Going into the sixth season of What We Do in the Shadows, I wasn’t aware that it was going to be the final season in the series. I just figured it would be yet another hilarious installment of the series and that we’d eventually continue to get more Shadows in the future.
All the same, I wasn’t really bothered by the news; not because I didn’t like the show enough, quite the contrary, but I’m of the belief that even if it means having to say goodbye, it’s always best when a series is able to go out on their own terms and leave while there’s still something left in the tank, versus a series that has been dragged out way too long and crawls to the finish line only to have a metaphorical bullet put in their head, two seasons too late.
WWDITS has been one of the better shows over the last few years in my opinion because it’s just plan hilarious in its absurdity, from writing, to format, and acting, and fewer things are indicative of a show’s influence and general popularity than its ability to pull A-list cameos and guest appearances, and it was always amusing to see the scale and frequency of guests as the series progressed, because it was clear that the popularity of Shadows was rising with each successive season.
But as was referenced numerous times throughout the finale, all good things must come to an end, and although I do think Shadows stuck the hardest thing to do in the realm of storytelling, putting out an ending that doesn’t suck, the whole sixth season really was kind of one long farewell, with each episode allowing for characters to make their last appearances, wrap up character arcs, as well as letting the cast and crew air out some meta jokes and references.
By the time they got to the actual last episode, there was no feeling of rushing or urgency to wrap everything up, and it almost masterfully done how they allowed for the final episode to be an open book where they could do what they did, be playful and creative and tighten the bow that they had worked the entire season tying up. It was entertaining and bittersweet, because there’s this tongue-in-cheek awareness of what the audience is feeling, and the writing and characters do a good job of navigating between the fourth wall’s fourth wall, speaking to both the documentary’s audience as well as the television viewers as well.
The finale is a fun joyride, the final love letter to the series as a whole, that successfully wraps everything else up, allows for some of the show’s greatest hits and tropes to make final appearances, and manages to weave in multiple endings and teaser finishes in a fun and whimsical manner.
Personally, I wasn’t sure when the final credits would start rolling, because in this day and age, episodic time constraints aren’t as concrete like they used to be, and it’s not out of the ordinary for finale episodes to have longer run times in order to have a little flexibility. But when they finally got to the final minutes of the series, I thought they ended it magnificently, and only in a way that Shadows could do. Part bittersweet, part heartwarming, part gotcha, and of course, entirely funny.
By the time the episode was actually-actually over, I was left with a feeling of satisfaction and general happiness to have been able to been witness to what overall was a fantastic show, and I’m happy for the series to go out on top, instead of limping to the finish.
And metaphorically speaking, it feels nice to end the year’s television watching on a high notes as well as this one.
