Colin Robinson Takes Center Stage Among Comedy All-Stars in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’
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What is a vampire’s best friend? On “What We Do in the Shadows,” the answer varies. For Nandor (Kayvan Novak) it might have been Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), but he has eyes now for Alexander (Robert Smigel); for Laszlo (Matt Berry), it varies since he gets along with everyone; for Nadja (Natasha Demetriou) it would be Laszlo, or perhaps the doll encasing her own ghost (anyone but Kristen Schaal’s Guide); and for energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), it’s bureaucracy.
Colin takes over Sean’s (Anthony Atamanuik) campaign for Staten Island comptroller in Season 5, Episode 4, “The Campaign,” written by Max Brockman & Shana Gohd and directed by Yana Gorskaya. His rapid immersion in politics spurs an alliance with old flame Evie (Vanessa Bayer) and exposes the pair of them to the local energy vampire council.
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Bayer hasn’t appeared on “WWDITS” since her first appearance in Season 1’s “Werewolf Feud,” when Evie and Colin were coworkers who teamed up to drain their office but eventually parted ways. She slips back into the role like she never left (one could argue that her “I Love That For You” character had some emotional vampire elements), pouting and limping and tentatively telling pitiful stories that feed on everyone around her. The debate scene is not only a master class in vampire power plays, but in Proksch and Bayer sucking the marrow from two roles that require meticulous patience and timing, with every pause and fumble captured expertly by Gorskaya’s team (Bayer deserves an Emmy solely for her delivery of “full of the dickens”).
It’s so masterful, in fact, that they are immediately abducted by the energy vampire council, whose home base is a basement-level document library — a.k.a. the worst place you can think of. In a standout scene of the episode and season thus far, Colin and Evie are tortuously drained as they watch the council quibble over phone settings, microphone levels, and logistics — and what a council it is; Jo Firestone, Hannibal Buress, Aparna Nancherla, Gregg Turkington, and Martha Kelly, all clearly having a blast while concealing it deep, deep beneath brilliantly deadpan exteriors. They confirm that bureaucracy is the lifeblood of the energy vampire (or at least a way to acquire said lifeblood), which suggests that all bureaucratic human institutions exist at least in part to feed them.
The fact that there is an energy vampire council at work creates exciting possibilities for Colin; this means that nothing he did thus far ran afoul of their authority, but that they are now both aware and slightly wary of his power. Although they threaten him and Evie (“Beat Barbara Lazarro…or else”), they’ve also entrusted them to acquire the comptroller seat and hold onto it for the sake of their fellow vibe-killing kin. By episode’s end, however, Colin may have fallen from their good graces as Evie wins the seat, but perhaps the council will view a win as a win regardless. It’s truly heartbreaking to see Evie leave Colin’s life again (is she draining ME?), but hopefully her tenure as comptroller means she’ll be back sooner rather than later.
Given the trove of information and deliberately long scenes spent with Colin this episode, the rest of the house get fairly simple and straightforward stories. Nandor makes a Jewish friend (I’m only pointing it out because he did… and because of how that ends up), while Laszlo tries and repeatedly fails to charm Nadja’s community in Little Antipaxos. As confident and even intimidating as Laszlo is with his fellow vampires, putting him in this environment reiterates that he is, in fact, an oaf — but one who handles missteps and humiliation better than anyone, letting it simply wash over him. The Antipaxans believe him to be the latest incarnation of an old folk tale of a “wet-headed, wide-bodied ignorant oaf with the brains of a chewing gums…the king of pigs,” Nadja explains. “My king of pigs.” Little Antipaxos has not been particularly compelling thus far, but the season has also leaned heavily on the other vampires. Nadja still has a curse to lift, and it’s only a matter of time before that takes the spotlight.
Grade: A-
“What We Do in the Shadows” airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX and Fridays on Hulu.
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