#and Nandor would have known that

[bottombaron]

wait.

if Nandor knew that the only way to reverse the transformation was to kill the vampire that sired Guillermo...

he was going to travel the world...with his best friend...go back to his home...turn Guillermo at the banks of the Tigris

in s3 finale, after Guillermo had cornered Nandor, proving he can have violent intent towards him, Nandor says, "yes, yes. this is what I've been waiting for. you've passed the test"

but he wasn't talking about being a vampire...

he was talking about what he would have to do after...

[iridescentoracle]

"Muil" is only really attested in this one name, but "Emyn Muil" was translated as "Drear Hills" in an unfinished index/glossary meant to be an accessory companion to LOTR, per Eldamo, which is the most extensive, detailed, and reliable compilation of information on Tolkien's conlangs I know.

(I'm not seeing any etymological links to words like "twisted" or "knotted," though; the etymology of "muil" is unclear, but (still per Eldamo) it seems to have originally meant "mountain lake" back when it was from "Gnomish," while later it was going to be from "Doriathrin"/"Ilkorin," and would have meant "twilight, shadow, vagueness.")

picked up two towers to look for an eowyn thing; opened it read a sentence about a hill called Emyn Muil; all week i've been reading Voyage of Bran and looking up all the words of the original Middle Irish verses as I go so my brain was PRIMED it was READY the experience was akin to reading the scenes where everything is named Horse in Old English again; only I don't actually know Middle Irish so I just opened this book and a voice in my head that's been trying to learn Middle Irish vocab screamed ELFHILL (emain-muil); i have no reference no recourse no idea if that even works. im just stuck with it.

[orangechickenpillow]

The fact that Nandor didnt have to pretend or save face when Guillermo came to interview with him for a second time. Nandor would have known he was going to un hypnotize Guillermo later that night and soon Guillermo wouldn't remember what happened, so Nandor could just... be shamelessly in the moment, without any lies or deciet. Because Guillermo wouldn't remember it. He wouldn't remember how Nandor's face softened or the way he looked at him.

That moment was as much for Nandor as it was for Guillermo.

[barren-heart]

The Hidden Love Story of What We Do in the Shadows: How The Internet Fell in Love with Harvey Guillen’s Guillermo de la Cruz

I think it’s fair to call this show what it is: a comedy.

The actors have said it’s themselves: the show is 50% improv, 50% script. A lot of what we see is a brilliant collaboration of talent, writing, and the actors saying the funniest thing they can say about something in that moment.

According to Harvey Guillen, some scenes would last 30 minutes each if they didn’t cut it down. That improv is what makes the show what is it: the funniest show on television.

What’s interesting about this little Shit and Fart show (affectionate), is the heart of it all: Guillermo.

Originally the show was looking for an older man to play Nandor’s familiar. The character had worked for his master for 20 years, not 10 as we see in the pilot episode.

Harvey got an audition randomly. At a wine and cheese night of a friend’s, he was invited to audition for the part. It was random, but also, it was fate.

Let me explain.

Harvey Guillen auditioning for the role of Guillermo

(I actually have the full audition tape of Harvey’s if anyone’s interested.) Link below!

Harvey didn’t “fit the part” (Harvey’s words) whatsoever of this character and decided to dress himself to look older, putting on what he calls his Harry Potter glasses and parted his hair down the middle.

The Guillermo we see in the pilot was all Harvey’s idea of what that character should be and the costuming department just ran with it. It’s also fun to point out that to those who don’t know, Harvey created Guillermo’s last name even before he knew he’d play the show’s Vampire Slayer.

I mention this because I don’t think they (showrunner, producers,etc) expected Guillermo to become such a fan favorite. Which kinda explains why his character is the punching bag of season one and why it somewhat changes as seasons go by.

I mean, we don’t even see Guillermo in this season one poster (we don’t see Colin Robinson, either. But I feel like I could write an entirely other post about that character and why I think he’s genuinely the best and most consistently written character on the show. But I won’t right now).

I think they expected Guillermo to be a one-note side kick, which is fine. Many of Harvey’s previous roles were nearly background characters (think Benedict Pickwick in The Magicians).

But, Harvey’s take on the character coupled with his talent at being both comedic and dramatic really shined through. And I think that’s where you start to see that maybe they could do more with him than just being the funny guy in the background.

I also think that’s why you start to see some threading of a more serious plot when it comes to Guillermo’s storyline because of Harvey’s range.

Who would’ve known a funny bit like being a Van Helsing descent in a house full of vampires would get you compelling scenes like the familiar fight The Night Market, Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires, and the Nandor and Guillermo fight in The Portrait?

Harvey mentioned having to train for these and wanted to do his own stunts! And he does them well!

Did they imagine Guillermo being such a badass in the pilot? Probably not. But he is and people took to it. The serious fight scenes (even with bits of comedy filtered in) really stand out in their own as excellent action scenes.

Along with badass scenes, Harvey delivered compelling emotional scenes like Guillermo’s coming out (which Harvey actually cried in as well as other cast and crew, and they had to edit it to not make it too serious), the scene he left Nandor for Celeste, and many scenes in S5’s Exit Interview.

I also think they didn’t anticipate his chemistry with Kayvan Novak. It’s brought up a lot in interviews with them and everyone can tell that they genuinely are really good friends in real life, which makes acting together on screen that much better.

(Funny enough, he was supposed to do a chemistry read with Kayvan before shooting and wasn’t able to meet him until they were on set for the pilot. )

I think in some ways, even though the show wanted it to be a funny Gaston and Lefou type relationship, Kayvan and Harvey had undeniable chemistry you couldn’t deny.

And I think that began to grow with their character’s evolving relationship. From master and servant to friends to sometimes the show and network alluding to them being in a romance (Guillermo’s drunk love confession, Marwa liking what Nandor likes, the Network making videos about shipping Nandermo).

And even Paul Simms (the one who is being grilled for That’s His Boss quote), also said “Guillermo and Nandor is the greatest love story in modern television.”

So yeah, I think originally they started the show with the intention that it was supposed to be similar to the movie that shares its name. The Nandor/Guillermo drama of Shadows the TV show would be so out of place in the movie. The whole Guillermo vampire arc, if it was movie inspired, would not be as dramatic as they have made it in the show.

Looking back to the pilot, I can see that they really tried to make it as close to the source material as possible. But I think it took off in a direction that even the creators didn’t imagine it would go. Just a silly little comedy show about silly little vampires. And don’t get me wrong, it still definitely is.

