The Strain - S2E9 - The Battle for Red Hook

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Previously on The Strain, ‘Intruders’

Everyone on this show is a shitty planner. That’s why this has dragged on as long as it has. Neither side can get a solid win because they’re equally terrible at devising a GOOD plan and seeing it through. Wasn’t the reason Barnes was put in place as Health Secretary was because he would make sure the city isn’t quarantined, therefore, the virus could spread? So, why the hell is there a quarantine with the exception of government workers? What the hell is The Master waiting for? Oh, maybe he’s focused on trying to stop this surprisingly effective  - despite their poor planning - resistance led by Abe! So he should be there for this Red Hook battle! This should be good…

Oh, before I forget, how you gonna wait till season two is more than halfway done to give the show new opening credits?

The Early Bird Gets the Worms

Captain Macina arrives at his boat at a pier in Manhattan and finds Eichorst waiting for him. Eichorst offers the captain lots of money to ferry a private party across the river to Red Hook. The party is as many people as the boat can carry. He’ll get half the cash now, the rest when they’re safely in Red Hook that night. Macina accepts more out of fear than anything else.

Eichorst returns home to find Kelly being consoled by one of her spider kids - probably the only one left.

Sidenote: Doesn’t it feel like the strigoi have lost way more than the good guys? We haven’t lost anyone since Jim. Fitzwilliam doesn’t count. 

He tells Kelly to cheer up, Zach belongs with her, and Nora can never replace her. Eichorst is basically that girlfriend telling the ex-baby mama that dude’s new wife ain’t shit. 

Lucky for Kelly, Eichorst has a plan to get them into Red Hook. Then he tells her to fix her face.

Houseguests Are Like Fish

Fet has finally got his place cleaned up and secure - you know he’s about tired of these disrespectful houseguests. After everyone is clear they should try to not open the door for vampires, they debate their next move. Abe is ready to end this shit since The Master now knows where they are. Nora makes sure to point out to Zach that this is because The Master can see through Kelly’s vampire eyes. You know, in case this kid forgot his mother is a vampire and he probably shouldn’t be opening the door for her.

Eph floats the idea of going to Feraldo for help. Abe disagrees, but he’s outvoted. Fet wants to check on Dutch at Nicky’s place and Nora offers to tag along. This leaves Abe and Eph to appeal to Feraldo.

At the apartment Nicky is squatting in, Dutch makes the windows vampire-proof and Nicky drops the not-so-explosive bomb that her mother wants her to move back home. (She must have gotten that bomb from Fet. His shit doesn’t work, either.) Dutch pouts and snitches about all the horrible things Nicky’s mother said. This conversation no one cares about is interrupted by Fet and Nora’s arrival.

Abe and Eph head for Feraldo’s HQ and Eph brings up the Lumen. Abe doesn’t feel like hearing shit about his crazy pursuit of the book. Eph is like, “Hello? Did you hear about how bad I shit the bed in D.C.? No judging here, dude.” Plus, he’s not giving up on his bioweapon so he gets it. Abe warns that the bioweapon may be an exercise in futility and asks Eph to confirm that rifle he’s walking around with in broad daylight isn’t for The Master. He warns Eph about losing his humanity. Joke’s on Abe: Who said Eph ever had any and….

Who the fuck is watching Zach?

Oh, that hipster dude walking in front of them is actually Zach. 

The Mayor Gets Greedy

Feraldo fills in the mayor on her Red Hook success. She wants to push further into Brooklyn, but he wants a bolder approach like… all the fancy Manhattan neighborhoods of his friends. Before Feraldo can tell him to kiss her entire ass, Eph barges in with a rifle slung over his shoulder and isn’t immediately shot by the cops. #DatPrivilege

Eph has to name drop, and grip up, Zach in order to keep from being thrown out. Eph warns that Red Hook isn’t safe, which Feraldo thinks is impossible. They become even more reluctant to listen when Abe starts in with his “The Master can see through their eyes” and “strigoi” talk.

Why Was I Looking for You Again?

Nicky and Dutch get into a fight after Dutch admits she loves Fet. To flip the script, she asks Nicky if she stole her money, which Nicky denies. She does confess to throwing Dutch’s laptop in the river because petty.

The fight becomes super confusing as Dutch accuses Nicky of always judging her and implies her story about what happened after she left the convenience store doesn’t add up. Dutch is also shitty with herself for bothering to seek Nicky for closure. Nicky counters that there’s something wrong with Dutch (you think?). Dutch thinks her problem is being in love with Nicky despite the fact that Nicky doesn’t make her happy.

