Tuesday, August 9, 2022

REVIEW: 'What We Do In the Shadows' - Nandor Fears Everyone Is Trying to Sabotage His Wedding to Marwa in 'The Wedding'

FX's What We Do In the Shadows - Episode 4.06 "The Wedding"

Guillermo loses his mind trying to help Nandor plan the perfect vampire wedding.

"The Wedding" was written by Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Marika Sawyer & Paul Simms and directed by Tig Fong


When Nandor went on his solo adventure, he returned with the desire to get married. That was his key takeaway. He asked Guillermo to be his best man for the ceremony before he even had a bride. Getting to the wedding has been his predominate focus all season long. He luckily had access to a Djinn, who has granted him a number of wishes. Of course, the Djinn has refused to tell Nandor how many wishes he has left. That has frustrated Nandor because he doesn't want to waste any of them. He has done plenty of that though. Moreover, the Djinn has tricked Nandor with a couple of these wishes so they aren't exactly what he had in mind. That has long been the typical telling of this particular character. The Djinn has simply been along for the ride. He doesn't disappear back into his lamp the moment Nandor runs out of wishes. Instead, he continues being a part of the ceremony. Plus, he gives Nandor a new lamp with the potential to grant three wishes later on. That will more than likely be a crucial detail to watch out for. Nandor was given all this power. And yet, he still doesn't feel happy. He embarked on this journey because he thought it would fill what was missing in his life. He believed his time as a conqueror with dozens of wives was when he was at his peak happiness. He believed he had to have loved one of them more than the rest. He settled on Marwa. She was the last one standing. There isn't anything remarkable about her. Nandor doesn't even want her to speak or be an active part of his life. He wants to be married without putting in the work to sustain a marriage. That's a key distinction. The wedding itself can't be simple either. He can't host it at the house decorated with creepy paper and surrounded by his roommates. It has to be this big, elaborate thing. Every vampire of notoriety has to attend. The Baron himself has to officiate. Nandor is awake for a week stressing out over the planning. Guillermo is as well. He has to tend to his master's needs even more than usual. Of course, he just wants Nandor to be happy. He believes this will accomplish that goal. He helps facilitate it all. It's insane and stressful. Even Nadja and the Guide take pity on Guillermo. They see how overworked he is. He can't power through it like the vampires do. Guillermo still tries his best to keep everyone happy. That comes from a genuine place of consideration and love. He reassures Nandor every step of the way. No one is trying to derail the wedding. That's simply Nandor's paranoia. If those fears build to something more, then Guillermo will be by his side to guide him through it. That's the role Guillermo prides himself in being. He still yearns for more. He wants to be Nandor's best friend and not just his best man. Everything points to incremental progress in that goal. Guillermo will take it because he believes Nandor will be happy. If not, then Guillermo certainly isn't going to say anything about it.

However, Guillermo is the only person who doesn't voice his opinion about the wedding. The Baron is simply going through the motions when he asks if anyone objects. At first, it's Marwa's mother who simply summarizes how insane the basic premise of this relationship is. Nandor brought Marwa and her family back from the dead. He betrayed them. And now, he wants to be married again. He doesn't deserve that based on his past actions. Nandor has evolved beyond the person he once was. He no longer resembles himself as a human. He silences Marwa from having a genuine opinion as well. She tells the crowd her own fears have gone away. As such, they can feel good about this union. That was entirely from Nandor wanting this marriage to be simple. He wants Marwa to agree with him no matter what. He robbed her of her agency. Recognizing that also removes any potential for happiness. He can't celebrate his wedding because he knows it's an elaborate lie. So much was made accessible to him. It still hasn't made him happy. He may want to view it as one massive trick from the Djinn. That would be letting Nandor off the hook too easily. He sought out this goal believing it would offer a quick solution. He has chosen that path again and again. It's the only way vampires seem to operate. They no longer have to endure lives of appeasing others. They can do whatever they want. That has been freeing in so many ways. It alienates them from the rest of society. They don't know how to blend in even when the situation calls for it. Guillermo guides them to a certain extent. It's still a futile effort. One that is always destined to fail. That dichotomy is always hilarious. It's also so much fun to see these vampires in their own specific world. They hypnotize Sean and Charmaine so they don't freak out. That's a kindness extended to them. They are included when they don't belong. They don't get to remember it. Those relationships are still special. But again, it all culminates in the crowd telling Nandor and Marwa why this marriage is a bad idea. All the responses are outrageous - from the Guide detailing how quickly she fell in love with both of them to The Sire stating death is inevitable. It's all so ironic because everyone is aware of what Nandor is doing. They confront him with the truth. They can't hold it back any longer. He still goes ahead with the wedding. This is what he set out to do. He's going to do it no matter what anyone thinks. It's not an enjoyable experience. At the end of the day, the only kindness he can extend is to Guillermo - who has passed out from exhaustion. Nandor can't erase the prank Baby Colin and the Nadja Doll have pulled on him. He can only exert so much energy to caring about his familiar. It's still enough to showcase true appreciation. That remains a salient point no matter how much chaos is present elsewhere.