The Strain - S1E2 - The Box
Previously on The Strain, ‘Night Zero’
Cop/Exterminator
That guys who’s in EVERYTHING, but you can never remember his name is playing a pest control worker in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Look, I know NYC isn’t always the cleanest, but this guy was stocking up on some heavy artillery to go hunting vermin and bugs. I think he had a sword.
Vasiliy Fet, the pest control ninja, investigates the nasty goings-on at a fancy restaurant. The chef doesn’t want to acknowledge that there’s rat piss all over his kitchen and tries to pay him off, but Vasiliy can’t be bought. When he finds a rat nest, he shuts the place down except the diners shrug off his orders and even laugh. Cause, you know, New Yorkers don’t give a shit about pesky health code violations. Until Vasiliy produces a dead rat then everyone bounces, including Bolivar (more on him in a bit).
Gus
What time did that damn plane land? Because Gus was driving the van across the bridge at night and by the time he gets to the warehouse in Manhattan, the sun is coming up. I’m from Brooklyn and I call shenanigans on that. Anyway, no one is there to sign for the delivery so Gus decides to break one of Thomas’ three rules and goes sniffing around The Box. The cargo is moving and growling so Gus takes the fuck off. And that is the smartest thing he’s ever done in his entire life.
At home, we see that Gus is a serious mama boy. So much so, he doesn’t appreciate his drug addict brother giving her stolen gifts (the clock his brother stole from Abraham’s shop in episode one). The brother reminds Gus he’s no angel, spending two years in jail and all. Gus ignores him and says he’s going to return the stolen clock to Abraham’s shop.
Eph
After examining what was left of Bishop’s head (which looks a lot like Hamburger Helper), Eph rushes to figure out why the hell the four survivors have been given the okay to go home. The officials in charge are all too willing to blame the deaths on a plane air system malfunction even though Eph insists it’s viral. He’s overruled (and pulled off the case for good measure) and the four survivors are allowed to go home, which is more important to them than finding out what, if any, diseases they may be carrying.
Later, the pilot meets with Eph and Nora and tells them about the box added to their flight last minute. He’s not able to tell them which government agency ordered it delivered. He’s the only survivor worried about his health so Eph gives him the name of a doctor at the hospital who will admit him secretly and take care of him.
Eph is about blow off going to see his son, and it takes Nora reminding him that he’s in the middle of a custody battle to get his ass into gear. He heads over to see Zach and finds that he and Matt are converting Eph’s old office into a game room. After some awkward bro-bonding with Matt, Eph promises Zach that things will be different and he’s hoping the judge will grant shared custody in the hearing the next day. Then Eph heads to an AA meeting to get his mind right.
The Survivors
After throwing their collective temper tantrums, the four survivors are allowed to go home. But lady lawyer Luss and Bolivar stop at a trendy restaurant first to toast to all the money they’re going to make when they sue the airline. Bolivar’s manager, Ruby (Regina King!), is happy that her client survived because sales are up. Bolivar and Luss continue to brush off the buzzing in their heads that no one else can hear, and if Bolivar can’t turn that buzz into a melody, Ruby ain’t interested. Luss passes on Bolivar’s offer to party with illegal substances, citing her need to get home to her husband and kids, finally. No one’s mentioning that both Luss and Bolivar are rocking some pretty bloodshot eyes.
Later, Bolivar is having a four-way with some women Ruby provided and the sex party gets a little weird when his hair starts falling out. The party comes to a full stop when he bites one of the women on the neck.
The pilot has been admitted to the hospital and has a raging fever. Eph examines him under UV light and sees he has the same scar on his neck as the dead people, but it healed so quickly it’s only visible under UV. Also, there are worms crawling around under his skin. Eph and Nora head to the morgue since the ME isn’t answering the phone. On the way, Eph gets a call from Gary who apologizes for slapping Eph and reveals that his daughter is now home.
Eph and Nora arrive at the morgue to find all the bodies gone.
Abraham/Thomas/Stoneheart Group
The fact that the survivors are being delayed by the CDC really messes up Thomas’ timeline. Mr. Palmer is more concerned with when he’ll get to meet the contents of the box. Soon, Thomas promises. Then he leaves to visit Abraham in jail.
Since Thomas is referring to Abraham by the number tattooed on his arm, it’s safe to assume Thomas is a fucking Nazi - an evil, non-breathing Nazi. He taunts Abraham by going over the details of the death of a woman who was very important to Abraham. So important, that’s her heart homeboy is still holding onto in that jar. Abraham does some taunting of his own by bragging about killing a friend of Thomas’. He promises they’ll be reunited soon.
Fitzwater is worried that Mr. Palmer won’t get to a liver match in time, but Palmer thinks the arrival of the mysterious box will solve all of his health problems. They head to the warehouse where Gus delivered the box and Palmer instructs Fitzwater to stay in the car, despite his warnings that Palmer is being bamboozled with fake claims of being able to cure him.
Palmer finally lays eyes on his savior, the vampire Dementor - and it talks! When it pulls off its hood, Palmer doesn’t look too pleased at what he sees.
Meanwhile, Gary finds his back-from-the-dead daughter chilling in a bathtub with the water up to her nose. Not a single light on. This can’t end well. And it doesn’t. She attacks her father much like Bishop was attacked and then slinks back down into the water, watching her dead father’s body.
