You might not recognize his face, but you probably know him from such roles as…
Pan’s Labyrinth
Star Trek: Discovery
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
He also plays Baron Afanas on What We Do in the Shadows. I’ve raved before about how good his makeup is when we first see him, but it gets even better.
Spoilers Ahead
When we’re first introduced to Baron Afanas, he’s a looming figure– a terrifying, ancient vampire coming to check on the progress of Nandor and crew in conquering the New World for vampire-kind. When his coffin opens and we get a glimpse of the Baron, you’d swear you’re looking at a prop, not a person. When he moves, its a thing of beauty; the makeup and prosthetics move with him naturally. Although WWDitS is a comedic show, there’s nothing cheesy or jokey about how the Baron looks. It’s amazing to watch.
Later the Baron is burned by sunlight and apparently dies. The vampires bury him in the garden and move on. Weeks later they hear a voice coming from his grave, and dig up the very-much-alive Baron, although there’s not much of him left, and what is left is pretty crispy. The makeup is different, but just as good. He looks exactly what you’d expect a charred partial vampire to look like. I think the reason he always looks so good is because the focus is on practical effects and makeup instead of CGI. I wish more effects departments would do the same.
Finally the Baron is healed in time for Nandor’s wedding. Not only healed, but also rejuvenated– he’s back to looking like himself in peak condition (much to Nadja and Lazslo’s delight). The makeup is a lot lighter, but just as skilfully applied. The Baron looks creepy but also compelling. If you saw him on the street, you’d instantly know he was a vampire. I can’t wait to see what they do with him next.
Of course the Baron wouldn’t be half as interesting without Jones’s performance. He’s a talented and nuanced actor, and you know you’re going to get something good when you see his name in the credits.
Speaking of credits, here are the members of the makeup department, a group that too often go unnoticed (I copied it from IMDb; clicking on individual names will take you to their IMDb profiles):
This will probably be my last What We Do in the Shadows post, unless someone has a suggestion for a topic they’d like to see? Otherwise, let me know what you think of Baron Afanas, or any other vampire. Who do you think looks most authentic? Share in the comments…
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
While vampires will forever be my favourite, I’m also a fan of a good vampire hunter. And Guillermo de la Cruz from What We Do in the Shadows is a great one. Keep reading to find out why…
5. He earns the vampires’ respect
Guillermo starts out as vampire Nandor’s familiar, which he describes as being a cross between a best friend and a slave. At first, Guillermo is overlooked, disrespected, and taken for granted. Vampire Laszlo usually can’t even be bothered to use his name, calling him Gizmo instead. By the end of Season 4, Guillermo is a vampire hunter, Nandor’s bodyguard, a parent figure to baby Colin, and is essential to running vampire Nadja’s nightclub. As a human, he’ll never be seen as an equal, but when it comes to the vampires who live with him, he’s as close as any human can get.
4. The Vampires Would Be Lost without Him
Although (adult) Colin Robinson seems fairly competent, it’s Guillermo who keeps the vampires’ lives running smoothly. He maintains the household, takes care of the vampires’ (sometimes bizarre) needs and requests, is their liaison to the modern world, protects them, and more. When Guillermo leaves for a few weeks, Nandor ends up begging him to come back. He can also dismember a body, which is a handy skill to have when you live with vampires.
3. He’s a Survivor
Guillermo might be one of the only familiars to not die prematurely. Nadja and Laszlo’s familiars never last long; meanwhile, Guillermo has been with Nandor for ten years. He’s also (presumably) the only survivor of a group of familiars who are ambushed and slaughtered. He also makes it through a gladiatorial-style setup at the Night Market, where familiars are pitted against one another for entertainment (and again, don’t seem to last long). Nandor does have an older familiar who apparently retired, so maybe he’s the only vampire to take care of his familiars. Still, he’s not always around, and yet Guillermo endures.
2. He’s a Van Helsing
When he gets the results of a DNA test, Guillermo finds out he’s a distant descendant of Abraham Van Helsing. At first he thinks it’s a funny coincidence, but quickly realizes there might be something to it, in part because he’s already killed two vampires. While those deaths could reasonably have been called accidents, Guillermo tests the theory by practising with stakes, before moving on to killing the vampires who keep showing up at the house to kill Nandor, Nadja, and Laszlo. And he’s good at it. Really good. Guillermo can take down an entire room of vampires without breaking a sweat. When he’s forced into a gladiatorial match against Nandor, he proves that he could take down Nandor too (he doesn’t, though). Apparently Guillermo is a natural born vampire killer.
