What We Do is Watch What We Do in the Shadows
I didn’t think I’d find myself here, laughing until there are tears in my eyes at vampires literally killing people. I’m well aware that I now sound like an awful person. But as far as I know, I’m not a horrible person. Rather, I’ve got a mildly unhealthy obsession with the television series What We Do in the Shadows.
Based off Taiki Waititi and Jermaine Clement’s 2014 mockumentary of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows follows four vampires, Nandor, Nadja, Lazlo, and Colin Robinson, and a human familiar, Guillermo, living in Staten Island, New York. Like the film, the series is presented through the lens of a documentary crew filming the vampiric group. There’s gore and blood, plenty of sexual innuendos, and some surprisingly heartfelt moments. And, in my opinion, it’s the best show on television right now.
Why? The enigmatic nature of every single character. Usually, a television series has main characters with at least a few redeeming characteristics. Maybe a character is a serial killer, but they had a rough childhood or form a wholesome relationship with another character that inspire the audience to continue rooting for them. Not this series. Every single character is a terrible person (erm, vampire), and the writers make sure that you know it. Take Lazlo, for example. Some of his defining characteristics include killing humans and cheating on his wife. I will say, this is the baseline for vampire morality. Every vampire enjoys one of these hobbies, if not both. So, the audience needs to erase doesn’t kill people off any imaginary list in their heads that determines what characters they’d like to root for right off the bat. In one of my favorite episodes, “On the Run,” Lazlo, as his Pennsylvanian alter-ego, Jackie Daytona, helps a small-town girls’ volleyball team fundraise to attend a state-wide championship. Just when I thought that Lazlo was changing for the better, he beats up a group of motorcyclists on a ride to end child abuse. In the off chance that the vampires improve slightly, they still remain cruel, heartless, and downright evil. Arguably the most wholesome of the vampire crew, Nador, was known for pillaging villages before he moved to Staten Island. No character is safe from immorality. Even Guillermo, Nador’s human familiar, goes on a vampire killing spree in season two.
And somehow, I don’t even hesitate in rooting for these characters. I wholeheartedly adore them. (I don’t know what that says about me and don’t want to find out.)
The comedy of this show comes from the small interactions and mishaps of the vampire crew in their everyday life. In one episode, Nador opens a chain email that tells him he has been cursed. Being thousands of years old and technologically illiterate, the email sends the vampires into a panic. In another episode, Lazlo and Nadja crash and burn as they try to perform original songs at an open mic. Yes, the vampires hypnotize, levitate, transform into bats, and crawl up walls, but they are useless when it comes to simple social interactions. I think that’s what makes these characters relatable. Sometimes we all feel like vampires who doesn’t understand social cues. What We Do in the Shadows gets me on spiritual level.
I don’t want to spoil this series, but I want to encourage you to watch it now. It’s truly magical. It’s escapism at its finest. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and gory. It can capture comedy, horror, and mockumentary fans alike. Was it a weird show to choose to watch with my mom? Yes, but it created a bonding experience for us. And in my opinion, bonding with your mom over a television show full of vampires killing people is the best way to bond with your mom.
If I cannot convince you to watch What We Do in the Shadows, then I implore you to listen to Lin-Manuel Miranda when he says, “Viva Guillermo!” and tune into this masterpiece of a show now, just in time for spooky season.