What We Do in the Shadows season 4(+)

[Norton Canes]

Season 4 just had its second episode aired on BBC2 this week and all episodes are on the iPlayer, but we're watching it in its broadcast slot as it's a nice way to lighten the mood after 24 Hours in Police Custody (mind you, the ritual sacrifice of a newborn would be a nice way to lighten the mood after 24 Hours in Police Custody). And it's all good, still very funny, though - like the very best sitcoms, a recent example of which is Ghosts - this far in, you laugh as much because your familiarity with the characters means you know how'll they'll behave, more than perhaps actual jokes. So in that sense I guess by now it won't win over any new converts.

After we'd watched it I checked the Wiki to see how many episodes there were, and... what?! Not only was season four was from 2022, but they've already made and released season 5. Didn't realise the BBC broadcasts were so far behind. Also, season 6 will be the last and a new series, We're Wolves, featuring (what else) werewolf characters is in the works (originally titled What We Do in the Moonlight which come on, is way better). 

Anyway, loved the episode with Nandor's wives, particularly as they were speaking Farsi and Mrs Canes was able to translate.

[Shaxberd]

Watched all of season 4 on Disney+ last year, you're in for a treat. They shake the formula up a little bit in this season with generally really strong results. Love the djinn, love Baby Colin Robinson (and that nobody seems to realise he's still an energy vampire, it's just that acting like an ordinary child is enough to drain other people's energy), and the final episode is spectacular.

[Snrub]

Yeah I think from Season 4, Disney+ had first run rights, glad the BBC is still showing them though - I'm a traditionalist like that.

Is the one with the home makeover episode in Season 4? I really liked that one was a lot of dumb fun. I remember season 4 being a big improvement over a really sluggish Season 3.

Haven't got round to Season 5 yet - anyone seen it?

[Mister Six]

Funnily enough we just caught up with the start of season four too. I really started to go off season three, which seemed to rely too much on a genuine monster of the week format (the zombie, the original vampire, the siren, the gargoyles etc) mixed in with some bafflingly poor storylines (the neighbour trying to sell pillows). Like they'd run out of ideas for the flat share comedy concept and we're flailing a bit.

It also felt a bit meaner and nastier. Colin Robinson wanting to cattle-prod Guillermo felt out of character - he's a dick and callous, not an out and out psychopath, surely? And they seemed happier to show the vampires slaughtering people on camera, which the first couple of seasons were quite careful about - things like the opening to the siren episode being Laszlo bloodily murdering a guy in front of his terrified friends (who run off unhypnotised, even though the Vampiric Council was going to execute that guy for doing the same thing the exact same season) and that's the joke.

The continuity also felt really shoddy. In one episode Nandor can't speak his old language; in another he's reading old scrolls. Laszlo saying that ghosts don't exist even though he had sex with his own ghost the previous season. Colin Robinson wanting to know about his past even though he summoned his grandma's ghost and so on.

Anyway, this season seems like a big improvement, even if it's early days. I'm glad they remembered Nadja doll exists, too.

Also, Natasia Demetriou continues to be gorgeous.

[gilbertharding]

I hate to be negative, but here goes:

I thought the film was great fun, but I never got past the first episode of the series... so perhaps that's why when I happened to watch 15 minutes of a recent episode the other day, I thought it was utter shit. Just complete excrement.

[Mister Six]

You clearly love to be negative, you big fibber.

[Average Comedy Enjoyer]

Really liked this series, especially second half.

Is my suspicion correct that the difficulties Tash was having with her father's illness (as discussed in depth on the Adam Buxton pod) was why she mainly spent the latter episodes out of the house and in the nightclub?

Sets and costumes clearly very well managed this season too.

Agree with Djinn being great, much like their ghosts and the Badabook, a fun thought experiment with plenty of humour.

[Mister Six]

Love the username, @Average Comedy Enjoyer.

[gilbertharding]

You clearly love to be negative, you big fibber.

Believe me, I don't.

And I absolutely wouldn't have posted anything, at all, except the memory of watching it the other day coincided with this thread being at the top of the forum list just now.

I am fully aware of how tedious 'I don't like it' posts are, especially as (on this thread, anyway) everyone else does like it.

[neveragain]

Believe me, I don't.

And I absolutely wouldn't have posted anything, at all, except the memory of watching it the other day coincided with this thread being at the top of the forum list just now.

I am fully aware of how tedious 'I don't like it' posts are, especially as (on this thread, anyway) everyone else does like it.

I'm more on your side than the others. Would love to love the show, and on the power of the cast quite enjoyed it at first, but I just got bored somewhere in the second series. The characters in the film got under my skin more (pun!) than these talented comedy actors doing their shtick.

[Mister Six]

Forgot to mention - Jermaine Clement left the show at the end of the second series, which might explain the dip in quality.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

This isn't about Cliff Richard, then.

[Average Comedy Enjoyer]

Well since we're being negative Nellies I really don't like the "Simon The Devious" actor or plotlines.

All the lead actors have accents they can definitely do, combined with a back story which supports the accent.

Kristen Schall and Nick Kroll just do "Wampire" accents and all StD's bits are very lame SNL/Will Ferrell type.

End on a positive note: I love a good spoof, and the house flipping episode was cunningly established in-universe early on.

[Two Headed Sex Beast]

Yeah I think from Season 4, Disney+ had first run rights, glad the BBC is still showing them though - I'm a traditionalist like that.

Is the one with the home makeover episode in Season 4? I really liked that one was a lot of dumb fun. I remember season 4 being a big improvement over a really sluggish Season 3.

Haven't got round to Season 5 yet - anyone seen it?

I have seen it, and liked it on a par with season 4. They explore a couple of interesting angles and (light spoiler)

Spoiler alert

Guillermo's "becoming a vampire" story gets a bit of development

[close]

. To be honest I kind of forget now what was in 4 and what was in 5.

No doubt when you lot catch up someone will tell me it's shit, but I liked it. I feel like season 6 being the final one is probably the right decision though.

[Oosp]

Fuckin love it. Just so much fun. Season 5 is super. Thank you jah bless

[gilbertharding]

This isn't about Cliff Richard, then.

Jet Harris's wife. Fact.

[Snrub]

Halfway through Season 5 now, and really enjoying it a lot. The groove is definitely back, and I'm really enjoying every single Nandor story particularly (was never that into the plot about his wife a season or two back).  The local new episode in particular was a highlight, especially the ending

What I'm really not sure about at this point is why they have insisted in shoehorning in Kristen Schaal's character into every episode as one of the main cast. I like her generally and her character is OK I guess, but not worth promoting from a guest to a regular especially as they clearly have no idea what to do with her.

[Minami Minegishi]

Yeah, I didn't understand Schaal's character at all. The writers seem to have the same attitude to her as the characters in the show.

Really enjoyed season 5 a great deal and Gismo's vampire trajectory really works. Big fan of Colin Robertson too.