What We Do In The Shadows (201

Binary Opposites and 5 Narrative Codes

This is an American comedy horror television series created by Jemaine Clement which premiered on March 27, 2019 in FX. This series is focused mainly on 4 vampires and 1 familiar in Staten Island. Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) serving the vampire Nandor (Kavyan Noyak) who lives with Laszlo (Matt Berry, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin (Mark Proksch). 

The first episode introduces the main characters of the series with the plot having a documentary styled take where they take us around the house and showing us their personalities. They also took us on their daily life routine around Staten Island. 

Using the first episode, we can identify the key binary opposites and narrative codes that has been used to convey meaning.

Binary opposites

Owner vs Slave

This opposites were mainly portrayed by Nandor and Guillermo who openly reveal their roles as owner and slave (Nandor being the owner and Guillermo as a slave). We can see this from how they act around each other as well. Guillermo respects him and does anything he told him to do, not only due to him wanting Nandor to change him to a vampire but because Guillermo himself want to serve Nandor as a familiar (slave) and taking care of him for around 10 years or more. Nandor also acts very egostistical and dominant around Guillermo, ordering him around, making him do even the smallest things also shows how his hierarchy is above Guillermo. 

Supernatural vs Natural

This is basically shown in the entire episode, where vampires had to live among humans in a human city so it basically shows the difference of humans and vampires. Vampires first and foremost is immortal and having unique superhero vampires and basically advantages over humans. This is shown in the hierarchy of humans should serve and fear vampires and the fact that humans are seen as food by vampires enhancing the fact that humans are helpless and much weaker than vampires.

Other binary opposites includes: loyalty vs unfaithful, good vs evil, hunger vs greed

5 Narrative Codes

Hermeneutic code

The codes that were featured throughout this episode includes  “What’s in the letter?”, “Who is in the basement?” and “Who is this feared Baron?”. These codes mainly revolves around suspense and mystery of the episode that was analyzed.

Proairetic code

There are a lot of action involved, these may include how the vampires constantly bicker and argue with another. Nadja and Lazslo hunting, Nadja stalking Jeff and others. These codes are used to move the plot forward by leading to unexpected scenarios which may build up more proairetic codes. 

Semantic code

This code can be seen when the vampires are talking with heavy accent which is used to convey how they are not from there and how they are not in their natural environment which further prove how they can be deemed as outsiders of Staten Island.

Symbolic code

We can see these codes quite consistently throughout the episode which includes the somewhat fancy attire which may catch attention, vampires eating humans and sucking blood for energy, fangs, hissing, turning into bats and vampires being nocturnal - cannot be with sunlight. This soon become the norm and makes audience more used to these characteristics and behaviours of vampires.

Cultural code

This code may include a prior knowledge of the concept of vampires and to know the stereotypes and the culture revolving vampires. Audience may also refer vampires from other medias such as the Twilight, Hotel Tranyslvania, Vampire Diaries etc. With that concept, audience will already be familiar with vampires hence can understand the plot and characters of the series.