What We Do In The Shadows Proves Laszlo Is A Better Friend Than Guillermo
Warning: SPOILERS for What We Do In The Shadows season 3, episode 9, "A Farewell."
The twist in What We Do In The Shadows season 3 proves that Laszlo (Matt Berry) is a better friend than Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). Season 3 of the FX comedy series unveils the shocking twist that Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) will die by the end of his 100th birthday. The show has been building up to the reveal throughout the season with Colin and Laszlo trying to discover more about the origins of energy vampires in recognition of his looming centennial birthday.
What We Do In The Shadows season 3 mainly followed the exploits of Nandor and Nadja as they took over the local Vampire Council. Not interested in politics, Laszlo spent most of the season going on side adventures with Colin. Initially, it just appeared that Laszlo was spending time with the energy vampire because Nadja was busy; the reveal of Colin's imminent demise causes both the characters and audience to look back on moments from What We Do In The Shadows season 3, and it becomes heartwarmingly clear what a good friend Laszlo has been to Colin.
As the only character who realizes that Colin doesn't have long to live, Laszlo orchestrates a number of bonding experiences between himself and the energy vampire throughout WWDITS season 3 — wanting to give Colin the happiest final days possible (regardless of how "dull" Laszlo finds his company). In contrast, Guillermo has become increasingly selfish in his friendship with Nandor (Kayvan Novak) in season 3. The reveal really proves that Laszlo is a much better friend than Guillermo because he goes to far greater effort and self-sacrifice simply to make his friend happy — while Guillermo has been increasingly selfish toward Nandor, disregarding both his master's wishes and feelings. This contrast serves to highlight the opposite directions in which the characters have been developing throughout the entirety of the show.
Laszlo's friendship with Colin in What We Do In The Shadows season 3 involves a good deal of self-sacrifice. Colin is, after all, an energy vampire who is boring and irritating by nature, so spending extended periods of time with him cannot be pleasant. Laszlo sets aside any of his own desires and instead feigns interest in Colin's search for information on energy vampires. The two participate in a number of activities together from rebuilding Laszlo's classic car to stealing a boat and discovering a siren on an island. The reveal that Laszlo was deliberately showing Colin a good time before he dies shows how much the licentious vampire has developed since season 1, when he had little interest in helping others, particularly other vampires.
Guillermo, however, has shown development in the opposite direction. Ever since Guillermo started intentionally killing vampires in What We Do In The Shadows season 2, he has become haughty and dismissive of his housemates, Nandor in particular. He displays a selfish jealousy towards Nandor's romantic interests, Gail and Meg, particularly when Nandor turns Gail into a vampire to save her life. Guillermo also shows a complete disregard for Nandor's wishes when he forces him out of the vampire wellness center and won't even let him take his super slumber in peace. It's clear that Guillermo's growing confidence as a vampire slayer is making him more self-centered, making him a poor friend in the process.
Laszlo has developed into a much better friend than Guillermo in What We Do In The Shadows, but will this mean that he takes Colin's death particularly hard? In his toast to Colin, Laszlo expresses his genuine feelings of affection and respect for his energy vampire friend, so his passing could trigger any number of emotions for Laszlo. Audiences have already seen how volatile Laszlo can be when he encounters a personal problem (like when he completely changed his identity to Jackie Daytona in season 2). It will be interesting to see how this new tragedy affects Laszlo's character development in What We Do In The Shadows.