The Strain: Runaways
August 11, 2014 8:43 AM - Season 1, Episode 5 - Subscribe
Abe and Eph set out to control the plague that has begun to sweep New York, with Abe's character getting a little more back story about how he became a vampire hunter. The plague continues to spread, and seems to be tipping towards a bull blown epidemic, as our various characters encounter more and more infected.
The lawyer's nanny/housekeeper is my new favorite character, because so far she seems to be the smartest person in all of New York. See creepy sideways eyelids blinking on your boss? GET THE KIDS AND YOURSELF THE HELL OUT OF THE HOUSE. Thumbs up.
Abraham, on the other hand, is dropping several points on my Cool Scale this week in spite of not one, but two beheadings in a shed that didn't look big enough for a sufficiently large sword swing. Okay, you've got a house with a suicide-by-hanging left in place in the front room and a shed with two headless corpses that you have just set on fire, and you just stand there being portentous at Eph (ugh)? "Inaction is the greatest evil." NO SHIT, ARGUS FILCH, SO WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE WAITING FOR THE COPS?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:52 PM on August 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
Abraham, on the other hand, is dropping several points on my Cool Scale this week in spite of not one, but two beheadings in a shed that didn't look big enough for a sufficiently large sword swing. Okay, you've got a house with a suicide-by-hanging left in place in the front room and a shed with two headless corpses that you have just set on fire, and you just stand there being portentous at Eph (ugh)? "Inaction is the greatest evil." NO SHIT, ARGUS FILCH, SO WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE WAITING FOR THE COPS?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:52 PM on August 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
I was SO SO EXCITED to see an appearance by Larry Fessenden as the clean-up man who shot (and was subsequently gobbled up by) the Goth King. Is anyone else here a fan of Fessenden? He's directed a few intriguing alternative horror films (though his last was... not great), and pops up every so often as a character actor (sometimes in Kelly Reichardt films). For me he's especially interesting as producer with his company Glass Eye Pix, mentoring up-and-coming horror directors like Ti West and Jim Mickle.
A few years ago he was selected by Guillermo del Toro to direct an English-language remake of The Orphanage. The studio eventually kicked him off the project because his profile just wasn't big enough for the stars they were casting, and the whole thing eventually slipped into development hell. But I'm guessing that connection is the reason Fessenden's face is turning up here, which is nice. He's an awesome dude.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:05 PM on August 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
A few years ago he was selected by Guillermo del Toro to direct an English-language remake of The Orphanage. The studio eventually kicked him off the project because his profile just wasn't big enough for the stars they were casting, and the whole thing eventually slipped into development hell. But I'm guessing that connection is the reason Fessenden's face is turning up here, which is nice. He's an awesome dude.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:05 PM on August 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Damn it, but I liked Jack Noon.
If the dead are going back to their loved ones, are they taking the scenic route through the sewers? Or do they not have any loved ones?
F, you're an idiot.
"It only takes one drop of blood." Okay. How long before the writers completely forget they wrote that line?
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 7:12 PM on August 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
If the dead are going back to their loved ones, are they taking the scenic route through the sewers? Or do they not have any loved ones?
F, you're an idiot.
"It only takes one drop of blood." Okay. How long before the writers completely forget they wrote that line?
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 7:12 PM on August 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
If the dead are going back to their loved ones, are they taking the scenic route through the sewers?
Because it's dark there
posted by halfsquaretriangle at 5:26 PM on August 13, 2014
Because it's dark there
posted by halfsquaretriangle at 5:26 PM on August 13, 2014
On Sunday I fell asleep right as this dumb show started. On Monday and Tuesday I basically checked OnDemand every five minutes to see if this dumb show was available. Today there was a cable outage in my area that took down OnDemand and I hit redial every five minutes to call TWC to see if the outage was fixed so I could check if this dumb show was available. I finally watched it around 6pm and now that it's dark out I'm going to watch this dumb show again, just like I have with every other episode of this dumb show.
