The Strain - S2E10 - The Assassin

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Previously on The Strain, ‘The Battle for Red Hook’

Where the hell did that new opening credits sequence go?

“This Dick Ain’t Freeeee” - Kendrick Lamar

The mayor addresses the rich folks of the Upper East Side in a fancy department store which will serve as Feraldo’s command center. She then explains that this protection ain’t free. The 1%ers will have to pay 1% of their property value to get the ball rolling. The rich people harrumph, the mayor is pissed, and Feraldo gives not a single fuck.

Book of the Damned

As Fet drives the bread truck, Nora asks Abe about the Lumen. Any time it was known to be in a city, that city was soon plagued with sickness or upheaval. It is said to curse anyone who reads it, but Abe is willing to take that chance cause he’s a G.

They’re looking for Fonescu - the man with the Lumen - and hit up the second address on a list of four. Why wouldn’t this man change his name? Why is he listed?

Anyway, this address is a bust. It’s filled with trap house music and vampires. After determining no one in that apartment ever read a book a day in their lives, they leave.

Please, baby, please, baby, baby, baby, please

Meanwhile, Palmer ventures to the hood to beg CoCo to take him back. He’s barely able to get the words out after climbing three flights of stairs, but says he loves her and he wants her back. She relents cause have you seen her apartment? She ready to go back to that elevator life! I kid.

Eph and Dutch have conveniently found an empty apartment with a clear view of Palmer’s office. While they wait for Palmer to turn up, Dutch uses a story about some horny chimps to admit that she wants to bang Nicky and Fet. When Palmer arrives with Coco, Eph and Dutch can hear everything they’re saying via a fancy fiber-optics hook up: CoCo is waffling about being there and Palmer is doing more begging. The mayor arrives and asks Palmer to talk some sense into Feraldo. Even though he has never met this woman, Palmer agrees. How this makes any sense is beyond me.

But they now know where Palmer will be at 3pm. Dutch says they need to hustle over there and find a perch. Can’t they just find a perch outside of Palmer’s office building? Does he leave through an underground garage? Never mind. Pretty sure Manhattan doesn’t have those. 

Fonescu #3

The third address is a bookstore in Queens, which they break into wondering if Fonescu has an apartment above the shop. He does, and Fet makes Abe go up the stairs first cause that shit was funny. They begin to search the apartment for the Lumen.

The Assy Knoll

While the 1%ers bluster and Feraldo continues to not give a fuck inside, Eph and Dutch set up on a nearby rooftop. He takes a healthy chug from her flask because it’s a good idea to drink when you’re about to take a sniper shot and you’re not a sniper. Either way, Dutch thinks he looks badass.

When Palmer arrives, he’s surrounded by press (because he had CoCo tell them where he’d be) so it’s hard for Eph to get a clean shot. Also, it’s hard because EPH IS NOT A SNIPER. Dutch coaches him through taking the shot because she has binoculars. *eye-roll*

Eph finally takes the shot and exactly what I said on the podcast three weeks ago happened: He shoots CoCo (but he doesn’t know that). He sees blood on the glass and assumes he got Palmer. They race to make their escape, but they’re eventually caught by a super observant cop. Either that or he just doesn’t like being accidentally bumped into.

Sounds Like a Personal Problem

As they’re searching the apartment, Fet, Nora, and Abe hear a news report about the shooting. Nora flips when she finds out it was Eph and Dutch and that they’re now in police custody. They want to head to the police station, but Abe is like, “Uh, do you see all these books? They knew the risks.” Fet and Nora don’t agree and leave Abe to search through 293,280,382 books on his own.

In the bread truck, Nora is furious that Fet didn’t tell her what Eph was planning. So, she never asked him WHY he traded surgery for a sniper rifle?

At Palmer’s, CoCo is undergoing surgery in his office, as you do. Eichorst arrives to gloat a bit, but Palmer wants him to get The Master to save CoCo. If not, he’s done working for him. Eichorst is all, “Let me get this straight…” and repeats back Palmer’s ridiculous demand. Then he Kanye shrugs and says, “Aight.”

Later, the doctor informs Palmer that CoCo is stable, but probably brain dead.

Eph and Dutch are cooling their heels in a cell when the arresting detective orders the other officers to take a break. He grabs Dutch, but won’t tell Eph where they’re taking her. Palmer then arrives to taunt Eph. Eph is sorry to hear he hit an innocent woman, but isn’t remorseful for trying to kill Palmer. Palmer excuses what he’s done as a natural part of life - a dominant species takes over. Eph is now wising he were a better shot. He does warn Palmer that The Master has no reason to share his kingdom.

Fonescu #4

At the final address, Abraham finds the Lumen, but is promptly hit over the head from behind and the mystery assailant takes the Lumen as Abraham passes out.

CoCo Gets the Essence

For some damn reason, The Master arrives at CoCo’s bedside and gives her a drop of his essence, which immediately cures her. She’s startled to find him standing over her, but he soon disappears. Palmer explains who he is and what he’s done. She does not look happy.

Attack on Precinct Nope

Strigoi descend upon the precinct, taking out the cops. One seeks safety in the cell with Eph and they’re thankfully just out of the reach of the stingers. That is until the cop tries to reload his gun and he’s struck in the arm and neck. Fet and Nora arrive, dispatch of the vampires, and free Eph. The detective returns and reveals his partner took Dutch to the Mayfair Hotel.

Meanwhile, Dutch is resisting the pull of the chains she’s in as Eichorst turns a crank and pulls her closer.

Questions:

• Why would The Master save CoCo for Palmer?
• How did the cop on the street know that Eph was the shooter?
• What the fuck is The Master doing with his time?