S02.E08: Collaboration

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Nandor’s old familiar from the 1970s returns to Staten Island, Guillermo leaves to serve a new master, and Nadja and Lazslo revive their musical act.

Airing Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

 

[teddysmom]

Since this has been in all the ads for the show, didn't know if it's a spoiler or not, but  I'm going to have that "We're feeling Horny for Love"  in my head for all eternity. 

I already go around the house singing it, just like Nadja.

Edited May 27, 2020 by saoirse
Not a spoiler, so tags removed! :)

[Vermicious Knid]

I think it was featured as a flashback during a season 1 episode? I distinctly remember those outfits.

Terribly excited by the description.

[teddysmom]

I'm so confused about what day it is due to the holiday, I forgot it was Wednesday. 

Mrs America will infuriate me, and Shadows will cheer me up immensely. And we all know what a bad ass feminist Nadja is. 

[TexasGal]

Guillermo getting ready for an orgy with a turtleneck on.  I’m dead. (And out of this world.)

[peridot]

LOL at Lazslo being the original creator of popular songs.  The language was pretty dirty this episode, I wasn't expecting the song about cream.

Nandor really doesn't give a shit about humans, it's hilarious.  I would love to see him discoing in white platform shoes.  From the end, are we to assume he actually turned his old familiar or was the familiar playing a prank on everyone?

Guillermo actually stood up for himself!  I wonder how long his terms will be met by Nandor.  I loved his disinterest in the desperate/horny familiar.

[formerlyfreedom]

I like that they have finally found Colin Robinson's groove this season. He's a great addition to the household, and I love his looks to the camera...

Edited May 28, 2020 by saoirse
live v love - there's a difference!

[sistermagpie]

I love that Nandor and Guillermo are like a love story for the ages. He's been alive for centuries, has dropped god knows how many familiars off at bus stations, but Guillermo has gotten under his skin. He can't live without him even though he knows in his heart that he's...a slayer!

There's no telling how this will end!

Also I love Sam the familiar. Amazing work with those little paws.

[voiceover]

Yet more brilliance.  

I love this show so much, that when I talk about it to other people, I sound like its mother.

Nandor was his usual dry snarky oblivious self: "O-AK"... G[correcting him]: "A-OK" ...N[tries to get it right]: "O-KA!"

And I loved the visual of the record album: "Nadja and Laszlo Sing Songs of Love&Terror".

A twist I didn't see coming: the vampire's still a familiar!  A twist I always knew was coming: the adorable make-up/negotiation bit between Nandor and Guillermo.  Got me right in the feels.

(ps: @LittleIggy!  It's not the Nadja puppet, but I **did get a Nadja tote bag last week!!)

[Ms Lark]

1 hour ago, peridot said:

From the end, are we to assume he actually turned his old familiar or was the familiar playing a prank on everyone?

I was assuming Nandor had finally turned him, but you certainly bring up a very interesting alternative!

I enjoyed Guillermo's story. I'm not convinced Nandor will turn him, but maybe someday? At least he got to fly! Shame about the pillow. I hope we get to see Sam again, he was a delight.

I'm not much of a fan of low comedy, so wasn't crazy about Nadia/Lazslo this week. I would have liked to hear more of the Lindbergh baby song, though.

[LittleIggy]

@voiceover Where did you get the tote bag? And I pimp this series all the time too! 
Everyone joining in on “Kokomo” was funny as was Colin Robinson’s disappointment at it.

I want Sam the familiar back too.

Jolf! 😆 Nandor knowing who Tiger Woods was...😆

[Zanne]

17 minutes ago, voiceover said:

(ps: @LittleIggy!  It's not the Nadja puppet, but I **did get a Nadja tote bag last week!!)

Sorry to butt in, but I got a Nadja print this week and am so excited I had to share! It's not the Puritan Nadja or the final Nadja/Laszlo portrait from the opening credits which I would love, but it's mine!

And...back to the show.

