WWDITS: Season One Talk

[Orbert]

Another fun episode.  I always think it's unfortunate when the network decides to air episodes out of production order.  Someone with more power than brains thinks they know better how to present someone else's work, and they're often wrong.  It's only a real problem when it creates continuity errors, which I haven't really noticed here, so maybe I'm just opposed to it in principle.

Is there something in vampire lore that says that really old vampires start to look more ghoulish, as the baron (and his movie counterpart Petyr) did?  Vampires who've been around for several centuries still look human except for the fangs, but Petyr and the baron were full-blown Nosferatu types.  How does that work?

I wondered if the baron ("the barren"?) was going to go up in smoke as Petyr did, and of course he did.  But the way they dragged it out was pretty funny.  Good thing he didn't fall on those wooden stakes on the bannister.  Guillermo opening the door and instantly roasting him cracked me up.  But hey, he picked up some roses.

[iMonrey]

Another A+ episode. When they showed what clothes the Baron finally dressed in I nearly lost it. And that was after his first ridiculous outfit with the two ruffs. "Two ruffs don't make a right." The whole thing was hilarious from start to finish. I love how the characters combine all the vampire tropes with modern dialogue, like how Nadja described her feelings about the Baron's plan to conquer all humans. "At first it sounds like a good idea, and then you're like, is it?" I don't know, I'm not describing this very well but they go around in capes and hiss at each other and hypnotize people but then sometimes they insert modern lingo into their dialogue and it's just funny.

Nando thinks they are all terrifying because they are all vampires, and Guillermo is like, "Eh."

[teddysmom]

6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

At first it sounds like a good idea, and then you're like, is it?" I don't know, I'm not describing this very well but they go around in capes and hiss at each other and hypnotize people but then sometimes they insert modern lingo into their dialogue and it's just funny.

I agree. Sometimes they talk in that stilted formal manner and then usually when they're angry, they let loose.  Like when the Baron first came over and Nadja was screaming and cussing about how stupid it was and the guys are like "keep your voice down". 

41 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I want to know how Colin Robinson wound up meeting and living with the others, and what would have happened if the Baron had decided to eat him instead of the sound guy. Also, does energy vampirism run in families?  If not, were his parents and any siblings perpetually exhausted and depressed around him?

I think he's an actual vampire just not the type the other three are. I  was whining to my friend at work about something stupid and she said "hang on a sec I have to do this", when she was done she asked what I wanted and I said "no I'm just being an energy vampire". (She's in on the joke) .  If Colin has taught me one thing, it's that a lot of times my personal travails are really of no interest to others. 

"Does anyone really care that the cat threw up again?" 

[tennisgurl]

The Baron is so over the top at being a vampire that it even makes the rest of the gang be like "ok we get it tone it down a bit god." I mean, TWO ruffles!? In their time, that means your up for anything!

RIP sound guy. I never fail to crack up when they reference the fact that a camera crew is following them around, and everyone is just cool with all of this. 

Love this show so much, every episode has been a win. Its one of the few comedy's on now that I really look forward to every week. 

"Now I am a wizard!!"

Edited May 2, 2019 by tennisgurl

[teddysmom]

1 minute ago, tennisgurl said:

Love this show so much, every episode has been a win. Its one of the few comedy's on now that I really look forward to every week. 

I turned it on at 10 last night but decided not to watch it all because I wanted to save it for this morning. It's my special Thursday morning treat to watch it after breakfast, it makes me happy the rest of the day.  

[libgirl2]

6 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

The Baron is so over the top at being a vampire that it even makes the rest of the gang be like "ok we get it tone it down a bit god." I mean, TWO ruffles!? In their time, that means your up for anything!

RIP sound guy. I never fail to crack up when they reference the fact that a camera crew is following them around, and everyone is just cool with all of this. 

Love this show so much, every episode has been a win. Its one of the few comedy's on now that I really look forward to every week. 

"Now I am a wizard!!"