But the show has evolved. And for better or worse, Nandor and Guillermo’s relationship will be one of the most compelling things about the show and I’m curious where they are going to take it now.

I guess this turned into a bit of an Harvey Guillen appreciation post and honestly, why not? Look at that adorable face.

[beansprean]

Oh, there he is.

My Familiar’s Ghost part 44

Masterpost

(ID in alt and under cut)

ID: 1. Shot of Nandor from the rear as the lights to the break room suddenly click on, the table with the dead female vampire in front of him. He whirls around in surprise, eyes wide, and chokes out, ‘G-‘ 2. Close up at last of vampire Guillermo standing in the doorway, the hall dark behind him, arm retreating from having flipped on the light. His skin has lost color, his cheeks are tinged blue, his eyes are a deep orange with slitted pupils, his hair is slightly mussed, and he is wearing the same blue-striped button down that his ghost has been stuck in this whole time. Blood, new and old, stains his collar and all down his front, more smears on his neck and flicks on his face and chin. His expression is impassive, gaze steady on Nandor. Offscreen, Nandor manages to continue: ‘Guillermo!’ 3. Close up of Nandor on the same beige background as the walls of the break room as he turns, eyes shining, a small, hopeful smile twitching onto his face. In the background, a memory of ghost Guillermo fades into view, teary and desperate, crying 'Please! Please find vampire me! Please don't give up on him!' Nandor breathes out in relief, 'You're-' 4. Repeat. Nandor drops the smile for a nervous grimace, tucking in his chin and holding out one hand, palm out, towards Guillermo as if to halt him in place. He says, 'Hold on, before you say anything, let me speak, please!' 5. Reverse shot of Guillermo again in the same position, gaze steady on Nandor. He furrows his brow a bit and raises one in confusion, lip slightly curling as if in disgust or disbelief. Nandor continues from offscreen: 'I know that you have been very angry with me, and I forgive you for that. I even forgive you for letting that Eric guy bite you.' 6. Full body of Nandor in profile, his shadow stretching out long and dark behind him. Darkness behind him, light ahead. He is holding his hands out palm-up and staring at them pensively, sadness and regret taking over his expression. Nandor says, 'Despite my reservations on the matter... Guillermo, I... If it had to be anyone... I wanted it to be me. I know that is what you wanted too, and I may have taken it for granted that you would wait until I was ready to...to let you go. ...I regret not being your sire. If I had known the lengths you were about to go to...' In front of Nandor on the lighter side of the panel are three faded flashbacks of Guillermo in sepia tone from times he asked to be turned: A disappointed frown as he holds his collar open in the pilot episode; a desperate plea, hands out, bundled up and flushed from the cold, from the wellness center episode; and a teary, grateful smile, rosary bunched up in his hand, from the season 3 finale. /end ID

[ineffably-human]

I need Guillermo to have a full, five-alarm existential crisis next season. (He should have started it this season, but eh.)

What is he even supposed to do now? He's still doing these chores, why the hell is he dusting? It's nice to keep his hands busy but it doesn't shut his mind up. Sometimes he avoids Nandor for days. Sometimes he talks to him for days about absolutely nothing. Nandor's been so patient, he's really giving him time. Is he disappointed even though he said he wasn't? He probably wonders what the hell Guillermo is still doing there. Guillermo had accused him of being about to murder his mom in cold blood, just to be cruel, he should have known Nandor would never -

He should probably go see his mom, now than he can again. The last thing he did was hypnotize her, he doesn't want the last conversation with his mom to be hypnotizing her. He doesn't know if he can sit at that table again and talk about recipes and gas prices and fútbol teams and why he hasn't called lately. They're going to ask him how the promotion went. Oh fuck he has fourteen years of no work history. Has he done taxes? Does he even know how to do taxes? What's his credit score?

Did he do the right thing? Maybe there was a way around - no, it felt wrong, but everything else around it felt right. Why did it always feel like what he needed if it wasn't? Laszlo gave him this big book of supernatural creatures, like there's ones he's never heard of in his life, and that's sweet. But nothing's making sense yet like vampires did. Is that because of the slayer blood? Did he spend his whole life loving vampires because he's supposed to kill vampires? Is he never going to want anything else in his life the way he wanted this?

He still wants Nandor to bite him. Part of him still thinks that if Nandor bit him, everything else would have worked out. Maybe he just wants an excuse for Nandor to hold him. He's kissed like - two or three men ever, in his life? He's not even mad about that, he just wishes there had been more - no, not more. The right one.

He thought when he finally became like them, they'd start to look him in the eye and actually see him. But they're all looking at him more than ever. He doesn't know what to do with it. He doesn't know how to love them like this.

Oh god, he's probably going to die someday, unless he does something about it. Should he do something about it?

Why doesn't he know the answer to that?

[vroomvroomwee]

If anyone says the finale was OCC for Guillermo and Nandor, I would just like to point out this scene

Nandor has always thought Guillermo was too soft to be a vampire. And not in a bad way, he simply knew Guillermo wouldn't be happy with a vampire life.

"Vampirism is a curse, and I care for you too much to burden you with it."

He tried to warn him this entire time.

Also, Guillermo unwilling to kill humans is nothing new this season either. On the contrary, it's really consistent with his character. This boy murdered an entire household of vampires he's never met just to save a group of humans he's known for only a few days. He's always been on the side of humans.

Nandors reluctance to turn him wasn't because he's selfish and doesn't want to lose a perfectly good familiar, but because he doesn't want Guillermo to be unhappy. But at the same time can't let him go so he can have a healthy and safe life because he loves him. He loves him so much he can't turn him nor let him go. And Guillermo didn't understand that until now.

The miscommunication trope strikes again.

[artstar1997]

Meet the Boo Crew, who are also led by Poppy and Rose. They are later formed at chapter 3 when more monsters volunteer to join Poppy and Rose in order to take out loyal gileadeans and feast on them so that the rebels can infiltrate in secret while trying to find out about the identity of the monster hunter. Only six of them joined in by choice, one of them became a member of the Boo Crew out of love towards the vampire princess.

