The vampires' long-lost fifth roommate returns. Guillermo gets a new job, and Colin helps Laszlo make a new friend. A dispute over who gets to use the newly available empty room under the stairs gets out of control.
"The Return of Jerry" was written by Paul Simms and directed by Kyle Newacheck
The vampires haven't conquered the new world. That has always been their nebulous ambition. They don't take any action towards achieving it. They've hosted vampire royalty. They've faced questions. They've been handed responsibilities. And yet, their lives basically never change. They have unique challenges every season. Yet each year concludes by restoring the status quo. That's comforting. The sudden return of the vampires' fifth roommate, Jerry, highlights how they actually have changed. It makes them reflect on the dreams they gave up. They try to prove a point by reigniting those passions now. They remain noncommittal to those plans though. Life remains solely driven by whatever is fun for them in the moment. That's reassuring. The comedy remains on point. Everyone has fond memories of their time with Jerry. They also forgot to wake him up from his super-sleep in 1996. He's been away for nearly 50 years. He expected a changed world. Instead, it's only clear that he no longer fits in amongst this friend group.
The vampires haven't conquered the new world. That has always been their nebulous ambition. They don't take any action towards achieving it. They've hosted vampire royalty. They've faced questions. They've been handed responsibilities. And yet, their lives basically never change. They have unique challenges every season. Yet each year concludes by restoring the status quo. That's comforting. The sudden return of the vampires' fifth roommate, Jerry, highlights how they actually have changed. It makes them reflect on the dreams they gave up. They try to prove a point by reigniting those passions now. They remain noncommittal to those plans though. Life remains solely driven by whatever is fun for them in the moment. That's reassuring. The comedy remains on point. Everyone has fond memories of their time with Jerry. They also forgot to wake him up from his super-sleep in 1996. He's been away for nearly 50 years. He expected a changed world. Instead, it's only clear that he no longer fits in amongst this friend group.
The vampires always take things to the extreme. Guillermo offers common sense. The vampires believe they have to kill Jerry. In reality, Guillermo knows Jerry can be of better service elsewhere. Jerry is serious about conquering the new world. The Guide is invigorated by the prospect of someone equally devoted to that path. She wanted a friend. Their information is out of date. Things probably won't change any time soon. People are going where they need to be. Guillermo continues to help the vampires though. He no longer works as their familiar. He has still chosen to be in close proximity to them. Nandor has kept his distance. Guillermo has a new job at Panera Bread. Despite that, he's still asked to mediate the drama happening amongst the vampires. They rely on him. They still get into the same fights. Laszlo and Nadja didn't speak for five or six years. They forgot all about that. Once Colin Robinson brings up the reason, they respond the same way. Nothing changes. The show isn't stuck in place though. It still offers rewarding stories even though the creative team has opted to bring things to a close this season.
Grade: B+
"Headhunting" was written by Jake Bender, Zach Dunn, Sam Johnson & Sarah Naftalis and directed by Kyle Newacheck
A man of science, Laszlo repeatedly returns to projects. He essentially makes the same progress every time. Once he remembers why he previously quit, he walks away again believing the endeavor to still be impossible. Sometimes though, he misses incredibly obvious things. He's the only person in the house who doesn't know about Frankenstein and his monster. He embarks on the same experiment. He tries to reanimate dead human tissue. He quits after a display of violent tendencies from his creation. Meanwhile, Colin Robinson is inspired to continue. He has the patience to actually stick with the project. Moreover, he now has enough trust with Laszlo to actually be inspired by what they do together. That's crucial as well. Laszlo is actually impressed by what his roommate delivers. In fact, it serves as a reminder that Laszlo is better at inspiring scientific breakthroughs in others. Of course, the warning about his history with J. Robert Oppenheimer and the references to Frankenstein should probably leave everyone a bit concerned by how this story will develop. The monster's hands are no longer violent. He still feels the urge to eat the mouse offered up to him.
A man of science, Laszlo repeatedly returns to projects. He essentially makes the same progress every time. Once he remembers why he previously quit, he walks away again believing the endeavor to still be impossible. Sometimes though, he misses incredibly obvious things. He's the only person in the house who doesn't know about Frankenstein and his monster. He embarks on the same experiment. He tries to reanimate dead human tissue. He quits after a display of violent tendencies from his creation. Meanwhile, Colin Robinson is inspired to continue. He has the patience to actually stick with the project. Moreover, he now has enough trust with Laszlo to actually be inspired by what they do together. That's crucial as well. Laszlo is actually impressed by what his roommate delivers. In fact, it serves as a reminder that Laszlo is better at inspiring scientific breakthroughs in others. Of course, the warning about his history with J. Robert Oppenheimer and the references to Frankenstein should probably leave everyone a bit concerned by how this story will develop. The monster's hands are no longer violent. He still feels the urge to eat the mouse offered up to him.
