What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 4 Review: The Night Market
What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 4, “The Night Market,” is the most visually impressive yet, with a top-tier action sequence and a hilarious showcase of Nadja’s ruthlessness.
Natasia Demetriou continues to own Season 4 as the show carves out Nadja’s niche in the vampire world. She always ruled the roost in previous installments, but this season depicts her in her element as the badass boss lady she is. Demetriou taps into Nadja’s ruthlessness, mining the depths of her hysterical barbarity.
NADJA: That little tap-dancing freak that clawed its way out of the abdominal cavity of dead Colin Robinson is causing such a buzz.
Only What We Do in the Shadows could illustrate bloodthirsty, murderous vampires as endearing, lovable, multifaceted characters. The writing, coupled with Demetriou’s comedically perfect performance, is proof of that.
The intricacies of “The Night Market” should not be lost on the viewer. It’s abundantly clear the art department pulled out all the stops concerning set decoration. The Night Market set might be the show’s most expansive thus far. Additionally, we add new creatures to the series’ exciting (and hilarious) mythos: fairies and Valkyries. Here’s hoping we see more of them in future episodes.
The focal point and, ultimately, the crux of this outing lies with Nandermo. “The Night Market” hones in on their complex relationship. Are they BFFs? Lovers? Merely a vampire and his familiar? While we don’t get a concrete answer to these questions, “The Night Market” continues to drive home the deepness of Nandor and Guillermo’s bond.
THE GUIDE: I think that’s supposed to be a joke. Wraiths aren’t really known for their sense of humor.
There’s profound, deep-seated respect between the two of them. This respect is evident in “The Night Market” as we see how the other vampires regard Guillermo as a human. In addition, we view how other vampires in that setting mistreat their familiars. It’s a stark reminder of how vastly different their relationship is compared to the traditional vampire/familiar pairing.
Kayvan Novak and Harvey Guillén do an excellent job of conveying Nandermo’s innate chemistry. The subtleties, from inflections on line deliveries and charged glances to physicality, are plain as day for those who pick up on Nandor and Guillermo’s bond.
Again, it’s a matter of whether or not What We Do in the Shadows decides to take us in the love direction for Nandor and Guillermo. FX renewed this series for two additional seasons, so the writers might choose to play the long game, which isn’t necessarily bad.
NADJA: Would a cop have this? A piece of clothing with a very misogynistic joke that makes a complete mockery of common traffic safety laws?
Matt Berry never disappoints, and “The Night Market” blesses us with Daddy Laszlo in his element. It’s hilarious to watch Laszlo not sugarcoat anything with Colin Robinson. He endeavors to bust fairytale myth after fairytale myth because he knows CR is emotionally and intellectually mature enough to handle the truth. While he takes care of Colin like his child, it’s sweet that Laszlo refuses to “baby” him regarding the harsh reality of the world.
Laszlo doesn’t underestimate CR’s intelligence like most adults do with children. It’s refreshing to see. Plus, Berry and Mark Proksch work so well together as, surprisingly, a father-son duo. May this series always explore the tender depths of Laszlo Cravensworth’s bloody soul.
Overall, “The Night Market” kicks the action, immersive scale, and hilarity up a notch, with pitch-perfect performances and Nandermo aplenty. Plus, Nadja’s expert haggling skills are worthy of our praise. Maybe if we all ask the Djinn nicely, our train stop will take us to the Night Market.
Stray Observations:
- That subtle joke about the Valkyries essentially running an underground version of IKEA at the Night Market is brilliant. Who knew meatballs and furniture paired so well together?
- The costume department on What We Do in the Shadows deserves a significant raise. All of Nadja’s outfits in Season 4 are killer. Envy-inducing!
- Laszlo would try to dispel fairytale myths as a parent. Despite his penchant for pomposity and flair, he’s a no-nonsense realist to his undead core.
- “The Night Market” marks the beginning of the wraiths unionizing, which could spell danger for Nadja. Soon they’ll start asking for six sleeping closets and paid vacations!
- We need an entire episode dedicated to Laszlo as a stage mom while training Colin Robinson to compete in a talent show. Hilarity ensues.
- Nandermo shippers finally understand what Kayvan meant when he told Comic-Con attendees he practiced putting “his sword” against Harvey’s “sword.”
- Will we ever learn The Guide’s real name?
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 Tuesdays at 10/9c on FX, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
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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.