‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Introduces New Vampire Played by Michael Patrick O’Brien, Celebrates Final Season With Profane Comic-Con Panel

As a longtime fan of quirky and humorous TV shows, I was absolutely thrilled to attend the “What We Do in the Shadows” panel at San Diego Comic-Con and witness the behind-the-scenes insights into the sixth and final season of this Emmy-nominated FX comedy. The excitement in Hall H was palpable as the stars, Matt Berry, Mark Proksch, Kristen Schaal, Kayvan Novak (via Zoom), executive producer and showrunner Paul Simms, and director Kyle Newacheck graced us with their presence.


At San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, representatives from “What We Do in the Shadows” including Matt Berry, Mark Proksch, Kristen Schaal, Kayvan Novak (appearing via Zoom), executive producer and showrunner Paul Simms, and director Kyle Newacheck were present in Hall H. They previewed and celebrated the upcoming sixth and final season of the Emmy-nominated FX comedy.

The Footage: Before the presentation, FX showed the complete first episode of Season 6 featuring Michael Patrick O’Brien (“Saturday Night Live”) as the new character Jerry. You may wonder who Jerry is? He was once the roommate of Nandor (Novak), Laszlo (Berry), Nadja (Demetriou), and Colin Robinson (Proksch). They all hold fond memories of him as the “ultimate vampire” until they remember that they had neglected to rouse him from his deep sleep which he entered in 1976.

Jerry’s arrival stirs up deep introspection among the vampires, making them reflect on their past identities as he disrupts their group dynamics. At the same time, we discover where Guillermo has been residing since abandoning his vampiric life and functioning as Nandor’s familiar. The vampires start to ponder the reason behind allowing humans to document their lives for such an extended period.

Key Insight: According to Simms, recognizing that Season 6 would be the last for their show, they made a conscious effort to avoid common cliches often seen in series nearing their end.

“He mentioned that they aimed to create a humorous season without being overly sentimental or conclusive for most viewers. However, he assured dedicated fans that all storylines would be resolved.”

Simms hinted at the presence of several notable guest appearances in the upcoming season, bringing back “beloved and hilarious” characters such as O’Brien, who will portray Jerry.

In the last part of “The Office”‘s final season, just like the documentary team became more involved in the series, Newacheck hinted that the documentary element of the show would be expanded in an intriguing and self-referential manner during the later episodes.

During the production, I had the unique experience of acting as a director in the play at one point. This role reversal was quite surreal for me. So, keep an open mind, folks. Things are about to get intriguing and unconventional.

Most Amusing Incident: Despite being unable to physically join the panel, Novak made a memorable appearance through Zoom, portraying his character Nandor the Relentless complete with fang-like teeth and an image of himself as Nandor in the background. When probed about Guillermo’s ongoing dilemma concerning his feelings towards Nandor, Novak-in-character quipped with the crass humor typical of the series that Guillermo continues to reside with him.

“I need to speak quietly since Guillermo is nearby, supposedly engaged in a private activity,” he explained, feigning ignorance when it seemed like Guillermo was within earshot. “Really? I wasn’t referring to you. Quit interrupting me!”

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2024-07-26 04:16