The Strain — Series 4: Episodes 8, 9 & 10 — Extraction, The Traitor & The Last Stand.

21st November, 2017.

OK, now I’m feeling like a proper computer geek.

Which sounds strange, I know.

You’ve possibly noticed the Daily Teasers that I publish, here.

Along side the fact that at least two regular readers — Debbi Mack and Olga Núñez Miret — take a certain amonut of fun in doing them.

The reason I mention that?   Is simply the fact I want to tell you: I use Wikipedia as a jumping off point for writing the Teasers.

I realise there’s an argument about the site’s reliability: about how anyone can write an iffy entry for it.

I’m ALSO the first to counter that argument.   Any one can put a factually incorrect entry onto Wikipedia.

Equally?   Anyone of us can correct that mistake.

Power of the internet, hey?

At any rate, my point is simply this.

That I managed to edit an entry on Wikipedia.   I added a bit to the entry about 21st November: about the fact Robert Mugabe resigned, today.

How noteworthy that is, I don’t know.   How long it’ll stay there, again, I don’t know.

But … ?   OK, I can’t afford to donate to Wikipedia.

But, after using it as a research tool?   I feel I’ve made a positive contribution to it.

~≈§≈~

At any rate?

Something else I wanted to tell you was JUST as simple.

You’ve probably — if you’ve been following me for a while — realised I’ve been watching quite a bit of TV, recently.

American Horror Story, Mr Robot, Man in the High Castle.

Dr Who, obviously!

And, just recently?   Series 4 of The Strain.

Frankly, series four is the last of The Strain.

And, frankly?

I think the fourth series is the show’s strongest … 

And made sure the show goes out on a high.

~≈§≈~

Episode 8 — Extraction — sees Eph and Dutch (Corey Stoll and Ruta Gedmintas) returning to their hide: to find Eichhorst (Richard Sammel) dead.

And Setrackian (David Bradley) infected.   but still determined about two things: handing over his last bit of researches from the Occido Lumen.

And making sure Quinlan (Rupert Penry-Jones) makes sure Setrackian doesn’t suffer the last indignity of becoming a strigoi.

Episode 9 — The Traitor — re-introduces Zack (Max Charles) to his father, Eph.   Eph is concerned: as are the rest of the team.

Fet (Kevin Dunrand) and Dutch both point out that Zack could easily still have been turned by the Master (Jonathan Price).

And lead strigoi straight

Episode 10 — The Last Stand — shows us the strigoi horde that followed Zack.

But also … ?   That the team escaped with the nuclear warhead: helped by the ever-efficient Gus (Miguel Gomez).

It’s only when they get clear that Quinlan releases they can’t take the warhead to the Master.   They’ve no way of  getting it to an Empire State Building the Master has alway abandoned.

The only alternative … ?

Is to bring the mountain to Mohammed: luring the Master into a confrontation with Quinlan … 

And whoever choses to die, making sure the warhead goes off … 

~≈§≈~

Now … 

I think I can vaguely remember telling a few friends that I preferred  Penny Dreadful* to The Strain: finding the former to have a touch more emotional depth to it.

Saying that, I generally felt Penny Dreadful’s third and last season to be it’s weakest, story-wise: whilst still retaining some of that emotional depth.

The Strain, on the other hand?   I felt was far more action oriented, throughout.

This season was — in that sense — no different.

But?

I’m thinking series four of The Strain has given its cast and characters more depth: Gus more wry humour mixed with ruthlessness, Fet, more gentleness, Dutch, the anger of a women protecting those she sees as friends

And that’s just the minor members of the team.

Setrackian’s death?   Was something I found both touching and beautiful.

And the final scene, where Eph And Zack die, in the blast that destroys the Master?

Something both inevitable, telegraphed a few minutes ahead … 

And as heartbreaking as a loved one’s funeral.

After all, those of us who’ve watched the series, have invested some forty-six hours, and four years, in The Strain.

This fourth season.

Is a beautiful way for it to end.

*        Knew I’d seen the name, somewhere!   I’ve been watching Star Trek Discovery, recently, and wondering where I’d seen the name Shazad Katif — the actor who plays Ash Tyler — before.   He played Dr Jeckyll in Penny Dreadful … !   Yeah … wonders of the internet …