No one could have suspected back in 2014 that Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s horror-comedy What We Do in the Shadows would spark various spinoffs and finally give UK comedy genius Matt Berry the U.S. adoration that he deserves. And here we are a decade later, with FX’s vampire mockumentary series nearing set to potentially deliver the bloodiest series ending of any on the 2024 TV schedule. Viewers like me definitely aren’t ready to say goodbye, but the same can’t be said for Berry himself.
Even though there have obviously been other popular TV mockumentaries and horror-comedies over the years, What We Do in the Shadows is consistently unlike anything else on the small screen, and there’s a lot we’ll miss when it’s gone. So perhaps we can all take comfort in knowing that Berry’s keenness to put the series in his rearview is about maintaining that upper-echelon quality without falling victim to mediocrity. Speaking with Salon, Berry opined:
The worst thing you can do with a comedy is to outstay your welcome. Things can be ruined by hanging on too long because then people can get fed up with you, and that can make them look dimly at the work that you've done up until that point. Whereas if you if you cut loose at the right time, then it's a decent legacy. You know what you’ve left behind is of good quality.
I think we can all think of at least one hugely popular show that is considered to have continued airing new seasons well beyond its prime, with another famed mockumentary coming to mind. To that end, though, shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia have proven that a top-tier status quo can still be adhered to even if a series goes on for 15+ seasons. I’m faithful that Shadows would be just as funny and inventive if it was still airing in 2034, but it’s a moot point.
Berry continued, saying he hopes that others share in his opinion that the FX series held up its end of the quality bargain for all six seasons. In his words:
Six seasons is a long time. And hopefully, when people review the show and all the different seasons, they're not going to think, ‘Oh, God, this went downhill,’ or ‘This isn't as good as it used to be.’ The hope is that it's all of a fairly good quality standard throughout
Indeed, while the first season goes through several of the same early issues as other shows trying to nail down their characters and tone, it doesn't take long before Laszlo & Co. become a well-oiled comedy machine. (Probably more blood and viscera than oil specifically, but still.) And as the vampire's lore and history start opening up, and Kristen Schaal hilariously enters the fray as The Guide, Shadows is running on all cylinders.
Speaking to Matt Berry specifically, the actor remains just as can't-catch-my-breath funny now as he was during his earliest years on Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and Snuff Box. So by the simple nature of him being on What We Do in the Shadows, dips in quality are next to impossible. But we'll still begrudgingly accept that it's turning into a bat and flying away very soon.
Not that the Toast of London vet will be going away forever or anything. Matt Berry’s dulcet tones will be part of the voice cast for the animated Cat in the Hat movie that Bill Hader is heading up, and he’ll also be heard in both the upcoming video game adaptation The Minecraft Movie and Duncan Jones’ animated sci-fi Rogue Trooper.
Before all that, though, he’ll be closing out Laszlo’s story when What We Do in the Shadows airs Monday nights on FX at 10:00 p.m. ET, with episodes streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.