The Strain - S4E3 - One Shot

Previously on The Strain, “The Blood Tax”  

Things have been moving at a snail’s pace for a shortened final season, but after the events in “One Shot,” events are poised to pick up as Eph uncovers a new strigoi plan, Zach doubles down on his commitment to the Master and his cause, and Fet and Quinlan get closer to finding their nuclear weapon.

One Shot for a Warhead

Roman (K.C. Collins) leads Fet and Quinlan to the missile silo, accompanied by a group of survivors offering backup in exchange for fuel and other supplies. They’re fired upon almost immediately; Quinlan is struck in the leg and falls into the silo. The sniper inside the silo isn’t willing to negotiate so Fet sneaks in via another entrance to take him out and free Quinlan. They give the shooter one chance to drop his gun or Quinlan will kill him. The soldier keeps shooting. When Fet finally neutralizes him, he admits that he doesn’t trust anyone since other humans who’d arrive previously were also working with strigoi. This explains the bodies strewn about above ground. Before he can say more, Quinlan shoots the soldier in the head. Well, he did warn him… fifteen minutes ago.

It seems it’s all for naught when Roman reveals the missile is missing an essential part, but Fet surmises a convoy of strigoi they spotted earlier might be hitting up all the nukes and removing the vital part to put them out of play. They need to find that convoy.

One Shot for a Poisoning

Making good on his promise to show Alex and her crew how to be better rebels, Eph whips up a batch of poison they can use to contaminate the blood supply pumped into a building of strigoi. They use the whole accident-in-the-road ploy to delay the tanker long enough to inject the poison.

The stake out one of the buildings long enough for the poison to work and then enter to see if it paid off. It did. All the strigoi inside are dead or dying, but such a massive blow to the Master (3,000 dead strigoi across several properties the tanker serviced) also puts Philadelphia on his radar. Eichorst is positive this is the work of Setrakian or his people.

At another location, Eph and Alex find shipping routes and cargo manifests suggesting the strigoi are moving something other than blood.

One Shot with a Girl Way Out of Your League

Zach finally makes progress in getting to know Abby after his pet finds her stealing fruit from his room. Realizing she’s afraid and hungry, he follows her and shows off his position within the strigoi hierarchy by sassing a passing muncher. After a trip to the Natural History Museum, Zach learns Abby’s parents were killed in the initial explosion… the one he caused. She’s living with other young people without parents, and most are sick and starving due to the low rations they’re given by The Partnership. Zach offers to let her take as much food from him as she wants.

Later, Zach questions the Master on the poor treatment some people are getting and the Master spins it as him helping a species that can’t help itself. His link to the consciousness of all he has spawned proves that humans are inherently selfish and violent. His plans for humanity will fix that and Zach can help. Or Zach is free to go and survive the best he can, without being able to help Abby.

Zach kneels to take the white.

Eph and Kelly totally fucked up with this kid. My God.