What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e10 – The Portrait

So, it’s a completely fine season finale.

And by completely fine I mean, amusing and adequate. It’s intended to close off this season and prepare the next, with lots of plot machinations going on throughout. Until the final reveal, it’s mostly Harvey Guillén’s episode but not a great one for him. Looking back at the season from here, it’s clear they never figured out what to do with him post-vampire hunter reveal—I kept waiting for Kristen Schaal to flirt with him to give it some personality, but no. There’s no character development, no relationship development, just getting things in order for hiatus.

The episode opens with a reasonably decent gimmick—the vampires are having their portrait done because portraits are very important in vampire culture. There’s a quick recap of why they’re important, but it’s a new thing coming in at the end of season three when they’ve had portraits around the whole show, and none of those other portraits come with a similar story. Doesn’t matter, the Sire and the Baron are back for the portrait, and it’s kind of adorable having them around. Plus, Donal Logue is painting the portrait. The episode does a deep dive into Donal Logue’s filmography for gags instead of doing an episode for the regular cast.

Again, it’s okay. Logue’s kind of too good for it to work. If his performance were hacky—like if he’d never learned to act—it’d be funnier. Instead, just adequate.

The worst part of the episode is never showing the completed portrait. Though the Ocean’s Twelve twist and plot unfolding reveal in the last five minutes is worse for the show itself.

There’s some good acting from Kayvan Novak and Matt Berry, though Natasia Demetriou gets the better material. She’s at least got a subplot. Guillén ought to be better, but the writing’s too broad.

The episode’s totally fine, and next season should be hilarious. But it most definitely wasn’t worth blowing the last three episodes of this season to set it up.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e09 – A Farewell

“What We Do in the Shadows” might be done with the last episode’s A-plot, but it’s not done with the B-plot, which was Kayvan Novak being sick of being a vampire. This episode continues that subplot, which doesn’t resolve here either, making it one of the show’s longest-running subplots.

Novak has decided he will go into a super-slumber—if vampires get too mopey, they go to sleep for a hundred years. Except there’s immediately a problem involving the Vampiric Council, so Harvey Guillén keeps having to wake Novak up. An international delegation is visiting, and Natasia Demetriou doesn’t want to tell them Novak’s quit the vampire life, so there are all sorts of hijinks to not appear suspicious.

Khandi Alexander, David Cross, and Donal Logue all guest star as the delegation. Cross is in a bunch of makeup, while the gag with Logue is he’s actor Donal Logue who decided to become a vampire after starring in Blade. Presumably, Wesley Snipes could’ve turned him, based on his cameo last season, but it’s not addressed. They’re all just there for the hijinks’ laughs. They all do a fine job of it.

In the meantime, Matt Berry’s trying to get some interest going for Mark Proksch’s one-hundredth birthday. They’d already planned it, but the delegates’ visit means Berry is trying to do a joint celebration, but Demetriou isn’t interested. So the Proksch stuff ends up being the B-plot, leading into next episode with a big reveal in the last few minutes then a cliffhanger.

Lots of good acting from the main cast—Guillén, Berry, Demetriou—with Proksch getting oddly very little to do. Being an energy vampire, he really doesn’t get in on the visitor hijinks and all his birthday stuff is more material for Berry. We’ll see if Proksch gets to do anything with all the material they push to next time. Similarly, Novak’s also got a reduced presence. He’s hilarious when he’s got a punchline, and he’s very little but punchlines.

It’s often very funny, but there’s too much plot (because it’s the penultimate episode of the season).

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e08 – The Wellness Center

It’s Stefani Robinson’s first writer credit this season on “Shadows.” She was credited on some excellent episodes last season. And Wellness Center has Yana Gorskaya directing too. So it’s got the right credits… they just don’t translate into an exemplar episode. It’s a perfectly good, very funny episode about Nandor (Kayvan Novak) joining a cult. It’s simply isn’t inspired.

Novak’s in a vampiric depression, which comes when vampires dwell too much in the face of eternity. There’s good material for Matt Berry and Natasia Demetriou to talk about the behavior, which will be the most they do in the episode. Pop in for some outstanding deliveries of funny jokes, and then piss off. Besides Novak, Mark Proksch and Harvey Guillén get the most to do. Proksch because he’s moving into Novak’s room if Novak leaves for the cult and Guillén because, as Novak’s bodyguard, he needs to be prepared to deprogram.

