This recap was originally published on 10/7/21.
Manipulation is the name of the game on What We Do in the Shadows. In “The Siren,” Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) are tempted by a Siren on the high seas of Staten Island. Nadja Doll deals with feelings of neglect.
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The night starts off with Laszlo and Colin going on a night joy ride in a yacht. Colin Robinson has been doing research on energy vampires at the Vampiric Council library. He found an island that he believes holds the secret to the origin of the energy vampire. It’s called Plum Island. The place is owned by the government and has an animal disease research center and is off limits to average joes. Laszlo goes with him to see what they can find. He has experience sailing and was once in charge of the Titanic for about two seconds.
Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Nandor (Kayvan Novak) continue their battle for supremacy as co-leaders of the Vampiric Council. They decide to alternate days that they are in charge. But it’s not working. The Guardian (Kristen Schaal) spends her days with one leader, undoing everything the other leader decreed the day before.
This battle is also taking a toll on Nadja-Doll. She’s basically being ignored by Nadja. Even Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) wants nothing to do with the doll as the film crew resorts to interviewing the bodyguard and the doll together.
EXTRA PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
Nadja-Doll says she has some good memories at the mansion. Singing with Nadja and Laszlo. Allowing Colin Robinson to sew her up when she needs repairs. And sword practice with Nandor, that usually turns deadly for Nandor. Nadja-Doll overpowers Nandor and threatens to kill him. Nadja-Doll feels like she doesn’t fit in and decides to leave. She tries to tell Nadja, but Nadja is too busy for the doll.
Laszlo and Colin Robinson pick up a strange singing on the radio. When they turn off the boat and radio, they can hear the singing nearby. The singing stops and they decide to continue on to Plum Island. The singing starts again and they quickly make their way toward the singing, crashing the boat in the process.
GONE GIRL
Nadja goes crazy when she finds out the Doll is gone. She switches back and forth from worry to anger. Her emotions are out of control. She insists that Nandor help her look for the doll. He tries to recruit Guillermo who is trying to avoid the Guardian. The Guardian has a strange attraction to Guillermo and now she’s flirting with him in his room. Guillermo gladly goes with his master, telling the Guardian to get out of his room. She doesn’t leave.
Laszlo and Colin Robinson find the source of the singing. It’s a strange woman with chicken legs and an annoying talking voice. They try to leave and she tells them to hold on. The woman eats a human arm and Laszlo realizes she’s a siren. The siren, her name is Sheila (Catherine Cohen) tries to tempt them but Laszlo turns into a bat and flies away. Sheila sings again and Laszlo returns, unable to resist her singing voice.
Nadja, Nandor and Guillermo go to the nearest department store. She says if she were a doll, she would go to the toy section and hope a little girl would take her home. Nadja is throwing toys off the shelves and Guillermo is putting them all back.
They get to the stuffed animal aisle and Nandor calls out to the doll. Dolly jumps out and lands on Nandor’s back, threatening to kill him again. He freaks out, hits the doll and throws her to the floor. Nadja screams and picks up the doll crying. Guillermo notices a mannequin move. The Nadja spirit jumped into the mannequin and ran away. She says she doesn’t want to talk to Nadja, but Nadja runs after her anyway.
THE SIREN
Sheila ties Laszlo and Colin Robinson back to back, but not really. Colin tells Laszlo to save himself but he won’t leave Colin behind. Sheila is in the boat playing songs on the radio. When she sings, the vampires are in awe of her. When she talks, they can’t wait to get away from her. Laszlo says they are being enchanted. Sheila makes her way back to the vampires. Laszlo yells “Bat!” and flies away, leaving Colin Robinson alone with the siren.
Guillermo calls for Nadja on the streets of New York. The vampire Nadja says the doll’s name is not Nadja. In fact, the doll doesn’t have a name, because Nadja never gave her one. They find Dolly transported in an angel statue. Dolly says Nadja doesn’t love her anymore and asks Nadja to let her go. Dolly transports again, but the vampires don’t know where she is
Nadja gets angry and says she won’t put up with this. She tells Dolly to go and live her stupid life. Dolly is now inside of a large inflatable rat. She says she will leave for good and crawls to an alley. Nadja says her butt looks big and Dolly says Nadja’s butt is bigger. Nandor and Guillermo are entertained by the exchange.
BEST BUY
Laszlo lands next to Nadja, but he has worries of his own. Nandor and Nadja run after the giant rat. Laszlo says he needs Guillermo to come up with a device that will make him temporarily deaf. Gizmo takes Laszlo to Best Buy. Guillermo tries to focus on the task at hand, but Laszlo is intrigued by the stereo equipment. He loads up on everything the Best Buy staff shows him. He compels the cashier to not charge him. The cashier must have Laszlo’s email and phone number before he can leave though.
When they get outside, Guillermo reminds Laszlo why he was really there. Laszlo was enchanted twice. Once by the siren and then by the Best Buy staff!. He grabs two boxes, yells “Bat!” and takes off to save Colin Robinson.
Meanwhile, Colin Robinson is singing with Sheila. They both realize that they are having fun. Sheila is surprised. She says most people don’t like her when she’s not singing. Colin says people don’t like him when he talks either.
Laszlo returns and tells Sheila to release Colin. Colin pulls Laszlo aside and says he’s in love. Laszlo wonders if Colin is in love even when Sheila isn’t singing. Colin says he can’t resist her when she sings, and when she’s not singing, he doesn’t want to resist her. The only explanation is that Colin is mad.
LOVE YOURSELF
Nandor and Nadja trap the Nadja Rat in the alley. Nadja Rat tells Nadja to leave her alone and set her free. Nandor jumps around, trying to knock the rat over. He punches the rat and it pops! Dolly says she’s tired and asks Nadja to set her free. It would be easier for the vampire not to have to deal with the doll’s silly emotions. Nadja says she’s been too busy trying to make everyone take her seriously and respect her. That caused her to squish down her own silly emotions. They both realize they are overreacting.
Nadja apologizes for how she treated Dolly. Dolly says she’s tired and doesn’t think she can jump into a new body. Nadja pulls out the doll and asks if she wants one last home with a bunch of uncaring jerks. Dolly jumps back into the Nadja-Doll and says okay. Nadja decides to take the next day off and leaves with Dolly.
Laszlo tries to talk some sense into Colin Robinson, but Colin tells his friend to go away. He goes back to Sheila and they start kissing. Laszlo tells the camera crew to cover their ears, cut the mics and turn all the sound equipment off. He sneaks up behind Colin and puts the noise cancelling headphones on him. Laszlo pulls Colin back and flies into the air with the energy vampire. Sheila starts crying, but then quickly turns her attention to the film crew.
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
Nadja says she realizes she has been neglecting Dolly and herself. Dolly realizes that she needs to communicate her emotional needs to everyone, including herself.
Laszlo apologizes for not making it to Plum Island. Colin is okay with that. He kind of likes being an enigma. Laszlo asks if the Siren’s love spell wore off. Colin says he may not have experienced true love, but it sure felt like it. Laszlo agrees that it wasn’t true love and leaves Colin to be alone. Colin uncovers a shortwave radio from under a pillow case. He messes with the dials and finds Sheila’s singing. He asks the film crew to leave so he can have some “alone” time with himself.
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What We Do in The Shadows airs Thursdays on FX and the next day on FX on Hulu.
News Editor, Senior Contributor, and Press Editor. Coordinate breaking news, trailers and press releases. I also contribute reviews, recaps and interviews. Creator of the Indigenerd Wire, a column dedicated to the Indigenous creatives in pop culture.
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