FX The Strain Season 1 (1 Viewer)

[Citizen87645]

I started reading the books and gave up.. Weak dialogue, uninteresting characters, very Van Helsing-lite.. The TV show does not look like it's going to be an improvement.

They're definitely potboiling, page turners. If that's what a person wants in a novel though, they're sufficiently entertaining.

 

[JohnMor]

This week's episode seemed to be mostly just treading water. It's not a good sign when your second episode functions mostly as filler, while not really advancing the plot.

I didn't find it filler at all. In fact, I liked it better than last week's episode. But there was a lot of character development and a certain amount of exposition. But to me that's different than filler.

 

[Sam Posten]

Series is picking up steam. Cliffhanger ending was pretty cool, guess we can expect that these vampires won't be romantic Casanovas like Dracula, eh? =)

 

[Sam Posten]

Also, what was going on in the luxury apartment, was the trader guilty of something that I missed that made the rat guy treat him poorly? I don't get what he was doing wrong that led to his daughter being bit.

 

[Malcolm R]

I thought he resented that the Mayor's pet was jumped to the top of the list when he said there were similar calls from the children's hospital and a church, which he deemed higher priority than the luxury apartment of one rich person. Not to mention the guy treated him like crap when he arrived ("It's about time! I should be somewhere else doing important things, but I had to wait around here for you," or something to that effect).

I think the pacing is kind of slow. I find myself watching the episodes with a lot of fast-forwarding of the DVR.

 

[JohnMor]

I'm enjoying it so far. I hope they'll explain the need for the elaborate secret "plan" that's been put in place (the plane, the 4 survivors being released, etc.) I would think the vampires could have easily overrun the human race decades if not centuries ago. So why now, and in such an elaborate way?

 

[Citizen87645]

The books explain it, though I'm not sure how it will play in the series.

 

[EricSchulz]

I just watched the first episode On Demand...liked it. Is this just a mini-series? Or using the books as a launch pad for a bigger story?

 

[Citizen87645]

I believe it's a regular series, but I don't know if each season will correspond to each book. If so, it's only good for three seasons, which may be just as well. Don't want to drag it out too long.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I hope that if this is successful enough to return for a second season, that they limit the number of seasons. The books told a complete story with a beginning, middle and end, and I think the show would start feeling overly padded if they left it open-ended in order to continue for tons of seasons.

I read the books a while ago. Since then, I feel like the whole vampire thing has been overdone, but I decided to start watching the show anyway. The pilot I thought was kinda weak (especially considering that del Toro directed it himself) but I think each week has been an improvement. I like that the show has made vampires scary and gross again instead of just being beautiful and ethereal. My only issue at this point, and it's definitely a problem with me and not the show, is that I remember more or less where everything is going, which takes away some of the fun.

 

[Malcolm R]

With the latest episode, there seem to be some similarities emerging between the del Toro/Hogan story and the Order of the Sanguines series of novels (Blood Gospel & Innocent Blood) by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell.

Spoiler

Hard to say for sure based on a few minutes at the climax of this episode, but with the emergence of what appear to be a group of vampire-like creatures who are apparently hunting the strigoi, it seems quite similar to the Rollins/Cantrell books with a group of essentially vampire monks (strigoi who have found religion) fighting to protect mankind against the untamed, feral strigoi.

Not sure who's borrowing from who (I think del Toro's books were published first), or if there will be any continuing similarities, but I just finished the second book of the Sanguines (Innocent Blood) and was having deja vu at the end of last night's episode.

BTW, The Strain has been renewed for Season 2.

 

[Sam Posten]

That whole Deus Ex Machina revelation in the wine closet blew me away, did not see that coming at all. BIG thumbs up for idea AND execution, even if it's not as original as I thought, per the spoiler above.

 

[Citizen87645]

I think you could argue some of those ideas go as far back as Del Toro's work on Blade II (though David Goyer gets credit for the screenplay).

Not sure who's borrowing from who (I think del Toro's books were published first), or if there will be any continuing similarities, but I just finished the second book of the Sanguines (Innocent Blood) and was having deja vu at the end of last night's episode.

BTW, The Strain has been renewed for Season 2.

