The latest chapter of the Immortal Universe, Talamasca: The Secret Order, has officially concluded its first season. There were many fascinating twists and turns in the show, and a slew of fun new characters joined the world Anne Rice created. But hands down, the relationship that spoke to fans the most was the one between new Talamasca recruit Guy Anatole, played by Nicholas Denton, and the vampire Jasper, played by William Fichtner. Sparked by Denton and Fichtner’s incredible, leaping chemistry and fanned by the vulnerability the story allowed the two characters to lay bare before one another, the flame of Gasper (Guy and Jasper) burned bright as the season ran its course. At Nerdist, we love a good sparking relationship, and even more than that, we love a good ship with a snazzy portmanteau (RIP Guysper). So, of course, we had to ask after the relationship between Talamasca‘s Guy and Jasper during our interviews celebrating the finale of Talamasca season one. Here’s what Jasper’s actor, William Fichtner, and the series’ creators had to say about the pair.
When asked about why Jasper confided in and trusted Guy so quickly, William Fichtner launched into a thoughtful dissection of the relationship between Guy and Jasper on Talamasca. He shared, “Well, I think that Jasper is in that Motherhouse, as we find out in season one, because Jasper, Jasper has a problem with the Talamasca, and aspects of what they did to his life. When he meets Guy for the first time, I think Jasper just plain gets a kick out of Guy from the first time he walks in. To walk into that motherhouse and to go, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you,’ to Jasper. It’s like, ‘Boy, you got to have some nerve.'”
From their first real moments together, Fichtner explained, Jasper is pretty enamored with Guy and his boldness. And he also feels they are both passionate in similar ways, which makes them great company for one another. Fichtner adds, “When Jasper goes to visit him at the end of episode three and to meet him face-to-face for the first time, Jasper finds out something important. Jasper does not know who Guy is until he walks into that Motherhouse. He’s seen him before that because he was trying to listen in on him, but does he really know who this kid is? Does he know what he’s doing, what his intentions are? But when Guy comes in and starts to tell him about the problems he has and why he’s there and his upset, Jasper’s like, ‘Wow, okay, we got somebody that’s very passionate about the fact that they’re upset with the Talamasca. Well, guess what? You have company, because I have my own upset.’ Upset that Jasper eventually shares with Guy in episode four.”
In short, Fichtner concludes about Guy and Jasper, “These guys have something in common.”
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, of course; Jasper is thinking of his own goals and aims when it comes to Guy. Fichtner adds, “Now, Jasper has his own agenda that never goes away, but it’s this thing together of, he could really do something for Jasper. He could help him, and that’s why he goes into the Vampire Hotel, let’s call it. But it’s all about people, what they want, and who can help him get there. And Guy is one of those people for Jasper.”
But it’s not exactly all business for Jasper and Guy either. Fichtner notes that Jasper really and truly likes Guy. In fact, “He gets a kick out of” Guy and his behavior. Fichtner shares, “Now, does he like Guy? I always thought he did. I always thought, you know, I think Jasper gets a kick out of the fact that this guy has enough nerve to walk in there and act the way he does. That is dangerous territory right there. Yeah, I think Jasper gets a kick out of it. I always did, as an actor thinking about it, that he has enough nerve to be who he is in that moment.”
But is the relationship between Guy and Jasper on Talamasca romantic? It’s clear from looking around the internet that fans of Talamasca really hope it will become so. And we at Nerdist hope it will too. But ultimately, to Fichtner, it’s not romantic in season one. Although, of course, that doesn’t mean other people can’t find it to be so, or that it couldn’t at some point happen. Fichtner notes that he first heard about Gasper, the romantic relationship between Guy and Jasper, fairly recently, and “I just said, ‘Wow, okay. People are looking at it that way. Wow. News to me.’ Listen, where the writers choose to go with this, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s built in that it’s part of Jasper’s plate. The thought may be fueled by fans that are also fans of Interview with the Vampire, which has very interesting relationships between the characters. I don’t necessarily think that’s the world of Talamasca, but other people might think that, and isn’t that the joy of watching something? Everybody can form their own opinions.”
When asked a similar question about the possibility of romance between Guy and Jasper as the show moves forward into a potential season two, showrunner John Lee Hancock would neither confirm nor deny if Gasper was on the table, offering, “Let’s see if we get future seasons!”
Well, from where we’re sitting, if Jasper and Guy did become the fully romantic Gasper, future seasons might be quick to come. But for now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens for the pair. You can revisit our favorite twosome by streaming season one of Talamasca on AMC+ today.