1. He’s Not Your Usual Hero
One of the best things about Guillermo is that he’s no typical superhero. He’s soft-spoken, wears glasses (because he needs them– not as a disguise) and sweater vests, is on the chubby side, and isn’t overly tall. And he kicks ass. You’d never have to worry about a vampire attack if he’s nearby. Buffy was also supposed to be an unconventional hero because she’s– gasp!– a girl! Okay, it was a big deal at the time (and much needed), but Buffy still ticks all the other usual hero boxes: she’s conventionally attractive, fit, fashionable, wisecracking– she’s supposed to be a teenager but never even gets a pimple. She’s basically Miss Stereotypical All-American. Well, Guillermo is American too– just not what people tend to think of, which is, of course, the point. Toward the end of season 4, Guillermo also comes out as gay– another attribute not generally associated with heroes (Marvel/DC are only just starting to introduce LGBTQ+ supers, and somehow it’s considered controversial). Is Guillermo what most people think of when they picture a vampire hunter? No, and that’s awesome.
Bonus: Guillermo wants to be a vampire, even after realizing he’s a born vampire hunter. If he ever gets his wish, it’ll be interesting to see how those two opposing sides of him fight it out.
What do you think of Guillermo, or vampire hunters in general? Share your thoughts in the comments…
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Angel’s inner vampire briefly fighting off the demon Eyghon, BtVS, S2 E8 “The Dark Age“
I recently came across a video by Five by Five Takes on YouTube that delves into the nature of the vampires on Buffy: what they are, what it means to have a soul (or not), and whether the vampires are possessed by a demon, as is the standard (human) explanation on Buffy for where vampires come from.
It’s an interesting video, on a topic I’ve thought about before (see my post: “The Problem with Angelus.”) I don’t agree with everything discussed in the video; for example, the narrator questions why a demon would even want to possess a human in order to become a vampire. Because the demon loses all their memories in the process, the narrator suggests there’s nothing in it for the demons. I think getting out of hell and being able to walk the earth more or less freely would be a pretty big incentive. Most of the characters on the show who’ve spent time in a hell dimension don’t tend to speak of it fondly (despite repeatedly trying to open the Hellmouth– come on, guys). Besides the vacation from hell, I think being able to act on their violent tendencies and blood lust might also motivate the average demon. That’s just my opinion, though.
Spoilers Ahead
The video brings up an idea that I think is particularly interesting, which is whether the whole demon possession explanation for vampires is just the Watchers’ and Slayers’ way of dulling the trauma of killing people. If it’s a matter of a demon fully destroying the original human by inhabiting their body and absorbing their memories, then it’s a lot easier to kill without remorse, as opposed to killing a human who also happens to be a vampire (like the way the show claims that werewolves are still people and shouldn’t be slayed). It also could be a way for the Watchers Council to justify their own actions: when they let a demon infect a girl to make the Slayer, it’s acceptable because the Slayer is a force for good. When a demon infects a person to become a vampire, well, that just creates a killer. How the demon aspect affects Slayers is a topic for another time, though. For now, there’s plenty to consider when it comes to the vampires of Buffy, and this video does a good job of getting the ball rolling.
Personally, the idea of a demon stepping into a body and wiping out the actual human part of said body never entirely sat right with me. As the video points out, it would be a lot of effort for a demon to perfectly and consistently emulate the former person’s personality, mannerisms, and memories. It makes more sense that, while the soul might be gone, the person is still there. Probably.
Give the video a watch and tell me what you think about it. Is there still some human left in Buffy’s vampires? Share in the comments…
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
The Lost Boys is not only one of my favourite movies in general, but it’s my favourite vampire movie. Yes, I’ll take it over any of the Dracula movies (apologies to the Count). It’s the perfect combination of funny and scary, with the kind of charismatic (and slightly unhinged) vampires that draw you in against your better judgment. It’s no surprise that Joss Whedon took inspiration from it when he was coming up with Buffy. If you haven’t seen the Lost Boys, please do (but you can skip the comic books and sequels).
The Good Bad Flicks YouTube channel takes an in-depth look at the Lost Boys that’s well worth a watch (there are major spoilers, though– this one’s only for the fans and the compulsively curious). Give it a watch:
Have you seen the Lost Boys? What did you think? Share in the comments…
Keep the vampire love going and download my books…
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Whenever a show has a devoted fandom there’s always going to be something that, right or wrong, the fans aren’t happy about. The big controversies on Buffy and Angel were the late additions of two new characters, namely Dawn and Connor. Now that I’m re-watching both shows, I’m looking at both characters with fresh eyes, wondering whether they deserved the hate.
Dawn
Dawn was introduced at the end of the first episode of Season 5. “Buffy vs. Dracula” (a great episode, by the way). Her introduction was really well done, first with hints and foreshadowing going back as far as Season 3, then with her unexpected appearance in the episode. After years of being an only child, Buffy suddenly has a sister, and everyone acts as though she’s always been there.