When the Baron came down he looked so overdone and would stick out like a sore thumb. Its enough he had that old face..... the rest knew it and wanted him to blend in. 

1 hour ago, Matt K said:

I am not a fan of projectile vomiting as comedy but that was really funny.  I loved near the end when I was pretty sure the Barren was going to die and they really played around with it.  I would have liked to see more of him but I think this was probably the perfect amount of Barren as his shtick would get old pretty quickly.  

Neither am I but it worked here. I think it was neat that they made the Baron not just a stereotypical bad guy and made us laugh at and with him. 

[teddysmom]

6 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Neither am I but it worked here. I think it was neat that they made the Baron not just a stereotypical bad guy and made us laugh at and with him. 

And that they had already set up the joke last week so we knew what was going to happen, just not on that large a scale. 

[Matt K]

I also loved Colin giving Barron the NJ Devils hat because of course Colin would wear something like that.  Hell he's probably like Elaine in Seinfeld at Yankee's games.  

[iMonrey]

Quote

I think he's an actual vampire just not the type the other three are.

We've seen him levitate so Colin does have some supernatural powers. He's more than just a guy who bores people into submission.

Quote

I am not a fan of projectile vomiting as comedy but that was really funny.

It was also somewhat unexpected because it seemed like a fairly impressive special effect for a rather low-budget show.

Bat!

[Bort]

Yeah, but is Colin immortal like the others or does he have a lifespan like humans? How was he "turned"? Or are energy vampires born that way? 

[libgirl2]

29 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Yeah, but is Colin immortal like the others or does he have a lifespan like humans? How was he "turned"? Or are energy vampires born that way? 

I think he was born that way. Not sure about life span. 

[Blakeston]

Colin is shown in an old-timey get-up in the opening credits, so I'm guessing he's been around for a while.

[Bruinsfan]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

It was also somewhat unexpected because it seemed like a fairly impressive special effect for a rather low-budget show.

Honestly the effects on this show like the bat transformations and Toby the werewolf are better than what I've seen in a lot of horror movies. (Though Arj Barker's ultra fake-looking werewolf in the spring trap was about the level of cheesiness I expected.)

[libgirl2]

17 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Colin is shown in an old-timey get-up in the opening credits, so I'm guessing he's been around for a while.

That might be to fit in with the credits and the show. Maybe we will get more on him? 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

30 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

That might be to fit in with the credits and the show. Maybe we will get more on him? 

I want to know if Colin eats real food, and if he has blood in his veins (that a conventional vampire might desire).

[libgirl2]

1 minute ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I want to know if Colin eats real food, and if he has blood in his veins (that a conventional vampire might desire).

Yes, wouldn't they have eaten him by now? 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 minute ago, libgirl2 said:

Yes, wouldn't they have eaten him by now? 

Colin didn't seem scared of The Baron.  Actually, neither did Guillermo, and he knew that The Baron had already eaten one familiar, so he really should have been apprehensive.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

8 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Yes, wouldn't they have eaten him by now? 

Even if he was edible (suckable?) they might keep him around because he's useful, like Sean, the neighbor, who brings in the garbage cans when they forget (although I would think that's Guillermo's job.)  Being a daywalker has its advantages!  He probably tastes like misery or ennui, anyway. (What did Nadja say the Larpers would taste like?)

[libgirl2]

16 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Even if he was edible (suckable?) they might keep him around because he's useful, like Sean, the neighbor, who brings in the garbage cans when they forget (although I would think that's Guillermo's job.)  Being a daywalker has its advantages!  He probably tastes like misery or ennui, anyway. (What did Nadja say the Larpers would taste like?)

Maybe his blood is undesirable due to what you said. 

[Bruinsfan]

I mean, just him feeding on the LARPers made their blood useless to the other vampires. Drinking his blood might do more harm than good to them. Colin said that energy vampires were the only vampires that could feed on other vampires, so for the rest their blood might have to come directly from the living.

