What We Do in the Shadows is Back for Season 3
What is the recipe for success for a half-hour comedy these days? Apparently, it's to take a beloved New Zealand mockumentary about vampires and adapt it to American television.
What We Do in the Shadows, helmed by Oscar-winning Taika Watiti and Jermaine Clement of the original 2014 film of the same name, is a vampire-centric mockumentary-style show entering its third season. For those unfamiliar with the show, the main premise is that a group of centuries-old vampires emigrate to Staten Island from Europe, hoping to conquer the New World, but end up just being roommates in a dilapidated manor, getting into weekly shenanigans. It follows three traditional vampires, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Laszlo (Matt Berry), and Nandor (Kayvan Novak), their boring energy-vampire housemate Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), and their familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). Nadja and Laszlo are a loving married couple, while Nandor is the self-appointed ringleader, despite his lack of leadership skills. Colin is their energy vampire roommate, meaning instead of drinking blood, he gains his nutrients from boring people out of their energy. Lastly, Guillermo is a human familiar, someone who serves the vampires in the hopes that he will one day become a vampire. The cast has an undeniable—albeit strange—chemistry. After two strong seasons, What We Do in the Shadows is entering its third season with fervor.
Season two left fans with quite a cliffhanger for a typically non-canonical show. Upon the finale of the last season, Guillermo takes out most of the Vampiric Council, a form of local vampire government, with his newfound Van Helsing blood. In a show where each episode wraps up neatly by the end of the half-hour, this ending was uncharacteristically climactic. In typical What We Do in the Shadows style, the high climax of season two was matched with domesticity in the season 3 premiere. Things picked up right where they left off and the vampires got back to business. Thankfully, only the Season 3 premiere was dedicated to wrapping up this storyline.
The best moments of the show are self-contained episodes, and this premiere was tasked with actual plot referring back to the previous season. In the establishing episodes of season 3, Nandor, Laszlo, and Nadja get appointed to lead the Vampiric Council as they were some of the only vampires spared, and Guillermo gets appointed official bodyguard but is still treated as a familiar. After a dramatic plotline, the familiar dynamics of the show are back one episode in.
Upon entering its junior season, What We Do in the Shadows is taking absurd risks. From vampires dancing to Bob Seger to a lengthy Twilight tribute kickball scene, there is no holding back. What makes these vampires so refreshingly funny is that the show does not take itself too seriously. In season 3, episode 3, “Gail”, physical humor comes to the fore. With a show so reliant on clever dialogue and off-kilter humor, physical comedy does usually not abound. But when Lazlo repeatedly hits Colin Robinson with his rediscovered vintage car, the writers are evidently taking worthy risks. These scenes are the most memorable and the season is not even over.
When the main vampires, shrouded in vague Eastern European accents, meet the modern world, Shadows finds its most idiosyncratic humor. An early highlight, episode four, “The Casino'', is one of the best in the whole series. The vampires take an Ocean’s 11-inspired trip to Atlantic City with their neighbor’s vow renewal party. Seeing these archaic vampires playing Big Bang Theory-themed slot machines and generally enjoying themselves in Staten Island is wildly funny. This episode was reminiscent of fan-favorite Season 2 episode, “On the Run” which features Laszlo running away from a debt to a small town, taking on the persona of Jackie Daytona, a beloved local bartender. This episode was one of the best because of its innovative and silly storylines, but also because it took place in a different setting. In “The Casino”, it is exciting to see the cast in a different setting compared to the usual gothic manor and to see them interact with modern people.
While season 3 is generally proving to be entertaining and well worth the wait, there are some problems with the show. Kristen Schaal’s character is largely cringe-worthy. Her character, a guide working for the Vampiric Council, appeared as a guest acting slot in past seasons but is now becoming a regular voice in the show. While it is a great sight to see more female main characters, her character’s dialogue and accent often come off as stale.
The ultimate highlight of the third season is the new character pairings. In this season, Colin is often paired with Laszlo in many adventures, creating an unlikely friendship between the awkward Colin and the overly proud Laszlo. On the other hand, Nandor and Nadja spend their time fighting for power of the Vampiric Council. In episode 7, “The Siren”, these new pairings are explored with Laszlo and Colin falling under the spell of a siren and Nandor and Nadja searching for Nadja’s enchanted doll. This episode is bizarre but characteristic of the show’s strange appeal.
While a vampire mockumentary may prove to be just a novelty, this novelty has not worn off just yet. From quarrels with the puppy-dog-like werewolf crew to establishing a website for the Vampiric Council, the over-the-top comedy of What We Do in the Shadows is a highlight of current TV and season 3 is proving to be its best one yet. With 2 and 8 Emmy nominations for seasons 1 and 2 respectively, I wouldn’t be surprised if season 3 gets nominated in multiple categories. I may be biased since I’m a sucker (pun intended) for vampire content, but What We Do in the Shadows is genuinely one of the funniest things on TV right now. In the dreary world we live in, sometimes all we need is a little vampire mockumentary.
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