THE STRAIN is an interesting new series from Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse as it shows the spread of a vampire virus through New York City.   I really like the storylines that focus of the CDC scientists, the vampire hunter (who was in the concentration camps in World War 2), the Master and the people who serve him, and the person who helped bring the vampire (The Master) into the country.   Some characters I wish they focus less on like the ex-con who smuggles the Master’s coffin out of the airport because I feel his story with his family and his criminal friend isn’t very interesting.   The Pest Control officer is a character where the verdict is still out on.    The first four episodes show the beginning as it is in the moments before all hell is probably going to break loose in New York City.  I hope they don’t stretch out the chaos too much over the 13 episode season even though the first four episodes draw you in.   I just hope the next four episodes don’t move at the same pace and things start to pick up even more (and I know it might be too much to have the characters of the ex-con, his junkie brother, his mom, and his friend fade into the background).

 

THE STRAIN weaves itself through the storylines of several characters including CDC Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) or Eph to about everyone, Professor Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley)- a pawn shop owner/ vampire slayer, Vasiliy Fet (Kevin Durand)- a rat exterminator introduced in episode 3, Dr. Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro), billionaire Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde), the mysterious Thomas Eichorst (Richard Sammel), Jim Kent (Sean Astin), and the ancient vampire known as The Master.   The first two episodes show the beginnings of what will unfortunately spell trouble for New York City in the days to come as Thomas Eichorst and billionaire Eldritch Palmer find a way to bring the Master into the city from the airport.   Abraham warns Eph of the danger of the Master’s coffin (the mysterious wooden box the CDC will find) and to cut off the head and burn the bodies of the dead passengers discovered on the airplane at JFK International, but we wouldn’t have much of a series if they listened to the warnings of what they will soon learn isn’t a crackpot after all.  The four survivors are quarantined on Eph’s orders, but Eldritch puts together the first part of his disinformation campaign (which will help bring about some very bad things most definitely during the course of the first season) which leads to him hiring a hacker as part of the Master’s and Eichorst’s grand plan for the city.

 

THE STRAIN is off to a good start with the first four episodes, but as I said before I hope they do pick up the pace and get rid of the criminal responsible for driving the Master out of the airport quickly.   Based on the plots of the novels, the series is going to be a dark ride and it is going to get even darker from here in what promises to be one dark and scary thrill ride.

 

This review is ©7-14-2014 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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