What I’m Watching: The Strain

The Strain: Season 1, Episode 4 “It’s Not for Everyone” (C-)

Could that title be any more fitting? I’m definitely out after this, with this show being the first of the four I was considering dropping to be officially confirmed as off my weekly watchlist. This devolved from a sincerely thrilling, clever medical mystery into a gross-out horror series of less than impressive quality in just a few installments, which is a real shame. Ansel expressing his irrepressible desire to, as he put it, “rip your throat and drink from you” did it for me, though Annie feeding her annoying neighbor to him was a pretty off-putting and ridiculous moment too. Forcing Ephram and Nora to dodge out of the way of more mouth snakes is far from productive, and fortunately Abraham was there all too ready to decapitate the masses. Nora’s obsession with following protocol is supposed to make her the sympathetic one, but such human desires most often signify that she’ll be the first to die. The dissection of the dead creature strayed far enough from the science that all started this, and now this is pretty much just a zombie show. Jim just came right out with his betrayal, ensuring that Ephram will ignore one of his best assets when he should really be using him. Eldridge passing out in the middle of a sentence was dramatic, and it’s always a smart idea to resist an actual physical organ transplant in the hopes of a miracle coming to ensure that renewed health and, better yet, immortality, are easily achievable.

Take Three: The Strain

The Strain: Season 1, Episode 3 “Gone Smooth” (C+)

My interest in this show couldn’t last forever, and it’s definitely waning at this point because it’s transforming into something different. In episodes one and two, it was a horror series faintly supported by supernatural and other violent occurrences but not guided by them. In episode three, everything changed, and all of a sudden Ephram, Nora, and Jim were dodging misdirected snake throat shots erupting from one of the bodies in the morgue. This show surprised me because of its slow burn nature, and now it’s dived fully into its premise. The opening sequence with a freaky shell of a body and face being made and dressed up to look like the seemingly human villain we know was eerie, and watching him do his own dirty work, walking into an office building late at night and staging a suicide, certainly makes an impression. His meeting with Jim was especially intimidating, and learning about Jim’s wife and her health explains why he let the coffin out of JFK, though he definitely regrets that decision now. Our three scientists are starting to catch on to the severity and sheer unbelievable nature of what they’re up against, which I’m not so sure is a great thing since keeping them in the dark longer might have proved more worthwhile in the end. At this point, I’m considering abandoning this show since it’s turning more into the kind of show I expected it to be and not the one indicated by the pilot. It’s still a decent series, but not my cup of tea.

Round Two: The Strain

The Strain: Season 1, Episode 2 “The Box” (B)

I’ll start off by noting that people biting into other people’s necks without warning and snakes crawling out of dead kids’ mouths to attack their parents is not my cup of tea. But like “The X-Files,” the horror here is presented in a very literal way. Nothing jumps out to scare you, but what’s going on is truly terrifying. The structure of the plot is actually quite competent, offering up just the right amount of nonsense to mix with serious stuff. I’m very pleased with the score, which helps to set and sustain the mood, ensuring that this thriller doesn’t let up, constantly keeping its viewers at the edge of their seats even if someone isn’t about to be brutally murdered by an unspeakable entity. While Ephram is busy trying to make sure that he doesn’t lose custody and still remains his son’s dad, he’s not quite focused enough on the work at hand, though his baffled reaction to a phone call from a father reporting that his dead daughter came home was understandable. We got a much more direct look than I expected at the Master, and even got to hear him talk. I guess it is important to have a physical, literal villain, and we can expect more of that going forward, especially with Gabriel’s unexpected act of vampirism. I finally recognized Leslie Hope of “24” fame with long hair as Dr. Luss, who really should consider the offer of staying under quarantine given her visions. Kevin Durand is a perfect fit to play Vasiliy Fet, the all-too-eager health inspector who sure knows how to hold a dead rat for maximum effectiveness.

Pilot Review: The Strain

The Strain (FX)
Premiered July 13 at 10pm

After seeing a photo of an up-close eye on a sidewalk advertisement for weeks, I wasn’t anticipating this show very much, especially because it seemed like it skewed a bit too close to horror for me. Perhaps that lack of excitement was why I did actually enjoy this first extended episode. I’ve watched other shows about the outbreak of a virus in the past – most recently “Helix,” which I didn’t find particularly interesting – and it’s always hard to find a balance between the gravity of some unknown pathogen seeping its way into society and the inevitable way in which people dismiss serious concerns or clues that seem crazy at the same time. That scene in which Dr. Ephram Goodweather laughs off what appear the rantings of a senile old man was right-on, so foolish in concept but so likely in execution. I’m not suggesting that the writing is superb here, because at times it can be a bit much, but there is a decent storyline going on with Ephram’s complicated family life and his sexual history with his partner, Dr. Nora Martinez. At first, I almost didn’t recognize Corey Stoll, who was last seen on “House of Cards,” mainly because Ephram displays such a sense of self-confidence that his last character didn’t have. I remember Mia Maestro, who plays Nora, from her days on “Alias,” and she seems competent enough for her role. The other familiar face in the cast is Sean Astin, originally big as a hobbit and far better here than he was on his one-season arc in “24.” I’m not sure exactly where the show goes from here, but it’s clear there are many competing interests at play and few of them seem to be for the true good of the world. I think I’d like the show a bit more if the virus didn’t manifest itself in such a physical, demonic way with the hooded monster (apparently it has something to do with vampires), but I suppose it’s not that bad. An eerie thriller that’s not too creepy or downright scary is just fine in my book.

How will it work as a series? Dead people are coming back to life, and they’re definitely possessed! One villain suggested walking the streets of New York City one last time before everything changes, so I suspect things are just going to get worse as time goes on, which could certainly be enthralling.
How long will it last? The premiere numbers were great, and FX hasn’t really tried Sunday nights too much before, so that’s a very good thing. Besting the network’s other recent series debuts bodes very well, and I can’t see why FX wouldn’t want to capitalize on this success.

Pilot grade: B