Don’t Ask What They Do Outside The Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows, based on the feature film by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor , Laszlo , Nadja and Colin Robinson as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo .
In the shocking season three finale, Nandor, Guillermo and Nadja left Staten Island to go their separate ways while Laszlo stayed home to care for the creature that clawed its way out of the chest cavity of the deceased Colin Robinson aka Baby Colin. This season, the vampires return to Staten Island to find their mansion on the verge of total structural collapse and with no money to repair it. While Nandors eternal search for love finally yields results, Nadja finally realizes her dream of opening the hottest vampire nightclub in the Tri-State Area. Laszlo struggles with the question of nature versus nurture as he tries raising Baby Colin to be anything other than an energy vampire. And even Guillermo finds himself on a powerful emotional track that touches on his love for his family, and for others.
With such terrifying locations as the secret supernatural Night Market, the Jersey Pine Barrens and a wedding altar, and with more strange beasts, surprising guest stars and tap dancing than ever, season four of What We Do in the Shadows continues to make the case for blood and comedy. And this time with just a touch of home renovation.
The Key To The Shows Comedy Is Being Incredibly Stupid In A Smart Way
The blood and butter of the show comes from pushing the characters into profoundly terrible situations and mining the humor from their reactions. Thatâs why an epic task like taking over Manhattan turns into a series of city council meetings. Itâs the banal meeting the mythic with dumb people in the mix. Producer Yana Gorskaya explained to Gold Derby that âbeing incredibly stupid in a smart way is our magic.â
They Joked About Expanding The Show Like The Real Housewives
The conversation actually happened before they even considered that the movie could be adapted into a television series. While filming the original movie, the creators cracked jokes about how you could do the same type of thing in different vampire houses all over the world. So when the opportunity came to create a show set in the United States instead of New Zealand, they were already in the right mindset. It also means that there could be thousands of spin-offs if they decide to expand beyond Staten Island.
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To Turn Or Not To Turn
In What We Do in the Shadows, most familiars serve their masters in the hopes of being turned, and Guillermo is no different. Since he was a child he has wanted to be a creature of the night, but no matter what he does, Nandor won’t change him.
At times, it seems he’d rather do anything else, which is why this meme rings so true. It’s easy to imagine that even someone as competitive as Nandor would rather torpedo his chance at victory than change anything about his relationship with his familiar.
Natasia Demetriou As Nadja Of Antipaxos
Nadja is a former Greek villager who received the ability to climb up walls after being turned into a vampire by one of the eldest vampires, Baron Afanas . She met Laszlo after flying into the window of his bedroom and seduced him before turning him. The two got married and remain in a polygamous relationship especially when Nadja pursues an old lover named Gregor who keeps being reincarnated over her lifetime. Upon being frustrated with her dominantly male roommates, she allows her ghost form to possess an old doll so that they can remain close friends. Within the household, she is pretty well adapted to technology and the modern world. Nadja takes a recently turned vampire, Jenna , under her wing and teaches her how to use her new abilities and adapt to the vampire lifestyle.
Natasia Demetriou is an English actress, writer, and comedian who started her career in the early 2010s. She has a brother, Jaime Demetriou, who is also a comedian and actor whom she often collaborates with, like in the British sitcom Stath Lets Flats. She also starred in the series Year Friends and created her own comedy sketch show Ellie and Natasia. Besides What We Do in the Shadows, she also made an appearance in Matt Berry’s show Toast in Tinseltown.
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Colin Robinson’s Energy Vampire Came Out Of An Inside Jokeand Is One Way To Sneak Some Daylight Shots Into What We Do In The Shadows
Though What We Do in the Shadows sticks to many already-established pop culture rules, one way it innovates the vampire myth is with Colin RobinsonâProkschâs day-walking âenergy vampire,â who feeds on sucking the life out of a room. The idea for including this new kind of workplace-loving creature came from Clement, who toldThe Hollywood Reporter that âenergy vampireâ is âa term Iâve heard used to describe people who are difficult to talk to, and Iâve definitely been cornered by these people at parties. Those people that you feel you need to be saved from, and the longer youâre in the more difficult it is to get away. It was just taking that to the supernatural level.â
Colin Robinsonâs presence also brings some literal light to the show by allowing for daylight scenes. âItâs a great way of having things set in the day, because itâs one of the things that drove us nuts during the film is it was night shoots and never seeing the daylight,â Waititi told Thrillist. âYou end up feeling like a vampire.â
Kristen Schaal As The Guide
The Guide is an assistant of the Vampiric Council sent as a messenger to summon certain vampires who may be accused of a crime or can help as witnesses. When her flock of ravens goes unanswered, she’ll hover down or teleport to talk to the requested vampires. After initially appearing only at the end of Season 1, she becomes a recurring character who works closely with the group, especially when their involvement with the council becomes significant.
