The stellar cast highlights storylines that play safe too

The first three episodes of What we do in the shadows Season 6 offers a glimpse into the final season of FX’s vampire comedy. While they set up multiple storylines that are likely to stretch over the 11-episode season, the most important is the awakening of Jerry (Mike O’Brien), a former roommate from the mockumentary series Staten Island-based Immortals. who went into a “super-sleeper” in the mid-1970s. Although they promised to wake him in the 90s, they predictably forgot all about him, and his re-entry into their lives reminds them of forgotten dreams and desires of their past.

What we do in the shadows Season 6 has big shoes to fill as it attempts to put a bow on one of the funniest, most idiosyncratic series of modern times. Since it premiered in 2019, the FX comedy has been a beacon of fearless invention, laugh-out-loud ribaldry and offbeat character-building on the small screen, even eclipsing the cult classic 2014 movie it’s based on. how so A lot is riding On his farewell time that it may never be able to properly live.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 6 features a sharp-as-ever ensemble but patchier writing

The comedy does not always rise to the level of the cast

As has been the case with every season up to this point, the primary draw of season 6 is the What we do in the shadows Figure. The ensemble plays perfectly off of one another And consistently finds new and exciting ways to deliver small character beats in moments that might not otherwise have called for them, especially the expository scenes shown in the mockumentary talking head interviews. A particular highlight is Natasia Demetriou, whose every line is a master class in comic delivery.

The only acting note in all three episodes is a moment when Matt Barry doesn’t quite commit to the hummus required of a marital spat, although the fact that the punchline can be spotted from a mile away may mean that the scene isn’t real. deserves his full attention. Beyond that, every main cast member – including Barry – is at the top of their game, and one episode 2 moment in particular, where Nandor is disguised as a janitor, sees Kayvan Novak deliver A series of physical comedy bits that rank among his finest moments in the entire show.

Unfortunately, the material that the exquisite cast is asked to deliver does not always live up to the usual standards of the show, although they are unilaterally delivering it well. While there are still huge laughs stuffed into every episode (including a series of moments where Barry and Proksh are essentially delivering Beaker and Dr. Bunsen honeydew bits of The Muppets Dressed in horror drag), there are Quite a few moments where What we do in the shadows Leans too heavily on sitcom clichés without amplifying them in useful or humorous ways.

This includes A tired running gag where Laszlo and Nadja attempt to talk to one another through Guillermo While giving each other the silent treatment, a joke that is never elevated into something distinctive or weird, two descriptors that are usually the specialty of the show.

What We Do in The Shadows Season 6 makes some questionable plot decisions

The overarching storylines that have been set up don’t show much promise

generally, The storylines set up for season 6 don’t seem to be on straight away. While Guillermo’s attempts to join the human world—and the vampires’ interactions with those attempts—bring a fresh energy to the show, Laszlo’s sudden obsession with creating a Frankenstein-like monster is arbitrary and low-stakes. There doesn’t seem to be enough material there to carry his character for an entire season, especially since bringing the dead to life is bread and butter for the Supernatural series, so reanimating a stitched-together corpse is especially special six seasons in.

Although Jerry’s arrival in episode 1 is a catalyst for the season’s overarching storylines and seems to imply that some major changes are coming in the show’s final season – including an intriguing meta nod to spotting the unseen documentary crew reminiscent of the Last season of The office (in a good way) – Those teased changes haven’t happened. The following two episodes return to generic sitcom setups that allow for hijinks, though not too many that the storylines can’t all be reset back to normal when the credits roll.

This could be because What we do in the shadows has basically always been an episodic show disguised as a serialized show. For example, Guillermo’s desire to become a vampire is a driving force for him in the same way that Lucy’s desire to be in Ricky’s show in I love Lucy. Neither of them can really achieve their goals if the show keeps its form. This is true, although Guillermo’s season 5 half-vampire transformation was one of the most intriguing elements of the show, which is probably why the overarching storyline fell by the wayside.

The best material is still built around Guillermo and the vacuum that his absence from the vampires’ home creates. But can What we do in the shadows Season 6 follow up on Jerry’s promise and commit to shocking the characters enough to stick the landing until the series finale? What remains to be seen. What is more or less a guarantee is that, whatever happens, The show has some last laughs to sweep from its premise Before FX closes it in its coffin for its super-sleep.