The Strain: Gone Smooth
July 28, 2014 9:11 AM - Season 1, Episode 3 - Subscribe
As the plot advances, we see the four survivors of the death plane having their bodies changed by the disease inside of them. The CDC has brushed the incident under the rug, but our protagonists continue to discover unsettling evidence.
This episode was much, much better than the last two. I still think the first two episodes should have been cut down to one, with all of the child custody stuff snipped out. We are finally seeing the show's promise.
And that intro really set the bar, and the rest of the episode followed suit. I thought the goth rocker ken doll was a disturbing touch. And now, finally, our clueless heroes have a clue. I'm glad he kept smashing it's head, too. But really, when a death's door patient suddenly goes missing, you don't just run frantically around, you have hospital security to run around for you, or literally lock the hospital down. (Yes, I know we needed all of the protagonists in one place for their reveal.)
I'll even forgive the other major bit of dumbness from this episode, the "you aren't ready for the truth" speech. After that basement scene they should all go right back to him next episode and grab him the collar and yell "I believe! Tell me!" but they won't.
posted by Catblack at 9:46 AM on July 28, 2014
And that intro really set the bar, and the rest of the episode followed suit. I thought the goth rocker ken doll was a disturbing touch. And now, finally, our clueless heroes have a clue. I'm glad he kept smashing it's head, too. But really, when a death's door patient suddenly goes missing, you don't just run frantically around, you have hospital security to run around for you, or literally lock the hospital down. (Yes, I know we needed all of the protagonists in one place for their reveal.)
I'll even forgive the other major bit of dumbness from this episode, the "you aren't ready for the truth" speech. After that basement scene they should all go right back to him next episode and grab him the collar and yell "I believe! Tell me!" but they won't.
posted by Catblack at 9:46 AM on July 28, 2014
Oh, I was so disappointed that Setrakian, after his wonderful courtroom performance, brushed off the CDC investigator with that dumb, "you aren't ready yet." Yes, very dumb.
The opening scene with Eichorst putting on his human suit was wonderful. The strange lizard eyelid that flashes behind the vampires eyes is delightfully creepy too, as was the flutter of legs or something at the corners of Captain Redfern's mouth. They're definitely making the physical change into a vampire suitably horrifying, right up to Bolivar flushing his bits and not caring that they're gone.
I'm curious what Regina King is doing as a fairly faceless publicist. I wouldn't think you'd get an actress of that caliber to play that part unless it develops into more.
posted by gladly at 10:07 AM on July 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
The opening scene with Eichorst putting on his human suit was wonderful. The strange lizard eyelid that flashes behind the vampires eyes is delightfully creepy too, as was the flutter of legs or something at the corners of Captain Redfern's mouth. They're definitely making the physical change into a vampire suitably horrifying, right up to Bolivar flushing his bits and not caring that they're gone.
I'm curious what Regina King is doing as a fairly faceless publicist. I wouldn't think you'd get an actress of that caliber to play that part unless it develops into more.
posted by gladly at 10:07 AM on July 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
...and that's how they became...The Zompire Hunters.
I'm trying to imagine the conversation with Standards and Practices:
S&P: You can't show that!
GdT: Show what?
S&P: His....
GdT: His what?
S&P: You know! What's...there.
GdT: But there's nothing there!
S&P: Exactly!
GdT: So we can't show what's not there?
S&P: Right.
GdT: So if it was there we could show it?
S&P: No!
GdT: Um....
Okay, I'm going to admit something right now. Not only did I take the opportunity to restart the episode after the Eichorst opening, I watched it again when it repeated immediately after. Not because it was great, but not because it was so-awful-it's-good, either. But I really enjoyed the creepy stuff in this episode.
I wish there would have been a random expendable in the basement scene just so Redfern would have just been able to hit something with his "tongue" without having to do the lucky miss thing over and over. The suspension of disbelief regarding everyone sick or dead or associtaed with every sick or dead is really dumb. No one noticed 200+ bodies leaving or missing from the morgue after, what, 24 hours? And if Le Petite Zompire made it home didn't anyone notice her? Or the others? And Ratman wouldn't have even whipped out his phone to take a photo? Okay, maybe a reason for that will be revealed. Not hating on him, because I thought he was great with the kid and her dad.
I'm curious what Regina King is doing as a fairly faceless publicist. I wouldn't think you'd get an actress of that caliber to play that part unless it develops into more.
I really like Regina King, so this is the biggest WTF of the show. Maybe it's just the chance to work with GdT.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:59 PM on July 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm trying to imagine the conversation with Standards and Practices:
S&P: You can't show that!
GdT: Show what?
S&P: His....
GdT: His what?
S&P: You know! What's...there.
GdT: But there's nothing there!
S&P: Exactly!
GdT: So we can't show what's not there?
S&P: Right.
GdT: So if it was there we could show it?
S&P: No!
GdT: Um....
Okay, I'm going to admit something right now. Not only did I take the opportunity to restart the episode after the Eichorst opening, I watched it again when it repeated immediately after. Not because it was great, but not because it was so-awful-it's-good, either. But I really enjoyed the creepy stuff in this episode.
