‘What We Do In The Shadows’ Season 4 Episode 7 Non-Spoiler Review – “Pine Barrens”

Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 is here with another terrific episode that fans have anticipated, and there are some great parts to it. The seventh episode of the fourth season is titled, “Pine Barrens”. It is written by producer Sarah Naftalis and is directed by co-executive producer Kyle Newacheck.

In this review, I will be discussing What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 7. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion to avoid any possible revelations.

In writing this review, I have seen the first nine of ten episodes of the series’s fourth season to properly understand the wider context of the season’s narrative.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 7 Logline

According to FX Networks, here is the logline for the What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 7 — “Pine Barrens”.

Nandor and Laszlo air out their differences on a hunting trip at an isolated cabin, Nadja has a girls’ night, and Guillermo reconnects with his family for the first time in twelve years.

FX Networks Press Room

Discussion

Within 26-and-a-half minutes, this week’s What We Do in the Shadows gives us a magnificent episode packed with a grand story of heart and family. Fox and Wylie have neat set pieces for both the New Jersey pine barrens location and the Staten Island vampire residence. The cabin in the woods isn’t anything too fancy and is actually quite simple, whereas the dining room in the vampires’ home is filled with extravagant and exquisite detail.

I also want to give credit to Montgomery’s costume designs and Harrod’s work on hair, especially with how Guillermo de la Cruz (Harvey Guillén) and the girls appear in this episode (see the photos above). We have the vampire familiar-turned-vampire hunter-turned-bodyguard-turned-nightclub accountant in a dazzling Versace blouse, while Nadja of Antipaxos (Natasia Demetriou), Marwa aka “Mrs. Nandor the Relentless” (Parisa Fakhri), and The Guide (Kristen Schaal) have on outfits that are just as stylish. I love how Nadja has her hair done, and we get a closer look at her appearance when she tries to relax in the bathtub with a fellow companion of hers.

Now, I know what you may be thinking, but… despite the episode’s title, no, this is not The Sopranos. The writers make this episode its own thing, although I can see why fans of either show would think that way. There are small elements here that suggest that maybe the writers’ room wanted to pay homage to the hit HBO crime drama television series. We’ll get to that in a bit.

The Writing

Personally, I felt the best scenes of the episode occur in the first several minutes as well as its final ten minutes. I appreciate the writers’ way of having to describe Baby/ Child Colin (Mark Proksch) in every episode of this season. In this episode, Nadja refers to him as: “the small, weird creature that clawed its way out of the abdominal cavity of our deceased friend, Colin Robinson”. I also appreciate how the show brings new ways to make the “new” Colin character just as annoying as the last one (RIP), with the child being an “iPad kid” for the entirety of the trip to the woods.

To make that even worse, Child Colin is great at ruining matters for the hunting portion of the trip by using his most prized gift: talkativeness. Although, there is one scene several minutes in that he has with the vampires’ neighbor, Sean (Anthony Atamanuik). I found it to be emotional until it turned uncomfortable yet awkwardly hilarious, and it might just be the best scene for the first half of the episode.

I love how What We Do in the Shadows gives some of its characters pretexts to not participate in the human world and its various lifestyles. We will be hearing the word, “railroad”, appearing occasionally over the next two or three episodes — including this one. Additionally, there are a couple of references that serve as themes in the “Pine Barrens” episode of What We Do in the Shadows Season 4.

Mamma Mia!

There are references to the popular 2008 jukebox musical romantic comedy film, and even with the context of spoilers, it is pretty minor. By that, I mean the reference does not drive the plot forward all that much. Currently, we have a household with a child character (Child Colin Robinson), three mother figures (Nadja, The Guide, and Marwa, along with three father/ uncle figures (Laszlo, Guillermo, and Nandor). Juxtaposed with Guillermo’s familia, the series has a lovely yet wicked narrative focused on the family aspect, minus musical numbers. We may have a sequel episode on the way from the way Mamma Mia! has a sequel itself, but who knows?

The Sopranos

Aside from the episode title having the same name as The Sopranos Episode 311, there are a few ominous symbols that I noted. It is something that has actually been introduced as far back as What We Do in The Shadows Season 2 Episode 6, “On The Run”. As you might know from David Chase’s series, the protagonist, Anthony “Tony” Soprano (James Gandolfini), had a dream about a close friend of his… Do you see where I’m getting at here? Anyways, when you see that certain symbol hung on the wall in three places, you might wonder similar, or maybe What We Do in the Shadows will not get that deep into things.

Moreoever, we see Leslie “Laszlo” Cravensworth (Matt Berry) and Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak) fight over something pointless. This is similar to how Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) and Paulie Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) fought in David Chase’s series. The boys’ trip results in a hunt for someone which ultimately becomes a something, and that becomes that. It is not as mysterious as a missing man, but it is just as surreal.

The Crew of What We Do in the Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows is created for television by Jemaine Clement. The series is based on the feature-length film of the same name written by Clement and Taika Waititi.