Billy Reverb is a vampire whose clan is a subordinate of the Nevermore Clan. When he and Rose first met, they zinged (love at first sight for monsters), even if they don't know it at first. As the story progresses, they are drawn to each other and want to know more about the other. Since he’s a hard rocker, his outfit is inspired from Lestat de Lioncourt from Interview With A Vampire and the leather jacket is inspired from The Lost Boys movie. He has the similar abilities and powers of a typical strigoi but his unique vampire ability is pyrokinesis, which is similar to Nandor the Relentless from the sitcom, What We Do In The Shadows. His relationship with Rose is similar to Gomez and Morticia Addams.

After running away as a child after destroying her family home with her uncontrollable powers, Cybil considers a coven of wise, motherly witches as her family. They explained to her that her real family descended from witches, wizards, and outcasts combined and she is finally at home with them. Not only she was free from the oppressive regime, she is also happy to be with those around her who accepts her for who she is. The elders taught her how to control her magic powers and her new friends, who turn out to be Rose, Poppy, and the Snack Pack are able to help her become the witch that she is is meant to be. Upon becoming a fully-fledged witch, she later joined the Boo Crew because she wanted to spy on the enemies with crystal balls, make potions and elixirs for them to use, and casting spells.

Holly Darlin’ is a Minotaur who ecstatically joined the Boo Crew and the muscle of the team like Smidge, whom she forms a friendship with. Being the strongest member, she is able to lift heavy things with no problem, and her head-butt cause pillars to come crashing down. A yeti could match her strength that she and Guy Diamond would have friendly arm wrestling matches.

Rave-loving gillman, Synth was chosen by one of his friends, Trollex to join the Boo Crew and he lives in an abandoned mansion near Nevermore castle. He is a skilled dancer, DJ, musician, and he uses rave lexicon. Like his species, he has amphibious physiology, which gives him the ability to breathe underwater, talk to aquatic creatures, speed swimming, and water manipulation, which enables his species to stay hydrated but what makes him scary is his rows of razor sharp teeth, which he uses as weapons against humans when he goes into full shark mode and smell fear from people.

Dante Crescendo is a mothman with class and lives in a fancy mausoleum in a nearby cemetery with his brother, Forte. He is known to be prim, proper and posh who can be a little uptight and stuffy, but is pretty much a kind and friendly gentleman and he knows when to be humble, go out of his comfort zone, and other things he couldn’t do because of wanting to maintain his proper demeanor. He is also cautious about monster hunters and when he gets nervous, he eats any fabric that he gets his hands on, such as a handmaid’s bonnet, a wife’s handkerchief, or a commander’s coat, which would cause devastation for the high-ranking Gileadeans because their clothes were chewed on by him. He can also change his outfits with his signature cocoon spin.

Suave and scientific, Lownote Jones is a mummy who lives in a pyramid with his treasures, his vital organs, which he keeps in jars, ushabti servants, and his pet scarabs, who act as his assistants, and companions. Lownote is calm, cool, and collected with a suave and charming personality that can charm both monsters and humans alike. As a former architect and inventor with privilege, Lownote is very intelligent and analyzes the teams’ attacks and raids first before they go ahead and under Rose’s approval, she lets him make changes. Like all mummies, he has a glass breaking scream, can speak to animals (crocodiles, scarabs, snakes, and other species of animals that are associated with the ancient Egyptian deities), psammokinesis (sand manipulation), and he can cast ancient Egyptian curses and spells.

Val Thundershock, on the other hand, is a kitsune, which is a magical subspecie of a werefox. Having arrived from Japan with her father during the rise of the Republic of Gilead, Val is still learning how to use her powers. They were able to trick anyone who is loyal to the divine government with their illusion casting, elemental powers, and magic powers until Val heard about the Snack Pack and was referred by a werewolf named Barb to join the Boo Crew. As a kitsune, Val has the usual superhuman condition and abilities of a werefox but she has illusory powers, elemental manipulation, and can use magic but in a form of a foxfire to trick her prey.

There’s more to come so stay tuned, ghouls and mansters!

[livingwithhorrors]

I think Laszlo lied to Nandor and is still in dad mode.

We’ve seen in the past that Laszlo does perfectly fine hypnotizing people on his own.

If anything Nandor has been known to screw it up if not make things worse when adding to others hypnosis.

I think Laszlo lied to Nandor as a learning experience and confidence booster. He showed Nandor was to talk out of situations, but also the right times to actually use hypnosis so that he will not just freely use it in the future.

Then seeing how he talks with Guillermo and how he will be helping him in the future episodes, he’s blunt with him cause he know Guillermo is smart and understands right away when he’s messed up or needs to fix things.

Over time Laszlo has gone from seeing vampires as superior and Guillermo and other humans as stupid, to at the very least seeing how smart and clever Guillermo is and giving him more respect and caring for him.

Laszlo has gone from calling Guillermo Gizmo as insult of I have no reason to know your name to using it as a nickname of affection.

All the vampires cover up and pretend not to care and see Guillermo beneath them, but it’s a facade and they do actually care and see him as family.

I think they put off turning Guillermo cause they didn’t want what was human about him to change. Possibly leave them.

We saw when Nadja turned someone, other then Laszlo, that they left and moved on to be their own vampire.

It could be similar that they worry Guillermo would leave as well.

I think they’re quite aware they’re not the most popular group and they’ve found each other and stay together.

We’ve seen what happens when they lose someone close in the group, it tears those left apart and separates them.

The whole group is smarter then they let off. We’ve seen how Guillermo can talk them into doing things, how he protects and cares for them.

Nadja is often has been shown as smarter then the men when trouble arises and solving the issues.

Laszlo is behind the scenes clever and helps others without them knowing.

Nandor isn’t the brightest but when it comes down to it he is loyal and will stand up for those he cares about.

Colin is clever in a way that the others don’t notice as they often drown out and ignore him after a time cause he enjoys causing some chaos in the group unless it is important. Then he helps out, even if still trying to feed or mess with them a little. Though we have seen he can forget not everyone knows everything he does.

The Guide now joining the group is also an outcast in her own way as having worked so much for the council she hasn’t had friends outside of the wraiths in who knows how long. She clever and keeps up to date on human technology, which most vampires haven’t. She saw how out of sorts the group has been from the starts but wants to join cause she sees how much of a family they are and has grown attached to them. May take some times but she’ll get there.

[emmabirb8]

Ok ok, but have you thought about the fact that throughout the series, Nandor has saved or protected Guillermo's life just as much as Guillermo has saved and protected Nandor's? Because I have, and I am feeling Ways about it.

