‘What We Do in the Shadows’: Jersey Devils Tales Have Haunted the Pine Barrens for Years
In What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 7, the Jersey Devil himself makes a guest appearance. Nandor, Laszlo, Sean, and baby Colin take a boy’s trip to the Pine Barrens and come face to face with a monstrous creature. The Jersey Devil isn’t a creature created by the FX series. In fact, tales of this legendary figure have haunted the Pine Barrens for decades.
[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers ahead for What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 7.]
The guys encounter the Jersey Devil in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Season 4
What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 7 features a boy’s trip to the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey. While there, Sean tells the guys a spooky story about a Jersey Devil attack. He describes the creature as having “dragon wings and a half goat/horse face with a chinstrap beard.” Sean also throws hoofs and horns into the mix.
Nandor and Laszlo, however, tell the cameras that the Jersey Devil is something vampires make up to explain the bodies that humans find in the woods. However, the end of the episode proves them wrong when the Jersey Devil attacks Sean. Baby Colin Robinson is able to subdue him with the power of Bon Jovi, allowing Laszlo and Nandor to drain him.
The Jersey Devil has been a part of the Pine Barrens folklore for decades
The Jersey Devil isn’t a creature that the creative minds behind What We Do in the Shadows made up. The legendary figure has been circulating in folklore for decades. According to Pinelands Preservation Alliance, the Jersey Devil was designated as the country’s only “state demon” in 1938.
The website also explains one of the most widely circulated origin stories for the Jersey Devil:
“Mrs. Leeds, a resident of Estellville, was distraught when she learned she was expecting for the thirteenth time. In disgust, she cried out, ‘Let it be the devil!’ The story continues that the child arrived and it was a baby devil. The creature then gave a screech unfolded its wings and flew out the window and into the adjacent swamp.”
Pinlands Preservation Alliance
Folklore descriptions of the Jersey Devil’s appearance are pretty similar to what Sean describes in What We Do in the Shadows. The creature walks on its hind legs, with hoofs, wings, and a horse-like face. At one point, there was a $100,000 reward offered to anyone who could catch the Jersey Devil, but the money was never claimed.
‘What We Do in the Shadows’ continues to introduce new mythical creatures
What We Do in the Shadows often draws its inspiration from mythology and folklore, and the show’s creative team is hoping to continue to introduce more creatures. In season 4, Nandor is granted 52 wishes by a Djinn, aka a genie.
“We have a running list of mythical creatures that we’re hoping to get into the show and… it’s just a matter of trying to work them in there,” executive producer and writer Stefani Robinson told TVLine. “So I think genie, it felt like the perfect time to go ahead and do that.”
New episodes of What We Do in the Shadows air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on FX.