I wish there would have been a random expendable in the basement scene just so Redfern would have just been able to hit something with his "tongue" without having to do the lucky miss thing over and over. The suspension of disbelief regarding everyone sick or dead or associtaed with every sick or dead is really dumb. No one noticed 200+ bodies leaving or missing from the morgue after, what, 24 hours? And if Le Petite Zompire made it home didn't anyone notice her? Or the others? And Ratman wouldn't have even whipped out his phone to take a photo? Okay, maybe a reason for that will be revealed. Not hating on him, because I thought he was great with the kid and her dad.
I'm curious what Regina King is doing as a fairly faceless publicist. I wouldn't think you'd get an actress of that caliber to play that part unless it develops into more.
I really like Regina King, so this is the biggest WTF of the show. Maybe it's just the chance to work with GdT.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:59 PM on July 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hey, this front door is open, there's broken stuff in the kitchen (somehow?), and upstairs there is a bathtub full of blood and hair, I have to go elsewhere and not mention this to anybody ever even though I'm the one who keeps telling people there's a deadly contagion. Also I care a lot about my son even though the audience doesn't. Hey, this guy has turned into a zombie-parasite-vampire thing and is attacking my colleague, let me just stand here for ages before I do anything.
This show is terrible.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:43 PM on July 28, 2014 [7 favorites]
This show is terrible.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:43 PM on July 28, 2014 [7 favorites]
This show is definitely getting better. Monster in a basement with flickering lights? Yes! Tongue as a weapon? Yes! Bashed heads? Yes! Fallen dick? OMG, yes! That was so great. Plop. Flush. No emotion.
Kid story? Snoozefest. I'm not in this to watch a mom cry over photos. Get back to me when the kid turns into a bloodsucker. Hey, F! If you really cared about your kid more than anything you'd have quit the damn job. You don't so let's stop pretending and get on with the gore and the monsters already.
Pest Guy is a creep. I'm calling it, he's a baddie of some sort. I do agree that 200+ hungry, bloodthirsty monsters would be kinda hard to hide--even in NYC.
I don't mind F not talking about the bathtub. Maybe someone was shaving and had an accident? Without limbs or blood all over the walls, it's not that weird.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 7:05 PM on July 28, 2014
Kid story? Snoozefest. I'm not in this to watch a mom cry over photos. Get back to me when the kid turns into a bloodsucker. Hey, F! If you really cared about your kid more than anything you'd have quit the damn job. You don't so let's stop pretending and get on with the gore and the monsters already.
Pest Guy is a creep. I'm calling it, he's a baddie of some sort. I do agree that 200+ hungry, bloodthirsty monsters would be kinda hard to hide--even in NYC.
I don't mind F not talking about the bathtub. Maybe someone was shaving and had an accident? Without limbs or blood all over the walls, it's not that weird.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 7:05 PM on July 28, 2014
I agree this episode was the best so far, even if, overall, the show is still as dumb as a bag of rocks.
I do not give two shits about the CDC guy's family. Mind you, it's very helpful of his son and ex-wife to keep telling us how amaaazing he is at his job, because that is definitely not something we would ascertain by watching him do it. Oh, it appears this man is infested with thousands of parasitic worms? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I found Pest Exterminator Dude creepy as fuck, though I suspect GdT wants us to consider him a virile (as per his receptionist's admiring gaze) and charasmatic badass. I guess he's Pseudo-Ron Perlman?
This show has so far been a pastiche of other, better, horror. At its worst it's pure formula, although I've (mildly) enjoyed some of the more specific flourishes, e.g. what I assume are references to Salem's Lot (or perhaps the 1973 adaptation of M R James's Lost Hearts) and, this week, Cronenberg's Shivers).
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:33 AM on July 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
I do not give two shits about the CDC guy's family. Mind you, it's very helpful of his son and ex-wife to keep telling us how amaaazing he is at his job, because that is definitely not something we would ascertain by watching him do it. Oh, it appears this man is infested with thousands of parasitic worms? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I found Pest Exterminator Dude creepy as fuck, though I suspect GdT wants us to consider him a virile (as per his receptionist's admiring gaze) and charasmatic badass. I guess he's Pseudo-Ron Perlman?
This show has so far been a pastiche of other, better, horror. At its worst it's pure formula, although I've (mildly) enjoyed some of the more specific flourishes, e.g. what I assume are references to Salem's Lot (or perhaps the 1973 adaptation of M R James's Lost Hearts) and, this week, Cronenberg's Shivers).
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:33 AM on July 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's stupid, but it's stupid and goofy like an enthusiastic labrador retriever. The CDC morons are completely moronical, but in the grand tradition of spam-in-a-can movies since time immemorial or at least the 80s. I bet they'll be going into the Monster's Lair at some point and will split up to cover more ground, because they have that few neurons to rub together. And I'll bet that King of the Creepy No-Junk Bug Vampires will be even more stupider than the CDC morons and will capture them to monologue at them, perhaps with a nice kitty on his lap.
