Based on the feature film by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, the FX comedy series What We Do in the Shadows sees vampires Nandor (Kayvan Novak) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), as well as their human familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), return to Staten Island only to find their mansion on the verge of collapsing from neglect, as Laszlo (Matt Berry) has been otherwise distracted by Baby Colin. Trying to figure out the best way to raise this creature that came from the chest cavity of their deceased friend Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) is proving to be quite the challenge, especially when their attention is split between Nandor’s search for love, Nadja’s dream of opening a vampire nightclub, and Guillermo wanting to make himself a priority for a change.

During this interview with Collider, co-stars Novak and Guillén talked about the fun of making a show that always keeps them on their toes, being constantly delighted with each new script, Guillermo’s changing perspective on what’s important to him, the evolving Nandor and Guillermo dynamic, the lack of natural parental instincts among the vampires, and what they most enjoyed about the Night Market episode in Season 4.

Collider: This show is always out of its ever-loving mind, and I love it. It’s still crazy, which I am happy to discover, every season. When you do a show that is this wild, on a consistent basis, does any of it ever surprise you? Are you at the point where you expect it now, when you read these scripts?

HARVEY GUILLÉN: It always surprises me. I feel it always keeps me on my toes. Every time I think I’ve figured out or predict something that’s gonna happen, it’s never what I thought and never what I planned. Looking back on all four seasons that we’ve done, for me, for Guillermo, I didn’t know about the Van Helsing storyline until the last week of filming, before we started filming that episode. It’s always surprising and I like that because it keeps us on our toes and it keeps us excited for the next season.

KAYVAN NOVAK: Always. I’m constantly delighted when I read a new script, when we’re gonna do a new season, and that is just the best feeling, ever. The fact that you feel that surprise and that elation, you’re laughing out loud, and you’re like, “I’ve gotta do what?! Okay, great. Challenge set.” I think it’s important to feel that because it keeps the audience entertained, and it keeps things fresh and exciting, with new dynamics, new relationships, and new episodes. It’s what we want. It keeps us happy, and it keeps the fans happy. What more could you want from a show? Across the board, everyone’s having a great time, which is rare.

After being stuck in a shipping container for weeks, Guillermo seems over just about everything. Harvey, how much will his perspective on things change this season? Will we see more of him not necessarily wanting to just put up with everything?

GUILLÉN: Yeah, you’ll definitely see him not giving a bleep about what the vampires think about him, going forward. How could they do that twice to him? On the way to London, and on the way back? He’s been in that crate for a week, inside the house. That was one of the first things we shot of the season. It was perfect because we left off in London, a year goes by, a lot has happened, and they put him back in a shipping crate, so he’s really upset. He’s gonna start looking out for number one now. He’s always put other people ahead of his own needs. And even though he says that, he’s still helping out with Nandor finding a wife and being the best man to him. But I feel like he’s gonna put himself in front, and he’s gonna do whatever it takes to make himself happy.

It’s funny because Nandor has suddenly gotten to a place where he actually remembers Guillermo’s name and seems to actually care about him, at least a little bit. Kayvan, why do you think he’s finally starting to actually pay more attention now?

NOVAK: Nandor has been on a journey, and he’s been looking for something that’s been right under his nose, the whole time. The more he searches for that, the more he has an inkling that he’s already found it. That’s his relationship with Guillermo. There’s a comfort in that. Also, we can all see it, but he can’t. Going back to the TV trope of will-they-or-won’t-they, where he likes her, and she likes him, but they don’t know that they like each other, and you don’t know if they’re ever gonna find out, that’s so evocative and people like that. It’s a nice feeling. It’s like having a crush when you’re a kid. It’s like falling in love for the first time. It’s like getting a divorce, not that I know what that feels like because I’ve never had a divorce, thankfully. But it’s all those things It’s a dysfunctional relationship.

Harvey, do you feel like Guillermo feels more appreciated? Has he moved on from wanting to be a vampire? Does he feel like there’s more important things?

GUILLÉN: There’s a part of him that likes to be needed, that gives him purpose. Who doesn’t like to be wanted? That’s what hooks him, when Nandor brings him back in. That pulls at his heartstrings with, “I need you. I need you to help me.” But at this point in the game, that wouldn’t have been enough, I feel like, for him. Added to the problem is now there’s a child involved. There’s a child in the house, and the child is running around, being raised by these vampires who don’t care about Guillermo, as their lifelong familiar, and they don’t care about this child. They’ll just let them fall into a hole in the floor. They don’t have natural parental instincts, right away. For Guillermo, he’s just gonna start doing what’s best for him. He also takes on a new role at the club, which could be part of a plan.

I loved the Night Market episode (Episode 404) because I love when these guys can go out in a group and do something wacky, weird and fun together. What did you most enjoy about that episode?

NOVAK: Definitely learning that fight, having to learn the choreography, and having to try to be convincing, as a half-decent warrior. Working with Harvey in that was awesome because he’s so naturally good at that kind of stuff. It was a challenge for me, but I loved it, with Harvey and the stunt team. It was a great atmosphere. It was four nights in a freezing cold warehouse, surrounded by hundreds of extras. It was awesome. It was very memorable. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

GUILLÉN: Same. Everything that Kayvan just said, I echo. The creatures that we introduce in the Night Market, those fairies, are fun to see. Matt [Berry]’s character, Laszlo, is teaching Baby Colin that not everything is what you read in fairy tales. The real fairies are rude and grotesque, but they are real. He’s like, “In our world, this is what real fairy looks like. In your book, it’s all make-believe.” That was fun. I like that moment.

What We Do in the Shadows airs on Tuesday nights on FX and is available to stream at Hulu. Check out the trailer for What We Do in the Shadows below: