In the premiere of AMC’s new supernatural series Talamasca: The Secret Order, a line of dialogue about zombies caught the attention of viewers. The show’s co-showrunners have now explained the joke and given a definitive answer about the existence of zombies in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe.
The moment occurs early in the first episode when senior Talamasca member Helen, played by Elizabeth McGovern, is introducing new recruit Guy Anatole to the organization. She outlines that their mission involves monitoring “vampires, witches, demons, and ghosts.” Guy then jokingly asks, “What, no zombies?” Helen laughs off the question, replying that zombies aren’t real and that he “watches too much telly.”
This exchange was widely interpreted as a humorous nod to AMC’s other major franchise, The Walking Dead. The show’s creators have confirmed this was their exact intention.
Showrunners Explain the Walking Dead Reference
In an interview, co-showrunner John Lee Hancock clarified the scene’s purpose. He stated that the zombie line was a “fun little rib at AMC that we thought would give them a chuckle and they wouldn’t be offended by.”
Co-showrunner Mark Lafferty provided the official stance on zombies within the series’ mythology. He confirmed that “as far as we understand, there are no zombies in the Anne Rice Universe.” He added that the show’s fact-checkers did not flag any mention of zombies in Rice’s original works. Lafferty did, however, acknowledge that some creatures in the show might share certain traits with zombies, noting, “there are definitely beings that sort of seem zombie-like. We have hybrid creatures and things where you go, ‘I don’t know quite what that is.’”
He concluded by affirming that The Walking Dead has a firm hold on the subject, saying the franchise “has grabbed that zip code and taken it fully from us.”
What Zombie-Like Creatures Will Appear?
While classic zombies will not be part of the show, viewers will encounter other dangerous beings. The vampire Jasper, who oversees the Talamasca’s London branch, is shown to be building a group of feral vampires. These creatures display a mindless hunger and violent behavior that are commonly associated with zombies, though they are distinctly classified as vampires within the story.
This means that while the show will not feature the undead rising from graves, it will include creatures whose actions and threat level feel familiar to zombie genre fans. The series will maintain its focus on the supernatural beings established in Anne Rice’s books, primarily vampires and witches, to stay consistent with the other series in the Immortal Universe, which includes Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches.
Fan Reactions and Series Reception
The zombie joke was noticed by many fans online, sparking discussions and theories about a potential shared universe with The Walking Dead. The showrunners’ clarification puts those theories to rest. The series, which premiered on October 19, 2025, has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Some viewers have expressed that the show is a “slow burn” but are invested in the story, while others have criticized the pacing and dialogue.
New episodes of Talamasca: The Secret Order are released on Sundays on AMC and AMC+.
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