The Strain Season 1 Episode # 4 "It's Not for Everyone" - Recap and Review

This post discusses the episode in detail. Readers yet to watch the episode are recommended to skip it, if they wish to avoid spoilers.

Dr Eph Goodweather (Corey Stoll), Dr Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro) and Jim Kent (Sean Astin) discuss their options about what to do with Captain Redfern's (Jonathan Potts) body. Eph wants to perform an autopsy to figure out what is going on. Jim expresses his concern, but is overridden when Nora supports Eph.

Ann-Marie Barbour (Alex Paxton-Beesley) and Ansel Barbour (Nikolai Witschl) decide to move their kids to someplace else. Ansel declines Ann's offer to call on their family doctor Dr. Barrett, but insists to keep their family German shepherd pet, Gertie with him.

Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde) hires Dutch Velders (Ruta Gedmintus), an internet hacker to create a retaliation campaign against major corporations through an online group (“Citizens for Liberty”). Dutch slows down/shuts downs internet servers and helps create an atmosphere of disinformation. It is also revealed that the individual murdered by Thomas Eichorst (Richard Sammel) was the CEO of Regis Air.

Eph cuts open Redfern's body and removes the six foot long stinger. Jim confesses about his involvement in moving the coffin to Jim and Nora.

Ann finds Gertie dead with a big entrance wound to her throat. Ann hears noises from inside the shed. She is terrified when she meets a transformed Ansel. He begs and then scares her to run away and never return to him.

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Gus Elizalde (Miguel Gomez) returns the clock (stolen by his brother Crispin) to an unappreciative Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley). He steals a SUV and sells it for 800 USD to silver toothed Alonso Creem (Jamie Hector).

As Ann grieves over her dead dog, a cranky neighbour Trip Taylor (Darrin Baker) comes over and threatens her with calling the police about the constant noises from the shed. Ann is pissed off when she learns that Trip had previously beat Gertie. She tricks Trip into entering the shedj and Ansel promptly feeds on him.

Eldritch informs Secretary Maggie Pierson about a biological agent being let loose in the airplane and attempts to secure her help. In the midst of the conversation, he collapses.

Jim and Nora rush to Emma Arnot's (Isabelle Nélisse) house. Emma attacks them with the stinger and is killed by Abraham Setrakian. He also kills her transformed father, Gary Arnot (Steven McCarthy).

Nora is shocked by Abraham's actions and leaves them to do the rest of the work.

The episode closes as Abraham asks Eph to get the gasoline. 

David Bradley remains the best of the bunch. Miguel Gomez also gives an arresting performance as Gus. 

The episode continues to suffer from the same drawback: The narrative is weak. The constant shifting between the characters robs the show of a gripping momentum, that came across really well in the books. 

Guillermo del Toro does not seem to have his heart in place for this show. Perhaps, he is busy with other projects (“Crimson Peak”??). Most of the actors (with a few exceptions) seem to be just sleepwalking through their roles to collect the paycheck.

Trivia

• The children's song “This Old Man” can be heard playing in the scene, when Eph and Nora enter Emma Arnot's house.

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Image Sources: FX Networks, TheTVDen.com

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