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

[Borgminister]

Yeah it's uneven and a bit shaky but I still rather like the leads and story in general. The prison confrontation was quite creepy, and daughter eating daddy scene was suitably disgusting yet fascinating.

Let's hope it gets tighter, more coherent and better paced over time, because it is good to see vampires get scary again after this recent spate of teenage angst vampire shows.

 

[Enterprise1701]

Y'know I bet that if The Strain happened in real life, the vampires would be unceremoniously defeated very quickly since we have all sorts of vampire fiction to draw knowledge from.

 

[sojourner]

Since we don't know the "rules" yet for vampirism in this show, I'm not sure it would be that easy. Right now it's a very infectious disease carried by tiny worms that are easy to overlook.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Since we don't know the "rules" yet for vampirism in this show, I'm not sure it would be that easy. Right now it's a very infectious disease carried by tiny worms that are easy to overlook.

Vampire biology is given quite clearly in the novel. If you're curious, check out the Wiki entry.

In short: Vampires in The Strain are nothing like the ones from classical literature, films, etc. Hell, they don't even bite. They can attack while still a considerable distance away, which really changes the game.

 

[Icemizer]

Many similarities to Lumleys vampires in the Necroscope series, which I would love to see turned into a series.

 

[Enterprise1701]

Since we don't know the "rules" yet for vampirism in this show, I'm not sure it would be that easy. Right now it's a very infectious disease carried by tiny worms that are easy to overlook.

Still though, I'd hope that real CDC people aren't dumb enough to think that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause.

 

[sojourner]

Since we don't know the "rules" yet for vampirism in this show, I'm not sure it would be that easy. Right now it's a very infectious disease carried by tiny worms that are easy to overlook.

Still though, I'd hope that real CDC people aren't dumb enough to think that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause.

Our main characters (the cdc scientists) didn't. The bureaucratic pencil pushers above them fell for the story.

 

[KGator]

Since we don't know the "rules" yet for vampirism in this show, I'm not sure it would be that easy. Right now it's a very infectious disease carried by tiny worms that are easy to overlook.

Still though, I'd hope that real CDC people aren't dumb enough to think that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause.

Our main characters (the cdc scientists) didn't. The bureaucratic pencil pushers above them fell for the story.

I think he was referring to the CDC supervisor and the director of Health and Human Services.

 

[JD]

Y'know I bet that if The Strain happened in real life, the vampires would be unceremoniously defeated very quickly since we have all sorts of vampire fiction to draw knowledge from.

Yeah, but vampire fiction isn't always consistent in their weaknesses, so it could take a while to figure out which, if any, of the classical weakness applied to the real world vamps.

 

[Enterprise1701]

Still though, I'd hope that real CDC people aren't dumb enough to think that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause.

Our main characters (the cdc scientists) didn't. The bureaucratic pencil pushers above them fell for the story.

I think he was referring to the CDC supervisor and the director of Health and Human Services.

Yeah although they could be bureaucrats. I'm also mad that Doctor Goodweather just decided to ignore Professor Setrakian despite that Setrakian clearly knew way more than he should have. And why didn't Setrakian just try to give more details when he had the chance? Argh.

 

[Enterprise1701]

I don't get this episode. Why didn't Goodweather and Martinez tell their supervisor about the worms? Why didn't Martinez ask Setrakian about the worms? Why didn't Setrakian just come out and say "vampire"? Is Eichorst a vampire, cause he seems to possess sentience? Why didn't Bolivar have a bigger reaction to his penis falling off? Oh and where's Gus? I thought he was supposed to be returning the clock to Setrakian.

On the other hand, I hope that their firsthand encounter with the vampirified Captain Redford should be enough to convince Goodweather and Martinez to trust Setrakian more and start hunting the undead corpses.

The show is still sufficiently compelling to me.

 

[Borgminister]

I think they're weaving quite a few threads together here and largely succeeding... The Buffalo Bob moment was jarring; he probably was slowly being transformed anyway. I suppose vampires have no wee-wees in this show. And the survivors seem to be mutating at a different rate.

I found the "makeup" scene at the start to be worth the episode by itself... creepy. Not the best of shows, but plus points for trying something "new"...

 

[Bad Bishop]

Anyone remember Salem's Lot, the 1979 mini-series (and early Stephen King novel)? It also featured a monstrous (and ugly) vampire. His name was Barlow. He also had a well-dressed servant with an accent (played in 1979 by James Mason). Barlow was also called "The Master" by his servant.
Barlow seemed to have little fear of a crucifix and quickly killed the town's fearful priest. In The Strain, we don't yet know if the vampires are repelled by Christian objects. I haven't read the books. Anyone know how Guillermo Del Toro addresses this?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

In The Strain, we don't yet know if the vampires are repelled by Christian objects. I haven't read the books. Anyone know how Guillermo Del Toro addresses this?

