What We Do in the Shadows – Season 3 Episode 1 Recap & Review

The Prisoner

Episode 1 of What We Do In The Shadows Season 3 begins with grim news. Our three vamps are reeling after Guillermo killed the council and await their fate.

In the middle of this though, our vampires disagree over the best way forward, but it’s clear there’s a lot of tension in the air. In fact, Guillermo is being kept in a cage in the basement, with all of our vampires keeping their distance incase he stakes them.

Guillermo is making the most of this situation though, live-streaming a video to show what he’s been up to. It turns out the cage he’s imprisoned in has actually got a big hole. He’s been using it to sneak out to do all the work around the house – and not eating the raw chicken they’re giving him either. Instead, he’s been munching down on burgers outside.

While Guillermo’s fate remains uncertain, checking the CCTV cameras he notices something shadowy lurking about outside. Guillermo races out to thwart the threat, but it turns out this vamp is actually from the Supreme Worldwide Vampiric Council. She has a message – our vampires have been upgrades to be part of the Vampire Council, given 70% of the most powerful vamps have been killed.

The Guide isn’t actually thrilled by this revelation but she remains quiet. After all, it’s “above her pay grade.” However, Guillermo’s fate is decided and he remains alive – at least for the time being. Even better, he’s going to become a fully fledged member of the team. It’s not a Familiar role (or a vampire one sadly) but instead, he’s made a bodyguard.

In order to press forward with this, our vamps conduct a four-way hypnosis. Well, it turns out Guillermo is actually immune to this. Still, he plays along for the time being.

With the “hypnosis” a success, the gang head up to the vampire council together where only one of them will be the Supreme Leader. Who will it be?

The Episode Review

What We Do In The Shadows returns with a new season – and a new barrel of laughs too. The show has come a long way since its inception and now it seems like we’re getting a longer, more serialized story than the bite-size episodic romps we’ve been accustomed to.

The character development in this show has been surprisingly good too and the little nods toward events in previous seasons is a really nice touch. Seeing Guillermo live up to his potential, while simultaneously remaining loyal to the vampires is a great inclusion, and it’ll be interesting to see if he is finally turned into a vampire later on in the show.

This series has always been smartly written and that much is especially evident here, with jokes that land perfectly. The whole Colin Robinson poop bucket joke is a little drawn out though, if we’re being overly critical, but it’s a minor point in what’s otherwise a very good opening chapter.