WWDITS: Season One Talk

[OldButHappy]

Just discovered this, per a recommendation from someone at work. 

The combination of a silly pretext and really good, really funny writers  can be hard to pull off.  For me, this show hits it out of the park.

I'm all in.

(and I'm not into zombies, werewolves, or vampires.  Like...at all)

[Mr. Sparkle]

9 hours ago, CletusMusashi said:

The orgy ep was not nearly as strong as the past few. But it's still a quick easy to watch show with a bunch of chuckles in it.

Yeah, this wasn't my favorite. Sex jokes are a little too easy. Still better than most shows out there. 

ETA: Lazlo's pornos? That was comedy. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by Superclam

[bosawks]

The intro with Laszlo and Nando going on and on about the awesomeness of the vampire orgy and the cut from Laszlo yelling years to Nadja slouching in a chair and then saying with a shrug, "It's ok" was perfect.

I think I laughed through the entire commercial break.

[BonnieD]

I just want to give a shout out to the wonderful "period artwork" sprinkled throughout. They appear so authentic it takes a beat to remember they were created by modern artists. Honestly beautiful work!

[teddysmom]

6 hours ago, voiceover said:

I myself was exposed to idiots this week, and he's right: you can either kill them or pretend to listen to them.

I sit across from two of them every day. I guarantee, as great a comedic actress as Natasha Demetriou is, I truly believe I can match her eye roll for eye roll.  

Seinfeld porn. 

Question: was that Nadja and Laszlo in bat form at the end? 

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, Superclam said:

Yeah, this wasn't my favorite. Sex jokes are a little too easy. Still better than most shows out there. 

ETA: Lazlo's pornos? That was comedy. 

I have to agree, this was not my favorite either but the pornos were very funny! But still, a weaker episode is better than most of the stuff that is on TV. 

50 minutes ago, teddysmom said:

I sit across from two of them every day. I guarantee, as great a comedic actress as Natasha Demetriou is, I truly believe I can match her eye roll for eye roll.  

Seinfeld porn. 

Question: was that Nadja and Laszlo in bat form at the end? 

I was wondering about that too. Maybe I missed something? 

Edited May 23, 2019 by libgirl2

[luna1122]

1 hour ago, teddysmom said:

. 

Question: was that Nadja and Laszlo in bat form at the end? 

I believe so...they were shame bats, cuz the orgy was a failure.

[CletusMusashi]

I assume it was Laszlo. He's the one that really cares what people think of him. Nadja used to be sensitive about such things, hence her residual sympathy for the unpopular Jenna, but nowadays she's pretty much over that and just does whatever the hell she wants.

ETA: Wait- there were two bats? I'd missed that. Had to be them, then. Nandor wasn't involved enough to feel responsible. Both the party and the failure of it are on L/N.

ETA: Did anyone else think that Gizmo's friend was going to get turned into a vampire? Nice curveball on that one.

Edited May 23, 2019 by CletusMusashi

[libgirl2]

59 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

I believe so...they were shame bats, cuz the orgy was a failure.

The shame bats!! That is right! 

[JanetSnakehole]

On 5/20/2019 at 6:09 PM, kieyra said:

Nadja/Linda Ronstadt. It drives me crazy because I feel like they’re copying a VERY specific pose/photo, one that I saw as a kid, and I’ve searched LR photos and album covers and can’t find anything like it. Is there any chance we’re thinking of some other 70s/80s pop persona with bigger hair and a lot more makeup? 

Edit: yikes, that Den of Geek thing was actually kind of awkward to watch. Maybe they were having an off day.

I KNOW! I was super-frustrated that I couldn't locate that exact pose, but my brain still says it's a Linda Ronstadt pic. Hopefully we'll locate it someday. 

[teddysmom]

1 hour ago, JanetSnakehole said:

still says it's a Linda Ronstadt pic.

I think it's Ronstadt too. That was the first vibe I got from it.  Whoever the art director is on this show is a fucking genius.  The photos of the trio as well as the old vampire drawings are amazing. 