I’m sorry, but Dutch’s complaints sound like something Nicky should be saying when you consider Nicky’s mother’s accusations of how Dutch treated Nicky. None of this fits coming out of Dutch’s mouth. (Though I do love the line, “I’ve always been in love with you, and it’s never made me happy.”)

Speaking of Dutch’s mouth, they kiss and have sex.

The Night the Lights Went Out in Red Hook

After paying Macina in neck worms, Eichorst, Kelly, and their crew head to the power plant and convince an electrician to kill the power in Red Hook.

Abe predicts a full frontal assault now that UV lights are down. Feraldo considers that Abe might actually know what he’s talking about and wants to stand their ground. The mayor throws up deuces and leaves. This is way above his pay grade.

Feraldo gets a crash course on using a rifle and everyone takes up arms as the strigoi approach the checkpoint. Bullets are fired, strigoi are killed, and Abe is all, “You ain’t seen shit yet.” He’s going back to Fet’s, confident that Eichorst will go there looking for him. Eph sees getting the power restored as a higher priority, but we all know Abe is petty and ’bout that vengeance.

Fet, Nora, and Zach head to the power station to see about getting the lights back on. When Dutch and Nicky realize the lights are out and that there’s gunfire in the distance, Dutch suits up to help. Nicky thinks she’s crazy, but Dutch is thinking of others. And by others I mean, Fet.

At the checkpoint, the surviving strigoi cry out to each other. Feraldo and Captain Frank head to higher ground to get a better look beyond the gates. They see a shitton more strigoi and Feraldo panics. She was trusted to protect this neighborhood and she has led these people to their deaths. Frank tells her to get her balls right and stop with the pity party. She knows he’s right and they prepare to fight.

Taking it to the Streets

At the power station, the team encounters strigoi and one sends a signal to Kelly. Kelly gets the message loud and clear as she and Eichorst walk down the street. He tells her to go handle her business.

Feraldo takes part in the worst parade ever as she stands atop a truck and wakes the neighborhood from a sound sleep to tell them they need to get their balls together and fight for their city. Good thing, too, because the cops at the checkpoint are overpowered by strigoi just as Feraldo and the armed citizens arrive. We almost lose Dutch, but Nicky shows up with the dagger Dutch gave her and she stabs the vamp in the neck.

At the power station, they find the control booth they need, and Eph leaves the group to check on Abe. They get the power on just as Dutch is about to be killed (again). The UV lights shine and kill the remaining strigoi.

Kelly appears at the control booth’s window. After Nora and Zach draw Kelly’s attention away from the door, Fet leaves the booth and shoots at Nora. He loses her, but then she finds him and the two scuffle. Kelly gets Fet’s gun and fires at him as he runs off. She tries shooting the booth’s window, but to no avail. While Fet holds her down, Nora and Zach run for safety. Fet comes thisclose to getting wormed, but police arrive and scare Kelly off.

Still Nazi AF

Eichorst walks up in Fet’s place like he pays rent. He calls out for Abe, and Abe finally answers from outside. He tells Eichorst to come out and get this shit over with. Eichorst races out and is just about to attack when Eph shoots at Eichorst from a window.

Eichorst switches targets - WHY? - because he has suddenly decided to kill Eph rather than finish a decades-old rivalry. Eichorst runs into the building while Eph heads for a higher floor. After some seriously racist taunting (Can’t take the Nazi out of the vamp, I guess.), Eichorst gets personal and reveals he knows Eph didn’t want his wife’s pregnancy. Eph fires at Eichorst a few times, misses, and then struggles to reload. Eichorst looks at him like he’s that otter trying to stack those cups.

And in the episode’s final “this is obviously not going to end in a death so someone will show up at the last second to save the day” scene, Abe shoots at Eichorst before Eichorst can kill Eph. Eichorst jumps out the window and disappears into the night.

A Very Goonies Ending

Everyone is reunited at the checkpoint after sunrise. Fet is suddenly not butthurt over Nicky when he learns she saved Dutch’s life. Feraldo gives a rousing speech, everyone cheers, and Fet needs to burn that damn coat.

Questions:

• Is The Master busy? Did he have a conflict on his calendar so he couldn’t possibly attend the occupation of the Brooklyn neighborhood which holds one of his oldest enemies and the one man who is actually trying to spread a bioweapon to beat him?
• Did Fet get wormed? I don’t think so, but I have to ask for all the conspiracy theorists.
• No, seriously, what the fuck was The Master doing that was more important than this? It’s not like his team is known for bringing back positive results.
• Where are Quinlan and Gus? Are they doing dishes at the restaurant?