Season 6 - 11 episodes (2024)
Rent What We Do in the Shadows on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Jemaine Clement
Starring: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, Kristen Schaal
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer
Plot
A look into the nightly lives of four vampires who have lived together on Staten Island for over a century.
Verdict
This show has been so consistently excellent from the beginning. I love the humor and style. It's not slap stick or trying to make you laugh out loud; it's clever and subtle, the type of show you need to watch twice to get all of the jokes. These characters are completely serious about their silly plights and always find themselves in ridiculous situations because of it. My only complaint is that there won't be any more seasons. This was always a show I looked forward to watching. It's such a smart comedy with completely charming characters.
Watch It.
Review
When I saw a spin-off of the movie What We Do in the Shadows,
I had to give it a shot. The movie is great, and this is similar, but
it also is completely unique. This has been one of my favorite comedies since it started airing. I
love the understated comedy.
In season five, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) finally became a vampire, but his transformation was stunted and he had to hide it from Nandor (Kayvan Novak) as Guillermo had another vampire turn him.
 |
| Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Matt Berry, Andy Assaf play Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, Cravensworth's Monster |
The very first episode has Nandor, Laszlo (Matt Berry), and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) recall a fifth roommate, Jerry, we've never seen nor been mentioned. Since they've been alive so long and are careless, it's plausible. Jerry questions their pursuit of taking over the United States. They only made it as far as the next street over.
One of the overarching plots this season is Laszlo trying to create a Frankenstein-esque monster. He and Colin (Mark Proksch) search for a suitable head through Colin's ride sharing gig. It sounds so ridiculous, but this show manages to make the most ridiculous of premises plausible. Later in the season Laszlo uses his hand as a phone to get out of a meeting. He fools no one, but leaves anyway.
Regardless of the situation, every scheme they develop is so over complicated. That may be the hallmark of this show. Of all the options Laszlo and Colin have to convince their neighbor they work for the train company, they end up renting a building and staff to fake it. They never once consider hiring anyone that knows anything about trains for guidance because every one of these vampires is certain with every decision they make that they're right. They rarely are. The only person with any sense is Guillermo, and they not only ignore but mock him. Somehow these vampires stumble through life and fail upward. These aren't debonair and charming vampires, though they think they are, and that's what makes this so funny. It upends all the vampire tropes with characters that think they embody those tropes.
 |
| Andy Assaf, Mark Proksch, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Matt Berry, play Cravensworth's Monster, Colin, Nandor, Nadja, Guillermo, Laszlo |
In episode seven Laszlo and Nandor think their neighbor is possessed by a demon so they summon a larger demon to scare the first demon. Nandor keeps suggesting they just kill the neighbor. It's hilarious how little they understand, but it's also that they just don't care. When the neighbor ends up in the hospital, Laszlo's conversation with the doctor encapsulates everything about what make his character so funny. Laszlo treats the doctor like he treats everyone, his subordinate.
We get these fully realized characters, as ridiculous as they are. Their schemes never turn out, yet they're so earnest about everything even though it's always small stakes. They're funny because of how serious they are. It's their devotion and lack of self awareness that drives the comedy. While this probably isn't my favorite season, it's still really good.
No comments :
Post a Comment