Showing posts with label Dutch Velders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dutch Velders. Show all posts

Monday, September 29, 2014

The Strain Season 1 Episode # 12 "Last Rites" - Recap and Review


Stephen McHattie as Quinlan the ancient vampire hunter in FX The Strain Season 1 Episode 12 Last Rites

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

Thomas Eichorst (Richard Sammel) pays a visit to the sick business tycoon, Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde). Eldritch reminds him that The Master owes him in return for all the help he has done as per the deal. Thomas responds that the Master does whatever he pleases. Eldritch claims to be still having faith that he will get his due.

Flashback to Albania in 1967. The younger Abraham Setrakian (Jim Watson) is still in pursuit of the German strigoi, Thomas Eichorst. Miriam Setrakian (Adina Verson) is concerned about her husband's obsession with tracking down the German tormentor.

Abraham is fooled into a trap laid by Eichorst and his wife is turned into a strigoi. Abraham makes the difficult choice of killing his beloved Miriam and then carves out her heart as a reminder and inspiration to continue his quest/mission.

Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Mia Maestro and Kevin Durand as Eph Goodweather, Abraham Setrakian, Nora Martinez and Vasiliy Fet hunting vampires in FX The Strain

Back in the present, Dr Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro) tries to comfort Abraham about their failure to end The Master's life

Gus Elizalde (Miguel Gomez) gets the drop on Alonso Creem in his car. Gus needs money, ammunition and has decided to procure his supplies from Alonso. Things get out of hand, when they come under attack by vampires.

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Quinlan (Stephen McHattie), the hooded guy dressed in black (we saw a long time ago), reappears just in time to save the day. His crew kidnaps Gus.

Dutch Velders (Ruta Gedmintas) returns to the pawn shop and explains her plan to broadcast Eph's message to the world.

Richard Sammel as Thomas Eichorst the German Nazi strigoi vampire attacking Abraham Setrakian's pawn shop in FX The Strain Season 1 Episode 12 Last Rites

Just as Eph finishes his first ever speech, Eichorst leads an attack on Abraham's pawn shop. The turned Gabriel Bolivar (Jack Kesy) attacks Nora's mom, Mariela Martinez (Anne Betancourt) with his stinger. As the good guys make their escape from the shop through an escape door, Nora decapitates her now infected mother.

In the closing scenes, The Master arrives at the Stoneheart Group building and secretes his body fluids into Eldritch's mouth. Eldtrich quickly regains his vitality and is able to walk and enjoy the rain on the patio. His assistant/bodyguard Mr. Fitzwilliams (Roger R. Cross) is surprised and concerned with this sudden change in his employer.

The Strain has got to be one of the most pondering shows on TV. Having read the novels on which the series is based, it baffles me to as to why the show has been scripted this way. Things have been moving too slow right from the beginning and this episode is no different.

Nothing much happens of note, except for Gus' kidnapping and the death of Nora's mother. On the plus side, at least we have one less unnecessary character, thanks to Gabe.

Corey Stoll and Ben Hyland as Eph Goodweather and his son Zach Goodweather in FX The Strain

The scenes showing the budding romance between Vasiliy Fet and Dutch Velders feels like more of the filler material that we have been seeing as part of the show. To his credit, Kevin does provide some humor in his interactions with Corey Stoll's character, Eph Goodweather.

Jim Watson gives a good performance as the younger Abraham Setrakian. Credit to the make up department for making Jim's Setrakian look like a credible younger version of David Bradley's older one.

Another nice touch was Thomas Eichorst's reflection vibrating in the mirror.

Hopefully, the season finale will ratchet up the tension that has been sorely missing so far in a show about vampires and humans racing against time to stop a fast spreading infection.

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Image Source: FX Networks

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Monday, September 8, 2014

The Strain Season 1 Episode # 9 "The Disappeared" - Recap and Review

FX The Strain Season 1 Episode 9 The Disappeared The Eclipse poster

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

As seen in the last episode, our heroes came under attack in a convenience store. They are able to make their escape, but Jim Kent (Sean Astin) gets infected and is shot dead by Vasiliy Fet (Kevin Durand).

Zach Goodweather (Ben Hyland) is dropped off at his home by Diane (Inga Cadranel). A transformed Matt Sayles (Drew Nelson) attacks Zach. Eph Goodweather (Corey Stoll) arrives right on time to rescue his son and destroys the vampire.


Corey Stoll, Ben Hyland and Mía Maestro as Dr Eph Goodweather, Zach Goodweather and Dr Nora Martinez in FX The Strain Season 1 Episode 9 The Disappeared

Zach informs Eph and Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro) that his mother Kelly Goodweather (Natalie Brown) has been gone since morning, after having a fight with her live-in boyfriend.

Gus Elizalde's (Miguel Gomez) friend Felix (Pedro Miguel Arce) gets increasingly weak as the infection takes its toll on him.

Back in the Nazi concentration camp in 1944, Thomas Eichorst (Richard Sammel) keeps a special eye on the young Abraham Setrakian (Jim Watson). Thomas notices that Abraham is unhappy after finishing his previous masterpiece.

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Abraham tries to attack The Master during one of his feeding sessions. The Master overpowers him and breaks his fingers, while taunting him that even God cannot save him. Next day, Thomas orders Abraham's execution since he is no longer useful to him. Just as he is about to be executed, allied forces attack the camp and Abraham escapes.

Eph and Nora decide to stay back at Kelly's house. Eph and Nora dispose of Matt's body. They have a make out session. Diane stops by again and is furious at what she perceives as proof of Eph's infidelity to Kelly.

Ruta Gedmintas as internet hacker Dutch Velders in FX The Strain Season 1 Episode 9 The Disappeared

Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley), along with Vasiliy and Dutch Velders (Ruta Gedmintas), takes Zach to his pawn shop to keep him safe.

Dutch gets down at her apartment and discovers that her roommate Nikki (Nicola Correia Damude) stole her backup and all the money she has saved. During her conversation with Vasiliy, Dutch implies that she and Nikki were more than just friends.

One of Dutch's acquaintances, Ronnie tries to attack her. Vasiliy slays Ronnie.

Abraham proposes an alliance with Vasiliy Fet in order to use his intimate knowledge of the city to find The Master and destroy him.

Gus, Felix and a few other convicts are being transported in a police van for inspection by a doctor. A transformed Felix starts attacking his cellmates and the driver. The van crashes shortly. Gus shoots Felix dead and escapes.

Kevin Durand, Mia Maestro, Ruta Gedmintas and David Bradley as Vasiliy Fet, Dr Nora Martinez, Dutch Velders and Abraham Setrakian in FX The Strain Episode 9 The Disappeared

Dutch confesses to Abraham about her work in bringing down the internet on behalf of Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde). She also mentions about her misgivings about Thomas Eichorst. 

The Master appears before Thomas Eichorst and infects him with a worm.

There was a lot of humor in this episode, mostly from Vasiliy Fet. Kevin Durand seems to be settling into his role.

Dutch Velders referring to Abraham's pawnshop as “Batcave was a nice touch. Hats off to Guillermo del Toro for this reference.

The show is slowly and steadily picking up the tempo, after what have been some really slow episodes.

Click here to read all my posts related to The Strain.

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to this blog by clicking here.

Image Sources: FX Networks, DelToroFilms.com

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