Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for What We Do in the Shadows Season 6.
What We Do in the Shadowsisn’t even halfway through its sixth and final season, and so much has already happened. As sad as it is that the show is ending, it’s very exciting how much the show’s tone has shifted for the last installment.With the return of Jerry(Mike O’Brien) and the loss of their familiar, the vampires are all flailing a bit. Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) is working an office job, Laszlo (Matt Berry) has created his own version of Frankenstein’s monster, and Colin (Mark Proksch) is dealing with profound loneliness.
However, the most interesting character arc this season is the one thatWhat We Do in the Shadowsseems to be setting up for Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak). The vampires are notorious for never committing to any lasting changes, so much so that Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) once remarked on this in the Season 4 finale. Now, though, it seems as thoughgrowth is inevitable for Nandor, at least if he wants to keep Guillermo around. Now that Guillermo has tried vampirism and decided that it’s not for him,he is no longer Nandor’s familiar. This has massively shifted the dynamic between Nandor and Guillermo, and is going to make things really interesting for Nandor’s arc this season.
What Exactly Is Going on with Nandor in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Season 6?
Nandor’s storyline this season is already incredibly compelling, and it is reminiscent of another previous arc of his. Back in Season 3, Nandor went through a huge identity crisis that led him to join a cult and then try to enter a super slumber. This lasted into the next season, withNandor even getting marriedjust to try to give some semblance of meaning to his afterlife. Nandor has been flailing for a while, andevery time that Guillermo starts to find something outside of him, Nandor can’t handle it.In Season 6, Guillermo has quit his jobas a familiar, moved out into the garden shed, and gotten a corporate job. Naturally, Nandor is not taking it well.
Nandor seems to have a breakthrough in Season 6, Episode 3, “Sleep Hypnosis.” All the vampires briefly get hypnotized, and then, once they’re back to normal, Guillermo is the one who gets hypnotized. While unable to remember his past, Guillermo interviewsfor the job of Nandor’s familiar. As the two are talking, Nandor seems to be reflecting on his years of taking Guillermo for granted, and on what he has now lost. It seems to be Nandor’s “Oh"moment, as if he’s suddenly starting to understand what Guillermo means to him. The heartbreaking thing is thatNandor is only starting to come around after Guillermo has already pulled away.
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The most devious vampires in New York Citay.
Ignoring Nandor and Guillermo’s Relationship Would Be a Mistake on ‘What We Do in the Shadows’
Nandor’s character journey this season is a direct result of feeling like he’s lost Guillermo. He only shows any real signs of growth whenever Guillermo starts to separate himself. As a result,Guillermo’s arc this season could lead directly to some real change for Nandor. We can already see this playing out. Upon reliving Guillermo’s interview in Episode 3,Nandor has already changed. His interactions with Guillermo in Episode 4 are so much gentler and kinder than ever before. At one point, Nandor even tells Guillermo that he’s proud of him.
In Season 3 Episode 4, “Railroad,” Guillermo is told by his new boss to fire Nandor from his janitorial position, and this leads toan incredibly meaningful and heartbreaking scene. When Guillermo fires Nandor, Nandor reacts unexpectedly. Previously, he would have lashed out at Guillermo; here, though Nandor just accepts it. Then, after Guillermo has walked away, Nandor just falls apart. He rips off his microphone, yells at the camera crew, and even throws his things at them when they won’t stop following him.
We haven’t seen this sort of panicked rage from Nandor before, and it is exactly the sort of thing that I was hoping to see from him this season. Nandor hasn’t changed much in his centuries of being alive, because he hasn’t really needed to change. Now, though,Nandor is faced with the possibility losing the most important person in his life. Nandor can see that Guillermo doesn’t need him anymore, and it’s killing him.What We Do in the Shadowshas set Nandor upto finally experience real change, which will likely include fighting for Guillermo.
New episodes ofWhat We Do in the Shadowsair Monday nights on FX, and are available to stream the next day on Hulu.
What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadowsoffers a comedic glimpse into the nightly lives of four vampire roommates—Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, and energy vampire Colin Robinson—residing in Staten Island. Alongside their human familiar, Guillermo, they navigate modern challenges like paying rent, attending social events, and dealing with supernatural politics, all while maintaining their centuries-old habits.
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