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 next from their afterlives in theWhat We Do in the Shadowsseries finale. Season 6 of the hit vampire mockumentary has seen the main group of vampires continue their wacky antics all while Guillermo has sought to figure out his life beyond being a familiar. Laszlo and Colin Robinson teamed to create a Frankenstein-like monster, Nadja and Nandor impede on Guillermo’s workplace job, and their long-lost roommate, Jerry, resumed his plans for conquering the New World.
TheWhat We Do in the Shadowsseries finale, entitled “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 finale, however, reveals that the documentary is coming to an end, something the vampires have been dismissive of, while Guillermo finds himself distraught by the sudden change. As Nandor continues to push for their vigilante partnership, he begins to realize he may very well lose a friend.
I Never Expected What We Do In The Shadows’ Final Season To Be So Emotional, But Here We Are
While the final season of What We Do in the Shadows is still full of laughs, the complex dynamic between Guillermo and Nandor gets heavy.
The ensembleWhat We Do in the Shadowsseason 6 castsaw the returns 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 capacity as Baron Afanas. Netting a “Certified Fresh” 90% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the final season sends the show out with a perfect streak of rave reviews, making it one of the most iconic TV comedies of all time.
In anticipation of its premiere,ScreenRantinterviewed Kayvan Novak and Kristen Schaal to discuss theWhat We Do in the Shadowsseries finale, why the latter feels like the show will never disappear even as 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 may be after the finale, and who their favorite cameos were from the show’s run.
Schaal FeelsWhat We Do In The ShadowsWill Forever Be A “Once-In-A-Lifetime” Show
“…I’m just so honored to get to be part of this show.”
ScreenRant: I’ve gotta say, I’m both thrilled and saddened to be talking about the end of this show. Kayvan, I know you and I touched on that emotional angle last time we talked, but Kristen, I’d love to hear from you. You may not have started as a main player on this show, but The Guide has become very much a major part of this kooky vampire family. How does it feel for you to be coming to the end of her chapter?
Kristen Schaal: It feels really good, I’m just so honored to get to be part of this show. This is a once-in-a-lifetime, supernatural, zany comedy with the best writers in showbiz, the best below-the-line art directors, editors, costume designers, makeup, hair, all of it coming together. And just to be able to be on that set in Toronto with the quickest, smartest comedians from America and the UK and in New Zealand, it was just a huge honor, so it’s something that I will always cherish.
One thing I love that comes from that is that The Guide really feels like she’s sort of finding herself this season, in terms of she’s no longer feeling as much of an outsider both in this group, and the vampire community in general, even though in past seasons, she’s always had that sense of longing. What is it like to bring her full circle with that after all this time?
Kristen Schaal: It’s good. I mean, I still feel like she’s sort of accepted that she’ll never be a roommate, she’ll never be part of the five, but she can come over, like a zany neighbor, and they do accept her. I think that that’s a good balance of that. Some friend groups, they’re gonna bring you in forever, and some you’re just gonna say “Hi” to 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 that the director wants me to do it…”
Kayvan, I’d like to turn to you next. Obviously, one of the big things of the finale is we learned that the documentary is coming to an end. All the vampires are sort of dismissive of it, butGuillermo is obviously having a tough timeprocessing it, and Nandor is sort of in this interesting middle ground where he obviously cares how Guillermo feels, but he doesn’t care about the documentary. How does it feel walking that line in the performance throughout the episode?
Kayvan Novak: Well, you know, it takes great 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, too, to have been part of this show. And to answer your question, I just kept doing it as Nandor. I don’t know, I got to a point where it’s just autopilot for me. Really, I don’t have to kind of think too hard about my performance as Nandor. I know that it’ll never be bad, it’ll never be great, it will kind of be in the middle. [Laughs] I just take the middle road and hope that my choice is accepted by the director, and if they’re not, then I’ll do it the way that 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” By Jerry’s Turn Against The Baron
“He’s a bit culty, and she bought into all of it…”
So, one thing I love about The Guide’s storyline this season, by the way, is the sort of unrequited love Nandor has for her. But she sort of has her own interesting connection to Jerry as the season progresses. We obviously see the vampires don’t care about Jerry’s death in episode 9, but we don’t really see what The Guide’s reaction is to it. How do you think The Guide feels about his betrayal of the Baron and Jerry’s death?
Kristen Schaal: Oh my gosh, well, it’s like she said, The Guide feels incredibly betrayed. I think she sort of thought that this was the leader that was going to take them to the next level. He’s a bit culty, and she bought into all of it, and now, she’s just like — well, she was ready to kill herself in front of The Baron, and then Nandor ruined it. That would have been a great ending for The Guide. [Laughs] Sorry, no, she should live on forever. I do think that’s fun that you say, Grant, how much you’re going to miss Nandor, but Nandor will outlive you by thousands of years, and I think that’s sort of 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 is going to be one of those shows that people revisit. I don’t think it’s gonna disappear.”
I have this special thing with Flight of the Conchords, where it surprised me, over and over, that people would bring it up. I’m like, “That show’s 20 years old,” or however long, 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, that it will be evergreen like that, which is the highest award you could ever get.
Nandor & The Guide Will Never Be A Thing
“…The Guide kind of saw it for what it was.”