So far, this is some dumb shit, but it's dumb like Jason X (though quite as fun).
I do agree that 200+ hungry, bloodthirsty monsters would be kinda hard to hide--even in NYC.
All they have to do is go to the financial district and they'll blend right in. *rimshot*
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:40 AM on July 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
So far, this is some dumb shit, but it's dumb like Jason X (though quite as fun).
I do agree that 200+ hungry, bloodthirsty monsters would be kinda hard to hide--even in NYC.
All they have to do is go to the financial district and they'll blend right in. *rimshot*
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:40 AM on July 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
I'm still stuck on the morgue stupidity. Did no one in that part of NYC die in those 24 hours? Did all of the morgue staff call in sick that day? Did anyone suggest a review of the security cameras?
Hey, this front door is open, there's broken stuff in the kitchen (somehow?), and upstairs there is a bathtub full of blood and hair, I have to go elsewhere and not mention this to anybody ever even though I'm the one who keeps telling people there's a deadly contagion.
And why didn't Le Petite Zompire attack him? Was she playing hide and seek?
posted by Room 641-A at 9:12 AM on July 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hey, this front door is open, there's broken stuff in the kitchen (somehow?), and upstairs there is a bathtub full of blood and hair, I have to go elsewhere and not mention this to anybody ever even though I'm the one who keeps telling people there's a deadly contagion.
And why didn't Le Petite Zompire attack him? Was she playing hide and seek?
posted by Room 641-A at 9:12 AM on July 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
I don't mind F not talking about the bathtub. Maybe someone was shaving and had an accident? Without limbs or blood all over the walls, it's not that weird.
It's true, I guess, depending on where you're from and what kind of life you've had, that a bathtub full of blood and hair is not weird in and of itself, but I submit that it is weird in the context of being in a house where the guy just rang up saying that his previously-dead daughter had come back to life.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:31 PM on July 29, 2014 [5 favorites]
It's true, I guess, depending on where you're from and what kind of life you've had, that a bathtub full of blood and hair is not weird in and of itself, but I submit that it is weird in the context of being in a house where the guy just rang up saying that his previously-dead daughter had come back to life.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:31 PM on July 29, 2014 [5 favorites]
Sayyyyyy, I wonder who no-wang goth dude is modeled on...?
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:05 PM on July 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:05 PM on July 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
There's something about his wig that bugs me so much. Maybe its because it looks so fake but I feel like he's trying to pass it off as real and not just as part of a costume or stage persona.
I guess next week we learn more about Suey McSuerson. I predict the lawsuit goes forward because...
[sunglasses]
...she's out for blood.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:47 PM on July 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
I guess next week we learn more about Suey McSuerson. I predict the lawsuit goes forward because...
[sunglasses]
...she's out for blood.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:47 PM on July 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
Heh. The Soup showed the clip of Rock Star losing his junk.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 9:45 PM on July 31, 2014
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 9:45 PM on July 31, 2014
After watching this episode tonight, I got up go to the bathroom and discovered the bathroom door was closed and the light was on. My partner was still on the couch.
Me: Why's the bathroom light on?
Him: I turned on the heat lamp to help the shirts hanging on the shower rod to dry.
Me: Are you sure?
I returned to the kitchen and got a cleaver.
Him: Yes. What are you doing? Seriously?
Me: I will not be an early victim in the horror movie of my life.
There was no one in the bathroom.
That I could see.
Anyway, I like this show, ridiculousness and all. But, then, I also enjoyed Hemlock Grove.
posted by malthusan at 12:51 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Me: Why's the bathroom light on?
Him: I turned on the heat lamp to help the shirts hanging on the shower rod to dry.
Me: Are you sure?
I returned to the kitchen and got a cleaver.
Him: Yes. What are you doing? Seriously?
Me: I will not be an early victim in the horror movie of my life.
There was no one in the bathroom.
That I could see.
Anyway, I like this show, ridiculousness and all. But, then, I also enjoyed Hemlock Grove.
posted by malthusan at 12:51 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
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At the very least we got a great deal more body horror this episode, which was nice. Goth Vamp's johnson falling off, Nerd Vamp drinking steak blood and freaking out his dog, Girl Vamp lurking around her house, and Pilot Vamp's bad CGI tongue. We've also seen what a master vampire looks like (very Nosferatu), and we've had at least some of the blatant stupidity explained by the Stoneheart Conspiracy apparently having infiltrated every level of society.
Speaking of the blatant stupidity, the CDC remains a team of incompetent bumblers, and the reaction to worms living inside of the pilot is so outside the realm of believability that it beggars response. This is definitely the weakest part of the show, since it seems like it's not necessary for the characters to be so fucking stupid, outside of plain laziness on behalf of the writers.
The previews lead me to believe that shit will really hit the fan next episode, which hopefully means that this will move from mediocre and watchable to something I'm really looking forward to each week.
posted by codacorolla at 9:34 AM on July 28, 2014 [1 favorite]