#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...

#wwdits #what we do in the shadows #nandermo #guillermo de la cruz #nandor the relentless #but tonight you've proved that you have what it takes to take care of yourself #i mean Guillermo would have never been ready to kill Nandor #and Nandor would have known that #but he would (potentially) be ready to live without Nandor #like how Laszlo writes in his letter to Nadja #“you don't need me to protect you anymore” #and Nandor has always protected Guillermo from the realization that he could never truly be a vampire... #Nandor was going to have a beautiful time with who he loved most #go back home #turn Guillermo #and after some time - proving to Guillermo that he wouldn't be able to commit to being a vampire #he would have killed himself #in his homeland #prbly where he feels like he should have died 700 years ago #thanks i hate it

[boyhaunt]

what we do in the shadows the kind of show to make you think you can't read any more into it and then beat you over the head with nandor calling guillermo out for being jealous of his and lazlo's sexual exploits and guillermo retaliating by calling lazlo 'baby'

#that sure was. an episode #still can't believe they didn't give us a full scene of nandor and guillermo posing as a couple #they must have known the sheer homosexual tension would be too much #wwdits #wwdits spoilers #theo talks

[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.

#what we do in the shadows #WWDITS #guilermo de la cruz #harvey guillen #nandor the relentless #nandermo #the greatest love story in modern television #shadows fx #fx #wwdits fx

[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

#wwdits #my familiars ghost #nandermo #mlm #vampire guillermo #guillermo de la cruz #nandor the relentless #what we do in the shadows #what we do in the shadows fx #blood tw #my art #fanart #fan comic #image described

[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?

#fandom: wwdits #wwdits #what we do in the shadows #cw anxiety #cw panic attack #(sort of) #char: guilermo the relentless #and it's nandor protecting him from himself for a while #as s3 parallels rear their ugly head

[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.

#wwdits #although its quicly resolved this time thank god #looking at you good omens #wwdits season 5 #wwdits s5 #whatwedointheshadows #whatwedointheshadowsseason5 #whatwedointheshadowss5 #what we do in the shadows season 5 #what we do in the shadows #nandor #guillermo #nandermo

[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.

#wwdits #wwdits tv #what we do in the shadows #what we do in the shadows tv #laszlo cravensworth #Laszlo #just thoughts #spoiler #spoilers

[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. 💖

#what we do in the shadows #wwdits #nandermo #nandor the relentless #guillermo de la cruz #wwdits fx #nandor #wwdits nandor #wwdits meta #wwdits analysis #(it's not /technically/ meta stuff bc it's mostly just recounting canon facts but i'm tagging it anyway lol #nandor and guillermo #nandor analysis #my posts

[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.

#wwdits spoilers #wwdits tag #maybe tagging it this way won't get me any more shitty anons lmao

[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.

#wwdits #what we do in the shadows #guillermo de la cruz #laszlo cravensworth #nandor #nandor the relentless #nandermo #wwdits spoilers #wwdits meta #i guess this counts as meta #so i have a LOT of THOUGHTS n’ THEORIES on the backburner and idk if i can get to them all before the finale #prepare for a flood of inane speculation coming your way #wwdits season 5 #this originaly had a lot more screencaps but i think i over did it and now my brain is fried trying to collect all these receipts

[kjthenbee]

Could nandermo ever go canon? What's the probability? Cus I think the show runners are being weird about it

I honestly do think it will become canon eventually, just maybe not in the way a lot of people want/expect. The wwdits writers are well-known for throwing curveballs at us when we think we know what’s going to happen (i.e. S4E9 “Freddie”, where we all thought Nandor would be jealous of Freddie instead of becoming infatuated with him).

The writers have definitely been building up the romantic tension between Nandermo as the seasons progress though, and I think the fact that in the two most recent seasons they’ve gone out of their way to show the audience that - yes, all of the vampires are canonically queer as fuck, and yes, Guillermo is canonically gay - is telling. It’s meant to indicate to the audience that a romantic pairing between Nandor and Guillermo is 100% a thing that could happen.

Additionally, it’s been shown multiple times that no matter how hard Nandor tries, he can’t find a companion or love interest who truly makes him happy like Guillermo does. And despite the shit Nandor and the other vamps put him through, Guillermo is so down bad for his master that he comes back to be his familiar every time anyway, even when he’s been established to be a better fighter and way more competent than Nandor. Heck, he’s already at least partly a vampire now - why would he need to stick around? And he used to be a bodyguard, so why has he simply reverted back to doting on Nandor?

I also think fan feedback on the ship has been pretty overwhelmingly positive and has only grown since Guillermo was first implied to have feelings for Nandor in season 3. There have been recent articles acknowledging the “will they, won’t they” of their relationship too, and I’ve definitely seen more charged chemistry in the Nandermo scenes in season 5 with the way Harvey and Kayvan are playing the characters.