Kayvan, I’ll turn to you next because we joke about The Guide and Nandor, his infatuation with her, but in the finale, we don’t really get any more of that. Do you think he’s finally gotten the hint after her many, many times of saying, “It will never happen”? Or do you think there’s still something there?
Kayvan Novak: Yeah, I think The Guide kind of saw it for what it was. It’s like, “This guy has just been trying on with everyone, and it’s just not gonna rub off on me. I’ve seen him debase himself, debauch himself, and it’s just like, ‘Dude, come on. You don’t want this. Just be honest with yourself, I’m not the one for you. It’s the end of the night with the last two people on the dance floor at the house party, but it doesn’t mean we have to get it on. So I’m going to walk you to your taxi, it was fun hanging out, but this ain’t going anywhere. You will thank me in the morning.'” We’ve all been there.
Kristen Schaal: I don’t know if I have. That’s really sad to hear. [Laughs]
Kayvan Novak: Yeah, it is quite sad. I’m glad you haven’t experienced that.
Kristen Schaal: I guarantee you, if I was on the dance floor that long. [Shakes her head]
Kayvan Novak: I know if you’re just hanging out on the dance floor for the whole 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 Wishes The Show Got To Explore
Kayvan, I’ll turn to you next. Another thing I love about this finale — there’s so many things I love about this finale — is the Batman-like tease that we get in those final moments with you and Guillermo. But that said, Guillermo does still look like he wants to move on. If he does, do you think Nandor is going to stick to his plan of vigilantism, given how flaky all the vampires in this group have been with some of their past plans?
Kayvan Novak: I think it’s just a fad, another fad. I’ve done some crime fighting, and then realized that he’s also a mass murderer, and he is in danger of getting arrested himself, which actually is one storyline that I kind of thought would be fun, if, actually, there’s a detective on the vampires’ tail. Because I guess the authorities never really got close to them in any way, shape or form, whereas I guess they did in the movie, and then they just did a whole spinoff of those characters in the movie.
But it probably wouldn’t have felt right in this world, you know, you just want to hang out with the vampires. And if there isn’t a threat, then they just imagine there’s one around the corner anyway. They’re very paranoid. But yeah, man, it’s been an incredible ride, incredible journey, and so I hope the fans, we give them closure, and in a beautiful way. That they don’t feel short-changed by it, but I think they will. I think you could give them any ending, and they’d be like, “[In a humorous voice] That was incredible!”
Kristen Schaal: I just get excited, because, I keep saying this in all the interviews and stuff, Shadows is so special, and I’m hoping that it’s inspiring other incredible creators and writers to make cool shows like it, that are just a little weird. And then, I’m also going to hope that they cast Kayvan and myself in those 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 this. [In normal voice] Oh no, I’ve got no range. [Chuckles]
Kristen Schaal: [Laughs] We could be different characters in another TV show about suave creatures, or whatever you’ve got.
Kayvan Novak: I could be a mute.
Kristen Schaal: Oh, my God, that’s my dream role, like Sweet and Lowdown? That’s a mime.
Kayvan’s been so immersed in the kookiness of Nandor, he doesn’t know how to break free after all these years.
Kayvan Novak: I did like Sweet and Lowdown. I was a fan of that movie at the time.
Kristen Schaal: She got to not have lines and just act with her face.
Novak & Schaal Have A FavoriteShadowsCameo
“I mean, it was pretty hard to beat…”
I see I have enough time for one more question, so I’d love to ask both of you, this show has seen so many great cameos for the vampire genre throughout the years. We just hadTrue Blood’s Alexander Skarsgårda couple of episodes ago. I’d love to hear from you who your favorite big vampire cameo was from throughout the show’s run.
Kristen Schaal: Well, definitely, I would say Mark Hamill was — come on, game over! Kind of blew it with that one, there’s no going up from there. Good luck, Kayvan. [Laughs]
Kayvan Novak: I mean, it was pretty hard to beat Luke Skywalker.
Kristen Schaal: I want to say that it was also really thrilling for me when they told me 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 complete set from the movie during the trial; Taika, Jemaine and Jonny Brugh. Having them there and seeing him do his dance live, that was really cool.
AboutWhat We Do In The ShadowsSeason 6
What We Do in the Shadows 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 former familiar and current human friend, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) as well as their vampire bureaucrat acquaintance, The Guide (Kristen Schaal).
After a very brief stint as a full-blown vampire, Guillermo is re-evaluating his life. Who is he if not a familiar who will do anything to please his Master in hopes of one day being turned into a vampire? Meanwhile, the vampires are re-evaluating, too. When their former roommate reappears after a 50-year nap, they realize how little they’ve done in half a century — not one goal accomplished, not one dream pursued, not one part of the New World conquered (except for 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, go to a human dinner party, fête The Baron and conjure a demon — all while trying to find their place and their purpose in this crazy, mixed-up world.
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All episodes ofWhat We Do in the Shadowsare available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
What We Do in the Shadows
Cast
What We Do in the Shadows, released in 2019, is a mockumentary series exploring the nightly lives of a group of centuries-old vampires residing in Staten Island. The comedic show delves into their interactions with each other and the modern world, providing a humorous take on the vampire genre.