The cult itself—led by Cree Summer—is a not-unfunny concept. Vampires pretending to be human and pretending they’re living in eighties exercise culture. But Novak doesn’t have any interesting adventures with them. Instead, there are clip montages with all the gags and Novak talking in between them. It ought to be a fantastic showcase for Novak, only then it isn’t. Ditto Summer. She’s fine and has good deliveries, but she’s not some magnetic personality.

The episode does end up giving Guillén the most to do in a few episodes; just like everything else, it’s okay. There’s just nothing special about it.

It’s the show’s fault for being so consistently excellent; a perfectly acceptable good episode seems like such a letdown. The most significant subplot is Proksch taking over the bedroom, and we get some further insights into the behaviors of energy vampires. Laugh out loud insights, but because they’re mostly just cheap gags.

Actually, most of the jokes in the episode are just cheap gags, hence the problem. They’re expertly executed but immediately forgettable; not up to “Shadows”’s standard at all.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e07 – The Siren

And it’s another exemplar “Shadows.” Season three’s rise continues, making all my concerns seem very, very silly. Trust in “Shadows.”

This episode’s mostly Natasia Demetriou. Whether as Nadja or the doll version of Nadja, who decides she’s sick of being ignored and runs away. So you’ve got this adorable, foul-mouthed little goth doll running around the streets and so on. It’s a wonderful kind of hilarious. Like, this episode’s laughs all feel good on the Demetriou arc. It’s been a while since Demetriou’s really been able to kick ass on the show. But this episode fulfills—it’s literally twice the Demetriou, interacting with one another and the other characters. It’s wonderful.

Kayvan Novak and Harvey Guillén go with Demetriou, the vampire, to find Demetriou the doll. Part of the running away has to do with Demetriou and Novak being busy with the Vampiric Council. The latest drama over their partnership opens the episode, but it quickly becomes giant, magical slapstick. Guillén’s the utility man this episode—he starts with the documentarians pairing him with the doll for an interview, which pisses Guillén off for now being second-string—and he starts the doll hunt arc, then teams up with Matt Berry for a bit. Plus, there’s still the Guide (Kristen Schaal) having a crush on Guillén, which is a ship just for the comic value.

Berry’s paired chiefly with Mark Proksch as they go on a fateful trip by boat. Some amazing fake historical paintings of Berry on ships throughout history start the plot, which goes somewhere entirely different. The eventual plotline does inform some character development for Proksch, which the show then uses for a one-time-only great final punchline. It’s incredible stuff.

Shana Gohd gets the writing credit, Yana Gorskaya directs. It’s possibly Gorskaya’s best-directed episode, which is saying a lot, but it gets excellent early and just improves. Even with Proksch’s subplot, which involves guest star Catherine Cohen and a Bee Gees song, every possible plot perturbation is a success.

And then Berry gets a couple-minute subplot of his own—Guillén’s along—before the show gets back to the episode in progress. It’s all inspired; every setup delivers.

This show’s so reassuringly good, a sterling example of a show knowing what’s good about itself and running with it. Not a victory lap, because it’s still achieving, maybe… justifiably confident.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e06 – The Escape

I can’t decide if I’ve actually been bearish on “What We Do in the Shadows: Season Three”—Rona filming and Jermaine Clement leaving the writers’ room being the concerns—or if I’ve just been bearish in general and it infected “Shadows.” Because Escape, the show has cemented its third season. It’d have to crap out in unimaginable ways at this point. Escape’s a “Shadows” classic. But, of course, the show having so many exemplar episodes sets it up for a stumble or fall.

Escape is great. Yana Gorskaya’s direction is outstanding, working from an excellent script credited to Jake Bender and Zach Dunn. The episode’s a comedy thriller. Thanks to Kayvan Novak (ostensibly), the oldest vampire in the world has gone missing, and if he accidentally gets killed, all the other vampires will drop dead. Or so the legend goes. No one’s particularly sure, except Mark Proksch knows it won’t affect him. Energy vampires are born, not turned.