Kristen Schaal is an American actress, comedian, and writer who has notable roles in comedy series like Flight of the Conchords and The Last Man on Earth. She has a very impressive resume in voice acting as well, having played Louise Belcher in Bob’s Burgers, Mabel Pines in Gravity Falls, Sarah Lynn and other voices in Bojack Horseman, and Trixie in Toy Story 3.
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Mark Hamill Kept His Fangs
All the actors who play traditional vampires get custom-made fangs so that having two much-larger teeth doesnât mess with their ability to deliver their lines. Naturally, when Star Wars icon guest-starred in season 3 as Jim the Vampire , he took his fangs home with him as a memento. The props department also gifted him a dagger that his character used and noted that it was also in the original What We Do In The Shadows movie. The dagger now resides in Hamillâs mancave.
What We Do In The Shadows Season 4 Episode 8
After straying from the core mockumentary premise of the series,What We Do in the Shadows season 4 episode 8,Go Flip Yourself, doubles down on it as the worlds of vampire reality TV and human home improvement collide. This union has been a long time coming, as Laszlo is quite the fan of flipping shows, and the titular fixer-upper program is his long-time obsession. He has also proven himself to be a sucker for general contractors, and not always in a good, vampire, way.
Toby and Bran Daltry have seen the worst of the worst in home renovations, and the vampires Mixed Up Mansion on Staten Island promises to be their toughest yet. This isnt just a sales ploy to upsell the Superfan! Laszlo Cravensworth. Hes seen every episode, taken copious notes, and is ready to embrace the flop before he even knows who is in the house.
The narration of the Go Flip Yourself program, done by Tina Morasco, masterfully mocks the hyper-enthusiastic tone of those shows as much as the Daltry Brothers skewer the forced but stale camaraderie of on-air real estate flipping teams, most of them glorified realtors unworthy of the Glengarry Glen Ross leads.
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What We Do in the Shadows airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX, and streams the next day on Hulu.
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Cate Blanchett Wanted To Make A Cameo But Waititi And Clement Had To Turn Her Down
While preparing for âThe Trial,â Waititi and Clement tossed out a dream list of actors they wanted to convince to make cameos, without really believing theyâd get any of them to say yes. Somehow, Cate Blanchettâs name ended up on the list, and she was apparently game to be involved. But Waititi and Clement only wanted known pop culture vampire actors, so they had to say no, with Waititi telling her: âBut you canât, because you havenât been a vampire. Those are the rules!â
Kayvan Novak Spent A Lot Of Time Pretending To Be Berry
In the third season, the roommates stumble upon the storied Cloak of Duplication, which allows the wearer to morph into another person. As several of Nandorâs roommates use the garment to try and help him land a date with the desk clerk at his gym, Novak had to learn to mimic some of the mannerisms of his castmates and how they might act if pretending to be him. Itâs a wonderfully absurd setup thatâs perfectly aided by Novakâs dedication as a comedian. âI put a lot of hours into walking around my apartment in pants pretending to be Matt Berry, and I got a kick out of it,â .
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Harvey Guilln As Guillermo De La Cruz
Guillermo is the ever-patient and loyal familiar of Nandor who by extension also serves and helps out the rest of the vampire household. His initial wish is to become a vampire, which is what led to him becoming Nandor’s familiar in the first place. Unfortunately, that wish doesn’t get fulfilled even after ten years of his servitude. Guillermo’s gentle disposition and unassuming stature hide a badass skill of vampire slaying . Despite his born nature suggesting his fate as an enemy of vampires, Guillermo manages to make it work in his favor as he gets promoted to a bodyguard to protect Nandor and the rest.
Harvey Guillén is an American actor who began his career in the early 2010s. His first TV series role was in the comedy-drama Huge followed by a supporting role in Eye Candy. He also made appearances in The Thundermans and The Magicians before landing What We Do in the Shadows. He recently appeared in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Reacher while also expanding his voice acting career in series like Archer, Harley Quinn, and Human Resources. Guillén has five other projects coming up including the animated feature Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and the DC film Blue Beetle.