I knew the vamp familiar was faking it the second she said she would turn all her familiars within the year since the raison d'etre of vampires seems to be torturing their familiars with the promise of immortality. Plus, I am extremely jealous of that charcuterie board Sam created.

 

[Vermicious Knid]

That was pretty great. Celeste building her coterie of familiars while lying through her (fake) teeth and vaping blood. In retrospect, it was suspicious she was so excited about charcuterie when vampires can't eat human food. Was hoping Guillermo would get to keep the cat but he probably would have been eaten. Although they do play the long game so I wouldn't be surprised if Sam turns up in a later episode.

Had to pause on the record, the song titles were everything they mentioned, copyright 1963 by Cravensworth Records. The horror of Open Mic Night. Also confused by the ending; he had to be a vampire but when did it happen? That was a definite "Gotcha!" we didn't see coming!

[teddysmom]

The Olympics song? "What else do you have planned Mr Hitler "? Omg

And Kokomo. How  do they know the words?

I hope Sam comes back. 

I love how Colin Robinson screws with them.  Only the best get asked to appear. Sing your new stuff.  

Is there anywhere further away from here than Delaware? 

Edited May 28, 2020 by teddysmom

[iMonrey]

Quote

I would have liked to hear more of the Lindbergh baby song, though.

OMG that one killed me. "Where is my Lindbergh baby?"

They really pushed the boundaries here with the the language. Not that I mind but wow, they are testing the limits of what they can get away with. And all the talk about beating off into the pillow (poor Guillermo.)

I think we're all confused about the twist at the end. My take was that the old guy was a vampire all along and just forgot or something. But I don't think Nandor turned him. I really don't think Nandor wants to turn anyone. 

On the other hand, I'm not sure the writers knew either. Maybe they just thought it would be a funny twist to end the show with.

[teddysmom]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

On the other hand, I'm not sure the writers knew either. Maybe they just thought it would be a funny twist to end the show with.

Yeah I'm not sure what happened.  He couldn't be hypnotized if he was a vampire right? 

Maybe he was a vampire all along and forgot.  

I am utterly amazed at the genius of the writing. All those crazy songs.  Hitler, Lindbergh baby. 

Also people from Indiana love "Kokomo" so I was dying.   

[Bruinsfan]

My assumption is that Nandor turned Benny, since he realized that he preferred Guillermo as his familiar. I don't think he's morally opposed to turning someone into a vampire or anything, it's just that from his perspective there will always be time later to get around to it.

I too loved Sam the familiar and hope to see him again. Is he actually the familiar of Celeste's little girl master, or did he desert some other vampire who didn't appreciate his awesome catering skills?

 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

9 minutes ago, Bruinsfan said:

My assumption is that Nandor turned Benny, since he realized that he preferred Guillermo as his familiar. I don't think he's morally opposed to turning someone into a vampire or anything, it's just that from his perspective there will always be time later to get around to it.

Plus, once he turns Guillermo, he needs another familiar.

[tennisgurl]

Sam the familiar returns to be the best of all familiars! Nobody makes a cheese plate like he does! 

Awww the plot with Nandor and Guillermo was actually quite sweet, in a vampire kind of way. I fear that Guillermo will have to wait a bit longer to become a vampire (and not just because it would change the shows dynamics a whole lot) but at least Nandor admitted that he does think Guillermo is a good familiar and is willing to give him a few days off, and will turn him...eventually...one of these days...

I assumed that Nandor really did turn his old familiar, as he didn't need him anymore now that Guillermo is back (and he didn't want to tell Guillermo because he would get pouty and Nando asked him to pretend to be a human still) and...why not at that point? It would be funny if he did become a vampire at some point and just forgot though. 

Nadia/Lazslo as song writers who wrote just about every song ever is hilarious, especially them turning into some kind of vampiric folk rock duo while Colin Robinson tries to get a yummy buffet from their open mic night. Sorry Colin Robinson, you cant fight a classic sing along song, its always a crowd pleaser. 