It turns into an all-hands-on-deck episode, with Kristen Schaal and a very special surprise return guest star helping out with the hunt for the creature as it wreaks havoc around Staten Island.

Lots of good set pieces, lots of great punchlines, lots of just right plot turns.

While Novak and Natasia Demetriou try to deal with the political fallout of losing the alpha vampire, Proksch and Matt Berry drag Harvey Guillén along, investigating whether or not the “head of the snake” legend is true. Then Guillén’s gets to step up when the vampires are unable to organize against a greater threat. They’re too used to being the greater threat.

And there’s a nice girl bonding scene for Demetriou and Schaal. It’s a wonderfully balanced episode, especially since there are times they could’ve punted plot points and instead get them wrapped up with lovely proverbial bows.

Standout performances are Novak (who’s got a mini-character arc in his panic over so failing his new responsibilities) and the very special guest star who I’m not spoiling. Guillén and Demetriou have some really good moments too. Proksch, Berry, and Schaal are, obviously, hilarious but very much in supporting parts by the end.

The episode also plays up the documentary angle a little more than usual, especially for integrating into punchlines.

It’s the season highlight (so far).

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e05 – The Chamber of Judgement

It’s a very situational comedy type of episode, with the cast pairing off again for side adventures before coming together at the end. The main plot is Kayvan Novak and Natasia Demetriou’s first time meting out justice at the Vampiric Council. Right after they decide who gets to sit on the throne. It’s a series of good bits, starting with Kristen Schaal teasing Harvey Guillén, then the throne bickering (the show nods at “Game of Thrones” without ever bringing it up), and then the actual cases before Novak and Demetriou. One of those cases—involving a return guest star (Chris Sandiford)—ends up being the crucial one the rest of the episode tracks. Any others mentioned are just gags.

At the same time, new duo Matt Berry and Mark Proksch are going over to neighbor Anthony Atamanuik’s for a guys’ night. Atamanuik and his human friends want to watch sports; Proksch has brought an Agatha Christie role-playing game. Presumably, it’s going to be a very dull evening. Then Atamanuik reveals he’s got another reason for inviting everyone over, and the subplot charges course. A little bit down the line in the subplot, we get an absolutely hilarious but complete throwaway scene with Berry playing lawyer, just so it can all tie together for the finale.

And then it ends up being something of a bridging episode; its only point is to bring Sandiford into the show as semi-regular.

The episode’s funny. The performances are all good. The script—credited to William Meny—misses quite a few apparent tangents and details. At least two of them seem like they would’ve provided better material than what they’ve got. For example, Atamanuik gets tiresome fast, and there’d be more of a joke to the situation with more thoughtful details. It’s situational comedy without fully realized situations. There are also too many throwaway gags; they run through the jokes this episode. None of them build. It only works because of the cast and Kyle Newacheck’s direction. They’re able to make the one-note jokes funny, time and again. Especially with Sandiford, part of his character is being a one-note joke, and it gets thinner as the episode progresses. The script doesn’t even have a real punchline for it. Just a series of gags and then an epilogue gag.

Also, the episode wastes Proksch, who keeps introducing potentially lively elements, and then the episode goes somewhere else without him. It’s an inglorious use of Proksch for sure. And maybe having seven-ish regulars is too many.

But most of the laughs are good. Most of the jokes land. They’d better too; they’re such easy ones.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e04 – The Casino

One of the things about “What We Do in the Shadows,” back in the first season, was the high number of standout episodes. Thanks to the lack of overarching narrative, week after week, the show could deliver these great done-in-ones. This episode is the first (and hopefully not only) great done-in-one for Season Three. It’s the first episode credited to Sarah Naftalis, whose been in the room since Season Two; Yana Gorskaya directs; she’s done a bunch of great episodes.

If the title weren’t a giveaway, the episode very quickly sets it up. The vampires are going with their human neighbors to Atlantic City. There are a few vampire details—the vampires have to bring their dirt with them from their coffins; otherwise, they won’t be able to sleep and will lose their magic and become irritable—and a quick moment with Kristen Schaal (who doesn’t need to be in it but it’s like she’s a regular, yay), then it’s off to AC. In a party bus. With a bunch of drunk humans.