I saw a bit with the costume designer and where she comes up with the outfits. Then the actor who plays Guillermo said "the other three get all these great costumes and I have a rack with sweaters". 

[voiceover]

On 5/23/2019 at 5:28 AM, BonnieD said:

I just want to give a shout out to the wonderful "period artwork" sprinkled throughout. They appear so authentic it takes a beat to remember they were created by modern artists. Honestly beautiful work!

Co-sign.  I thought them very Edward Gorey-esque.

*oops. ETA, I thought you were referring to the cartoon graphics.  But agree with your actual point: some fabulous stuff on that set.  Possibly excluding Colin's Holiday Inn human food still life.

Still giggling like a 7-year-old over "non-stop butt machine".  I picture it as something Terry Gilliam drew for Monty Python & the Holy Grail.

Edited May 30, 2019 by voiceover
Wrong kind of butt machine

[iMonrey]

Not the strongest episode thus far but hard to top the last few. OMG, the sight of Colin and Nando in full BDSM gear was hysterical and awful all at the same time. And I do believe the show broke new ground in terms of what they can get away with on basic cable. The shot of Jeremy fucking that guy from behind was more graphic than anything I've ever seen, even with the blurring. 

Quote

I assume it was Laszlo. He's the one that really cares what people think of him. Nadja used to be sensitive about such things, hence her residual sympathy for the unpopular Jenna, but nowadays she's pretty much over that and just does whatever the hell she wants.

Nadja was actually the one most concerned about throwing a bad orgy and trying to prevent everyone from leaving. Lazlo didn't care by that point.

Someone mentioned this upthread but I totally did not realize until this episode that Lazlo is played by the same actor from The IT Crowd. But then, Douglas was my least favorite character on that show.

[crystalball]

Was the shame bat wearing its tiny codpiece? 

Not my favorite episode, but I still truly laughed which is more than any other current comedy makes me do. 

[JanetSnakehole]

Anyone else think Lazlo has an "Oliver Reed" vibe? I can totally see him as Athos in the 3&4 Musketeers...

[libgirl2]

21 minutes ago, JanetSnakehole said:

Anyone else think Lazlo has an "Oliver Reed" vibe? I can totally see him as Athos in the 3&4 Musketeers...

As a life long fan of Oliver Reed, I don't really see it. Athos (especially his interpretation) always struck me as a brooding wounded hero .... Lazlo is way to silly. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by libgirl2

[tennisgurl]

"Half the bats you see are vampires that hosted bad orgies, and are now too ashamed to return to their vampire form. They're shame bats, filled with shame. You can recognize them because they fly a little less high." 

At least the shame bats can wear their cod pieces! So many great jokes and lines, I especially loved Guillermo on the ladder trying to narrate all of the vampires sexual movements. And of course the Chinese jumping vampire. 

Was maybe a bit more of Colin than I wanted to see, but he at least seemed to be having a blast draining energy in his S&M outfit. 

All those pornos of the ages, oh my God! Laszlo was the lead in the first porno, the Randy Vampire, playing...the Randy Vampire. Of course porn was invented the year after film was invented. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by tennisgurl

[teddysmom]

3 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Half the bats you see are vampires that hosted bad orgies, and are now too ashamed to return to their vampire form. They're shame bats, filled with shame. You can recognize them because they fly a little less high." 

This is absolutely brilliant writing.  And another phrase to use, people who are so stupid or ruin something should just be a shame bat, they should be ashamed to show themselves. 

[JanetSnakehole]

22 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

As a life long fan of Oliver Reed, I don't really see it. Athos (especially his interpretation) always struck me as a brooding wounded hero .... Lazlo is way to silly. 

I do see your point, Lazlo doesn't really brood. I was speaking more of his physical appearance... Oliver Reed pops into my head quite often when I see Lazlo. 

I don't know what my deal is with wanting to suggest these vampires look like celebs... ha! 

