What We Do Next (2023) Ending Explained – Final Scene & Meaning

The finale of What We Do in the Shadows concludes with the vampire crew, including Guillermo, walking away from their documentary filming, signaling an end to their staged reality. The vampires seem indifferent to the conclusion, but Guillermo, the only one questioning the abrupt ending, seeks clarity about what the crew plans to do with all the footage. The series then shows three alternate versions of Nadja's hypnosis scene: one humorously spoofing a sitcom where Guillermo and Nandor are just regular people in a romantic relationship, suggesting the entire series might have been a dream; a second mimicking the iconic ending of The Usual Suspects with characters recalling past episodes in a detective-style narrative; and a third recreating the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, underscoring the show's playful take on different genres.

Guillermo's frustration leads to a moment where the vampires reveal an old black-and-white film made by real documentary filmmakers, the Maysles Brothers, which features the vampires' past activities and reinforces that they haven’t fundamentally changed over the years. Meanwhile, the episode's comedic highlight revolves around Cravensworth's Monster, who remains uncontrollably romantic and eager for Laszlo to finish creating his female counterpart, adding more humor to the ending.

In the beginning, Nandor is inspired after defending Guillermo and tries to recruit him for a superhero duo, imagining a crime-fighting partnership akin to Batman. Guillermo, however, clarifies that he doesn’t want to pursue that life but values their friendship. Toward the end, Guillermo attempts to leave the vampire world to find his own path, signaling closure with Nandor and the others. Nonetheless, Nandor then invites Guillermo into his coffin, which doubles as an elevator leading to a secret vigilante lair that Nandor has built, revealing that Guillermo might still be involved in the vampires' world—this time as a superhero sidekick.

While the series closes with Guillermo’s departure from the documentary crew, it leaves open the possibility that his story will continue in some form, as he joins Nandor in the promised vigilante project. This ending combines a humorous finale with a hint that Guillermo’s journey is far from over, even if the documentary crew has officially wrapped their filming.