'This is how we speak in Tucson, Arizónia.'
[8.1/10] What a delight this episode is! Just getting to see Matt Berry and Mark Hamill go ham-to-ham as a pair of contentious vamps is a gift from God. This doesn’t feel like an ordinary episode of What We Do in the Shadows (to the extent a show as loopy as this one can ever be said to be ordinary). Instead, it feels a little like “Asspen” from South Park, an incredibly entertaining, over the top prestiche to a certain brand of feel-good sports movies and 80s and 90s genre flicks.
It totally works for Matt Berry’s comic talents and for the sensibilities of the show. There’s something so amusing about Lazlo taking on the role of “Johnny Daytona -- human bartender guy” in Pennsylvania, trying to help the local volleyball team afford to go to state, and having an understated admirer in the form of his caring coworker. That alone would have been a fun chance for the show to riff on some of the sillier tropes of this type of “On the Run” story.
But that humor is magnified by the supreme silliness of Lazlo's vampiric and other bizarre sensibilities. The fact that he sleeps in a giant freezer, covers all the mirrors, and use his magic powers to fix jukeboxes and assist local volleyball teams is a hoot. The way it coincides with his feud with the creatively named “Jim the Vampire”, which isn’t over some historical grudge, but rather an unpaid beach rental, adds to the mundane hilarity of the episode. And the fact that Lazlo’s disguise (which works!) is just a pair of blue jeans and a toothpick is the height of humorous absurdity.
The scenes where Berry and Hamill share the frame are especially great. Hamill uses his Armin Zola voice for Jim the Vampire, and his scenery-chewing is delightful. The way that both of them talk about drinking “human alcohol beer” and toss it over their shoulders makes for an enjoyable farce. And their bitter fight, resolved over the pain to the girls’ volleyball fortunes and a big mouth billy bass, is fantastic.
The other material in the episode is lots of fun as well. Colin Robinson trying to feed via the awkwardness of the rejected kiss is entertaining. The gags about people falling into sinkholes makes for some great physical humor. And the tags, with Lazlo roleplaying as JOhnny Daytona after that “carefree lifestyle” changed him, and Jim the Vampire realizing he’s been tricked via this “mechanical turk” are great.
Overall, a fun and weird but delightful episode.
Liked it a lot, and the doll's reaction shots, toothpick bit (weird synergy with Rick & Morty this same week) and Mark Hamill are great. Just not on the same best-of-show level of the last two eps.
This episode is the best! Loved the box named disguise.... who knew a pair of jeans and a toothpick could change ones appearance so drastically!
Mark Hamill was so convincing as an ancient vampire that I actually had to wait for the end credits to confirm if it was really him! Absolutely hilarious and terrifically entertaining episode (Laszlo's ultra convincing human disguise was an absolute hoot!)!
It wasn't necessarily funny, but it was most certainly very entertaining. As far as the latter goes, it was the most entertaining episode in the season, so far. It just wasn't extremely funny. While I like Lazslo and Matt Berry's portrayal, and the way he talks, which is the best part about him, I feel like everything is better, all-around, when everyone is together. This episode almost felt filler-ish and pointless, other than to introduce a character played by a special guest star such as Mark Hamill.
Shout by Luigi RavagliaVIP 9BlockedParent2020-05-14T12:21:37Z
Despite loving Matt Berry to death I found this to be a rather weak episode, that just goes to show how well the gang usually works together.
I just hope Mark Hamill's involvement isn't limited to this episode.