"When the band says they're going to play their new stuff instead of their old hits, they go nuts”. 

Edited May 28, 2020 by tennisgurl

[iMonrey]

Quote

"When the band says they're going to play their new stuff instead of their old hits, people really love it."

No, "they go bananas."

If Nandor did turn Benny then why did he drop him off at a remote gas station? That doesn't make any sense. I just think Benny was a vampire all along and forgot, or was playing Nandor. Benny wouldn't have asked to be dropped off at a gas station if he'd been turned.

Also, we got confirmation that Colin doesn't age either - Benny remembered him from the 70's looking the way he does now.

I wonder if Colin can turn someone into an energy vampire?

Edited May 29, 2020 by iMonrey

[libgirl2]

23 hours ago, peridot said:

LOL at Lazslo being the original creator of popular songs.  The language was pretty dirty this episode, I wasn't expecting the song about cream.

Nandor really doesn't give a shit about humans, it's hilarious.  I would love to see him discoing in white platform shoes.  From the end, are we to assume he actually turned his old familiar or was the familiar playing a prank on everyone?

Guillermo actually stood up for himself!  I wonder how long his terms will be met by Nandor.  I loved his disinterest in the desperate/horny familiar.

I think Nandor turned him into a vampire to get rid of him.

8 hours ago, teddysmom said:

Yeah I'm not sure what happened.  He couldn't be hypnotized if he was a vampire right? 

Maybe he was a vampire all along and forgot.  

I am utterly amazed at the genius of the writing. All those crazy songs.  Hitler, Lindbergh baby. 

Also people from Indiana love "Kokomo" so I was dying.   

Perhaps you're right. They did stress him forgetting, but who have turned him? And he mentioned Colin Robinson being around in the 70s. I'm wondering if he is immortal too. 

Those songs! 

7 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

I too loved Sam the familiar and hope to see him again. Is he actually the familiar of Celeste's little girl master, or did he desert some other vampire who didn't appreciate his awesome catering skills?

He did run off, so I don't think he is her familiar, but then again, she probably would have killed him too. 

Edited May 28, 2020 by libgirl2

[clack]

Nandor had to have turned Benny. Benny's old, and vamps don't age. If Benny was already a vampire, then he would have had to been turned by some unknown vampire recently.

[Gobi]

6 minutes ago, clack said:

Nandor had to have turned Benny. Benny's old, and vamps don't age. If Benny was already a vampire, then he would have had to been turned by some unknown vampire recently.

And since vampires don’t regain youth when changed, he’s stuck as an old, forgetful vampire.

[Gummo]

Didn't we meet Sam in the first season, in the familiar room of Simon the Devious's Manhattan club? He was peeing in a basin on the floor, IIRC.

And, yeah, I think Nandor turned Benny just to get rid of him.

In 2 seasons, this show hasn't had 1 bad episode. That's pretty amazing.

[thuganomics85]

I knew something was going to go down with the Celeste character, but I had automatically assumed it was going to be case of watching a familiar be made into a vampire and basically being corrupted by it (and putting questions into Guillermo's mind), so it ending up being all an act was a fun twist.  Poor Guillermo, but at least he got out of there in one piece.  And saved Sam the Familiar Cat!  I loved that they brought him back.  I would be all for him showing back up: hell, maybe even he can hang out at the house!

The Nandor/Guillermo scenes were surprisingly nice.  Obviously, Nandor is a vain vampire, who really has mistreated Guillermo and doesn't show him the respect he deserves.  But despite all of that, I get the sense that Nandor really does want to do right by him, but he is just so stuck in his ways (not even being a vampire, but how he used to be a warlord of all things) that he doesn't realize how wrong he is.  Now, I'm sure he won't change overnight, but it would be interesting to see if he does start making solid steps towards how he views and treats Guillermo going forward.

Laszlo being the creator of numerous popular songs was great: as was him and Nadja collaborating at one point as well.  Loved Colin using them to suck the energy out of an open mic night at a club!  At least they finished strongly.  Even though apparently some people did actually die!