[teddysmom]

Yeah they're affected by the blood they drink whether it's infused with Ecstasy, or if the victim is full of rage, etc. 

[Blakeston]

2 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

That might be to fit in with the credits and the show. Maybe we will get more on him? 

They don't show Guillermo in any old-time photos or paintings (just some photos from his recent childhood), so my guess is that Colin is pretty old.

[libgirl2]

3 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

They don't show Guillermo in any old-time photos or paintings (just some photos from his recent childhood), so my guess is that Colin is pretty old.

Good point! I didn't even think of it. 

[Dirtybubble]

These episodes should be an hour instead of 30 mins.  I don't like how story lines aren't addressed for weeks at a time and then when they are it's just bits and pieces and no real character development.  I like this episode with the Baron but honestly I had forgotten he was on the show.  And his familiar...the creepy old lady....enh, I guess she suppose to be funny but every time I see her I think "who is she again?"

Where is the young lady and Nadja turned??  I can't even remember her name... =(

Love the opening theme song though!

[iMonrey]

Quote

Honestly the effects on this show like the bat transformations and Toby the werewolf are better than what I've seen in a lot of horror movies. (Though Arj Barker's ultra fake-looking werewolf in the spring trap was about the level of cheesiness I expected.)

True, what little they do is impressive. Like last week when Nando flew into the animal shelter window and it cut to the security camera view of him materializing from a bat. It looked so real.

Quote

These episodes should be an hour instead of 30 mins.  I don't like how story lines aren't addressed for weeks at a time and then when they are it's just bits and pieces and no real character development.

I'm going to respectfully disagree about the length of the show. I think 22 minute bits of this are about as much as the premise can sustain. As I expressed earlier, I felt like the movie was really straining the premise and the joke wore thin before the movie was half over.

However, I do agree about the disjointed plot points. I would have bet money that Episode 4 was actually the second one they filmed since it was a continuation of the Jeff story so I'm kind of baffled by the way they raise and then drop plot points from episode to episode.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

True, what little they do is impressive. Like last week when Nando flew into the animal shelter window and it cut to the security camera view of him materializing from a bat. It looked so real.

I'm going to respectfully disagree about the length of the show. I think 22 minute bits of this are about as much as the premise can sustain. As I expressed earlier, I felt like the movie was really straining the premise and the joke wore thin before the movie was half over.

However, I do agree about the disjointed plot points. I would have bet money that Episode 4 was actually the second one they filmed since it was a continuation of the Jeff story so I'm kind of baffled by the way they raise and then drop plot points from episode to episode.

This past episode should really have been the 2nd, unless we're supposed to think that The Baron has been sleeping straight through for multiple days and nights since he showed up on Staten Island. Otherwise, what has he been doing the nights the others were busy with the City Council, the werewolves, the nightclub, the animal shelter, etc?

Edited May 3, 2019 by ItCouldBeWorse

[sagittarius sue]

I wonder if they'll answer the question of what becomes of the Baron's familiar.  Justice would be if they dispose of her as the Baron did with Laszlo and Nadja's familiar.

[meep.meep]

8 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

I mean, just him feeding on the LARPers made their blood useless to the other vampires. Drinking his blood might do more harm than good to them. Colin said that energy vampires were the only vampires that could feed on other vampires, so for the rest their blood might have to come directly from the living.

He fed on the Baron in this episode.

[Bruinsfan]

Right, but presumably the rest can't get any benefit from drinking his blood or each other's.

[Lantern7]

You'd think the vampires would have a more efficient way to enter and exit to avoid sunlight. My guess is that they seldom expect company. Well, company they're not planning on devouring, anyway. My point is that the Baron's death isn't all on Guillermo.

[meep.meep]

19 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

Right, but presumably the rest can't get any benefit from drinking his blood or each other's.

"Colin said energy vampires are the only ones who can feed on other vampires"

Laslo, Nadja, and Nando can't feed on him or each other.

