What We Do in the Shadows: Pine Barrens
August 17, 2022 3:52 AM - Season 4, Episode 7 - Subscribe

Nandor and Laszlo air out their differences on a hunting trip at an isolated cabin; Nadja has a girls' night; Guillermo reconnects with his family for the first time in twelve years.
posted by geoff. (9 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I was really hoping with an episode named Pine Barrens we'd see a spoof on the highly rated Sopranos episode of the same name. AVClub pointed out the bit where Nandor and Laszlo just happent to have their roommate contracts on their person is a throwback to writer Phil Simms other show NewsRadio. But another great episode, I always feel their short which I take it as a good thing. There were three plot lines in a 20 minute episode!
posted by geoff. at 4:30 AM on August 17, 2022 [1 favorite]


Oh and I loved the Frasier reference, "Daphne was not the maid... she was Frasier's dad's physical therapist." Between that and not knowing what Roblox is, which I don't, this show definitely caters to whatever generation I am that identifies with thousand year old vampires.
posted by geoff. at 4:59 AM on August 17, 2022 [6 favorites]


Compliments to Nadja for starting the night with a successful girls night, including Marwa and having a wonderful time. And then enjoying her dinner with the de la Cruzes, at least up until she didn't. I loved getting Guillermo and Nadja's talking heads about their evenings, not realizing that they were in house together. I suppose things could have gone worse.

And I love that Nadja, whose closest friends are the Guide and a doll with her soul in it, utterly rejects the Nandor/Gizmo relationship. Too codependent for her! I did hope that if Guillermo came out to his family we'd meet his boyfriend, but not yet.

I keep having to adjust my expectations of Baby Colin. He ran off because he was bored not sad or afraid, and he wasn't the slightest bit afraid of the Jersey Devil. Whatever he is, he's formidable.
posted by gladly at 11:22 AM on August 17, 2022 [7 favorites]


I was really hoping with an episode named Pine Barrens we'd see a spoof on the highly rated Sopranos episode of the same name.

I heard somebody conjecturing that the story Sean tells where three guys went out to the woods and one never returned might've actually been based on the ending of the Sopranos episode. I've never watched that show or that episode, so I can't say.

I was glad the show finally stopped playing coy about Guillermo being gay. But given how Guillermo's relatives went absolutely kill-crazy in the presence of a vampire, it's kind of strange that he doesn't. In his case, maybe it translates into being horny for vampires instead?

It's really not a good sign for Nandor's marriage that it's presumably been mere days since he got married and he's already fleeing out to the woods with the guys. I was rather surprised Nandor didn't bring Guillermo along... but if he had this would've inevitably turned into a story about their relationship, and while that's always fun it was good to check in with Nandor and Laszlo. They've been friends and roommates for a long, long time, but they're one of the less explored relationships in the house.

What is up with Baby Colin bashing holes in the basement walls? Is he just expressing his latent monster side? Or could it be there's something down there he feels compelled to get to, without understanding why?
posted by Ursula Hitler at 12:41 AM on August 19, 2022 [1 favorite]


Baby Colin talking about Roblox had a strong "emotional vampire" feeling to me.
posted by Pendragon at 6:48 AM on August 19, 2022 [1 favorite]


Baby Colin has taught me that children are indistinguishable from emotional vampires.

Harvey Guillén wrote a column in Esquire about coming out, and I love the metaphor that he uses: "If the truth of who you are was a home, you are allowed to live in it before having to invite everyone in. People are only allowed in this home you’ve built on your own terms, and only when you’re ready to host them. There is no ticking time bomb you should fear; whether you are 12, 25, or 75, the time is right when it’s right for you."
posted by gladly at 7:01 AM on August 19, 2022 [16 favorites]


My guess: Colin hid something in the walls.

But then I'd expected them to fix the standing water downstairs by now, too, and I was surprised at where they picked up on the season premiere. Letting the lead characters be so stupid flawed lets them subvert expectations.
posted by Pronoiac at 10:05 AM on August 19, 2022


Baby Colin talking about Roblox had a strong "emotional vampire" feeling to me.

Love that his favorite game on the platform has the option to be a pizza chef or an insurance adjuster.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:13 PM on August 19, 2022 [2 favorites]


Per Reddit Pine Barrens is the 37th episode of The Sopranos and the 37th episode of WWDITS. There's other connections too, a boat called the Stugots (Season 3, Episode 7) and Janice Soprano herself played Gail in Season 3, Episode 3!
posted by geoff. at 5:03 AM on August 20, 2022 [6 favorites]


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