Nick Kroll returns as Simon the Devious, the vampire nemesis from last season who we last saw when his nightclub was inadvertently destroyed by Lazlo’s cursed hat. Now he’s back…. and Lazlo thinks he wants the hat which he loves even though it is not only cursed, it is incredibly cursed.
Meanwhile, Colin Robinson goes out of his way to track down and destroy an internet troll.
While “The Return” wallows in the usual nonsensical silliness I’ve come to expect from this show, it also manages to continue and complicate the story of Guillermo’s vampire killer tendencies. It’s never been wholly unbelievable that Lazlo, Nadja, and Nandor would remain ignorant of the pile of vampire bodies that Guillermo has left in his wake, but I am grateful that Nandor has become aware that his faithful familiar has destroyed at least one vampire and has aroused his suspicions. It just brings more tension to the series and has, at least from what I gathered from this episode, set a ticking clock into motion. There really is no going back from this… unless there is because, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
Nick Kroll was hilarious as Simon and really hammed it up in the most appropriate way. HIs verbal and batty fencing with Lazlo was high energy and just delightful to watch from beginning to end. I really hope this isn’t the last we see of him.
Finally, the side-quest of Colin Robinson tracking down the internet troll was every bit has petty as I expected it to be… and I mean that in the best way. The reveal of what the internet troll actually was made perfect sense and was incredibly funny, and the subsequent defeat of the troll only went about to prove how cutthroat and cunning Colin Robinson actually is.
Entering the final episodes of the season, What We Do in the Shadows continues to be fresh, high-concept comedy and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Jason Gaston 