Last week on The Strain, Eph tried to end the war with one shot, and ended up landing Dutch in more peril than ever before. With his accomplice in the clutches of Herr Eichorst, and with Setrakian in the clutches of an unnamed figure, the forces of light are facing down what looks like a “Dead End,” but is all truly lost?
”Tommy, your problem is you have no fire in your belly.”
We learned A LOT more about Thomas Eichorst's past tonight, and it was the absolute highlight of the action this week. Through flashbacks, we saw that Eichorst was a lowly radio salesman before falling for the powerful lure of The Third Reich. We even saw him lose a woman he loved just as the Nazis were starting to rise to power, all due to her being of Jewish descent. That sensitive, kind Eichorst with no power or authority wasn't the one we saw with Dutch Velders this evening, as he has shown that not only does he have both of those qualities in spades now, but he can drink alcohol and even try to please a lady!
While he imbibed in the first vice, he was stopped pretty effectively before he could even touch the other; as Nora, Fet, and Eph arrived shortly after Dutch sprayed Eichorst in the face with some pepper spray. While Tommy escaped without too much of a scratch - though a bit of a messed up makeup job - it looks like Dutch was extremely happy to see Fet. This all came after the trio's missing person's search that took up most of their time on screen this week. If only they'd thought to check in with the home base, they'd have seen that another one of their numbers was missing.
”People would say you couldn't even find Tahiti on the map, Rudyard. But I am going there now, and this is my silver ticket.”
Sure enough, Professor Abraham Setrakian found himself in the clutches of Rudyard Fonescu, the current possessor of the Occido Lumen, and the survivor Setrakian himself saved from a monastery back in 1960s Vienna. While Setrakian was trying to offer Rudyard any price he could think of in the name of the Lumen, Mr. Fonescu was not having it. Greedy with the power of “protecting” the Lumen, as well as the money he could possibly fetch for it, he was off to sell the book to the highest bidder.
That highest bidder, surprisingly enough, was Alfonso Creem. You may remember him as not only the gangster that Gus was working for in Season 1, but also the man that Setrakian had put in a standing order with for the Lumen's possession. With Creem ready to buy the book, one has to wonder if he'll live up to his word with Setrakian and deliver it, or if he'll find himself on the side of greed and try to fence the book to a higher bidder. If he had his former business partner to consult with, the decision would be easy. However, Gus has his hands full at the moment – romantically and professionally.
”This...this is The Silver Angel.”
So Gus and Aanya, faced with the prospect of splitting up for survival, finally did the deed. In the face of everything standing against them, the young lovers came together and had a moment of solace before their separation. As part of his deal with Quinlan, Gus and Angel escorted the Guptas to the border and sent them on their way. However, Angel broke his promise to Gus and stuck around to join the team. The Silver Angel has risen once more, and the forces of good might have the firepower they need to fight the vampiric menace that's threatening New York – and humanity.
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“Dead End” kept the train going after a really big momentum spike a couple of weeks ago. With just two episodes left in The Strain Season 2, there's still a chance that one false move could derail all of the work that's gone into pushing things along in the back end of the sophomore season. We'll see if the streak's still alive next week, as we set our expectations high and observe the “Falling Light.” But if your thirsts could use a little more slaking, then pull up a stool as we get into our Nitpicks, Notes, and Nods.
Nitpicks
Nothing from the books, though there's A LOT of new back story from Eichorst's previous life.
...Where was Zach all this week? For a kid that's basically the number one target for The Master and his minions, you'd think there would be some sort of mention of him being in someone's capable care.
Notes
Seriously, if there was any testament to how much Richard Sammel can carry The Strain on his back, it has to be the 1930's flashback sequences. I want more of that back story, but at the same time the vagueness that's present is a pretty sweet thing too.
Much like the story structure of the books, I love how the series adapts the transition between flashbacks and present day story lines. Everything stays fresh and exciting, and it helps pad out the series.
Nods
Eichorst's character trajectory is mighty similar to that of Agent Nelson Van Alden's in Season 3 of Boardwalk Empire. Except, Van Alden never became a Nazi. Or a vampire.
Reading Assignment: None.
