What We Do in the Shadows Episode Guide

Manhattan Night Club (Season 1, Episode 4)

Synopsis: The vampires head to a nightclub to strike an alliance.
Why you should watch it: Season 1 spends a lot of time building out the rules of the show’s world. The vampires live in a New York City filled with demons and monsters, but just as in real life, no one wants to travel into Manhattan if they don’t have to cross between boroughs. This episode introduces Nick Kroll as Simon the Devious, a recurring antagonist for the crew, and lays the seeds for the will they/won’t they (both become vampires) relationship between vampire Nandor (Kayvan Novak) and his human assistant Guillermo (Harvey Guillén).

Baron’s Night Out (Season 1, Episode 6)

Synopsis: The Baron wants to see New York’s nightlife.
Why you should watch it: One of WWDITS’s biggest strengths is how well it works as a horror and a comedy. The Baron—played by creature actor extraordinaire Doug Jones—might be a rotting corpse and nearly 1,000 years old, but he’s also jazzed when he tastes pizza for the first time.

Brain Scramblies (Season 2, Episode 3)

Synopsis: The vampires get invited to a Super Bowl party.
Why you should watch it: It’s always a highlight when the vampires deal with the real world and regular humans like their neighbors. The episode also kicks off Guillermo’s arc for the season, as he accidentally falls in with a group of vampire hunters.

On the Run (Season 2, Episode 6)

Synopsis: Lazlo flees after encountering an old enemy.
Why you should watch it: We won’t spoil things, but On the Run is one of the show’s best episodes for two reasons:

1. Mark Hamill guest stars!
2. It’s so, so stupid (but in a good way).

The Casino (Season 3, Episode 4)

Synopsis: The vampires take a trip out to Atlantic City.
Why you should watch it: WWDITS has done its share of fish-out-of-water episodes up to this point, but The Casino’s the first time they head out of New York. Between Nandor learning about The Big Bang Theory via a slot machine and the gang doing a full Ocean’s 11-style casino heist, the episode’s change of scenery pays off in spades.

A Farewell/The Portrait (Season 3, Episodes 9 and 10)

Synopsis: The vampires work through some big life decisions and events.
Why you should watch it: WWDITS’s earlier episodes are generally standalone, but the show dipped its toe into bigger serialization with the two-part season 3 finale. In addition to resolving a lot of season 3’s story arcs, the finale also sets up a big plot point for season 4.

The Lamp; The Night Market; Pine Barrens; Sunrise, Sunset (Season 4, Episodes 2, 4, 7, and 10)

Synopsis: The vampires launch a nightclub, Nandor learns about long-term relationships, Lazlo learns about parenthood, and Guillermo undergoes personal growth.

Why you should watch it: WWDITS hit its stride in season 4 with more ambitious and serialized episodes.

We’re slightly bending the rules of this episode guide by recommending nearly half of the season. But if you’ve already speed-watched the first three seasons of WWDITS, these episodes will cover season 4’s big plot points. (And if you tack on additional episodes between our picks, you’ll be even better off!)