The Strain - S2E7 - The Born
Previously on The Strain, ‘Identity’
The Night Demon of Sicily
There Quinlan was, fighting in the great fighting pits of Meereen…
Kidding. He was a Roman gladiator, though, and killed EVERYONE. As a student of human nature, he allowed himself to be captured and fought in the gladiator arena sponsored by senator Sertorius with knowledge of the dark arts. Knowing exactly what Quinlan is (a demon/human hybrid), he offers him the ultimate place to study human nature: the battlefield.
Does There HAVE to Be a Morning After?
In bed, Dutch and Fet kiss good morning and she takes a moment to lament the passing of poor Fitzwiliam. Then they discuss her heading home to get some clean clothes since she’s basically living at Fet’s.
At her place, they find an injured Nicky hiding in the closet. She hurt her ankle running from the vampires outside the convenience store. Too afraid to go to the ER, she’s been holed up in their apartment every night since. Dutch is so happy to see her. Fet? Not so much. His butt is so hurt and he can’t hide it. He doesn’t protest when Dutch suggests she and Nicky move into his place. NERVE.
At home, Nora tends to Nicky’s ankle and Abraham is ready to get on with the vampire hunting, but Fet would like a word with Dutch first. Well, several words like: Why the fuck haven’t you asked her about the stolen money and laptop? Oh, and when are you going to tell her you’re teaching me to swim? Dutch asks for time and then declines going with Fet and Abraham to one of Palmer’s factories.
Speaking of Palmer
While CoCo tries to work, Palmer stares at her like a dirty old man. He asks her to take a ride with him later, and she accepts. He sends her off to fetch some tea when one of his men arrives with news of Goodweather: the hitman is dead, the bioweapon is in friendly hands, but Eph is missing. Palmer is not pleased.
Meanwhile, Eph foregoes heading home to clean his wound in a public bathroom and then drown his sorrows in lots of bourbon at a bar. We learn Eph is not much of a sipper, but a gulper.
When he finally does make it home, he interrupts a conversation where Nicky was about to find out where Dutch sleeps. He’s a drunk mess. Dutch suggests he sleeps it off before seeing his son.
“Maybe I should lie down in yours and Fet’s room.”
Dutch looks at him like, “You dry-snitching motherfucker.”
Later, Nora finds Eph sleeping and then cleans his bullet wound. She also tells him about Kelly’s attack and that he should probably talk to his son.
Now, That’s an Entrance
Fet and Abraham break into one of Palmer’s factories in the Bronx. While they find the school bus for the blind children, Quinlan takes out a guard who spied them.
Inside, Fet and Abe find the bodies of the Feelers culled from the herd and The Master’s new mound of dirt. When The Feelers appear, Fet shoots at them, but they quickly coordinate as The Master telepathically communicates with them. However, they sense someone near and start hopping away.
It’s Quinlan, and before anyone can say, “Who the fuck is that?,” Quinlan takes out several Feelers and it’s pretty badass.
“Hello, Professor,” he says after fucking shit up.
After introductions and a threat towards Fet, Quinlan reveals he’s been hunting The Master his entire life.
Gorrim, Albania 1873
Quinlan arrives in the hometown of Josef Sardo. The village is practically abandoned thanks to the kidnapped children who returned to infect everyone. He came because of the “giant in the castle,” but he fears he’s too late. Inside the castle, he finds Sardo’s discarded cane, The Master’s bed of dirt, and turned children. He speaks to The Master through the children before killing them. He knows The Master is terrified.
Back in the present day, Quinlan informs Abraham that thanks to The Ancients, he knows what a badass he is. He’s the first person to force The Master to change forms, but that’s nothing compared to leading Quinlan right to The Master’s resting place. And he takes off.
Abraham is all, “Wait. What now?”
Excited that The Master is in the building, Abraham barks at Fet to fetch some explosives.
Complacency is the Enemy of Empires
The “ride” Palmer referred to was a helicopter ride above the city as it burns. CoCo asks about his Goodweather meeting earlier, and he says that Eph killed three people in D.C., including his former boss, a good friend of his.
Later, they kiss and have sex in his bed and it’s gross.
Daddy Issues
Quinlan and The Master come face-to-face. Quinlan teases him about having to choose a new form, which The Master shrugs off as no big deal. Eichorst walks in and Quinlan is like, “So, this is your new bitch?” Quinlan wonders why The Master is carrying out such a public siege.
As they speak, Fet is running around placing explosives throughout the the joint.
With Abraham at Quinlan’s side, and Eichorst at The Master’s, Quinlan is ready to do this. The Master threatens to make Quinlan scream out in agony, just as he did to his mother.
Oh, no he didn’t!
Quinlan screams and charges, but the explosives take out the ceiling and brings down debris between them. The Master runs off, and as Abraham picks himself up, Quinlan is like, “You had one damn job! You’ve cost me an opportunity to kill him once and for all. Stay down, old man. I got this.”
Abraham is all, “Wait. What now?”
Fet returns and the two hustle out as sirens ring in the distance.
Eph wakes Zach, and says he doesn’t know if who Zach saw was his mom. But Nora already said that it was and she’s not repeating herself. She’s also not getting in the middle of this shit so she leaves the room. Eph is a bit annoyed that Zach learned of the familial pull of the strigoi from Abraham. He promises to keep Zach safe, but Zach points out his promises ain’t shit.
Full House
Fet and Abraham return, and Fet breaks up a tender moment between Dutch and Nicky as Dutch tells Nicky her mom has been worried about her. Fet takes out his anger on Eph by reminding him they’ve been taking care of his son while he was off in D.C. Fed up with these motherfucking houseguests in his motherfucking house, Fet leaves.
Eph finds Fet at the neighborhood bar. They drown their sorrows before Eph reveals he’s going to kill Palmer.
Excuse me if this doesn’t do it for me. The last declaration of retaliation against Palmer led to fuck-all.
Fucked Up Bedtime Story Continued
Abraham finishes the story that opened the episode, reading it to Zach at his bedside. Abraham went to the Old Nan School of Childcare. After the Roman empire fell, no one knows what happened to the mysterious gladiator, despite a few sightings. They certainly don’t know where he came from, but the name given to him by senator Sertorius may be a clue: The Born.
Overall Thoughts:
- Love that we got to see evidence of Quinlan training Vahn and the others in his fighting style: yanking out a stinger with his bare hands.
- Context clues tells me that The Master is Quinlan’s daddy. I hope this is true.
- What’s with such poorly executed plans? Why did Abraham think toppling a building on The Master would be enough to stop him?
- Do we think Palmer’s ass is in trouble for providing The Master with a not-so-safe house?
