What We Do in the Shadows: Show Finale
December 17, 2024 6:49 PM - Season 6 (Full Season) - Subscribe
The vampires enter the human workforce.
What!! Multiple hypnosis endings!! The comments say the additional endings are available on streaming services under “Extras,” gotta check that out now!
This was an excellent series finale, at the end of a less than excellent season. The idea that the vampires, who have walked the earth for anywhere from a hundred to a thousand years, wouldn’t care one whit about a 6 year period coming to a close—as heart-wrenching as it is for Guillermo and us—is brilliant. And I loved how the episode introduced silly B-plots as if the show were still going to go on, specifically the Monster being horny and Laszlo scheming to cut off the Guide’s head to make a bride.
But while this episode was so brilliant in presenting how a vampire’s perspective differs from ours, this season had a lot of moments where the vampires (and non-vampires) were made to act goofy for sitcom purposes. Like, any of the vampires (other than Colin) feeling the need to work in an office. Or the vampires, after spending 6 years being filmed, thinking another film crew is an invading army. Or Nandor suddenly wanting to be Batman, despite (as far as I recall) not a single scene explaining how he knows anything about comic book tropes.
Is it good the series ended because they were running out of ideas, or did they stop trying to come up with ideas because they knew the series was ending? Either way, it seemed to end as best as it could at just the right time.
The brilliant part is that someone could revive this show in two years with a new group of vampires in, I don’t know, Fresno, and it could be just as hilarious for another 6 years. I’ll miss it until then!
posted by ejs at 10:48 PM on December 17 [3 favorites]
This was an excellent series finale, at the end of a less than excellent season. The idea that the vampires, who have walked the earth for anywhere from a hundred to a thousand years, wouldn’t care one whit about a 6 year period coming to a close—as heart-wrenching as it is for Guillermo and us—is brilliant. And I loved how the episode introduced silly B-plots as if the show were still going to go on, specifically the Monster being horny and Laszlo scheming to cut off the Guide’s head to make a bride.
But while this episode was so brilliant in presenting how a vampire’s perspective differs from ours, this season had a lot of moments where the vampires (and non-vampires) were made to act goofy for sitcom purposes. Like, any of the vampires (other than Colin) feeling the need to work in an office. Or the vampires, after spending 6 years being filmed, thinking another film crew is an invading army. Or Nandor suddenly wanting to be Batman, despite (as far as I recall) not a single scene explaining how he knows anything about comic book tropes.
Is it good the series ended because they were running out of ideas, or did they stop trying to come up with ideas because they knew the series was ending? Either way, it seemed to end as best as it could at just the right time.
The brilliant part is that someone could revive this show in two years with a new group of vampires in, I don’t know, Fresno, and it could be just as hilarious for another 6 years. I’ll miss it until then!
posted by ejs at 10:48 PM on December 17 [3 favorites]
It definitely was a satisfying finale for a pretty great show.
I actually felt the season was fairly strong compared to the previous season. Vampires going to work in the office kind of leaned into their bored indifference in the world, finding something to do to fill their time, but it also touched upon their characters. Nandor clearly wanted to watch out for Guillermo and it was repeatedly funny how he had no idea how paper towels worked and so on. Nadja has repeatedly shown herself, be it serving as president of the local vampire council, a desire to get out of the house and do things.
I'll need to go back and review the season to speak to other things more specifically.
Two small things from the finale that I liked was the repeat of the freak out where everyone thought they were going to have to abandon the house after being outed (I think Nadja kept her go bag in the same place when this happened earlier in the show?) was the first appearance (chronologically in show?) of Jackie Daytona. "Look darling, I just remove this piece of wood from my mouth...." and the fact they cast other people to play the characters when reviewing the documentary footage at the end.
