Content & Trigger Warnings for What We Do in the Shadows (2019)
17 content warnings identified across 6 seasons for this show.
Quick Summary
Yes, What We Do in the Shadows (2019) contains 17 content warnings : Homophobia / transphobia (depicted), Racial slurs / racism (depicted), Grief / bereavement (major focus), Gaslighting / emotional manipulation, Blood / medical gore, Body horror, Jump scares, Spiders / insects, Explicit sexual content / nudity, Alcohol abuse (depicted), Drug use (depicted), Animal cruelty / animal death, Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse, Gore / graphic violence, Gun violence, Slavery / forced labor, Torture.
The most severe warnings are for Grief / bereavement (major focus) (severity 4/5), Blood / medical gore (severity 4/5), Gore / graphic violence (severity 4/5).
Check the full breakdown below before you watch.
Set up your trigger profile to see which warnings affect you.
Does It Get Worse?
15 series-wide warnings apply across all seasons.
| Warning | Season | Severity | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity & Discrimination | ||||
| Homophobia / transphobia (depicted) | S5 | 1/5 | Referenced | Guillermo's coming out as a vampire hunter parallels LGBTQ themes, handled with care |
| Homophobia / transphobia (depicted) | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Homophobia depicted briefly and criticized; LGBTQ+ relationships are prominently featured positively |
| Racial slurs / racism (depicted) | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Racial dynamics addressed through vampire-human metaphors and historical vampire characters |
| Mental Health & Emotional | ||||
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S1 | 1/5 | Depicted | Minor emotional moments around vampire immortality and loss, mostly comedic |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S2 | 2/5 | Depicted | Guillermo's unrequited desire to become a vampire has melancholic undertones |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S3 | 2/5 | Depicted | Colin Robinson's fate introduces some genuine emotional weight |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S4 | 2/5 | Depicted | Nandor's loneliness and search for meaning add emotional depth |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S5 | 3/5 | Depicted | More emotional weight as the group faces potential separation |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S6 | 4/5 | Depicted | Series finale has genuine emotional weight about friendship, mortality, and saying goodbye |
| Other | ||||
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Vampires use hypnosis to manipulate humans, played as comedy |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S2 | 2/5 | Depicted | Continued hypnosis-based manipulation played for comedy |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S3 | 2/5 | Depicted | Vampiric mind control and manipulation continue as comedy |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S4 | 3/5 | Depicted | Nandor uses djinn wishes to manipulate reality and relationships |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S5 | 2/5 | Depicted | Vampire manipulation and deception remain comedic fixtures |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S6 | 2/5 | Depicted | Vampire manipulation continues as a comedic element through the end |
| Phobias & Sensory | ||||
| Blood / medical gore | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Frequent blood as vampires feed, but played for comedy |
| Blood / medical gore | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Blood remains frequent but consistently played for laughs |
| Blood / medical gore | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | Blood remains a constant comedic element |
| Blood / medical gore | S4 | 3/5 | Depicted | Consistent blood in vampire feeding scenes |
| Blood / medical gore | S5 | 3/5 | Depicted | Blood remains a comedic staple |
| Blood / medical gore | S6 | 3/5 | Depicted | Blood remains prevalent throughout as expected |
| Blood / medical gore | All | 4/5 | Depicted | Copious blood drinking, blood splatter, and bloody scenes played for comedy |
| Body horror | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Vampire transformations and minor body horror played for laughs |
| Body horror | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | More elaborate vampire and supernatural transformations |
| Body horror | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | More body horror as new supernatural creatures are introduced |
| Body horror | S4 | 3/5 | Depicted | Baby Colin Robinson's growth is played as body horror comedy |
| Body horror | S5 | 3/5 | Depicted | Supernatural transformations and vampire body horror |
| Body horror | S6 | 3/5 | Depicted | Final supernatural elements include body horror comedy |
| Body horror | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Vampire transformations, zombie appearances, and various supernatural body horror |
| Jump scares | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Occasional comedic jump scares from vampires and supernatural creatures |
| Spiders / insects | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Insect-related imagery and creatures appear in some episodes |
| Sexual Content | ||||
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Sexual humor and vampire seduction scenes with moderate nudity |
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Sexual comedy continues with vampire seduction and relationship humor |
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | Sexual humor and vampire orgies played for comedy |
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | S4 | 3/5 | Depicted | Continued sexual comedy with Nandor's relationship and vampire dynamics |
