THE STRAIN — “Fort Defiance” — Episode 203 (Airs July 26, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: (right) David Bradley as Abraham Setrakian. CR: Michael Gibson/FX
I’m just going to say that last night’s episode of The Strain was lackluster, and very disappointing. Most, if not all, of the episode wasn’t cannon, and featured several characters who weren’t cannon getting valuable screen time. I understand that they are stretching things out for the series, but there won’t be a series if people stop watching.
Let’s recap! Spoilers below!
THE STRAIN — “Fort Defiance” — Episode 203 (Airs July 26, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: Miguel Gomez as Gus Elizade. CR: Michael Gibson/FX
Let me recap from most disturbing, and least desirable parts to the best, because I need to vent.
First, Dutch (Ruta Gedmintas) and Fet (Kevin Durand) are getting on our collective last damn nerve. They’re flirting, they’re walking around the city like they’re just a bunch of young, reckless lovers, and they’re fucking in all sorts of public places. Last week, it was the pool. This week, she gave him head in a delivery truck in front of her former lover’s mother’s house. This was after her ex-girlfriend’s mother insulted and berated her for being bad for her daughter. We’re over them already, and there’s a reason this type of shit wasn’t cannon.
Zach Goodweather (Max Charles) continues to be a brat in need of a good straightening out, because he’s all in his feelings, and can’t seem to get out. Of course, Ephraim (Corey Stoll) is stuck in his own world, and too busy feeling sorry for himself to try to be a proper father to Zach. But how many more crazed creatures with phallic, pronged tongues does this kid need to see before he realizes shit has gotten real? Eph was so busy trying to come up with a scientific cure for something supernatural with Nora ( Mia Maestro), that he didn’t even notice that his own child ran away until the kid was on the bus. Luckily, they were able to stop him, but their relationship is strained, and disintegrating.
THE STRAIN — “Fort Defiance” — Episode 203 (Airs July 26, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: (l-r) Samantha Mathis as Justine Feraldo, Ron Canada as Mayor George Lyle.
CR: Michael Gibson/FX
Meanwhile, the Staten Island councilwoman who vowed to destroy the vamps last episode, proves to a news conference that she means business when she shows several headless vampire bodies, and their heads, hanging on a fence for everyone to see. The other politicians come around trying to get on board with her plan, and take some of the credit, and she acquiesces so long as she runs the show. She’s not a cannon character from the books, so although I’m pretty sure her little plan won’t work in the end, I’m wondering what she has up her sleeve.
Meanwhile, Thomas Eichhorst (Richard Sammel) and Gabriel Bolivar (Jack Kesy) stroll into Eldritch Palmer‘s (Jonathan Hyde) Stoneheart Group offices, and demand that Bolivar stay to keep an eye on things. Eichhorst is displeased that Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley) was able to get close enough to almost foil their plans. Palmer can’t stand this little arrangement, of course, but he has to because Eichhorst is The Master’s right hand man.
The best part of the episode came when Gus (Miguel Gomez aka Daddy) and the vampire mercs, headed by Vaun–I call them the Wu-Vamp Clan–decide to kidnap Palmer. They train Gus in hand-to-hand combat against vampires (the bad ones), and marksmanship, and it’s all so Karate Kid cute. Unfortunately, Palmer was ready for such an attempt, because he fried the vamps like patacónes with his UV lights. Now, Gus will have to find his way out of there, and it won’t be easy. Let’s hope that brings some excitement next week.
THE STRAIN — “Fort Defiance” — Episode 203 (Airs July 26, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: Miguel Gomez as Gus Elizade, Stephen McHattie as Vaun. CR: Michael Gibson/FX
If you thought that Palmer’s bodyguard Reggie Fitzwilliam (Roger R. Cross) was to disappear to an uncertain fate like Regina King’s character last season, you’d be as wrong as I was. Fitzwilliam is alive, well, and in shacking up in Staten Island with his firefighter brother. This is definitely not cannon, but I’m okay with this. I really want to see what’s in store for Fitzwilliam. I have a feeling he’s going to take a cannon character’s place in the show. We shall see…
At this point, The Strain needs to go back to being about the horror and suspense. We’re not seeing a lot of that lately, and it’s frustrating because the source material is scary as hell. I’m not sure what they’re going for, but they’ve got to get back on track. It’s too early for this show to hit a wall. I’m still hopeful, though. I’ll be watching next week, especially since Gus is still alive.