The Strain Series 1 — Episodes 11, 12 & 13: Third Rail, Last Rites and The Master …

You know, I’ve got into an awfully bad habit.

No, wait, scrub that: I’ve HAD some awfully bad habits.

Most of which I’m really not going to talk about, here!

But one … bad … ?

One habit I’ve fallen into, recently, is something a lot of us are doing.

Yes … 

I’ve started to binge watch TV box sets.   As if you hadn’t noticed.

And, if you’ve been following on for a while … ?

You’ll know I’d’ve lined up not one, not two, but three — the last three — episodes of series one of … The Strain.

I’m easily impressed by good genre TV: and series 1 … 

~≈Â≈~

Episode 11 — Third Rail — sees Eph, Fet and Nora following Setrakian out to New York’s metro system to try and find the Master’s lair: after experimenting in Setrakian’s basement, and inventing a ‘light bomb’: a UV strobe light they intent to use to kill as many strigoi as possible.

Gus on the other hand … ?   Arrive back at the family home: only to find his brother turned … and his mother nesting in the wardrobe in her room.

Meanwhile … ?   Meanwhile, Eph’s son, Zach, has been left with Nora’s mother: and risking his life, to head out into an embattled city, to steal her some cigarettes.

The team corner the Master: under one abandoned station.

But fail to kill him: and are forced to let him flee, realising that confronting the horde of vampires between he and they, will be suicide.

Episode 12 — Last Rites — shows the team back at the safety of Setrakian’s pawn shop: when Dutch arrives, with news.

She’s worked out how to hack into the broadcast TV systems emergency channels, so the team can appeal for help, and issue a warning.

A chance that Eph jumps on: having being forbidden from quarantining the city by his bosses, early in the series.

At the dock … ?   Gus has coerced a rival gangster into supplying him with some weaponry: and, when a fellow gangster drops off a bag of money — advance payment for a container delivery — take the money … AND demands to see the contents of the container.

Quite a lot of nesting strigoi.   It’s only when they get attacked … that they get rescued by something.

Back at the pawn shop … ?   Things go from bad to worse: when the team are attacked … by a group of Strigoi, led by Eichorst, himself …

Episode 13 — The Master — is the final episode in this series: and shows us a rejuvenated Eldritch Palmer, scavenging through Setrakian’s shop.   Learning — from Eichorst —that’s his condition is only temporary, he resolves to improve his situation: by personally killing a senior government official intent on quarantining Manhattan Island.

Gus, held by the paratrooper strigoi who kidnapped him, learns something from their leader: that they know the Master’s agents — in the shape of Palmer and Eichorst — have ruined his life by killing his family, whilst he was held in gaol.   And … ?

And want to know if he wants a measure of revenge.

In another part of the city, the team finally attack the Master’s new base, having first worked out that it’s the Vestry Theatre: home to Gabe Bolivar, one of the plague’s early victims.

The group launch a Fight to the death: only for Eph and Setrakian to force the Master into sunlight …

Only to see him injured … but not killed …

~≈Â≈~

Now … 

Easily impressed … ?

Yes, I’m easily impressed.

But then … ?

I’ve seen one series — thus far — of The Strain: having bought it, cheaply, as it was on special offer from iTunes.

And yes: I’ve found myself glued to the thing.

As much as I have been to Penny Dreadful.

Frankly?

As soon as I can put a little extra money into my iTunes account?

I’ll be investing more time and money into The Strain.

I’ve found it worth it.