Taika Waititi’s Disdain For Shaving Is One Reason He Only Guest Stars On The Series
Fans of the 2014 What We Do in the Shadows movie have asked why the series doesnât follow the same group of vampires we met there: Viago , Vladislav , Deacon , and Petyr . The answer, according to Waititi, was partly due to finding a creative reason to explain why that particular group of vampires would have moved to America. But it was also partly motivated by Waititiâs disdain for shaving.
âI donât like shaving, clean shaving, my face,â Waititi told Thrillist. âI had to that every day for that character. I donât like putting makeup on. I donât like the feeling of it on my skin. I know that sounds insane, but that was one of the reasons I was like, âI donât want to be in the show.â I hate shaving.â
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What We Do In The Shadows
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What We Do in the Shadows is an American mockumentarycomedy horror television series created by Jemaine Clement that premiered March 27, 2019, on FX. The second television series in the franchise based on the 2014 film of the same name written by Clement and Taika Waititi, the series follows four vampire roommates in Staten Island, and stars Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, and .
The series’ second season premiered on April 15, 2020, and the third season premiered on September 2, 2021. In August 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth season, ahead of the third season premiere. The fourth season premiered on July 12, 2022. In June 2022, the series was renewed for a fifth and sixth season, ahead of the fourth season premiere. It has been critically acclaimed and nominated for 17 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series in 2020 and 2022.
The Shows Comedy Relies As Much On Moments Of Silence As It Does On Jokes
The script for each episode of What We Do in the Shadows is a starting point for lots of improvisation, which is something the actors take full advantage of, whether thatâs with a funny line or an awkward look. âThis show has taught me a lot about often saying nothing,â Demetriou told Collider. âItâs not about one person. Itâs about a room full of people, and making all of that balance and bounce off of each other. Actually, the best stuff comes from silence sometimes.â
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Jemaine Clement Sees Larry David As An Inspiration
When Clement is writing for the show, he generally looks to Larry David to get into the right mindset. âOne of my favorite comedies is Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I always go and watch some of that before I write anything,â Clement told The Ringer. âThe three main vampires are all stuck in their ways and hesitant to interact with the modern world.â The series do share a similar mix of awkwardness and self-seriousness.
What We Do In The Shadows Season : 2021
In 2021, Gail reconnected with Nandor despite him knowing she was now a werewolf. He told Nadja and Guillermo that he was planning to propose to her. He invited Gail to his house and slipped away to prepare for his proposal. Gail insisted on hurrying away, and as Nadja tried to make her stay she witnessed Gail transforming into a werewolf under the full moon.
The roommates confronted Nandor for knowingly dating a werewolf. Nandor insisted their relationship was fine and encouraged the group to meet her pack. Upon meeting them, the roommates found Gail kissing Anton. Tensions flared up again and Guillermo had the two groups settle their differences Twilight-style with a game of kickball as Gail watched from a bench. The game came to an abrupt end when Nadja accidentally kicked the ball into Gail’s face and killed her. To save her, Nandor bit her neck and dripped his blood into her mouth, bringing her back as a vampire-werewolf hybrid. Nandor proposed to Gail and she rejected him as she was not interested in getting married again so soon. Gail bid farewell to them all and left to go to the airport to visit her daughter, clumsily flying away in a wolf-like bat form.
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What We Do In The Shadows Constantly Reminds Us That Vampires Are Humans Too
The source of comedy in What We Do In the Shadows is obvious, but the depth is a bit more subtle. For one, it features people who are so old that they’re cosmically and tragically bored. Beyond that, itâs constantly mining both humor and sadness from the fact that these are all people: They were once humans, and now theyâre something less romantic than we think.
âHumans are so f**king stupid and boring and lazy, that given the gift of immortality, youâd never get around to doing anything,â Waititi told The New York Times. âYouâd just put off everything. People that have been alive for 5000 years, going: âIâve got forever to learn how to play violin. Why start now?â Humans, they still carry on human nature into being an undead creature. All those hang-ups stay with you.â
A version of this story ran in 2020 it has been updated for 2022.
Colin Robinson Is The Worst
Colin Robinson the energy vampire may have been reborn in season 4, but it hasn’t held him back from continuing to be a drain. The vampires of Staten Island now have to deal with wrangling an ever-growing child.
In his previous form, he was able to feed on energy by annoying or boring people into near-comatose states. He is even able to drain his housemates and other supernatural beings, making Colin Robinson the most powerful character on the show. Though high drama isn’t his thing, banal conflict between others like at the city council meeting is something he gets a lot of substance from.
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