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, JanetSnakehole said:

I do see your point, Lazlo doesn't really brood. I was speaking more of his physical appearance... Oliver Reed pops into my head quite often when I see Lazlo. 

I don't know what my deal is with wanting to suggest these vampires look like celebs... ha! 

I adore Oliver Reed. I remember my dad taking me to see the 3 and 4 Musketeers when I was 8/9 years old. I think that is what started my love of dark haired British men (especially those who "brood"). When I look at Lazlo and the actor that plays him I feel like he reminds me of someone, but I can't quite get the name. 

[libgirl2]

10 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I adore Oliver Reed. I remember my dad taking me to see the 3 and 4 Musketeers when I was 8/9 years old. I think that is what started my love of dark haired British men (especially those who "brood"). When I look at Lazlo and the actor that plays him I feel like he reminds me of someone, but I can't quite get the name. 

though the more I look at his pictures, the more I see that kind of presence that Oliver Reed had in his younger days. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by libgirl2

[Princess Sparkle]

It was such an easy joke, but the name of the previous bad orgy thrower being named "Mike" made me guffaw.

[meep.meep]

Nandor!  It's Lazlo and Nandor, you idiots!     ☺️

Loved Colin's bedroom art, and Guillermo's discussion of the virgins at CrossFit, because, so true.

[LittleIggy]

My father was a Holiday Inn manager. Back in the day, HI had resident managers, so I grew up in Holiday Inns. I know all about Vintage HI artwork! 😆

[Phishbulb]

On 5/16/2019 at 12:16 PM, iMonrey said:

This seemed like another episode shown out of sequence. Surely there has to be some follow-up to last week's episode. They basically just escaped their execution, they're not out of the hotseat yet. Or does the Vampire Council think they're dead? 

Weirdly, no. "Animal Control" was supposed to go in between "Citizenship" and "The Orgy", otherwise the episodes have been mostly shown in production order. Next week's is the season finale so perhaps it will be addressed then.

Edited May 23, 2019 by Phishbulb

[tennisgurl]

2 hours ago, Princess Sparkle said:

It was such an easy joke, but the name of the previous bad orgy thrower being named "Mike" made me guffaw.

Fucking Mike!

[sagittarius sue]

3 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I adore Oliver Reed. I remember my dad taking me to see the 3 and 4 Musketeers when I was 8/9 years old. I think that is what started my love of dark haired British men

I loved Oliver Reed as Athos.  Subsequent Musketeers movies don't compare with the 70s duo.  I started with British men with wavy dark hair and witty voices along with English history with Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood before I could even read!

[ABitOFluff]

5 hours ago, teddysmom said:

I saw a bit with the costume designer and where she comes up with the outfits. Then the actor who plays Guillermo said "the other three get all these great costumes and I have a rack with sweaters". 

I need to find that. I like so many pieces that Nadja wears like the fur thing, and I want that headpiece that she wore to the orgy. 

[peridot]

One thing I forgot to mention is that for the first time Nandor seemed kind of creepy. 
When Guillermo ran into his friend, Nandor kept looming closer and closer and tasting/smelling the virgin.

That was spooky!

[Vermicious Knid]

I watched this last night and was more tired than I thought, because after I checked this thread I realized I had missed like half the jokes. I had to un-delete and rewatch. So the only one who actually got any sex at the orgy was Jeremy. With the gimp from Pulp Fiction.

Yes, that was totally Nadja and Lazlo having sex in bat form. She was so serious with her reading glasses and laptop making plans like a boss. Lazlo really owes her.

[Bruinsfan]

20 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And I do believe the show broke new ground in terms of what they can get away with on basic cable. The shot of Jeremy fucking that guy from behind was more graphic than anything I've ever seen, even with the blurring.

American Horror Story has had similar scenes with bonus nudity. They even outdid the strap-on contraption Nandor was wearing a few seasons ago with their rapey Addiction Demon.

[Bitelight]

On 5/16/2019 at 2:23 PM, teddysmom said:

I think I read the 2nd episode got 2 million viewers which was a huge gain from the premiere, it's #1 for the 18-34 demo for the time slot. 

