He is here...
A plane lands and not a single passenger or crew member is alive. Or so they thought. That is the opening of Guillermo Del Toro's The Strain. If a Pilot episode beginning with a plane makes you think of Lost or Fringe know that while they're all related to current showrunner Carlton Cuse, this is a very different story. Different for those who are unfamiliar with vampire lore or perhaps horror enthusiasts just hoping for a return to the savage vampires of the ancient world. This Pilot begins with a lot of set up yet shows a lot of promise.
Being a Pilot it should be no surprise that this is mainly about establishing and world building. We are quickly introduced to the problem. Something killed 206 passengers on a plane while leaving 4 of them alive. And on that plane is a gigantic 9 foot tall wooden box with images of the grim reaper carved all over it. An already ominous sign that terrible things are set in motion.
Our heroes are Eph Goodweather played by Corey Stoll of House of Cards fame and Nora Martinez played by Mia Maestro. Both doctors and high authorities of the Center for Disease Control. From the beginning it is made clear that Eph is the everyman that we should relate to. He's good hearted and cares about this son. But at the same time we find him at a family crisis as his wife (played by Natalie Brown) is planning on divorcing him and taking custody of their son. Why would she want to leave such a caring man? Because of his biggest flaw: his extreme dedication to his work. He jokes that if he goes on vacation thousands of people die. And from the extremes of what he is introduced to in the Pilot, there is no chance for a vacation. His partner Nora has a romantic history with Eph, one that clearly establishes who the audience should expect to be the one Eph will and should eventually wind up with. It is a mutual attraction but Eph still remains loyal to his wife for the sake of his son while Nora has already accepted that they have to keep things professional. And with the danger that has surfaced, custody battles and romance should be the last thing on their minds.
The only one who seems to clearly understand what is going on is an Armenian Pawn Shop owner named Abraham Setrakian played by David Bradley. Many will remember him as Walder Frey from Game of Thrones as the man responsible for The Red Wedding. And while that one act completely removed memories of him being in the Harry Potter franchise, here he is no longer a side character or a villain but rather a hero. Horror aficionados and vampire geeks should know that Abraham is a direct reference to the legendary vampire hunter Abaraham Van Helsing. Given that this show feels like a modern retelling of Dracula then it should come to no surprise as what Abraham Setrakian's true occupation is and comes off as the most compelling character in The Pilot. He is a holocaust survivor, a vampire hunter, wields a sword cane, and talks to heart in a jar that is still very much alive. That last bit lets you know that there is a lot more complexity with this character if he's talking to the still beating heart of his dead wife. He will definitely be the one to watch in this series.
If you are looking for blood and gore, it is definitely there. It is not overdone as the episode is more of a slow burn thriller than a blood fest. But when it happens it happens in full force. The first clear view of the enemy is both horrifying and a promise of doom. It is the best representation of a vampire lord and brings the creatures back to what they originally were: MONSTERS!
However as I stated, it is a slow burn and it is a pilot so it really is just about establishing. Characters are introduced to a problem and everyone acts accordingly as to how one in the real world would approach that problem. The performances are fine save for one airline worker at the beginning, yet this is still the start so only time will tell if all these characters can endure. It may not be the best opener that starts with a bang but what it does have is intrigue. Who is this monster? How did our vampire hunter came to be who he is? What are these bloodsucking worms inside the corpses of the dead passengers? Will Eph believe in what Nora is already starting to accept as truth. There are monsters in this world, and "He is here."
SCORE: 7.5 - An okay start but holds a lot of promise for the future of the series.
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