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Throughout Season 3, Laszlo and Colin have nurtured an unlikely friendship. The reason was revealed this week, and it’s much sadder than expected.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for What We Do in the Shadows Season 3, Episode 9, “A Farewell,” now available on Hulu via FX.
The strange and surprisingly sweet friendship between Laszlo and Colin Robinson has been an unexpected focal point in Season 3 of What We Do in the Shadows. With Colin embarking on a season-long quest to research his energy vampire origins and understand his own nature, Laszlo has accompanied him on several wacky adventures, bringing much humor and chaos to the season.
It’s been somewhat mystifying to see Laszlo choosing to spend so much time with his energy vampire housemate, a person he’s largely ignored and dismissed in earlier seasons. In episode 9, What We Do in the Shadows finally reveals the shocking and heartbreaking reason behind Laszlo’s behavior. It turns out that Colin has been unknowingly on the verge of death all season, and Laszlo has been aware of this fact since the premiere. As a result, he decided to show Colin a good time in his final days, while hiding the grim reality of his impending demise from his newly close friend and other housemates.
“A Farewell,” takes place on Colin Robinson’s 100th birthday, which will also be his last day among the living — though Laszlo is the only one who knows it. Throughout the episode, Laszlo is strangely insistent on celebrating Colin’s milestone, despite several other big events happening at the same time. Not only does the household have to contend with Nandor’s decision to enter a “super-slumber,” but the Guide suddenly announces the surprise arrival of prestigious guests from the Supreme Worldwide Vampiric Council. Nadja is extremely worried about impressing the elite vampires and gaining their approval as a local Council leader, so she’s particularly bewildered by Laszlo’s dogged insistence on toasting Colin’s birthday. It’s not until the end of the episode that Laszlo reveals that Colin will die that night.
Since the season 3 premiere, Colin has been researching energy vampires and trying to find out where beings like himself come from. An early scene showed him and Laszlo rifling through books in the Council library, though it seemed like Laszlo was mostly looking at vampire pornography rather than helping. But at one point, Laszlo ripped a page out of one of the books, with the show initially playing it off as Laszlo being his usual lecherous, devil-may-care self. But in an unforeseen twist, it turns out he was actually ripping out a page of information on energy vampires that confirmed that all energy vampires die after exactly 100 years of existence.
This is why he spends much of “A Farewell” worrying about pulling off a proper birthday party for Colin — something no one else cares about at all, as is generally the norm regarding anything to do with the resident energy vampire. Knowing how urgent it is to show Colin he’s loved as the clock ticks down, Laszlo doesn’t let up, even throughout the old world delegation’s visit. Much to Nadja’s angry embarrassment and confusion, he actually stands up during the blood banquet and gives a surprisingly heartfelt, genuine speech about what Colin Robinson means to him.
This is quite a surprising turn from Laszlo, whose number one character trait up until this point has been complete, unabashed self-centeredness. His actions this season reveal that he can actually be quite caring in his own way, and not as selfish as he might appear. The fact that he knew Colin was dying also goes some way to explain why he tried so hard to save him from the siren in episode 8.
Laszlo and Colin had a number of zany adventures this season. As “A Farewell” reveals its twist, viewers are treated to a funny and, in retrospect, quite sad montage of their best moments together, like them finding Laszlo’s confiscated jalopy in a hidden garage (and wreaking havoc on the priceless artifact room as they incompetently try to get the car outside, piece by piece). Fans are unlikely to forget how that escapade led to Laszlo accidentally setting Colin on fire, or how strangely heartwarming it was when they went on a boat joyride in a bid to find the birthplace of energy vampires. These scenes were uproariously funny and cringe-inducing in classic What We Do in the Shadows fashion the first time around, and seeing them again after Laszlo’s revelation casts them in a new, sentimental light.
This show isn’t content to just offer silly supernatural shenanigans and hijinks; instead, it consistently goes above and beyond with surprisingly poignant character development and clever writing. This episode’s shocking and sad reveal is the latest example of what makes What We Do in the Shadows such a special, unforgettable comedy series.
The first nine episodes of What We Do in the Shadows’ Season 3 are currently available on Hulu via FX.
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