‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Episode 6 Stresses the Urgency of Guillermo’s Situation — Spoilers
[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “What We Do in the Shadows” Episode 6, “Urgent Care.”]
“What We Do in the Shadows” has never taken pleasure in withholding information from the audience — quite the opposite. Early seasons peeled back vampire lore and unveiled the vampiric council. Season 4 focused on Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as the baby which crawled out of his chest cavity grew into… another Colin Robinson. The Season 5 premiere, after some excellent teasing, answered the question of whether or not Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) had been turned into a vampire, while Episode 3 revealed more about energy vampires with a dazzling guest cast.
More from IndieWire
'Telemarketers' Review: The Safdies-Produced HBO Documentary Is a Rowdy, Eye-Opening Exposé
Rob Lowe Says Leaving 'Unhealthy' Situation on 'The West Wing' Was 'The Best Thing I Ever Did'
Season 5, Episode 6 offers yet another intriguing tidbit about modern-day vampiric existence: familiar urgent care. It’s less legitimate and effective than vampiric bureaucracy, but hey — they’re just familiars. As Guillermo’s vampirism becomes harder to hide, viewers are let in on the secret while the other vampires — especially Nandor (Kayvan Novak) — remain in the dark.
The biggest development in “Urgent Care,” written by Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil and directed by Yana Gorskaya, is that Nadja (Natasha Demetriou) is now in the know about Guillermo getting turned (turnt?). She does not ultimately tell Nandor (or Colin Robinson, who tees it up but “couldn’t give two squirts”), but this means the Staten Island mansion is dangerously close to a classic TV “they-don’t-know-that-we-know-they-know-we-know.”
I have never wanted anything more in my life. Dramatic irony is a time-honored sitcom tradition, and “What We Do in the Shadows” will make spectacular use of it, just like it makes spectacular use of everything else. And even if the anticipated set-up does not come to pass, the show has my blessing for it in perpetuity.
Episode 6’s storylines mix up cast pairings, this time sticking Nadja with Guillermo and Nandor with Colin Robinson. (Matt Berry’s Laszlo is, presumably, back home tending to his frogs.) Demetriou unleashes Nadja’s irascible nature outside the house, where it’s more intimidating than around the usual recipients. She gets a thrilling fight sequence with the deranged urgent care doctor (this man is just a murderer?), including hand-to-hand combat and occasionally using Guillermo’s body as a weapon. Guillén is also superb as the drugged-up familiar-turning-vampire, smiling vacantly at Nadja and throwing around the word “bitch” a lot.
The B-story, while a little less cohesive, remains an outrageously good time. Through years of bemoaning Colin Robinson’s boring nature, no one would think that his becoming interesting might actually be deadly. Every beat of this fairly simple yet satisfying premise hits: the other vampires flocking to him and leaving Guillermo crying on the floor; the run-over foot turned viral video turned car ride with John Slattery (get me an audio loop of Novak saying that name in full, stat); the energy transference and truth of Colin’s identity that he reveals only to a gobsmacked, near-death Nandor (“Asssss…”).
Colin might not give two squirts, but he’s extremely close to sussing out Guillermo’s secret if he pays attention and makes the effort. The frogs are such an insane development that no one should be expected to draw real conclusions from them (as Nandor demonstrates), but that could change as Laszlo’s experiments continue — not to mention the fact that Guillermo is turning more every day. It’s one thing to hide his appetite and telekinetic powers (convenient that he can still be in the sun and can’t fly), but eventually the tell will appear right on his face — in his mouth, to be precise. Is Nandor so obtuse that he won’t recognize the change in his familiar when looking right at his sharpened incisors? Probably, but still!
Grade: B+
Last Drops
I need Nadja doll to interact with a Guillermo frog immediately.
A frozen block of piss and shit from an airplane fell on a Ferrari and the broken side mirror hit Colin Robinson in the face. Take a moment for that if you haven’t already.
“I believe in you and I love you, Guillermo.” Same, buddy.
Colin’s dialogue was operating on a different level in this episode, presumably because he’s hangry. He had me at “Hey, boners.”
I half-expected Slattery to be a secret energy vampire with that actorly accent obsession.
Nadja saving Guillermo from the doctor is the closest she’ll ever get to saying she loves him, and that’s fine.
Matt Berry was born to say “Quick, to the laboratory!”
New episodes of “What We Do in the Shadows” premiere Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX and Fridays on Hulu.
Best of IndieWire
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