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | S5 | 3/5 | Depicted | Sexual humor continues at established levels |
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | S6 | 3/5 | Depicted | Sexual comedy continues through the final season |
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Sexual content and nudity in vampire orgy scenes and relationship storylines |
| Substance Use | ||||
| Alcohol abuse (depicted) | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Social drinking and occasional excess among characters |
| Drug use (depicted) | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Vampires get intoxicated by drinking blood of drugged humans, played for comedy |
| Violence & Physical Harm | ||||
| Animal cruelty / animal death | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Vampires feed on animals, and animal deaths are shown (often played for dark humor) |
| Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Vampires engage in physically violent conflicts within their household, played for dark comedy |
| Gore / graphic violence | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Comedic blood and gore — vampire feedings, staking, and slapstick dismemberment |
| Gore / graphic violence | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Continued comedic gore with vampire violence and slapstick blood |
| Gore / graphic violence | S3 | 3/5 | Depicted | Consistent comedic gore with vampire council meetings and supernatural violence |
| Gore / graphic violence | S4 | 3/5 | Depicted | Maintained comedic gore levels with nightclub vampire antics |
| Gore / graphic violence | S5 | 3/5 | Depicted | Standard comedic vampire gore continues |
| Gore / graphic violence | S6 | 3/5 | Depicted | Final season maintains the show's signature comedic gore |
| Gore / graphic violence | All | 4/5 | Depicted | Frequent graphic comedic gore including impalements, dismemberments, and bloody vampire kills |
| Gun violence | S1 | 1/5 | Depicted | Rare firearms use; vampires primarily use supernatural violence |
| Gun violence | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Occasional gun use, primarily by vampire hunters |
| Slavery / forced labor | S3 | 2/5 | Depicted | Guillermo's familiar role is essentially servitude, played for dark comedy |
| Slavery / forced labor | S4 | 2/5 | Depicted | Familiar servitude and djinn enslavement explored comedically |
| Slavery / forced labor | S6 | 2/5 | Depicted | The familiar dynamic is addressed in the series conclusion |
| Slavery / forced labor | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Guillermo's familiar servitude is a comedic slavery allegory; historical vampire ownership referenced |
| Torture | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Comedic torture scenes involving vampire council punishments |
Identity & Discrimination
Guillermo's coming out as a vampire hunter parallels LGBTQ themes, handled with care
Homophobia depicted briefly and criticized; LGBTQ+ relationships are prominently featured positively
Racial dynamics addressed through vampire-human metaphors and historical vampire characters
Mental Health & Emotional
Minor emotional moments around vampire immortality and loss, mostly comedic
Guillermo's unrequited desire to become a vampire has melancholic undertones
Colin Robinson's fate introduces some genuine emotional weight
Nandor's loneliness and search for meaning add emotional depth
More emotional weight as the group faces potential separation
Series finale has genuine emotional weight about friendship, mortality, and saying goodbye
Other
Vampires use hypnosis to manipulate humans, played as comedy
Continued hypnosis-based manipulation played for comedy
Vampiric mind control and manipulation continue as comedy
Nandor uses djinn wishes to manipulate reality and relationships
Vampire manipulation and deception remain comedic fixtures
Vampire manipulation continues as a comedic element through the end
Phobias & Sensory
Copious blood drinking, blood splatter, and bloody scenes played for comedy
Vampire transformations, zombie appearances, and various supernatural body horror
Occasional comedic jump scares from vampires and supernatural creatures
Insect-related imagery and creatures appear in some episodes
Sexual Content
Sexual humor and vampire seduction scenes with moderate nudity
Sexual comedy continues with vampire seduction and relationship humor
Sexual humor and vampire orgies played for comedy
Continued sexual comedy with Nandor's relationship and vampire dynamics
Sexual comedy continues through the final season
Sexual content and nudity in vampire orgy scenes and relationship storylines
Substance Use
Social drinking and occasional excess among characters
Vampires get intoxicated by drinking blood of drugged humans, played for comedy
Violence & Physical Harm
Vampires feed on animals, and animal deaths are shown (often played for dark humor)
Vampires engage in physically violent conflicts within their household, played for dark comedy
Comedic blood and gore — vampire feedings, staking, and slapstick dismemberment
Continued comedic gore with vampire violence and slapstick blood
Consistent comedic gore with vampire council meetings and supernatural violence
Maintained comedic gore levels with nightclub vampire antics
Frequent graphic comedic gore including impalements, dismemberments, and bloody vampire kills
Guillermo's familiar role is essentially servitude, played for dark comedy
Familiar servitude and djinn enslavement explored comedically
The familiar dynamic is addressed in the series conclusion
Guillermo's familiar servitude is a comedic slavery allegory; historical vampire ownership referenced