So while yes, I think that Nandermo will eventually become canon, I’m still not certain it will happen this season (I remember thinking it might happen in s3 or s4 and was disappointed lol). They may drag this out til the end of the show… Or maybe at the end of this season, they’ll pull a “they finally kiss but there are misunderstandings that keep them from being together” - like Nandor finding out that Guillermo went to Derek to turn him and feeling betrayed. I would honestly not be mad if they went that route because then at least there would be confirmation that this is a ship that is being taken seriously by the writers and not just something they tease.

#nandermo #wwdits #what we do in the shadows #wwdits s5 #what we do in the shadows s5 #wwdits season 5 #what we do in the shadows season 5 #nandor x guillermo #guillermo x nandor #guillermo de la cruz #nandor the relentless #wwdits speculation #wwdits spoilers #what we do in the shadows spoilers #wwdits s5 spoilers #what we do in the shadows s5 spoilers

[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.

#what we do in the shadows #what we do in the shadows 2014 #shadows movie #wwdits #wwdits s5 #WWDITS s6 #WWDITS theories #nandermo #nandor the relentless #guillermo de la cruz #viago wwdits #viago von dorna schmarten scheden heimburg #viago what we do in the shadows #wwdits spoilers

[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.

#nandor the relentless fanart #wwdits nandor #long post #about Nandor's education #World Elephants #World Turtle #what we do in the shadows #wwdits

[uhnoobuhhs]

Nandermo ficlet from Nandors POV

Currently obsessed with Nandor from 5x10

Once Laszlo finally released him from the cage Nandor flew away in bat form vision blurry despite his enhanced abilities.

His thoughts plagued with Derek turned me. Derek did it. I choose Derek over you.

Nandor flew back to their home, rushed past his roommates and their pleads for mercy on Guillermo’s behalf and processed to destroy the pillow and foot locker Nandor had so foolishly gifted his familiar.

He knew Guillermo had been pulling away ever since they spent a year apart. He thought maybe if he felt more needed, if he thought Nandor wasn’t competent enough, he could make him stay a little longer.

Nandor tried to make Guillermo jealous by asking him to be his best man, to see if he would show some kind of emotion towards the thought of Nandor marrying someone else. And it stung, when Guillermo looked happy for him instead.

Nandor thought if he acted less aloof and more caring, if he allowed some of his overwhelming affection for the boy to shine through a little more than maybe Guillermo would understand.

He knew he made a mistake when he turned his bride-to-be into a clone of Guillermo’s boyfriend.

But Nandor would’ve never imagined that his actions, his mistake, would’ve lead Guillermo to choose someone else for something so sacred.

Not only that, but a vampire so low in ranking and unworthy of someone like Guillermo.

He thought about destroying the letter Guillermo gifted him when they first met but the pain the thought caused made him stop from impulsively going through with it.

He didn’t want to hurt Guillermo, he didn’t want to kill him, but his anger and pain felt all consuming. He couldn’t slumber or feed, all he wanted to do was find Guillermo and make him suffer the way he was suffering now.

He stalked the Panera where they first met, with no luck. Even after killing the human actor, all he felt was regret and longing.

Couldn’t Guillermo understand that he did not deny him the bite out of rejection but love? Couldn’t Guillermo feel how much Nandor wanted to share an eternal life with him?

Nandor had known for over ten years now that Guillermo was too soft and kind to survive the vampiric curse, he may not accept or understand this yet. But perhaps when he’s fully transformed he’d see what Nandor tried to protect him from.

Nandor knew where Guillermo’s mother lived, he knew where all his family gathered. It was easy to convince Silvia to invite him inside.

The apartment smelled overwhelmingly like Guillermo, it made something warm and comforting stir inside Nandor.

He missed Guillermo, he needed him. He couldn’t harm him. He couldn’t be without him.

While Silvia gathered refreshments, Nandor looked around the small but well lived space, trancing his fingers over the framed pictures of Guillermo’s childhood.

He couldn’t hurt him, he loved him. He had already forgiven him. All Nandor could think about was his familiar, his savior.

“Silvia, where is your telephone? I wish to contact Guillermo.”

He turned and kept a close eye on her as she fetched the device. He knew soon she would sense what he was and possibly attempt to kill him on pure hunter instinct.

But this was the only way to locate Guillermo, he had tried the ether, with no response. He wasn’t sure if Guillermo would even hear him now that he was half vampire.

This was the only way.

Just hearing Guillermo’s voice made Nandors cold dead heart try it’s hardest to beat. He knew he was scaring him, he knew he should’ve explained that he had no intention of harming his mother but he just needed Guillermo back, needed to be close to him again.

