Emmy voters, don’t forget the other supernatural comedy with the award-worthy world-building
TV Features Emmys
The Primetime Emmy Awards for production design come with ample qualifications: There are two awards for hour-long narrative programs, divided along lines of period and genre; in the half-hour realm, the breakdown of the nominees proportionately reflects the number of single-camera shows and multi-camera shows submitted. Based on recent ceremonies’ nominees, that probably means Will & Grace’s second swan song is due to make a final run at an award whose early existence it largely dominated, but with Veep over and no new seasons of Russian Doll or Barry in the mix, the not-filmed-in-front-of-a-live-studio-audience field is wide open. And, at the risk of creating a bogus either/or scenario, here’s hoping it’s open enough for two supernatural comedies that excel at world-building.
It’s surprising that the first season of What We Do In The Shadows didn’t garner more than a couple of Emmy nominations in technical categories, neither of which acknowledged the dilapidated glamor of its primary set; perhaps the bats just flew too far beneath the radar. But with a second season that was even more popular and praised, and coming off of co-creator Taika Waititi’s Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Jojo Rabbit, the vampires of Staten Island stand a better chance of getting noticed, across the board, by the Television Academy. But will the same be true of the monster-movie enthusiasts hiding just outside the frame in HBO’s surrealist “reverse Scooby-Doo,” Los Espookys?
The series about a group of friends who find their calling making creature-feature fantasies a reality—like staging a haunting to determine the heir to an eccentric millionaire’s fortune, or giving a fading vacation destination its own sea monster tourist attraction—deserves consideration in all comedy categories. The pilot script by co-creators Fred Armisen, Ana Fabrega, and Julio Torres is an inspiredly kooky piece of bilingual deadpan; as the delightfully gullible Tati and the poor-little-rich-boy-just-dying-to-tell-you-about-his-mysterious-past Andrés, respectively, Fabrega and Torres ought to be in the conversation about best supporting performances. At the very least, members of the Academy ought to show appreciation for what a treat Los Espookys is to look at, thanks in no small part to the otherworldly production design of Jorge Zambrano.
That work is crucial to the delicate balance of Los Espookys. Well before its eponymous “horror group” is tangling with a cursed mirror or a parasitic demon, their surroundings hint at a default dreaminess: a living room littered with canine knickknacks; the pastel sterility of the dentist’s office where Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti) works. Andrés lives in a lavish estate of regal blues, where he lounges on a golden pool inflatable and sips from a bejeweled juice box. Los Espookys strive to bring a hint of the supernatural and the paranormal into a world that’s already pretty fantastical to begin with.
It’s an escapist vision from which the characters long to escape, the goth drama of their costuming making Andrés, Úrsula, and Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco) look like a jar of black licorice surrounded by rolls of candy buttons. (With such a confectionary palette, it’s beyond perfect that Andrés’ family money comes from chocolate.) The spaces they make for themselves aren’t necessarily gloomier, but they are less clean and luxurious. Gnarled wires, goopy prosthetics, clusters of obsolete technology and magazine cut-outs—Los Espookys gets it across that wherever Renaldo works or finds refuge, clutter and mess tend to follow. The season’s most distinctive environment stands in stark contrast to Los Espookys’ pastimes: the U.S. embassy run by Ambassador Melanie (Greta Titelman) and her infantilized, over-manicured staff. With interior decor equal parts Mattel and Procter & Gamble, it’s a blunt commentary on the sorry state of American foreign policy: diplomacy as extended vacation, in a space that reflects both juvenile priorities and tastes. It’s a pop-art marvel, its sheer variety of pinks as easy to fixate on as the mirror that traps Melanie near the end of the season. Her Dalíesque prison of reflections and sand isn’t hard on the eyes, either.