Meanwhile, Guillermo rises the corporate ladder at a finance firm. He wants to adapt to the human world once more. The vampires and the documentary crew refuse to give him that independence. He can't move on. In the end, he's ultimately grateful to still be surrounded by familiar faces. That makes the transition smoother. He sees the point Nadja and Nandor were trying to make. He freaks out when he first sees them. Nandor offers no help whatsoever. He doesn't know how to improve Guillermo's standing at work or clean up various messes in the office. Nadja proves successful in her new job as well. She wanted to spend more time with humans and their exploits. This provides her that freedom under the guise of helping Guillermo. Explanations still have to be given for why the firm is being filmed and operates at night. Those are relatively simple. Everyone is eager to believe their lives are worth documenting. No one questions it. Guillermo knows he's the true subject. The vampires join the space too. They do so to avoid being killed by their former familiar. He has had ample opportunities to do so in the past. They fear him based on stories they've heard elsewhere. That's the only way to get them to care. He still appreciates it despite his determination to forge a new path.
Grade: B
"Sleep Hypnosis" was written by Marika Sawyer and directed by Yana Gorskaya
Sleep hypnosis? Is such a thing even possible? Absolutely. The repetition of that phrase gets funnier every time someone makes the realization. The vampires each seek a way to influence one another. They target each other in their sleep in the hopes of getting what they want. It backfires every single time. Everything would be better if it went back to the way things were before. That's true of the vampires. It's not beneficial to Guillermo. He falls victim to the hypnosis as well. He can't fend it off like he has in the past. He essentially interviews for his old job all over again. Nandor is tempted to keep him this way. That would answer who gets the space below the stairs. The vampires would have a familiar again. That wouldn't be great for Guillermo though. Nandor recognizes and empowers his humanity. He hates how soft he has gotten over the years. He's no longer comfortable just conquering new territory. He's bummed over being outvoted. He takes no action. He sulks instead. Colin views that as a shift in power throughout the house. He believes he's on his way out as he no longer gets to be the deciding factor between the various alliances. That prompted this attempt to influence one another. Guillermo gets hit in the crossfire. He isn't allowed to wallow in ignorance once more. His life is restored because it matters to the vampires who claim they don't care about him.
Sleep hypnosis? Is such a thing even possible? Absolutely. The repetition of that phrase gets funnier every time someone makes the realization. The vampires each seek a way to influence one another. They target each other in their sleep in the hopes of getting what they want. It backfires every single time. Everything would be better if it went back to the way things were before. That's true of the vampires. It's not beneficial to Guillermo. He falls victim to the hypnosis as well. He can't fend it off like he has in the past. He essentially interviews for his old job all over again. Nandor is tempted to keep him this way. That would answer who gets the space below the stairs. The vampires would have a familiar again. That wouldn't be great for Guillermo though. Nandor recognizes and empowers his humanity. He hates how soft he has gotten over the years. He's no longer comfortable just conquering new territory. He's bummed over being outvoted. He takes no action. He sulks instead. Colin views that as a shift in power throughout the house. He believes he's on his way out as he no longer gets to be the deciding factor between the various alliances. That prompted this attempt to influence one another. Guillermo gets hit in the crossfire. He isn't allowed to wallow in ignorance once more. His life is restored because it matters to the vampires who claim they don't care about him.
It's also possible for a vampire to fall prey to his or her own hypnosis. That's what happens to the Baron. He listens back to his own recording just because he hates how nasally his voice sounds. It doesn't impact the effectiveness of the hypnosis whatsoever. It's merely a point of personal vanity. The Baron has nearly recovered from his injuries. He continues to welcome Guillermo, who views him as a key resource for all things vampire. And yet, the Guide is the one who produces the final solution. She has been victim to this trickery before. She is haunted by it. She eases everyone of the pain. She recognizes how the vampires are acting strangely immediately. She doesn't question sleep hypnosis. It's a matter-of-fact resolution to the overall problem. The true emotional payoff comes off later with how Nandor handles Guillermo. It's very delicate. He plays along for a bit. He has his fun too. It's not meant to be deceitful. Plus, the show lands on a solid comedic point too with the decision to share the space under the stairs. It's still too crowded for all of them to be there. They each have their individual spaces in the house. It's a little ridiculous. But the sight of it happening is funny.
Grade: A-
