The Strain comes back this summer on FX after a killer first season, and everything is out in the open now. The mantra of the season is “Fight or Die” and although things don’t look very good for humanity, there is some hope for our ragtag bunch. In anticipation of the show’s return, FX has blessed us with a brand new season 2 trailer. Based on that and how things ended last season, it’s sure to be an exciting, and gross, and scary, and sad, and bittersweet ride.

Watch the new trailer and some bonus videos here below.

The Strain
Season 1 Episode 8: “Creatures of the Night”
Directed by Guy Ferland
Written by Chuck Hogan and 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
FX
Air Date: Sunday August 31, 2014, 10pm

The Strain Season 1 Episode 8 “Creatures of the Night” will be reviewed in just a moment, but first, a little recap of last week’s Episode 7 “For Services Rendered” (Warning! Spoilers may be bad for your health!).

Setrakian (David Bradley) believes killing the Master will kill all the spawn. Eph (Corey Stoll) scoffs, but Setrakian shuts him down with his “rightness” streak. They have to find his human helpers as Eichhorst (Richard Sammel) was in Nazi Germany. Jim (Sean Astin) agrees to act as bait to capture Eichorst, even though his wife leaves him over it. They lure him to a train station, but he pulls a Neo move and turns the tables. Just as a tentacle is about to devour Setrakian, Eph shoots him in the leg with silver bullets. The plan’s idea was good, but it seemed very likely to fail as Eichhorst was moving purposefully and the three of them were running around kinda crazed. And so it did.

The Strain
Season 1 Episode 7: “For Services Rendered”
Directed by Charlotte Sieling
Written by David Weddle, Bradley Thompson, Guillermo del Toro, and Chuck Hogan
Starring Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Richard Sammel, Jonathan Hyde, Miguel Gomez, Pedro Miguel Arce, Natalie Brown, Ben Hyland, and Robin Atkin Downes
FX
Air Date: Sunday August 24, 2014, 10pm

My review of The Strain Episode 7 “For Services Rendered” is preceded by a recap of episode 6.

Warning! Spoilers ahead! If you did not watch last week’s episode, do not pass go and do not collect $200!

The Strain Episode 1.6 “Occultation” recap: Foreshadow the end of the world much? Episode 6 opens with satellites slowly orbiting doomed Earth while radio and television voices discuss the plummeting stock market, spazzy cell and internet service, and looting. “It’s like the end of the world.” No kidding. This is my favorite scene in the series thus far as it foreshadows the doom from an omniscient place.

The eclipse is coming…….Strigoi…come out and pla-a-a-y!!

The Strain
Season 1 Episode 6: “Occultation”
Directed by Peter Weller
Written by Justin Britt-Gibson, Guillermo del Toro, and Chuck Hogan
Starring Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Richard Sammel, Jonathan Hyde, Miguel Gomez, Natalie Brown, Jack Kesy, Ben Hyland, and Robin Atkin Downes
FX
Air Date: Sunday August 17, 2014, 10pm

Before my review of Episode 6 “Occultation” of The Strain, let’s recap Episode 5 “Runaways”….

Last week on The Strain (Stop right now if you haven’t watched! Spoiler alert!):

Bolivar’s (Jack Kesy) manager, Ruby (Regina King), brings over a urologist to address his manhood problem (that’s not a problem anymore!). Bolivar thought she brought over take-out. You know, the kind of take-out that screams, “Help! Don’t leave me!” as it’s dragged away and drained of blood from a giant tentacle. Ruby runs, twists an ankle, and limps out of there. She calls up The Strain‘s version of The Wolf to “make it go away” but he ends up as dessert.

The Strain
Season 1 Episode 5: “Runaways”
Directed by Peter Weller
Written by Gennifer Hutchinson, Guillermo del Toro, and Chuck Hogan
Starring Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Richard Sammel, Jonathan Hyde, Miguel Gomez, Natalie Brown, Jack Kesy, Ben Hyland, and Robin Atkin Downes
FX
Air Date: Sunday August 10, 2014, 10pm

Episode 5 review of The Strain coming right up. But first…..

Previously, on The Strain (Spoilers!!):

Episode 4 “It’s Not For Everyone” needs to be watched on an empty stomach. Eph (Corey Stoll), Nora (Mia Maestro), and Jim (Sean Astin) perform and film a secret autopsy on the late, former vampire monster Captain Doyle Redfern. They discover new ammonia fragrant anatomy, complete with a man-sized stinger. This proves too much for Jim who confesses his complicity. Nora and Eph don’t care about his reasons and cut him off both professionally and personally.