Obviously, Guillermo has always gone  above and beyond for Nandor as far as familiar duties go, and he has slain countless vamps to protect not only Nandor but also the rest of the household. It's a given and it's been a given from the start that Guillermo would do anything to keep Nandor (and his other housemates by extension) safe. He has outright said they are his found family, and it definitely shows. 

Well, in a slightly subtler way, the case is the same for Nandor. God, the things that Nandor has done for Guillermo - the risks he's taken, the knee-jerk reactions, the choices he's made? It is profound.

Consider that Nandor a. as a vamp is not expected to care about his familiar beyond using him as a tool to get things done, b. believes acting "aloof," aka unbothered and unconcerned, is key, and most importantly c. struggles heavily with identifying, working through, and expressing his emotions. AND YET, without even stopping to think about it, he:

Stepped in to stop that hungry vamp at Simon's club (Manhattan Night Club)

Refused to let Guillermo be eaten by the Vampiric Council (The Trial)

Stopped Topher from drowning him (Resurrection)

Kept Guillermo's slaying a secret after discovering that he had dusted Carol (The Return)

Told Celeste to "be kind to Guillermo" when he thought she was gonna be his new vampire mistress (arguably, this counts bc he was making an effort to ensure Guillermo would be treated well and kept alive under Celeste's watch) (Collaboration)

Defended him against the wrath of Nadja and Laszlo (the housemates Nandor has known, lived with, and loved for far longer than he's known Guillermo) who were 100% prepared to kill him every single night for a month while he was imprisoned in the basement (The Prisoner)

"Yanked" Guillermo away from the line of fire when he was acting as bait for The Sire and attempted to fix the situation himself (The Escape)

Immediately dove into the sewage hole in the floor to rescue Guillermo when he fell in (Reunited)

Volunteered to battle him in place of a more dangerous vampire at the Night Market (The Night Market)

Made sure he was okay at the end of the fight after pretending to snap his neck (The Night Market)

Nandor is the KING of repression, but actions speak louder than words, babes. This is not even counting the times he has shown outward kindness, affection for, and attachment to Guillermo to the point where it's entirely too conspicuous for anyone to believe he's not in love with him. (Tho he's apparently managed to fool himself well enough, hasn't he? lmao) 

Hell, I'm in a listing mood - let's recount those moments too, shall we?

Just off the top of my head, Nandor has canonically also:

Made Guillermo a glitter portrait depicting the two of them together as vampires as a gift to celebrate his anniversary of becoming his familiar (that he was clearly proud of and excited about and that clearly took a lot of effort and planning ❤) in the very first episode 

Held him up above his head to help him reach higher places when dusting and held him up in front of a mirror so he could experience the sensation of flying (like what vampire does that fr???? he was down bad even in the earliest eps) 

Become a blubbering mess worrying where Guillermo was while high on drug blood 

On multiple occasions actually took him flying by wrapping his arms tenderly around him 👀, then admitted he was his friend out loud in front of Nadja and the camera crew as early as ep 4 after feeling guilty about accidentally dropping him during a flight

Played chess with him (and it's implied this is a regular thing for them 🥹)

Been visibly upset each time Guillermo has left - it's heavily implied he missed even the smallest gestures like the hand holding, and he outright verbally expressed his hurt feelings in front of the entire Theatre des Vampires

Been distraught enough after the Celeste situation that he attempted to "win" Guillermo back first by talking to him and then by giving him another gift with the "beating off" pillow, and then actually complied with Guillermo's requests to be more respected and given breaks after that

Taken the time to go down and keep Guillermo company while he was imprisoned in the basement and made a genuine attempt to give him better quality food

Urged Nadja and Laszlo to treat Guillermo with more respect and to try to take an interest in his life at the casino

Reacted in a way that wasn't even the slightest bit angry (and in fact, he appeared grateful for it besides becoming excessively horny on main) about The Slap

Said he has "grown to have some affection for" Guillermo out loud to his face (which, for someone as repressed as Nandor, is huge)

Offered a very blatantly romantic turning scenario in which he expressed a desire to share soil with Guillermo, which, again, is huge 

Become markedly upset that Guillermo never showed up at the train station to accompany him on his trip

Started making steps in the direction of reversing their dynamic in s4 by doing things like helping Guillermo dry off and getting him a glass of water after he fell into the hole, paying more genuine attention to him and his life, expressing a desire for Nadja and Laszlo to be more serious and respectful of him, valuing his input (esp for the dick wish), and being appreciative of all the work he has constantly put in for him (whenever using his new penis 😏) 

Offered Guillermo the position of best man at his wedding which was clearly of utmost importance to Nandor, even more so than finding someone to marry in the first place 

Actually remembered the exact amount of years Guillermo has been his familiar/bodyguard and called him his "closest companion" in front of lots of other (arguably dangerous) vampires 

Been so excited and proud of Guillermo's moves when he was battling other familiars at the Night Market to the point of exclaiming "that's my fucking guy!"

Called Guillermo his friend out loud again when he got visibly worried he may have killed him

Admitted to Guillermo that he was afraid right before his wedding (!!!!), looked at Guillermo longingly/lovingly, accidentally revealed his desire to literally hug Guillermo close and kiss his face through his wish about Marwa (!!!!!!), and took a moment to whisper sweet nothings to Guillermo and cover him up when he discovered he'd fallen asleep (!!!!!!!!!)

Dorkily but sweetly prevented Guillermo from falling in the bg shot of Go Flip Yourself (like, truly, why would he care omfgggg he's so in love it's making him look stupid)

Actually made a very misguided but solid follow-through attempt to fix the Freddie situation as soon as he realized how upset Guillermo was about it

IT'S JUST SOOOO MUCH!!! I've been going through the series highlighting Nandermo moments for creative idea purposes in these last few weeks, and I can honestly say that I believe there are possibly more instances where Nandor has hinted at or displayed his feelings toward Guillermo than there are of Guillermo hinting at or displaying his feelings for Nandor. It's fucking insane you guys. 💖

[bottombaron]

So after staring into the middle distance for a couple days I'm ready to start discussing some theories I have before the season finale destroys us. They are all very wide-ranging in absurdity but I'll start with the one that I think has the most substance and therefore I think is most likely to happen. Also, I haven’t caught up with the tag yet so if someone already posted these theories, sorry! 

