‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Star Harvey Guillén on Guillermo’s Peculiar Transformation
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 Episodes 1 & 2, “The Mall” & “A Night Out with the Guys.”]
Dark greetings are in order for the return of What We Do in the Shadows, which answered a big question in the Season 5 premiere, “The Mall,” revealing whether or not Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) went through with his proposition to Derek (Chris Sandiford), asking the convenience store employee to turn him into a vampire.
“Guillermo has been playing by the rules his whole life and this career path that he’s taken with being familiar… things aren’t paying off,” Guillén notes of his character. “So sometimes you gotta take matters into your own hands. So this season, that’s exactly what he is doing, and the outcome may not be what he expected.”
(Credit: Russ Martin /FX)
For fans who did tune in, they learned that Guillermo’s big ask was granted by Derek, but it didn’t go as smoothly as he hoped for as he began bleeding out after the first bite. Ultimately, Guillermo does complete the transformation, but the results are mixed as he’s able to walk outside during the day still and consume food (although he has a taste for red meat), and he no longer needs his glasses to see.
So, what exactly was the problem? It turns out there’s an unspoken rule that familiars can only be turned by their masters. In this case, Guillermo would have had to be turned by Nandor (Kayvan Novak); seeking transformation elsewhere is the greatest possible embarrassment for the master.
“It’s the result of an action taken that you have to face,” Guillén says of Guillermo’s premature decision. “Sometimes you make choices that have repercussions, and this is one of them. And unfortunately, it hurts someone that he cares for.” While Nandor remains in the dark surrounding Guillermo’s change, one vampire does know the truth, and that’s Laszlo (Matt Berry).
Viewers will see that relationship transform as Season 5 continues. As the logline teases, Laszlo’s going to use his skills as a gentleman scientist in order to better understand the unusual changes Guillermo’s going through. As Guillén puts it, “Their newfound friendship comes from necessity where somebody knows a secret and needs to have an ally. They kind of have to be in the trenches together and help each other. But it develops out of necessity. It’s nice to see them form this bond, and what comes out of it is comedy gold.”
As for Guillermo’s dynamic with Nandor, expect some separation as the familiar tries to maintain his secret. “Guillermo is protecting Nandor by staying away and by not revealing his secret and at the same time making Nandor self-conscious about if this person no longer cares about them. So there are two different narratives happening at the same time, which is lovely,” Guillén shares.
See how Guillermo’s story unfolds as What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 continues on FX.
What We Do in the Shadows, Season 5, Thursdays, 10/9c, FX (Next day on Hulu)
