Aahana Swrup
‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ establishes its identity as a supernatural spy show by opening the narrative with an intense data retrieval mission, conducted in the dark of the night, which ends with a deadly encounter by the train tracks. The next day, in New York, the Talamasca’s head office, aka Mother House, receives a strange letter from their counterparts in London. The letter, addressed to the head, later revealed to be Helen, houses the eye of the agent from the night before. The message is meant to be a warning and a threat, yet it only motivates Helen to continue snooping in London Mother House’s affairs. Thus, she ends up seeking out Guy Anatole, the protagonist, whose mind-reading abilities make him an incredible asset as a potential Talamasca agent. Still, even though the senior Talamasca agent, distinguished by her vivid white hair, sets the plot of the series in motion, her character remains cloaked in an air of ambiguity and intrigue. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Helen, the Head of Talamasca’s New York Branch, is Conducting an Investigation on Her Own
Despite being a central character, Helen’s early presence in the show is laced with an enigmatic mystery. Following her agent’s death in London, the Talamasca agent instantly begins looking for a new replacement. As a result, she ends up paying a visit to one of her old investments: Guy Anatole. Although he doesn’t know it, the latter has been on the intelligence organization’s radar for quite some time. Ever since he was orphaned at an early age, Helen became involved in his upbringing but only from a substantial distance. She had a hand in his adoption by his foster family, the Anatoles, and she regularly financed their lifestyle as well as Guy’s academic career. The latter she intentionally disguised as scholarships to ensure the young man remains oblivious about the outside interference in his life.
As it turns out, Guy has a special power that promises to be of great use to Talamasca, but, more importantly, to Helen. The young man, a recent law school graduate, has the power of clairvoyance and can read people’s minds. Thus, it makes him the perfect man for the sluethy job of investigating the London Mother House, currently under the leadership of Greg Owens, who is really just a pawn for Jasper. However, given the assignment’s convoluted nature, it becomes fast evident that this is an off-the-books project, wherein Guy would be an inside agent for Helen. Although the mind-reader is reluctant to take up the job offer, his curiosity is piqued when he realizes that Helen may be the key to learning more about his already mysterious childhood, including the hidden identities of his birth parents. Thus, it’s obvious from the get-go that the Talamasca superior officer has many secrets hidden up her sleeve.
Elizabeth McGovern Plays the Role of Helen in Talamasca: The Secret Order
In ‘Talamasca: The Secret Order,’ Helen instills an instant air of authority and unpredictability from her initial introduction in the story. Elizabeth McGovern, the actor bringing the character to the screen, embodies these discerning characteristics of the Talamasca agent exceptionally well. McGovern’s interest in the life of a thespian began at an early age when she began participating in school plays at California’s North Hollywood High School. From there, the young actress chose a future academic career at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater and finished an undergraduate Fine Arts degree at the Juilliard School in New York.
During her time at the latter, McGovern took on her debut feature film role as Jeannine Pratt in the 1980 film ‘Ordinary People.’ Thus, with multiple decades of filmography to her name, the actress has added a number of recognizable titles to her name. Notably, many fans may recognize her as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, in the ‘Downton Abbey’ franchise. Some of her other works include other beloved television shows like ‘Three Moons Over Milford,’ ‘The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire,’ and ‘War of the Worlds.’ Furthermore, she also stars in projects like the 1990 film ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ 2017’s ‘The Wife,’ 2024’s ‘And Mrs.,’ and more. Thus, her portrayal of Helen in ‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ joins a long line of beloved characters and memorable performances in McGovern’s ever-growing career.
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