Considering how hot it is, and the critical acclaim, FX execs are very happy with it. 

Their ratings have fluctuated. Things started off strong. Then they lost over half their viewers with the vulva garden episode. That big guest star packed episode gave them a nice bump, but then the orgy episode caused ratings to drop again. Raunchy material seems to kill off a portion their audience.

https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-season-one-ratings/

This chart only shows live viewers. The series does better with DVR viewers than live ones. The network undoubtedly took the DVR audience into account when they decided to renew it.

 

On 5/9/2019 at 11:32 AM, iMonrey said:

O.M.G. Just when I think this show can't possibly get any better and this comes along. I wonder what kind of clout this show has to get big name guest stars like Tilda Swinton and Evan Rachel Woods. I died. I DIED. I mean, it would have been enough just seeing the Viago, Vladislav and Deacon from the movie, but all those guest stars. Danny Freaking Trejo? Wesley Snipes? Paul Reubens? How did this show pull that off? And every last one of them were hysterical. 

And here I was worried the joke would wear thin after a few episodes. Somehow it's just getting stronger and funnier as it goes along.

Kristin Schall was good too, I loved the gliding effect and Nadja's bewilderment how she kept appearing. 

Tilda's partner used to live with Taika Waititi. WWDITS and Tilda's movie Only Lovers Left Alive came out at the same time, and she told them they should team up their vampires for something in the future. That's what brought about the initial idea for it. Then when the show came about, it was the perfect opportunity to bring their vampires together. Since they had a big name like Tilda willing to do their show, it was a lot easier to get other people to agree to it.

[jnymph]

I couldn't stop laughing at Nandor and Guillermo's heart to heart.   That was comedy gold, Jerry.  GOLD !   Speaking of which , Seinfeld porn  ! LOL 

Not my absolute favorite episode, but it was still damn funny.   But the bar is set high, this show is hysterical.   The writing and the actors are off the charts.   Even the delivery Matt Berry gives of  a simple exclamation of "BAT!" is just perfection.  

[iMonrey]

Quote

When Guillermo ran into his friend, Nandor kept looming closer and closer and tasting/smelling the virgin.

That was spooky!

I thought it was hysterical. Although when he dropped to the ground to lap up the nosebleed it was kind of gross. That's to be expected in a vampire comedy I guess.

[SHD]

[MrWhyt]

fucking Mike! Echoing the love for Nadja,she's got the best line delivery

[Pj3422]

On 5/23/2019 at 10:52 AM, JanetSnakehole said:

I KNOW! I was super-frustrated that I couldn't locate that exact pose, but my brain still says it's a Linda Ronstadt pic. Hopefully we'll locate it someday. 

I went right to the posters of Alphonse Mucha. (Also popular in the 1970s😁)

[JanetSnakehole]

I have an Alphonse Mucha coloring book at home. Great stress reliever! 

[HouseofBeck]

I absolutely loved this episode. Every time I picked my jaw up off the floor, it dropped right back down. Bravo.

ETA: Shame bats.

Edited May 25, 2019 by HouseofBeck

[teddysmom]

On 5/23/2019 at 6:47 PM, ABitOFluff said:

On 5/23/2019 at 1:13 PM, teddysmom said:

I saw a bit with the costume designer and where she comes up with the outfits. Then the actor who plays Guillermo said "the other three get all these great costumes and I have a rack with sweaters". 

I need to find that. I like so many pieces that Nadja wears like the fur thing, and I want that headpiece that she wore to the orgy. 

I think it's on their FB page, I follow the show on FB and Twitter so I see all the little videos they drop 

[ABitOFluff]

6 hours ago, teddysmom said:

I think it's on their FB page, I follow the show on FB and Twitter so I see all the little videos they drop 

Thank you! I never thought to check there. They have some good stuff!

[CletusMusashi]

Yup. Gizmo the Vampire Slayer is shaping up to be a thing. And in other news... Laszlo has known about Gregor all along, witches steal semen to make magnets, and even Colin doesn't like funerals.

