Episode 4 of What We Do in the Shadows was written by Tom Scharpling & Jemaine Clement and directed by Jemaine Clement.
SYNOPSIS: The vampires venture into Manhattan, to make an alliance with an old friend who is now the king of the Manhattan vampires.
Staten Island’s favorite blood suckers are back at it this week with a plan to expand their reach to Manhattan. The crew hatches a plan to rekindle an old friendship, and hopefully get a few steps closer to the vampire controlled world The Baron demanded. Unsurprisingly, the outing does not go as planned, though there is a lot of new information about the Manhattan underworld in this episode.
Spoilers for Episode 4 ahead!
Manhattan socialite Simon (Nick Kroll) proves that the reach of vampires in America may actually be extensive. Laszlo, Nadja, and Nandor seemed surprised that he had amassed such a large following of vampires. The Baron surely choose poorly when he selected the Staten Island vamps to overtake America. This episode cements the Staten Island crew as the underdogs. They’re a bit out of touch and set in their own ways.
One of the biggest draws to keep watching the show is Guillermo. He continues to be under appreciated by Nandor. In this episode he learns that a whole collective of familiars exists, they even have a newsletter! He seems quite upset at being kept out of that group and trapped on Staten Island. It seems like his days with Nandor could be numbered.
The woman Nadja turned a few episodes back also makes an appearance in episode 4. Curiously, she seemed to be unaffected by sunlight, though it’s possible her transformation isn’t yet complete. It’s interesting to see more of the actual vampire lore of this world define itself through her. I’m looking forward to what she’ll bring to the Staten Island vamps, and if she can help them fulfill The Baron’s quest. I also have a feeling she may help Guillermo finally become the undead being he has wanted to be for 10 long years.
These characters continue to be a lot of fun, though I find some of the substance of the opening 2 episodes missing from the subsequent 2. I would love more of the vampires questioning their nature, and confronting their loneliness.
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