S03.E04: The Casino

[formerlyfreedom]

The vampires embark on a road trip from which they may never return.

Airing Thursday, September 16, 2021.

[ABitOFluff]

Ah, I thought getting the jalopy would mean a road trip. This should be fun. 

[Angeleyes]

The real question is how far will the werewolves chase after the jalopy? 

[gatopretoNYC]

I am SO looking forward to this episode!

[Vermicious Knid]

It's too bad the Taj Mahal is gone. I used to describe the interior as Early Arabian Nightmare, it was so tacky.

[LittleIggy]

I totally lost it when that one boxer punched the other one’s head off! 😂🤣😂 

[Angeleyes]

Lazlo: Mr. Sinatra, the last time I checked you weren’t Chinese. 

Sinatra: Ring a Ding Ding

Lazlo: I stand corrected

It’s funny that they never acknowledged that the guy at their table died. They are just so oblivious to humans. It explains why Nadja couldn’t tell the difference in the singers. 

Their brief Ocean’s Elven heist to help out their neighbor was great. Too bad he gambled it all away immediately. 
 

 

[sistermagpie]

That was damned delightful. 

Love the way they're moving forward on the...whatever it is...between Nandor and Guillermo. Nandor feelng so alone on the hotel roof while Guillermo's plane flew in to save him was some Titanic level romantic imagery! 

Also: This is science. 

But this is a turtle.

 

[LittleIggy]

Didn’t Sean have the brain scramblies (The Superb Owl Party episode)? Guess he got over them.

Edited September 17, 2021 by LittleIggy

[sistermagpie]

2 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Didn’t Sean have the brain scrambles (The Superb Owl Party episode)? Guess he got over them.

Wasn't it the brain scramblies that would have led to renewing his vows?

[peridot]

I didn't realize that the guy at their table died! I thought he was just drunk.

I loved the vampires faux enthusiasm about Guillermo's interests.  They treat him so terribly, calling him names like sick fuck and stinky bitch.  They have no idea how to interact with humans.  I'm surprised that Nandor at least tried to have him treated differently.

Poor Guillermo! He had to fly around the world but didn't even have the chance to explore.  Of course, it would have taken a while to go to all of those places and return to Atlantic City.

I enjoyed the opening and end credits.

[Gummo]

This season, each episode is better than the last.

Loved the Discworld shoutout (the world resting on 4 elephants on the back of a giant turtle).

Lazlo's affection for Sean is just so ... arbitrary. 

The wasted, powerless vampires were hysterical.

I think my jaw hit the floor when that fighter's head went soaring off into the cheap seats.

Too many great lines to quote but something about Colin's "I'm just giving him the heliocentric nuts and bolts" just tickled me.

So now Nandor is addicted to Big Bang Theory; but he thinks the game came first!

[Lantern7]

I was half-watching. Lots of cringe, but still pretty funny. Guillermo comes through in the clutch, Nandor has a new addiction, and we got to see multiple deaths!

Expelling disbelief as to how Gizmo got to all three spots to get soil before coming back to Atlantic City. I think it's feasible . . . but only if you're as dedicated as Guillermo. The boy is a damn superhero, getting naught by a thank you note from his master and friends.

32 minutes ago, Gummo said:

I think my jaw hit the floor when that fighter's head went soaring off into the cheap seats.

My mind went to this Death Battle between Balrog and TJ Combo. If you're not into old-school video games or "who could beat who" arguments, just go to the "money shot."

[thuganomics85]

Rarely am I 100% completely shocked over something on television, but I literally yelled "Holy shit!" when that one boxer's head flew off.  I guess they did a little too good of a job with there telepathy there!

While I've personally never set foot in Atlantic City, I've seen and heard enough about it on television and film to know that, yeah, a bunch of rowdy vampires probably wouldn't stand out that much amongst the normal crowd there.  And, of course, an energy vampire like good old Colin Robinson would absolutely thrive in that environment!  I liked how they incorporated their neighbors into this as well and it was fun seeing all of them again.

I never knew that I wanted to see Colin explain the Big Bang Theory and the creation of the universe/world until now!  Poor Nandor can't make heads or tails over that news!

Nadja thinking that the Rat Pack cover band were the original ones she partied with "back in the day" was hilarious.  As was Lazlo noticed something was off briefly, but once "Frank" said "ring a ding-ding" again, he went back to believing again.

All of the actors were great with the vamps in "tired, sleepy, powerless" mode.

Guillermo flying all over the world to get more dirt from their homelands was probably the most relaxed he's ever been!

Colin would be all about the hotel/casino advertising channel.

This honestly might be a contender for the top five episodes of the series, which is saying something.

[LittleIggy]

I literally yelled “Fuck!” when the boxer’s head went flying.  The expression on poor Guillermo’s face…😂 

What was Colin Robinson’s favorite “program”? Was it the casino’s promo channel?