The neighbors, Anthony Atamanuik and Marissa Jaret Winokur are renewing their vows. They were on a standout episode from last season, where they got a lot more to do. I’d forgotten Atamanuik being a big fan of the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy, which turns out to be a plot point and part of the third act gag. It’s excellent stuff and possibly even funnier not remembering the mega-fanning has already been introduced. It’s such a strange franchise to obsess about. The episode will introduce another one when Kayvan Novak becomes obsessed with “The Big Bang Theory” thanks to a slot machine.

“The Big Bang Theory” detail jokes themselves are, of course, limited because how funny could you really make them, but it figures into the plot twice in unexpected ways, and they’re both doozies. Everything in the episode, except maybe the surprise resolve in the finish, Harvey Guillén’s side adventure (there’s not enough room for all four vampires and Guillén), and the truncated vampires bonding with Guillén material, everything’s a doozy. And of those three lesser bits, only Guillén’s side adventure isn’t really funny. Thanks to Guillén’s performance, the absurdity of the adventure, and the direction, it’s amusing and cute, but it’s not a comedy gag. The surprise resolve is just over in a few seconds because of narrative efficiency, and the truncated bonding seems to be promising something more going forward. I mean, they better get back to Matt Berry interrogating Guillén about his parents’ sex life. Sex is the only thing Berry ever wants to talk about, and they’re trying to include Guillén more since he’s now officially their bodyguard.

The rest of the jokes are all hilarious. Everyone gets a bit of an arc, with Natasia Demetriou’s night out with Winokur and the girls getting interrupted when she sees old friends. Novak and Mark Proksch have an arc together, while Berry’s got one with Atamanuik. It’s all spectacularly paced, phenomenal comedy. Great work from the cast, great work from the crew. The script’s truly superb.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e03 – Gail

I’m feeling a lot better about this season. Or, more accurately, I feel like I don’t have to worry about this season. Given the significant changes—filming during Rona, Jemaine Clement leaving the writers room—I’d forgotten the standard season-to-season change. They’ve been away for a while, the momentum’s slowed, the energy’s changed. But they’re doing just fine. No small thanks to the script, credited to Marika Sawyer, which does an excellent parsing out of the cast for the episode.

The main cast will all come together eventually, but most of the episode has them split. Natasia Demetriou and Kayvan Novak have to work together on Vampiric Council business—in this case, updating the website—so Matt Berry and Mark Proksch have their own adventure together. They’re both selflessly—though verbosely—keeping the other company as the household adjusts to the new normal of Demetriou and Novak working together.

Except, of course, Novak is skirting his Council duties to hook up with his previously never mentioned regular lady friend for the last forty years, guest star Aida Turturro. Despite being the center of all the drama, Turturro actually doesn’t do much. She gets talked about a lot—all the men are convinced Demetriou doesn’t like her because women are all jealous of each other, which might not be as funny of a joke if Demetriou and Turturro weren’t great (and if it didn’t have a female writer credited)—and Harvey Guillén’s hilariously jealous of her getting Novak’s attention. She’s much more the subject of the episode than an active player.

It’s mostly Novak’s episode. While Berry and Proksch split their subplot, the rest supports lovestruck Novak, with Guillén and Demetriou fixating on him for different reasons. The resolution will bring in one of the series’s regular villains, and the episode wrings all the potential out of it well. Novak’s got to deal with some worst-case scenarios and does so in his wonderfully obtuse manner.

There are lots of terrific laughs; each actor—except Guillén, who’s very supporting this episode—gets at least five. Then some outstanding ensemble laughs. Plus, Kristen Schaal is back. She’s almost a regular, which I really hope continues. More than anyone else at this point, Schaal’s the audience’s avatar. And, despite not having a bunch to do, Turturro’s fantastic; great guest casting.

Again, lots of credit to the script for the character balancing and better incorporating the Vampiric Council arc into the episode plots. And maybe just giving Berry enough to do.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e02 – The Cloak of Duplication

The episode opens with a lengthy, hilarious bit of Harvey Guillén mocking Kayvan Novak’s lack of self-awareness. It’s terrific. And then there’s immediately another strong punchline bit when the cast returns to the Vampiric Council building to get a grand tour. Kristen Schaal’s around for the tour and that second strong punchline—as well as a C plot set up involving the world’s oldest vampire, presumably even older than the world’s oldest vampire who was in the first season.