So here is Theory #1, known otherwise as,

Why (I think) I know how Laszlo is going to unfuck Guillermo

The solution, I believe, was stated at the very end of The Roast by Laszlo himself: 

FIRST THOUGHT, BEST THOUGHT

Laszlo has spent weeks deeply committed to solving a problem. He's wasted precious time trying to outthink his first (and probably best) solution – and I'm not just talking about his book sorting. Neither was Laszlo, not entirely at least. I actually do think he was focused at least a little bit on his books because that's kind of what happens when you're stuck on a problem. Your brain wanders to other much less taxing ordeals. Usually, as you solve that smaller problem, you find the solution to the thing you really want to solve. 

So what was Laszlo’s first idea?

All along Laszlo had the answer but Guillermo told him that he didn't think it would work, so Laszlo just didn't pursue it further. (We don't even know if Laszlo knows the circumstances of the test and why it didn't work. Just that Guillermo didn't approve that idea.) So then Laszlo wasted valuable time and energy trying to ~Science~ this problem instead of using his true best skill that was showcased in episode one of the season: his charm. His powers of persuasion (the classical art of bullshitting, as it were) is his true super power. (Sadly, it’s not science. He doesn't really have the patience for science tbh).

But, no, rly, he should bullshit his way thru this. That's what he does best. He can outthink Nandor easily. (well….maybe. with the time spent on his experiments, Nandor could have the advantage of several weeks, if not months, to figure things out beforehand, as dense as he is) He should concoct a bullshit so impenetrable that it unfucks Guillermo from Derek and refucks him to Nandor. 

Further foreshadowing of this you ask?

(this whole season is dedicated to ‘plans’ it’s crazy how much A Plan pops up. maybe i’ll dedicate a separate post to collecting them all)

But alas! The test that The Baron did proved this wouldn’t work, right!?

Well here's some free additional theories to how Laszlo could solve that hiccup:

1. Laszlo figures out (and solves) the reason why The Baron/Neighbor test didn't work in the first place.

There could be any number of factors of why The Baron's neighbor blew up. It could be that The Baron is all that more powerful than the average vampire and so his bite gives an extraordinary fill of uh...vampire-ness? and Derek, being so young and weak, doesn't do much at all. Maybe it has something to do with The Sire. If The Baron was turned by the first being ever affected by vampirism, then maybe that vampirism is slowly depleted the further down the line you go. Derek is probably very far removed from The Sire which means he cannot transfer much of that affliction onwards. Nandor, if he was turned by The Baron (one removed from The Sire) or someone similar, explains how he is so powerful, hopefully tho he wouldn’t have too much power to possibly overwhelm Guillermo's half-a-virgin body (and yes I did like how kinky that sounded when I wrote it). It doesn't really matter the exact reason as long as Laszlo can convince Guillermo to try it and he has a relatively decent chance of surviving it. (convincing Guillermo to go thru with this plan overall is probably going to be the most trouble actually. you don't easily forget a guy exploding in your face)

2. Something to do with the experiments. (or the Nadja’s bait-and-switch tactic she used to catch The Baron/Guillermo from The Roast)

I have a larger theory on the experiments and why I think there's still one in the house, but that's for later. During The Roast, Nandor is pretty convinced that the mutant Guillermo is the real one (despite one pretty big glaring error: he has no glasses. none of the experiments need glasses...), Laszlo might have been testing this theory by having The Baron bring his body to Nandor in the first place in order to see how convinced Nandor would be by it. This might be enough for Laszlo to try to use a duplicate of Guillermo for Nandor to bite. The duplicate will not explode (probably?) due to only being a hybrid of Guillermo's blood and an animal…or something(one) else pretending to be Guillermo… (and if it does, maybe Laszlo plans to shoo Nandor out of the line of sight in order for him not to see. And then you get the angst and drama of Guillermo literally using a scapegoat to take his 'sin' despite his reluctance to hurt innocent creatures)

But will the fake Guillermo actually convince Nandor? It's hard to say, and I love that threat of Nandor realizing that it's not the true Guillermo he bit and feeling even more betrayed. Maybe Laszlo concocts a whole ambiance to the event in order to sell the lie. It has to be special right?

So there's dim lights and candles and (fake) Guillermo is laid out in Nandor's coffin and there's this whole presentation element to it that was left out of Guillermo's turn with Derek. It's more like the fantasy that Guillermo probably always had of being turned by Nandor. It plays out like a romantic love scene. But Guillermo is asleep or has his eyes closed and won't talk or maybe only makes small noises and Nandor's very upset abt this. Laszlo is probably hovering too and Nandor doesn't like that either but Laszlo insists he must be there and it's now it's all awkward and wrong, kind of like how Guillermo felt before he was bit by Derek. (now it’s like Nandor is the bull cucking Laszlo in front of him) Nandor goes thru with it and bites Guillermo and is rushed by Laszlo so he doesn't get to drink or drink too much of his blood and there's fumbling with trying to get his own blood into Guillermo's unresponsive mouth.

Or maybe Nandor finds out because Guillermo's blood is disgusting and he either knows or had hoped it would be good tasting*. or that Guillermo just lays there and there's no reciprocation of desire. But maybe he just doesn't find out and once it's over he expects to be able to lay with Guillermo or otherwise be there for his turning but Laszlo quickly rushes him out of his own room and closes the door behind him.

So now Nandor feels all the same despondency that Guillermo had felt with his turn with Derek. Like this big special moment he's built up for years was a complete dud. Like he missed out on something truly magical and he doesn't know why. And Guillermo will feel like shit too, for tricking Nandor. Laszlo isn't happy either. But it worked and they all just have to live with it. Meanwhile this act that was meant to make Nandor's and Guillermo's bond stronger, only serves to create even greater distance between them. 

Re*: evidence that Guillermo's blood might taste 'different':

3. ANYWAYS. that was theory two. lets talk about theory 3.

WITCHES.

I actually think there's good reason Laszlo has divorced Science and is now going to have an affair with Magic. It's exactly when Nadja says 'has this hex turned me into an uggo' that Laszlo comes to life and exclaims ‘that's it!’. If science wasn't the solution, maybe magic is. It's not like they don't know some witches, or that, at least to a degree, witches actually have some power. (specifically the power to look, vaguely, like someone else.) I'm not certain of the specifics but there's a chance Laszlo could be turning to magic to solve his problems. This would also bring Nadja's storyline more relevant and in focus for the season. The thing I like the most about this theory? Episode 9 describes being invited to a manor owned by someone named Morrigan. Morrigan is a Celtic goddess of war and fate that was probably the inspiration for Arthurian legendary sorceress, Morgan le Fay. (Laszlo's name may also be connected to Arthurian legend, Lancelot. but that probably doesn't mean anything.)