In the novel, vampires aren't affected by anything like that. It's attributed to Bram Stoker's imagination, nothing more.

 

[JacksonArcher]

The most recent episode shook things up a bit. The second episode was a little slow-paced with not much happening until the very end. However, with the survivors slowly turning, it is becoming increasingly more interesting. The "Buffalo Bill" moment with Bolivar was very eerie and effective, for example.

Plus, we're now getting into actual vampire territory, so I suspect it'll only get more interesting from here.

I'm a big fan of the book (although I never read the other two) and it took a little while for things to pick up in the novel. I'm suspecting the same is the case here. I wonder if they are stretching out the first book for the entire first season or if they plan on adding things or taking elements from the second book, The Fall. Guillermo del Toro said he envisions a three-five season run for the show, which means stretching out the three books for possibly five seasons. I wonder how that'll work. Comparatively speaking, Bryan Fuller is taking a different approach with his TV show incarnation of Hannibal, often times combining books and not adapting them in chronological order (for example: Season 3 is supposed to mash Hannibal Rising with the book Hannibal; Francis Dolarhyde is then supposed to make an appearance toward the end of the third season, hinting at the Red Dragon storyline). Will del Toro, Chuck Hogan and Carlton Cruse adapt the books in chronological order? Will they add plot elements in order to stretch them out to fit a full season? It'll be interesting to see how things evolve from the first season (pending the show gets renewed for a second season, which probably seems likely).

Regardless, I'm still invested in the show. I really like Cory Stroll as Dr. Goodweather and while the show can be a bit corny/cheesy at times, it is refreshing to see del Toro's horrific take on vampires in this most recent age of cutsy and lovelorn vampires.

 

[sojourner]

Bryan Fuller's Hannibal has the handicap of not having rights to all of the books.

 

[Bad Bishop]

In The Strain, we don't yet know if the vampires are repelled by Christian objects. I haven't read the books. Anyone know how Guillermo Del Toro addresses this?

In the novel, vampires aren't affected by anything like that. It's attributed to Bram Stoker's imagination, nothing more.

I am disappointed that such a popular element of vampire legend (their fear of Jesus Christ and therefore of holy objects) is not part of this drama. Now the protagonists only have science and not religion to save themselves. Science is failing them right now. But you could also say that Eph and Nora are only beginning to understand that this is no contagion as understood by modern medicine.

 

[Aeolusdallas]

In The Strain, we don't yet know if the vampires are repelled by Christian objects. I haven't read the books. Anyone know how Guillermo Del Toro addresses this?

In the novel, vampires aren't affected by anything like that. It's attributed to Bram Stoker's imagination, nothing more.

I am disappointed that such a popular element of vampire legend (their fear of Jesus Christ and therefore of holy objects) is not part of this drama. Now the protagonists only have science and not religion to save themselves. Science is failing them right now. But you could also say that Eph and Nora are only beginning to understand that this is no contagion as understood by modern medicine.

Well if it's like the books, UV light and Silver will kill them and old mirrors give them away.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Bryan Fuller's Hannibal has the handicap of not having rights to all of the books.

If memory serves me correctly, Fuller doesn't (currently) have the rights for The Silence of the Lambs (as well as any characters that were introduced in that book, such as Clarice Starling & Paul Krendler). At Comic-Con, he mentioned he was still trying to acquire the rights for the TV show.

 

[Starkers]

I'm a big fan of the book (although I never read the other two) and it took a little while for things to pick up in the novel. I'm suspecting the same is the case here. I wonder if they are stretching out the first book for the entire first season or if they plan on adding things or taking elements from the second book, The Fall. Guillermo del Toro said he envisions a three-five season run for the show, which means stretching out the three books for possibly five seasons.

I've just recently finished the third book. The first is by far the best, the second is dull but ok, and the third's just terrible! Still I might watch this if/when if comes to the UK

In The Strain, we don't yet know if the vampires are repelled by Christian objects. I haven't read the books. Anyone know how Guillermo Del Toro addresses this?

In the novel, vampires aren't affected by anything like that. It's attributed to Bram Stoker's imagination, nothing more.

I am disappointed that such a popular element of vampire legend (their fear of Jesus Christ and therefore of holy objects) is not part of this drama. Now the protagonists only have science and not religion to save themselves. Science is failing them right now. But you could also say that Eph and Nora are only beginning to understand that this is no contagion as understood by modern medicine.

Spoiler: spoiler for the 2nd and 3rd books

Part of the problem with the books is that by the time you get to the 3rd book any semblance of realism and vampirism having biological origins is completely jettisoned for some Old Testament bullshit!