kirk may as well be twirling a cartoon mustache (but in a way that’s just pure fun).

Everyone seems to be stopping by the hotel for this particular deal, as Guy also runs into Doris, the woman he met at Keves’ funeral. She warns him that he’s in over his head and should leave — so of course he does the opposite, and bluffs his way into Raglan’s meeting with the black market coven.

What begins as a simple exchange for the 752 quickly unravels into a triple-cross. Raglan, ever the pragmatist, recognizes an opportunity — and although he allows Guy to believe he’s tricked his way into the room, Raglan immediately turns on him, informing the black market vampires that Guy isn’t with him, and that he’s a skilled mindreader they could use their advantage. For his efforts, he gets himself shot.

Luckily for Guy, Doris knew he was likely to screw this up, so she passes along a message to Jasper’s man in the van, letting him know things are going south in the hotel room. This leads to the episode’s funniest scene, as Checkers is unleashed on the room, but almost entirely offscreen — you simply hear the carnage under the music playing and see the occasional flying body in the background.

The Real Horror

When the dust (and the blood) has settled, it turns out that this deal hasn’t been about the 752 at all, but rather about ancient vampire blood, as powerful as it is profitable. This is what Raglan is really after, and he walks away with a briefcase full of that blood, knowing he can use it to heal his gunshot wound (and presumably make a pretty penny as well). Book fans know that The Vampire Lestat will be delving a lot more into the larger mythology of ancient vampires, and this feels like a nice tie-in between both stories and this overall shared world.

Jasper arrives shortly after and discovers the true horror behind the deal — an ancient vampire, still barely alive, that the black market coven has been draining for his blood. This is the first real glimpse into the moral rot at the center of the Talamasca organization, because as Jasper points out, for all their talk of order and observation, he can’t stomach how easily they look away from this kind of cruelty.

Back on the road, it turns out that Doris’ note that saved Guy may have doomed him as well, tipping Jasper off that Guy isn’t acting alone. When Jasper questions him, Guy denies everything — and given how much of a value Jasper seems to have on telling the truth, this seems like entirely the wrong play. With Doris hiding quietly in the car, it’s unlikely this is going to turn out well for Guy.

Final Thoughts

Elsewhere in the episode, Helen continues her search for her sister, and her own mission to get answers about the secretive Talamasca research they underwent as children. This all feels like mostly an afterthought to give her something to do this week (and the same could be said for the police investigation plotline), and mostly serves as a side thread to keep her in motion while the main story takes off elsewhere.

“Wet Work” is easily the strongest episode of Talamasca: The Secret Order so far, giving the series the bite it’s been missing, thanks in large part to Guy and Jasper’s chemistry (and boy, do they have chemistry). More of this, please, show.

There’s a solid mystery beating beneath Talamasca’s exterior. It just took a few episodes to wake it up.

Talamasca: The Secret Order airs on Sundays on AMC+, and on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on AMC.