The Strain
Season 2 Episode 2: “By Any Means”
Directed by T.J. Scott
Written by David Weddle
Created by Chuck Hogan & Guillermo del Toro
Starring Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Richard Sammel, Jonathan Hyde, Miguel Gomez, Natalie Brown, Jack Kesy, Ben Hyland, Robin Atkin Downes, Robert Maillet
FX
Air Date: Sunday July 19th, 2015, 10pm

Last week on The Strain, we flashback to Abraham Setrakian’s (David Bradley) grandmother telling the story of Sardu the giant, and how he became The Master (gross!). It shows the origin of the cane. Present-day Setrakian is captured by the Ancients, whom Gus (Miguel Gomez) has joined. The “Occido Lumen” is mentioned as an ancient book that might hold the secret to killing The Master (Robin Atkin Downes, Robert Maillet), since sunlight didn’t work. Eichorst (Richard Sammel) gives Kelly (Natalie Brown) back her mental faculties and a bunch of child vampires to command (poor blind children!).

The Strain 2.2 “By Any Means” review: It seems as if Vasiliy’s (Kevin Durand) plan mirrors the SI Borough representative’s plan. Who knew she had some exterminator in her? The plan is to take back the city, one house then one block at a a time. He and Dutch (Ruta Gedmintas) clean out some strigoi in one of the buidings. The Strain uses “vampire cam” pov when Dutch (as bait) calls the sleeping strigoi out, so they can lob UV light grenades, then behead the stragglers in slow motion. Bonus points for us girls as we get a glimpse of Fet butt, as he and Dutch get together in a pool. Great camera work and scene setting here.

The flashback reveals Setrakian’s connection to Palmer (Jonathan Hyde). Palmer first charged Abraham in 1965 to find Sardu’s cane and the “Occido Lumen.” It was a brilliant scene, connecting the dots from the concentration camp, to Eichorst to Palmer to Setrakian to the Occido Lumen. I’m not a super fan of flashbacks in general, but this one was fantastic.

On the science front, Eph (Corey Stoll) and Nora (Mia Maestro) start using the infected storage facilty couple as guinea pigs, with their consent. They do start to regret it as the transformation progresses. That’s when the consent is revoked, but it is too late, and the dark side of medical progress is revealed in this horrifying dystopia as well. They do stumble onto something though.

Palmer, with the help of his new future girlfriend, gives a speech that inspires, promoting him as the benevolent savior of the city.

I know it’s supposed to be a bad thing that Eph is drinking again, but I think the horror show that is this world is creating alcoholics, as well as vampires.

Now that Kelly has her sense of reason back and creepy vampire minion children, she sets them to find Zack (Max Charles) for her. Cool glimpse of Bolivar (Jack Kesy) talking with Eichhorst, and getting his mind back as well.

Who do you think the Master will choose as a vessel?

The Strain airs Sundays at 10pm ET on FX.

FX’s synopsis:

Eph and Nora experiment on their newfound patients. Fet and Dutch grow closer as they clear out the neighborhood buildings, and Kelly begins her hunt for Zack. An FX Original Series Sundays 10PM ET/PT on FX.

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The Strain – Next On: By Any Means

Eph and Nora experiment on their newfound patients. Fet and Dutch grow closer as they clear out the neighborhood buildings, and Kelly uses the Feelers to begin her hunt for Zack.