‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Season 5 review: Fresh blood, fresh laughs, same old vampires

What We Do in the Shadows shouldn’t be this good. A sitcom spinoff of an indie mockumentary about vampire roommates desperately seeking to be cool, it shouldn’t have been possible to recreate the magic of the absurd central concept without the chaotic chemistry of the original cast. And yet, FX’s horror-comedy series — which was created by Jemaine Clement, who shares credit for the 2014 movie with Taika Waititi — has been bloody good fun for four seasons and counting. 

With Season 5 set to premiere July 13, the Staten Island crew of vampires have some new obstacles to face, but they bring the same brand of madcap and macabre entertainment as we’ve come to expect, whether they’re tackling local elections, speed dating, or Pride Month. 

What do you need to remember before watching Season 5 of What We Do in the Shadows? 

The big callback from Season 4 is Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) is all grown up (again). Nandor (Kayvan Novak) is sitcom-set back to single (and lonely). Nadja’s nightclub ended in disaster, so she (Natasia Demetriou) is back at home with some fences to mend. And Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) is finally a vampire, while Laszlo (Matt Berry) is hungry for a new project.

Yes! In case you missed it (or just forgot over the break), Guillermo paid his buddy Derek (Chris Sandiford), the former would-be vamp slayer, to turn him. And in Season 5, we finally get to see what the fallout from this is — but not right away. 

Episode 1, “The Mall,” reveals that Guillermo’s transformation isn’t going exactly how he hoped. “It’s been 16 days,” he laments, while B-roll shows his embarrassing attempts to turn into a bat. (If you thought Beanie Feldstein’s fledging vamp had it bad, just you wait!) Guillermo’s been sitting on the secret of his new status while Nandor, Laszlo, and Nadja cackle at the very idea he’ll ever be a vampire. Also, they go to a mall, where the giddy monsters enjoy pleasures like the wonders of carousels, Build-A-Bear, and the baby goths who traditionally work at Hot Topic. 

But that’s just the beginning. Across the four episodes FX gave to critics, the housemates have a variety of misadventures. Nadja discovers a thrilling new way to connect to her heritage. Laszlo becomes involved in the local Pride Parade planning. Nandor seeks a new friend at the gym, in his uniquely too-much-too-soon way. Colin Robinson runs for local office, with the help of an old friend. And all the while, Guillermo clumsily stumbles through his growing pains as a new vampire, drawing parallels to puberty and losing one’s virginity. 

What We Do in the Shadows shakes up the house dynamics.

Season 5 brings some curious growth in both good and gross ways. Nadja, who has long detested energy vampire Colin Robinson, finds herself in a compromising position that involves her Nadja doll and a Dave Matthews Band jam. Meanwhile, Laszlo, whose longtime mocking of Guillermo includes giving mangling his name into “Gizmo,” becomes an unexpected ally as he realizes something is off with the household’s flustered familiar. 

Much like he did with baby Colin in Season 4, Laszlo can’t refuse the need of a creature he finds more pitiable than himself. It’s the same motivation that keeps him bound to their human neighbor Sean (Anthony Atamanuik), no matter how bone-headed Sean’s endeavors! Also like in Season 4, this Grinch-like growing of Laszlo’s heart makes for moments that are totally bonkers while also being surprisingly tender. The first four episodes show the first part of this journey, as Guillermo and Laszlo flirt with being more than wary housemates and inch towards friendship. It’ll be intriguing to see how this might develop over the rest of Season 5.  

Also returning to the mix are such previously established vampires as Doug Jones’s cheerful Baron, Vanessa Bayer’s dedicated downer Evie, and Kristen Schaal’s The Guide, who’s gone from loathing the Staten Island crew to desperately trying to wedge herself into this tight-knit nest. 

In each episode, there’s the refreshing excitement of getting the band back together. The cast clicks without falling into stodgy repetitions. The new conflicts and collisions make for remixed dynamics, leading to some climactic comedy beats that are not only hilarious but also — in two instances — poke brazen fun at the moral panic over Pride Month, drag queens, and the LGBTQ+ community’s “dangerous” influence upon society. This proudly queer household lets it all hang out, and it’s outrageous and hilarious and strangely sweet! 

Greatest of all, the writers haven’t run out of fresh scenarios to pitch their kooky crew into. So, each episode becomes an edge-of-your-seat delight, wondering what havoc these bloodsuckers will unleash. Expectations haven’t dulled the edge of this show, or sated its thirst for gore. Blood will spray as will vomit, and still, What We Do in the Shadows will have us screaming with laughter all the way. 

What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 premieres on FX on July 13; each episode will be available to stream on Hulu(opens in a new tab) the next day.