Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for What We Do in the Shadows season 6, episode 9, “Come Out and Play”!
Doug Jones is back as The Baron, but things are not all that pleasant, inWhat We Do in the Shadowsseason 6. Jones is one of the most iconic character actors known for his work in makeup and special effects prosthetics, namely his celebrated turns as Abe Sapien inGuillermo del Toro’sHellboymovies, Admiral Saru inStar Trek: Discoveryand the Amphibian man inThe Shape of Water, among others. Jones was introduced in the pilot of FX’sWhat We Do in the Shadowsas Baron Afanas, an ancient vampire who is the main group’s leader, and has nearly been killed multiple times by Guillermo.
InWhat We Do in the Shadowsseason 6, it’s revealed that The Baron has finally recovered from his latest near-fatal encounter with the sun, having utilized a discharge from the animal-Guillermo hybrids. After making brief appearances in episodes 3 and 5, he becomes the focus of episode 9, “Come Out and Play”. Invited to a ceremony celebrating him, The Baron and the main vampires are surprised by Mike O’Brien’s Jerry trying to throw Afanas under the bus for his lack of New World conquering, only to be killed by Laszlo’s monster, resulting in aWarriors-like race home.
What We Do In The Shadows Season 6 Episode Schedule: When New Episodes Release On FX & Hulu
What We Do in the Shadows season 6 marks the end of the vampire comedy, and here’s when and where to catch the final batch of episodes.
Alongside Jones, the ensembleWhat We Do in the Shadowsseason 6 castsees the returns of Harvey Guillén as Guillermo, Kayvan Novak as Nandor, Natasia Demetriou as Nadja, Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson, Matt Berry as Laszlo and Kristen Schaal as The Guide. Landing a 90% “Certified Fresh” approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the long-running vampire comedy has officially established itself as one of the best shows on television, even in its final season, maintaining its perfect streak of Certified Fresh ratings.
In honor of the show’s latest episode,Screen Rantinterviewed Doug Jones to discussWhat We Do in the Shadowsseason 6, episode 9, “Come Out and Play”, reflecting on the show coming to an end, how The Baron was nearly killed off multiple times until co-creator Jemaine Clement changed his mind, which version of the character he enjoys playing the best, Jerry’s betrayal and the subsequent fallout, and the surprise cameo of the episode.
The Baron Was Nearly Permanently Killed Multiple Times
“…Jemaine said, ‘Doug, we’re having too much fun with you.’…”
Screen Rant: Doug, fantastic to see you again, and to keep talking about vampires. Like you were saying, it’s a fun season for Doug of vampires, betweenWhat We Do in the Shadowsseason 6 and yournewNosferaturemake. For me, it’s bittersweet though, to know that this is the final season of this show. You’ve been with it for quite a long time. How does it feel for you to bring this chapter to an end?
Doug Jones: Yeah, no, it is very sad. There’s some projects you do as an actor where you’re like, “It’s about time, and I’m done.” And there’s other projects you do that’s like, “No, no, no, not yet!” This is that one. I felt like I’ve been having so much fun on this show, and I’ve been recurring, so I haven’t put in the day-to-day grind that the series regular cast does. I have the luxury of popping in every so often and doing something silly. But I wasn’t done doing that yet. [Chuckles] I would love to continue doing the Baron in some way, shape or form, but who knows if that could ever be.
But I will say that my time on this show has gone longer than we ever thought it would. I was never meant to be on the show this long. At the beginning, I was hired for the pilot episode in season one, to do that grand entrance in the attic, when they’re like, “Oh, the Baron’s here, the Baron’s here.” It kind of sets up that I had sent them to North America to conquer the New World, and they haven’t done it yet. So, that was kind of the setup, that then they were going to find a way to get rid of me in the next episode. From what I understood, showrunner Jemaine Clement, who was a very hands-on creator of the movie and the show, along with Taika Waititi, they were both on set working that pilot episode, and Jemaine said, “Doug, we’re having too much fun with you. Can I keep you around for a while if I found a way to bring you back?” I said, “Oh my gosh, yes.”
I was a big fan of the movie, so I knew going into the show, it’s like, “[Gasps] Same creators? It’s going to be great.” I wasn’t wrong. So coming into this, then, loving them, loving what was happening, and wanting to keep me around was like, “Oh, what a compliment that was.” So then, “Baron’s Night Out” was written for episode 6 of season 1, when I wake up from my slumber and I want to have a night on the town. Funniest half hour of television in history, I believe. We hit the town, we do everything, we end up at a rave with glow sticks. I finally get the pizza pie and I vomit my way through the sky. Those moments get recounted to me by the fans constantly, by the way.
But at the end of that episode, Guillermo opens the door accidentally on me, and I’m in the foyer and I get burned by the sun. That was going to be the end of me. Well, Jemaine Clement had the same conversation with me while we were filming that. “Doug, this is going far too well. If I find a way to revive you some way magically in the future, can we do that?” “Please bring me back, yes.” So, in season 3, they brought me back, and the thing was, they were filming the show in Toronto, up in Canada. I was doing Star Trek: Discovery simultaneously in Toronto. That’s why I could go back and forth between the two shows, because they were happening in the same city.
Otherwise, I’m not sure if it could have worked out as well with Star Trek, my commitments there were much more, because I was a series regular with a lot of dialogue and a lot of scenes. But the two shows worked with each other over my schedule, so when Shadows wanted to borrow me, they did. I was so happy that worked out, and they put the effort in to make that happen.
Jones Loves Both Versions Of The Baron (But Does Have A Favorite)
“They all have their charm, don’t they?”
