The Strain (Guillermo del Toro's New FX Summer Show)

[Guy Gardener]

I suppose every one else noticed that he was doing a reverse Cushing?

Although if they make him a Moff in the new Star Wars movie, then it'll just be a random Cushing.

 

[JD]

Yeah, those flashbacks were pretty cool. I wouldn't mind seeing more.
Definitely agree about Joan's sniffing the kids being creepy.
So I guess Fet's encounter with the Vampires in the sewer answers my earlier question about how the rats tie into the Vampire plague.
I have to admit, when this first started I was expecting a big action packed series, but I actually like the slower build we've been getting so far.

 

[KGator]

Yeah, those flashbacks were pretty cool. I wouldn't mind seeing more.
Definitely agree about Joan's sniffing the kids being creepy.
So I guess Fet's encounter with the Vampires in the sewer answers my earlier question about how the rats tie into the Vampire plague.
I have to admit, when this first started I was expecting a big action packed series, but I actually like the slower build we've been getting so far.

The scene with the mother and children was definitely the creepiest of the episode, I agree.

After the scene in the old folks home where vampires are starting to openly attack people . . . I would think the whole idea of having to convince the CDC that there is an epidemic is probably a moot point.

I realize the attacks on the internet is supposed to help us believe that the spread of information is occuring more like it could have during the pre-hi tech internet age than it would today but . . . are landlines, television and radio signals all being jammed also? Or are these events just taking place in such a short time span that they are literally doing twenty things a day and news is only just beginning to naturally filter out?

We need more Fet. I'm glad to see him back involved.

 

[Scout101]

Yeah, that's the thing. The CDC trying to fire/contain Eph seems pretty dumb. Video evidence, plus the number of attacks seems to be escalating. And wouldn't be too hard to just follow up with ANY of the families of the 'dead' and discover that there's something wrong here.

*generic plot obstacle, no one believes in our hero*

Radio, land lines, TV, this would be out already. Can't imagine the news is suddenly ignoring the 4 survivors PLUS the families of all the dead, just a day or so after the big mystery at the airport. And no one is concerned that the Coronor's office where all the bodies went hasn't said a peep in a day, not returning calls, and everyone is either dead or missing?

Lot of stuff going on that's hard to believe. Need to speed up the pace to imagine it all going wrong, it's too slow to not follow up on ANYTHING...

 

[JD]

Have we seen anyone using cell phones in the last couple episodes? I swear I remember somebody saying something about effecting the cell phone signals, but I can't remember if we've seen people using them or not.

 

[sojourner]

We see people attempting to use them, but I don't recall anyone getting through. Unless you count Eph leaving repeated messages for whatsherface, but that could just be the system sending him straight to a mailbox.

 

[Borgminister]

As flawed as it is, it at least holds your interest, unlike the painfully boring Extant.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Renewed for season 2

 

[JD]

As flawed as it is, it at least holds your interest, unlike the painfully boring Extant.

I actually had the same thought the other day. Both shows are going for a slow build, but The Strain manages to make it work, while Extant isn't quite as successful.
I did enjoy the episode overall, but I do agree that eclipse stuff was rather disappointing.
I'm glad we finally have Eph, Setrakian, and Nora together.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I echo previous comments. I wish the show picked things up a bit more, but it's interesting enough to hold my interest. The eclipse was definitely a little disappointing. For some reason, I remember it differently in the book. Although, it has been a while since I've read the book. Regardless, I'll keep watching.

 

[sojourner]

Oooh, good vampires. Not too sparkly though!

 

[Guy Gardener]

Factions.

Rules.

This is an alarmingly good inclusion.

It means that it's not alpowerful Dracula vs. The Mayor of new York. Dracula is a Hobo asshole attacking America that already has a Vampire King who likes the status quo with freerange food... Really from the looks of these soldier boys, they probably have battery farms like in Daybreakers and have no interest in actively declaring their ownership of humanity as long as their much smaller civilization ticks over happily.

 

[Beagleman]

Finaly something interesting, Vamp hunting Vamps, seems I'm still in.

 

[JD]

This was definitely the best episode of the series so far. I was not expecting that ending at all.

 

[Enterprise1701]

I just watched "For Services Rendered". Oh wow. Is that hunter leader one of the other Ancients?

 

[JD]

I had just assumed he just another one of the same kind of intelligent Vampires as Eichorst. I didn't even think of he could be another one of the Ancients.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Ancient is a sliding scale.

Lets assume that there's a pyramid scheme at work here.

The rest of the Vamps working for the Vamp who was giving orders, has someone below him (those guys) and someone above him, who probably has someone else above him still, and so on, and so on.

Are we assuming some sort of ant-telepathy or bio-triggers that are programmed chemically upon transmission of the virus?

If it's like radio then either we are talking wavelengths, or if it is all on the single wavelength, it could just be a question of volume and potency.

Royal Jelly or Time?

How does an unthinking monster later become a person who happens to drink blood.

If it's jelly, or something like jelly that turns a drone into a Queen as far as bees are concerned, is it a one time dose or periodic?

If it's time, then it's like doctors or lawyers in a practice... but if you try to rise in the ranks too quickly you're just going to be murdered by your superiors before you do become a real threat.

 

[Mister Fandango]

Well, we already know there's at least a few other ancients, and they each have their own agendas.

If taking over the earth and revealing their presence to the general population was any of their plans, that's clearly something they would have indulged in by now. So, the so-called "Master" is obviously in opposition to the other ancients.

It's also very likely that an ancient wouldn't have any issue taking out even a score of minor vampires; not with the powers we've seen in the Master's possession already, including the flying and whatnot. We also know that the Master has the ability to create sentient vampires, ala Eichorst. So it stands to reason that the other ancients have a similar ability.

Considering that the black ops squad all appeared to be more like Eichorst than the Master, it also stands to reason that they weren't ancients, just minions of another ancient or (probably more likely) group of ancients. A sort of police force they put together to keep their identities secret from the world, hence them already being well-trained and equipped despite the Master only having recently revealed his plot.

 

[kitik]

Just caught up on the last 4 episodes. Pretty good.

So for Sunday night's episode, I was like

Spoiler: last night

well, the Hobbit is dead, I'm surprised he made it this long

but then I was like

Spoiler: surprise

whoa, they saved him, that's a big surprise that I didn't see coming, this is an interesting twist to the show

and then later

Spoiler: the end

oh, nope, he's definitely dead this time

 

[Beagleman]

Yeah, Hobbit was obvious. Last episode was very meh. Trapped in a gas station for a whole episode, zombie movie cliche (plus I don't care about any of those characters except whatshisname with sword and whatshisname rat killer)!
I'd like more vampire backround...