3x02 The Cloak of Duplication

[7.4/10] What a great opportunity for Kayvan Novak to show his range as Nandor. The conceit of the titular cloak that allows the other vamps (and Guillermo) to pose as Nandor is a great excuse to have some fun in that vein. And the stated mission to convince a young receptionist at gym to go out with Nandor is a classic comic setup.

There is so much fun to be had with Colin Robinson, Lazlo, Guillermo, and Nadja each assuming Nandor’s guise in turn. Novak getting the different physicality of each character is great, and the different ways each attempt at a “date” goes wrong is both funny and revealing for each person who puts on the cloak.

I’m particularly intrigued by the suggestion that Guillermo is actually attracted to Nandor, at a time when Nandor is feeling himself bereft of a partner in life. I haven’t really gotten any romantic sparks from them, and it’s a bit of a weird place to take things given Nandor’s mistreatment of Guillermo over the years. But it’s an interesting idea for the show to explore if nothing else.

I also got a big kick out of Nandor and Nadja trying to do a “shared power” thing on the vampiric council and bristling at one another due to their different styles. Nandor’s diplomacy vs. Nadja’s brutal directness makes for some fun bits. ANd i really like the pair of them having to deal with some younger vampires who don’t want to be a part of the “system.” The intergenerational vibe brings the laughs, and Nadja earning their respect with a heart-rip is the right sort of gory punchline.

Plus, it’s all just for laughs, but I like COlin Robinson meeting another energy vampire from the next generation who’s super into weed, sneakers, and camera drones. It’s fun to see a different flavor of the same sort of vamp, especially when he’s in awe of Colin. And the story of Colin trying to find the source of energy vampires, in an episode where he also crosses paths with the original “sire” makes for an intriguing plot development.

Overall, a little more scattered than the season premiere in terms of structure, but the bits are all solid and some portend very interesting things to come.