Clarisse Loughrey’s Show of the Week column, published every Friday, spotlights a new show to watch or skip. This week: What We Do in the Shadows bows out, leaving an unimpeachable legacy.
What We Do in the Shadows: Season 6
It hadn’t really entered my mind that, one day, What We Do in the Shadows wouldn’t be around anymore. FX’s vampiric mockumentary sitcom, in the span of half a decade, has nestled into that cosy, affectionate corner of culture that was once the domain of Parks and Recreation, the US Office, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. We’ve come to know these weirdos inside and out: Laszlo (Matt Berry) and his thunderous proclamations, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and her beautiful rage, Nandor (Kayvan Novak) and his naive but murderous ways, Colin (Mark Proksch) and his info dumps, and Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) and his weary exasperation.
And now, suddenly, we have to say goodbye. Six seasons is a long time for any show in today’s climate. The legacy it’s left behind is unimpeachable, especially since it’s outgrown its source material, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s 2014 film of the same name. We’ll always have Jackie Daytona, Gizmo, “creepy paper”, that “big, bloody, stupid hat”, Nandor’s rendition of One Week by the Barenaked Ladies, and “you really are the most devious bastard in New York City!”
What We Do in the Shadows found an ideal dynamic, where the foundational sitcom trope of no one ever growing or learning could be easily explained away by the fact most of these characters are, in fact, immortal—even six seasons is only drop in the ocean of their actual lives. Instead, we were allowed merely to marinate in their dorky, wild, horny peculiarities, and in their blasé philosophies cultivated so that they never had to actually be vulnerable or open themselves up to pain that, for them, would last an eternity.
Granted, critics have increasingly pointed out that series was starting to run short on ideas, which is fair considering there’s already a film that set out to prod at every vampire trope in existence. Season six has a number of episodes that feel the brunt of that near dried-up well: a storyline in which Nadja and Nandor become convinced the Airbnb next door is actually host to shapeshifters is immediately followed by one where they think their other next door neighbour Sean (Anthony Atamanuik), going ballistic over college basketball, has been possessed by a demon. A lot of the episodes are based around some variety on the same premise: the vampires encounter an ordinary human habit, and assume it must have a supernatural explanation.
Still, even the weakest premise always paves the way to something odd and hysterical, and season six contains some all-timer jokes: Lazlo attempts to reanimate a corpse and looks confused any time anyone brings up Dr. Frankenstein; Guillermo enters the corporate world, with help from Colin, with their partnership eventually becoming unexpectedly violent; there’s finally a reference to the viral “succulent Chinese meal” video, which I did initially think was a clip from the show when I first heard the audio on TikTok.
Each time the season hit on this kind of classic material, I couldn’t help but think of all the great gags we’ll miss out on. But it makes sense for What We Do in the Shadows to bow out now. Guillermo’s journey has been a delight to watch, and Guillén has proven himself as the earnest, beautiful soul of this series, but the switch from vampire familiar to vampire killer to vampire to ex-vampire added a finite quality to the story. And, thankfully, its writers found a perfect curtain call for the series—one that’s meta, irreverent (if you’re watching it on a streaming service, make sure to check the extras tab, there’s a moment where viewers were served one of three possible scenes), and briefly sentimental before being immediately undercut.
I was struck, in a way I’ve never before been struck during a series finale, by a sense of peace—of the realisation that this is not the end for these characters, that they’ll keep on living, having adventures and freaky sex. We just won’t be there anymore. I’m so glad we had the chance to visit, however briefly.