 

[MisterGlass]

I think Nandor hypnotized human Benny, then made him a vampire and dropped him at a gas station.  Benny was explaining how he wanted to put a coffin next to Nandor's and live at the house with them.  Wiping out his memory while he was human prevents him from finding his way back.  And turning him into a vampire prevents him from going back to his Lumosity app and remembering again.

I wondered about Celeste but assumed Nandor would have been able to tell she was human.  Maybe with that many humans around it was difficult to tell.

They picked some clever real songs for Laszlo to have written some time in history!  I was less into their original material but the finale at the club was a lot of fun.  And once again, the final episode song is clever.

It was delightful to see Sam the familiar again.

Edited May 29, 2020 by MisterGlass
Wording

[Vermicious Knid]

Obviously Celeste was a cat person, as Sam was the only one she tried to save.

So after “You haven’t had an original idea since 1925, when you decided to go down on me for the first time in 200 years!” I have to wonder that Vampires can apparently ingest biological material other than blood and not have a reaction to it like human food.

[LittleIggy]

I must be the familiar to my four cats since I wait upon them hand and foot! 🤨

[meep.meep]

18 hours ago, iMonrey said:

If Nandor did turn Benny then why did he drop him off at a remote gas station? That doesn't make any sense. I just think Benny was a vampire all along and forgot, or was playing Nandor. Benny wouldn't have asked to be dropped off at a gas station if he'd been turned.

Because that's Nandor's MO when he wants to get rid of someone.  "You live here now."  He was tired of Benny and all the "jolf" talk.  He wants Guillermo back and everything as it was before.

I thought the best joke was Benny getting his memories back with Luminosity.

And maybe I'm the only one, but the stuff with the songs went on way too long.  Nastassia went from a good singer to a terrible one.  Liked that Colin got the glowy eyes out of it.

[Machiabelly]

I was sure Guillermo was going to end up slaying Celeste.

No fuck-ing guy-ee

But a gal instead.

[sistermagpie]

On 5/28/2020 at 12:02 AM, Ms Lark said:

I was assuming Nandor had finally turned him, but you certainly bring up a very interesting alternative!

 

 

21 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

My assumption is that Nandor turned Benny, since he realized that he preferred Guillermo as his familiar. I don't think he's morally opposed to turning someone into a vampire or anything, it's just that from his perspective there will always be time later to get around to it.

 

 

I assumed he'd turned Benny to get rid of him (after wiping his memory) etc., but also because he had to prove to Guillermo that he would turn a familiar.

I really really loved the Luminosity joke.

I feel like Guillermo's endgame might be him choosing not to be a vampire in the end.

[iMonrey]

Can we talk about Laszlo's original lyrics to "Row Row Row Your Boat?" Or, maybe we better not 😮

Has anyone else noticed what their doorbell sounds like? I thought it was a musical cue because that's exactly what it sounds like. Took me a second watch to realize it was the doorbell.

For some odd reason, Laszlo started to say "I don't give a monkey's ass" and they cut it after "monkey's." They had all kinds of F-bombs in this episode, why cut "ass?"

Loved Benjy trying to show Nandor photos on his phone: "That's my finger, that's my finger, that's my finger . . ."

The closing scene between Nandor and Guillermo out on the street is the same spot where Colin Robinson confronted the troll last week.

On rewatch I really don't think Nandor is the one who turned Benjy. The way he and Guillermo dropped him off makes it pretty clear Nandor was trying to get rid of him the same way he did back in the 70s, especially the way he hurried Guillermo to drive off afterwards. He would know that Benjy could easily catch up with them if he thought he was a vampire.

The way Benjy suddenly laughs once they have taken off makes me think he was having a joke at their expense the whole time. 