So! That's my three extra theories attached to this one big theory that Laszlo is going to go 'back to the beginning' and use his first thought to solve this. Go with his gut. His first solution was his best solution, all along.

…He simply needs to convince Nandor to turn Guillermo.

The, uh, details of this plan may be a lot more complicated than it suggests.

[barren-heart]

We already know the ending of What We Do In The Shadows the show. The movie told us.

Spoilers from both the movie (2014) and the show (2024)

I think it’s obvious when Taika and Jemaine set out to make an American version of their vampire comedy, they weaved a lot of the same storylines into the show. We have vampire roommates, werewolves (not swearwolves) , familiars, an ancient vampire, vampire hypnosis, and a camera crew.

All the same ideas exist from movie to show, just presented differently.

Guillermo, the familiar turned vampire hunter turned bodyguard turned vampire turned back to human, is a combination of the movie’s familiar and vampire Hunter roles. I believe he’s also the love interest, Katherine.

I think the show, while becoming it’s own thing entirely, has a deep connection to the movie. I think they’ve been trying to follow viago’s love interest storyline since the show switched hands from Taika and Jemaine to Paul Simms.

While probably not known to most, Paul was instrumental in bringing the show over to the States, having helped to fund it.

He was already in the world of Shadows, and while I haven’t agreed on the way he’s said things and some direction the show had taken (season 4 had some growing pains), I do believe he’s understood the heart of the show.

Which is why I think they took such a dramatic shift in season 4 to tell and show the audience that Nandor doesn’t want to just date, but to really have a life or afterlife partner. That season had two “coming outs”. Guillermo obviously coming out as gay, and Nandor coming out as pansexual before he was turned.

I think this distinction was really important to build their romantic dynamic. They wanted to show Nandor’s interest in Guillermo wasn’t attributed to just horny vampireness, but actual true love and affection for him.

And having Guillermo formally come out as gay was more than just the Freddie gag (or the purpose of Guillermo having a boyfriend so that Nandor sleeps with him causing Guillermo to get upset about it which encourages Guillermo to take vampire turning into his own hands, leading to the events in season 5), but to show the audience that Guillermo’s not just a hero worshipper of his boss. He could very well have a crush that could become something more.

And while Simms’ execution of Nandermo so far has not been executed perfectly, (mostly because I think his version of Shadows uses jokes to cover or masque serious moments whereas Jemaine’s comedy often highlights and exposes the truth about life in funny situations), I think Paul’s vision is headed in the right direction.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Guillermo has a far larger familiar role than the one in the movie. Storytelling wise, it’s expected that Guillermo’s ending will solve the lingering vampire question that was halfway resolved in season 5. Because the show is telling the audience, “Wait. There’s more.” There’s more change to be had. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that a part of Nandor’s arc is finding love. And part of his ending will have to be resolving this, as well.

And funny enough, Viago’s ending resolves both of these issues. He finds love with Katherine again and turns her into a vampire, but she got to have a full life first. There’s comedy there (he’s still older than her even though they don’t look it) but also there’s heart. She got to have a full life and agency of her own instead of being robbed of it.

I think Paul wants to set up this ending because it’s funny but also, to highlight his appreciation to the original. We expected from the jump that Nandor would turn Guillermo eventually and we can’t just have that without growth and change and conflict in between. It’s nice to get everything we want, but that’s not what sitcoms do. Sitcoms subvert expectations, and Paul is highly versed in sitcom structure. (Something that I think even Jemaine and Taika had to learn. )

Paul Simms’ isn’t just a writer in the room, he is a writer familiar (haha insert lame reference joke here) with the source material in a sitcom format. The movie wasn’t a sitcom. They could resolve Viago’s relationship because movies resolve arcs at the end of the movie.

Sitcoms don’t resolve anything at the end of an episode or even the end of a season. They resolve them at the end of the show. He knows Nandermo would end the show, because when characters get what they want (whatever their aspirations are) it completes the narrative. In sitcoms, the characters wants drive the purpose of the show.

And all good sitcoms don’t immediately give you (the audience) what you want until the end. And yes it can be frustrating, but when done right, the payoff is worth it. When the arcs are finished, the story ends. Even in sitcoms and comedy shows. So, Guillermo and Nandor being together and Nandor even eventually turning Guillermo, would have to be arc finishers. That would end the show. Which is why I think s6 is ending here, because the lead (Nandor) finished his arc.

Now whether that means Nandor will turn Guillermo on screen or not is yet to be seen. Maybe at some point down the road when Guillermo’s family is much older or have moved on from this earth and maybe when there is a new way to be a vampire without blood, Guillermo will be ready.

[deer0skullz]

Does anyone else feel like Umbrella Academy, What We Do in the Shadows and Our Flag Means Death went down very similar paths or is that just me?

To preface, this is mostly based on how I felt as I watched the shows but also on some of the opinions I picked up from the fandoms.

Also, I’m not going to go back and rewatch all of these shows for the sake of a Tumblr post so I’m working from memory and if you feel like I’ve misremembered any of the plot/ characters let me know.

1. Started as well-received and highly acclaimed live-action fantasy shows with ensemble casts.

Based on my own opinions and what I remember from other fans, UA seasons 1-2 were fairly well received, as were WWDITS seasons 1-3/4 and OFMD season 1.

They’re all definitely different genres of fantasy but I’d say they still all fit under the label. And they obviously all have ensemble casts, with the Hargreeves in UA, the vampires (and Guillermo) in WWDITS and the pirates in OFMD. Even though the plots and characters can be quite different they all have similar vibes.

2. Noted for having open queer representation.

Klaus and Viktor in UA, pretty much the entire main cast of WWDITS, and multiple main characters in OFMD.

3. Tied to already established and respected creators.

UA is based on the comics written by Gerard Way who, of course, is also well known for My Chemical Romance. WWDITS is based on the film by Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi, who are both executive producers of the show. Taika was also involved in OFMD as the actor for Blackbeard and as an executive producer. He has his name tied to many acclaimed films like Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor Ragnorok and Jojo Rabbit.

