With Its Season 4 Finale, What We Do in the Shadows Confirmed It’s a Legend In the Making
The post With Its Season 4 Finale, What We Do in the Shadows Confirmed It’s a Legend In the Making appeared first on Consequence.
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers through the Season 4 finale of What We Do in the Shadows, “Sunrise, Sunset.”]
Some comedy series premiere in a blaze of glory before eventually losing some of their luster — the joke of the premise wasn’t enough to sustain more than five episodes, or the writing of Season 2 never lived up to the promise of Season 1. Which is why it’s so satisfying to watch the Season 4 finale of What We Do in the Shadows and know that this is a series that’s well on its way to becoming an iconic tentpole for FX.
FX isn’t a network known for hasty cancellations, with many of its shows running for as long as the creators want to keep doing them (meaning four seasons for Atlanta, and infinity seasons for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia). But it was still eye-opening when earlier this year, the network announced that Shadows had been renewed for both Seasons 5 and 6 — seasons we now see have plenty of story potential to cover, following the events of “Sunrise, Sunset.”
Initially, you might not have thought that this would be the case with “Sunrise, Sunset,” as its focus is largely on resetting the biggest developments of Season 4. This includes Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) giving up on her unsuccessful vampire bar, but more importantly, “the creature that clawed its way out of the abdominal cavity of dead Colin Robinson” (Mark Proksch) completes his journey towards adulthood, reborn as the vest-wearing energy vampire we originally met in Season 1.
Even while the finale commits to these changes, though, it’s less about leaving behind the past and making way for new storytelling opportunities. For example, Colin Robinson might be somewhat back to normal, albeit with no memories of his second childhood in Lazlo (Matt Berry)’s care — something which may have emotional payoff for their relationship.
What We Do In the Shadows (FX)
And in the case of Nadja’s bar, some high-concept bits, like a vampire bar, are worth running out to to a firm conclusion. Especially when the last big joke on the matter (the fire being prevented from spreading by the ever-dysfunctional blood sprinklers) is such a great button.
Of course, “Sunrise, Sunset” isn’t at all about a return to the status quo, because it does end with a big twist: Guillermo going to longtime vampire acquaintance Derek (Chris Sandiford) and demanding that he finally be made a vampire (in exchange for a large duffle of cash). Whether or not Guillermo has his fangs when Season 5 begins, the transformation that the character has gone through over this season — even coming out as gay to his family, and having his first real boyfriend — now feels like the beginning of what’s to come for the character.
And throughout all this, Shadows remains compelling in its quirks, like the delicious weirdness of the secret compartment Colin Robinson discovers, or how the show continues to play with how the documentary cameras interact with the action. These are exactly the sort of unexplained touches that will only fuel subsequent seasons, while also ensuring that the world of the series grows more fully realized, even as its mysteries deepen.
That’s not why the show feels destined for immortality, though. Because one of the best things about Shadows is that it’s regularly very, very funny, but it has the heart and instincts of a drama, and isn’t afraid to put real character development ahead of a potential joke. There’s real pathos to certain scenes here, certain storylines — you care about the fates of Nandor and Nadja and Lazlo and Colin and Guillermo, even when they’re snarling at or betraying each other. It’s the weirdest found family on television, but these characters often feel much more human than the “humans” on primetime TV.
So, with that cover of “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler on the Roof stuck in our heads indefinitely, we begin waiting patiently for Season 5’s eventual premiere. And hopefully, fingers crossed, for many more seasons to come.
What We Do In the Shadows is streaming now on Hulu.
With Its Season 4 Finale, What We Do in the Shadows Confirmed It’s a Legend In the Making
Liz Shannon Miller
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