[30 Helens]

On 5/2/2019 at 12:54 PM, Orbert said:

Is there something in vampire lore that says that really old vampires start to look more ghoulish, as the baron (and his movie counterpart Petyr) did?  Vampires who've been around for several centuries still look human except for the fangs, but Petyr and the baron were full-blown Nosferatu types.  How does that work?

This is something that has always bugged me about vampire shows, because they all do the same thing. Everybody stays looking the same age as when they were turned, forever, except not really forever, because the really super old ones look like exhumed corpses. So when does that happen and what makes it happen? I know, there’s no real answer because it’s not real, but it’s illogical! I’ll forgive this show because the Barren made me laugh, but Buffy’s still got some ‘splaining to do.

[iMonrey]

I forgot about the part where the Baron ate the sound guy. And how it took awhile for the sound to be restored to normal. Presumably the camera guy had to do double duty. I wonder if the sound guy will be replaced.

If I'm being picky, the "documentary" aspect of the show is a weakness because it's something that makes more sense in a 90 minute movie than a weekly TV series. What is this documentary for, why did they agree to it and how long did they agree on filming? They didn't really need to address those questions in the movie but the longer the TV show goes on the more I'll wonder about it.

[Bort]

11 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

If I'm being picky, the "documentary" aspect of the show is a weakness because it's something that makes more sense in a 90 minute movie than a weekly TV series. What is this documentary for, why did they agree to it and how long did they agree on filming? They didn't really need to address those questions in the movie but the longer the TV show goes on the more I'll wonder about it.

I don't know, if I can accept that a documentary crew followed a bunch of schmoes in an office for nine years, I think I can accept that they'd be following a bunch of vampires for awhile.

[Orbert]

I've had the same thought, but ultimately I think we just have to let it go.  I think they wanted to preserve as much of the tone of the movie as possible, and they've succeeded for the most part. The movie was set up this way, so the show is as well.

Most of the time, I actually forget about it.  Maybe because I've watched so many documentaries that I just don't think about it.  They're telling us about what it's like to be a modern vampire, their problems and issues, and I don't think about the fact that they speaking "to me" until one of them asks what the deal is with the camera crew, or eats the sound tech.  Then I go "Oh yeah, this is documentary... um, supposedly."

Then you have things like the quick shot of the girl Nadja converted throwing up in her room while her roommate freaks out.  How did the film crew know to be there, specifically at that time?  Answer: They didn't.  You're just not supposed to think about it.

[teddysmom]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

What is this documentary for, why did they agree to it and how long did they agree on filming? They didn't really need to address those questions in the movie but the longer the TV show goes on the more I'll wonder about it.

The Office had the same problem, there was supposedly only the one crew but they were at the office in Scranton, and in FL at Robert's house at the same time, or at both Dwight & Angela's bachelor/ette parties, etc. 

They were with Colin & Nandor at the shelter as well as following Nadja and Jesh around at the carnival. 

[AuntTora]

The faces the actor playing Nandor makes KILL me. At the very end of this ep, when he turns to the camera with a sort of abashed and giggly "shit" is on repeat on my DVR. I love this show!

[Bruinsfan]

3 hours ago, Orbert said:

Then you have things like the quick shot of the girl Nadja converted throwing up in her room while her roommate freaks out.  How did the film crew know to be there, specifically at that time?  Answer: They didn't.  You're just not supposed to think about it.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the cameraman on the documentary wouldn't have been able to levitate up to peep through Jeff's upper story apartment window like Nadja did.

[scottiB]

Renewed!

I have nothing to say since I am not a vampire.

[iMonrey]

On 5/6/2019 at 1:08 PM, kariyaki said:

I don't know, if I can accept that a documentary crew followed a bunch of schmoes in an office for nine years, I think I can accept that they'd be following a bunch of vampires for awhile.

