When What We Do In The Shadows ended its third season, Staten Island’s resident group of immortal idiots had been scattered to the winds. Two members were packed in wooden crates on a trans-Atlantic trip bound for the Vampiric Council in London. One was left waiting at the train station, intent on having an Eat Pray Love moment on his own. One had died and, from his own corpse, emerged as a newborn replica with an adult-sized head and a chance to be a less boring version of his past self. And one had stayed behind to become that baby’s good time guru.
When season four of FX’s Emmy-nominated comedy series returns, a small time jump answers the question of where Nandor, Guillermo, Laszlo, Nadja, and Colin Robinson ultimately ended up while setting up an entirely different problem: What are they going to do now?
The answer to that might include vampiric nightclubs, home renovation shows, genies, demonic black markets, and nosferatu-approved rap bangers titled “Throat Juice,” but it might also tackle more serious themes, like nature vs. nurture, found family, and finding purpose in life – whether it be measured in human years or immortal ones.
UPROXX chatted with WWDITS stars Matt Berry and Natasia Demetriou about an “ambitious” season four, why they want Nadja and Laszlo to go on the lam, and whether Berry should be the next Wolverine.
There’s a bit of a time jump when the show comes back. What have Laszlo and Nadja been up to?
MATT BERRY: So Laszlo was left bringing up baby Colin and that’s what he’s been doing the whole time, which you get to see at the beginning [of the season]. He had no choice in that because everybody left and he wanted to do the right thing.
NATASIA DEMETRIOU: [Nadja] was in London working with the vampiric council and I would say probably finding it a bit wanting and being a little bit unsatisfied with it, which is a big part of why I think she returns with her great new plan.
How did these two keep in touch? Quill-written letters?
MB: That’s exactly what it is. They have no interest in modern technology and it always ends up going badly. So yeah, they’ve done things the traditional way.
ND: A lot of quill sexting.
MB: All disgusting pictures of what they’re going to do with each other when they next meet.
Why is Nadja so obsessed with opening her own vampire nightclub this season?
ND: I mean, why wouldn’t you be? It is the perfect location for vampires to live their best lives, I think. You’ve always got access to blood. You’ve always got access to victims. You can create whatever rooms you want. I think Nadja and Laszlo love to do a little bit of performing on the microphone. So you’ve got your own personal stage at any time and a great place to sort of money launder. It’s a perfect front for demonic life, I would say.
These characters and this story are just so out there. How do you get back into the swing of things each season?
MB: It’s the same thought process that I’ve always used which is not to be surprised or outraged by anything that happens. I kind of need to remember that I have to look like I’ve possibly seen it before or would’ve read about it somewhere. I think it’s important for my character just to not be freaked out by anything.
ND: I think for me it’s probably the accent. I have to try and find it again because it’s sort of a cross between a million different accents. It’s so easy to slip into my own accent or Cockney or something so embarrassing. So I think that’s the main thing. I also try my best to make myself look undead or like immortal because as a human I slouch. But you remember these are very powerful sort of supernatural beings. I try to stand up a bit straighter and seem a little bit more in control, which is very different from my own life.
Matt, what excited you about Laszlo’s storyline this season?
MB: I was interested in how a completely self-obsessed and selfish character like Laszlo would react when being faced with fatherhood. And there’s some really good imagery this season, things like taking him to a park at night. I can’t remember what you call them over there.
ND: They call them parks.
MB: No, but where all the kids’ swings and slides are.
ND: A playground?
MB: Yeah! So that, but going there in the middle of the night with a kid. It’s still one of the craziest images and things that I’ve done because it’s something that you wouldn’t see, it’s kind of like hearing kids’ voices in the middle of the night in an open field, it would sort of freak you out.
Speaking of, the technology to shrink Mark Proksch doesn’t yet exist so how did you film those scenes with baby Colin Robinson?
MB: They were done with little kids with dots on their faces and kids of various ages and sort of sizes. They were all fantastic and weren’t thrown by any of the horrible things that were going on around them. None of them complained. They were all eager and enthusiastic. So yeah, it was a joy. But I love working with everyone on the cast, we’re all sort of very lucky like that.
ND: Who’s your favorite?
MB: Favorite out of the kids?
ND: No. Out of the cast?
The adults.
MB: Oh obviously the actress that plays my wife. I’ve said that many times and it’s completely true.
Good answer. Natasia, are we going to get a full single of ‘Throat Juice’ sometime this season?
ND: I’m afraid I could not disclose that. I’m in talks with BMI and Sony, so I can’t really speak on that. But the nightclub [episode] was amazing. And Fred Armisen, who Matt has obviously worked with before, came on and he was so effortlessly funny and so fun to improvise with. That was also what was so great about the nightclub — it brings in new people, and there are a few other people that also visited the nightclub [in some episodes] that were very exciting and fun to film with.
Are we going to get any flash-in-the-pan moments a la Jackie Daytona this season?
MB: Well, I don’t know about this season, but we’ve talked about it being really good if they sort of went on their own, on the run.
ND: Yeah, the two of us on the lam. That’s what me and Matt would like to conjure up. I feel like this season, everyone’s got such a mad storyline that’s quite big and involved — Kayvan, Harvey, Mark, we’ve all got a big thing. Every episode is kind of like standalone episodes, and there’s an amazing bit where the boys go into the Pine Barrens, and there’s like that whole storyline and then I’m at home with Harvey and a whole thing happens there. The whole season in and of itself is very ambitious and quite a spectacle.
Matt, people on the internet have a lot of opinions on what you should be doing with your comedic talent. I’m going to go down the list of things social media thinks Matt Berry would be good at. You both tell me what you think. First, Matt Berry should host the Oscars.
ND: Yes … actually no.
MB: Absolutely not. I have no interest in that.
ND: He’d be terrible. You’d lose him after the first one because he’d go and have a drink with one of his friends.
Matt Berry should play all of the parts in the Phantom of the Opera.
ND: Yes.
MB: I don’t think I’d do a good job of that one.
Matt Berry should host a celebrity cruise.
MB: I don’t want to host anything.
ND: Bad ideas. Bad ideas.
Matt Berry should be the next Wolverine.
ND: Oh, I agree!
MB: I don’t know. I’m sure whoever the current Wolverine is [but he’s probably] doing a fantastic job and doesn’t need my interference in any way.
The position is currently vacant.
MB: Is it? Well, maybe Danny DeVito could do it. He’d be better.
ND: I want to add a new one. Matt Barry is the new James Bond.
MB: If it was like the slightly past it, out-of-shape older brother, I’d be happy to do that.
