The Strain has been doing better in the ratings department since the first half of its second season. That is due mostly because of the increase in quality of the story arcs and how interesting in general the second half has been. The focus this season is straying away from The Master somewhat while gravitating towards our heroes and villain's acquisition of the elusive Occido Lumen. It seems that the closer they get to the ancient book, the further from their grasp it becomes.
Sunday's episode of the The Strain, 'Fallen Light', is the penultimate episode of this second season. Only one episode remains and all the players, good and evil, are setting up their plans to get their hands on the Lumen. The episode got everyone in place for what should be a no-holds-barred hour of greedily grasping for the Lumen while attempting to wrest control of the city from each other's hands. What was interesting about the episode Sunday was that, on the cusp of a war, you can see what really and truly matters to these characters. We got an idea of what is important to them and who they would rather see kept safe from harm.
Eph and Nora's tenuous relationship and how it all began was illuminated by flashback's from when they first met. Eph hired Nora because she was one of the smartest people for what he needed. Jim Kent implied that Eph hired Nora because he was having difficulties at home with Kellyt at the time. Whatever the reason it is clear that Eph has issues with commitment. It is also clear that Eph struggles with how best to keep Zack safe as Father/Son relationships are at the core of The Strain's story.
I liked how we saw the parallels between Nora and Eph's relationship and Fet and Dutch's. Fet and Dutch also have a weak and tenuous relationship but for much different reasons than Eph and Nora. I honestly thought after last week's rescue that Dutch would have chosen Fet over Nikki, but something tells me that Nikki is not long for the vampire world.
Gus, along with his 'Silver Angel' sidekick, Angel, rounded up some recruits at a local prison. Now that Gus is working with Quinlan I am hoping we will see a lot more of both. I'm not sure of what either's role will be in this season's finale this Sunday, but let's hope we see a lot more of Quinlan in season three. I was excited to see him enter the story and we have hardly seen him since.
The 'C' story this week involved Councilwoman Feraldo and the mayor of New York's ongoing conflict of interests. After Sunday's episode we now have a small mystery to solve and we are left wondering who could have committed such a crime. I thought a few episodes ago that there was something not right about Feraldo and I still think she had something to do with what happened, but I suppose it could have been anyone. I'm sure now that Eldritch had a hand in what happened.
What I enjoyed most about this Sunday's chapter of The Strain is that you can feel the tension rise as the hour progresses. Both sides of the struggle have been working tirelessly toward their respective goals and have suffered casualties. Every character is present in this Sunday's episode and their story should come to a head in the finale on Sunday, October 4th.
Thoughts and Discussion
(Some Spoilers Below!)
- In a flashback, Eph is giving a speech about virulent diseases and mentions Lassa and Marbury viral strains. Both of these viruses cause severe fever and are extremely dangerous. They also mimic the symptoms seen with the the strain of virus seen on the show...except for, of course, turning into a blood-sucking vampire.
- It was nice to see Sean Astin's 'Jim Kent' character again
- Did you notice...Gus mentions a movie that Angel was in where he did the same thing they were doing with prison inmates. He says the title in Spanish and it translates to "Anger Against The Witch".
- Who do you think murdered the mayor?
- Did you notice...when Setrakian and Fet come up to Cream's hideout there is a song playing in the background. The song is 'Shook Ones' by Mobb Deep with lyrics that speak of murdering and stealing and gang violence.
- I loved the frightened revelation that swept over Eldritch's face when Eichorst told him that the effects of The Master's 'White' (his blood minus the worm) were only temporary.
- The episode's title, 'Fallen Light', is the translation of the book title that everyone wants desperately to have in their possession, 'Occido Lumen'. 'Fallen Light' could also refer to the light that has burnt out of Eph and Nora's relationship as well as Fet and Dutch's.
Thank you for checking out my review! Please comment below so we can discuss the episode and the series some more. Have a great week everyone!
About the Author - Geo N
Geo N is from Detroit, MI. His favorite shows include The Blacklist, Hell On Wheels, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, LOST, The Leftovers, The Strain, Sons Of Anarchy, Sleepy Hollow and countless others. When he's not watching tons of TV, he enjoys reading, playing hockey, comic books, weightlifting, and writing. Thanks for checking out my post.
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