After some perfunctory hinting that Dawn is this season’s Big Bad, it comes out that she’s actually a mystical, dimension-unlocking Key, put into human form by some monks with too much time on their hands, and given to the Slayer as a sister for protection from the Hell God (Glorificus/Glory), who needs the Key to get back to her hell dimension before her window of opportunity closes. Got all that?
Yeah, it’s a lot.
I really believe all the planning around Dawn went into the character’s concept, and very little into the execution. Dawn is supposed to be fourteen when she shows up, but she’s written like she’s eight. It’s both painful and annoying to watch this teenager smiling with her mouth plastered in ice cream. Or interrupting Buffy’s training sessions because she’s “bored.” Or threatening to tell their mom that Buffy slayed in front of her. At fifteen, Buffy, Willow, and Xander were fighting monsters, trading quips, and hanging out at the Bronze. Their characters were funny and interesting. But somehow at fourteen Dawn is too young to be left alone without a babysitter.
And yet by season six Dawn manages to get worse, alternating between whining that no one spends time with her, and screeching for everyone to get out of her room. Maybe this is a realistic portrayal of teenagers (I have my doubts), but nobody watches TV for realism. If we’re supposed to sympathize with Dawn, the writers made it really difficult, especially when she shows no empathy for what anyone else is going through.
(I want to add that none of this is the fault of Michelle Trachtenberg, the actress who played Dawn. She did a decent job, but just didn’t have much to work with.)
By the seventh and final season, Dawn’s over her annoying phase, and even proves herself useful and capable– but she also fades into the background. Season five was supposed to be the show’s last season, but since it ended up extended for another two years, I don’t think they really knew what to do with her once she was no longer The Key. Overall, I think the Dawn character had a lot of room for improvement, and the writers/producers repeatedly dropped the ball. The show could have been just as good, or better, without Dawn.
Connor’s origin story begins in season 3, and is almost as convoluted as Dawn’s. When two vampires hate each other very much (after spending centuries together as a couple), and unknown forces conspire to get them back together for a night, sometimes the mommy vampire finds herself nine months later going into labour in a back alley, where she finally just stakes herself to get the whole thing over with.
Connor is the human-ish son of Angel and Darla, both vampires, one with a soul. His existence is cause for much excitement, mostly by nefarious cabals who generally want to kill the kid. Despite Angel and co.’s best efforts to protect baby Connor, he ends up in the hands of Angel’s longtime enemy, a vampire hunter named Holtz. Stuck between letting Holtz take the baby or watching Connor fall into the hands of those who will definitely kill him, Angel chooses the lesser of two evils. Holtz escapes with the baby by jumping through a portal to the darkest hell dimension: Quor’toth. The portal is then sealed behind them with no way to open it.
Angel tries to get Connor back, but realizes it’s impossible. Once Angel accepts that he’ll never see his son again (it takes only a few days, apparently), another portal opens and out comes an armed teenager wearing a skin suit and trophies made of body parts. I’m not gonna lie– it’s pretty epic.
We soon find out that not only did Connor survive Quor’toth, but he can kick some serious ass. Besides impressive fighting skills, he has super speed and strength. He can easily jump on a moving bus and he’s got a vampire’s sensitive hearing (but none of the drawbacks, like a need to consume blood or intolerance to sunlight).
I thought he was an excellent addition to the show, but a lot of people disagreed. Connor was so hated by some fans that when rumours started about bringing Spike to Angel, people started urging (there may have been a petition– I can’t remember) the producers to kill off Connor and bring on Spike. Note: none of the characters actually had to die to add Spike to the cast. It should also be noted that the dislike of Connor spilled over into people specifically targetting Vincent Kartheiser, who played Connor. The actor did an awesome job and deserved none of what was directed at him. This is why fandoms have a bad reputation.
I never understood why people found Connor annoying. Yes, the character did a lot of questionable– and some downright wrong– things (same as pretty much all the other characters, I might add). What haters didn’t seem to get (or care about) is that Connor is a deeply traumatized kid. He was raised in a hell dimension, by a man who (rightfully) hated his father and manipulated him into wanting to kill Angel. And that’s only the start of what Connor went through. He’s a tragic character who manages to never be boring. He also undergoes a fair bit of character development, and a redemption that continues in the comic books (meanwhile Dawn in the comic books goes back to being annoying, but with added recklessness). Watching these episodes again, I’m finding I like and sympathize with Connor even more now. It’s too bad he was hated– he could have pulled off his own show.
In the end, my opinion on these characters hasn’t really changed. Dawn didn’t improve Buffy, even though her initial season included one of the best villains ever. Meanwhile, Connor, despite having one of the cringiest storylines (him + Cordy = ew), was a great character and a solid addition to Angel. But what did you think of Dawn and Connor? Share in the comments…
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Aspasía S. Bissas 