Other C plot building has Mark Proksch deciding he’s going to figure out where energy vampires come from; he even gets an adoring fan in Nabil Rajo, another energy vampire, but one who works as a weed dealer and talks about his sneakers to feed. The stuff with Proksch and Rajo’s some of the best-written material in the episode. It’s a very funny episode, but the rest of it is situational.

For example, the A-plot has the other vampires pretending to be Novak (thanks to magic) and going to his gym to ask out clerk Lauren Collins on his behalf. Except, of course, Collins thinks it’s Novak every time (even though the other vampires retain their voices). No surprise, Matt Berry’s voice performance is the best, though Novak has a great time imitating Berry’s physical performance. It’s a good sitcom bit, with a great couple punchlines in the last scene.

Meanwhile, the real Novak is off with Natasia Demetriou and Proksch on a bookkeeping mission. Youngster Queens vampire Tyler Alvarez isn’t paying his dues to the Council, and they’re going to collect. Or Demetriou’s going to collect while Novak wants to be gentle and genial about it. Proksch’s along to take the meeting minutes. Lots of good subtle digs on the energy vampire stuff.

Berry’s got a little more to do, but he’s still out of the main plots. He can’t go on any adventures this episode because he’s too busy reading old vampire porn at the Council library. It’s a not very funny gag the episode can get away with—to a limited extent—thanks to Berry. But when he’s actually got a scene opposite Guillén, it’s again apparent they’re just not using him for some reason. It’s one of those “hope he’s okay,” but if he is okay, it’s also worrisome.

Though it’s an absolutely phenomenal episode for Demetriou. She and Novak mostly share the A plot stuff—with Proksch’s punchlines getting the spotlight—but she gets some great material in the finale.

It’s a good episode. I’m nearly sure I’m unjustifiably uneasy about the season.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s03e01 – The Prisoner

I wasn’t apprehensive about this season of “What We Do in the Shadows,” but there are a couple changes to this season I couldn’t help but think about as this episode kicked off. First, show creator and original movie co-creator Jemaine Clement isn’t involved in a writing capacity this season, which may take a while to show itself to be a problem (or just never be one). Oh, and I think they filmed during Covid lockdown. Because there are barely any house exteriors in the episode, and when there are house exteriors, they’re super shot shots, and they appear to be CGI.

Or maybe director Kyle Newacheck just doesn’t like establishing shots.

The episode picks up almost a month after last season’s cliffhanger; the vampires, Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Mark Proksch, have discovered their familiar (well, Novak’s familiar), Harvey Guillén, is actually a vampire hunter. They’ve been trying to decide what to do with him since he saved them from execution at the end of last season; even though he saved them, killing vampires is a no-no, and Demetriou really wants to kill him. Novak doesn’t but isn’t really too forceful about it. Berry’s disinterested. Proksch’s got a related subplot, and, well, I wouldn’t want to spoil.

After the opening with Novak and Demetriou arguing, it quickly becomes a Guillén episode and a slightly absurd one. But he also reminds why he’s such a good protagonist for the show. He’s able to mug his way through some of the thinnest plot logic.

Luckily, the cliffhanger resolve is the B plot, with the Vampiric Council returning—in the form of guest star Kristen Schaal—to deal with the disobedient vampires. It involves a hilarious VHS joke and a cameo from one of the original film stars, though I guess it’s unclear if he’s playing the same character. It also doesn’t really matter; it’s just a nice cameo.

The best performances in the episode are Guillén, Novak, and Demetriou. Proksch’s recurring bit is fine and funny, but it’s just gross-out, albeit intentionally boring gross-out, so it doesn’t require much from him. Berry’s fine when he has material, but he’s seriously got so few lines you could also make me believe he’s green-screened into some of the scenes due to Rona.

But it’s a good opener, with a solid season set up—it’s kind of big story arc stuff, especially for this show—and by the end, I was ready to just trust in “Shadows,” which has always paid off before.