4x07 Pine Barrens

[8.2/10] Easily the best episode of the season so far in my book. As Sopranos fans know, visits to the Pine Barrens tend to pay off!

Both stories in this one were quite good. The “guy time” story succeeds on the energy of the tension between Lazlo and Nador. The pair’s snipes at each other are funny, but there’s also a realness to the tone of their bickering that makes things uncomfortable, in a good way. The show plays on the sense of Colin Jr. as a kid who has to listen to his parents fighting, and it feels like that for Nandor and Lazlo’s arguments. The inability to cede ground on even the most pointless of arguments, the bearing of grudges over petty matters, and the generala dismissive tone plays like a bad relationship fight more than a disagreement among friends.

That’s especially true when the pair have their big blow-up, turning it into a referendum on every disagreement they’ve ever had, going back to when they moved to the house. The disputes are absurd and the grievances trivial, but the anger and resentment comes off real and a little bit scary. The tone is admittedly a little odd for a zany vampire show, but it also touches a nerve, which is a good thing.

I like where things end up though. Nandor admitting that he’s been short with Lazlo because he misses their one-on-one “guy time” between Lazlo’s friendship with neighbor Sean and looking after Colin Jr. is low-key very sweet. The way the two seal the deal by jointly fighting none other than the Jersey Devil makes for a hilarious setpiece, especially when Colin Jr. distracts the monster by playing some Bon Jovi to rock out and sing along too. And the fact that they mount its head on the wall in the end is the cherry on top.

I’m still not sure where they’re going with Colin Jr., particularly as regards to Sean. The way the kid is super into a roblox game and starts every sentence with “You know what” is some well-observed humor about dealing with kids. But between the hints at Sean’s questionable gun safety and concerns that Colin Jr. has some sort of psychopath streak, they’re clearly setting something up, and I’m not entirely sure what.

The “girls night” half of the story is just as good. Honestly, there’s something weirdly hilarious about a bunch of vamps watching Mama Mia and otherwise lady-ing it up together. There’s also some good comedy to Guillermo inviting his family over to dinner with most of the vamps gone. Seeing him stumble over his lies and manage the tricky questions from his jerky cousin is entertaining.

But it’s when those two plots combine that this part of the story really takes off. I love love love Nadja having to pretend to be Guillermo’s maid/girlfriend to keep up appearances. True to the Frasier references here, it makes for a delightful farce, especially when Guillermo’s abuela recognizes that Nadja’s a vampire and it sets off the whole family’s Van Helsing-blooded spidey senses.

How things go from an awkward dinner to an all out hunt is the stuff laughs and excitement are made of. Guillermo trying to manage the whole situation, where his one family goes after the other is a hoot.

It ends somewhere sweet, though. I love Guilelrmo coming out to his family and finding that they’re all very accepting of him. This isn’t the show to go to for wholesomeness most of the time, but it delivers here. Hell, even him getting to Nadjda to call off her dogs by saying that she's his family too plucks the heartstrings just a little, even if they cut through the treacle with an amusing bit about Nadja not wanting to be called “mama” afterward.

All-in-all, this is What We Do in the Shadows firing on all cylinders, giving us some absurd but authentic interpersonal drama, some outrageous supernatural set pieces, and wrapping it all in a subtle but overarching sweetness. Great stuff.