The Strain
Season 3 Episode 9: “Do or Die”
Directed by Ken Girotti
Written by Chuck Hogan
Created by Chuck Hogan, Guillermo del Toro
Starring Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Kevin Durand, Richard Sammel, Jonathan Hyde, Miguel Gomez, Natalie Brown, Ruta Gedmintas, Max Charles, Joaquín Cosio, Rupert Penry-Jones, Samantha Mathis
FX
Air Date: Sunday October 23rd, 2016, 10pm

Last week on The Strain, we get Gus’s (Miguel Gomez) backstory on why he wants to save his strigoi mother (other than boys and their moms). His uncles took out his father after he abused their sister once too often. He became the man of the house early. In the present day, he ended up having to put her down after she almost got Angel (Joaquín Cosio). Setrakian and Fet (David Bradley and Kevin Durand) interrogated a few key people, thanks to Palmer (Jonathan Hyde), but they missed out on getting Eichorst (Richard Sammel), who had just given us a nasty little demonstration of the blood factory. Eph (Corey Stoll) and Dutch (Ruta Gedmintas) recovered the original JFK black box, but the Master’s sound waves made Dutch really sick. When she recovered, her and Eph had sex. Quinlan (Rupert Penry-Jones) told the ancients to get off their asses. As they do, Eichhorst invaded the ancients lair with lots of bloodthirsty friends, which caused them to fight, and they were pretty good for some desiccated husks. That is, until they explode.

Spoilers below.

The Strain 3.9 “Do or Die” review: Justine wants to stand her ground, even though the entire city is overrun, and the NYPD is leaving. Seven people stayed – Justine’s last stand. That chick has some balls. They get caught in a traffic jam. I close my eyes at this. One gets caught with the oldest trick in the book – fake friend at the peephole (really a victim with a tentacle to the neck).

Gus and Angel go to help them (even though Gus wants to leave it, Angel cannot). What commences is a sick fight reminiscent of Aliens. They shoot til they are all infected… except Gus. Angel covers him while he runs for the fence. It is a beautiful scene as gasoline hit fire. Gus turns to look back and sees Angel, cross held high as fire engulfs him.

Palmer goes to the blood factory to take it back, and open the box. Not a good idea….

Except it wasn’t what I thought it was. I thought it was more ancients, but it was… a nuclear bomb? A tiny one, too, like the one that possible blew up my boyfriend, Quinlan.

Dutch and Eph continue their sexcapades. Fet comes by to let them know that the NYPD are pulling out, and he wants Dutch to go with him. She declines, citing their research. I don’t know how she resists Fet when he is making his dearest Fet face. They go into the tunnels for more guinea vamps.

It works! Dutch and Eph’s strigoi mind muddler (copyright that) make the strigoi stand and sway, and allow themselves to be slaughtered. They bring it to Setrakian and Fet, where the boys get into a pissing contest/fistfight. Setrakian stops the nonsense, when a busted up Quinlan strolls in. Thank goodness! I thought my sexy strigoi was dead!

Palmer ends up being quite the badass. He sets up Eichhorst, and although he does escape after being shot up and falling down a skyscraper elevator shaft (we think… no we know), this is a major blow to the usually confident 1st mate.

This episode kept me on edge the entire time, with moments of tears and warmth in between. We get one more episode and one more season until we have to say goodbye to these brave soldiers.

The Strain season finale airs next Sunday night at 10:00pm ET on FX.

Synopsis:

NYC is falling. Eph and Dutch frantically race to finish their new device to stop the Master before the city is overrun. Justine, Gus, and Angel fight in one last stand to stop the spreading virus. Palmer extracts vengeance for past wrongs but may have crossed the line. Written by David Weddle & Bradley Thompson; directed by Vincenzo Natali.

Video

The Strain 3×09 Promo – Do Or Die