These are obviously not the only famous people tied to these projects but it’s just a sample of the talent involved in these shows. I feel like the fact that there was so much talent working on these shows makes my next point more interesting.

4. Experienced drops in quality and/ or introduced problematic elements that caused fans to lose interest or respect.

Again, this is opinion based and if you still liked the shows during these seasons then more power to you.

My overall feeling about all of these shows is that they lost a lot of the joy from their initial season(s) as they went on. Like, they just got significantly less fun to watch. But they also had more specific individual issues that I would like to get into.

I stopped watching UA during season 3 and don’t plan on watching season 4. I feel like a lot of people will already know what I might be referring to with this but yeah, the scene where Allison *did that* to Luther made me so sick. I feel like that season absolutely destroyed her character, and as I said, it just wasn’t anywhere near as fun as seasons 1 or 2.

WWDITS is probably the most successful of the three in my eyes but I could still apply the same argument about loss of enjoyment. The “Guillermo wants to be a vampire” plot line got very stale for me, especially with how they “resolved” (?) it. Saying “oh he’s a vampire now oh nevermind he doesn’t actually like being a vampire and also can’t be one anyway so everything’s back to normal” felt like such a waste of time for me. I know a lot of people also criticised the show for queerbaiting because of the Nandermo plot lines and teases. I wouldn’t necessarily call it queerbaiting but I would agree that the “will they, won’t they” is very played out at this point. Another big criticism I have of the later seasons is how Marwa was treated. The fact that she had no autonomy and was being forcibly changed mentally and physically to appeal to Nandor was treated as like, a running joke and I just found it kind of disturbing. Dark humour is pretty common throughout the show, but given how often her character appeared it felt a lot more, significant than throwaway jokes about drinking human blood. I feel like they could have done so much better with her character.

OFMD is probably the most egregious example of the 3. Season 2 was just not good. I’m not saying it was the worst thing I’ve ever watched but it was incredibly disappointing. The pacing was off, the characters were off, the dynamics were off. It was all just very off. The huge cliffhanger ending with Evil Blackbeard felt like it was resolved way too quickly and everything else in the season felt equally rushed. A lot of the character dynamics, but especially Ed and Stede, just felt wrong to me. From what I understand there were production issues or something so I’m not saying the writers just woke up one day and decided to be bad at their jobs but I can only really judge a show by what I saw on my screen, and what I saw was so far removed from the quality of season 1.

5. Finished on a sour note.

UA ended after 4 seasons, with the fourth being released on Netflix today. I haven’t seen anything that indicates whether this was the intended endpoint or whether it was cancelled. WWDITS will end after season 6 which comes out in October. Again, I can’t find anything indicating whether this was the intended endpoint. OFMD was cancelled just a few months after the release of season 2 in October 2023.

I can’t tell other fans how they should feel but for me I’m incredibly disappointed that 3 shows I really enjoyed saw a gradual (or not so gradual for OFMD) drop in quality that ultimately culminated in them just… ending.

Like I said, I have no interest in US season 4, but I am still somewhat hopeful for WWDITS. I would be really happy if they could bring it back to what it was.

Conclusion

I don’t know what the point of writing this was other than the fact that I’ve always associated these shows as having the same vibes and I feel like it’s interesting that they have a lot of similarities and went down similar paths. Also I just like yapping.

[neverheroes]

Nandermo was always one of those ships I’ve been down low into, like it’s cute but toxic y’know, and they do obviously love each other (they just wouldn’t behave the way they do without that) but man this ‘get a satisfying answer’ point had me a bit rocked. What do you mean. What do you mean.

[3:50]

Anyway, below cut is my one contribution to the Nandermo club ever with an tiny script fic in Twitter thread form, from June 2022 before all the Guillermo turning stuff.

What I’m trying to say is that I’m embarrassing.

/Begin thread

What if they come home from the club and Guillermo is like “You realise the things you were saying you wanted all night- was a description of me.” and Nandor does his “Don’t be ridiculous” thing, and G says “but I am - those things for you, - all the time.”

Then Nandor says he wants a romantic kind of company and G shrugs “well I could be - a kind of, romantic company. If you would want that.” “You think this,” And Nandor hasn’t even skipped a beat, he’s just treats that proposition as such an obvious thing for Guillermo to suggest

and after a moment says “…And then —you will leave again.”

“Wuh- I won’t leave you master”

“Yes Guillermo, you will get tired of me and then you will leave again”

“Master, I told you-”

“Your •tiny •human •mind cannot comprehend”

“Ok, my tiny human mind? My tiny-Okay why don’t you explain to me and my puny mind.”

“It is not personal, it is just that you will die.”

“Except you’re going to turn me. Master. Like you promised you would”

“Always with this! And then what for you? You are a vampire whooptee doos. You get what you want from me, and then you leave.”

“I said I wouldn’t leave you.”

“This is what I am saying, mush for a brain. You think in 100 years you are not sick of me- it is a tiny blip of eternity, so what for you? Stuck this way. Have you even thought about it. ~Guillermo, I know I make it look easy, but, it is not nice to be a vampire. To make you this way. This is not meant for you.”

“Master. You promised me-“

“It is not for you! It is not for people like you. Who are soft and good.”

“This is - I am putting my foot down!”

“You are what.”

“My foot is, it’s down! You have known that, for some time now, you don’t have the power here. Uh.”

“Whaaat is this”

“No, let me finish. You know what I can do -er -stake wise <👀> and I think you know you don’t have to be scared of-”

“Scared! Oh I should be scared of little-”

“Shh! My foot is down now ok ..I think you, um, you ~also~ know that I am here to protect you, and spend time - with you. [shrug] I don’t care what you say, no, I don’t care. This is my home and it’s here, and with you, and that’s. …That’s that. My home is here with you, and I’m not leaving. No matter what. There.”

/End thread

[cookinguptales]

I guess what's so frustrating is that it was almost everything I've ever wanted. I've always wanted Guillermo to not be content being a vampire or a human but some third unique thing. I've always wanted Guillermo to realize that he was pinning all of his hopes of change on being a vampire when really he had to learn to love himself as-is. I loved that Nandor was the only one who saw that Guillermo really wouldn't make a good vampire, and that's why he didn't change him. I just about died when Nandor pointed that stake at himself.