 

[Malcolm R]

This series either needs a new editor, or they need to eliminate some of the plot threads that they introduce then leave untouched for several episodes.

[*]Gus & Felix: They show these guys about once every three episodes. I've pretty much forgotten what their situation is or why they were arrested in the first place. Last we saw Gus, he was on the run after shooting an infected Felix. They really should just cut the Gus storyline, as it's obviously not important enough to keep it going in each episode.
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[*]The Vampire Storm Troopers introduced at the end of Episode 7, but not mentioned ever again through Episode 10. What's the point of introducing them if their role in the plot is so insignificant that they are simply ignored and unmentioned for several episodes?
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The flashback structure of Episode 10 about Kelly's disappearance seemed unnecessary and simply used to create false drama about her status. Why couldn't this simply have been told in linear fashion? The current obsession with flashbacks in hour-long dramas is becoming very tiresome. My eyes were rolling every time we flashed back to WWII Germany, too. Yes, we get it, Setrakian first met Eichhorst and the Master in a concentration camp. We don't need six flashbacks an episode over multiple weeks to understand this.

And was anyone else underwhelmed by the full reveal of the Master? I thought the makeup FX were quite poorly done.

 

[JohnMor]

Well, from what I understand, not everything gets tied up in the first book, and hence won't be tied up in the first season either. This is going at least one more season, and probably a third to match the books. So some of the payoffs will come in other seasons.

I don't mind the flashbacks too much, as I think linear storytelling can also get boring and pedestrian. I think most of the complaints seem to be from people who expected or want less character development and more action. It's a very hard line to walk and I'm not sure the series will ever satisfy either camp completely. I think there was a lot more to the Setrakian flashbacks than just telling us "they met in a concentration camp." It was showing us what he witnessed of the Master and what he went through to survive, up to and including carving the Master's box. It's a shame that people have no patience for character scenes anymore.

As far as the reveal of the Master, I kind of agree. But I also didn't expect too much from a 1st season TV budget.

I've enjoyed the show very much so far, but it's never wowed me. But when the end of each episode comes, I do wish it would go on another half hour or so.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I'm enjoying the show for the most part. I thought the flashback scenes to Poland have been some of the most effective portions of season 1 and I would agree that Setrakian's flashbacks illuminate his understanding of the nature of what is being faced in ways that exposition, during the current phase of the show, simply could not.

Kind of hated to see what happened to Kelly. It appeared that The Master understands her relationship with Eph, based on his particular attention to her in the last episode. Perhaps he senses the remnants of each individual's former life since they seem to form some sort of hive mind?

I have not read the books, and I hope the series has the opportunity to completely tell the tale.

- Walter.

 

[JohnMor]

The show is starting to lose me a bit because the world as it's becoming on the show isn't really worth staying in for me. The world they've created is relatively colorless, humorless and depressing, as are the characters. At least on a show like Buffy they gave you a true alternative that seemed worth fighting for. Here, in this world, I think I'd rather just put a gun in my mouth. Granted, if it were really happening I'd probably not be so cavalier about life, but just watching it, it doesn't really depict a world worth fighting for imo.

 

[revgen]

It's only humorless and depressing if you take it seriously. It's a live action horror comic as far as I'm concerned.

I can't wait for the season finale.

 

[Sandro]

The series peaked with the episode at the gas station but from there it's been a little boring. I do not watch too much TV because of this exact reason. Too many plot threads left for later, too much backstory, not enough action. The best part is the vampires and the villains and the pulpy plot. The focus should be on those things.

 

[Stan]

The series peaked with the episode at the gas station but from there it's been a little boring. I do not watch too much TV because of this exact reason. Too many plot threads left for later, too much backstory, not enough action. The best part is the vampires and the villains and the pulpy plot. The focus should be on those things.

They're not doing so bad. We're getting closer to the "vampire in a box" leader.

I do agree with you on the backstory, we get it, let's move on.

I think so many of these shows try to leave things open for a "second season" so they purposely don't entirely finish the story.Look back to "Falling Skies". One season, now coming up on its fifth and final one. Great show, but always a little bit unknown, will there be an ending or does the show just vanish.