[Ms Lark]

1 hour ago, CletusMusashi said:

Yup. Gizmo the Vampire Slayer is shaping up to be a thing.

And Nandor just pushed his last button. Dun, dun, dun. I love that he is 1% Van Helsing. That is beyond fun! Now I can hardly wait for next season.

[LittleIggy]

OMG! It will be hard waiting for next season. The gang suffering in the Church was hysterical! I knew Guillermo was going to throw holy water on Nandor. Which raises a question. If Nandor was Muslim before he was turned, why would Christian symbols and churches affect him? Is any religious item, whatever the religion, harmful to vampires? I’ve often wondered about that.  Could Laszlo and Nadja go into a mosque? 

Piñata farmers! 😆😂🤣

[CynVicious]

Someone on another forum solved the mystery of Nadja's photo.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437384

[tennisgurl]

Oh shit, next season we get Guillermo the Vampire Slayer! He is 1% Van Helsing, so of course he is now meant to slay vampires. 

Waiting for the next season is going to be so hard! I normally wait until the next morning to watch this show, but I couldn't stand to wait. So how the hell am I going to last until the next season?! 

Colin Robinson is 100% white. "No people come from lots of different countries...no, it really does just say 100% white, wow." 

I know I shouldn't have stayed up late to watch this episode twice, but I did. I shall have to stay in my bat form for awhile as a shame bat. We fly just a little lower. 

Edited May 30, 2019 by tennisgurl

[7isBlue]

Oh, Jesk!

Ugh. I’m in a funk because my favorite shows are done now: What We Do..., Barry, Fosse/ Verdon, 911. Do we know when WWDITS comes back? When it does, I hope there are more episodes!

[CletusMusashi]

I assume the church thing works one of two ways. Either

1. Holy symbols in general are effective. Christian symbols are the most commonly encountered in western countries, but other religions have just as much power, or

2. Different cultures have different religious magic, and usually there is one that a monster type is particularly vulnerable to. Christians just happen to have stumbled onto the mojo that is effective on vampires. On Buffy and Angel, they often had to use magic from Tibet or Sumeria or whatever, but against vampires the deterrent that worked best was Christianity. A Jewish character had a bit of trouble explaining to her family why she had a crucifix in her room.

Personally, I hope it's the first set of rules, simply because there's more jokes to be had there.

[vadare]

Okay, so I'm totally digging this show! Can't wait for Season 2!

I started watching it because I loved the movie, but my kid sister and her husband are watching it because they were big fans of The IT Crowd and will watch anything with Matt Berry in it.

Speaking of Matt Berry, I wonder if his black nail polish is his idea or the makeup/costume people.

Oh, and let me invite anyone who hasn't joined yet to join the WWDITS Movie & TV Show fan page on Facebook. We are at not quite 5,000 members, one of them being Harvey Guillén (we do have a house rule not to try to Friend him and to respect his privacy).

I don't have cable/dish, so I record it at a fiend's house and catch up on it when I go over and now he's watching it, too. He's very blasé about life so he'll tell me, "It's okay," but he keeps watching it, so I guess that's something.

ETA: Oh yes, and I do know a thing or two about being "100% White." That would be me, who cannot get a suntan to save my lily-white ass. I go from white to red and back to white with nothing in between. The only thing I seemed to have gotten from my Native American ancestors is great cheekbones.

Edited May 31, 2019 by vadare
Just to add a comment instead of create another one.

[voiceover]

From his funeral garb, I assumed Nandor was Russian Orthodox (so Christianity-aversion would apply).  I haven't seen all the shows -- did he mention being a Muslim before?

Not as funny as the orgy ep but I thought Nandor's grief over his great-x-33 granddaughter to be sweet and rather affecting.  And the piñata line was a hoot.

For those in mourning: FX is starting what looks to be a Season 1 rebroadcast.  The pilot ep is on tonight, 11:30pm PST.  I'm in!