But christ, the details. I hate that Laszlo spent an entire season working on a cure when he should have known about the blood thing from Jenna and it was apparently also common knowledge that killing Derek would fix things. I hate that Nandor believed in s3 that killing the sire would kill all vampires (with no exclusion being made for young ones) and now he suddenly has this knowledge that killing a sire won't hurt Guillermo. They didn't even know if any of that stuff was real or a myth, but suddenly they know the nitty-gritty details?

(Why did he even summon the djinn if he'd already exhausted all of his wishes offscreen and had a way to return Guillermo to being a human? It's not like he minded killing Derek, who humiliated him. Was it just to remind us that they hadn't forgotten him?)

If we'd seen Nandor learning all this. Like if it had come out that the books he was reading were about Van Helsing blood or alternative turnings or what happens when you kill a sire or something. If we'd seen Laszlo learning this, so the rest of his actions this season would make any sense at all. If it had been more than "Guillermo didn't want to drink blood", which again, doesn't make a ton of sense. How would the doctors, The Baron, and Laszlo not think of that when Nadja talks about it like it's common knowledge in s1?

And to have Guillermo, instead of finding some power that's all his, going back to being not just a human, but one who takes orders. I always wanted Guillermo's arc to be about learning he didn't need vampiric powers to be who he really is. He has his own power. In this, he didn't gain power or true understanding of himself; the implication is just that he was too squeamish to have power and now he's... going back to cleaning up corpses when Nandor tells him to. He's going back to who he was before, not growing into someone new.

I'm frustrated because this could have been (and should have been, imo) an arc about Guillermo coming to accept himself and his power as-is. Realizing what he truly wants, and that being a vampire won't fix things. Realizing when crucifixes burned him that he was giving up his true power rather than trading it in for something better.

But instead it became less about claiming your power than it was about giving it up. They spent an entire season treating Guillermo better only to revert back to treating him poorly in the end. He spent an entire season gaining interesting powers only to give them up in the end and replace them with nothing new. He's... back on corpse duty.

So much of this series has been about Guillermo finding out that he had powers that were different from the ones he'd always wanted, but strong nevertheless. It's always been about him being just as powerful in the vampires, in his own way. This season... we don't really see that. And that's frustrating.

idk man, I'm just. Frustrated, I guess. It's so much more frustrating when you can see kernels of something great. I can't even feel satisfied with the parts I did like, not yet. I'm just disappointed, I guess.

[stephpotterart]

I loveee your post about how Nandor isnt really a dumbass! however I was just watching the ep where they go to Atlantic city and nandor still thought the world was held up by four elephants? How could this map into what you've explained in the post?

Unfortunately that is one of the holdouts that I have trouble with lol. That being said, the four elephants is actually a misnomer that came later? Originally in Hindu cosmology (yes I went to Wikipedia for this, because my trivia knowledge is good... but sadly it's not that good lol) it's eight male elephants and eight female elephants that represent the eight 'zone' of the Universe. So, sixteen elephants! There's no mention of a turtle at that point either.

We can surmise that Nandor may have heard that belief at some point in his human life. But, I don't know if he would have taken it literally? At that point he might have just marked it down and didn't think on that part much further.

But here's where it gets interesting.

The idea of four elephants on the back of a turtle? That doesn't come around until 1599. In a letter by Emanual de Velga, Wilhelm von Humboldt (who was a linguist among other things) suggested that the idea of elephants may be from a misinterpretation of the Sanskrit word Nâga, being that it can refer to both "serpent" and "elephant" (because of the snake-like trunk). He suggests that through misinterpretation, the idea of the elephants actually comes from the idea of the World Serpent - such as Jörmungandr in Norse mythology.

Now, he did write that with absolutely zero proof, but that does open up another line of questioning for us.

It's known that the Vikings made their way all the way to the Holy Land. There are stories that they helped the Knights Templar during the Crusades.

Now, Nandor was Supreme Viceroy in a part of Persia. That's pretty removed, geologically speaking, from where the Crusades were being waged. Though, the Ninth Crusade, from 1271 to 1272, would have been being waged when he was a little boy. And word travels.

I am going to suggest, perhaps, that one of his tutors when he was a young boy, was either a Norseman himself, or had at least encountered the Vikings at some point in his history. After all, people travel, ideas travel.

So maybe Nandor was taught the idea of Jörmungandr, not necessarily as a fact, but while his teachers were telling him stories. He's somewhere between eight and ten years old, and the idea latches on. It takes his fancy, but he also misinterprets the the meaning of 'serpent', because he's a child who has been also taught some of the Hindu cosmology, as part of his lessons, to open his mind.

So, now two different cultures have taught him that there's "elephants" holding up the world.

And then, he's a Vampire, and he's able to travel to places he'd never dreamed of as a boy. Places he didn't know existed. Like the New World.

And the Indigenous people here tell him the story of Sky Woman, and the great Turtle that is Turtle Island - North America. And it all clicks together! Another culture that believes in the world either being, or being supported by, a turtle!

Even though those lovely people didn't mention elephants, they must be there! They're there in all the other beliefs!

I suggest that Nandor just... learned the mythology at a very young age, and it gripped him.

Sure, he would have learned Empedocles and Anaxagoras' arguments that the Earth was a sphere and not flat - it would have been included with both his Classics lessons and his arithmetic lessons. And probably history lessons.

But, he never questioned that, did he? He drew a spherical earth held by the elephants. So yes, he absolutely learned that the Earth is round, and not flat. He absolutely learned everything that the Ancients had already discovered about the Earth's place in the Universe. But he also believed that the sphere was held up by the elephants and rode the back of a great turtle.

And then came Copernicus, in the early to mid 1500s, who suggested that the Sun, rather than the Earth, was the center of the universe. Nandor, still educating himself at this time, would have read this theory and probably immediately found it sound.

Of course the Earth moves around the Sun! It's on the back of a turtle! And that's why it takes a year! Turtles are very slow!

I think Nandor's belief in the World Elephants (and turtle) are less about a failure of his education, and less about his intelligence, and more about one of those long-held beliefs of childhood. Because it fascinated him as a child, even if it was just a myth. It just... he liked the idea and then it just sort of cemented itself in his mind.

And, when he stopped seeking out further knowledge, he missed the advancements in astronomy etc. I think learning about the Big Bang as the theories developed would have fascinated him, rather than having it all dumped on him one evening by Colin Robinson.

Poor man had his entire childhood and worldview eradicated in one blow.