Posted in: FX, Hulu, Preview, TV | Tagged: fx, hulu, preview, season 4, what we do in the shadows, wwdits

What We Do in the Shadows S04: Families, Home Repair & Nandor In Love?

Earlier this month, fans of FX's What We Do in the Shadows learned that Laszlo (Matt Berry), (Baby) Colin (Mark Proksch), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) & Nandor (Kayvan Novak) would be returning to their screens on July 12 for its fourth season. And considering how our vampire/vampire killer family left things at the end of Season 3, it's safe to say that there are some serious questions that need to be answered. But if you're looking for clues to what those answers could be, look no further than the official Season 4 overview- and it's an interesting one. We learn that when the trio returns to Laszlo & Baby Colin, the home is "on the verge of total structural collapse"… and that's going to cost money. On the personal front, it appears Nandor's "eternal search for love" is over. Why do we have a feeling he met someone while he was on his own walkabout? Meanwhile, Nadja gets a shot at running the hottest vampire nightclub in the Tri-State Area, Laszlo tries raising Baby Colin to be anything but an energy vampire, and it looks like Guillermo will have more than one family stressing him our this go-around. And that's not… did someone say, "Jersey Pine Barrens"? Check out the official overview below:

What We Do in the Shadows, based on the feature film by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén).

In the shocking season three finale, Nandor, Guillermo and Nadja left Staten Island to go their separate ways while Laszlo stayed home to care for the creature that clawed its way out of the chest cavity of the deceased Colin Robinson — aka Baby Colin. This season, the vampires return to Staten Island to find their mansion on the verge of total structural collapse — and with no money to repair it. While Nandor's eternal search for love finally yields results, Nadja finally realizes her dream of opening the hottest vampire nightclub in the Tri-State Area. Laszlo struggles with the question of nature versus nurture as he tries raising Baby Colin to be anything other than an energy vampire. And even Guillermo finds himself on a powerful emotional track that touches on his love for his family, and for others.

With such terrifying locations as the secret supernatural Night Market, the Jersey Pine Barrens and a wedding altar, and with more strange beasts, surprising guest stars and tap dancing than ever, season four of What We Do in the Shadows continues to make the case for blood and comedy. And this time with just a touch of home renovation.

Back in October 2021, Guillén took some time to speak with Vulture about What We Do in the Shadows– specifically, the Guillermo-Nandor dynamic, his character's evolution, Guillermo's sexuality & representation, and more. Here are some of the highlights (and here's a look back at Bleeding Cool's conversation with Guillén here and here):

Guillén on Why Nandor & Guillermo's Dynamic Works So Well: "I think everyone's cheering for something to happen, whether that's romantic or [having] some truth be told — what is their dynamic? And what is the bond that they have? I'm very blessed to have a counterpart like Keyvan, where we're both so comfortable in the characters, and Keyvan's such a giving actor. We're making a comedy, but at the end of the day, their storyline is what grounds the humanity, because it's a split 50-50 between someone who's immortal and no longer is worried about time, and someone for whom the clock is ticking, and needs to either make a choice to be immortal himself or to make a choice and live a life that doesn't include this world."

That Said, Guillén Understands Fans Hanign Onto Every Development- and Wanting More: "It's really a tough situation to be in, and it's a fork in the road. Even when I'm reading the scripts, it feels very, 'Oh my God, what's gonna happen?' Because it's a slow burn with them. And I think people are like, 'No, do something! Either be together or not be together or say something!' Or is one of you not into it? Or maybe it's not even love like that? Maybe it's a love between two males, and we normalize two males having affection for each other without making it sexualized? That could be a possibility. It's just, what is it? I think everyone's just eager to know, like, 'Tell us what it is!'"

Guillermo Has Evolved as a Character But He's No Victim- and That's Important: "It's important to feel that you're represented and feel that you're cheering for a character that isn't the victim, that their queer storyline doesn't define how tragic the outcome of their life is. Because we've seen that for so long in media, in the way that queer people are portrayed, and it's very black-and-white. You're either fabulous and the best friend and over-the-top, or you're like, 'Oh, he came out and then, tragically, they kill him.' It's been so black-and-white for so long. That's not the world we live in, and that's definitely not the lifestyle and life that are led by our queer brothers and sisters. I've always said, everyone in the show, the characters are queer, but the vampires, they have nothing to lose. They could chop your heart out or bite you or snap your neck. There's no fear. The difference with Guillermo is he doesn't talk about sexuality. He has this fear that's been placed on him by society, this fear that's been placed on him maybe by his culture, his upbringing. There's fear that we all overcome to be our authentic selves, and that's why it's so freeing when that opportunity happens.

Guillermo Stays Because That "Group of Assholes" is His Family: "As much as Guillermo has his own dreams and aspirations, he's made a monster, in the sense of Nandor being helpless. He could be 'The Relentless,' because he never relents, but may not be the smartest in some scenarios, where he needs a human like Guillermo to get him out of a pickle. And that's why he sticks around. Remember, he walked away from the household at the end of season two and decided to go back and save them. He could've left them; he owes them nothing. They think they owe him a life of immortality because he wants to be a vampire, and they never saw that through, and they promised. So he could have been an asshole about it and said, 'That's not my problem.' He puts himself in the middle of a room of vampires to save the group of assholes that he's learned to love and made into his chosen family for over a decade.

Guillermo's Not Going Big Bad- But He's Understanding More & More How to Play the Game (& His Roomies): "I like the idea that we introduce a Machiavellian approach to his technique because he's tried so many things for ten years: He's tried to do things by the book, he's tried to play by the rules, and he's not getting anywhere. They say nice guys finish last, and he's starting to realize modesty is a virtue, but in this world, modesty can hurt you. You need to speak up, you need to say what you're owed, you need to be paid a certain wage, you deserve a promotion. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and for so long, he's been so submissive that they dismiss him, like, 'Whatever, you're always going to be there.' And I see that, sadly, in a lot of other professions."

Created by Jemaine Clement and produced by FX Productions, What We Do in the Shadows stars Kayvan Novak as Nandor, Natasia Demetriou as Nadja, Matt Berry as Laszlo, Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson, and Harvey Guillén as Guillermo. Clement, Waititi, and Paul Simms serve as executive producers for What We Do in the Shadows, alongside Scott Rudin, Garrett Basch, Eli Bush, and Stefani Robinson.

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