Plot: After the shocking season two finale, we find the housemates in a panic about what to do with Guillermo after discovering that he is a vampire killer. This season, the vampires are elevated to a new level of power and will encounter the vampire from which all vampires have descended, a tempting Siren, gargoyles, werewolf kickball, Atlantic City casinos, wellness cults, ex-girlfriends, gyms, and supernatural curiosities galore. Plus, Colin Robinson is turning 100. And Nandor, faced with his own eternal-life crisis, tries to inject his life with more meaning. Will he find love or is he destined to be an immortal bachelor with 37 ex-wives?
Review: The first two seasons of What We Do In The Shadows are the most consistently funny first two years of any series that I can think of. Expanding on the brilliant film from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, the small screen iteration took the concept of a mockumentary following a household of vampires and gave us a whole new clan to laugh at. Like the BBC versus NBC takes on The Office, the big and small-screen versions of this story complement and enhance each other rather than serving as remakes. Now, are the adventures of Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, and Colin Robinson able to hit the hat trick with a third run as good as the first two?
I am happy to report that answer is a resounding yes. What We Do In The Shadows continues to mine the everyday elements of modern life as fodder for the fish out of water undead living on Staten Island. In both of the first two seasons, the central conflict surrounded the foursome of vampires as they struggled with the mandates of the Vampiric Council as well as Nandor’s familiar, Guillermo, discovering his family lineage as a vampire killer. Both of these cropped up as driving plot elements in the first season finale before the Council dropped as a significant device until the season two finale. The third season, at least over the first four episodes made available for this review, resets the narrative a bit to bring both of these in line with the season narrative arc.
With the main cast moving into positions of power as the leaders of the local Vampiric Council, What We Do In The Shadows shifts slightly into a workplace comedy. Where they before were the offenders, now these characters wield their power and the results are often chaotic and ridiculous. Nandor and Nadja vie for council control while Laszlo explores the vast pornographic library they now have access to. Colin Robinson continues to be his energy-sucking self even if he begins to show a bit more backbone around the more traditional bloodsuckers. Guillermo also no longer has to hide his Van Helsing connection which allows for a much broader selection of jokes at the writer’s disposal.
The new season sees a cameo from a very familiar face as well as the addition of Kristen Schaal as The Guide who works with the new leadership of the Council. While the episodes in the first half of this season continue to serve as standalone stories, the overarching Council narrative makes this the most cohesive season so far. The characters pair off in different iterations than we have seen before, which gives Colin Robinson and Guillermo a lot more to do within the main storylines. Mark Proksch’s Colin Robinson always seemed like a throwaway gag in the first season but quickly grew to a significantly funny presence. Now, having his role included with the main vampires lends to much more dynamic humor. The vampires despise him and he knows it which makes it even funnier when they don’t get along.
But it is also great to see Harvey Guillen still the butt of the jokes but also an active participant. Now that everyone can share storylines, everything feels more balanced from episode to episode. In fact, while the first three episodes all have hilarious pairings, the fourth episode titled “The Casino” proves just how great this show is when every character is involved. It also shows that while these are supernatural beings who bring death to humanity, they are incredibly human themselves. The backstories shared this season for everyone help develop these characters even more and evoke sympathy from the audience. Never before have I felt vampires to be as relatable as they are on What We Do in The Shadows, making this more than just a funny show but a very heartfelt one, too.
Overall, it is hard to find anything negative to say about this series. My lone complaint has to be that the stories often feel like they have rushed to a conclusion to fit the half-hour sitcom format, but that issue is minor compared to the laughs we consistently get in each outing. The entire cast continues to mine their character traits to hilarious effect, even when it seems like they revisit similar jokes we have heard for two seasons already. The slight narrative shake-up this season keeps the story fresh but it may need to find something else to keep it going past this season. For now, enjoy as What We Do In The Shadows continues to be as darkly funny as it ever has been.
What We Do In The Shadows premieres it’s third season on September 2nd on FX and the next day on FX on Hulu.
Follow the JOBLO MOVIE NETWORK
Follow us on YOUTUBE
Follow ARROW IN THE HEAD
Follow AITH on YOUTUBE