What We Do in the Shadows Review: The Wellness Center (Season 3 Episode 8)
What We Do in the Shadows Season 3 Episode 8, “The Wellness Center,” hysterically shakes up the household dynamic for the vampires, showcases another badass Guillermo fight scene, and provides much-needed insight into Nandor and Guillermo’s relationship.
“The Wellness Center” changes the direction of the final two episodes of Season 3, and it deftly foreshadows Nandor’s potential departure from the undead nest.
NANDOR: Once you see Colin Robinson belly dancing a few times, the magic kind of wears off.
Nandor is the backbone of What We Do in the Shadows, the unspoken leader, and Kayvan Novak shines brightly (like Twilight) in this outing. He injects a sweet naivete into Nandor, notably when the vampire falls for Jan’s apparent cult. It’s a multifaceted performance that reveals the breadth of Novak’s talents.
Harvey Guillén beautifully mines the depths of Guillermo’s emotional core as Nandor and Guillermo share their feelings for one another. It’s a conversation for which we’ve all been waiting, and while not everything is laid bare, What We Do in the Shadows ensures we get a taste of what’s brewing beneath the surface.
NADJA: No, that’s right. You are very s**t-stupid man, so you can’t do it.
Additionally, “The Wellness Center” features a fantastic fight sequence with Guillermo rescuing Nandor from Jan’s cult. Guillermo’s vampire hunter lineage adds an intriguing layer to his relationship with the vampires, and it’s great to see the show refrain from abandoning it altogether.
“The Wellness Center” boasts an eye-catching color palette and vivid cinematography when showing us the cult, and it wonderfully complements the typically dark, macabre lighting in the vampires’ residence.
It also represents Nandor’s fluctuating emotional states — the bleak atmosphere in the flat signifies his “vampire depression,” while the brightly lit wellness center aptly embodies his newfound happiness.
COLIN ROBINSON: Alright, but you may want to wash your hands. That has a full room of butt wind on it.
“The Wellness Center” is another fun, innovative addition to What We Do in the Shadows‘ already illustrious catalog. The episode features standout performances from Kayvan Novak and Harvey Guillén, and it gives us more character growth, more clever one-liners, and all the Farrah Fawcett hair.
Stray Observations:
- Colin Robinson’s belly dancing is simultaneously alluring and traumatizing, and it needs to be in more episodes.
- Guillermo affectionately mentioning “creepy paper” is a nice callback to the pilot episode.
- On a materialistic note, Nandor’s luscious blowout is envy-inducing, and the 1970s/1980s style looks great on him.
- The vampires always find unique ways of inserting expletives into everyday conversation. From Laszlo’s “Off you f**k” to Nadja calling Colin Robinson “s**t-stupid,” they’ve elevated swearing to an art form.
- Guillermo throwing Nandor in the cell serves as a great mirror moment to Guillermo’s imprisonment at the beginning of the season.
What did you think of this episode of What We Do in the Shadows? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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What We Do in the Shadows airs Thursdays at 10/9c on FX.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.