And why stop at recognizing the production design? There’s story in the demon’s gill-like cheekbones and her and Andrés’ matching hair, too. The show tells a joke with sound just as well as it does with a visual: The inspirational thump that cues up whenever someone mentions the multi-level marketing scam Hierbalite is award-worthy in and of itself. Sure, Los Espookys already exists as both testament and tribute to the talent and dedication of people like Zambrano, costume designer Muriel Parra, makeup artists Margarita Marchi and Paloma Cruchaga—but awards help open up further opportunity for expressing that talent and dedication. Los Espookys’ first season doesn’t boast What We Do In The Shadows’ blockbuster-level transformation effects, or a climactic free-for-all among vampires and one reluctant slayer. But what it does have is plenty of heart and plenty of guts—and they’re spilling forth from one impressively ghoulish quinceañera cake.
20 Comments
So are they making a season 2? I really enjoyed the show but it seemed too oddball and niche for it to take off.
i watched a couple of episodes but it just didn’t hook me.
I’ve never even heard of this show but am now preparing for takeout Mexican food and a binge. Thanks, Adams.
YES — LOVE THIS SHOW! So charming and funny! It felt like a breath of fresh air from the gloomier/darker scripted shows. Love Julio Torres, who really embodies the show’s surreal, comedic, and B-horror feeling.
Even though it has no shot, I did vote for this in the first round of Emmy voting. I recommended it to two like-minded friends and they did not get into it, which completely puzzled me. But between this and his “stand up” show “My Favorite Shapes,” Julio Torres does it for me.
Same. This show (and Torres in general) has a “Flight of the Conchords” feel to to it. A blend of sweet, absurd, and slightly naughty at times, all being showcased by extremely attractive people.
I’m going to guess that the Spanish is a turn-off for lazy people, which is its biggest hurdle to overcome. Because otherwise it is a perfect delight.
Yeah, I think if you’re into Julia Torres’ whole deal this show is catnip. I like him fine, and I like the show … fine? I’d also say most of my friends are not particularly into it, despite being what I’d wager is a key demo (NYC/LA homosexualllls). I’d still be happy to see it win an Emmy, just because why not?
Did The Good Place ever get any Emmy love?
LOL
Seven nominations (one for Outstanding Comedy, two for Ted Danson in Lead Actor, two for Maya Rudolph in the guest category, one for writing [Janet(s)], and one for an interactive promotion), 0 wins. And that’s better than their showing at the Golden Globes, which scored only two nominations, both in 2019, for Best Actress and Best Series. This show got forking hosed.
I hope he sees this, bro
A friend of mine was asking for recs this week. I’m going to be sending him all these articles.
I hope What We Do In The Shadows gets recognized. Plus, Kyle Newacheck needs recognition as a director. He’s been fantastic since Community and Workaholics. He’s the real deal.
A brilliant step forward for WWDITS S2 should help it get on the radar this time, and it’s heartening FX is doing a visible For Your Consideration push for it this year.
Los Espookys had so much potential, but blew it all on cheap laughs. I really wanted to like that show, but couldn’t make it past three episodes. What We Do In The Shadows did the opposite, despite the occasionally weaker second season, and deserves every award ever.
Los Espookys – I’m in love with this show – so original and delightful and surprising. Sometimes you watch something that makes you almost gasp at how special it is, and how happy you are that you’re getting to experience it. I think Julio Torres is a like some kind of space angel.
Instead of putting the two shows against each other, I’d love a crossover.
I’m not sure what the hell would happen in it, save for Guillermo and Andrés chatting in Spanish about their shitty ex-boyfriends and favorite horror movies, but…
Show starts off SUPER fast, making it a little hard to relax and get into, but if you give it a chance, you’ll find yourself lauging like a loon 🙂
A reverse Scooby Doo! I know a place where you can get one of those, but it will cost ya extra and you need to provide the equipment and lube. Back on topic, how many non-English speaking shows have gotten Emmy noms? Is the Emmy voter pool the same group of old white people that choose the Oscars?
this show completely flew past my radar, but sounds fantastic