1x09 The Orgy

[8.1/10] Totally fun episode. Both the A-story and B-story really worked, and the side humor was great throughout.

I enjoy the continuing, slow-burning story of Guillermo’s dissatisfaction with his life as a familiar. The way that Nadja and Lazlo order him around, Nandor only pretends to listen to him, and he’s forced to live in a room people think is a closet (which he pays $1,200 a month for!) makes him sympathetic. That’s only worse when his nerdy, virginal friend, who treats him like a human being, is invited to a vampire party to unwittingly be a snack. Guillermo’s inner turmoil over it is endearing, and the comic twist that the nosebleed-y, asthmatic friend that Nadja boasts about ends up losing his virginity at the party is the best kind of raunchily absurd solution to the problem.

The B-story is great too. Lazlo being so into his various pornos over the year is a fun bit, and the continuing string of ridiculous movies he made were a big laugh throughout. Nadja finding them boring is an entertaining conflict, and I especially enjoyed the payoff of how his declaration of love ends up making their orgy lame in the way they’d been fearing the whole episode. Matt Berry can seemingly make any random shtick funny, and this one gave him plenty of it.

But event apart from the stories, there was just a lot of great, ridiculous humor throughout here. Colin Robinson wearing some sort of leather daddy costumes and boring people with diatribes about youtube videos is more hilarious absurdity. Guillermo ranting about having to check the dildos is silly and amusing, as is the list of random orgy toys and accoutrements Nadja and Lazlo keep asking for. Hell, even Guillermo’s friend missing the cue to pretend he has a girlfriend turning into an admission that he was catfished was a funny dose of awkwardness.

Overall, there were a lot of laughs here, and some good, sturdy sitcom storytelling to boot. Lots of fun.