Nandors previous actions may have pushed Guillermo into the arms of another vampire but Nandor would not make that mistake again. He would help his sweet sweet Guillermo fully transition. He would be there every step of the way, guiding his path, allowing Guillermos to decide what he wanted.

He would prove himself worthy of Guillermo’s affection and love, he would show him how much better Nandor could be than Derek.

Guillermo belonged with him, could never part his side. He could sense when Guillermo was at the door, and once he broke through Nandor felt the pull that always existed between them, making the need to be close almost impossible to ignore.

Nandor felt like he was in a trance, Guillermos very presence seemed to hypnotize his senses. He couldn’t stop himself from placing his hand on Guillermo’s shoulder, did not notice Silvia lurking behind his vulnerable back until Guillermo distressed plea for his mother to stop made the fog lift only slightly.

All Nandor could focus on was taking his Guillermo home, to their home. Where he belonged.

#nandermo #nandor the relentless #wwdits #guillermo de la cruz #what we do in the shadows #nandor x guillermo #wwdits spoilers #fanfic

[1im-perfect1]

This episode cemented my idea of Nandor and his thought process, the way he insults Laszlo (saying things that aren't really insults) and the fact that Laszlo's enjoying eternity contrary to him: he has time for hobbies, he has a best friend that he likes hanging out with and is in love with his wife; what else could he want? Nandor considers vampirism a curse, Laszlo thinks quite the opposite. Nandor is desperatley clinging to his human life: his title, his role, his homeland, his wife (even if they make him extremely unhappy).

Guillermo is the antithesis of his past: he's a vampire killer and his equal, he's young and has known Nandor only as a vampire and loves that part of him, his role in Nandor's life doesn't consist of them being: comrades, leader and soldier, husband and wife; they don't have the necessity of societal rituals (like a wedding with Guillermo vowing to stay by Nandor’s side in private talking barely above a whisper just for the two of them to hear) and a title (anymore). 

Their relationship is watching a movie together on a rainy day, going on a date at the market, bickering about stupid stuff, sitting around for hours talking about a silly wish, drying Guillermo's hair and tucking him to sleep but for Nandor that's not what a relationship is, for him it's performative, a trophy, a symbol of power; to give in it would mean that he's just like Laszlo.

#wwdits #wwdits spoilers #nandor the relentless #wwdits meta #guillermo de la cruz #nandor x guillermo #nandermo

[whomstwedointheshadows]

Hello, yes you Nandermo shippers, would you like to come along to delulu land?

I have some thoughts on the clickbaitiness of Paul Simms. Reading the transcript of the Nandermo moment (all hail @kyrilu for doing the damn thing on our behalf) and there’s two follow up segments to frame the Nandermo comment from a PR/fuck-around option.

1) the Kiss card was brought up by the interviewer, seemingly pulling the writer ms back to the topic of the panel, segueing to important, pre-planned questions.

I’m not sure where the information about the existence of Nandor+Guillermo+Kiss was first published. Regardless, this had to be a pre-cleared question. Behind the scenes, these media panels absolutely clear questions and topics in advance.

2) Vulture is posting reviews and materials very, very shippy of Nandermo. This was the ship friendliest possible room full of media explicitly gathered to drum up buzz for the new season. It wasn’t a random instagram stream about their writing process. The interviewer confirms the infidelity theme-then there’s going to be some backtracking to make it ‘sooo not sexual’ - the headline is not ‘Nandermo Infidelity Cofirmed’ now it’s ‘That Moment Wasn’t Sexual’

[sidebar: I have no idea how the strikes affected the usual publicity cycle and what impact that has on numbers, other than it definitely did. I would imagine those conversations and reactions to their ‘material’ has some sway/inspiration over the next season, from a producing standpoint or the general glee of a creator reading responses. It’s incredibly fortunate for the show there was already a season in process to come back and make due to the two season renewal. At the time of planning this panel it was not known when the actors strike would end, which I imagine changes the plan for promo cycles, especially one they were already adapting. My guess is the season 5 actors promo was completed based on our media, but any ‘soft power’ that comes from writers work/networking/teasing was altered. We missed anything they planned/reacted/tweeted while the show was airing. TLDR: this panel is coming after a long period of not rattling sabers from the writers.]

I put all of this here to say, as much as I don’t know about the business-side of show business, everyone was explicitly in that room to generate media and attention and demand for the show. That’s the actual point of the event, which absolutely has an impact on word choice. They’re comedy writers, with a flair for dramatic also doing the business part with a streak of evil teasing their audience.

Alrighty, foundation established, the big question and the Best Fan Interjection:

I salute you, sassy audience.

