'What We Do in the Shadows' returns with season four on July 12. Photo: FX
'What We Do in the Shadows' returns with season four on July 12. Photo: FX
'What We Do in the Shadows' returns with season four on July 12. Photo: FX
'What We Do in the Shadows' returns with season four on July 12. Photo: FX

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Television

'What We Do in the Shadows' season four release date: what to expect as FX show returns

The hit series stars Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Mark Proksch and Harvey Guillen

Evelyn Lau
Evelyn Lau

July 12, 2022

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TV hit What We Do in the Shadows, the critically acclaimed mockumentary comedy-horror series, returns with season four on Tuesday.

The show is based on the 2014 film of the same name by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. It follows four vampire roommates and a "familiar" spirit navigating life in modern-day Staten Island, New York.

Since the show's debut in 2019, it has been nominated for a number of accolades including at the Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2020.

The series broadcasts on FX but can also be streamed on Hulu.

Last month, it was announced the hit series will be renewed for a fifth and sixth season.

When is the season four release date and how many episodes are there?

The show's premiere is on Tuesday, with episodes one and two to broadcast on the same day. Much like the show’s previous seasons, there will be 10 episodes. Episodes are between 22 and 30 minutes.

Who is in the cast of ‘What We Do in the Shadows’?

The show stars Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry and Natasia Demetriou as vampires Nandor the Relentless, Leslie “Laszlo” Cravensworth and Nadja of Antipaxos. Also returning are Mark Proksch, who plays "energy" vampire Colin Robinson, and Harvey Guillen as Nandor’s long-suffering Latino familiar Guillermo de la Cruz.

Anthony Atamanuik as Sean Rinaldi, Doug Jones as Baron Afanas, Beanie Feldstein as Jenna, Nick Kroll as Simon the Devious and Jake McDorman as Jeff Suckler have recurring supporting roles on the show.

What is season four about?

The synopsis of the fourth season, according to the FX Networks YouTube channel, says: "What We Do in the Shadows follows four vampires, and their human familiar, who’ve ‘lived’ together for hundreds of years. Season four continues to make the case for blood and comedy with more strange beasts, surprising guest stars and tap dancing than ever. And this time with just a touch of home renovation.''

Meanwhile, the official trailer for the fourth season was released on June 23. It’s been viewed more than 3.3 million times on YouTube (as of writing).

The video, which is just over one minute and 45 seconds, offers a glimpse into the quirky vampires’ adventures in New York, as Boney M's Rasputin plays in the background.

Plotlines for the coming season seem to include the opening of a nightclub, Nandor's search for a new wife (which hilariously includes the return of his 37 previously deceased ones) and some home improvement.

'Stranger Things 5': what the cast and creators have said about the series finale so far

  • Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in 'Stranger Things'. All photos: Netflix
    Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in 'Stranger Things'. All photos: Netflix
  • From left: Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin).
    From left: Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin).
  • Sink and McLaughlin in volume two. One of the more pressing questions from the latest season would be if any key characters would die.
    Sink and McLaughlin in volume two. One of the more pressing questions from the latest season would be if any key characters would die.
  • The first volume of season four ended on a cliffhanger but also revealed the origins of Vecna, the main villain introduced at the start of the season.
    The first volume of season four ended on a cliffhanger but also revealed the origins of Vecna, the main villain introduced at the start of the season.
  • One of the noticeable absents from this season has been of the Mind Flayer, the villainous creature in seasons two and three. Many fans are theorising it could return in the second part of season four.
    One of the noticeable absents from this season has been of the Mind Flayer, the villainous creature in seasons two and three. Many fans are theorising it could return in the second part of season four.
  • A new trailer for part two of season four has been viewed more than four million times within hours of its debut.
    A new trailer for part two of season four has been viewed more than four million times within hours of its debut.
  • The second volume of 'Stranger Things' season four will have two episodes.
    The second volume of 'Stranger Things' season four will have two episodes.
  • The second volume of season four will be available to stream from Netflix on July 1.
    The second volume of season four will be available to stream from Netflix on July 1.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea
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The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

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Key changes

Commission caps

For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:

• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term). 

• On the protection component, there is a cap  of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).

• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated. 

• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.

• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.

Disclosure

Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.

“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”

Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.

Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.

“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.

Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

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THE BIO

Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain

Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude

Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE

Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally

Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science

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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

Updated: July 12, 2022, 12:36 PM
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