The Strain
Season 3 Episode 2: “Bad White”
Directed by J. Miles Dale
Written by David Weddle & Bradley Thompson
Created by Chuck Hogan, Guillermo del Toro
Starring Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Kevin Durand, Richard Sammel, Jonathan Hyde, Miguel Gomez, Natalie Brown, Ruta Gedmintas, Jack Kesy, Max Charles, Joaquín Cosio, Rupert Penry-Jones, Samantha Mathis
FX
Air Date: Sunday September 4th, 2016, 10pm

Last week’s The Strain started off crazy as expected. Eph (Corey Stoll) is waiting for his vampire son to return, trading in what he thinks are useless asthma meds for liquor and a taser. Kelly (Natalie Brown) shows up with a deal for Eph – Zach (Max Charles) for The Lumen. Setrakian (David Bradley) studies it voraciously, only stopping to referee Fet and Quinlan (Kevin Durand and Rupert Penry-Jones). Gus (Miguel Gomez) keeps his strigoi mom as a pet. Fet tries in vain to save the Navy Seals from a gruesome fate at the hands of The Master (Jack Kesy).

Spoilers below.

The Strain 3.2 “Bad White” review: In a Harlem lab, scientists are conducting experiments on the dead/captured strigoi. They try injecting a strigoi serum into a sick woman, but that backfires horribly.

Despite finding the Master in NYC, the troops are pulling out to DC to stop an outbreak there… if the Capital falls the nation falls. “I got no desire to save DC,” Ftt says. He does meet a sexy soldier, so at least the city has that advantage.

Eph meets Quinlan, and that nearly ends badly for him. He breaks the news about Nora to Fet and Setrakian. The news hits them hard. Setrakian warns Eph to that his son may be used against him… which we of course know is the Master’s plan. Meanwhile, Zack is getting antsy being kept underground away from his father.

Dutch and her hacker friends prepare to raid an apartment complex for food. So of course, two go searching a bedroom… for food!!! Strigoi attack and Dutch barely escapes.

Eph and Quinlan go back and forth as to their intentions. Palmer begs Eichorst for more “medicine” even though we saw the effects strigoi blood had in humans. Dutch finds her mates that ran off, and one is infected. There is nothing quite like a UV light on a wormy body. She solves that problem in vicious detail before leaving on her own.

Setrakian feels for Eph having lost his boy. But Eph hasn’t told them about Kelly’s deal: Lumen for Zack. Palmer meets Setrakian and Fet and has an offer of a deal of his own. He withdraws his support for the Master and flees NYC in exchange for Setrakian’s formula which allows him to live on strigoi blood and elongate his life. Setrakian tells him to go to hell. Good for you! He cannot be trusted ever.

Zack figures out a way to sneak away from Kelly, but that ends badly for him as the Master shows up and drips “the white” into his mouth. What will happen to him?

Quinlan and Eph come to an understanding, “Use the book to save the world… and your son”

I’m so glad Dutch is back. She is needed. There are some talented women on this show, but she is one of my favorite characters… on all of television. She just exudes this perfect combination of terror and bravery. You can tell how affected she was by her Eichorst time. It’s also time for her to get back to Fet, Setrakian, and Eph. She had cute relationships with all of them.

Quinlan is crazy compelling. He really does act like he’s lived forever, having a genuine understanding of humans without judgment. I cannot wait for him and Dutch to meet.

The Strain airs Sunday night at 10pm ET on FX.

Video

The Strain 3×02 Promo “Bad White”

The Strain 3×02 “Bad White” – The Master’s offer to return Zack plagues Eph as he considers taking the deal. Dutch reunites with an old group of friends but begins to question if her safety is better with them or with Fet, Eph and Setrakian. Palmer strives for answers to Setrakian’s secret strigoi blood treatments and discovers he may have a way to acquire it.