Well, that's what I mean, the "mockumentary" format is more suited to a movie or limited mini-series than a years-long sitcom. It's harder to buy the gimmick the longer the show lasts. Parks and Rec had that problem too, eventually it just doesn't make sense anymore. But like I said, I'm just being nit-picky. Overall I'm willing to go with it because the show is so good.

Quote

Renewed!

Yay!

[SmithW6079]

On 5/3/2019 at 1:41 PM, Dirtybubble said:

These episodes should be an hour instead of 30 mins.  I don't like how story lines aren't addressed for weeks at a time and then when they are it's just bits and pieces and no real character development. 

On 5/3/2019 at 1:50 PM, iMonrey said:

I'm going to respectfully disagree about the length of the show. I think 22 minute bits of this are about as much as the premise can sustain. As I expressed earlier, I felt like the movie was really straining the premise and the joke wore thin before the movie was half over.

However, I do agree about the disjointed plot points. I would have bet money that Episode 4 was actually the second one they filmed since it was a continuation of the Jeff story so I'm kind of baffled by the way they raise and then drop plot points from episode to episode.

I agree with @iMonrey. An hour would be too long. I watch "Happy" over on SyFy. Those episodes are an hour, and it's just too much sometimes to take the blood and gore and all-around what-the-fuckedness that show puts out.

For the most part, I'm enjoying the show. I like that they're actual (you know what I mean) unrepentant vampires, who kill humans and drink their blood, not the sparkly vegetarian kind (I'm looking at you, "Twilight").

I really like that they keep some of the "traditional" vampire lore, like having to be invited in. I was surprised that Nadja had to be invited in to the parking garage. Was that because it was Jeff's (Gregor's) "domain"?

[Vermicious Knid]

TV Line's story about the renewal includes actual ratings info.

Quote

In 2019 to date, What We Do in the Shadows ranks in the Top 5 among 34 cable comedy series, including in the Adults 18-49 demo and in total viewers. Across all platforms and airings, its first five episodes have averaged an audience of 2.81 million viewers.

[LittleIggy]

10 hours ago, scottiB said:

Renewed!

Yes! 😄

[Orbert]

6 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

I really like that they keep some of the "traditional" vampire lore, like having to be invited in. I was surprised that Nadja had to be invited in to the parking garage. Was that because it was Jeff's (Gregor's) "domain"?

That's how I took it.  The parking garage is technically a building, a structure, so according to the lore, you have to be invited in.  Maybe a stretch, but they didn't have parking garages hundreds or thousands of years ago, so it never really came up before.

[Bort]

7 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

I really like that they keep some of the "traditional" vampire lore, like having to be invited in. I was surprised that Nadja had to be invited in to the parking garage. Was that because it was Jeff's (Gregor's) "domain"?

I like that too. Usually, the lore keeps it to private residences and they have free reign in public buildings. This is the first I’ve seen where vampires can’t go in ANY building, it’s an interesting interpretation. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

I like that too. Usually, the lore keeps it to private residences and they have free reign in public buildings. This is the first I’ve seen where vampires can’t go in ANY building, it’s an interesting interpretation. 

I think traditionally a vampire has to be invited into your home. I think the show extends that to clubs and animal shelters and parking garages just for comical effect. 

[Orbert]

Ha ha, that actually makes more sense than requiring an invitation to any building.

[formerlyfreedom]

OMG. The show is killing me right now!!!!!

[Mr. Sparkle]

Right??? Definitely best episode to date! 

[formerlyfreedom]

Not at the Vampire Council - Rob (Lowe?), Kiefer (Sutherland?), Tom & Brad (well, this is a no brainer!).

What a bunch of great gets! I was happy with just Kristen Schaal, but then we got Tilda Swinton, Evan Rachel Wood (Just...Evan), Paul Reubens, Wesley Snipes, and the original three? I can't decide who was my favorite, TBH - Just...Evan? Wesley and 'IT'S NOT THE WI-FI'? Tilda?

I honestly thought I was going to wet my pants for a minute there.