What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 Episode 6 Review: Urgent Care

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, What We Do in the Shadows being covered here wouldn’t exist.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 Episode 6, “Urgent Care,” is its most significant episode of the season from a narrative standpoint, packed with action and John Slattery. Sam Johnson and Chris Marcil pen a hilariously thrilling script with exciting direction and staging from directorial familiar Yana Gorskaya. 

“Urgent Care” maintains a steady momentum from beginning to end, never letting its foot off the gas. Guillermo’s A-plot propels the overarching story forward in an entertaining way. It also raises the stakes considerably, especially since Nadja knows Guillermo’s secret. 

LASZLO: The only hairy frog I’m interested in, my darling, is the one between your legs. 

NADJA: It’s not just a frog. It’s the whole swamp. 

Season 5 has developed Gizmo’s relationship with Laszlo quite nicely. While his strongest, most nuanced bond is with Nandor, watching him grow closer to his other roommates has been fun. Sure, Laszlo and Nadja pretend not to care about Guillermo, but their actions say otherwise. 

Firstly, Laszlo claims he’s merely interested in experimenting on Guillermo from a scientific perspective. However, he reveals in “Urgent Care” that he’s searching for a cure for Guillermo’s vampirism. He can deny it all he wants, but it seems he hopes to save Guillermo from Nandor’s inevitable punishment by death. 

Secondly, upon learning about Guillermo’s state from the doctor, Nadja instantly launches into protection mode. She fights tooth and nail to ensure the doc doesn’t kill him. Is it solely to leave him for Nandor to slaughter? That’s what she wants the physician to believe; however, we know the truth. 

NADJA: Do you really think I want to do this? If it was up to me, I would have just packed your ankle in some mud made from fish piss and fed you some pickled pig’s ears. 

This is all a credit to the writing and Matt Berry and Natasia Demetriou’s performances. They’re beautifully layered and nuanced. Johnson and Marcil’s solid script allows these consummate performers to work their magic. 

Regarding the B-plot of this episode, we’ve hit golden status territory in that both plotlines in “Urgent Care” are strong individually and collectively. To this reviewer’s recollection, Nandor and Colin Robinson haven’t had a story together. Kayvan Novak and Mark Proksch play off each other so well. 

There’s also a lot of fun wiggle room and experimentation in Colin Robinson’s episodic arc. It’s uncharted waters for What We Do in the Shadows, making it all the more exciting. What if Colin Robinson suddenly became interesting, and that prevented him from draining people’s energy? 

DOCTOR: Guillermo’s ankle is healing up nicely, which is very unusual so … just to be safe, I say we put him down. 

It’s clear the actors have a blast with this, with Proksch getting the chance to shine as an underrated comedic talent. Plus, John Slattery working as a foil to Colin Robinson’s draining attempts is a uniquely hilarious narrative angle. 

Perhaps what’s most impressive about “Urgent Care” is the action sequence featuring Nadja and Guillermo at the concealed medical center for familiars (the running gag comparing them to canines never gets tiresome). Its intricate staging, sleek camerawork, and Gorskaya’s direction make it one of the show’s most elaborate fight scenes. 

There’s a genuine sense of danger and heightened fear in these beats. You almost forget that What We Do in the Shadows is, at its core, a deliciously dark comedy. It’s gratifying anytime Guillermo gets a “hero” moment in this series, and that’s even more keenly felt here. The same applies to Nadja, whose innate badassery is a credit to Demetriou’s physicality and complete mastery of the character. 

Overall, “Urgent Care” catapults the (non-wooden) stakes for the season with performances that sing across the comedic board. The story never sags or wanes on the excitement front. As usual, the outing is driven by these beloved characters we know so well and the rich, immersive world in which they live. 

Here’s hoping Guillermo makes it out alive. Maybe Laszlo will find a cure, and Nandor can finally turn him. 

Stray Observations: 

• Nadja is a badass — plain and simple. We need an action movie starring Nadja where she’s putting everyone in their place. 
• I’ll never get over Matt Berry’s pronunciation of various words. He makes words like “camera” and “laboratory” interesting. (Although, nothing compares to “New York Citaaay.”) Speaking of laboratory, I’ve decided that Laszlo is now Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory if Dexter was a horny vampire. 
• Guillermo categorizing everyone in the house as a “crazy b*tch,” “queen b*tch,” horny b*tch,” etc., is so funny to me. The b-word is a term of endearment from him. Plus, I can’t imagine an unmedicated Guillermo using that word so emphatically. 
• John Slattery might be an energy vampire, and “Urgent Care” proves this. 
• Colin Robinson is queer, y’all. I love it. And so is Davey Crockett? This show is wild in the best way. Also, his real name, Arthur Simon Santino (ASS), is 100 times more interesting than his chosen moniker. 
• Medicated Guillermo was about to unload his crush on Nandor to Nadja. I desperately want him to live his truth and for Nandermo to blossom. One day, perhaps. 
• Under normal circumstances, someone referring to your private area as a “hairy frog” would be a turn-off. However, coming from Laszlo, it’s a gosh dang turn-on. 

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, with next-day streaming on Hulu.

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