Editor's note: The below article contains spoilers for Season 4 of What We Do in the Shadows.When What We Do In The Shadows popped up on FX in 2019, the absurd mockmentary about four vampires and their familiar trying to take over Staten Island became one of the best television shows, according to both critics and fans. Of course, the biggest strength of the Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi series is the incredible writing that highlights the bizarre world and colorful characters in a unique and hilarious fashion. The dynamic of the core cast is another strength, as the personalities and antics of Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), and Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) blend together perfectly; however, Guillermo is the heart and soul of the series. The familiar is the glue of What We Do In The Shadows and the strongest character of the FX show.
From the beginning, Guillermo brought a nice depth and warmth to the series. The most interesting aspect of Guillen's character is that the show doesn't dive into his family history. However, one of the most crucial scenes is when Guillermo recalls the moment he wanted to become a vampire, which was after watching Antonio Banderas' performance in Neil Jordan's Interview With The Vampire; this was a quick scene, but a very crucial one as it adds so many layers to Guillermo's character. First, it explains the dynamic with his original family subtlety. It highlights that Guillermo was an outsider, and he found comfort in a world that his family didn't agree to. In Season 1, Guillermo was a meek and nerdy kid, but one with a very kind heart. Granted, he does lure his LARPing friends into the vampire's house several times, but that only furthers the claim that he identifies more with his vampiral kind. More importantly, Guillermo's generous and wise nature brings out the humanity from these murderous monsters. This is especially true for Nandor, who's a vicious vampire that has no problem slaughtering innocent human beings left and right.
However, from the special glitter picture on Guillermo's 10-year anniversary to even telling an unconscious Guillermo that they're friends, this wisely counterbalances against moments when these vampires do heinous things, such as Nandor setting up Guillermo to be werewolf food. The ultimate purpose for Guillermo in the first season was to be a shining light in a world that should be shrouded in darkness. Take Guillermo out and Nandor is more of a cruel tyrant who doesn't recognize the errors of his ways. He never apologizes for his past crimes nor is he remorseful for anything bad he does. Well, except accidentally dropping Guillermo as they were flying above New York. Though Guillermo doesn't have the best relationship with Nadja and Laszlo, he still goes out of his way to protect them because he views them as his brother and sister. Without Guillermo, Nadja wouldn't have been able to help Laszlo and Nandor at the animal shelter. It also stopped her from going out of bounds in her marriage by cheating with Gregor. Even when the three vampires were on their deathbed in "The Trial," Guillermo and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) came in to save the day. Hell, Guillermo killed the Baron, who's obviously a psychopath who would've likely murdered the three Staten Island vampires.
During "The Trial," Guillermo meets several familiars and loses his hope of being turned into a vampire after hearing that their masters hadn't turned other familiars into vampires. This moment helped shift Guillermo's character. Accidentally killing the Baron planted the seeds for him eventually becoming an elite vampire assassin, but his realization that he'll likely never be a vampire is what truly made him burst out of his shyness. Guillermo never lost his charm as he was exploring his identity, but adding these wrinkles to his arc helped strengthen the dynamic between him and the vampires. It's never teased that Guillermo would kill Nadja, Laszlo, Colin Robinson or Nandor, but there's still an air of mystery that could end up seeing him put an end to these murderous creatures. Guillermo still sees them as his family, but he's done being bullied and taken advantage of. With this newfound strength, the show freshens up his character while putting various obstacles in his path that challenge his growth as a human being.
Though Guillermo is an ass-kicking warrior, this puts a strain on him physically because the vampiric council is sending every assassin known to man to eliminate who they believe killed the Baron. Plus, when Nadja, Laszlo, Colin Robinson or Nandor do find out how much of a threat Guillermo really is, the show does an excellent job of organically putting a strain on the core relationship without scrapping what originally made him such a likable character. The shift in their relationships are changed again in Season 3, but each character feels different because of the events that took place in Season 2. Naturally, Guillermo is seen as the enemy, but for the first time in the series following "The Prisoner," Nadja, Laszlo, Colin Robinson, Nandor, and Guillermo genuinely feel like a family. More than that, but Guillermo's influence has rubbed off on Laszlo, who actually goes out of his way to help his human friend Sean in The Casino. The third season helped showcased a softer side to these vampires that allowed them to connect with humans thanks to their interactions and time with Guillermo. Of course, Nadja, Laszlo, Colin Robinson, and Nandor are still vampires so the urge to suck blood will always will there; however, the exploration into emotional relationships was deeper considering that the season two opener recounted the careless attitudes of Laszlo and Nadja when it came to the death of their familiars.
Guillermo is the heart and soul of What We Do In The Shadows. Nadja, Laszlo, Colin Robinson, and Nandor bring a fun dynamic to the core cast as well, but the development of Guillermo throughout each season has made him a compelling figure to watch. In addition, Guillermo bringing out the humanity of these deadly creatures showcases that he's the backbone of this incredible cast.
