Quick Info
I have a soft spot for comedies that lean all the way into the absurd, so “What We Do in the Shadows” hits the sweet spot for me. It’s a mockumentary about four vampires living together in modern Staten Island, and it completely runs with that ridiculous premise from minute one. You get the sense that the writers have pure affection for their weird little universe, and it makes every scene feel like an inside joke you’re lucky to be in on.
The real star here is the ensemble cast. Kayvan Novak as Nandor manages to be both deadpan and totally ridiculous, while Matt Berry’s Laszlo is just as extra as you’d hope. Natasha Demetriou’s Nadja is the actual heart, if it’s possible for something undead to be that. And then there’s Harvey Guillén as Guillermo, the long-suffering “familiar,” whose journey is honestly the best surprise the show pulls off.
The humor might not be for everyone. There’s a lot of awkward silences, improvised-sounding riffing, and recurring jokes that get wilder as the seasons go. Some episodes are tighter than others. When it’s on, it’s laugh-out-loud funny, but I’ll admit, a couple of storylines feel like they’re treading water. But honestly, I’ll take a bit of repetition over a show that plays it safe.
One thing that surprised me is the actual production quality. If you remember the low-budget charm of the original film, the FX version goes for more polish without losing the homemade vibe. The sets are delightfully dreary, the costumes are better than they need to be, and there’s always a visual gag hiding in the corner if you look for it.
What gives the series real staying power is its mix of running gags and genuine character growth. You start off watching for the jokes, but by season two or three, you actually find yourself rooting for these idiots. Guillermo’s arc, in particular, brings a level of emotional investment I genuinely did not anticipate from a show that’s basically a supernatural version of The Office.
It’s not perfect. Sometimes the humor leans a bit too heavily on “isn’t it funny that vampires act like regular people,” and there are a couple of episodes that completely miss. But I honestly think when “Shadows” is firing on all cylinders, it’s one of the best comedies of the last decade.
The R8 Take
This is for the folks who like their sitcoms strange and dark but surprisingly sweet. If you ever wondered what The Office would look like if everyone was an immortal idiot, this is your show.
