What We Do in the Shadows seasons 4 and 5

[steveh]

Since it moved to Disney+ there hasn't been much discussion here.

Season 4 I found rather disappointing though it still had its moments. The plot about Nadja opening the nightclub just wasn't very interesting while Colin Robinson's rebirth and new childhood ended up being a bit annoying after a while. It felt like they'd been pushed into making the shown more of a drama when really the silliness is what made it.

Season 5 though is a return to form. The underlying story with Guillermo doesn't dominate while still providing a good basis for other things and there's a lot more inventiveness. The episode with Colin Robinson running for office was for me one of the most perfect comedy half hours I've seen this year.

Already renewed for a sixth season apparently.

Oops, should have been Comedy Chat.

[superthunderstingcar]

Oddly enough I finished watching the fourth season of this just the other day (haven't seen the fifth season yet but will get on to it soon). I watched the first three seasons when the BBC showed them, but it seems they're not doing that any more, so I had to get my hands on Disney+ to see this. Yes I do feel dirty and disgusting as a result, thanks for asking.

This was not quite able to sustain the heights of the superb third season, with the ensemble cast mostly split up into their own sub-plots that didn't cross over nearly so much or so well as in earlier seasons. Nevertheless it remained very funny, and the eighth episode in particular stood out as a highlight, taking the form of a reality TV home makeover show visiting the vampires' house. You couldn't think about the realism of this too much or it wouldn't have stood the scrutiny, but this has always been true of the fly-on-the-wall documentary format point anyhow, so best just to forget it and enjoy the comedy.

[Mister Six]

I'm only on the third season now. Just had the first episode that felt underwhelming (the one where they have to capture the Sire), so I'm glad that the overall quality has been kept high.

Watching them almost back to back (usually a couple a night with Mrs Six over dinner) really makes it clear how little of a shit they give about continuity, consistency and attention to detail, though. Not major stuff, mostly, just things like Nandor not remembering his birth language in one episode then reading it from manuscripts in another, or Laszlo saying that something is a myth "like ghosts and big dicks", even though he met his own ghost the previous year, and he's obviously fucked tons of men. Colin Robinson has seemed more actively cruel this season too, rather than just deliberately irritating/not arsed - wanting to zap Guillermo with the cattle prod seemed very out of character.

[steveh]

Found this an interesting conversation with the writers: https://www.vulture.com/article/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-writers-panel-interview.html.

Contains massive spoilers for season 5.

[Average Comedy Enjoyer]

Jaw-dropping big of stunt scripting where Nadia, Colin Robertson and Laszlo take it in turns to shapeshift into Nandor. The first few minutes I though there was some dubbing or AI modulation going on, but it is of course just Kayvan Novak being inhumanly good at mimicry.

I think that was S5. Definitely stood out.