Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for What We Do in the Shadows, season 6, episode 11, 'The Finale'!
Nandor and the Guide are figuring out what they want from their afterlife in What we do in the shadows end of the series. Season 6 of the hit vampire documentary saw the main group of vampires continue their crazy antics as Guillermo tried to figure out his life beyond being a family member. Laszlo and Colin Robinson team up to create a Frankenstein-like monster, Nadja and Nandor disrupt Guillermo's work at the workplace, and his long-lost roommate Jerry has resumed his plans to conquer the New World.
THE What we do in the shadows The series finale, titled “The Finale”, picks up directly after the previous episode, “The Promotion”, in which Guillermo left his office job after being mistreated and accepted Nandor's invitation to become his vigilante partner. The ending, however, reveals that the documentary is coming to an end, something the vampires have despised, while Guillermo is distraught by the sudden change. As Nandor continues to push for vigilante partnership, he begins to realize that he may very well lose a friend.
The set What we do in the shadows The season 6 cast saw the return of Harvey Guillén as Guillermo, Kayvan Novak as Nandor, Natasia Demetriou as Nadja, Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson, Matt Berry as Laszlo and Kristen Schaal as The Guide, as well as Doug Jones in a recurring role as Baron Afanas. Scoring a 90% “Certified Fresh” rating from critics at Rotten Tomatoes, the final season sends the show off with a perfect run of rave reviews, making it one of the most iconic TV comedies of all time.
Anticipating its debut, TelaRant interviewed Kayvan Novak and Kristen Schaal to discuss the What we do in the shadows series finale, why does the latter seem like the show will never disappear even when it comes to an end, whether there will ever be an opportunity for Nandor and the Guide to have a romantic relationship in the future, what Guillermo and Nandor's partnership might be after the finale and who your favorite cameos were during the show.
Schaal feels What we do in the shadows Will forever be one”Once in a lifetime” Show
“…I'm so honored to be a part of this show.”
ScreenRant: I have to say that I'm thrilled and sad to talk about the ending of this show. Kayvan, I know you and I touched on this emotional angle last time we spoke, but Kristen, I would love to hear from you. You may not have started out as a lead actor on this show, but The Guide has become an important part of this eccentric vampire family. How do you feel as you reach the end of her chapter?
Kristen Schaal: It's really great, I'm so honored to be a part of this show. This is a once-in-a-lifetime supernatural and wacky comedy with the best showbiz writers, the best art directors, editors, costume designers, makeup, hair, all of it coming together. And just being able to be on that set in Toronto with the fastest, smartest comedians from America, the UK and New Zealand, was a huge honor, so it's something I'll always cherish.
One thing I love is that The Guide really seems like she's finding herself this season, in terms of her no longer feeling like an outsider in both this group and the vampire community at large, even though in previous seasons, she always had that feeling of longing. What does it feel like to come full circle after all this time?
Kristen Schaal: It's good. I mean, I still feel like she's kind of accepted that she's never going to be a roommate, she's never going to be part of the five, but she can come, like a crazy neighbor, and they accept her. I think it's a good balance of that. Some groups of friends will bring you along forever, and some you'll only say “Hi” when you see them in line for coffee.
Novak has a unique perspective on his time as Nandor
“…if they're not, then I'll do it the way the director wants me to do it…”
Kayvan, I'd like to talk to you next. Obviously, one of the big things about the finale is that we learn that the documentary is coming to an end. All the vampires despise this, but Guillermo is obviously having a hard time processing this, and Nandor is in this interesting middle ground where he obviously cares about how Guillermo feels, but he doesn't care about the documentary. How does it feel to follow that line in performance throughout the episode?
Kayvan Novak: Well, you know, it takes a lot of skill and great talent and a great team behind you, team of writers, team of directors, art directors, sound people, who record your voice when you're speaking. [as Nandor] in this voice. It's just sad and incredibly amazing to also have been a part of this show. And to answer your question, I continued doing this as Nandor. I don't know, I've reached a point where for me it's just autopilot. Seriously, I don't need to think too much about my performance as Nandor. I know it will never be bad, it will never be great, it will be kind of in between. [Laughs] I just take the middle path and hope my choice is accepted by the director, and if it's not, I'll do it the way the director wants me to do it, six or seven times.
Kristen Schaal: Kayvon, as a comedy snob, Nandor always made me laugh.
The guide felt “Incredibly betrayed” Jerry's turn against the Baron
“He's a bit cultured, and she believed all of this…”
So one thing I love about The Guide's storyline this season, by the way, is the kind of unrequited love that Nandor has for her. But she kind of has her own interesting connection to Jerry as the season progresses. Obviously, we see that the vampires don't care about Jerry's death in episode 9, but we don't really see what the Guide's reaction to it is. How do you think the Guide feels about the Baron's betrayal and Jerry's death?
Kristen Schaal: Oh my God, well, it's like she said: The Guide feels incredibly betrayed. I think she thought this was the leader that would take them to the next level. He's a little cultured, and she believed all of this, and now, she's like – well, she was ready to kill herself in front of the Baron, and then Nandor screwed up. This would have been a great ending to The Guide. [Laughs] Sorry, no, she was supposed to live forever. I think it's funny that you say, Grant, how much you'll miss Nandor, but Nandor will outlive you by thousands of years, and I think that's special about the show.
And that's what I've been saying to Paul Sims and Yana Gorskaya, like, “Congratulations on the show, congratulations on the nominations for these awards, but I think the biggest congratulations is” – I suspect, I can't see the future – “I think this show will be one of those shows that people revisit. I don't think it's going to go away.”
