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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
This week’s episode of Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 raises our beloved character’s anxieties through the roof when private knowledge of their existence is seemingly compromised.
The fifth season’s fifth episode is titled, “Local News”. It is written by supervising producer Sarah Naftalis, and is directed by co-executive producer, Yana Gorskaya.
In this review, I will discuss FX’s What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 Episode 5. As the title of this article suggests, there will be no spoilers present here. Some details of previous episodes will be referenced throughout. Please read ahead with caution!
What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 Episode 5 Logline
According to FX Networks, here is the logline for What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 Episode 5 — “Local News”.
Coverage of a local water main break brings unwanted attention to the vampires.
FX Networks Press Room
Discussion
Perhaps upon first viewing, “Local News” plays out like a filler episode, similar to that of the “Cooperative Calligraphy” episode on NBC’s Community. Aside from one or two pivotal plot points, Gorskaya’s episode stands out as its own story from the initial several episodes I have seen of Season 5 thus far. Conversely, I would not label it a bottle episode, as characters here traverse through four different set pieces. Fans and viewers rarely see the streets outside the vampires’ Staten Island property, so there are some nice changes made this week. Production designer Shayne Fox is to thank for providing a perspective from the neighborhood, from a news station, and from Guillermo de la Cruz’s (Harvey Guillén) mother’s apartment.
Naftalis loads the episode’s teleplay with hilarious jokes and wild narrative beats to match what the writers gave us with “Pride Parade” and, more recently, “The Campaign”. Ultimately, what we seem to be gaining from this episode as a part of the season is a huge change, transitioning the vampires through a liminal chapter in their lives, as one of their own is evolving.
Transitioning
The minor details sprinkled here and there are noteworthy. For a split second or so, a familiar fictional television program plays on the vampires’ television set. This could possibly signal the return of a certain antagonistic character sooner than later. Although, I would like to think that the timing would be ready for the sixth season of the Shadows, given this is not the vampires’ first time on the small screen and they are scheduled to be televised sometime in the future.
The episode also sees the return of Guillermo’s family, who previously made a collective appearance in last August’s “Pine Barrens” episode. The character frantically albeit subtly wrestles with having to live a human life and having to live an inhuman life. This has been the case for the past few episodes. Specifically, there is an exchange of dialogue that he has with his mother, Silvia (Myrna Cabello) wherein he mentions undergoing a “huge change”. I do appreciate a moment here where she tells him, “We all doubt ourselves when we make big changes”.
Considering the Shadows is queer-coded, I cannot help but interpret this line as a suggestion of transhumanism or of a metaphor for the transgender experience. While other characters represent their own roles on the show — e.g. Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) is known for his tediousness, while Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry) possesses brilliance — Guillermo moves from state to state throughout the various seasons. He has come a long way from solely playing the role of vampire familiar. Now, look at him!
Aesthetics
Hair department head Tamara Harrod and her team’s work in this episode experiments with the women of the household. Here, Nadja of Antipaxos (Natasia Demetriou) takes on a blonde appearance, which extends to her human-soul-trapped-inside-of-a-doll self, while the Guide (Kristen Schaal) sports jet-black hair. I actually like this temporary look to the former, bringing out a certain prominence to her bangs. The Guide’s hair in the episode is also a good look, but I believe it might take some getting used to.
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, and Sam Johnson serve as the executive producers of the show. Yana Gorskaya, Kyle Newacheck, and Marika Sawyer act as the co-executive producers.
Sarah Naftalis is the supervising producer. Jake Bender, Zach Dunn, Max Brockman, Shana Gohd, William Meny, Zach Hagen, Tyson Breuer, Todd Aronauer, and Ingrid Lageder are the producers. Lauren Wells serves as a staff writer.
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. Allison Kirschner is the casting associate, while Krista Fraser is the extras casting director.
David A. Makin and Kim Derko serve as cinematographers.
A.J. Dickerson and Thomas Calderón are the editors, while Rajat Suresh and Jeremy Levick are the executive story editors. David McCloud and Harlan Doolittle 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 Noël and Jody Clement serve as the art directors.
Laura Montgomery is the costume designer. Sarah Milk is the makeup department head, while Tamara Harrod is the hair department head. J.R. Kenny is the special effects coordinator.
Stephen W. Pugh is the visual effects supervisor, while Malorie Moriana is the VFX producer. 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.
Harvey Guillén portrays Guillermo de la Cruz, Nandor’s familiar-turned-vampire hunter-turned-bodyguard-turned-best man-turned-vampire. Mark Proksch portrays Colin Robinson, the household’s energy vampire. Kristen Schaal portrays The Guide.
Anthony Atamanuik makes a guest star appearance as Sean Rinaldi, the vampires’ next-door neighbor. Frankie Quiñones portrays Guillermo’s cousin, Miguel.
Jamie Linn Watson plays Joanna Roscoe, a news reporter for WYXK Channel 8 News.
Logan Crawford and Danielle Nottingham portray Ted Spinelli and Lisa Lipton, the news anchors of Channel 8 News. Samantha Brown co-stars as a meteorologist. Gurdeep Ahluwalia plays Sam Pascal. Denny Forrest plays a TV producer.
Emma McCoslin plays Guillermo’s grandmother, Maite. Myrna Cabello plays his mother, Silvia, while Socorro Santiago plays his aunt, Valeria.
Performances and Character Developments
Berry’s performance as Cravensworth is not too huge in this episode. However, I do want to highlight another line delivery that he makes, which has apparently become his signature for the mockumentary. What he says in the final scene of the episode is comical to me, and you can throw that onto the list of quotes he has said in certain ways, including the viral “New York Citaaay” line.
More than anything, though, Guillén has the strongest character development of the show’s protagonists. In fact, it might be the only concrete one within the episode. Unfortunately, this week’s events — which all occur in the confines of a stressful evening — put a strain on his dynamic with Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak). One character says something that they probably do not mean. This leads to Guillermo being injected with a sort of truth serum in next week’s “Urgent Care” episode. Of course, we will get there when we get there…
Final Thoughts on What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 Episode 5
“Local News” is another splendid Season 5 episode directed by Gorskaya. Colin Robinson’s role here, leading up to the end tag, is such a nice touch to the narrative. It does not lead anywhere but is contained within the vampire household for the purpose of comedic effect. Let’s just say that a certain early-1990s Christmas icon might have some competition with Proksch’s character.
Remember how important Guillermo’s transition is to the show and the household. Next week, Gorskaya and the other talent up the ante on that end. Until then, we can only expect small leaps of faith for our characters.
Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 is now airing via FX on Thursdays and streaming the next day via Hulu!
Have you seen Clement’s series? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more What We Do in the Shadows updates as well as comedy, fantasy, and horror-related news and reviews, do not forget to follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
