What We Do in the Shadows is available to stream on Hulu or FX Now.
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To some, vampires might feel incredibly played out. I was in that camp until What We Do in the Shadows came along. Before we dive in, an important distinction: I’m talking about the FX TV series. There’s a feature film of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi that is wonderful and deserves your attention, but that’s not what we’re talking about right now.
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Speaking of which, Clement and Waititi are still involved as writers and occasionally direct episodes of the series. And their brand of dry and quirky humor is keenly felt throughout the episodes, but we’ll get to that later.
What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary that focuses on four vampire roommates – Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, and Colin Robinson – who try their best to navigate the American life of modern-day Staten Island. They’re joined by their human familiar, Guillermo, who acts as a liaison for the vampires, explaining the mysteries of conventional human life all while doing their laundry and making sure they’re fed – aka bringing them humans to eat.
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The series feels equal parts 3rd Rock From the Sun, in the way that the vampires are so vampire-like it prevents them from fully assimilating to human life, and Arrested Development, for its brand of comedy and joke payoff. Don’t be mistaken though: What We Do in the Shadows doesn’t dwell solely in the realm of humanity.
In addition to acting human, Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, and Colin all still have to navigate the politics of being a vampire which is surprisingly complex. They answer to a council, have to plan Vampire Orgies, and deal with other supernatural beings, like werewolves. (Those assholes).
What We Do in the Shadows takes everything to the furthest place possible, which is where a lot of the comedy is derived. It asks questions that a lot of supernatural lore establish, and through the four protagonists’ journeys, gives us answers. For example: Vampires drink blood. Where do they get the blood? How do they get the people to give them their blood? Who is dumb enough to get into a situation where a vampire could drink your blood? You get it. By not taking itself too seriously, the series offers a fresh look at vampires and the lore that accompanies them, all while packaged in some of the funniest bits I’ve watched in recent television.
Ultimately, the examination of mundane life through the absurdity of vampires is what makes this series so fantastic and provides some of the most comedic moments. I hate the term “laugh out loud funny” but it truly is the only thing that accurately describes just how hilarious this show is… and I didn’t want to use “gut-busting” because that just sounds gross.
It’s the perfect time to jump into the show because Season 2 just started on April 15 and it’s proving to be just as delightful as the first season.
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Binge It! is IGN’s recommendation series. Movies, TV shows, books, comics, music… if you can binge it, we’re here to talk about it. In each installment of Binge It!, we’ll discuss a piece of content we’re passionate about — and why you should check it out.
Source: IGN.com What We Do in the Shadows Is Arrested Development But With Vampires, Kinda