Nadja looked glam in those pics with the Rat Pack. Guillermo looks dashing in his bodyguard suit.

I’m going to start referring to myself as a chapess. 😏

Edited September 17, 2021 by LittleIggy

[Pallid Man]

3 hours ago, Angeleyes said:

It’s funny that they never acknowledged that the guy at their table died.
 

He didn't die, he was just drained by Colin, (hence Colin's creepy post-feed grin). He gets up and leaves with the bunch when they go to the Rat Pack.

Edited September 17, 2021 by Pallid Man

[Vermicious Knid]

Did Nadja say the escalator was controlled by witches?

I thought of the Discworld too, but Pratchett didn't invent the concept, it actually comes from Hindu mythology. So it wouldn't be surprising for Nandor to know about it.

[GaT]

Colin taking pictures of everything with the instant camera killed me. Not to mention Lazlo taking a "self portrait photo" with it too LOL

Edited September 17, 2021 by GaT

[libgirl2]

On 9/16/2021 at 9:38 PM, LittleIggy said:

I totally lost it when that one boxer punched the other one’s head off! 😂🤣😂 

Me too! I did not expect that! 

Nandor made me laugh this entire episode.

23 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I literally yelled “Fuck!” when the boxer’s head went flying.  The expression on poor Guillermo’s face…😂 

What was Colin Robinson’s favorite “program”? Was it the casino’s promo channel?

Nadja looked glam in those pics with the Rat Pack. Guillermo looks dashing in his bodyguard suit.

I’m going to start referring to myself as a chapess. 😏

It was!

[Zonk]

Nandor believes in the Discworld model of the universe (except the world being a sphere). Nice.

Edit: Or as other posters pointed out, maybe not.

4 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

I thought of the Discworld too, but Pratchett didn't invent the concept, it actually comes from Hindu mythology. So it wouldn't be surprising for Nandor to know about it.

I knew the elephants were a thing in mythology but somehow didn't know that them standing on a turtle was a thing, too. I thought that was something Pratchet added. TIL.

Edited September 17, 2021 by Zonk

[ItCouldBeWorse]

11 hours ago, peridot said:

Poor Guillermo! He had to fly around the world but didn't even have the chance to explore.  Of course, it would have taken a while to go to all of those places and return to Atlantic City.

I was sure that the dirt would be confiscated when he re-entered the US:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/traveler/intl-travel/soil/soil

"Travelers can import up to 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms) of soil from Canada if it does not come from an area that is quarantined or infected with roundworms (also called nematodes). 

Soil from all other countries (and from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories) is prohibited from entering the United States without a permit and/or USDA-approved soil treatment." 

I hope that Guillermo remembered to scoop it all back up into the separate bags before returning home.

Edited September 17, 2021 by ItCouldBeWorse

[libgirl2]

27 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I was sure that the dirt would be confiscated when he re-entered the US:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/traveler/intl-travel/soil/soil

"Travelers can import up to 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms) of soil from Canada if it does not come from an area that is quarantined or infected with roundworms (also called nematodes). 

Soil from all other countries (and from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories) is prohibited from entering the United States without a permit and/or USDA-approved soil treatment." 

I hope that Guillermo remembered to scoop it all back up into the separate bags before returning home.

I was wondering about that. About 30 years ago, a co-worker was going home to England for a visit. Anglophile that I am, I asked if she could bring me a bit of soil. When she got back to work, she told me how the confiscated it at the airport when they went through her bags! All I could think is "how was he able to bring that in?". 

About 5 years ago, another co-worker (and job) brought me back a bit of peat from Ireland. She managed to sneak that by. 

[LittleIggy]

You would think they would have big bags of the “home dirt” stored in Staten Island.

I like how Sean, his wife, and their friends accept our vamps as just part of the gang.

22 hours ago, Pallid Man said:

He didn't die, he was just drained by Colin, (hence Colin's creepy post-feed grin). He gets up and leaves with the bunch when they go to the Rat Pack.

I didn’t think he was dead. Loved how everyone just assumed Nadja was drunk when she collapsed at the renewal ceremony.

Edited September 18, 2021 by LittleIggy

[iMonrey]

I didn't think this episode was very good, actually. But I just about died when that boxer's head flew off. That almost made up for it.

Quote

You would think they would have big bags of the “home dirt” stored in Staten Island.

I wondered the same thing. Surely they didn't take all of their dirt from home with them, right? Also, is Nadja Greek? I always thought she was from somewhere in the middle east but Guillermo was in Greece for her dirt. 

I always crack up when Colin Robinson is draining people. The blackjack table was a good gag but even better was the cashier when he was counting all that money and then interrupted himself and had to start all over.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

59 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Also, is Nadja Greek? I always thought she was from somewhere in the middle east but Guillermo was in Greece for her dirt. 

