The Strain - S1E3 - Gone Smooth
Previously on The Strain, ‘The Box’
If you listened to our podcast on last week’s episode of The Strain, you heard me wonder how much longer it would be before Eph, Nora, and Jim finally understood what they’re up against. It made no sense that they’d not show the worms to the higher ups who insisted on labeling the incident the result of a faulty air system on the plane. Also, the survivors, so far, were exhibiting symptoms that could (maybe) be explained away as they insisted on going home. But surely someone besides the pilot would soon realize something’s wrong, right?
This week our CDC crew and the survivors had their a-ha moments.
But first, the episode begins with a big reveal for the viewers: Thomas is a Nosferatu-looking vampire who rocks contacts, prosthetics, dentures, makeup and a hairpiece to hide his true nature. He has plenty to do in this episode including killing the head of the airline and making it look like a suicide. This solidifies their story that the airline was at fault.
Eph and team blame the missing bodies from the morgue (and the missing coroner) on the government/military, even though Eph rightfully points out that they are the government. While Eph attends his custody hearing - which remains the least interesting part of the show - Nora decides to see Abraham for answers. She approaches him after he’s released from jail, but she doesn’t really want to hear what he has to say, which is: You need to find the bodies and destroy them… and anyone they’ve come in contact with. Because she doesn’t immediately jump at that idea, Abraham decides that she’s not ready and is of no use to him. You would think he would try explaining it to her in a way that doesn’t make him sound cuckoo, but he’s got shit to do. He has a Girl With the Dragon Tattoo wannabe supply him with a full list of the passengers and crew on the plane so he can pay them a visit with his trusty cane-sword.
After Eph’s hearing (in which his son totally played him and said he wanted to live with his mother), he visits the home of the little French girl. A phone call about Redfern’s condition saves Eph from getting the daddy treatment.
Meanwhile, Jim visits Thomas at The Stoneheart Group and demands to know what he let through when he allowed the box to leave the airport. Thomas pays him the remainder of the money he’s owed and basically tells Jim that info is above his pay grade. He also hints at being able to get Jim’s ill wife into some kind of exclusive medical trial so it’s safe to say that, for now, Jim is firmly in their pocket.
Some of the survivors are a bit further along than others in their deterioration/transformations. The nerdy husband is home with his wife who seems to suffer from an anxiety disorder. She worries about everything, including the fact that maybe her husband is not okay. She’s right, of course. His teeth are falling out, his eyes look like hell, and she caught him drinking the blood of raw meat.
Bolivar’s doctor tries to help him by prescribing a ton of meds, but he can’t do a damn thing for whatever’s going on between the rock star’s legs. Thankfully, we were spared a look at it… at first. Later, Bolivar discovers that his skin is turning white like the freaky makeup he wears in public, his hair is falling out, and while he’s taking a piss his dick falls off into the toilet. Considering he calmly flushed it instead of freaking the fuck out, I’m guessing his transformation is very close to complete.
Redfern, the surviving pilot, has gone full vamp. Despite Eph’s earlier promises that they would find out what’s wrong with him and fix it, he turns into a creature just like the little girl last week. Jim and Nora find him sucking down bags of blood in the hospital. He attacks, but Eph arrives in time to beat his head in with a fire extinguisher.
NOW will they show someone the damn worms?
Other Observations:
- Fet notes that he’s had more rat calls in a day than he usually gets in a week. Later, after disposing of one that bit a little girl in her bed, he watches as a ton of rats all run below ground. Also, this guy is kind of awesome. I really like him, which means he’ll probably die.
- No Gus this episode. Also absent: Mr. Palmer and Fitzwater. Are they off getting Palmer’s liver transplant? Is he with the thing in the box?
At the end of the fight scene with the pilot vamp was it just me or did Eph’s wig give anyone else a vibe from the Old Spice Commercial where the dude’s hair peace crawls across the table to get the chic’s number ?