3) The WORDS

Word choice: hook-up

Does ‘the greatest romance on television’ have a one-off hook up, or does it get wrapped in plot and Have Significance and Pay-Off for all of the tension? What’s the most entertaining way in service of the show that’s worth losing the Will-they-Won’t-they dynamic? Can they subvert expectations in a way that makes the writers feel smart and like they’ve spent years building it is worth the investment from the audience? I have theories about A Secret Third Thing for absurdity being the direction they prefer on wwdits. It’s got be a big gambit to land to anyone’s satisfaction.

For an in character analysis of the infidelity not being sexual- I’m just going to put the concept of ‘honor’ and what being a familiar is in vampiric society, that this interpretation is absolutely fair as a breach of trust between Nandor and Guillermo. This response reads as truthful about that specific plot line ignoring everything fucking sexual about vampires, vows and penetration. Yes, he’s right- they didn’t fuck nasty on camera, it was just an intimate betrayal that maps really well giving someone you admire power over you, but realizing what they think is best for you, best for them, and what you want are all different things. That’s another story specific to this plotline. Also super common in anti-sitcom divorce tropes.

Would there be an entertaining story if Nandermo went all-in right now, for these characters? Or would it erase development and stagnate in a hierarchy?

I do think writers feel a responsibility to their stories and their audiences, even if the audience doesn’t like parts. I think WWDITS is a very smart show that loves/hates vampires and sitcoms, and it is always going to choose the highest setting on the dial for dark comedy on a subverted sitcom trope, which means while it can be an absolute riot with horrendous implications so it has to pull back enough for the next episode to be in the format with a new conceit.

There’s toxic co-dependent idiots Nandermo, and then there’s cruel, abusive, worst impulses working against each other being explicit, which kills the heart of the show.

4) What’s the Job?

WWDITS Audience: I don’t think the writers actually think it’s a little group of queer fans getting over invested on Nandermo. In fact, I think they are aware of the past Queerbaiting Sins of Network Television based on their serious storylines for queer characters. I think the archetypes and themes of the show specifically court that audience, and each season has only been more to those tastes by laying a solid foundation to explore what hasn’t been the focus of storytelling in the past. I think writers are a tricksy bunch and they’ve got a team who takes the dynamics seriously enough to tell the story of getting to a better place for the characters and entertainment. Hell, there’s a writer from Frasier on the panel who talks about slow burns.

Knowing that shipping has a long history, everyone is absolutely working from previous playbooks on how to tease and shape a story.

Even if a ship goes canon, absolutely no one is going to confirm it before it happens.

[Trickster storytellers, those liars, always wanting us to see their work unfold rather than spoil the ending. Even when they foreshadow or use dread, it’s just so they can feel smart about their lies when we look back, damn writers, emotional vampires. ]

While I shouldn’t underestimate the power of a straight white guy to mansplain some homophobic spice to ‘deeper than sex’ queerness, looking at the media of the actual show, the romantic ship framing is not in question. I’m of the persuasion it’s been great queer representation by having complex queer characters with varied ambitions and obstacles, often their choices driving the story for comedic/dramatic effect, of very selfish, horrible people.

That established, especially because the show has increasingly grown to be more visibly queer, the characters also have to be compelling to watch in their individual journeys even if a ship goes canon. However, no one would be satisfied if the fulfillment of a Nandermo ship was at the cost of the whole household or the characters themselves. The ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ and ‘No One Ever Really Dies in Shadows’ principles lead to an educated guess even if Nandermo becomes canon and carry their own plotlines, the episodes of the show are still going to be the dark, twisted ensemble shenanigans with sucker punches of heart. We love our djinn-curses in the narrative.

So, if ‘you don’t want what you think you want’ has relevance, I see it as these characters are not at their most compelling to get together-yet, as individuals or in the narrative of what the show wants to tell. That relationship wouldn’t be fulfilling or funny or fair- not that the characters deserve happy endings or an easy road, but to the journey of accepting and receiving love as part of the theme, seeing the love that matters/already exists ties into the conflicts around immortality/meaning. Haven’t we Good Omens fans learned that a kiss is not always the kiss we want?

For a Nandor in Space perspective, central to the vampire in western culture are themes of love/cruelty, class consciousness, the erotic other, transformation/stagnation/decay, inescapable time, the beast beneath the human face, inescapable temptation/indulgence, and cost/callousness of piety.

That’s some inherently kinky romantic shit right there, that necessitates crossing boundaries and abandoning norms. Even if the journey is actually murder-accessory to get what I want at all costs to this guy’s shampoo makes me realize this is a boundary I will not cross today because it reminds me of my own humanity.

#nandermo #what we do in the shadows #wwdits meta #wwdits 6