She is Romani.

2 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I was wondering about that. About 30 years ago, a co-worker was going home to England for a visit. Anglophile that I am, I asked if she could bring me a bit of soil. When she got back to work, she told me how the confiscated it at the airport when they went through her bags! All I could think is "how was he able to bring that in?". 

About 5 years ago, another co-worker (and job) brought me back a bit of peat from Ireland. She managed to sneak that by. 

Considering that all Guillermo was likely traveling home with was 3 bags of dirt, there's no way it wouldn't have been noticed at the border, but it's not the least realistic thing about this show, so I will allow it.

Did Lazlo also buy plane tickets for the film crew? Can anyone offer an educated guess as to whether the amount he charged to Sean's cc (about 7-8k?) would have been for a single last-minute whirlwind trip to England/Greece/the Iranian border and back, or for multiple travelers?

Edited September 17, 2021 by ItCouldBeWorse

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

She is Romani.

Considering that all Guillermo was likely traveling home with was 3 bags of dirt, there's no way it wouldn't have been noticed at the border, but it's not the least realistic thing about this show, so I will allow it.

Did Lazlo also buy plane tickets for the film crew? Can anyone offer an educated guess as to whether the amount he charged to Sean's cc (about 7-8k?) would have been for a single last-minute whirlwind trip to England/Greece/the Iranian border and back, or for multiple travelers?

I thought Guillermo was doing his own filming in Europe, like on his phone.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

39 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

I thought Guillermo was doing his own filming in Europe, like on his phone.

That makes sense, since the vampires were still bring filmed at the casino.

But now I just realized, why was Guillermo carrying his passport with him? Did he stop off at home first to get it?

Edited September 17, 2021 by ItCouldBeWorse

[libgirl2]

39 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

I thought Guillermo was doing his own filming in Europe, like on his phone.

that's right

[SG429]

How about the opening scene and Lazlo at the piano segueing from Viva Atlantic City to You're Dead? Nice touch.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Did Lazlo also buy plane tickets for the film crew? Can anyone offer an educated guess as to whether the amount he charged to Sean's cc (about 7-8k?) would have been for a single last-minute whirlwind trip to England/Greece/the Iranian border and back, or for multiple travelers?

There's no way Sean has a 70K limit/allowance on his credit cards, LOL.

[libgirl2]

20 minutes ago, SG429 said:

How about the opening scene and Lazlo at the piano segueing from Viva Atlantic City to You're Dead? Nice touch.

I liked that!

[One Imaginary Girl]

22 hours ago, Gummo said:

Too many great lines to quote 

My favorite was when Nandor commented about how faithful the show The Big Bang Theory was to the slot machine.

[HouseofBeck]

I loved watching Nandor at the table when the others were ordering Guillermo around and then were probing into his personal life when he got back. Nandor looked tense and concerned on Guillermo's behalf. It was cool to see that. Though he did abruptly decamp when the casino chips arrived. :)

Colin and Nandor having an in depth conversation, complete with sketches, about the universe was just perfect.

And I loved Guillermo showing executive powers and confidence on his soil-gathering trip plus diving right into concocting a plan to get the money--and I don't think he slept that entire time!

This episode felt different from the others so far this season, but was still enjoyable. Kind of like an even more surreal experience than the already-surreal norm. 

Edited September 18, 2021 by HouseofBeck

[MisterGlass]

This was a middle of the road episode for me, but I liked a lot of bits.  I would never have expected them to do an episode on home soil lore, but I did enjoy Guillermo's mission to collect samples from the three homelands.  I agree there should have been more at their house that he could have gotten.  I mean, Dracula shipped 50 coffins' worth to England.

I laughed when Lazlo accidentally turned into a sparrow instead of a bat.  He's been surprisingly sincere this season.

Colin Robinson was the winner of this episode.  His poor victims, Nandor included.

[possibilities]

Do we know how the 3 vampires + Colin came to live together? 

[Johnny Dollar]

The portrayal of Atlantic City was depressingly spot on. 

[Suzn]

I didn't care much for this episode.  I don't think I've ever been disappointed in an episode before.  A bad episode of What We Do in the Shadows is still miles above most shows.

The stuff I liked: Nadja's confusion about the Rat Pack, Nandor's obsession with the Big Bang slot machine and Guillermo's travels.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Do we know how the 3 vampires + Colin came to live together? 

Nandor, Nadja and Laszlo were all tasked with conquering the new world, but they never made it past Staten Island. That was the reason for The Baron's visit back in the pilot, to see how they were progressing.

Colin Robinson came with the house, according the Laszlo, but none of them seemed to agree on that so it's possible none of them actually remember. I got the impression the three of them had been in the US longer than 100 years, while Colin is only just now turning 100. But maybe they used to live somewhere else when they first arrived in America.