So, speaking of burning up in the foyer. When I talked with Paul for this season at the start of it, he had mentioned how he loved having the Baron revivified, and loves watching you play that more. Which did you have more fun playing, the Baron in his natural state, or the Baron more burnt up with some of those extra prosthetics?
Doug Jones: They all have their charm, don’t they? [Chuckles] It’s funny, when I do the convention circuit, I hear feedback from the fans, and all of these moments pop up. There’s a broad love for every version of the Baron that’s been there. I personally, comfort wise, love the revived Baron that’s me with a wig and some beauty makeup on. I love that, and the fabulous clothes, and having both arms and legs to wear those clothes. That’s kind of lovely.
I think the crispy, getting dug up out of the backyard with half of a charred body was, comedically, just delicious. And then, how he got around riding dog back on the back of the hellhound, and then driving my little pink Barbie car around. They always found something hilariously funny to do in every version of the Baron. The writers have really been just a gift to any actor on that show.
Jerry’s Betrayal In Episode 9 Is An Eye-Opener For The Baron
“I think I, as The Baron, got comfortable.”
I couldn’t agree more, and I can’t wait to see how they bring it to a close in these final couple of episodes. Before diving into that, I want to dive in episode 9, because I love that we havethisWarriors-stylevampire meeting with everybody, where Jerry almost has a roast session with the Baron, and talking about the New World conquering. Obviously, we see at the end of the episode what the Baron thought of all of that, but what do you think, in the moment, is going through the Baron’s head as he’s listening to Jerry spew all of that?
Doug Jones: Jerry bait and switched him on that, you know, I thought I was there for a celebration of me. The Baron loves celebrating himself, he’s such a narcissist, he thinks he’s all that. [Laughs] And to have an arena full of all the vampires in the New York burghs coming to celebrate him, what a great night. He loved it. So to have Jerry then turn it on him was like, “How dare he.” But he wasn’t wrong. The thing is, Jerry was not wrong. We set out to conquer the New World, and I think the Baron’s aware of that, and it’s like, “Oh shoot.” And then, of course, Laszlo’s monster came in to shut Jerry up permanently, so slinking off after that, getting everybody riled up was like, “Okay, we have a real problem on our hands now.”
So, when I brought my little family of vampires together, “Let’s go back to the arena. Let’s get everybody back together again, and let me take my rightful place as the leader of this entire region,” I think that was a triumphant moment for the Baron, who’s been such a slacky lackey. He’s the leader of this family of vampires that were supposed to conquer the New World and haven’t. I think I, as the Baron, got comfortable, too. Like, I like my life. I’m living it out in a farm property in New Jersey that’s an Airbnb with The Sire and the hellhound. I got comfortable. So, I think this was the Baron’s wake-up call, that comfort is not what we’re about. We’re about conquering. So he got back to it, and so I think that was a fun way to come back to the arena and take his rightful place as the leader again.
So we saw that at the end, and then, obviously, we have two more episodes to go after this. Is that sort of going to continue into those two episodes? I know you don’t want to spoil it, but is that, is that thread going to continue in those two episodes?
Doug Jones: I honestly don’t know. I know that sounds like I’m being creepy, but I don’t. [Laughs]
Alexander Skarsgård’s Cameo Was A Real Surprise For Everyone
“…I have been a fan of the entire Skarsgård family forever.”
Last quick question, I love that we haveAlexander Skarsgård pop up in this episode a laTrue Blood, it’s such a fun continuation of the vampire cameo trend of the show. What was it like when you heard that he was going to be a part of this episode?
Doug Jones: Yeah, I have been a fan of the entire Skarsgård family forever. So, with Alexander, it was like, “Oh, I’ve never met him before”, and I was tickled pink that we were going to get a pretty stormy vampire to show up in our goofy comedy show. “Perfect, this is great.” And when he walked onto the set, he was, like, 6'5", he’s a little taller than me, and strappingly handsome, and everybody’s going like, “[In awe] Oh.” But he pulled the funny out in a way that we did not expect, I didn’t expect.
So, getting to banter back and forth with him was delicious for me. And they encouraged all of us to go off script, so when you throw in bits and asides that are working are funny, and he was full of them. I don’t know that it all made it to the screen, what he threw in there, but it was all very funny. And we had an arena full of background actors that all knew who he was. And no one from that crowd knew he was coming that day. Everyone was so excited to have him.
AboutWhat We Do In The ShadowsSeason 6
After a very brief stint as a full-blown vampire, Guillermo is re-evaluating his life. Who is he if not a familiar who will do anything to please his Master in hopes of one day being turned into a vampire? Meanwhile, the vampires are re-evaluating, too. When their former roommate reappears after a 50-year nap, they realize how little they’ve done in half a century — not one goal accomplished, not one dream pursued, not one part of the New World conquered (except for their street and part of Ashley Street).
In the sixth and final season of the Emmy-nominated comedy, Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, Colin and Guillermo will enter the workforce, visit New Hampshire, go to a human dinner party, fête The Baron and conjure a demon — all while trying to find their place and their purpose in this crazy, mixed-up world.
Check out our previousWhat We Do in the Shadowsseason 6 interviews with:
New episodes ofWhat We Do in the Shadowsseason 6 air Mondays on FX.
What We Do in the Shadows
Cast
What We Do in the Shadows, released in 2019, is a mockumentary series exploring the nightly lives of a group of centuries-old vampires residing in Staten Island. The comedic show delves into their interactions with each other and the modern world, providing a humorous take on the vampire genre.
