FX’s ‘What We Do In The Shadows’ Is A Bloody Good Time [Season 1 Review]

The quality-level blood’s been mostly sucked out of the vampire genre in recent years, but damn, Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement really injected some fake teeth funny back into the veins of the genre in 2014. Featuring an inspired mockumentary method about a film crew allowed to document real-life, centuries-old vampires living in an old New Zealand mansion, while employing visual gags and deadpan humor, their co-directed/co-written, “What We Do In The Shadows” was an unexpected hit and left fans wanting more from the odd and quirky vampire’s next door. Five years later, FX is capitalizing on the duo’s talents again with the spin-off series of the same name “What We Do In The Shadows,” now set in Staten Island with a new cast. Having debuted recently in SXSW (though just the pilot), we took a bite into the first four episodes of this deliciously amusing spin-off series that does right by the movie, but tries to expand the universe.

In its inaugural episode, ‘Shadows’ sets up the dynamics of a newfangled household with a new brood of congenial, but ill-tempered pale vampires. Nandor (Kayvan Novak) acts as the witless self-proclaimed leader of the group, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) balances her seductive powers while also acting as the ‘straight man’ of the trio, and then there’s Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja’s non-exclusive partner and rogue with a talent for gardening. The three vampires have been living reclusively on Staten Island for over 100 years along with Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), Nandor’s “familiar” who dreams of being a vampire and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), an “energy vampire” who sucks the life out of the party instead of blood. In the pilot, the household prepares to welcome their master from the old country, Baron Afanas (Doug Jones), who instructs the vampires to lay claim over the New World – or in this case Staten Island. A bloody good time ensues as the vampires plot their rise to power and stumble through shenanigans of both the supernatural and mortal worlds.

For any devotee to Waititi and Clement’s cult classic, there is little to find disappointing in the spin-off series. The first episode alone is packed with dead-pan, wry humor, and enough quotable lines to have engraved on a vampire’s coffin. There’s even a self-awareness sprinkled into the rich comedy with a few jokes pointed to the “Twilight” films and an absurdist take on the terrifying imagery of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” From there, the series stays true to its dead-pan humor and dark atmosphere, pulling off the distinct style and comedy of the film. The jokes consistently land, and delivery is only elevated by the cast of under-the-radar performers who revel in the weird gothic costumes and play off each other as if they’ve been living in a dilapidated house in Staten Island for the past 100 years.

It’s a playful, warped premise made even more fascinating when captured in the mockumentary style. The asides and interviews don’t simply serve to showcase each vampire’s quirks and ticks but delves even further into the rituals and habits of the house and the supernatural world at large. Who knew there was a code of conduct for fighting werewolves?

When the documentary crew isn’t following its subjects, the cameras veer to potential victims and pawns in the vampires’ schemes. We even get to see what exactly an “energy vampire” is, following Colin Robinson to work and get a taste for the thankless work Guillermo does for his master. The realm of the show extends beyond the Victorian Era crypt of the vampires and out into the modern world, making some of the best moments when the group interact with mere mortals.

Familiar comedians pay a visit to the blood-sucking block and they add plenty to sardonic quips and mood. If there’s one issue, it’s the way the show quickly sidesteps its delectable premise. You want to witness the mischievousness of conquering the New World, but instead, the show dives first into distractions and subplots.

That said, those diverting detours are fun. A trip to Manhattan, a tussle with some werewolves, even documenting the turning of a college student make for a series that continues to create a foundation for future episodes to go. “What We Do In The Shadows” is a delightful, deviously good watch. Stow away the garlic and leave your crucifixes behind, “What We Do In The Shadows” isn’t a series you’ll want to leave in the dark. [B+]