What We Do in the Shadows Redefined One of Buffy's Most Heartbreaking Scenes

What We Do in the Shadows' well-placed crucifix connects Guillermo's internal struggle to one of television's most tumultuous supernatural romances.

New and unevenly minted vampire Guillermo de la Cruz cannot outrun his Van Helsing legacy in What We Do in the Shadows' fifth season and an iconic emblem from vampiric television history further highlights his predicament. The first kiss between star-crossed lovers Buffy Summers and Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer left a cross mark singed into the latter's chest, a wound he and Guillermo now share.

Season 5, Episode 5 "Local News" boasts a traditional plot line of mounting sitcom miscommunication in its primary storyline about Nandor's inciting gaff with a local reporter all the while Guillermo's existential family heartbreak simmers to a boiling point in the background. Though the reality of his ill-defined vampiric status dictates a need to sever ties with his mother Silvia, Guillermo instead decides to take up Angel's familiar and literal tormented cross.

What We Do in the Shadow's Guillermo is Both Buffy and Angel

The cross mark that Buffy's necklace burned into Angel’s chest became an iconic and memorable image from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, particularly for what it telegraphed about the vampire and slayer's romance. A single image communicated that a relationship between the two characters could only end in pain but likewise painted David Boreanaz's Angel a classic romantic hero who was willing to stoically shoulder the anguish to pursue his feelings for Buffy. Guillermo now occupies the tension between the two opposing ends of the supernatural world that Buffy and Angel's romance exemplified.

Though Guillermo's tearful removal of his own cross after leaving his mother's sight directly mirrors Angel's, the Van Helsing descendent likewise bears the pain from Buffy's end of the relationship. With a surname that literally translates to "of the cross", the mark on Guillermo's chest represents an internal reckoning much different than Buffy and Angel's conflict-filled romance. Guillermo finds himself unable to tell his mother the truth and thus, by accepting her necklace, incapable of fully turning from a heritage that includes hunting vampires. The final moments of the episode solidify Guillermo's isolating crossroads as he cannot quite find acceptance with his family of origin or the Staten Island vampires.

True Love Takes Many Forms in What We Do in the Shadows

Love at first sight ranks among the many tropes relevant to Buffy and Angel's romance and the cross seared into his chest after their first kiss helped drive this notion home. What We Do in the Shadows similarly staged crucifix moment transforms this narrative to highlight the depth and importance of familial love to Guillermo. Much like Angel was willing to endure the cross' immense pain for Buffy, Guillermo's profound love for his mother shines through in his acceptance of her crucifix. From Lazlo and Nadja's polyamorous marriage to journeys of self-acceptance to the dysfunctional found family at the show's core, What We Do in the Shadows has established a precedent for tackling unconventional love stories that extend beyond the confines of romance.

What We Do in the Shadows has proven capable of subverting genre premises to extoll its comedic value but, every now and again, scenes like Guillermo's in "Local News" likewise highlight the series’ ability to plunder the vampiric archives for an emotional punch. Throughout its run, the show has utilized trappings of the supernatural genre as a metaphor for queer and immigrant identities, particularly in Guillermo's Season 4 coming out episode. Guillermo wades further into these narrative depths in Season 5 and moments such as his Angel-adjacent scene help visualize his conflict with reimagined iconography from past television vampires and slayers.