Sharpen those fangs, dust off those coffins, and prepare to turn into a “Bat!”—it’s time to laugh and watch some of the best episodes from the hit comedy series What We Do in the Shadows. This American television spin-off of the 2014 mockumentary dark comedy film from New Zealand has made a huge splash in the sitcom world, earning a spot as one of the best horror comedy shows of all time.
Follow along with the four eccentric vampires: Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), along with their loyal human servant Guillermo (Harvey Gullén), on their wacky nightly activities while living as roommates in Staten Island, NY. For six seasons and over sixty episodes, these wild, lovable characters have gone on some of the funniest adventures in modern sitcom history, making viewers laugh out loud with some of their hilarious storylines. From “Private School” to “On the Run,” let’s talk about the greatest episodes from What We Do in the Shadows‘ run, ranking them based on how funny they are and how they turned this modern sitcom classic into one of the greats.
10
“Private School”
Season 4, Episode 5 (2022)
In “Private School,” the vamps struggle to find the right institution to teach “Baby” Colin Robinson. Wanting the best education for him, they invite a headmaster (Peter Francis James) from a prestigious school to interview Colin’s “family” for admission. But things quickly fly off the rails as the group can’t decide who the fake parents should be, leading to bizarre family dynamic changes and even a surprise guest appearance from Impractical Joker‘s Sal Vulcano to fill in for one of the dads.
“Private School” sees the vamps at their most dysfunctional. There’s something spectacularly hilarious about watching them come up with bizarre ways to nail the interview process, only to see them constantly ruining it in their own fashion. Every moment of this classic episode is laugh-out-loud and hilarious, featuring jokes and iconic WWDITS lines that get more quotable every second. It’s one of the best highlights of Season 4 and is always a blast to rewatch when binging the series.
9
“Come Out and Play”
Season 6, Episode 9 (2024)
“Come Out and Play” sees the vamps in danger after Laszlo’s monster (Andy Assaf) kills the despicable Jerry the Vampire (Michael Patrick O’Brien) in front of everyone at Baron Afanas’ (Doug Jones) award ceremony. A battle for survival then ensues as the group races to make it home through the dangerous streets of New York, battling vengeful vamps and other undead foes.
If it’s not obvious from the title and familiar plot, “Come Out and Play” is a hilarious homage to the 1979 action cult classic The Warriors, even having the episode named after one of the famous quotes from that movie. While some What We Do in the Shadows fans have issues with Season 6, claiming it didn’t end the series on a high note, this episode is one of the best stand-outs. Featuring great humor, an amusing parody, and even a hilarious cameo from Alexander Skarsgård of True Blood fame, “Come Out and Play” is impossible not to enjoy, and it’s arguably the brightest spot in such a mixed bag of a finale season.
8
“Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires”
Season 2, Episode 10 (2020)
“Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires” sees the Staten Island group as they eagerly attend a theater event exclusive only to the most prestigious members of vampire society. But they realize too late that the event was nothing but a trap orchestrated by the Vampiric Council, still wanting retribution for their alleged involvement in Baron Afanas’s death. As they’re forced to watch a bizarre, badly-acted play recreation of their crime before being executed, the vamps’ only hope for survival lies in Guillermo, who must finally reveal his vampire-slaying skills in front of his masters.
Ending Season 2 on a thrilling high note, “Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires” is an essential watch for What We Do in the Shadows fans. Not only does it perfectly wrap up every plot and storyline built throughout the season, but it also introduces a few new ones that’ll carry on into the next. Every joke lands, and it’s filled with so many gut-busting and absurd moments.
7
“The Casino”
Season 3, Episode 4 (2021)
In “The Casino,” the Vamps are having fun while staying at a hotel in Atlantic City to attend their neighbors Sean (Anthony Atamanuik) and Charmaine’s (Marissa Jaret Winokur) wedding anniversary. But disaster strikes when the dirt they brought from their coffins goes missing, preventing them from sleeping. Knowing his masters will lose their powers without any rest, Guillermo goes on a globetrotting mission to fetch more soil from each of their homelands.
“The Casino” has so many storylines throughout its runtime, with each one being more wild and hilarious than the last, often proving how dysfunctional the odd found family can be. It’s so full of absurdity and highly rewatchable moments, from Nandor becoming addicted to slot machines to Nadja encountering a Rat Pack tribute band. Fans unfamiliar with this show might become instant fans after watching this one as there’s so much here to enjoy.
