Wellington Paranormal is a must-watch for horror fans

Wellington Paranormal has officially made its stateside premiere on The CW and HBO Max. WarnerMedia has made the New Zealand import and What We Do in the Shadows spin-off very accessible to fans, so what are you waiting for?

Created by the hilarious duo Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, Wellington Paranormal‘s first two episodes (which are now available to stream) introduce (or re-introduce for those who are caught up on the franchise) Officer Kyle Minogue (Mike Minogue) and Officer O’Leary (Karen O’Leary) in a mockumentary-style format for this new series that feels like What We Do in the Shadows meets Reno 911.

In the first episode, “Demon Girl,” the officers encounter a possessed teenage girl and are subsequently officially inducted into the Paranormal Unit by Sergeant Ruawai Maaka (Maaka Pohatu). Watching the cops run around as they try to reign in the crazed demon Bazu’aal of the Unholy Realm, they’re blissfully unaware that the demon can hop from host to host.

Wellington Paranormal Season 1, Episode 2 explores crop circles

Then the second episode follows up with “Cop Circles,” an obvious play on crop circles. It starts with Maaka requesting his officers investigate a report of a cow being stuck up in a tree and its possible connections to extraterrestrial activity.

When they encounter a farmer who says he’s been abducted by aliens, the officers assume he’s just hungover and send him home. Not long after, they find strange plant buds and poke them recklessly, releasing an acidic spritz onto their clothing.

By the end of the episode, the cops haven’t really solved anything and actually mistakenly unleash some rather sentient evil alien plants into the world who morph into exact replicas of O’Leary, Minogue and Maaka. Plus, in the final moments, we see a UFO actually abduct a cow.

If you’ve watched other projects by Clement and Waititi, then you likely know what kind of humor to anticipate here. Wellington Paranormal takes things to another level with Minogue and O’Leary frequently overcomplicating every case they receive. Throughout the first season, we’ll see them deal with werewolves, haunted houses, and more as each week they tackle another case of a hallmark horror creature or paranormal being.

Also, fans of What We Do in the Shadows will notice some fun callbacks and crossovers throughout the first season, so keep your eyes peeled!