The Strain S01 E10: Loved Ones

We now know what the Master looks like and he’s a real charmer. Not! Last week’s episode had Ephraim’s wife missing in action, and our team of vampire slayers camping out at Setrakian’s bat cave. Dutch is now a disgruntled employee of Mr. Palmer’s, but what about poor Mr. Fitzwilliams? Are the employee benefits worth his loyalty? Follow the stingers to find out.

Kelly

Zach (Ben Hyland) is like most youngsters today, tech savvy. He uses one of Setrakian’s pawned computers to track his mother’s location via her cell phone. I told you the kid is smart. But does that mean that Kelly is still alive and uninfected? Ephraim goes looking for Kelly, leaving the recently seduced Nora to think, “What the heck?”

Ephraim (Corey Stoll) finds the phone and it’s not Kelly who has it, but one of New York’s homeless. She shows Ephraim where she found the phone and it’s not looking too good for Kelly. There was blood in the car.

Kelly, we learn, is infected and we all know what the first thing an infected person does. Yes, indeed, Kelly (Natalie Brown) drops by her best friend’s house and introduces Diane (Inga Cadranel) and her son to the stinger. If a smart mouthed New Yorker can’t escape infection what hope is there for the rest of the world?

Rats

Certain species exhibit the same traits when trapped: rats, politicians and vampires. They all have a back door they can use to escape. Vasiliy Fet (Kevin Durand) is a specialist in handling vermin and knows that you have to set the perfect trap if you’re going to catch a rat.

Dutch (Ruta Gedmintus) wants to set up her own plan to undo the damage she did to the internet, but she needs to get back into Palmer’s building. So off she and Fet go in their trusty bread truck. It seems that Fet is interested in Dutch and their bantering back and forth proves it. But, Fet should have listened to Dutch’s plan of entering the building guns blazing, because Fet’s plans to sneak pass security fails big time. Fitzwilliams takes Dutch to see Palmer.

Palmer (Jonathan Hyde) is the poster boy for the rich and greedy. He doesn’t like getting old, poor man. He has money and he wants to spend it. He wants immortality and who cares if the rest of humanity has to die for him to achieve this. Palmer gives the order for Fitzwilliams to eliminate Dutch and Fet.

Conclusion

I found it odd that people were still casually walking the streets of New York even as the world was crashing around them or that they took no notice of the limping growling vampires scooting all over the city. And, it’s a shame that Inga Cadranel’s character Diane had to die. She played her part smart and from the hip, adding some passion to many a weak scene.

Ephraim was confusing on this episode. He knew what happened to Kelly and he should have told Zach the truth. Zach’s mother is a vampire and if she shows up, Zach needs to run away, but since Zach was given false hope, he’s now easy prey. Now that Kelly has met the Master, I’m betting that Ephraim will regret keeping his son in the dark about his mom.

I’m feeling sorry for Nora, too. It has to be a kick in the teeth seeing Ephraim running all over the city looking for his ex-wife. And why did Ephraim yell at Dutch? That scene made no sense at all, especially since Dutch was helping the team, but Ephraim’s outburst has caused Dutch to leave the bat cave and Fet is not happy.

While Ephraim lost points in tonight’s episode, Mr. Fitzwilliams (Roger R. Cross) came through as a good guy. Sure, he has to take care of Palmer, and sure, he has to follow orders, but there are things he won’t do. Mr. Fitzwilliams draws the line at killing someone in cold blood. Mr. Fitzwilliams and his security team let Dutch and Fet escape earning them Brownie points in my book.

Keep out of the tunnels and away from rats and vampires, my little blood banks, and I’ll see you next week; same time, same channel.