6
“The Escape”
Season 3, Episode 6 (2021)
The vamps are in crisis mode in “The Escape” after failing to keep up with their duties as the new leaders of the Vampiric Council, which results in the first vampire, The Sire (Jean-Michel Richaud), being unleashed from his protective cage. Fearing that if The Sire is killed, then it will spell doom for all vampires, the group races to find and capture this rampaging beast before he hurts himself.
“The Escape” is an absolute laugh riot, full of so many wild and endlessly rewatchable moments. Each character is given time to shine in this episode, and they all contribute to the chaotic absurdity that unfolds when trying to recapture The Sire. The jokers are memorable, and the practical effects used to create The Sire’s unique design look totally stellar, highlighting the amount of creativity and talent that goes into making each episode truly great.
5
“The Trial”
Season 1, Episode 7 (2019)
“The Trail” sees the vamps having their first run-in with the Staten Island Vampiric Council after being wrongfully accused of Baron Afanas’s death. Brought before the council, which features a long list of celebrity vampires, including Tilda Swinton, Danny Trejo, Evan Rachel Wood, and even the late Paul Reubens, the vamps try to proclaim their innocence while facing execution, leading Guillermo to make a daring rescue to save his friends.
Season 1 of What We Do in the Shadow was trying to find its footing, as the showrunners were trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t. However, “The Trial” is where everything came together and showed this series’ potential. It’s a hilarious joyride from start to finish, featuring moments that would come to define the show, even featuring surprise guest appearances by celebrities playing fictional vampiric versions of themselves, which has since become a popular WWDITS running gag. It’s a must-watch episode that represents the best aspects of the earliest season. It never fails to entertain.
4
“Pride Parade”
Season 5, Episode 3 (2023)
In one of What We Do in the Shadows‘ funniest episodes, “Pride Parade” follows the group as they try to help Sean host a pride parade to help boost his chances of securing votes while running for Comptroller of Staten Island. Meanwhile, Nadja decides to temporarily switch vessels with Nadja Doll to help her human spirit fulfill a long-time wish. But the attempts at body-swapping lead to disastrous outcomes.
“Pride Parade” will leave viewers in stitches. There’s not a dull moment or flat joke; everything comes together perfectly to create a truly iconic and hilarious episode. For any What We Do in the Shadows fans, this episode is a must-watch that never gets old or loses its ability to make people laugh. It represents some of the highest moments of the entire series.
3
“Local News”
Season 5, Episode 5 (2023)
It’s absolute chaos in “Local News” after a burst water main pipe brings unwanted media coverage to Vamps’ neighborhood. Fearing a local news team is revealing their secret to the country, the group tries to make it appear that nothing is out of the ordinary, but things only go from bad to worse as they keep revealing themselves on live TV.
“Local News” is a wild ride of entertainment. Audiences can’t help but laugh and follow along as the vamps constantly fail and only make the situation they created get hilariously more complicated. It culminated in a gut-busting conclusion that sees the group takeover an entire news station to hypnotize the world into forgetting all about the night. It’s an overall stellar episode that helped turn Season 5 into the best season of WWDITS.
Season 2, Episode 5 (2020)
In “Colin’s Promotion,” Colin feels a bit unappreciated by the vamps in the house, especially when they don’t react or care about his latest promotion at work. However, taking on this new position causes a change in Colin as his powers as an energy vampire reach enormous heights. Soon, it’s up to the other vamps and Guillermo to stop Colin, as he’s become too powerful.
“Colin’s Promotion” is easily one of the most enjoyable episodes of What We Do in the Shadows. Mark Proksch’s performance here helped turn Colin Robinson into one of WWDITS‘ most defining and likable characters, as the whole episode allows him to shine. It’s absurd and wildly funny from beginning to end and can be rewatched again and again and still leave viewers satisfied.
1
“On the Run”
Season 2, Episode 6 (2020)
Finally, “On the Run” sees Laszlo being confronted by an old nemesis, Jim the Vampire (Mark Hamill), who has finally caught up with him, demanding he pay the last month’s rent for staying at his beach house. But rather than having a duel to the death or just simply paying the money, Laszlo instead runs away and goes into hiding in a small Pennsylvanian town. There, he easily fits in and becomes a hit with the locals thanks to his instantly popular human disguise, “Jackie Daytona.”
“On the Run” is the quintessential What We Do in the Shadows episode, having some of the most hilarious scenes and iconic lines of the whole series. Comedian Matt Berry steals every moment of this classic episode and his line delivery and comedic on-screen rivalry with the legendary Mark Hamill makes this one endlessly rewatchable. For anyone looking to get into this show, “On the Run” is the episode to go to.
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