The Newhart Show ending I saw and I literally stopped writing and watched the others. Definitely worth a check in on Hulu, won't ruin the surprise.
posted by Atreides at 7:19 AM on December 18 [1 favorite]
I actually felt the season was fairly strong compared to the previous season. Vampires going to work in the office kind of leaned into their bored indifference in the world, finding something to do to fill their time, but it also touched upon their characters. Nandor clearly wanted to watch out for Guillermo and it was repeatedly funny how he had no idea how paper towels worked and so on. Nadja has repeatedly shown herself, be it serving as president of the local vampire council, a desire to get out of the house and do things.
I'll need to go back and review the season to speak to other things more specifically.
Two small things from the finale that I liked was the repeat of the freak out where everyone thought they were going to have to abandon the house after being outed (I think Nadja kept her go bag in the same place when this happened earlier in the show?) was the first appearance (chronologically in show?) of Jackie Daytona. "Look darling, I just remove this piece of wood from my mouth...." and the fact they cast other people to play the characters when reviewing the documentary footage at the end.
The Newhart Show ending I saw and I literally stopped writing and watched the others. Definitely worth a check in on Hulu, won't ruin the surprise.
posted by Atreides at 7:19 AM on December 18 [1 favorite]
I never loved this show but I did enjoy it for its full-hearted goofiness. And I liked this ending. All the meta-commentary, particularly the jokes about how it'd been six years and nothing had changed for anyone. Except Guillermo, maybe? Maybe not so much. I liked how he could be sincere though and the Batman ending was sweet.
I absolutely love Mark Proksch, have since the very early K-Strass days. I always felt he was under-utilized a bit in this show. He really showed up this last episode. Can't wait to hear what big thing he does next. I'm hoping it's more than just Exploding Kittens, although good for him for getting paid.
posted by Nelson at 9:52 AM on December 18 [2 favorites]
I absolutely love Mark Proksch, have since the very early K-Strass days. I always felt he was under-utilized a bit in this show. He really showed up this last episode. Can't wait to hear what big thing he does next. I'm hoping it's more than just Exploding Kittens, although good for him for getting paid.
posted by Nelson at 9:52 AM on December 18 [2 favorites]
Somehow I didn't know the show was ending until watching this, and...oof, what a blow. I'm glad they made a proper ending -- I would've been furious about an abrupt cancellation! -- but while I was watching, I just kept thinking "I wish I didn't know this was the last episode."
posted by grandiloquiet at 1:01 PM on December 18 [1 favorite]
posted by grandiloquiet at 1:01 PM on December 18 [1 favorite]
I may be the last person on the planet to find this, but if you're watching on Hulu, check out the "extra hypnosis " tab for alternate endings!
posted by Space Kitty at 8:34 PM on December 18 [1 favorite]
posted by Space Kitty at 8:34 PM on December 18 [1 favorite]
god the running gag with the batcave paid off impeccably at the end, which was basically, what, the third or fourth ending they put in there? Really enjoyed this finale overall, though I lost my bet that Matt Berry would say “this is democracy manifest” by the end of the season
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:41 AM on December 19 [1 favorite]
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:41 AM on December 19 [1 favorite]
Or Nandor suddenly wanting to be Batman, despite (as far as I recall) not a single scene explaining how he knows anything about comic book tropes.
In the last scene of the previous episode, Guillermo says something along the lines of “so you’re going to be Batman?” and Nandor replies “I have no idea who that is,” so presumably he did some research after that.
posted by potent_cyprus at 5:58 PM on December 19 [1 favorite]
In the last scene of the previous episode, Guillermo says something along the lines of “so you’re going to be Batman?” and Nandor replies “I have no idea who that is,” so presumably he did some research after that.
posted by potent_cyprus at 5:58 PM on December 19 [1 favorite]
so presumably he did some research after that.