Clement, Waititi, Paul Simms, Garrett Basch, Eli Bush, Stefani Robinson, and Sam Johnson serve as the executive producers of the show. Yana Gorskaya, Kyle Newacheck, and Marika Sawyer act as the co-executive producers. Ingrid Lageder, Sarah Naftalis, and Derek S. Rappaport are the producers. Zach Hagen, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, and William Meny serve as the co-producers. Ayo Edebiri is the consulting producer.

Gayle Keller serves as the casting director; while Allison Jones and Ben Harris are credited as original casting directors. Jenny Lewis and Sara Kay are the Canadian casting directors. Briana Dunlay is the casting associate, while Krista Fraser is the extras casting director.

DJ Stipsen is the director of photography, while Michael Storey serves as the additional director of photography.

Gorskaya and Liza Cardinale serve as the editors, while Wally Baram and Aasia LaShay Bullock are the story editors. Hannah Anaya and Wendy Nomiyama serve as the assistant editors.

Mark Mothersbaugh, John Enroth, and Albert Fox score the music for the series. Nora Felder is the music supervisor. Steve Griffen is the music editor.

Shayne Fox is the production designer. Kerri Wylie is the set decorator. Aaron Noel and Andrea Raymond serve as the art directors for the episode.

Laura Montgomery is the costume designer. Sarah Milk is the makeup department head, while Tamara Harrod is the hair department head.

Mohammad Ghorbankarimi and Stephen W. Pugh are the visual effects supervisors, while Amanda Lariviere and Malorie Moriana are the VFX producers. Thomas Calderón is the VFX editor, while Vince Filippone is the VFX assistant editor.

The Cast of What We Do in the Shadows

Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, and Natasia Demetriou portray the series’ three primary traditional vampires, Nandor the Relentless, Leslie “Laszlo” Cravensworth, and Nadja of Antipaxos, respectively. Demetriou also voices the Doll with the Spirit of Deceased Human Nadja Inhabiting It.

Harvey Guillén portrays Guillermo de la Cruz, Nandor’s familiar-turned-vampire hunter-turned bodyguard. Mark Proksch portrays Baby Colin Robinson, an infant version of the series’ energy vampire. Kristen Schaal plays series regular/ special guest star, The Guide.

Anthony Atamanuik guest stars as Sean, the vampires’ human next-door neighbor.

Parisa Fakhri appears as Marwa, the “Mrs. Nandor the Relentless”. Myrna Cabello plays Silvia. Emma McCoslin portrays Grandma Maite, Frankie Quinones plays Cousin Miguel, and Socorro Santiago plays Aunt Valeria.

Jean-Michel Richaud voices the Jersey Devil, with Vaio Andreas Skretas portraying the character. Sam M. Duncan, Violet Tinnirello, Liam McKenna, and Joseph Franco portray Child Colin.

Performances and Character Developments

Atamanuik’s performance in these past few episodes of What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 is hilarious. The role does not appear like anything too special, but it is nice to see the vampires interact with humans other than Guillermo. Sean makes for a fine character with what we have seen from him. In this episode, he makes a hilarious remark about the pine barrens but does not extrapolate on the statement. I do not feel there should be a need to introduce any other human characters that are not him or his wife.

Moreover, it is exciting to see Demetriou, Schaal, and Fakhri to do a “sloppy girls’ night”. Unfortunately from what I have seen in the two episodes that follow this one, this episode is the right time to make that happen. I love the time they spend together, notably with Schaal as a series regular and Fakhri being given the screentime she rightfully deserves.

Family

Most importantly, I loved seeing Guillermo de la Cruz highlight his personal background. This is quite rare for the series, as he is often concentrated on his affairs with the vampires. His interactions with his familia and his family are two different spheres. In this episode, it makes for some wild last ten minutes of television. How it ends is similar to a previous episode of What We Do in the Shadows. It is insightful to learn about his biological family and what they have to offer to the series. They are accepting of his character but even more relentless with the reveal that comes eventually.

Speaking of relentless, fans will be teased with another hint at the character’s possible relationship with Nandor the Relentless. I find it laugh-out-loudable at how Nadja makes a harmless comment about Guillermo’s “broken eyes”. There is something in her lines of dialogue towards the end of the episode that should be noted. Something about the Guillermo/ Nandor dynamic is there, but the show continues to poke at the fans’ patience. I guess we will have to wait a bit longer for something to be acknowledged in a more concrete manner.

Final Thoughts on What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 7

“Pine Barrens” is a palatable episode of What We Do in the Shadows Season 4. It is not too heavy, but it does provide answers to questions that devout viewers have had. The Mamma Mia! and The Sopranos references are mere references and do not function to serve as spoilers, so I would suggest not looking too much into what role they may or may not play here. The next two episodes of the series are just as well-written and outrageous. I found this to be a good episode worthy of recognition, and maybe the rest of this month’s episodes should get some Emmy nominations. Who knows? That is just my opinion.

Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 is now airing via FX and streaming via Hulu!

Have you seen Clement’s series? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more comedy, fantasy, and horror-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!