UK Pace Review – Broadcast on digital channel Watch
The Strain: Wednesdays at 10pm
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WARNING this review contains SPOILERS.
Synopsis
Zack is getting dropped off home. Kelly is missing. Matt appears and attacks Zack. Eph and the gang arrive in the bread van. Eph stabs Matt with a silver blade and then beats him to death with a shovel (in front of the kid).
The gang check the house for other vampires. Dutch looks for booze. Abraham explains how if Kelly is infected, she’ll come back to the house to kill those she loves. And that they’ll have to burn Matt’s body.
Meanwhile, in jail, Felix is now very sick. Gus complains to the guard who tells them that the best bet of getting him to a doctor quickly (because lots of people are coming in sick) is at their next place of detention.
Eph packs off Zack with Abraham, while he stays behind to wait for Kelly (and see if she’s infected). Vasily helps himself to whatever is in the fridge. Nora is upset that Vasily killed Jim. Dutch wants to get home, and Abraham needs to “plan for the next battle” at his shop.
Flashback to Poland. The camp inmates are digging.
Abraham, Zack, Vasily and Dutch leave in the van. Eph and Nora stay behind.
Vasily accompanies Dutch to her apartment. Her (more than) roommate has vanished and has taken all her stashed cash and laptop. Dutch pockets her gun, then screams and cries in frustration.
Abraham and Zack have a conversation in the van. Abraham tries to explain what’s going on, and why Matt attacked him (because he loved him).
Flashback to Poland. Abraham steals a knife from the workshop and tapes it to his leg. Eichorst catches up to him and assumes that he was in the building because he was mourning the completion of his “art project”.
Dutch and Vasily get attacked by one of Dutch’s neighbours. Vasily takes care of him. Dutch packs up some things and then they head back to the van.
Arriving at Abraham’s pawn shop, Nora’s mum is behind the counter and she’s angry! They all go down into Abraham’s basement. Dutch is carrying an armful of bread (at least that bread van was useful for something!). They discuss which humans could be helping the Master vamp. Vasily leaves to visit home.
Eph and Nora are disposing of Matt’s body. They reference something which happened back in Argentina, where people just disappeared (Due to fear?). They drop Matt’s body in a dumpster in the back yard and set it on fire. They lament Jim.
Back in the basement, Abraham is cooking. Dutch and Abraham talk about how she slowed down all internet services for Eldritch Palmer. He asks her if it can be undone.
Flashback to Poland. The Master is creeping round the camp at night, and feeding. Abraham cuts himself with the knife he stole. The Master grab him, he knows Abraham has been watching him. He crushes Abraham’s hands.
In the transport van, Felix begins to turn. He kills the driver and the van crashes.
Nora apologises to her mother over the phone for leaving her alone at the pawn shop for so long (and so she should!). Eph and Nora apparently find murder and the disposal of corpses an aphrodisiac… because obviously whilst you’re waiting for the ex-wife to arrive during a vampire apocalypse… is the best time for a shag!
At the crashed van, the second officer goes into the back of the van, and gets eaten by Felix. Gus grabs his keys and gun, he hesitates but still kills his brother, and then makes a run for it.
Abraham and Zack talk about Eph.
Flashback to Poland. Abraham asks his friend to straighten his mangled fingers. Eichorst notices that he is in pain and sees his hands, but doesn’t do anything. They’re all about to be executed, kneeling next to the hole that they dug themselves. Gunfire comes from another direction and interrupts, the camp prisoners run for the fence. Abraham can’t climb with his broken hands, so they help him over.
Post-shag, Eph and Nora get a visit from Kelly’s friend. She’s unimpressed. Eph tries to get her to call them if she finds Kelly, protesting that he still loves his wife. Nora is really unimpressed.
Eph and Nora get back to the pawn shop. Zack asks if they burned the body. But they didn’t hear from or find Kelly.
Eichorst gets back to his dressing room, removes the silver bullet from his leg, and tidies himself up again.
Flashback to Poland. Eichorst is running through the woods in the snow. He enters an underground room where the box is being stored, he waits, and he drinks. The Master finally shows, and we see his ugly face. He slices open Eichorst’s arm and gives him a worm.
Unanswered questions
- STILL No sign of the “good” monster army this episode?
- Why did Vasily have to visit home? When will he come back?
- I presume the people who have “disappeared” are a relevant plot point?!
My Favourite Bit
The conversation between Dutch and Vasily in her apartment. I like those two!
Overall Rating
3 out of 5 stars
An OK episode this time. It didn’t cover a very long time scale, I don’t think, so we’re in between battles. It was a time for the gang to take a step back and re group (or have sex). Abraham has got to come up with a new battle plan for next week then?
Crown Jules Presents 