[Cherpumple]

I LOVED this episode and I demand to see footage of the entire Lazslo/Nadja set at the open mic. That whole premise, with Colin orchestrating the whole thing, was genius. And the Gizmo/Nandor storyline was great too. I love clueless/insensitive Nandor, but I'm also interested in seeing him take more interest in Guillermo, both appreciating him as a familiar and being suspicious of his slayer tendencies. So much potential for drama!

And FYI, Matt Berry is a very talented musician who has released several albums. It's hard to describe the genre, but listening to his music makes me feel like I'm attending a Renaissance Faire circa 1969/70 and tripping on acid, while jazz musicians  and beat poets wander by occasionally. That makes sense, right? Not my normal musical tastes, but I love it!

[ABitOFluff]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

For some odd reason, Laszlo started to say "I don't give a monkey's ass" and they cut it after "monkey's." They had all kinds of F-bombs in this episode, why cut "ass?"

Not to be an "actually" person, but In English slang, it's just "I don't give a monkey's" and the listener is free to fill in the rest themselves. Like, "I don't give a monkey's left nut..."

 

1 hour ago, Cherpumple said:

And FYI, Matt Berry is a very talented musician who has released several albums. It's hard to describe the genre, but listening to his music makes me feel like I'm attending a Renaissance Faire circa 1969/70 and tripping on acid, while jazz musicians  and beat poets wander by occasionally. That makes sense, right? Not my normal musical tastes, but I love it!

Matt's an amazing musician. He's delved into a few genres, but definitely hovers in the late Sixties/early Seventies. His Opium album is one of my all-time favorites, and I've had it on every device I've owned since it came out. I'd describe Opium as like prog rock/space age lounge music with a little William Shatner. 

Edited May 29, 2020 by ABitOFluff

[Cherpumple]

5 hours ago, ABitOFluff said:

His Opium album is one of my all-time favorites, and I've had it on every device I've owned since it came out.

Yes! Also, I listen to Kill the Wolf and Witchhazel almost nonstop every fall. There's just something cozy and autumnal about them.

[Vermicious Knid]

I read through a few reviews and the name is actually spelled Benji, which I assume is deliberately meant to evoke the dog. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, check here.

[MisterGlass]

15 hours ago, ABitOFluff said:

I'd describe Opium as like prog rock/space age lounge music with a little William Shatner. 

With a description like that I had to find a sample.  There are a few of his songs on Youtube.

I listened to a couple, and they aren't for me, but he is a good singer.

[Orbert]

IMDb has his named spelled "Benjy".  I tend to trust their spelling a little bit more than reviews elsewhere on the 'net.  Maybe not a *lot* more, but a little bit.

In the pictures from the 70's with Nandor and Benjy, Benjy is clearly much younger, so him being converted is recent.  That fits better with him yelling and jumping for joy before changing to bat form at the gas station somewhere farther away than Delaware is from Staten Island.

Some of Nadja and Laszlo's songs were kinda cool, and some were really, really bad!  I'm sure that that was intentional.  I just wanted to mention that if you have a good sense of pitch, it's actually really hard to sing out of tune as badly as Nadja was sometimes.  It sounded to me like she (and sometimes Laszlo) intentionally sang in a different key, divorcing what they're singing from what their ears were telling them, and that's hard, "thinking" in a different key.  Well, for me and most people I've talked to.  Maybe they're so good, that they can sing badly really well!

[Cherpumple]

I also loved the reveal that Nandor was super into disco. Benjy mentioned his big platform boots, and Nadja and Lazslo sang a song about him loving disco music. He seems so old-timey, but I guess he had a heyday in the 1970s. I wonder if he was friends with the vampire nest that Guillermo butchered.

[iMonrey]

Quote

In the pictures from the 70's with Nandor and Benjy, Benjy is clearly much younger, so him being converted is recent.  That fits better with him yelling and jumping for joy before changing to bat form at the gas station somewhere farther away than Delaware is from Staten Island.

