The Taika Waititi-directed pilot episode of FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” television series kicked off last night, introducing a new group of vampires being followed around by a documentary crew in Staten Island. If the first episode was any indication, the series is going to be as hilarious as the film, as the cast is excellent and the humor pitch perfectly in line with the movie’s. In other words, if the movie made you laugh a whole bunch, the series will too.

The pilot episode primarily centered on the impending arrival of Baron Afanas, on his way to Staten Island to check up on the vamps and make sure they’re ruling over humans as he wants them to. Of course, that’s not exactly how things have been going – these vamps, after all, aren’t the brightest bulbs. Towards the end of the episode, the Baron emerged from his casket.

And yes, that was indeed the great creature performer Doug Jones, known primarily for his roles as Abe Sapien in the Hellboy films and the Gill Man in The Shape of Water! Jones wore a creature suit/makeup designed by Todd Masters and his company MastersFX, and the company has provided us with some exclusive shots you can check out below.

The character was actually pretty creepy at first, speaking in an inhuman language and viciously draining a familiar, but of course, it wasn’t long before even the ancient master from the Old World flexed his funny side. The Baron is intent on ruling over the humans of Staten Island – and he might also want to rekindle his romances with both Nadja and Laszlo.

Doug Jones was merely the cherry on top of a hilarious pilot episode of “What We Do in the Shadows,” which also introduced a new type of vampire: the “energy vampire.” Mark Proksch plays Colin Robinson, roommate to traditional vamps Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Laszlo (Matt Berry), and he’s not so much a “vampire” as he is a really dull human who sucks the energy out of the room; in other words, the most boring, irritating guy at the office. It’s a clever gag that, I can be pretty sure, will remain funny for weeks to come.

And then there’s Harvey Guillén as Guillermo, Nandor’s human familiar. Guillermo yearns to be turned by Nandor, who clearly has no intention of granting his wish. Guillermo really looks to be the heart of the series, and Guillén is lovably hilarious in the role. The cast all around is fantastic, each of them feeling like worthy replacements for the film’s beloved characters.

“What We Do in the Shadows” promises to be a fun new weekly watch. Consider us on board.

New episodes air Wednesday nights at 10pm!