[MisterGlass]

9 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I got the impression the three of them had been in the US longer than 100 years, while Colin is only just now turning 100.

I think this is a bit of a retcon for this season.  There is a picture of Colin Robinson in the opening credits where he is an adult wearing late 1800s clothing.

[Vermicious Knid]

Guys, guys! I went out to get dinner and the car in front of me had the license plate MORPORK. Of course I immediately thought Ankh-Morpork but could it be? Then I noticed he also had a license plate frame that said 'The Turtle Lives'. So yeah, someone in Las Vegas is a really, really big Discworld fan.

I'm sure there are nuances I've missed because I never saw any of the Oceans movies, original or new recipe. It wasn't until Sean's speech I remembered about his obsession with them. I assume Guillermo's plan was typical of the heist genre.

[tennisgurl]

Guillermo was looking sharp in that suite, bodyguarding is a good look for him. Poor guy, finally gets to explore the world and all he gets to do is grab a bunch of dirt and run right back to Atlantic City. At least Nandor is making an effort to make him feel like he isn't "just" a familiar anymore, even if the rest of the group can only make half hearted attempts at being interested in his life outside of doing things for them. I've never been to Atlantic City, but from what I have seen on TV and in movies, this really seems to get the vibe down.

Every episode of this show gets better, it really is impressive. I love that Sean, his wife, and their gang are just down with the obviously extremely weird vampire crew hanging out with them, and they did actually try to do something nice for Sean...in a vampire kind of way. Too bad Sean blew it immediately.

I legit gasped when the boxer got his head smashed off.

Edited September 21, 2021 by tennisgurl

[Eliza422]

I loved this episode, I immediately watched it a second time. I also gasped when the guy's head flew off, it was just such a surprise.

I also loved Nandor's facial expression when he's sitting on the bed with Colin talking about the universe theory...just a perfect "mind blown" look.

Edited September 22, 2021 by Eliza422

[LisaM]

So far, I am really enjoying this season more than the last one. Love the idea of Nadja and Nandor as the Vampiric Council leaders -- and continue to crack up at seeing the Vampiric Council listed on the Directory in the building. 

Guillermo being upgraded to Bodyguard was a great idea - as is Colin Robinson having an expanded role. 

Seeing the long table at the Casino with Seanie and Marissa Jaret Winokur - and their friends - sitting side by side with the Vampires was wild. The Vampires interesting style of dress fit right into the Atlantic City venue. Nobody gave them a second thought. 

Cracked up at Colin Robinson fixated on the Casino's in-house promotional video. 

I thought that the Vampires cannot be exposed to sunlight? Am I wrong? 

[MisterGlass]

13 hours ago, LisaM said:

I thought that the Vampires cannot be exposed to sunlight? Am I wrong?

You're correct.  Though it appears to apply only to direct sunlight based on how these rooms were lit.

[Stats Queen]

As many others said, I loved the shout out to Discworld (RIP Terry Pratchett). One of my favorite artists and hen one of my favorite shows “The Big Bang Theory”. 
 

This show is awesome. I can rewatch episodes and find something else funny. If you’re familiar with a reference they make it is awesome. If you’re not It probably isn’t as funny.

Regardless, for me, this is one of the best done shows in all respects.

 

 

[SmithW6079]

When Lazlo left last season and became Jackie Daytona, did he also carry soil from the old country to use around his bed?

[Catfi9ht]

6 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

When Lazlo left last season and became Jackie Daytona, did he also carry soil from the old country to use around his bed?

Good catch. I'm fairly certain the only things in his disguise box were a pair of jeans and a toothpick.

[Bruinsfan]

On 9/17/2021 at 11:21 AM, iMonrey said:

I wondered the same thing. Surely they didn't take all of their dirt from home with them, right? Also, is Nadja Greek? I always thought she was from somewhere in the middle east but Guillermo was in Greece for her dirt.

Didn't they show each of them spooning out dirt into their travel bags from a larger supply at home? I thought part of the joke was them sending Guillermo all over Europe to fetch dirt when he could have just taken a train to NYC to get some from home.

[SoMuchTV]

 

On 9/24/2021 at 7:43 AM, LisaM said:

I thought that the Vampires cannot be exposed to sunlight? Am I wrong? 

 

On 9/24/2021 at 9:29 PM, MisterGlass said:

You're correct.  Though it appears to apply only to direct sunlight based on how these rooms were lit.

Aren’t casinos famous for hiding windows, clocks, anything that would let gamblers know how much time has passed?  So an ideal environment for vampires?

Edited November 2, 2021 by SoMuchTV

[Bruinsfan]

Not in the guest's hotel rooms, though the casino floor is like its own little world.