I think I love this dumb show.
posted by Room 641-A at 8:57 PM on August 13, 2014 [4 favorites]
I think I love this dumb show.
posted by Room 641-A at 8:57 PM on August 13, 2014 [4 favorites]
Why do I have to try to remember where everyone lives? Can't they just say "Abe's House" or whatever? I actually have no idea where he was making eggs. (I assume whosever house it was the heat wasn't turned on since he was wearing gloves.)
And scrambled eggs better become a thing because that scene had no business happening otherwise.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:46 PM on August 14, 2014
And scrambled eggs better become a thing because that scene had no business happening otherwise.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:46 PM on August 14, 2014
Oh and I really, really missed Eichorst this episode. In the "previously on" opening I noticed that when he visits Abe in jail he doesn't call him by name, but by a number. I wonder if that's his prison booking number or his concentration camp prisoner number.
Richard Sammel wish list item #1: playing Hannibal Lecter's brother next season.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:55 PM on August 14, 2014 [1 favorite]
Richard Sammel wish list item #1: playing Hannibal Lecter's brother next season.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:55 PM on August 14, 2014 [1 favorite]
I was also thrilled to Fessenden in this episode. About a decade ago he worked on a friend of mine's short film. I was invited to the premiere party and got to hang with him and all the cast for an evening. Wonderful guy, great storyteller (admittedly many of those stories are now lost due to the many many shots consumed that night), but definitely funny and very cool dude. When I saw his name in the credits and then realized the agent was getting a "cleaner" I knew it had to be Fessenden.
posted by miss-lapin at 8:06 PM on August 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by miss-lapin at 8:06 PM on August 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
I actually have no idea where he was making eggs. (I assume whosever house it was the heat wasn't turned on since he was wearing gloves.)
And scrambled eggs better become a thing because that scene had no business happening otherwise.
A.) He always wears the gloves. That's why it was funny to watch him cook while wearing them.
B.) That's the upstairs of the house where he just decapitated a vampire child and her vampire dad. That's why it's funny that they're just sitting around calmly eating with two headless bodies downstairs. Even more amusing that you get a shot of Abe washing up after (wearing his gloves still) because man, the people that own that house are dead. They aren't going to care one bit if that skillet is clean.
posted by komara at 10:09 PM on August 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
And scrambled eggs better become a thing because that scene had no business happening otherwise.
A.) He always wears the gloves. That's why it was funny to watch him cook while wearing them.
B.) That's the upstairs of the house where he just decapitated a vampire child and her vampire dad. That's why it's funny that they're just sitting around calmly eating with two headless bodies downstairs. Even more amusing that you get a shot of Abe washing up after (wearing his gloves still) because man, the people that own that house are dead. They aren't going to care one bit if that skillet is clean.
posted by komara at 10:09 PM on August 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
komara, I missed your comment before but I'm so glad the answer is so gloriously dumb! I wouldn't want it any other way.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:14 PM on September 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Room 641-A at 2:14 PM on September 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
In the "previously on" opening I noticed that when [Eichorst ] visits Abe in jail he doesn't call him by name, but by a number. I wonder if that's his prison booking number or his concentration camp prisoner number.
It's his camp number; we had seen his number tattoo in one of the transit/booking scenes post his arrest at the airport.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:21 AM on March 31, 2023
It's his camp number; we had seen his number tattoo in one of the transit/booking scenes post his arrest at the airport.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:21 AM on March 31, 2023
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Zompire sewers, silver nailguns, beheadings, the plague out among the general populace (and apparently a whole hive of octogenarian vampires), a vampire lord goth.
Hurray for a whole episode without Eph's family and hurray for an episode largely focused around Abe.
However, I'm less excited that I just now noticed that this is apparently a "bull blown" epidemic according to my synopsis. I hope that no bulls are blown at any part of the show.
posted by codacorolla at 10:40 AM on August 11, 2014 [7 favorites]