Yeah but I still don't think Nandor is the one who turned him. The dialogue strongly suggests otherwise. Benjy asks "where are we" and Nandor says "I don't know, but (hypnotically) from now on this is your home." And Benjy goes "Ok" and gets out of the car, and Nandor tells Guillermo "step on it." Nandor would neither try to hypnotize him nor ditch him somewhere if he'd turned him.

I think Benjy just gets a kick out of torturing his former masters by pretending to be befuddled and annoying them like he did all episode with Nandor. It's probably his way of paying them back for not turning him after they'd promised to. We see from the Familiar Mixer it's a long-running con with vampires to promise immortality in exchange for familiar duties and then they seldom pay up. 

[clack]

Nandor didn't want Guillermo to know that he had turned Benjy. That trip to Delaware was just to fool Guillermo. 

That's my take, anyway.

[nilyank]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Yeah but I still don't think Nandor is the one who turned him. The dialogue strongly suggests otherwise. Benjy asks "where are we" and Nandor says "I don't know, but (hypnotically) from now on this is your home." And Benjy goes "Ok" and gets out of the car, and Nandor tells Guillermo "step on it." Nandor would neither try to hypnotize him nor ditch him somewhere if he'd turned him.

 

I actually think that was all for Guillermo's benefit. Nandor gets rid of Benjy by turning him into a vampire but makes sure that Guillermo won't know. Because then Guillermo will start in on Nandor in turning him into a vampire. Benjy readily agrees to his old master's request because he is finally a vampire and he happily turns into a bat because he finally got his wish.

Edited May 31, 2020 by nilyank

[CletusMusashi]

Someone just tell me: where is the all the footage of 70s Disco Nandor?

[Bruinsfan]

On the Season 3 outline whiteboard, hopefully!

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, Bruinsfan said:

On the Season 3 outline whiteboard, hopefully!

Yes, these writers are too smart to set up disco vampire family and disco Nandor, and then do nothing.  

[HotRats2112]

So now I'm torn.  Was Benjy a vampire the whole time?  Did we see him eat?  Did they ever show him outside in the daytime?  Did we ever see his teeth?  This is begging for a re-watch.  Not that I need a reason.  

I don't think Nandor would have turned him, I think it was a con.  Maybe getting turned brought his memories back.  Luminosity doesn't have the power to reverse vampire hypnotism.  

[CletusMusashi]

Maybe Laszlo and/or Nadja turned him, just so he'd get the hell out of the house.

[Orbert]

Guillermo leaving Nandor was surprisingly sad.  I mean, they did the juvenile thing with Guillermo threatening to go, Nandor basically daring him to go, and Guillermo finally going, but as he turned to walk away, there was a tear running down his face.

As has been pointed out, Nandor's horrible treatment of Guillermo isn't due to malice, but because Nandor has no concept of how to treat a subordinate, especially one who practically worships him.  That, and he honestly doesn't give a shit.  Guillermo can think of maybe three things that Nandor has done for him in 11 freaking years.  Took him flying, the birthday picture, and I forget what the other thing was.  To Nandor, 11 years isn't very long, and he can think of three things he's done for Guillermo off the top of his head.  Very different perspectives, and actually kinda deep considering the nature of the show.

I liked how Guillermo was ready to come back (since Celeste turned out to be a phony, in many ways), but Nandor didn't know that, so Guillermo took the opportunity to re-negotiate a few things.  Good on him!

[Zanne]

6 hours ago, HotRats2112 said:

So now I'm torn.  Was Benjy a vampire the whole time?  Did we see him eat?  Did they ever show him outside in the daytime?  Did we ever see his teeth?  This is begging for a re-watch.  Not that I need a reason. 

I looked at his teeth upon rewatch and they weren't vampire teeth. It made me wonder if you have dentures, do you not get fangs since you have no original teeth?

[Orbert]

Guillermo had grabbed Sam and escaped with him from Celeste's place (actually her master's place) but was chasing Sam down the street outside when Nandor showed up.  They had their talk, then went flying, leaving the pillow.  So Sam is out there somewhere?