Warning: This post contains spoilers from the What We Do in the Shadows series finaleThe series finale What we do in the shadows offers an ingenious and unexpected goodbye, heartfelt and self-aware. As a standalone episode, it offers one of the most inventive structures of the entire series. Simply titled “The Finale,” season 6, episode 11 begins like any other outing between the vampiric crew – this time with a development about some particularly uncontrollable urges of Cravensworth's Monster. The series breaks down when the documentary crew asks for microphone packs back, as Guillermo begins to unravel the reality that his “documentary” is coming to an end.
What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary comedy series that follows the exploits of four vampires and a family member living in Staten Island in the 21st century. Unrelated to the film of the same name, the series' vampires attempt to acclimate themselves to the modern world but tend to get lost frequently, leaving familiar Guillermo de la Cruz, who hopes to become a vampire, to pick up the pieces in the afterlife. accidental destruction.
- Release date
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March 27, 2019
- Cast
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Doug Jones, Natasia Demetriou, Matt Berry, Mark Proksch, Kayvan Novak, Harvey Guillen, Kristen Schaal
- Seasons
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6
- Presenter
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Paulo Simms
Although previous seasons of What we do in the shadows – created by Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi based on their 2014 film – represents the better half of the series, the show has maintained a cult following. Instead of going big and bringing in several guest stars from previous episodes for a comprehensive, cumulative send-off, the series smartly keeps its focus on its beloved core team. Even though nothing happened with Alexander Skarsgård's appearance in the penultimate episode and the ending was mostly disinterested in plot and character resolutions, the ending is ultimately highly original, self-reflective and engaging.
The end of What We Do in the Shadows lifts the veil on the documentary team and says goodbye together with its audience
The series finale saved its best trick for last
What we do in the shadows' finale puts the brakes on the narrative storylines established throughout Season 6, which ends up working in its favor. The whole “corporate world” theme of the season is barely mentioned and new characters like Jerry the Vampire – who made a big introduction in the season 6 premiere – are literally ripped out of the story. The ending embellishes the core element of the series that made it so strong in the first place, which is its close-to-workplace sitcom feel that celebrates the hilarity of its unique characters in any situation.
Season 6's setting may have seemed a little out of place in a city office building, but it shows how easy it is to follow these characters anywhere. The cinematic parody in The usual suspects at the end it touches on the meta tone of the series finale, in which Nadja hypnotizes the audience into seeing the “end of their dreams”. This almost sarcastic tone helps break the fourth wall effectively and makes it easier to prepare for an inevitable departure from the series.
The finale ends with the same kind of sly, inventive humor that made the show such an original hit.
The finale ends with the same kind of sly, inventive humor that made the show such an original hit. It avoids going too far into an overly sentimental resolution, but still recognizes the inherent sadness of the occasion. The series also appears to attack its own reception, seemingly mocking feedback it may have received from certain unnamed parties. The plot is not completely abandoned either, as Guillermo and Nandor have a meaningful and hilarious goodbye.
What We Do at the End of the Shadows intelligently and entertainingly reflects on his legacy without becoming overly sentimental
The comedy series stayed true to itself until the end
With a highly original series based on characters like What we do in the shadowsthere is no real need to get to the main plot points and conclusions of the “hero’s journey”. Guillermo's attempts to inspire textbook storytelling essentials, such as character change and growth, are deftly rejected by the Vampires, who have a meta understanding that we never want them to change. The resting point about how Nandor and Guillermo will remain friends after the cameras stop rolling is the biggest sentiment to wrap up, creating an air that, somewhere out there, the team is still up to their usual shenanigans.
The vampires are practically carefree throughout the series and it's satisfying that they remain that way until the end. Seeing Laszlo and Nadja break character and delve into their feelings may have had more of an emotional impact, but it's clear the creators didn't want to go in that direction. As Nádia explains, This wasn't even their first experience with a documentary crew.
An old movie features some of the highlights from previous seasons, while also creating a hilarious moment in the current timeline, where the Forever vampires have barely changed over thousands of years. This helps create messages from these characters and makes it easier to deal with the end of the series.
The ending of What We Do in the Shadows may not venture too deeply into its own nostalgia, but it provides another ingenious entry into the beloved series.
What we do in the shadows remains a passionate series and one of the most complex comedies with obvious care for its characters. The series didn't need to use any cliché final trick and I even laughed at the idea of doing that in the final scenes. Guillermo, as always, is our human point of contact and is the only one who is really upset about the end of the documentary. Even when he puts his big celebratory speech on camera, the comedy never stops, which is exactly how this particular ending should be.
THE What we do in the shadows the ending provides a brief performance by the main cast singing Vera Lynn's “We'll Meet Again”, which acknowledges a more traditional “ending” feel. Ultimately, it's a relief that the series doesn't trade its fantastically idiosyncratic comedic value for sentimental character interactions and forced plot conclusions. THE What we do in the shadows finale may not venture too deeply into its own nostalgia, but it provides another ingenious entry into the beloved series.
- Avoid final clichés and maintain your comic identity
- An inventive touch adds an engaging meta-element
- Some tender scenes end everything simply, but with care
- The ending lacks a cumulative emotional impact
- Several important questions about the plot and characters remain unanswered