I thought the gag was that Nandor has absolutely no idea what a Batman is, and keeps coming up with parallel plans that mimic it with zero comprehension that it's been done before.
posted by FatherDagon at 9:07 AM on December 20 [2 favorites]
I thought the gag was that Nandor has absolutely no idea what a Batman is, and keeps coming up with parallel plans that mimic it with zero comprehension that it's been done before.
posted by FatherDagon at 9:07 AM on December 20 [2 favorites]
I would've liked to have seen things just a bit more resolved. Guillermo actually leaving would have worked, or Guillermo and Nandor actually teaming up as crimefighters could have worked too. But instead they left it in this weird limbo, where Guillermo is leaving but he and Nandor are going to try and be friends and perhaps they'll be a crimefighter team, and it's just kinda-maybes all the way down. At least they didn't end it with Guillermo and Nandor making out in Nandor's coffin. For a moment it looked like that's where they were going, and I just don't think that would've been right for the characters. Guillermo seems to be (mostly) over his Nandor crush, and I've always had the feeling that Nandor thinks of Guillermo kind of like a beloved, wayward pet.
When they did that bit last season where we found out that if a vampire's sire was killed the vampire becomes human again, I had a hunch they were setting up a series finale where the original Sire would die and all the vampires in the world would become human. They didn't go there, and to be honest I'm glad they didn't. For one thing, the Baron and the Sire seem so sweet together that I'd hate to break them up. But also, the vamps are all so accustomed to the undead life that the prospect of them trying to survive as humans just sounds kind of grim. They'd truly need Guillermo's help, just to make it through the day without accidentally killing themselves.
Overall I was a bit disappointed by the finale, but then I always liked the show best when it was a little more grounded and dark and the wackier comedy stuff tended to be less interesting to me. The whole Usual Suspects thing was totally lost on me, I had to look up what they were even parodying. It felt like they ended with a whole lot of plot threads left dangling, but I guess that was sort of the point. Life will go on (and on and on) for these characters, but, as Nandor said, we just won't be there to see it.
I'm pretty sure that severed head of Nadja's former co-worker is going to end up as the head of the monster's bride.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:17 PM on December 20 [3 favorites]
When they did that bit last season where we found out that if a vampire's sire was killed the vampire becomes human again, I had a hunch they were setting up a series finale where the original Sire would die and all the vampires in the world would become human. They didn't go there, and to be honest I'm glad they didn't. For one thing, the Baron and the Sire seem so sweet together that I'd hate to break them up. But also, the vamps are all so accustomed to the undead life that the prospect of them trying to survive as humans just sounds kind of grim. They'd truly need Guillermo's help, just to make it through the day without accidentally killing themselves.
Overall I was a bit disappointed by the finale, but then I always liked the show best when it was a little more grounded and dark and the wackier comedy stuff tended to be less interesting to me. The whole Usual Suspects thing was totally lost on me, I had to look up what they were even parodying. It felt like they ended with a whole lot of plot threads left dangling, but I guess that was sort of the point. Life will go on (and on and on) for these characters, but, as Nandor said, we just won't be there to see it.
I'm pretty sure that severed head of Nadja's former co-worker is going to end up as the head of the monster's bride.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:17 PM on December 20 [3 favorites]
When they did that bit last season where we found out that if a vampire's sire was killed the vampire becomes human again
The logic was that if your sire (or their progenitors) died, you became mortal again but also your body aged to your actual age -- so long-lived vampires would crumble to dust immediately, while Guillermo just aged a couple months rapidly.
I thought the finale was OK, normal WWDITS tomfoolery. My wife didn't like it at all and thought it was a big letdown; she expected more of a catharsis and a wrap-up rather than fakeouts and same old same old.
posted by AzraelBrown at 2:55 PM on December 27
The logic was that if your sire (or their progenitors) died, you became mortal again but also your body aged to your actual age -- so long-lived vampires would crumble to dust immediately, while Guillermo just aged a couple months rapidly.
I thought the finale was OK, normal WWDITS tomfoolery. My wife didn't like it at all and thought it was a big letdown; she expected more of a catharsis and a wrap-up rather than fakeouts and same old same old.
posted by AzraelBrown at 2:55 PM on December 27
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posted by porpoise at 6:51 PM on December 17