I have a special thing with Flight of the Conchords, where it surprised me, over and over again, that people brought it up. I'm like, “This show is 20 years old,” or however long it is, and it's like, “No, they keep finding it, and it keeps meaning something to them.” And I feel like because of the subject matter and the weirdness of this show, it's going to be evergreen like this, which is the biggest award you could get.
Nandor and the guide will never be a thing
“…The Guide kind of saw it for what it was.”
Kayvan, I'll come back to you next because we joked about The Guide and Nandor, his crush on her, but in the end, we didn't get more of it. Do you think he finally understood after she said it over and over again, “This will never happen“? Or do you think there's still something there?
Kayvan Novak: Yes, I think the Guide saw it for what it was. It's like, 'This guy is just experimenting with everyone, and it just won't rub off on me. I've seen him put himself down, sneer, and it's like, 'Man, come on. I want this. Just be honest with yourself, I'm not the right person for you. It's the end of the night with the last two people on the dance floor at the house party, but that doesn't mean we have to have fun. . So I'm going to walk you to your taxi, it was fun hanging out, but this isn't going anywhere. You'll thank me in the morning.'” We've all been there.
Kristen Schaal: I don't know if so. It's very sad to hear that. [Laughs]
Kayvan Novak: Yes, it's very sad. I'm glad you didn't experience that.
Kristen Schaal: I guarantee you, if I stayed on the dance floor that long. [Shakes her head]
Kayvan Novak: I know if you stay on the dance floor all night, [hopefully it’s] because you hate your roommate or something, you don't want to go home.
Don't put too much weight on Nandor's vigilante future
Novak also reveals a storyline he would like the show to explore
Kayvan, I'll get back to you next. Another thing I love about this ending – there are so many things I love about this ending – is the Batman-like teasing we get in those final moments with you and Guillermo. But that being said, Guillermo still seems to want to move on. If he does, do you think Nandor will follow through on his vigilantism plan, given how weird all the vampires in this group have been with some of their previous plans?
Kayvan Novak: I think it's just a fad, another fad. I fought crime for a bit and then realized he's also a mass murderer and in danger of being arrested, which is actually a story I thought would be fun, if, in fact, there was a detective on the tail of vampires. Because I don't think the authorities ever got close to them in any way, whereas I think they did in the movie, and then they did a complete spin-off of these characters in the movie.
But it probably wouldn't feel right in this world, you know, you just want to hang out with vampires. And if there isn't a threat, then they just imagine there's one around the corner. They are very paranoid. But yeah, man, it's been an incredible journey, an incredible journey, and I hope the fans give it closure, and in a beautiful way. Let them not feel harmed by this, but I think they will. I think you could give them any ending, and they would say, “[In a humorous voice] That was amazing!”
Kristen Schaal: I get excited, because I keep saying this in all the interviews and stuff, Shadows is so special, and I hope it's inspiring other amazing creators and writers to make cool shows like this that are just a little weird. And so, I also hope that they cast Kayvan and me in these shows. We can play different characters. [In a gruff voice] I can do this! [In normal voice] Right?
Kayvan Novak: [In Nandor’s voice] And I can be like that. [In normal voice] Oh no, I don't have range. [Chuckles]
Kristen Schaal: [Laughs] We could be different characters on another TV show about soft creatures, or what have you.
Kayvan Novak: I could be mute.
Kristen Schaal: Oh, my God, is this my dream role, like Sweet and Lowdown? This is a mime.
Kayvan is so immersed in Nandor's eccentricity that he doesn't know how to free himself after all these years.
Kayvan Novak: I liked Sweet and Lowdown. I was a fan of this film at the time.
Kristen Schaal: She managed to not have any lines and just act with her face.
Kayvan Novak: Samantha Morton, yes.
Novak and Schaal have a favorite Shadows Cameo
“I mean, it was very difficult to win…”
I see I have enough time for one more question so I'd love to ask you both, this series has seen so many cameos from the vampire genre over the years. We just had True BloodAlexander Skarsgård, a few episodes ago. I'd love to hear from you what your favorite vampire cameo was from the entire show.
Kristen Schaal: Well, definitely, I would say Mark Hamill was – come on, game over! I kind of screwed up with this, there's no way up from there. Good luck, Kayvan. [Laughs]
Kayvan Novak: I mean, it was really hard to beat Luke Skywalker.
Kristen Schaal: I mean it was also really exciting for me when they told me that Steve Coogan was on the show this season, I was like, “Oh!”
Kayvan Novak: That was cool, that was cool. I'll tell you, when the three vampires, we had the full set of the movie during the trial; Taika, Jemaine and Jonny Brugh. Having them there and seeing him dance live was really cool.
On What we do in the shadows Season 6
What We Do in the Shadows documents the nocturnal 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 from his former human friend and current friend, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), as well as his familiar vampire bureaucrat, The Guide (Kristen Schaal).
After a brief stint as a vampire, Guillermo is reevaluating his life. Who is he but a familiar who will do anything to please his Master in hopes of one day being turned into a vampire? Meanwhile, the vampires are also reevaluating. When their former roommate reappears after a 50-year nap, they realize how little they've done in half a century – no goals achieved, no dreams pursued, no part of the New World conquered (except their street and part of Ashley Street).
In the sixth and final season of the Emmy-nominated comedy, Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, Colin and Guillermo will enter the workforce, visit New Hampshire, attend a human dinner party, celebrate the Baron and conjure a demon – all while trying to find the your place and your purpose in this crazy and confusing world.
Check out our previous What we do in the shadows Season 6 interviews with:
Source: ScreenRant Plus