The vampire residence needs repairs. It's dangerous for everyone living there. And yet, it's not a smart idea for the process to be filmed for a home-flipping show. The execution of this episode is absolutely tremendous because it plays into the tropes of the genre while never losing sight of the humor that makes this show special. Laszlo became obsessed with Go Flip Yourself in the year he was raising Baby Colin by himself. When he sees Bran and Toby in the entryway, he is thrilled and willing to agree to whatever ideas they have about the space. That's in contrast to Nadja whose first instinct is to kill Toby. Everything goes awry in those first moments. This was never going to be a typical episode of the show Bran and Toby have filmed for years. They had to adjust their schedules so work could only be done at night. The conventions had to be flipped even more severely. Nadja truly wants to hypnotize everyone who could possibly view this footage. She doesn't want them to know that they are vampires. All of this can just be accepted. Of course, the world at large is already conditioned to behave that way. No one wants to genuinely investigate the various weird things that happen. It's better to play up fanciful stories that couldn't possibly be true. These dark creatures lurk out there though. They have their own lives with their own unique flourishes. None of this would have been satisfying if Bran and Toby came for the renovation early on in the season. Of course, the house has been falling apart for a long time. Guillermo wasn't already to keep it together. Even now, he's the only person with a rational concern about the design elements. It's absolutely foolish for Laszlo to support an open floor plan with lots of sunshine or for Nadja to want a gold toilet. The vampires are distracted by the most trivial things. This house needs to be functional for them. The whole point of these shows is to help people create their perfect spaces. Bran certainly listens. He can fit these characters into a box of tropes that belong to the genre. And yet, he was never going to deliver what works for them. Instead, it's all a long con for Simon the Devious to steal the hat from Laszlo. Even that may be a transformational act. Part of the house's destruction could be explained by the bad luck that hat always brings. Laszlo has always been reluctant to see that. But it's still nice to know the basement is no longer flooding. That's a part of the house that needed a ton of attention. It went unmentioned until the very end. No clarity is given to the holes in the wall Baby Colin keeps making. Instead, it's just the blessing at the end of this process. This episode promises so much change for the vampires. Some rooms do receive massive makeovers. The majority of the environment though is simply redecorated in the hopes no one will notice. And so, it's a failure. Dreams were lifted and dashed in the span of 30 minutes.
It's still an absolute blast to see everyone get wrapped up in the process of the renovation. The demolition is quite easy for the vampires. They have the strength to break things without having to put too much effort in. They also get distracted and then upset when they can't have certain things. Apparently, a gold toilet and a sign in Nandor's mancave would be enough to finance an expansion of Guillermo's bedroom. Guillermo had to trick others to spend resources on improving his life. That's what he wanted from all of this. He's terrified by what this crew could uncover. That's the most dangerous when it comes to all the bodies buried in the yard. No one can walk up to this house without being confronted by that distinct odor. The vampires may not remember exactly when they moved in. However, this building is crumbling without the upkeep necessary to keep them all alive. Everyone becomes obsessed. Marwa obtains a major victory for herself. Her agency was taken from her because Nandor wanted her to be compliant. Her wished for her to agree with everything he did. Her words and actions behave separately. She can support his need for a mancave in the attic. Her actions though build the space for herself. She even has the lock to keep out the person who has ruined her life. That's freeing and rewarding. Nandor recognizes what has happened immediately too. This is one space that actually changes. It's entirely because Marwa was motivated to do so. She had the particular skillset to make it a reality. The vampires are completely clueless. That extends to Simon's crew. He calls out so many names. He can fill space with people loyal to him. All he wants is the hat. It only matters to him and Laszlo. He will create a massive walk-in closet for the sole purpose of gaining access to the hat. He can display that effort. It's not worth it to go through the motions elsewhere. This house has serious problems. They need to be addressed. They can't just be covered up with everyone hoping for the best. That's not responsible. And yet, the vampires can never be trusted to act that way. They are irresponsible creatures. Guillermo has the ability to kill all of them. He could exact his vengeance on Simon if he wanted to. But again, that would require him to care about what was lost through this process. He doesn't. That moment of clarity has happened before. Right now, it's not needed. He wanted more from this place. He didn't receive it. No one did though. This footage may make it to air someday. However, Simon has already conditioned the viewer into accepting so much. No one is really paying attention. Things would have to go insanely wrong for people to care. That may happen with the explosion in the next home he flips. That has little to do with the vampires in Staten Island though. Laszlo is disappointed to have the magic of his favorite show ruined. Losing his hat is more important even though it creates better balance at home. Plus, he has four other hats he can wear with distinction.
